Lavender [Completed] #Wattys2018 (Under Editing)

Quatre

"Nick, wait!" I heard Jenny's scream as I hurried to the black car, "If you think I'll let you do whatever you're planning alone, you're wrong! Damn it, we're suppose to be partners!"

I groaned with frustration and opened the car door, got in the driver's seat and slammed the door behind me, waiting for Jenny to get in the car while I turned on the engine.

"Damn you! Bastard!" She slammed the door behind her and I started to drive, smiling a fake smile, "What the hell are you planning, Nick?"

"We have located the location of the murderer, Lavender, and now I'm trying to think of a plan to catch her and put her in jail before she will hurt someone else." I explained to her quickly, and I gave her a quick glance.

Jenny's face turned into a rush of emotions - anger was the most prominent of them, but there was also disappointment, and... Sadness.

"You never learned anything from the Femme Fatale investigation? Do you want more people to get hurt because you're trying to work things by yourself?" Her voice was colored with anger and sadness.

I understood that she took the situation badly, and that she was offended by my actions. She was hurt. How could I blame her? That was all my fault. That investigation still haunts her, the devastating consequences still holding her... Just as it still holding me.

My grip on the wheel tightened as I muttered softly, "I still can't sleep at night. I still hear their screams... And Steve, I still see his face, how he looked at me when they shot him..." I stopped talking, staring at the road in front of me, thankful that I had an excuse not to look at Jenny's agonized blue eyes. "I know it was my fault. If I told you I discovered the location of the Femme Fatale's squad, maybe Steve was alive today, and then you'd get ma-" I left the sentence hanging in the air, not wanting to finish it. The guilt that always accompanied me after this damned interrogation kept flooding me, causing my stomach to roll and my body to contract slightly under its weight.

I tried to ignore it and concentrate on the gray road in front of me, but it all changed when I saw out of the corner of my eye a tear escapes from Jenny's eye, down her cheek. The guilt grew stronger and almost choked me when it came to its brink.

I sighed, "You can't understand how sorry I am, for everything that happened." I took one hand off the wheel and grabbed her warm hand gently, "I'm so sorry. I wish I could go back and fix everything."

She tightened her grip on my hand and remained silent. It made my heart shatter with deep sorrow and regret, to see how broken she was.

I drove until we got to Lavender's location, with the thoughts and feelings I was trying to ignore floating again and threatening to choke me.

~X~X~X~

I knew it wouldn't be good, the surprise Lavender left for me.

We were outside a little house, looking for signs of activity within it before we go inside. Of course, because it might be a trap, we came prepared: the bulletproof vests on us and the guns are in our hands, ready for action.

With a woman like Lavender you can't take chances.

I knocked on the wooden door and shouted with a commanding voice, "Lavender! Open up! Police!" But as I expected the door didn't open. "Playing games, huh?" I muttered to myself and kicked the door hard. The door fell to the floor and scattered dust everywhere.

It was dark, and an ominous feeling began to resonate in my stomach while we walked carefully into the house. "Lavender! Stop hiding! It will make it easier for all of us if you cooperate!" I shouted, and the shout echoed through the dark silent house.