“That’s not?—”
“I got it all on camera,” the guy snaps before the cop can say anything else.
I look away, realizing my shame will be immortalized for everyone to see.
“Hey,” a hand on my face makes me jump as the dark-haired guy looks at me with concern. “We’ll fix this.”
“Marcus?” Blake calls out before his eyes dip down to where my shorts are wet.
Without hesitation, Marcus whips off his sweatshirt and reaches around me to tie it around my waist.
And the goddamn tears start all over again.
“Back up, Marcus, or I’ll arrest you too.”
“By the time you guys have finished, you won’t have any cops left to arrest anyone,” Marcus snaps at him before he leans into me and presses a kiss to my forehead.
“We’ve got you now, and we’ve got Banner. I promise. You’re not alone.”
I swallow and nod as he pulls back.
“Let’s go,” the cop orders, opening the door to the squad car.
I look at Blake and mouth the wordKaty. He nods as the officer places his hand on my head and guides me in.
At least he’s gentler than the rookie was, though I can’t find it in me to care. Not when I’m sitting in wet jeans that will soon start to smell.
As he waits for Blake to move his truck, people walk over and press their hands briefly against my window. It takes me a minute to understand that it’s a show of solidarity. I think they’re finally realizing that this is about more than me. If Banner gets arrested simply for having his sister in his home, then something is not right. The police force is the hub of a small town. If that town can’t trust them to have their best interests at heart, people will start to buck the system. They know if it can be Banner, it can be any one of them.
I lean my head against the glass as we start to move, zoning out until a single thought slaps me up the side of my head.
In a small town, everyone knows everything about everyone. So, everyone knows that Katy splits her time between her parents’ house and Banner’s. How does staying with her brother suddenly turn into kidnapping?
This has to be the Bannerman’s’ doing. It has to be. Banner won’t give me up, and so they’re punishing him for it. I squeeze my hands into fists, feeling the metal of the cuffs digging into my wrists. I hate how underhanded they’re being. Setting me up is one thing, but to turn on their son?
Or maybe it’s a ploy—not to get Banner to leave me, but to make me leave him. As much as they hate me, they know what I put up with, what I’m willing to endure for someone I love. The only thing that could make me leave him would be if it guaranteed his safety. They’ve overplayed their hand. Not only because I think this is the beginning of a war they never foresaw, but because they forgot to factor in Katy.
No way am I leaving her to deal with them alone. Fuck that and fuck them. I squeeze my eyes shut, weighing all my options. Really, there’s only one. I’ve already had Olivia start the ball rolling, but I’ve been trying to avoid feelings getting hurt. However, after today, I’m done.
They want to drag not just me, but Banner and Katy, through the mud? So be it. It’s time I started throwing it right back.
I sit in a holding cell for an hour and a half before the door opens and the chief walks in. He sits down with a smirk on his face, so I turn and stare at a spot on the wall. I don’t have my lawyer present, so I won’t be talking to him. If Olivia isn’t with me, it’s for a good reason. She wouldn’t leave me here alone otherwise.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re here yet again, Miss Wells. Seems to become somewhat of a habit.”
Yeah, I think it’s called harassment and stalking,buddy.
I shift uncomfortably, my wet jeans doing nothing to improve my mood.
“It’s an unfortunate event that’s transpired. Hopefully, Jake can move past this and learn from his mistakes.”
I keep ignoring the asshat. Banner did nothing wrong, and we both know it.
“For Jake, this was his first offense. For you, however…” He lets his sentence trail off, but I know what he’s implying. Because I have a prior conviction, I’ll be treated more harshly. It’s not his job to determine that, but a judge’s.
“I think at this juncture, the smartest thing for you to do is just leave town. I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay.”
I turn to glare at him.
