As I got closer, I stepped in a puddle. Looking down, my heart dropped when I realized I had stepped in blood. I held my breath as I examined the wreckage, looking for the driver. His dark hair was matted with blood. I did everything I could to free him from the weight of the bike, but I wasn’t strong enough.
“Linda…”
I heard my name and my heart skipped a beat. Tears were forming in my eyes when I realized that the driver was Kyle. His blood was everywhere. I had no idea how he was still alive. “Linda…” He said again. Desperately, I tried to push the bike off his body, but it was hopeless.
“Don’t… don’t say anything. I’m going to get help!” I screamed, getting hysterical at this point. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. There was so much blood. His skin was pale and his leg was twisted underneath him at an unnatural angle. I had to do something to help him. I grabbed his hand, holding it in my lap, praying for a miracle.
His fingers unfurled, revealing his palm. He was holding a crimson rose. As the scene faded away, it was the only thing that remained in focus. I tried desperately to cling onto Kyle’s hand, but he had grown so cold. “Please… Kyle… stay with me…” I begged, but everything just turned to white. It felt like I was falling through space.
I gasped for breath as I jolted into a seated position. There was a cold sweat all over my body and my heart was beating so hard that it felt like it would burst out of my chest at any moment. I leaned forward, my head between my knees, trying to calm myself down. Kyle’s mangled body kept popping up in my mind, making my stomach churn. What if my dream was trying to tell me something? What if Kyle had gotten into a horrible accident and it was all my fault?
I was about to pick up my phone and call him when someone knocked on the door. I jumped, my heart surging into my mouth before I gulped it back down. I stared at the door, wondering who it could be. Maybe it was Kyle… maybe I could finally apologize to him and tell him how I really felt.
I got up quickly, my hand on the doorknob. I thought about looking through the peephole, but I couldn’t be bothered to grab the stool. Before I could open the door, someone knocked again, louder this time. “Police! Open up!” At the sound of the man’s grizzly voice, I stepped back.
Police? What were they doing here? I feared the worst and contemplated not answering the door at all. If I ignored them, they would leave, right? I shook my head, chiding myself for being so foolish. I had done nothing wrong – except break into a building – but there was no way they could know about that. At least I hope so…
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. To my surprise, two men clad in uniform stood there, their arms crossed over their chests. Their guns sparkled in the moonlight, making me shiver. Between them, a sloppily-dressed man smirked at me before he pushed his way past me and into my house as if he owned the place.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” The man just walked into my living room and sat down.
“Linda, isn’t it? Why don’t you take a seat?”
The two officers pressed their hands into my back, pushing me forward. I stepped away from them. “What are you doing? Don’t touch me.” Their hands moved to their guns like they were about to point them at me. I shivered, thinking this wasn’t normal. I glanced at the door, wondering if I could make a run for it before I convinced myself to remain calm – to remain logical. As long as I didn’t give the police a hard time, there was nothing they could do to me.
I sat down hesitantly, looking at the man that now sat across from me. “What do you want?”
“Patience.” He reclined back with the TV remote in his hand, flicking through the channels. “I’ve been in hiding for way too long. I need to enjoy myself a little.”
“Hiding?” I spat, my eyes growing large. I glanced at the officers and then at the man who looked like he hadn’t showered in weeks. “You’re not Daniel Smith, are you?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“A fan? How flattering.” He smirked, getting closer to me. With one long, grimy finger, he lifted my chin until I was forced to look into his cold, heartless eyes. “Now, do you want to tell me what you were doing in my apartment with Kyle Johnstone?”
I gulped, the weight of the officers’ stares making me fidget. “Can you tell me why you pinned the murder or Ross McArdle on Kyle when you were the coward who shot him?” I spat, hoping it would rattle him.
He just kept the same cool expression on his face. “Do you hear that boys? She thinks I killed Ross.” The officers laughed, as if on cue.
“What are you doing? This man is a murderer! Arrest him! I have the evidence to prove it too…”
“Do you now? Why don’t you show me what you found? I’d be really interested.” He pushed his hand onto my thigh, making my skin crawl with disgust. I jerked away from him, keeping my distance from all three men.
“Don’t fucking touch me.”
“Now, now, don’t be like that pudding. I’m just trying to play nice. There’s no need for you to get all feisty.” He stepped closer. “But don’t think I don’t know where you have been. The Black Birds aren’t the only ones who have spies. I heard you’ve been with Kyle all week, riding on the back of his bike. Are you his new girl or something?”
I refused to answer. I was looking around for something to protect myself with as he slowly pinned me into the corner. “Stay away from me, I’m warning you.”
“Oh, you think you’re so tough? Is that why you’re a lawyer? Because you think you should be putting bad guys in jail?” He continued to tease me. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. I grabbed a nearby vase, my hands shaking.
