I’m thoroughly disgusted with myself.
I swore I’d never place myself in a vulnerable position again, and now, it’s as if I’ve regressed five years, and I’m stuck in the same spot with an intimate recording of me hanging over my head. I cringe as I recall exactly what’s on that footage. I’ll never be able to show my face around town if that gets leaked.
“Get used to your new home,” Ky hisses at Edwards. “You’re not going anywhere anytime soon.” He’s still operating under the illusion that the guys attacked me or something. It isn’t difficult to see how both he and Brad jumped to that conclusion, and I should’ve set them straight, but I didn’t want to open up that conversation with Jeremy and Edwards in the adjoining cell. Although, I can’t delay telling them much longer—not when I’ll need their help getting that recording. Goose bumps the size of golf balls sprout on my arms at the mere thought of that video in the public domain.
“Shut your mouth,” the cop says, glowering at Ky. “Or I’ll put you back in there.”
“Kyler. Let me handle this.” James slants a warning look at his son.
We follow the policeman out of the holding cells, through the main office, and into a large room with white painted walls. An older man with salt and pepper hair is waiting for us, seated on one side of the table with a grim expression on his face. Kal is seated across from him, and although his head is down, I can still identify the numerous injuries on his face. His hands are cuffed and resting on the table in front of him, his knuckles shredded and bloody.
I race to his side, losing the blanket in the process.
“Where the hell are your pants and shoes?” James is aghast as he runs his gaze from my naked feet to my bare legs. I’m still wearing Brad’s shirt over my dress, but it scarcely covers my ass, and I may have just flashed the room. Carefully, I dip down, securing the blanket around my waist before I take a seat beside Kal.
“They’re back at Chad’s house. The officers who arrested us wouldn’t let me get them,” I explain.
“It’s not her fault.” Ky’s tone and look suggests he’s on the verge of a complete meltdown, and I know that’s my cue to come clean, but Brad interjects before I can speak up.
“No, it’s not,” Brad grits through clenched teeth, speaking decisively after remaining mute the whole time we were in the cell. “It’s your fucking fault!” He rushes Ky, shoving him hard. “Faye wouldn’t have been in that position if you hadn’t upset her earlier.”
“She was with you!” Ky yells back, shoving him equally hard. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s yours for letting her go off with them!”
“Shut. Up.” James tone is curt. “And sit down. Right now. All of you.” He glares at everyone.
Brad slams into the seat beside me, his body rigid with stress. Ky claims the chair on the end, sending daggers in Brad’s direction. Keaton sits in between them while James sits beside the stranger, who I’m assuming is our solicitor. Kaden leans against the wall with his arms folded, his features a smoldering hotbed of intensity as he scans our faces.
You could light a match with the hormone-infused tension in the air.
“Where do you want to start?” the man asks James.
James locks his hands behind his head as he exhales. His eyes look tired. I flip my gaze to the clock mounted on the back wall, surprised to see it’s only four a.m. It felt like we were in that cell for eternity.
“Faye, are you up to explaining what happened tonight?”
I sit up straighter in my chair. “Sure.”
“I’m Dan Evans,” the stranger says, reaching across the table to shake my hand. “I’m the Kennedy family attorney, and I’m also representing you and Mr. McConaughey in this matter.”
I lean forward, pressing against the edge of the table. “I don’t understand. Am I under arrest?”
“Mr. Edwards and Mr. Roberts are alleging you assaulted them causing actual bodily harm.”
I snort, throwing my head back. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” I send an incredulous look across the table. “They were recording me without my knowledge, and I was trying to get my hands on Jeremy’s cell so I could delete it. It turned a bit messy, and we all ended up on the floor.” I point at my face. “I got injured too.”
James curses, leaning his elbows on the table and cradling his head in his hands.
“What?” Ky roars, jumping up out of his seat. He starts pacing the room. “They were going to rape you and record it?” I open my mouth to explain, but his pacing picks up in earnest. “I’m going to kill those sick fucks!” he yells.
