Rubble (Riders of Apollo #7)

Chapter Sixteen: Asa Michaels

*TRIGGER WARNING S/A*

I have never been so fucking angry in my life.

I'm amazed I managed to keep my cool while waiting for the cops, I wanted to tear his fucking throat out with my bare hands just for thinking about hurting June. I don't even want to know what would've happened if I hadn't gone with her, the cases from the gated community were not good. He's been drugging women and raping them in alleys, sneaking in through windows and doing the same.

"Rubble, you need to calm down," Hunter tells me as I pace outside the station. He knows if I go in there now I'll kick off at everyone. They should've caught this fucker long before June even got here but no, they suck at their fucking jobs. The fucker who was planning on hurting her is also in there and I won't be able to hold myself back from attacking him.

"I can't, Hunter, you know that." I grit my teeth and tighten my gloves, hopefully, it'll ease the impact on my knuckles when I knock someone out for getting in my way.

"I know but I need you to because if we go in there and cause more problems it's just gonna end badly for Juniper," I growl viciously, the idea of anything hurting June makes my entire body hurt, it's hard enough being apart from her right now. She's the only thing that could ever stop me from acting on my anger.

"Fucking hell, I don't know how you fucking do it, man." He raises his eyebrow, leaning back on his bike and prompting me to explain. "I worry all the time, it's like she's not safe without me ever. I can't fucking sleep and I check everything before she can even go in any room or even her fucking car. You've been doing this for years, it's been days and I'm exhausted." I huff and rub my face again, frustrated to the max.

"It gets easier when you spend less time apart. I was like that but considering we're only apart when she's at work there's less time for me to work myself into a panic. She sleeps next to me, she is in the clubhouse when I'm there and she's always checking in on the phone. I get it, man, I do but right now she needs you to be calm. She's in the clubhouse surrounded by people who would kill for her but there's no one in there," he gestures to the station, "protecting her now."

"Okay. I'm good." I shake it off and follow Hunter into the building. The cops obviously still have a fraught relationship with us, the Captain has always appreciated our help but they hired some of them off the beat in New York and things work differently there. Currently, almost every cop is glaring at us as we pass through them, and a dark shot of anger courses through my blood when I spot the fucker in the holding cell.

I just want five minutes with the prick, that's all, five fucking minutes. Hunter gives me a look that clearly says 'don't you fucking dare', he outranks me so I take the order with a grimace. We get into the Captain's office and he goes on his spiel about how he appreciates us taking the time and how we should continue with the friendship we have. "We're here about the rapist you caught," Hunter states as soon as the last word has left Captain's mouth.

"What about him?"

"He tried it on with one of ours, was planning on drugging her at a real estate viewing this evening. You picked him up from there."

"Ah yes, the girl has backed this up, yes?" I grit my teeth and throw the pills on his desk. I never handled them without my gloves on so the only fingerprints that will be on there are the fucker's in the cage. "And you can prove that she was there at the time?"

"Check your email," Hunter replies, relying very heavily on Romeo's computer skills. Captain then pulls up images of the fucker sneaking in windows, handling the drugs, setting up meetings, and even stalking a few of the girls. There is even camera footage of him viciously assaulting girls in alleys, we've got him dead to rights. What I don't get is why it took them so long to figure this guy out, he hasn't exactly been hiding.

"We'll need the girl to give a statement."

"No," I respond shortly. If her name gets put in the system then her parents will be able to find her easily. I'm not letting her get dragged back into that life when she fought so hard to escape it, I wouldn't be able to handle it either.

"What do you mean, no? Why wouldn't she want to give her statement?"

"Because she didn't know it was happening until I told her."

"So she wasn't even drugged?" The Captain snorts and drops the pills onto the table, Hunter grabs my arm as I move to punch him in the mouth.

"She was going to go to that house on her own at eight in the evening with a man you have known to be a sexual offender for God knows how long. He had Rohypnol on his person and you stand there and laugh. If I wasn't there who knows what would've happened to her, these women," I start throwing the pictures from the case file that was just printed onto his desk, "were beaten, raped, and abused after being drugged by the exact same meds you have on that desk in front of you. They deserve to get the justice they're entitled to and if you're not going to give it, Captain, then I will." I hiss Captain disrespectfully and his eyes widen in wariness.

Hunter doesn't stop me so I assume he backs me up on this as I glare at the fat fuck who had the audacity to laugh at the horrific crimes this man has committed. "This proof is enough to put him away for a long time, you can calm down now, Sir."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down after someone I care for was almost raped by the shit stain glaring at me right now? What's the point in you people anymore? Hmm? I gave you five the other day and I gave you him today, I'm starting to regret that fucking decision now. Bear would've done a much better job than you."

"Your President doesn't have the law behind him."

"Neither do you apparently. I'll be back to check on him later." I point at the criminal with a look of distaste, "if I find out someone has gone easy on him or that the judge plans to give him a shorter sentence then I will get involved and it will not be pretty. You understand?"

"Yes, I understand." I slam my hand on the desk before storming out, glaring at the asshole as I pass. He flinches under it and I grin evilly. He's lucky June was there because I would've torn him apart without question for everything he has done. My body is still shaking with anger and adrenaline when I get to my bike and Hunter smiles at me.

"You did good in there."

"I did everything you told me not to do," I comment and Hunter steps up to stand in front of my bike with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Rubble, you protected her reputation, protected her identity, and helped those other women who they neglected. You did everything I told you to do. If the cops start protecting rapists and sexual assaulters, we don't want an alliance with them anyway. We'll keep an eye on his proceedings, for now though let's get you back to Juniper before you blow a gasket."