Everyone’s expecting the worst and wishing for the best. As the judge moves through other cases, I look over at Jace. He’s slightly fucked up. Clammy and probably wishing he was anywhere but here. I lean into him, slightly hitting his shoulder with mine.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
He looks down at me, his eyes scanning me over. “Me, too,” he says. He sniffs slightly, trying to make it seem natural, but I know different.
Jace is high on cocaine, suffering from heartache and hoping he didn’t mess up his brother’s whole life.
And I realize…
It is him I pity.
Chapter Eight
Bryce
“Come on, Grant,” the guard says. I look over at him after K disappears from my sight. Other people occupy the room but are too busy spending time with their loved ones to pay attention to mine and K’s argument. I ball my fists, fighting the urge to shove this fucking table across the room.
I want to run after her and grab her up into my arms. I’ve hurt her and I feel like a piece of shit.
I move from behind the table and walk back to my cell with the guard behind me.
After the door slides shut, locking me in here, I walk over to the bed and sit. With my head down, I stare at the floor. She fucking walked out on me.
Can you blame her?
“Fuck you,” I mutter under my breath.
You basically picked a club over her, man.
I run both hands through my hair, grabbing at the strands, wishing I could shut my subconscious out.
I’ve worked my whole adult life to build that business. I did all the dirty work.
Risked everything, and for what?
To sell it to Danny who’ll probably run drugs out of it.
I stand up and pace the room, wishing I could change all of this. Wishing I didn’t even have to pick.
My freedom or my club?
“You want to do this.” Bones’ words roll through my mind.
I wonder about Ben and Simon and their situation. Would they pin it all on me? I shake my head.
It is all me.
I hired them.
Simon was my main guy, my bookie. He made sure everything ran smoothly while also making sure I got my money from lowlifes. I never asked him what he did to ensure I got paid from people who tried to fuck me.
But given his past of being involved with some pretty scary motherfuckers, I’m sure what he did wasn’t clean.
He’s got to make a deal with someone. They’ll look into his past and stick him in a goddamn hole somewhere. I rub my forehead, pinching the bridge of my nose.
And Ben was involved in everything. He was by my side through it all. I never hid shit from the man.
He didn’t get hired because he was a good guy. Ben has his own demons and the feds will build off of that.
If I get out of this, they have to get off the hook, too. I’m not the only one I have to worry about here.
Am I going to do this?
Am I going to give it all up?
My blood boils and I pick up my mattress and toss it at the wall.
I grip my head and slide down the side of the white brick. Looking up at the ceiling, I ask for answers I don’t deserve.
I’m a criminal.
My mind wanders to my little brother and his girlfriend. Goddammit, Jace. Why weren’t you more careful?
I haven’t spoken to him since I got in here. I can’t help but worry about the guy; he’s unpredictable at best.
But why did he do this?
Over some pussy?
Fuck, man. He could have his pick and he chose the girl with a badge?
And now I’ve got some tough choices to make.
I know to some this should be easy, but when you come from what I did, having a place like I had….it means something.
It matters.
I came from dirt. I climbed over rubble and pushed aside self-doubt.
Shit, my dad died in a car wreck because of my strung-out mother who decided she no longer wanted a family.
I wasn’t supposed to have anything worthwhile.
But I did.
I had it all.
And now I have nothing.
My eyes go down to the hard tile. K passes through my mind. Her smile, her tears. Most of which I caused.
My heart jerks me up.
You have her, dumbass.
I think back on our conversation.
“I love you,” I say.
She shakes her head. “No, you don’t. If you did, this would be simple.”
I do love her, though.
God, she’s ripped my soul.
Even still… this isn’t easy for me.
I’m a stubborn motherfucker.
I’m an asshole, too.
And she seems to get the best and worst of me.
She’s been there since buildings across from the Ferris wheel and looking at night skies with no stars. She’s dealt with my fucked-up family drama and accepted the fact I’ve been breaking the law.
I smirk thinking back on that. Damn, I for sure thought she’d tell me to shut it down or lose her.
But she didn’t.
My girl is full of surprises and makes my heart fucking happy.
I was there for her through all that shit back in her hometown. Discovering her real father and burning down nightmares.
We’ve come so far. Miles from pent-up walls and scared to talk about the shit we’ve lived through.
We know everything now.
There are no secrets between us.
I lean my head back against the wall, exhaling as I do. I rest my elbows on bent knees and link my fingers together, running my thumb over my palm.
If I do this…if I give it all up, it won’t just be for my freedom. It’ll be for a life with my girl.
I’m going to make K my wife.
She’ll marry me.
__________
Walking into the courtroom, my eyes search until finally landing on my girl. Tired eyes of silver-blue follow me as I make my way over to sit beside my lawyer. Her hair’s up, showing off her neck and jawline. She’s lost weight over the weekend.
It wasn’t as noticeable yesterday, but with her hair pulled back, it’s evident. I feel horrible for putting her through this. She’s been through enough in her life without me having to add to the stacked pile.
I wonder how pissed she is at me. It can’t be too bad, right?
I mean, she’s here.
