by B. B. Reid
“Oh yeah? How are she and the girls?”
“Not sure. She says Cassie was suspended from school today.”
“Oh no,” she exclaimed, but it sounded forced. “What happened?” I watched her casually spray and wipe the same spot on the counter with narrowed eyes.
“She punched Ryan Holder in the nose and kicked him between the legs. Do you know anything about that?”
“You asked me to talk to her and I did. What’s the big deal? She stood up for herself.”
“Or made it worse. We don’t know this kid or what he’s capable of.”
“Should I have told her to just accept the hell he’ll make of her childhood like I let you do to me? Would that have been smart?”
“It would have been safe.”
“Listen to me, Keiran. Ryan Holder is not you, and Cassie Finch is not me. It may seem like it, but our history is not being repeated. He’s a bully with a bad kid complex, nothing more.”
“You don’t know that.”
“But I know fear. I lived in it for ten years. It’s not always the same. She’s telling herself she’s too afraid to fight, but her eyes didn’t lie, Keiran. She wanted to. She just didn’t know how. I just wanted to survive you.”
“He’ll retaliate,” I gritted.
“And she’ll fight harder.”
“You better hope you’re right. Laurie is pissed. This might not end well for us.”
“If it helps, I didn’t tell her to hit him. I told her to trust her instincts. I guess her instinct was to punch him.” I shrugged as if it were inconsequential but the ten-year-old me who was too afraid to fight back jumped with joy.
“You better hope this doesn’t backfire on you.”
“It won’t. Do you know how much I regret never fighting back when I had the chance? A part of me wishes I could go back in time and punch you in the nose.”
I pulled her close and peered into her eyes. “But you were right, Ryan Holder isn’t me. He’s not a killer. I am. If you had fought back, I would never have been able to fall in love with you.”
“That’s the most romantic threat I’ve ever heard,” she cried. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
* * *
We managed to find normality once again, and it only took us two weeks to do it. Lake was busy with classes, and Jesse and I had finally secured the two clients we’d been working on for months now. It was Jesse’s idea to celebrate, but since Lake had a test to study for, we decided to throw an office happy hour celebration.
I stayed in my office until the last possible moment before taking a deep breath and entering the festivities. It wasn’t long before Jesse’s assistant, Samantha, was there to greet me. “Mr. Masters, are you staying for the party?”
“It looks like it,” I offered with warmth. I’d been hoping in the months since she’d been hired that she would catch the hint that I wasn’t interested, but she believed her looks and fake tits could get her anything she wanted.
Before Lake, it would have gotten her one night in my bed…or at least bent over the trunk of my car.
“Hey, man,” Jesse interrupted whatever else she had been about to say. He dismissed her with a look that managed to impress me, and she stomped away. “Good call on Roxboro earlier. You made us a shit ton of money.”
“He was an easier sell than he likes to think,” I remarked with a dry tone.
“Nevertheless, two clients in twenty-fours is a record for us. Couldn’t do it without you.”
“Are you always this emotional?” I snarled.
“Are you always this cold?” he countered and chuckled.
“Depends. Do you still want Lake?” We’d had this conversation many times before, but for some reason, I always needed the reassurance that he wouldn’t ever be after Lake.
“Ah, man, come on. I knew I shouldn’t have told you. It was one harmless crush for like two weeks. Then I discovered Mindy Jacobs. Remember her?”
“I vaguely remember a blow job or two.”
“Yeah, she did like blowing. Anyway, my crush on Lake passed when I discovered how easy high school girls were.”
“Lake was in high school.”
“Yeah, but she wasn’t easy and to be frank, man, she wasn’t easy for many reasons. It was hard to stay attracted to her when she was afraid of her own shadow. She’d jump at the sound of my voice. I felt like some kind of pervert.”
“Maybe you are.”
“You have nothing to worry about. Lake wants you, and I want—” He frowned and looked away. “I don’t know what I want.”
“I’m not worried.”
“Then what’s with all the hostility?”
“It’s fun when you sweat.”
“You’re an ass, you know that?”
“I know.” I clapped him on the back and changed the subject. Samantha eventually snaked her way back over, and that’s when I started drinking. I flirted around the edges of the legal driving limits, and when I reached my cap, I decided to call it a night. Without the option to drink, I couldn’t tolerate her nauseous flirting for another hour, so I called it a night.
I nodded to Jesse on my way out. He was chatting up an intern he was insisting we hire. I had to admit the kid was a genius. We had already discussed hiring him when he graduated.
Our office was located in the heart of Stanford, about fifteen minutes from our rental. Since it was late, it only took me about ten minutes to make it home. But when I got home, I found Lake’s car missing and the house completely dark. She should have been home hours ago. I checked my phone but didn’t find a missed call or message. I called and messaged her, and with each passing minute of no contact, I grew nervous.
I was just about to call her again when a knock at my door interrupted me. I didn’t hesitate to answer and ate up the distance to the door.
Maybe she had lost her key.
That notion was quickly dismissed when I opened the door to two suits and a yard full of police cruisers.
“Keiran Masters?”
“Yeah?”
“We have a warrant for your arrest.”
Chapter Eighteen
LAKE
My professor dismissed my last class with a painful reminder of our exam the next day. I pretended not to sweat over the first exam of the term, especially when it counted for twenty percent of my final grade. The last two weeks had been peaceful to the naked eye, but I had been consumed with thoughts of going to prison for the rest of my life.
I made my way across campus to Green Library since Cubberley’s limited space was already full with other students studying.
Damn, it’s hot.
I wanted this test over with.
I wanted school over with.
I wanted this investigation over with so I could go back to wondering about the simple things, such as, if Keiran and I would ever get married and if he’d ever get over his fear of having kids. Two weeks ago, when I asked him if marriage was on the table, it had been my deepest desire to ask about kids.
Having kids wasn’t something I always aspired to do but having them with Keiran set my heart on fire. I just needed him to want it, too.
I reached the library and settled in for a few hours of studying. If I could, I would stay put all night, but I knew how anxious Keiran could get when I wasn’t in bed and waiting on him. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes and flipped open my first chapter.
Three hours and three double espressos later, I was ready to call it quits—at least until I made it home where I would pull an all-nighter. I packed up my bag and entered the cool summer night air. The sun had long since set so I was grateful my car was parked nearby.
I only managed to make it ten feet before I was surrounded for the second time in my life. I recognized the two detectives who cornered me at the grocery store two weeks ago.
“Well, Ms. Monroe. It appears you won’t be getting out of this one so easily.”
My only thought as I was handcuffed and led a
way with an audience nearby was that I was grateful Keiran hadn’t been around to witness me getting arrested again. Without Dash or Keenan around, it was unlikely he would have kept his composure.
At least, he was safely home by now though I didn’t know how long that would last when he realized my absence wasn’t due to me losing track of time.
* * *
I couldn’t do this again. My leg bounced, my palms were sweating, and my heart beat wild in my chest. This time was real. They had a warrant for my arrest. A new development was all I’d been told before being held in a room with bright lights and a dingy white table.
Despite the late hour, it was at least an hour before I saw anyone. Detective Grayson and Roberts entered with grave expressions meant to unnerve me. I was already a step ahead of them and felt like passing out now would be the sane thing to do. I didn’t have a good feeling about this but tried not to let it show.
“Sorry about the wait. When you’re catching bad guys, time just gets away from you.” He chuckled alone in the quiet room until it became awkward enough for him to get a clue. I watched his jaw harden as he cleared his throat and took a seat. “I’ll get right to it. Does the name Laurie Finch ring a bell?”
“Why would it?” Keep it together.
“She was the nurse who identified you at the facility the day your boyfriend’s father was murdered.”
“What is this about?” I wasn’t willing to fall victim to his games. I’d make him tell me everything he knew rather than the other way around. And just as suspected, he didn’t pass up the opportunity to gloat.
“It appears your boyfriend intimidated the witness against testifying. Are you saying you know nothing about that?”
“I wasn’t aware there were criminal charges. Let’s start with that. At the time, he allegedly intimidated this witness, were there criminal charges brought against him or me?”
“You well know of our investigation—”
“You’re reaching for the clouds when you can’t even see the sky. Was the warrant even real?”
“Oh, it was very real, Miss Monroe. Thanks to your boyfriend, it was the break we needed to convince a judge you’re guilty.”
“Innocent,” I snapped, “until proven guilty.”
“We’ll see.”
“I hope you have something else under your sleeve or else I plan to make a fool out of your so-called justice system once again.”
“We have a statement from Mrs. Finch claiming that your boyfriend admitted to the crime and offered a large sum of money to keep her mouth closed.”
What?
No.
The cuffs clinked on the table as my hands shook.
“You’re no longer prime rib, sweetheart.”
God.
Keiran is.
I wasn’t aware of what he had said after. I could see his lips moving but everything had gone silent. I only remember the room spinning before I lost my grip on consciousness.
When I came to, there was a nurse standing over me, and I was left with an unwanted sense of déjà vu.
“You’re awake.”
It was seventeen-year-old me all over again.
I lifted my hand to block the light. My eyes were sensitive as if I hadn’t seen daylight in weeks.
“What happened?”
“You lost consciousness and have been out for about a day. Dehydration and stress will do that to you.” She dropped the clipboard and effectively dismissed me by leaving the room.
* * *
As soon as I was able, I called the one person I knew who would help Keiran at any cost.
“What’s going on? Word on the street is you’re a regular 007.”
“Dash, I need you.”
“What’s going on?” His voice was no longer playful. He already sounded as if he might lose it, and I hadn’t even told him why.
“Listen. I didn’t call Keenan because I can trust you to keep it together. He’s as temperamental as his brother is. I was arrested last night.”
He swore, and I could already hear him moving in the background.
