“Can we come in?” Jill asks softly as she opens the door and peeks around at us.

“Sure,” I whisper back. “She’s sleeping.”

All four of them file in.

“Can you stay with her?” I ask the girls, my eyes pinned to Zack.

“You’re leaving?” Jill asks, surprised.

“I have something to handle. We won’t be long.”

The girls nod and I motion for Zack and Josh to follow me out into the hallway.

“Are we going to do what I think we’re going to do?” Josh asks with anticipation.

“Fuck yes,” I reply. “Tell me Brad is on today.”

“He is.” Zack nods and leads us out the doorway to my Jeep, holds his hands out for my keys, and starts the engine. “You shouldn’t be driving.”

“How are you going to get to him, Ty? Just walk in and say, ‘I want to kick the shit out of Jack’?” Josh asks.

“There are rooms in pretty much every jailhouse where attorneys and clients can speak without any kind of recording devices or monitors.” I grin over at my friend smugly. “I’m thinking about taking Jack’s case.”

“Awesome.” Zack rubs his hands together as he parks before the police station. “Let’s go.”

The three of us walk in, and I have one thing in mind: get to the motherfucker who hurt Lauren.

Brad meets us in the foyer and shakes our hands. “How is she?”

“Hurt,” I reply. “I’d like to see Jack.”

“In an attorney capacity?” Brad asks.

“We can call it that. I’m going to need a privacy room.”

“I can do that. Follow me.” Brad leads us down a hallway to a room with no windows and leads us inside. A table and two chairs are in the center of the room. “I’ll be back with your client in a moment.”

“Are you sure there’s no camera in here?” Josh asks.

“I’m sure.” I fold my arms over my chest, waiting impatiently for the piece of shit to be escorted in.

Finally, the door opens and Brad leads Jack inside. “Your lawyer would like to speak with you.” Brad unlocks the handcuffs and backs toward the door. “Just let me know when you’re done. I have some phone calls to make.”

“You’re not my fucking lawyer,” Jack growls when Brad leaves.

None of us respond; we just watch Jack start to squirm.

“Sit.” Zack plants his hand on Jack’s shoulder and pushes him into the chair.

“You won’t touch me,” Jack sneers.

“You like beating on women?” Josh asks in a low voice.

“She deserved everything she got,” Jack replies, his chin in the air.

“You like putting women in the hospital?”

“Oh, you mean she isn’t dead?” Jack chuckles. “I guess I’ll have to go back later and try again.” He pins me with his gaze and leans forward in his chair. “Did she enjoy me fucking her again?”

Zack lunges, making Jack flinch, but I put my arm out. “No.”

“See? You won’t do shit to me. How will it look around town if I tell everyone that Ty Sullivan, the attorney who can do no wrong, and his cronies beat me up in jail?”

“I think you came in here already bruised up,” Josh replies with a laugh. “You must have pissed off your cellmate. Did he fuck you, too?”

Jack swallows and watches me, fear beginning to seep into his eyes. “Bullshit,” he sputters.

Josh and Zack are circling the room menacingly, but what Jack doesn’t know is that they aren’t whom he should be worried about.

They aren’t going to touch him.

I’m going to make him wish he were dead.

“Where is that shithead of a cop?” Jack asks nervously.

“Oh, we’re having an attorney/client consultation,” I inform him quietly. “He won’t come until I tell him to.”

“So, what, you want a shot at me?” Jack stands and pushes the table out of the way. “Take your shot already.”

“You’re such a piece of shit,” I reply deceptively calmly. “You’re not a man. Real men don’t beat defenseless women. Trust me, I know. I come from a man just like you. You’re a pussy.”

“I beat the fuck out of that bitch of an ex-wife of mine. She couldn’t even try to fight back. That doesn’t make me weak.”

Zack growls and flexes his hands in and out of fists as he walks behind Jack, glaring holes through him.

“Let me tell you why I’m here.” I lean against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest again. Jack’s eyes bounce from me to the two large, intimidating men pacing about the room anxiously. “I’m here to make you wish you were dead.”

“This is bullshit. I’m here for a stupid assault charge, and I’ll be out in a matter of hours. I’ll kill her later.” He shrugs, but his hands are shaking as he wipes his mouth.

“Oh, they didn’t tell you?” I laugh and shake my head at him. “It’s an attempted-murder charge, and you won’t see the light of day for years, you miserable motherfucker.”

Jack’s eyes go wide and then he frowns.

“But that’s the least of your worries. Do you know what they do in prison to men who prey on children and women?”

I push away from the wall slowly and saunter over to him. “You’ll be lucky if you survive the first year. You can bet that you’ll be someone’s bitch. You’ll get your ass fucked on a regular basis.”