White Wedding

by Stacy Claflin

  “You only want to arrest me! I’ll never see the light of day again—for something I didn’t do!”

  Anderson took a slow and steady step toward the window, keeping his gaze on Teivel. “I’m a detective. It’s my job to find the truth. And I can’t do that without hearing your side of the story.”

  Teivel tilted his head. Slightly. Almost not even noticeably. “I don’t believe you!”

  “I understand you’re scared.” Anderson took another small step. “I would be too, if my parents had been killed and if I thought people blamed me.”

  “They do!”

  Alex’s pulse drummed in his ears. More than anything, he wanted to take advantage of his distraction and rush in to take him down. But so many things could go wrong. He had to follow his partner’s lead, and the detective actually had the kid talking.

  “I don’t,” Anderson said. “I want to find out the truth.”

  “It wasn’t me!”

  “Then put the girl down. Show us you’re innocent by acting like it.”

  Teivel stepped closer to the window, but didn’t let go of the little girl or the knife. “Everyone at school hates me. They all have it out for me! Same for my neighbors. You’ve probably already talked with everybody and heard the worst about me. Already think I’m guilty.”

  Anderson shook his head. “I won’t judge until you give me your side of the story. But if you don’t do that, I can’t help you. You need to let me.”

  Teivel hesitated. Looked back and forth between Anderson and the little girl.

  Alex struggled to breathe. Was he actually going to go along with them?

  He pulled the knife away. Flared his nostrils. Darted his gaze around. Wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Then returned the weapon to the girl’s neck. “I can’t trust you! You’re going to lock me away, and I’ll spend the rest of my life behind bars!”

  Alex released a breath. There had to be another way. The door between them was probably unlocked. It would only take seconds for him to reach Teivel and take him down.

  So many things could go wrong during that short time. He couldn’t risk the lives of all the kids, the teachers.

  “You need to decide,” Anderson said.

  “Don’t rush me!” Spittle flew from his mouth and landed on the window between them.

  “I want to help you,” Anderson repeated. “But I can’t if you don’t let me. There are more officers outside, and it isn’t their job to hear you out. It’s my job. I’ve been trying to ask you questions for days. That’s all I want—that and for everyone to walk out of here safely.”

  Teivel’s expression tensed. He tightened his grip on the girl.

  Anderson took another step closer. He was almost touching the glass now. “Let me level with you. If you come with me, we can talk. If you don’t, the other officers are going to come in. Do you know what’ll happen then?”

  He shook his head, beads of sweat trailing down the sides of his face.

  “Then it’s out of my hands. I can’t question you. They’ll come in and take you down. You’ll definitely be in trouble then. