Imperatrix

chapter 49

The drive home was short and uneventful. Harry still had not recovered from his shock, still couldn’t believe that she was the one. All this time she had known, she had let him fool himself, and she said nothing. But what did he expect, that she would turn herself in?

He leaned his head on the steering wheel and closed his eyes. Things just got a whole lot more complicated. What was he going to do when he saw her? Cuff her like he did with criminals? He didn’t think he would be able to do that. He opened the car door and stepped out, slamming it shut behind him. Shoving the key roughly into the lock, he turned it and the door opened. He was in a foul mood.

Hanging up his coat, he ran his hand through his hair as he trudged further into the house. But then he saw the lights were on and he instantly became alert. His hand went to his gun as he inched his way silently to the kitchen where the light was coming from. In his heart, he already knew who it was.

There she was, the girl he thought he loved. She was standing with the island between them. Without thinking twice, he pulled out his gun and pointed it at her. Hurt flashed across her eyes for a second before they turned hard. This wasn’t the Anna he knew. That was just a façade, this was the real her. The look in her eyes was one he knew all to well. Hardcore criminals he had arrested had the same look.

That’s what she was, a criminal. And he was going to have to take her in.

He took in her features like he always did whenever he saw her. She wore a cropped shirt and jeans, all black. Her hair was in a tight French braid. She stood straight and tall, like she hadn’t killed people. He expected her to cower. But then again, he didn’t know who she was, did he? Her gaze was hard on him as they stared at each other.

“You’re her, aren’t you?” he asked. He needed to it from her mouth.

“Her, who?”

“Don’t bullshit me Anna, you know who I’m talking about,” he snapped.

“Maybe,” she said staring at the gun in his hand.

Christ! She didn't even have the decency to deny it!

“For months, my life revolved around you! And you didn’t think that I ought to know?”

“And how would I have told you? Hey Harry, I’m the girl that tried to kill you. Lock me up?”

“I don’t care, you should have told me!” he exclaimed.

She didn’t reply. His gun clicked as he switched off the safety clip pointing it at her with both hands.

“Are you going to shoot me detective?” she asked in a voice that was too calm for the situation they were in. She had called him detective, instead of Harry. It shouldn’t have hurt but it did.

“I will if you make me,” he replied gravely. It was a lie, he didn’t think he had the strength to pull the trigger if the bullet was meant for her. She nodded and looked away.

“You deleted those pictures, didn’t you?”

Jack stared out the window but didn’t say anything. Technically, it was Angela that deleted it.

“What’s your name?” he asked, and she looked back at him. “Cause I damn well know its not Anna.”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“So why are you here?”

“To tell you to stay out of my way. It won’t end well for you,” she said in a hard voice.

“You know I can’t do that,” he said softly.

Jack whipped out her gun so fast he didn’t see it till she had levelled it at him. How come he hadn’t noticed it before, the day a grenade had been thrown into his house, now he remembered the way she had held the pistol with skilled practice.