“Don’t take another step!” I warned him, but my voice was wavering, giving away my fear. “I swear.”
Daniel chuckled. “You’re cute, you know that? If you think that you can take me down, you have another thing coming.” He snapped his fingers and the two officers stepped forward. “And I doubt that you want to do anything rash with these two men here. It might jeopardize your career.”
“How do I know those men are even real officers?” I asked, looking at them, trying to keep my eyes on all of them at once. I felt vulnerable and trapped, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. I tightened my grip on the vase.
“You’ll just have to trust me.” Daniel ran his fingers through his greasy hair before flashing a toothy smile. “Now, maybe you were smart enough to figure out that I really did kill Ross, but I think it’d be best for everyone if you hand over the evidence you found. Now.” He got even closer and I flinched, my back pressed against the wall. “I know you found the gun, and I want it back. Do you hear me, little girl?”
“Rot in hell!” I screamed, suddenly smashing the vase as hard as I could into his head. I gasped when glass cut into my palms with the impact. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion because it took a long time for Daniel to hit the ground, a pool of blood forming underneath his head. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I feared that maybe I had killed him. One of the officers knelt down beside the fallen man while the other roughly pinned me against the wall.
“Stop! You don’t have to do this!” I struggled against him as he handcuffed me. The metal felt ice-cold against my skin. “Daniel’s the murderer! I was just defending myself. You have to believe me.”
“… Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” The officer was already reading off my Miranda rights as he towed me to the patrol car outside. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Just a few weeks ago, I had been a successful lawyer, and now I was being shoved into the back of a cruiser.
“Please. You have to listen to me. You have to arrest Daniel or he’s going to go out and kill Kyle – the leader of the Black Birds.” I banged against the window, hoping to get his attention, but he just ignored me, leaving me trapped in the back of the car as he joined his partner. I tried to calm down, but it was impossible. My life had gone from normal to completely insane in a matter of minutes. This couldn
’t be happening to me. This was just one cruel nightmare… it had to be.
Chapter 17
Kyle
I was in my apartment when suddenly, there was a bang on the door. It was early in the morning and most of the Black Birds would either be asleep or off working their day jobs. I put down my cup of coffee and walked over to the door. I wasn’t in the mood for company, but whoever was at the door was persistent because their knocks just kept getting louder and louder. “I’m coming!”
I hurried my pace, finally opening the door. To my surprise, I saw Olivia standing there, a newspaper in her hand. She waltzed into my home, slamming the paper down on my table. “Have you heard?”
“Heard about what?”
I asked, glancing at the paper. To my horror, the headline read: Local Lawyer, Linda Harris, Arrested!
“What?” I grabbed the paper, quickly reading the article.
Local lawyer, Linda Harris, was arrested late Friday evening. She was at home, with a Mr. Daniel Smith when she brutally attacked him, leaving him with seven stitches in the side of his head. Luckily, two members of the night patrol heard the disturbance and came in to investigate. When they arrived at the scene, Harris was holding the smashed vase she had used to attack Smith. It’s still unclear whether this was a case of domestic abuse as authorities are still investigating.
Linda Harris graduated top of her class at Sussex College. She has been working in the district as a defense attorney, making a name for herself. As an advocate for second chances, she often takes on pro bono cases for the benefit of suspected criminals. Now, it seems that the well-to-do lawyer has for yet unknown reasons, followed in their footsteps. She will be having a hearing early this morning. More on this story in the coming days.
“This can’t be real.” I stared at Linda’s mugshot in the paper and my heart felt like it was pumping ice through my veins. “He went after her…” My fingers tightened around the paper so hard that I ripped right through it. “I have to get her out of jail.”
Olivia nodded. “I already went into the safe. Grabbed everything we had. It’s not much, but as a first-time offender, her bail shouldn’t be that high.”
I nodded, pocketing the wad of cash before I ran out of the building. Since my bike was still under repair, I hopped onto one of the spares, riding out of the garage as fast as I could. I pushed the limits, flying through stop signs and traffic lights.
All I could think about was Linda. If only I had stuck around, none of this would have happened. I could have dealt with Danny once and for all and we would have been done with the whole ordeal. I ground my teeth in frustration, my vision blurring as I blamed myself for everything that had happened.
I could just picture Linda languishing in the local jail. She wasn’t the kind of girl who deserved to go through something like this. She was sweet – innocent – pure. I had tainted her and now, her life was probably ruined because of me. I was certain that she would never want to see me again, especially after everything that had happened. I kidnapped her – forced her to stay with me – and now, I was the reason she had to spend the night in a jail cell. Still, I couldn’t just let her rot.
As I approached the city, I followed the speed limit. Most of the cops in town had a grudge against the Black Birds and I wasn’t about to screw up my chance to save Linda.
