Ultraviolet

Chapter Fifty-Three: Knowing

I let Ty know I was okay, and that I'd be back soon, then left with Adrianna.

We walked a block away to a cafe, then grabbed our drinks and sat on a isolated table outside.

"Did you know that I used to be a federal officer." Adrianna asked.

I stared, unsure of what to say. I didn't even know her last name, let alone her resume.

"I was born in a small town in Arkansas. By my first birthday, both my parents had passed and I was put into the foster system." She explained.

Everything about her, her posture, her facial expression, her tone, all appeared like she was completely emotionless. But her eyes- they showed the pain of remembering a time you spend years trying to forget.

"I had my fair share of awful foster families. But I persevered. I studied and I worked hard and I graduate from university with a law degree." She took a sip of her coffee while I remained quiet. "I had a perfect life, I was a lawyer. I had a beautiful wife."

Adrianna had never mentioned anything about relationships before. I assumed she didn't date because she was so guarded, but the strain on her voice as she said "wife"... she wasn't guarded, she was heartbroken.

"We lived above the bar. Everyday I would see drunken girls walk out of the bar crying and men walking out laughing. A couple times I went in to see what it was like. It was pretty clear that the men that go to these clubs don't respect women. I decided to study, work for the FBI, focus on helping women going through horrible things, and try to make things better."

Adrianna opened her mouth to say a name, but settled for "She".

"She was out for dinner with some coworkers." Adrianna was speaking about her wife now. "She was a stockbroker, so they were all guys. She had a bit to drink and... "

I don't think Adrianna has told anybody this before.

"The guys that hurt her, they got away with it. I fought so hard, inside and outside the Bureau. They had good lawyers and a bro code. It was her word against theirs." Adrianna's eyes glistened with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "She took her own life, because she didn't feel safe in this world anymore."

"Theres only so much the police can do. The law protects monsters like those men. I quit, and I made my own justice. The man from that article hurt so many women." She breathed in and out, steadying herself.

"What about the man that I brought into your office. Was he-"

"No. He was just a delivery man. We used him to get to the dealers and the buyers using roofies. He had no idea what he was doing, but he helped us. I wouldn't have put you in a dangerous situation."

"So, Hadeon isn't some kind of monster." I sighed.

"No, he is not."