She looks beautiful in black. Her eyes roam over me, inspecting, studying before reaching my face again. I give her a wink, and she returns it with a small smile.
Relief fills me, knowing she’s still on my team even though she has no idea what decision I’ve made.
Hell, I still don’t know what’s going to happen. I only know what is expected. I reached Danny last night. After I decided what I wanted my future to be, I contacted my lawyer and told him to call Bones. He showed up late to the jail with paperwork and a pen.
“Don’t look so disheartened. You’re getting out of this shithole.” Danny’s in black again. I’m starting to think that’s all he wears. There’s no suit this time, though. Just some black jeans and a black button-up, tucked in with a matching belt. Between the two of us, we look like Halloween. He’s a slick dude.
Holding the pen in my hand, I shake my head. “Do you even realize how hard I worked to get to where I am?”
“Where? About to go to prison?”
I narrow my eyes.
He waves me off. “I’m stating facts, boy. Don’t take offense. You got caught. It’s done. Be proud of what you built and know it’s in good hands and not shut down for no one to enjoy.” He leans up, planting his forearms on the table and clasping his hands. A solid black watch rests on his wrist and two rings cover his fingers. I inspect the one with a skull on it. “Look, you’ve got a good woman. You’ve got more money than you could ever spend. If you don’t, then you surely will after this deal.
> “Take your girl. Travel, man. Be happy.”
I lean back, tapping the pen onto the papers. Tilting my head, I chew on my inner cheek before asking, “What’s your story, man? How did you get mixed up in all this shit?” I wave my hand at our surroundings.
He exhales. “Some of us don’t get to choose the life we live.”
“I’ve never understood that saying. I believe everything you do is a choice. You being here right now. You made that choice.”
He shrugs. “It’s a good business deal.”
I nod. “But what about the other things you do? Are those good business deals?” I’m hinting at the killings and God knows what else this man does. I’m sure he makes my felony charge look like a walk in the park.
He chuckles. “Don’t ask questions, Bryce. It can make you a liability.”
“Not if you don’t answer.”
He nods with a grin before looking down at his hands. The one without the watch looks 3D. As if he has no skin, just flesh and bone. The artist did an impeccable job.
“Sometimes I think about a normal life.” He looks up at me. “In a way I envy you, Bryce. You’ve got the girl, and now you’ve got the freedom. Not all of us have that option.”
There’s a longing in his words. And for the first time since I met Bones, I see the man behind the black. I see Danny. He’s tired, even though he’s clearly no older than me and he misses someone.
“You got a girl, man?” I ask.
He runs his hand over his tattoo and shakes his head as his eyes look past me. “Nah.”
I look down at the papers covering the steel table. Maybe he doesn’t have her, but without a doubt, she’s got him.
I exhale. “Maybe one day you’ll get your freedom.”
His eyes jump to me and we exchange a look of understanding and respect. But it’s gone before a moment passes. He clears his throat. Gone is Danny. Back in full form is the man they call Bones.
“Let’s get on with this, shall we? I’ve got a flight to catch.”
I sit up and look down, gripping the pen in my hand, I place it on the paper.
Fuck it. Here goes goodbye.
Once I take a seat, my lawyer leans over to me.
“The DA confronted me before I walked in here. This should go quickly and smoothly. The judge is going to ask how you plead.
“You say guilty. The DA isn’t fighting us on this, so we’ll wait for the judge to decide what your punishment should be.”
I narrow my eyes. “How will pleading guilty benefit me?”
“Because you did it. The evidence is all there. You have to admit to it to appease the court, but after this little show is over, we’ll go to the judge’s chambers, he will burn the papers linking you to any of this, and you’ll be on your way.”
“It’s that simple, huh?” I run my hands over my thighs.
“This world is full of crooks, Bryce. And most of them are behind the law. Yes, it’s that simple.”
My eyes move from him to the judge, who’s looking at some papers with his glasses down his nose. He’s a big man, and Danny is right. He looks to be a nasty motherfucker, ready to put people away just for the hell of it.
I swallow and clear my throat. His eyes move from the papers to where I sit for a moment, and then he drops them from his hand and leans back, clearly the most comfortable person in this room.
“Mr. Finley, how does your client plead to the charges of racketeering?”
My lawyer stands. “Guilty, Your Honor.”
He lifts his brow slightly before rubbing his chin. His eyes go down to the papers again. “I see here you’ve given to some charities. The Boys Club?” he asks me.
My lawyer looks down for me to answer. I stand. “Yes, Your Honor.”
I have given a good bit to that charity because at one time I was one of those kids. I had nothing, and sometimes it was a nice place to go to get away from Mom and Dad’s shit.
“Do you plan on skipping town, Mr. Grant?” he asks me.
“No. Everything I care about is here. I have no reason to leave.”
He nods and looks over to the DA. “You got anything to add, John?”
John looks over at his partner before returning the judge’s stare. “We’re good here, Your Honor.” I’m not sure how this looks to everyone else, but I’m shocked at how easy this is going. These motherfuckers have been paid off and it’s clear as day.
The judge leans up in his chair. “Let’s move on then. Grant, eighty hours of community service and a ten thousand dollar fine.” He grabs his gavel and slams it down. “Case closed,” he says and dismisses us with a wave of his hand.
