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“No! That’s not acceptable! Tell him I will be there, at his office, every day for the rest of the year, if he doesn’t agree to meet with me. I just have a few questions, and if he has nothing to hide, he shouldn’t be so afraid to answer them.”
Karen was pacing, voice rising as she continued to talk over whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the other end. She had been at it for fifteen minutes already, and Frank could see, from the flush in her cheeks, that she was only just getting started.
He could watch her work all day, if he was honest. Just seeing her there, tossing her hair back, eyes flashing, he couldn’t have looked away if he tried. Ever since their first meeting, in that godforsaken hospital room, he had known there was something special, something dangerous, about this woman, who hadn’t been afraid of him, hadn’t followed the rules, hadn’t let him continue falling into the darkness of his grief. She had pulled him out, helped him remember, burrowed in deep and never let go. No matter what he did, she had never let go of him.
“Fine! If I have to come down there, I will!” Karen jabbed at the button to end the call and tossed her phone onto the couch with a ragged sigh. She sank down beside him and let her head fall back against the cushions. The smell of her perfume wafted over him, and he was tempted to take her hand, soothe her back to calm.
Having tried that a few times, though, Frank knew it was a bad idea. The first time he had seen Karen worked up like this, he wanted nothing more than to help her calm down. He hated seeing her so upset. He had tried to talk to her, reason with her, help her come back down to Earth, and all that had gotten him was kicked out of her apartment, a curse or two thrown at his back as he retreated.
She had called him later, of course, and apologized for flying off the handle. He had laughed, and reminded her what he had told her about Maria, years earlier.
“If you think this is the first time I’ve been kicked out for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, you’re crazy.”
“Will you come back?” She had sounded so forlorn, so apologetic, how could he say no? He had never been able to resist her, even when he had been trapped in that hospital bed. She was the only one who had been able to reach him then. He wasn’t about to leave her behind now.
So, this time, he waited, listening as her breathing returned to normal. “Sorry about that,” she said, running a hand through her hair.
Frank shrugged. “Difficult source?”
She nodded. “This executive thinks he doesn’t have to answer for what he’s doing to his workers, stealing from their pensions and hiding the evidence in offshore accounts. He thinks he can just keep rescheduling me until I give up.”
“Doesn’t know you very well, does he?”
Karen huffed out a laugh. “No, he doesn’t.”
“You need any help?”
She turned to look at him, smile fading off her face. “No, Frank. I can handle this myself.”
“I know you can,” he said, holding up his hands. “Just offering. I can track him down if you think it would help. Maybe talk some sense into him.”
“I think I’m just going to have to haunt him at his office until he’s the one who gives up.”
“That’s my girl,” Frank said, and Karen took his hand. Hers was small, a little bit cold, but soft against his. He was always startled to remember how fragile she was, even though she wasn’t, not really. She was the strongest person he knew.
“But, if that doesn’t work, I might take you up on that offer.” Her smile was wicked as she tugged on his hand, pulling him to his feet.
Frank grinned, and followed her willingly. He’d follow her wherever she led him. She had all the power to destroy him, but he knew she wouldn’t. They were in this together, now, always, and there was no changing that.
For all that he was the Punisher, scourge of New York, he knew that Karen Page was the one criminals feared now, as they should. There was no stopping her once she set her mind to something, and he wasn’t about to try. He knew better.