The phone rings again, and we both stop to glance at it, but before I can move to answer, there’s a loud pounding on the door. Several voices are screaming and lights fill the windows. Before either of us can move, the front door smashes open. I quickly move in front of her, shielding her from whoever is breaking in.
She screams, and through the front door come at least ten men in black, shields over their faces and guns pointed.
“FBI! On your knees! Get on the ground!” they yell, and then I’m shoved to the floor, my arms are pulled behind my back, andI watch, helpless, as they do the same to Tessa. This is so much worse than I ever imagined.
twenty-six
Tessa
“Where are you taking him? What’s going on?” I’m sitting on the bench outside of the front door trying to get an answer as agent after agent walk in and out of the house.
Killian is in the back of a car, handcuffed, and God only knows what the hell is going on. I’m so confused and…I’m trying to keep it together, but this is absolutely terrifying.
Finally, one answers me. “Ma’am, we need you to stay calm. I’ll see if someone can come speak to you, but I need you to stay seated.”
I rub my wrists where the metal handcuffs were just a few minutes ago.
They brought us both outside and started questioning me over and over. Asking if I knew these random people I’d never heard of. Finally, a female agent came over, and I explained who I was. I must’ve said the right things because I was suddenly no longer being detained, but I’m forced to stay out here while they search the house.
I watch as box after box gets carried out and placed in the back of SUVs.
None of this makes any sense.
I don’t understand what is going on. Is this all over Travis? Did something happen to him and now Killian is caught in the crosshairs? Is there more to this? I try to think about all the paperwork we found, the signatures that didn’t match, but that seems a little minor for a freaking FBI investigation. Why would they give a shit about a horse breeder whose sales fell through?
My mind grasps for any kind of conclusion I can find that will explain this, but I can’t.
I have no information. I can’t form any kind of plan. This is going to be a PR disaster. All the hard work we’ve done over the last few weeks is going to disappear the moment any kind of story breaks about Killian.
Killian.
My chest grows tight as I remember his face, him telling me it’ll be okay, trying to shield me as they entered the house. The way he pushed me behind him, and then when we were both on the floor, his face, the ultimate devastation I saw in his eyes, broke my heart.
He doesn’t deserve this.
None of it. He’s done nothing wrong. I’ve been with him every day, and I would’ve seensomething.
An agent heads toward me, and as I look at his face, recognition dawns on me.
I know him. He was here—at the rodeo.
He talked to me, told me he was interested in buying a few horses, and I even brought him to Killian.
Drake. That’s his name.
What the fuck? He’s an FBI agent.
The man stops in front of me, giving me an awkward smile. “Hello, Ms. Rivers. I’m Special Agent Drake Halsey. We met at the rodeo.”
“Yes, I remember. I don’t remember you saying you were an FBI agent, though.”
“No, I wouldn’t have.”
“Can someone please explain what the hell is going on?”
He sits beside me and hands me a glass of water. “We have an arrest warrant for Killian and a search warrant for the residence. He will be brought in on the arrest warrant, and once we finish executing the search warrant, you’ll be able to go back inside.”
“What about Killian? What is he being arrested for?”
