by Kristie Cook
I wiggled and stretched my arm as far as I could, but the cue stick was far beyond my reach. I let out a guttural cry as Pock’s hand wormed around inside my pants. I focused all my energy on reaching the stick and concentrated on moving the object toward me. I had to get it. It was my only chance at getting away from him.
My mind locked on the target. I imagined it moving to me. A strong force filled my body, making my arms tingle with energy. The cue stick rocked back and forth. I tuned out everything around me. The only thing that mattered was having the stick in my possession. Suddenly, the smooth wood slid across the floor, landing in my hand. I blinked in shock, but my astonishment would have to wait.
I gripped the end of my weapon and flung it back with all the power I could, smacking Pock straight in the face.
“Ahhhh!” He grabbed his face and rolled off me. I scrambled up and re-gripped the cue stick like a bat as I turned around to face him. “You fuckin’ little bitch! I think you broke my nose!”
“And I’ll fucking do it again. Don’t you ever think about touching me again.” My blood boiled in my ears, and my terror turned into sheer fury. All the anger and hurt I had felt during the day tore through me. My hands vibrated as I gripped the stick.
He lunged for me, and I reacted by swinging it with all my pent-up energy, cracking it across his head. The stick broke as it ricocheted off him and half of it flew across the room. His body went limp and fell back on the floor, unconscious. Blood spilled from his nose and the cut across his head.
“Everyone freeze!” a voice boomed from the doorway. Several cops pointed guns at us as they inched into the bar. “You’re all under arrest!”
At first, I felt relief from their presence, but then a hard lump settled in my stomach. Sheriff Weiss stood at the door with a gun pointed at me, his eyes glinting.
Shit!
Weiss looked pleased as punch as he looked around. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the bar. Glass and debris covered the floor, tables were broken and over turned, and the TV lay broken on its side halfway across the room from where it originally sat.
The best part for him was me. In my hands, gripped tightly, was a broken, jagged, bloody cue stick. The other half of it lay a few yards away from the bloody, beaten, unconscious man, who I was standing over.
Weiss signaled for two of the officers to go after McNamm and West, while he and a younger cop headed toward me.
“Why, Ms. Brycin, funny you being in the middle of this,” he said smugly. “I’m not at all surprised.”
I looked around confused, my body and mind still in shock.
“Miss, put the stick down,” the other cop commanded.
I looked at him, feeling wild and unclear. Couldn’t they see I didn’t belong here? I was a victim just only trying to protect myself.
“Please, put the stick down now, ma’am.” The young officer’s voice grew tight and demanding.
I let the stick drop from my hands. The sound echoed through the room as it bounced. Everything after was a blur of fear, adrenaline, alcohol, and shock. The only thing I remembered was the young cop coming up to me, wiping the cuts on my face as the blood on my cheek dripped onto the floor.
Weiss moved in behind me. “You’re under arrest, Ms. Brycin,” he said as he slid handcuffs around my wrists. Numbness and shock kept me in a dreamlike state. I felt no pain.
It wasn’t the first time I had been in handcuffs or been arrested, but those times usually came from my being attached to a tree, which was going to be bulldozed, or at a PETA rally, which got out of hand. This was completely different.
“Sir, don’t you think we should get her statement before arresting her? I mean this doesn’t look like her type of place. I don’t even think she’s old enough to be in here.” The young cop looked questioningly at his senior officer.
Weiss reminded me of those cops who were ten years past retiring. He was bitter, judgmental, narrow-minded, and cruel.
“Lambert, you being a rookie and all, will soon learn that in this bar no one is innocent,” he said coldly, “least of all this girl right here.”
“You have the right to remain silent …” I tuned him out as he continued.
TWENTY-TWO
“Don’t I get at least one phone call?” I called from my cell. “Or an oxygen mask?” The six-by-eight-foot cement block smelled like urine and body odor.
