“Why only a few days?”
“Because he would get arraigned until his court appearance. Do you really want that asshole walking around after being tossed in jail?”
“But he would end up in prison,” I argued.
“Again, only if the charges stick.”
“I thought you were telling me this was the way to go. Now you sound like you’re trying to talk me out of it.”
“Because I’m not sure it’ll make any difference,” he sighed. “And now that we’re discussing it, I think it’ll only piss the guy off. Either that or inflate his ego that he can get away with this shit.”
“He could be in prison!”
“If—and that’s a big if—the charges stick. What it really comes down to is he said, she said. And let me tell you, it wouldn’t be too good for Bailey.”
“How is that? He attacked her!”
“Yeah, and there’s no video evidence, no witnesses. Basically, he could turn around and accuse her of attacking him.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “He just walked in to discuss a vehicle with her. He surprised her, and she attacked him. Simple as that.”
“But that’s not what happened.”
“It’s not about what happened,” Mav argued. “It’s about what you can prove, and right now, she looks like the aggressor. He has physical marks on his body. She’s got nothing. And when it comes to convictions, our DA is rather eager to throw anyone in prison to bump up his numbers. Do you really want Bailey to be one of those numbers?”
“So, what you’re telling me is that your idea is fucking stupid.”
“Hey, I never said I was full of good ideas.”
“Then why the fuck did you even bring it up?”
“Because I’m trying to help you, but Austin is good. He’s not making it easy for us to catch him in the act.”
Catch him in the act. That was a thought. I’d have to figure out a way to pull it off, but it might be the only way around this.
“If we could set the stage?—”
“I can’t hear this,” he said, pushing out of his seat. “Anything you do, you will not talk about in front of me.”
“But let’s say?—”
“No. Abso-fucking-lutely not!” Pulling me in close, he hissed, “If you tell me the plan, that makes me an accessory. It’ll be pretty fucking hard to help you if I’m in the jail cell beside you.”
“I can’t keep going like this, Mav. She’s in danger, and nothing I do is helping.”
“I know,” he sighed. “I’m watching out for her as best I can.”
Nodding, I knew what I had to do. I just didn’t know how long it would take to contrive something that would stop him for good.
“Thanks, anyway.”
“Hey,” he stopped me just as I was about to walk out the door. “If you do come up with something, make sure you don’t end up in jail alongside him.”
“I make no promises,” I said as I walked out the door.
30
BAILEY
He was staringat me from across the bar.
