Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 367

Abby

I step out of the detective’s office with a breath of relief. It’s over; well, the interrogation part, at least.

With Damon under questioning, I had to give my official side of the story today. And I did just that.

I told the detective everything from beginning to end—although, if I’m being honest, I’m not even sure where the ‘beginning’ lies in all of this. All I know is that this prince developed an unhealthy obsession with me.

And apparently I am not the first object of his desire.

According to the detective, other women have come forward; those accusing Damon of date rape, stalking, threats, and other transgressions. And with the chemical panels coming back on my staff, revealing that they were all indeed roofied on that night that Damon tried to abduct me, things aren’t looking good for him.

“Hey.”

Karl pushes away from where he’s leaning on the wall as I exit. After just a little under a week of recovery, he looks right as rain. You can’t even tell that he was stabbed, aside from the stitches on his abdomen.

“Hey,” I say with a tired smile. “You waited out here all this time?”

Karl smirks and holds out a coffee for me. “Almost.”

I take the coffee and sip it gratefully. “Mmm,” I mutter. Just the way I like it. It reminds me of the days when Karl first started helping me out at the restaurant and would bring me my favorite coffee every morning. I knew that he was buttering me up then, and I think he’s still trying to butter me up now.

But I don’t need the buttering up anymore. I’m his. And I’m not going anywhere.

“So,” he says, looping an arm around my waist as we walk down the hallway, “how did it go?”

I let out a small sigh. “Just about as well as one would expect,” I reply. “Lots of the same questions being repeated in different ways to catch me in a lie.”

“Oh. Did they catch you in your grand scheme?” Karl teases.

I smirk and bat at his chest with my hand. “Ha ha, very funny,” I chide. Of course there was no lie. I would have told that detective my deepest, darkest secrets if he had asked. Anything to put Damon behind bars.

“Other women have started coming forward, you know,” I continue. “Other victims of his. They’re practically coming out of the woodwork in droves.”

“Good.” Karl purses his lips. “I mean, it’s not good that he has other victims, but it’s good that they’re coming forward.”

“Yeah. From the sounds of it, he’s potentially looking at a long, long time in prison.”

Just as Karl and I are about to push outside onto the street, a voice calls out from behind. “Abby! Karl!” We turn to see a young officer waving her hand from around the corner. “Officer Martinez wants to speak with you!”

…

“Abby, Karl. Thank you for meeting with me.” Officer Martinez gestures for us to sit opposite her desk and peers at us over her tented fingers.

“Good to see you, Officer Martinez,” I say as we sit across from her. “What did you want to talk about?”

Officer Martinez sighs. “I don’t even know where to begin,” she says softly with a shake of her head. “That Beta, Alexander Black… Well, let me just show you the footage. It’s easier this way.”

Karl and I exchange wary glances as Officer Martinez turns the laptop to face us and hits ‘play’ on what looks to be interrogation footage.

The Beta who supposedly poisoned the Alpha party, Alexander Black, is sitting across from a detective at a metal table. Black has got his head in his hands, and his shoulders are trembling as the officer writes on his notepad.

“Can you just repeat what you just said, Mr. Black?” the detective asks.

Black draws in a shuddering breath. “Look, I only told you what I know,” he says slowly. “My boss—Alpha Hendrick—just gave me the vial of food poisoning and told me where to put it. He said it would be just enough to take the kids out without raising too many suspicions, and that the restaurant owner would be framed. Clean and simple.”

“You think that killing children is ‘clean and simple’?” The detective grills.

“No, I…” Black finally raises his head, and his eyes are red-rimmed with a mixture of tears and exhaustion. “I just… Look, Hendrick’s got a boss, too, just like everyone else. Some… Some prince or something. Apparently, he’s got a vested interest in killing these kids. And if we got the job done for him, we’d be paid well. As in, never having to worry about money again kind of payment.”

Officer Martinez reaches out and stops the tape there, leaving the room in silence. Karl and I gape at her, mouths open with shock.

“You… You don’t think…” I stammer, to which Officer Martinez simply nods.

“We believe that Prince Damon, Alexander Black, and this Alpha Hendrick are all connected,” she explains. “It’s not known for certain yet, but we’ve got a good lead based off of the statements that you and Damon’s other victims have given.”

“Extortion seems like his kind of style,” Karl says. “But why go after some random kids?”

“Alpha Hendrick’s interrogations, although they’ve been more bulletproof than Black’s so far, have led us to deduce that Prince Damon—assuming that is who they’re referring to—may be of the belief that these children are a threat to his throne.” Officer Martinez sighs. “Again, it’s all speculation.”

“And where do we play into this?” I ask. Surely she wouldn’t have called us in here otherwise.

“That’s exactly why I wanted to speak to you, Abby,” Officer Martinez says. “I believe that Damon’s obsession with you may have played into this plan of his. Two birds with one stone, so to speak; frame you, bring you to your knees, and then give you no choice but to marry him.”

I swallow the bile that’s threatening to rise in my throat. It does make sense, I suppose. Although, part of me wonders which came first: his obsession with me or his plan to frame me.

Either way, I want him behind bars. “Just tell me what I need to do,” I say firmly. Beneath the table, I can feel Karl’s fingers wrap firmly around mine. I give his hand a squeeze, feeling bolstered by his warm touch.

“I’d like you to attend a deposition,” Officer Martinez explains. “Give your formal statement in front of a judge. Answer whatever questions they have as honestly as you can. We have faith that Damon will incriminate himself at that deposition, especially with you there, speaking out against him.”

Officer Martinez’s words make the color drain from my face. “You really think that would be all it takes?”

“That’s what we’re hoping for.” She nods. “But Abby, if you feel unsafe—”

“No. I can do it.” I swallow firmly and squeeze Karl’s hand even tighter—or maybe he’s the one who’s squeezing me tighter; I can’t quite tell.

Officer Martinez’s eyes light up. “I’m so proud of you, Abby,” she says warmly. “And I promise, it’s almost over.”

When Karl and I finally step out of the police precinct a little while later, feeling the sun on our faces, I feel as if I’m walking on clouds. Officer’s Martinez’s instructions were clear: attend the deposition, give my side of the story, and then the rest would follow.

I can’t help but stop on the sidewalk, tilting my face up at the sun as a smile begins to twitch at the corners of my lips.

Karl, noticing my hesitation, turns to me. “Are you alright?” he murmurs.

I nod, and without a word, I throw my arms around his neck. I press my lips against his, kissing him deeply beneath the warmth of the afternoon sun.

He stiffens in surprise for a moment, but then I feel him wrap his arms around my waist and pull me close. Our bodies press together, warm and comforting and familiar as ever.

“I can’t believe it,” I murmur as we pull apart. “It’s almost over.”