“Hmmm-hmmm,” Officer Linne mumbled, not even bothering to look up from his magazine. I wasn’t sure if he had heard my question or if it was his automatic reply to everything. He seemed more interested in drinking his coffee and reading some cheesy gossip magazine than his actual job. I wondered if he was one of those cops who secretly watched soap operas and read trashy, bodice-ripping novels.
About an hour later, he decided it was time to get up and stretch, agreeing that while he was up, he would give me my rights as a citizen.
“Okay, girlie, you get one phone call,” he said. He opened the jail door and motioned for me to sit down at the desk. “The bar’s not pressing charges, so you’re free to go. But because you were drinking, we will only release you if someone drives you home.”
Mark was in Japan for his conference. There was no way he was going to fly back just to bail me out of jail. He had done that plenty of times for my mother, when protests had gone awry. What were my choices? Kennedy didn’t have a car, nor would her parents let her at this time of morning. Ryan had a car. He could come get me.
Officer Linne plopped the phone down in front of me and returned to his gossip magazine. Picking up the receiver, my fingers shook as I punched in a number.
A groggy voice cracked over the line. “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s me. I’ve kind of been … well … arrested, and I was hoping you could maybe come and get me?”
A long pause as the information sank in.
“I’ll be right there.”
I hung up, smiling victoriously at the cop.
***
“Okay, Miss Brycin, you are free to go.” Officer Linne motioned for me to come forward as he opened the cell door. “But we will need you to fill out some paper work first.”
I started to follow the officer down the hallway when I heard Sheriff Weiss behind me. “Ms. Brycin, if you could hold on one moment, I’d like to speak with you.”
I closed my eyes and swore under my breath. Of course, he wouldn’t let me go so easily. It wasn’t his style. His personal vendetta would lap this incident up like cream. He was coming to claim his victory.
He walked around to face me. “Just because the dump of a bar didn’t press charges, doesn’t mean you get off scot-free.”
I was tired of his games; but the more intently I looked at him, the more uncomfortable he got. My heeled boots gave me a few inches over him, and I used it to my advantage.
His gaze darted away. “It looks like you broke the terms allowing you back at the high school, Ms. Brycin. I knew with your track record you would never go back. I guessed you’d do something to screw it up. And wow, did you … being underage in a bar, getting into a bar brawl, destroying property, attacking a man and almost putting him into a coma. Those are serious crimes.”
Serious crimes, really? Crimes, yes, but as serious as attempted rape or murder? Now that’s what you call serious.
He just wanted to scare me, but I still wanted to clarify the men had attacked me, and I was only trying to defend myself. I mean come on, those guys had years and pounds on me, but they were the innocents here? I knew, however, I’d be wasting my breath. Weiss was dying to put anything on me, even if he had to twist facts and turn two seedy men from the Hells Angels into the victims to do it. What a sad state of affairs when I was considered more dangerous to society.
“Is that all Sheriff Weiss?” I said petulantly.
He stepped close, his voice low and threatening. “Listen to me. Every move you make …”
“… I’ll be watching you.” I couldn’t help myself as I completed his sentenc
e, an old Police song. Quite appropriate actually.
It really wasn’t a mystery why I always found myself in trouble.
Weiss’ face turned a deep shade of purple. “I’m going to make your life a living hell. Don’t think I won’t. You put one little toe out on the road before the crosswalk light turns green, and you’ll be back here in handcuffs before you can even blink.”
The man really hated me. Was it only because he couldn’t prove the stuff he thought I did or was there something else about me causing him to feel such a deep-rooted hatred? I did know he would be true to his word, and he’d be looking for anything to get me for, even if he had to lie and cheat to do it.
I wanted to make another smart-ass remark, but my community service was already tripled. I kept my mouth shut and my eyes on his, which seemed to disturb him enough. He finally stepped back and motioned to Officer Linne to resume his role.
When Linne led me to the waiting area, my heart did a flip-flop. The bad taste in my mouth from my little tÊte-À-tÊte with Weiss vanished.
