The police officer watched the chatting boys for a minute longer, before turning again to Jimmy. He was still hunched over, sweating tears out from underneath the fist at his bad eye.
"What the hell's wrong with you, kid?" The cop's tone with Jimmy was decidedly harsher. Though that was hardly surprising, considering what Jimmy looked like. He was the physical embodiment of the kind of 'riff-raff' Derby had mentioned trying to keep out. Except now, it looked like he would have a black eye in addition to his filthy demeanor.
"Nothing." Jimmy's response was gruff, obviously not bothering to root for sympathy. "I just got some of Harrington's asshole in my eye."
Derby and Tad could rely on money and connections to sucker their way out of this, but just because Jimmy didn't have the same resources didn't mean he was prepared to sacrifice his dignity. He also wasn't going to tattle like a little kid either. Subjecting himself to his fate, all he could do was wonder whether or not this cop knew who he was? Word had gotten around to a few of them that Jimmy Hopkins was somewhat of a neighborhood vigilante, and now that he had property and an office, sometimes the police would look away when he did violent things.
The officer frowned, and Jimmy knew immediately. Obviously, that wasn't going to work now. Now with a Harrington involved.
"Yeah? That's real nice, kid. You can wash that eyeball out at the station."
Finally cracking open his swollen eye again, Jimmy shot Tad and Derby a malevolent look, before holding out his wrists.
'it's a dog-eat-dog world, Jimmy!' Jimmy's mother's voice echoed bitterly in his mind, and he submitted to his fate. Better to know when to accept a loss, and live to see another day of revenge.