Brad settles his hand on top of my clenched fists, squeezing lightly as he misinterprets my expression. Keaton looks like he might cry, while Kal still has his head bent, and I’m not entirely convinced he isn’t asleep sitting up. I slump a little in my chair, terrified to confirm how the fight is actually all my fault. That it was a misunderstanding and if I’d only explained that then maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.
Dan is astutely watching me. “Several witnesses have said they saw you willingly enter the room with Mr. Edwards. Can you please explain how you came to be in that room and what exactly happened?”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “I did go willingly with him,” I admit, lowering my eyes. I can’t say this while looking any of them in the face. “And, eh, what we were doing was consensual.” I slink a little lower in my chair, and Ky stops pacing. I daren’t look up at him. “But I didn’t know that Jeremy was hiding in the corner recording everything.”
A chorus of expletives emit in the room. “He’s dead,” Ky snarls. “That fucking son of a bitch is so dead!”
“Mr. Kennedy!” Dan shouts. “Sit back down and ziplock your lips. Do I need to remind you we are in a meeting room in a police station? Although we are supposed to have client-attorney privilege, I have no doubt there are people listening in. You cannot make idle threats like that, even if they are all bluster.”
Dan slams his fist down on top of the table. “No one is to speak unless spoken to. I am asking questions to determine what happened tonight so I can extract you all from this mess. Your father is paying me by the hour, so I suggest you shut up and let me do my job. Is that clear?”
Several reluctant heads nod, and he’s got a new fan in me. I admire his no-bullshit attitude.
“What happened after you discovered Mr. Roberts was in the room?” Dan asks, returning to his mild-mannered tone.
My brow furrows as my alcohol-addled brain struggles to remember the exact course of events. “Jeremy flipped on the light and said he wanted to see every inch of me while Edwards … you know …” There’s no way I’m repeating what Jeremy said verbatim. Not in front of my uncle and the solicitor. “And then he taunted me with his phone and said he’d delete the recording if I got behind a threesome.” I slip farther in my chair as I practically whisper the last word.
The table rattles as Brad’s entire body jerks in his seat. Ky curses, and they exchange a long drawn-out look. Dan nods at me to carry on.
I tuck my hair behind my ears. “Edwards was trying to convince me, and when he wouldn’t take his hands off me, I reacted instinctively. I elbowed him and he went flying back into the dresser. Then I tried to kick Jeremy in the junk while I made a grab for his phone, but he grabbed my foot, and we both fell to the ground. We butted heads as he landed on top of me.”
The surprising sound of quiet chuckling reverberates in the room, and I look over at Kaden. His entire body is shaking with laughter. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”
“This isn’t a laughing matter,” James roars. “That douche has an intimate video of your cousin, and need I remind everyone of how serious this situation is for your brother.” All eyes swivel to Kal who still hasn’t lifted his face up.
Dan frowns, pulling his glasses on as he thumbs through the file in front of him. “I s
ee no mention of any recording in your statement.” He looks at me over the rim of his spectacles.
“Yeah, um, about that.” I grimace. “I didn’t mention it because I was hoping to use it as a negotiation tool.”
“Come again?” He stares at me in confusion.
“She didn’t want the video in circulation.” Ky speaks up for me. “She was going to use it as leverage. The video in exchange for not ratting them out to the cops. It’s an infringement of her privacy, and they can get done for that, right?” My mouth hangs open at his accurate assessment. He knows me almost as well as I know myself.
“Is that true?” Dan asks
I look down the table at Ky. “Yeah.” He stares back at me with a mixture of anger, regret, and understanding in his expression. That one look conveys so much. Addison has him by the balls—she’s forcing him to be with her, I’m convinced of it.
“Faye, sweetheart.” James reaches over the table. “I know what you were trying to do but you have to revise your statement. The police need to find that recording ASAP. The last thing you need is that turning up in the hands of the media. We’ve enough heat on us as it stands.”