There, leaning against the wall with his usual relaxed confidence, was Eli. His eyes danced in guarded amusement as he looked around the jail’s waiting room area. A slight smile tugged at his lips as he watched the guy next to him get handcuffed to a chair. Eli’s hair was messy and ruffled in this unbelievably hot way—straight out of bed—which, of course, made me think of his bed and him being in it.
Ember, focus.
I breathed in deeply and tried to put on a face which didn’t show how much he made me nervous and how my body tingled every time I saw him. I had finally admitted to myself how I felt about him, but I was afraid it was written all over my face. I bit my lip as I nervously ran a hand through my long, tangled hair. I wasn’t ready for brutal rejection this early in the morning.
Right then he spotted me. Pushing himself off the wall, he moved toward me. His body was so incredibly fit it couldn’t be hidden underneath his favorite worn-out jeans, which hung low enough the top of his V-line barely peeked out from under his shirt. My eyes were in an all-out war. They fought with staying locked on his V-line and getting caught, or going up to his gorgeous face. The humiliation of getting caught staring at that area again convinced me to move my eyes up. He wore an old, grey t-shirt, a navy blue hoodie, and some beat-up black combat boots. I wanted to dive into him—he was comfort, safety, and pure intrigue all rolled into one.
I needed to stay strong, but it didn’t help when his eyes moved over my body with a look so primal, so raw, my blood boiled. I knew I looked rough and wild—a night in jail after a bar fight did wonders for my appearance. My black, knee-high heeled boots, tight fitting jeans, and red leather jacket only added to the image. The animalistic way he stared made me want to act on my desires.
“Miss, we need you to sign a few forms.” A female cop interrupted my carnal thoughts and motioned me to one of the windows. I nodded, keeping my eyes on Eli as I waited for him.
“Don’t start,” I warned as he walked up to me.
“Whatever do you mean, jailbait?”
I sighed. “Yeah … it’s gonna be a long day.”
His amusement quickly became serious when he studied my face. I turned my head away, trying to hide the cuts down the one side of my face and the black and blue bruise covering the other. Eli grabbed my chin and ran his thumbs over the wounds on my face, making my body zing. “What happened?” His eyes were a mix of concern, anger, and speculation. I could see the wheels in his brain going through what or who could have done this to me.
I pulled my chin free of his grip and headed to the officer. I couldn’t tell Eli how foolish I had been, simply in the hope of seeing him or being close to someplace he might go had caused me to be a stupid moron. Eli stayed frozen in his spot, staring at me.
The woman looked over at Eli, and her stern look softened. “Mr. Dragen, are you the one who is taking responsibility for her?”
“Morning, Anita. Yeah.” Eli winked and smiled at the woman.
A slight blush fluttered over her mocha skin. “You can’t seem to stay away, can you?” Anita’s stern voice was all fluff and no bite. You could hear the teasing affection under it.
“Not with you here.”
“Oh, you are such a tease.” Anita swished her hand at Eli. I felt like I had just walked into an alternate universe. Eli being charming? Anita was the kind of woman who could make grown men huddle in the corner in fear. Here she was, as smitten as a schoolgirl. My head whipped back and forth watching them.
“I’m doing the picking up today.” Eli nodded toward me. “What do you need me to do?”
Anita’s eyes became annoyed and stern when she looked over at me but softened the second they flicked back to Eli. “You know the drill, honey child. Need to get your signature and information on these documents.” Anita pushed a pile of forms and papers toward Eli.
Fantastic. I felt like this tied me even more to Eli. Yesterday he didn’t want me in his life, but when I needed him, he came running, no questions asked. After about ten minutes, we finished filling out and signing the stack of forms.
“Bye, Anita, I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”
***
“You know I love seeing you, Eli, but try and stay out of trouble for a little while.”
“I’ll try,” he said, smiling. He squeezed her arm as we turned to go. “You know, I’ve never been in here voluntarily before,” Eli whispered in my ear as I collected my belongings.
