“Can we not threaten me with jail over this?”I said, glaring at Davies, who only chuckled.
“Noted, but also, there’s evidence.”
I furrowed my eyebrows.“What evidence?”
“Your text message.What did it say again?”Davies asked.
My eyes widened as Officer Brelly pretended to flip through a small notebook.“ ‘Consider your son kidnapped.’”
I groaned as Bryan stepped closer to me, resting his hand on my back.“I wasn’t kidnapped.”
“Noted,” Officer Brelly said, the edge of a grin breaking through.“We’re just glad he’s safe.”
Davies gave a small nod, this time more sober now.“Still, Bryan, you should head home.Get things sorted before they escalate things.They are in a position to be able to press charges against Cadence if they choose to.”
I felt lightheaded as the gravity of what he was saying hit me.
Bryan’s expression darkened.“They always panic when I don’t do what they want.”His voice dropped, sharper.“I’ll handle it.”
He turned to me, his frustration softening just a bit.“I’m sorry, Cadence.I’ll fix this.They won’t do shit to you.I’ll get a ride from Seth.You shouldn’t have to deal with this crap when you were just doing me a favor.”
“Bryan—”
He gave me a reassuring smile.“It’s fine, Cadence.I promise.”
He brushed my arm gently as he leaned over and kissed the side of my head before stepping past the officers.
Davies watched him go, then looked back at me.“He’s got fire.”
Officer Brelly snorted in amusement.“The whole group does.”
I sighed and leaned against the doorframe, noting that the two of them had made no move to leave.“You guys really came here for that?”
“Standard protocol,” Officer Brelly said.“We figured it was better if we came instead of the regular patrol since we were around when the call came through.You’ve got enough on your plate.”
I frowned.“What do you mean?”
Davies crossed his arms, expression turning more serious.“You still helping out Hope’s Embrace, right?”
My stomach tightened.“Yeah.Why?”
Officer Brelly exchanged a look with him before saying carefully.“It’s not bad news yet.But that organization has been flagged for review.Something about money trails.”
My pulse jumped.Months ago, Davies had asked me some questions about them when Janice had first come back to town to share her connection and knowledge about the Ryder gang.I thought that was the end of it.
I stared between the two of them in disbelief.“You think they’re laundering money?Right?Isn’t that what usually comes out of money trails in all those police shows?”
Davies shook his head.“No, not them directly.It’s about who they were partnered with.”
“Who?”I asked.
Davies didn’t blink or hesitate as he said, “Arden Laurens.”
His name hit me like a cold wave.He had chased Janice and me through my school, shooting at us.The sound of his gun still haunted me most weeks.That desperation and fear of being hunted.I still couldn’t shake it and apparently, I wasn’t allowed to either.
“Turns out,” Davies continued, “he’s connected to a larger network we’ve been digging into.He was only tied to the Ryder gang as a middleman from a higher up.Organized crime that likes to hide in nonprofits.”
My mind reeled.“No.No way.Hope’s Embrace wouldneverdeal with something like that.”