“I understand. I’ll amend my statement.” I turn pleading eyes on Dan. “Just get that recording before he can do anything with it. The last I remember, his phone flew across the floor and under the bed. I doubt he’d time to retrieve it before the fighting broke out and then the police were on the scene.”
Dan stands up. “I’ll sort it. Give me a moment, please.” He leaves the room and silence ensues.
I lean my head on Kal’s shoulder, and I’m surprised when he rests his head on mine. He has yet to contribute to the conversation, and he hasn’t uttered a word since we stepped foot in the room. I’m worried about him.
Dan steps back into the room a minute later. “The sergeant will re-interview you after we’re done here, Faye. They are getting a warrant for Jeremy’s cell as we speak.”
He looks between Brad, Keaton, and Ky. “All charges are being dropped against you. There were too many involved in the initial fight and the ensuing one to determine who is ultimately at fault.”
James breathes a sigh of relief.
“Right. Moving on.” Dan opens up a new file. “Who wants to tell me about the earlier fight?” He looks to Kal first. “Kalvin? Can you explain how that came about?”
Kal slowly lifts his head, and I gasp as I get a proper look at his face. The left side is awash with purplish bruising, his nose is severely swollen—it might actually be broken—and there’s a deep gash in his forehead and numerous cuts slash his dried lips. He looks like he’s done a few rounds with Conor McGregor and definitely come out the worst for it.
“Ben called me a rapist in front of the whole room, and I lost it.”
“Jesus, Kalvin.” James shakes his head in consternation. “What were you thinking going to a party?”
“Mom said I should go about my life as normal otherwise I’d make myself look guilty.” His sulky expression drills into James.
“Your mother isn’t in the right frame of mind to be making those kinds of decisions. You should’ve talked to me.” His shoulders sag. “But there’s no point discussing that now. The damage is done. You are on house arrest until the trial, and you have to wear a monitoring device.”
“Dad, that’s totally unfair.” Ky’s shoulder are stiff with stress. “You haven’t heard the abuse he’s had to put up with all week at school. I’m not surprised he snapped tonight.” He fixes Dan with an imploring look. “Can’t you appeal for leniency?”
“This is leniency, Kyler.” He looks over at Kalvin. “It was this or jail. You were told to keep your nose clean. That’s all the police and the court care about. I’ve spoken with the D.A., and they’ve made their point very clearly. This is the best I could do.”
“I know you’ve done your best, Dan. Thank you,” James acknowledges.
Dan asks a few more questions, and then everyone troops out as the sergeant steps into the room. Kalvin leaves with the nice female cop to have his anklet fitted while Dan stays with me. I revise my statement, accepting a stern lecture from the sergeant in the process, and then we meet the family in the main walk-in area. All our personal possessions are returned, and I’m grateful Keaton had the foresight to keep a hold of my bag. I rummage through it, checking everything is intact.
We are preparing to leave when a large man, wearing a long black woolen coat, bustles into the station, rubbing his hands and making immediate demands. His nostrils flare when he notices us. “If you think I’m letting this go, Kennedy, you can think again.”
“Jack.” James steps forward, straightening his shoulders as he goes toe to toe with the other man. “Ben started a fight with Kalvin, while Jeremy was recording my niece without her permission. What a fine job you’ve done raising your sons.” I clamp a hand over my mouth to smother my snort of disbelief. James couldn’t be any more ironic if he tried. “You can bet your bottom dollar that I’m not letting this go, either.”
The man’s face turns an unflattering shade of red, and steam is practically billowing out of his ears. “Does anyone work in this Godforsaken place?” he roars, turning from James without further argument.
James ushers us out of the building, and we leave Jeremy’s dad stewing in his own venom. The frosty night air whips around my bare legs and feet, and my teeth start chattering again. Kaden removes his long coat and places it around my shoulders, tucking me in under his arm. I smile up at him, and he winks conspiratorially.
