Chapter 2

Chloe Madden

I nodded along as my father unleashed his fury at my boss, feeling a knot of frustration tightening in my chest. It was like being caught in the crossfire of a storm, helpless to do anything.

“How could someone do this to my daughter in a fucking police station? Is this a joke? How could you let this happen?” My father's voice thundered, his anger palpable in the air. I bit my lip, resisting the urge to speak out, knowing it would only further enrage him.

"Sorry Commissioner Madden, but you know him—" My boss attempted to explain, but my father cut him off with a vehement retort.

"No, that man came in here and put his hands on my daughter. How dare he do that?" My father bellowed, his face contorted with rage. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He was more concerned with his wounded pride than my safety.

“How could you send Chloe in? She is the weak one. You thought she could stand up to a man like Carter?” My dad's accusation stung, though I remained silent, knowing it was futile to defend myself in the face of his anger.

“Dad, Chloe handled herself well. You don’t need to pull her down just because you are angry,” Jessica intervened, her voice stern and unwavering. I shot her a grateful look as she changed the subject, "Now what’s done is done. Can we talk about what we have to do next?” Jessica suggested, her voice calm and pragmatic, a stark contrast to our father's heated anger.

“Jessica, they should have sent you in. Sending Chloe was a huge mistake,” my dad stated, giving me a dirty look that sent a pang of guilt coursing through me. I couldn't even argue with him. He was right.

My heart sank as I acknowledged the truth in his words. Despite my best efforts to prove myself, I couldn't escape the fact that I was ill-equipped to handle a situation like the one with Carter Gray.

It did scare and intimidate me.

"So we know why he did it. We did cross a line, dad. We shouldn’t have arrested the barely legal children and their wives," Jessica reasoned, attempting to inject some logic into the conversation.

But my father remained stubborn, his arrogance evident, "I have to play dirty. When I did, see how he came out of his hiding. I was right," he declared, his tone dripping with self-righteousness.

"He said they weren’t just arrested. They were physically assaulted. That’s wrong," I finally spoke up, unable to hold my tongue any longer. My father's reaction was immediate and vicious.

"How fucking dare you? You speak up now?" He roared, his anger directed squarely at me. I braced myself for the onslaught of his fury, knowing that logic and reason held little sway over his emotions.

But Jessica stepped in, her voice calm and steady. "Dad, she's right. Most of the wives and kids weren’t even aware of what their husbands did. We shouldn’t have dragged them into this. They are innocent people."

My father's response was dismissive, "Please, they know what they are doing. They deserved it. We are the good people," he declared, his words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Growing up, I never quite got along with my father. While my sister chose to overlook his flaws and absorb his wisdom, I couldn't stand him.

Jessica was always practical and detached, while I tended to be more emotional. At times, I found myself agreeing with my father's assessments, and it only reinforced the notion that I wasn't cut out to be a detective.

“We should kill him in an encounter, he took it too far,” my father declared to my boss, who looked bewildered and apprehensive. It was clear that no one was crazy enough to go after someone like Carter Gray.

“Dad, he is going to come after our family now. He threatened Chloe. You know he wouldn’t hesitate to kill Mom, Chloe, or me if we push him again. Let's lay low and come up with a plan to catch him,” Jessica suggested as I fidgeted with fingers, knowing no one really cared about my opinion.

“Sir, we barely have any evidence on him. He has the best lawyers backing him. Even if we arrest him, like today, he will get bail very easily,” my captain interjected, trying to inject some sense into the conversation.

“And if you kill him in an encounter, they will all come after you. He is like a son to the Lancasters. You know that, right?” Jessica added.

“Fine, then gather a team and arrest him. I need to see Carter Gray in prison. Then I will go after the Lancasters,” my father declared, his ambition blinding him to the dangers ahead.

It was my father’s dream to make a name for himself, to be known as the man who cleaned the streets and rid the city of crime. But sometimes, I couldn't shake the feeling that he had become so obsessed with his mission that he has become what he hates.

“Dad, I’ll assemble a team and present a plan to you soon,” Jessica said as our father gestured for us to leave his office.

As we walked out, my sister pulled me aside, ushering me into an empty interrogation room with a teasing smile on her face.

“Okay, what the hell actually happened?” she asked as she perched herself on the table, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Jessica had fiery red hair tied up in a bun, framing her beautiful face with its high cheekbones and piercing green eyes. She stood tall and slender in her sergeant uniform, her frame conveying both grace and strength. Though slim, she looked powerful and strong.

I feigned innocence, pretending not to understand, “Whaaaaaaaat? What- what… that’s nuts. I cannot even-“ I replied, trying to play it cool.

“Since the second we entered our father’s office, you’ve been discouraging anyone who wants to see the CCTV footage,” she pointed out, her smile widening.

I sighed, realizing I couldn't keep up the act any longer. “Okay, fine,” I confessed. “You know how everyone is saying he threatened me? Well, it might kind of look like he's... seducing me.”

My sister's eyes widened in disbelief. “What the fuck?” she gasped, clearly taken aback.

“And it might also look like his seduction was working,” I admitted sheepishly, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck.

“That is insane!” she exclaimed, “I've heard he's incredibly handsome, but I didn’t think he could seduce a police officer,” she mused, her expression a mix of shock and amusement.

I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. “I feel so ashamed,” I confessed, rubbing my face in embarrassment.

"Don't worry," she comforted me, her voice soft. "I've heard he's incredibly charming, and it's easy to underestimate the danger when you're in his presence. He's exceptionally cunning and smooth. It's hard not to fall into his trap." Her explanation elicited a faint smile from me, I was happy that she understood the situation and didn’t blame me.

“Yes, he is exactly like that. Thank you for understanding,” I replied gratefully. “I don’t know what it was about him. He was scary intimidating, but there was this dark charm. I didn’t know what to do,” I admitted, sinking into a chair with a sigh of relief.

“Well, you should consider yourself lucky that I'm assigned to this case. I'll make sure Dad doesn’t find out. But you have to be careful. You can’t let that man seduce you again, okay? Please stay away from him. I will manage everything.” she warned, her smile turning serious as she looked at me with concern.

I nodded, grateful for her understanding and support. "Okay," I agreed, determined to keep my distance from Carter Gray, no matter how alluring he may seem.