He steps aside, and two officers move in, one focused on Ransom. The other comes to me and pulls out his cuffs. Ransom’s growl makes them both freeze. “Are you fucking kidding me, Jackson? She killed the man who was trying to kill her sister and nearly killed her. You’re taking this grudge too fucking far.”
The cop closest to me studies Ransom and the D.A. His mouth tightens, and he turns to me almost apologetically. Ransom and Jackson are shouting, and it’s all a blur. All I can focus on is the feel of the metal on my wrists, the calluses on the cop’s hands as he secures the cuffs in front of me, and the firm grip he takes on my elbow as he guides me down the hallway. I walk numbly, nothing penetrating the dread until we approach Declan’s office. Nick and Colton are there, physically holding him back as we pass. All three of their faces are hard, eyes burning with rage, but I can’t focus on anyone but him.
I have a brief moment of hope that what he told me back in Colorado is true and that he’s going to be able to get me out of this. But the moment is brief. I’m in handcuffs, surrounded by police, and this isn’t a fairytale. As much as they might want to, I don’t think the brothers are gonna be able to get me out of this. And it really fucking sucks.
I feel my tears fall, and I reach up awkwardly to brush them away with my cuffed hands. It’s ridiculous, these cops have seen worse, but I don’t want them to know how scared I am. How close I am to falling apart.
I try to hold my head up, but I can’t look at anyone as I pass by. The people I’ve worked with for years are watching me get marched out of here. It’s only when I see Janey in the lobby that I crack just the tiniest bit. She comes straight for me, completely ignoring the wall of cops. They aren’t immune to her warmth, and with a few words, she’s in front of me, folding me into her arms. I lean down and drop my head on her shoulder, letting a few more tears fall.
“Stay strong, Cara. We’re all here for you. We’ll be right behind you.” She’s petting my hair, sliding it behind my ear and it’s so comforting, in a moment that’s got me scared shitless.
“A word with my client, please.” Maverick pushes in next to us and wraps us both in his arms. He presses his lips next to my ear. “I called Marty. He’s already heading down to the station. We’re going to get you in front of a judge this afternoon. We’re going to take care of this, I promise you.”
I lift my head to take a good look at him. He looks wrecked. Like this is all his fault. “Okay. I’ll be okay.” I reassure him. Maybe I’m reassuring myself, too. I have to be okay. This has to be fixable.
Sitting in the back of the police car on the way to the station, I have a moment to wonder how the hell I got here. I mean, I know what I did. I know that Bree would be dead if I hadn’t come home in time. I know in my heart that I was just trying to survive. I don’t deserve to go to prison for protecting myself and my sister.
For the first time, I wish I’d never taken this job. Yeah, there are a lot of perks to working for the brothers. My life has been changed, but it’s all put me in the back of the police car. This is because of them, because of something in their past. I’m just the pawn in all of this, and I’m powerless to do anything about it.
It doesn’t matter what I actually did. Jackson is going to destroy me to hurt them. He believes that they care enough about me to be hurt by this.
He might be right.
They love me, and they’re going to flip this town upside down to try and fix it.
Holding so much anger and gratitude, and fear in my body at once is exhausting. I’m checked out by the time I get to the police station. Cold and calm through the fingerprints and the mug shots. I’m even okay in the holding cell, though wishing I’d worn a lot more layers. It’s fucking freezing in here.
But when they take me across to the courthouse, and the judge says those words, ‘bail is set at ten million,’ I thaw slightly. I don’t have a chance of coming up with that, but before I can even worry about that, Marty’s cool voice rings out.
“We’re prepared to post bond immediately.”
The judge scowls at that, which seems weird to me. Aren’t they supposed to be impartial? Why does he look so mad? I don’t have time to ponder it as I’m herded out the door, in cuffs again. Glancing back, I meet Declan’s warm eyes, soaking in their comfort before he’s gone from my sight. They came. They didn’t leave me. I hoped they wouldn’t, and I believed they wouldn’t, but a tiny niggling voice in the back of my mind wouldn’t let me rest easy in my faith. I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes, despite people’s best intentions, they can disappoint you.
I don’t have the capacity to sift through my overloaded emotions right now. All I can do is take one step, then the next, hoping that at the end of the road is freedom.
40
DECLAN
“N one of this is fucking right,” Maverick mutters. We’re all huddled in the parking lot of the courthouse, waiting for Marty to finish up. Posting bail should be easy. Ransom’s had our bankers on alert since the cops showed, ready to courier over a certified check. No way will we let her spend even a night in jail. Just the idea of her locked up at all has my heart racing. I can’t imagine how scared she must be.
Ransom grabs the back of his neck with both hands. “We knew Jackson was gunning for us. But I didn’t think it would actually come to this. Why the fuck would he do this? No jury will ever convict her, so why? And what the fuck was up with that judge?”
I’ve been wondering about that too. For the crime she was charged with, for her resources, the bail he set was ridiculously high. There’s a fuck of a lot more going on here than we realize. For the first time in the hours since those cops took her from me, my brain is firing the way it normally does, and I don’t like the picture that’s starting to form. “He’s fucking in on it.”
My brothers all look at me grimly. They’re feeling it too. This is all fucking wrong. Burning in me is the need to unravel this, to take it apart, to expose it to the light.
“We need more information,” Ransom says, nodding at me. I take it for what it is, a directive to start digging. Not that I need the nudge. My files on Jackson are pretty fucking complete, but this judge is a new player. Maybe now I’ll be able to find a few more threads to tug. Usually, when this feeling comes over me, I chase it to its end. Nothing’s fucking safe from me. But all I want right now is to stand here and wait for Cara. I need my hands on her. I need her safe with me.
“I can’t leave her.”
“I fucking knew it,” Colt mutters, eyeing me. I don’t even care. We’ve been fucking with him all week, and it’s been fun because Cara was having fun. Without her, I don’t care about any of it.
Ransom’s heavy hand lands on my neck. “I know, brother. But we need to figure out what the fuck is going on. And you’re the man for that job. I will stand right fucking here until Marty brings her out. I won’t leave her alone for a second. Colt will stick with me. I promise we’ve got her.”
“But she needs to know that I…“ Love her. Want to be here for her. Am thinking only of her.
“I’ll make sure she knows why you’re not here. I got her. Go help her the way only you can. Find the dirt on these fuckers fast.”