“Kaden will take you home,” James says, gesturing to Keaton, Kal, Ky, and Brad. James walks to Kalvin and pulls him into a fierce hug. “It’s going to be all right, son.” He sighs. “I’m sorry I can’t go back to the house with you, but until the legal stuff is sorted out with your mother, I can’t step foot on the property.”
“Take care of your brother and your mother.” James looks over Kal’s head, speaking directly to Keaton and Ky.
“Dad.” Kal eyeballs James with unfettered emotion. “I don’t want you and Mom to divorce.”
“I know, son,” James replies quietly. “I don’t want that either.”
“I love you, Dad.” Kal says it with real feeling, and my trodden heart jumpstarts in my chest.
James looks adoringly at his son. “I love you, too, Kalvin.” He holds him even fiercer. “I love you all, and I’m going to fix everything, I promise. Hang in there.”
I pull Kaden’s coat around me as a blast of ice-cold wind whistles around me, lifting my hair and blowing it across my face.
“We need to get going, Dad,” Ky says. “Faye is shivering.”
James releases Kal with a final squeeze of his shoulders and moves over beside me, piercing me with those keen blue eyes. “I think it’s best if you come and stay with me, Faye.”
Ky rolls his eyes. “Not this again.”
“I’ll go with you,” I confirm instantly.
“What?” Keaton’s hurt look is like a knife to the gut. “You promised!”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but things have changed, and I think it’s for the best.”
Brad glares at Ky understanding my motives in a flash. Ky beseeches me with his eyes but I look away.
I peer into James’s face. “I want to live with you. Let’s go.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” James asks from behind the wheel. My knees are pulled into my chest, with Kaden’s warm coat still encasing me. He insisted I take it, assuring me he had plenty of others.
“I’m tired, but apart from that, I’m fine,” I lie. Getting away from Ky was all I was thinking of back there when I agreed to come and live with him, but now, I’m not so sure. At least in the house there is plenty to occupy my mind. Having too much time on my hands is the invisible enemy. The mute threat to my sanity. This could end up being my w
orst decision yet.
“What happened to change your mind?” James asks without removing his eyes from the dimly lit road. “I know there was other stuff going on before all the fighting broke out.”
“It’s nothing I wish to talk about.” The image of Ky and Addison is forever branded in my subconscious mind, and I’m sick to my stomach every time I recall it. I wish there was a way to self-lobotomize because I desperately want to scrub the memory from my brain. At least it’s deflecting attention from what almost happened tonight. I can’t believe I was so stupid. I made a faithful promise all those years ago that I’d never expose myself again, and I did it in a heartbeat tonight. It’d be easy to blame Ky. To say he drove me to the breaking point, but he didn’t force me to kiss Edwards or go voluntarily with him to the bedroom. I almost choke on my startled laugh—I don’t even know the scumbag’s first name.
And that’s beyond idiotic.
No, this isn’t Ky’s fault.
This one is all on me.
James parks the car along the road outside the Wellesley Beechwood Hotel. I inwardly groan. Talk about returning to the scene of your crime. A sour taste floods my mouth as I recall that night after work when Ky came to collect me and we discovered James outside this very hotel kissing Courtney up against his car.
“Courtney isn’t staying with you, is she?”
James grasps the steering wheel with a death grip. “No.” His tone is clipped, and I want to call him out on it because it’s a reasonable question, but I’m too exhausted to pursue this topic at six a.m. I’m surviving on zero sleep, and I know it’ll be lights out the second my head hits the pillow. “I would hardly ask you to come and live with me if she was here.”
I bob my head and get out of the car. James carries me up the steps, placing my sore feet on the plush carpet of the lobby. He acknowledges the porter with a subtle nod and smile, slipping him a twenty before we take the lift upstairs. I lean my head against the side of the lift, closing my eyes as I yawn. I can’t wait to crawl into bed.
Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys Book 2) Page 16
