“Relax, Sam. State police picked him up,” Mav grinned.
“What about Knight? I thought he was tracking him.”
Parker tipped back on his heels, a smirk sliding over his face. “Not sure. When the police got the tip, they found Austin in an alley, beaten to a pulp and covered in piss.”
I would have preferred him dead, but I didn’t really get a say in any of this. And bringing it up would get me the same answers as always. They didn’t want the Parkers in the spotlight for anything. Drawing attention to them would only end in disaster.
“So, it’s over?”
“Well, charges will be brought against him and he’ll have to go to trial. But he’s in custody, and since he fled, it’s highly unlikely he’ll get out on bail.”
A laugh bubbled up in my chest as I realized it was finally over with. All the days I worried about leaving Cassidy alone at her shop, wondering if he would break in at night just to get his revenge…I could finally relax.
I didn’t have to stay there anymore.
“When are you gonna tell Cassidy?” Parker asked.
“What?”
“Well, I’m sure she’ll be glad to know she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore,” Mav added. “Did you ever talk to her?”
I shook my head. “Never found the right time.”
“I don’t think I need to remind you that anything she can offer will only help keep him behind bars.”
But my gut churned at the thought of having her try to relive that night. I just wasn’t prepared for it.
“We’ve got him, Sam. Now we need to make the charges stick.”
“I know,” I snapped. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Make sure that you do.”
He tipped his hat as he walked away, leaving me alone with Parker.
“So, I guess now that it’s all over, you’ll be wanting your house back.”
I winced at the thought of staying in that house on wheels when I could be staying in bed with Cassidy every night.
“Are they still moving it around town?”
He snorted in amusement. “Are you kidding? One look from Knight and they all backed off.”
“Lucky him,” I muttered.
“Anyway, I gotta get back to work. Give Cassidy the good news for us.”
“Yeah.”
But as I walked out of the station, I couldn’t bring myself to be happy about any of it. I mean, it was great that Austin was in custody and that he couldn’t threaten anyone. That wasn’t the problem. It was knowing that with everything coming to a close, I no longer had a reason to stay at Cassidy’s house. She really didn’t need me to take care of her anymore. While she still struggled with some things, she mostly told me to leave her alone so she could figure it out for herself.
What would she say when I told her it was over?
As I opened the door to her shop and stepped inside, I was immediately reminded of that first day I met her. How she fell from the roof and landed in my arms, all tangled up in lights. That seemed like ages ago.
“Hey, Sam! Done already?” Cassidy asked, walking out on her crutches from the back room as a bag swung from her fingertips that balanced on her crutch.
“What are you doing?”