Holy shit. I look at my lawyer as he stands. I stand, too, adrenaline rushing through my veins. This is insane.
Danny was telling the truth; he got me out of this.
I’m also convinced that whatever he’s into… there’s no way out for him.
Finley looks over at me, and in a whispered tone he says, “Now we’ll sign you out of this shithole and we’ll wait until he is done for the day. Once he is, I’ll contact you and we will meet back here. This is a done deal, though. The only thing we need to do is witness him burning all the paperwork. The judge has a computer guy that can wipe the dirtiest of asses clean.” With that he gives me a handshake and packs his suitcase up. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Hey,” I say. “Can you let my family know what’s going on?”
“Sure thing,” he replies.
Feeling her eyes on me, I look back at K. She looks bewildered, and I see it when she swallows. My eyes go to her hands, and I see she’s pinching the inside of her forearm.
I look back at her face, and my heart shatters, fragments of tissue floating inside my chest. She was so scared.
“Let’s go,” the police officer says to me. I give Kat a reassuring smile and nod at my family before I walk with the man.
My breaths come out a little easier, my mind less scattered.
I thought I lost it all when I got arrested, but I realize the moment I told her I didn’t know what I was going to do was the moment I really could have lost it all.
My world is back in that courtroom.
What’s a fucking nightclub, anyway?
Chapter Nine
Kathrine
With a white-knuckled grip, I watch as Bryce walks out with the officer. My heart beats faster, my face warming with a flush of happy. The skin on my forearm aches from where I pinched it trying to see if this was real and not just a dream. He’s coming home. He got community service and a fine that’s like pocket change to him. I feel someone grab my arm.
“Kathrine, it’s time to go,” Mary says, waiting for me to get up so she can slide out.
I shake out of my thoughts and stand. Jace and Lee are by the doors.
“Now what?” I ask, just as Bryce’s lawyer walks up.
“Now I’ll get Bryce out of jail and you can pick him up. It’ll take about an hour or so, so you can go home and wait for my call.”
“Okay,” I say.
Jace sniffs, running his hand over his hair that’s still damp from a shower. “I can pick him up.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to,” I reply.
He nods. “Yeah, that’s cool, Harrison. Let’s get back to the apartment then.” Lee’s cell phone rings and he slides it from his shirt pocket. “It’s Lou,” he replies. “Let’s head to the truck.”
_____________
We all step into the apartment, not sure what to do with ourselves. Jace and Lee go to the couch, and I go to the fridge to grab them both a beer. Mary grabs the coffee pot and fills it with water. “I’m going to make some coffee,” she says.
“Okay,” I reply as I hand the boys a beer before sitting down on the other sofa. The TV plays Independence Day with Will Smith, and I slide my cell out of my back pocket and reposition the pillows behind me after I slip my heels off and place my phone beside me, making sure the sound is on.
We watch TV in s
ilence before the door opens and Lou and Monnie walk in.
“Hey,” she says. “I brought food.”
Jace jumps up. “Fuck, I’m starving.”
My stomach growls and I realize I haven’t eaten all day, and now that I know Bryce is coming home, I actually have an appetite. Mary fetches plates from the cabinets, and Lou opens the pizza boxes. Jace is the first one to walk back into the living room with a fresh beer and his plate stacked full of pizza and breadsticks.
“Damn, did you save any for the rest of us?” I joke.
“I haven’t eaten much,” he says, but makes no apology for overloading his plate.
I smirk. “Yeah, I’m with you.”
“Go eat,” he says, taking a huge bite.
I get up and walk over to the counter. Monnie smiles at me. “You okay, kid?”
“I am now,” I reply, grabbing a plate.
“Yeah. Bryson gave us a scare. I always knew that place was going to get him in trouble. But I never said anything,” Lou says, tsking.
“Well, it’s done now,” Lee says. “Let’s just be glad he got off so easy.”
“How did he get off so easy?” Mary asks, pouring herself a cup.
I look over at her as I put two slices of pizza on my plate along with cheesy bread.
“Luck. I guess.”
She eyeballs me as she takes of sip of hot black coffee. Bryce’s family doesn’t need to know about Bones and the deal he presented Bryce with. All they need to know is our guy is coming home and all of this is over.
“Here’s to luck,” Mary says, lifting her cup. I smile and walk over to the fridge to grab myself a beer. Monnie and Lee converse, and Mary makes uncomfortable small talk with Lou. Jace eats with his eyes glued to the TV, and I take my seat back on the sofa, looking down at my phone after I place my plate on the table. I know it hasn’t been long, but I can’t help but look.
I sigh and twist the cap off my beer before taking a sip. Cool liquid fills my empty stomach, and I grab a slice of pizza and groan at how delicious it is after I take a bite.
“Good, huh?” Jace says, grinning.
“For sure,” I reply. My eyes dart around the apartment. I chew my food, thinking the only thing missing is Emily, who’s having to take care of a sick horse, and Bryce. But he’ll be home soon, and I can’t fucking wait.
Give Me Forever Love (Give Me Series Book 3) Page 5
