Page 84 of Possessive Ink

“She called the cops? Do I need to contact a lawyer?” Marcus asks, surprisingly calmly.

“No.” I chuckle. “If anyone is getting taken anywhere by the police, it’s going to be her. Her pupils are the size of silver dollars. But like I said, I’d rather not leave right now.”

“Of course. Send me the address, and I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks, Marcus. I’ll send it now.” Ending the call, I send the address for Lemon’s building over to him, then carry the last few sealed boxes out of the bedroom and pile them on top of the others by the door.

“The cops are on the way,” Avery says, her arms crossed angrily over her chest.

“Okay, great,” I tell her, completely unfazed.

“I’m serious, they’re coming. They’re going to arrest you, and you’ll go to jail. You should probably get out of here before they arrive.”

Laughing softly, I lean against the doorjamb of Lemon’s room. “And what exactly are they going to arrest me for? Helping my fiancée pack? Being in the apartment my fiancée legally rents?”

“For being a drug-dealing thug. I bet there are dozens of outstanding warrants for your arrest. They’ll lock you up for years.”

“I’m sorry to ruin the fairy tale you’ve created in that crazy brain of yours, Avery, but I’ve never even had a speeding ticket.”

“You need to leave, you need to leave, you need to leave,” she starts to chant, her arms folded so tightly across her chest her fingers have started to go white. “Get out, get out, get out.”

“Avery, are you feeling okay?” Lemon asks softly, tentatively stepping out of her room, her eyes filled with apprehension as she approaches her roommate.

“You brought him here. You brought a criminal into our home. This is your fault. The cops will arrest you too. They’ll take you both away in handcuffs.”

“Maybe I should call her family?” Lemon whispers as I pull her protectively into my side.

“Do you have their contact details?”

“No, but I’ve heard her talk to her mom on the phone, so the number is likely in her cell.”

“I think it’s for the best if we just wait for the cops. They’ll contact her family,” I assure her.

Exhaling sadly, she rests her cheek against my chest, and we settle in to wait. The front door is still open when a uniformed cop arrives. “I’m Deputy Cunningham with the Rockhead Point Sheriff’s Department. We’ve had a report about a disturbance.”

“It’s them,” Avery shrieks, pointing a shaking finger at us. “I came home, and they were here. He’s a drug dealer, and she’s his accomplice.”

The deputy glances at Lemon and me, then back to Avery, his brow furrowing. “Could you tell me your name, please, ma’am?” he asks Avery.

“Why do you need my name to arrest them?” she asks.

“I’ll need some information for the report,” he says calmly.

“My name is Avery Becker. This is my apartment.”

“Okay,” Deputy Cunningham says, nodding politely to Avery before he turns his attention to us. “And your name, sir, miss?”

“I’m Atticus Hoffman, and this is my fiancée, Lemon Manning. Lemon lives here too. She’s on the lease. We were just packing her things because she’s moving in with me when Avery came home and…” I swing my arm in the direction of a pacing Avery and then gesture to the deputy.

“Hoffman…are you any relation to Tori?”

A slow smile spreads over my lips as I nod. “She’s my baby sister. My brother and I just moved to town.”

“My sister is Cora Barnett. She’s married to Huck Barnett. She’s good friends with your sister,” he says.

“I’ve heard a lot about the Barnetts, but I’ve only met Betty and Cody so far,” I tell him, while Avery audibly huffs.

“They’re good people. You’ll like them.” Nodding to me, he turns his attention back to Avery. “Okay, Miss Becker, if Miss Manning is your roommate and Mr. Hoffman is her fiancé, I’m unsure what exactly the issue is.”