I arrived at the precinct before they opened to the public. I paced around the parking lot. All I could think about was Linda. She had been alone for almost twenty-four hours. I didn’t even want to imagine what she must be going through. Was she in a holding cell by herself, or had they thrust her into one of the communal cells where the other girls would surely eat her alive?
My mind wandered back to my dream, picturing her chest with that large, gaping hole. This was all my fault. If I had just kept her out of this… she wouldn’t be in this situation. I could have just cut and run as soon as I made bail, but no… I just had to go and convince her that I was innocent. Fat lot of good that did…
The minutes seemed to drag on for an eternity as I continued to worry. My frustration was mounting until I thought I would just kick down the door and free her myself.
My hands tightened into fists by my side and my nostrils flared as I thought of Daniel. Why hadn’t he just left her out of it? His face was so clear in my mind that I could almost reach out and strangle him. He snickered at me and I wanted to punch him, to wipe that disgusting smile off his face. He would pay for this… one way or another… even if I wasn’t the one to kill him, a rat like him always got what he deserved. Karma was a bitch, but she usually knew how to get the job done.
Finally, someone opened the door and I rushed inside. I was the first one at the counter. “Hello, I need to talk to a Linda Harris.” My voice was shaky as I tried to keep myself steady.
The woman behind the glass narrowed her eyes at me as if suspicious. “Have I seen you here before?” She asked, twirling a pencil between her fingers.
“Maybe,” I said quickly. I didn’t have time for petty small talk. I had to see Linda.
“Linda Harris, you said?”
“Yes, please.” I drummed my fingers against the counter. “I think she was brought in two nights ago. Friday.”
“Just give me a moment.” She turned the computer screen toward her face, illuminating all the wrinkles and fine lines she had failed to conceal with makeup. She clicked a few times typing something in. Then she just stared at the screen, her eyes focused on something.
“Do you think we could hurry this along? It’s kind of urgent.”
“The computers are slow, sir. There’s nothing I can do about it.” She pressed her lips together in disapproval, obviously not appreciating the fact that I was rushing her.
I sighed. “It’s just really important that I see her.”
“She’s not going anywhere.” The woman’s voice was icy.
I ground my teeth to keep from lashing out at her. I could feel my temples throb.
Finally, the woman leaned into her screen, reading something. “Is she the lawyer that was brought in on a domestic abuse charge?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. I want to pay her bail.”
The woman looked slightly surprised, glancing at me up and down. “And where are you going to get that kind of money?”
“Just tell me how much it is.” I had never met someone who had such a knack for getting under my skin, and I knew my fair share of Iron Horses.
“$5,000.” She answered.
I pulled out the wad of cash from my pocket, counting out the money. The woman stared at it a moment before she got up, moving toward a large filing cabinet. She took her time looking through a few folders. It felt like she was deliberately making this process slower than it needed to be. “Can’t you just take the money and let me see her?” I asked, looking down the hall. I knew how to navigate myself around this building well enough. I had been here plenty of times before. And I was certain the woman wouldn’t notice me… but still I needed to help Linda and breaking the law further would only make things worse.
“You’ll have to fill out this paperwork before you can see her.” The woman handed me a clipboard and I quickly started to fill it out. She grabbed the money off the counter and started to count it. Just as I was finishing with the forms, a tall, lanky man joined us.
“Are you here to see Miss Harris?” He asked.
I nodded and together, we walked down the long hallway. Most of the cells were empty, but we did pass a few people who looked like they had been isolated for way too long. Their eyes were hollow inside their skull. Their limbs were thin and skeletal. One man even walked up to the bars, sticking out his hand, trying to grab the officer.
I shuddered to think of Linda in this situation. Every time I was in jail, it didn’t really bother me. I was used to it, but Linda should have never set foot in a place like this.
At the end of the hall, the man pulled out his keyring, going through it. I spotted Linda sitting down on her bed,
staring at the wall. My heart seemed to break in half, seeing how wild her hair was. In her lap, her hands were carefully bandaged and my anger rushed to my chest once more. This was all my fault… if only I had stuck around.
“Linda!” I called out, my voice sounding like it wasn’t mine I was surprised when she looked up at me, her eyes widening. She rushed up to the bars, holding onto them tightly.
“Is it really you… or am I dreaming again?”
The warden opened the door and I quickly stepped inside the cell, taking her into my arms and holding her tighter than ever before. I vowed to never let her go. I breathed in her scent, letting it calm me down.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, her body shaking as she started to sob. “I… I thought I would be stuck in here forever… it was terrible…” Her voice cracked.
I pulled away, looking into her tear-soaked eyes. Gently, I wiped her tears away. “Please, don’t cry.” It pained me to see her in such distress. “This is all my fault, but I promise that I’ll never let anything like this happen to you again.”
Pursuit: A Bad Boy Romance Page 82