“Where’s Keiran?”
“I don’t know. I was at school when they picked me up. I can’t say more over the phone, but Keiran may be in trouble.”
“I’m on my way.”
“I need you to call Thompson.”
“Consider it already done.”
“Ok,” I said slowly. The receiver trembled in my hand as I replaced it. A sense of helplessness assaulted me when my only connection to my life and freedom was gone—at least for the next few hours. As it turns out, the next few hours were the hardest. The detectives were able to harass me one more time with threats and theories before Thompson finally arrived.
“Lake, I apologize for the delay. We couldn’t get ahold of Keiran. I’m afraid he was arrested last night, as well.”
“Oh, God. Laurie Finch?”
“Yes. It appears she made a statement two days ago pointing Keiran as the confessed murderer of Mitch, and she also confessed to bribery.”
“I don’t understand. He didn’t kill Mitch. How could he have confessed to it?”
“I intend to find out. He says he didn’t make a confession.”
But what about the money? “Did he say anything else?”
“He told me what I needed to do my job.”
“His words?”
“Yes. Now, we have a bail hearing scheduled for you at the end of the week.”
“I can’t wait that long.”
“Unfortunately, we have to extradite you due to the breach in jurisdiction. Besides, it’s too late an hour to get you before a judge, not to mention the hours of travel to get you before the right judge. I had to pull some heavy strings to get you in this week as it is.”
“Will Keiran be there?”
“Yes, but I want to warn you with Keiran’s priors, it won’t be easy. I want you prepared for the possibility that his bail will be denied.”
I nodded my understanding and watched him go. When the guards came back in, I hardened myself for the next thirty-six hours. To do that, I momentarily let go of everything that could weaken me.
Two days later, we were extradited to Nevada for the bail hearing. I never got to lay eyes on Keiran until the hearing later that week. I was brought in before him, but when he finally walked in shortly after, the sight of him didn’t offer relief. My stomach lurched at the bruises on his face. Other than that, he didn’t look any worse for wear, but it was enough to make me feel sick to my stomach.
His eyes immediately found mine and searched me over. Once he was satisfied I hadn’t suffered the same fate, he smiled to reassure me. When I didn’t smile back, his face dropped and he questioned me with his dark gaze.
“Before we begin,” the judge spoke—her hard gaze and ramrod posture told me she wouldn’t be easy or sympathetic, “I’d like someone to explain this custody’s appearance.”
“Yes, well, we had a hard time subduing him during interrogation.”
“He was in handcuffs, was he not?”
“Your honor, Keiran Masters was able to assault Detective Roberts.” The district attorney gestured to the detective in question who looked like he suffered a broken nose.
“What brought on this attack?”
“We told him his girlfriend, Lake Monroe, was also taken into custody.”
Oh, Keiran…
“Are you pursuing additional charges?”
“No need. We’ll have enough to put him away for the rest of his life.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, counselor. Not in my court.” Maybe she would be reasonable after all. I stood with my future in the balance and wondered how Keiran could be so calm. I looked over and found him watching me, and I knew he was more worried about me than about the hearing.
“Let’s proceed.”
The hearing took longer than the first had. I went into this with a little hope, but by the end, I was sweating a river and ready to let my tears join the party.<
br />
“I’ll allow the release of Lake Monroe at fifty thousand dollars. However, Keiran Masters will remain in custody until the trial, which will be set at a later date.”
“Your honor—”
“My ruling has been made, counselor. Keiran has proven he is more than capable—and willing, I might add, of violence.”
What?
No.
Keiran was good. Why couldn’t anyone see just how good he wanted to be?
I had to endure them taking him away again. He took one last look at me over his shoulder and asked me with his eyes to keep it together. I never felt as alone as I did when the door opened and he disappeared from sight.
“Dash is waiting outside to take you away from this place,” Thompson informed.
“I can’t leave him.”
“You have to. I suspected this would happen, and so did he. I don’t know him well, but something tells me he can take care of himself and able to think better knowing you’re safe and out of here.”
Was he right? Could this be better?
“Go. I have to look after Keiran.”
I nodded and sought the nearest exit. Each step I took toward freedom felt more as if I was abandoning him.
Dash was waiting outside just as Thompson promised. He rushed up the steps just to walk back down with me. I’d never admit it to him and risk inflating his ego, but he was very adept at reading a girl’s emotions. It was probably what got him laid so much in high school.
We reached the bottom of the stairs where he turned to me and looked me over much the same way Keiran had done but without the sense of possession.
“How are you holding up?” he asked as he hugged me.
“It’s a miracle I’m even still standing at all. I don’t think I can feel my legs, but I can feel everything in my stomach and it wants out.”
“Makes sense. You look like you’re about to turn green.”
“I don’t understand why they won’t release him.”
He let me go to shove his hands in his pockets and released a deep breath. “I’m not really surprised. The courts tend to be harder on people with priors and Keiran is far from a saint.”