“I find that so hard to believe,” I said dryly.
“We should get out of here before Weiss feels my presence.”
Eli herded me out the door. As we walked, I looked over my shoulder. As if he actually had felt Eli’s presence, Weiss stood there watching us. He had assigned us together in the same facility, but seeing Eli pick me up from jail? I could see the wheels in his head turning with the misguided idea he’d found the co-conspirator in my shenanigans—that Eli might have been the one helping me with the school explosions all along. His logic was once again wrong, but it didn’t matter. He would make the puzzle piece fit even if it didn’t fit the picture. I sighed. Weiss had something against Eli as well, but seeing us together would make his theories become concrete evidence to him. He would come after us with the determination of a pit bull.
“So are you going to tell me the reason you woke me up at five-forty-five in the morning to come bail you out of jail?” He reached into his pocket and dug out a package of baby wipes for me to clean the black ink off my fingers. Even a small gesture like this choked me up, and I longed to reach out and touch him. It was pointless to deny how I felt about him.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
He nodded as he opened the Bronco door for me, and I climbed in. “Where to, jailbait?” he asked as he shut his door.
“You’re never going to let that go, are you? You know I am legal. I’m not really jailbait anymore.”
“Oh, believe me, you are the embodiment of bait.”
We drove for a bit before he pulled off on a deserted dirt road, close to the waterfall. He turned off the ignition, and we sat in silence for a while.
“I want to thank you for coming to get me.” I stared at my hands, still partly stained with ink. “I’m indebted to you. I don’t even know how to begin to thank you. I know you don’t want to be friends with me anymore, but …” I couldn’t finish.
A low grunt came from Eli, making my head snap up. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he had an unbelievable headache. His sigh was heavily loaded as he leaned his head back and stared out the side window. The mood in the car was growing tense.
“Em, why did you call me?”
“Umm … I-I’m sorry I called and woke you up. I know I shouldn’t have. I didn’t know who else to go to. I promise I won’t bother you aga—”
“I’ll stop you right there. I don’t give a shit you woke me up. I’m not mad you called. I only want to know why you did.”
“I-I don�
��t know, Mark’s gone and … I don’t know, you were the first person I thought of. It was automatic.”
“Don’t you find it a little odd?”
I returned my focus to my hands. “Maybe I thought you’d understand more than anyone else.”
He huffed aggravatingly, swinging the door open and jumping out of the Bronco. I followed shortly behind him. He trudged through the grass. “So as this person you automatically called, who came down and bailed you out of jail without hesitation, I think I deserve to hear the story of why you were there.”
“You mean the person who retracted their friendship from me? Which is amusing since we really didn’t have one,” I spat in heated humiliation.
We stood on opposite sides of the Bronco’s hood, as a volatile fury hummed between us. I was extremely stubborn, but I might have met my match.
“Fine,” I hissed, turning away and heading to the trail leading to the waterfall. He followed me with guarded reluctance. I walked in silence until I got to the footbridge. The sound of the thundering water soothed me. I kicked one of the wooden beams supporting the bridge. “So … where do you want me to start?”
“Try the beginning. It’s usually a good place.”
I was going to be revealing more than I wanted, but I was tired of lying to myself. Whatever his reaction was, I would deal with it.
“Last night was a downward spiral from the moment you walked away from me,” I whispered. I stole a glance at him and quickly turned away. There was no way I could look at him through this. I wouldn’t be able to handle any rejection I might see in his eyes.
“I tried to drown the pain, but it wouldn’t go away. And, man, did I try. I was so tired of being scared and alone. I left my friends at a concert. It felt claustrophobic so I had to get away. I don’t remember getting there but I found myself at Mike’s Bar.” A low guttural sound came from him. “Please, let me get through this.” I took a deep breath. “I know it was stupid, but I thought if there was any chance of seeing you, of being near you.”
