Justice League And The Hounds Of Hell

Chapter 15: The Price to Pay

I settled on the bench behind the amphitheater, watching Ronny Boxer shake hands with the dissolving crowd and get into passionate quips with others. Jezebel smiled and took the space next to me.

"I was pleasantly surprised to see what you did for your birthday. Such selfless compassion isn't common for ladies of your age, let alone your class. Every young lady I've ever met in your position was wanting imported leather and fur, with no mind for the sacrifice made to honor their vanity." She stopped. "I did my research on you, you're not like your peers, are you? I hope you're not offended that I misjudged you."

I shrugged. "It's understandable."

"If you don't mind me asking," she observed her fingers for a moment. "I would think people of your past experience would be more interested in advocating for homeless shelters and orphanages." She searched my face. "So, why animals?"

She was a smart one, trying to test me. I wondered how Ronny had gotten past her cross examination.

"My... experience, in that environment showed me a lot... I do advocate for shelters, and for homeless children, but..." I paused, and it wasn't even on purpose. I was here on the pretense of playing a part so that she'd let her guard down, but this question and this particular topic wasn't a part. It was real, ugly real... and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I could use it to my advantage, and in that way, I became most qualified for this part of the case.

"I had more positive interactions with animals than I did with people out there. People, they were... self-preserving. They weren't all bad, but no one I came across was good... not even I was."

"I'm sorry for prying." She muttered. "If you're still interested in helping us, we'd love to have you on board."

Ronny approached us at that moment and slid his hand into hers. Her eyes fluttered like butterfly wings and a happy little giggle bubbled out of her. He grinned and brought her hand to his mouth, not breaking eye contact as he planted a kiss to the back of it. It was like I wasn't even on the bench anymore.

So, that's how he got past her.

When I walked away after writing a check, I noted that Ronny had been the one who accepted it, not her. She was letting him run the administrative side of her cause, while she was the face of it, and she was blind to his true intentions because she was in love with him.

The way she looked at him, is that how I look at Tim?

I shook my head. I wanted to tell myself that it was different with Tim, but isn't that what they all say? I'd seen tons of people in bad relationships. My own mother had been involved with a gangster. She married him while pregnant with me and had another baby with him, little James 'Jay-Jay' Jr. She couldn't have known that he would lead her to her death, but did she know who he was? I think she did, but she didn't care, she looked past it because she loved him.

Look what that love cost her. Look what Jet's love is going to cost her.

What will my love cost me?

A text on my phone offered the relief of distraction, then failed when I saw who it was.

Tim: great job! Trackers are live.

I stared at the phone, at his name. Three letters, hundreds of thousands of others with that same name, yet it meant so much to me. A part of me leapt inside whenever I saw it flash on the screen.

When I was young I gagged at the sight and thought of romance, and not just in the typical childish way. To me, it was a trap, one that caught a person so that disgusting things could be done to them by another. How easy it is to forget!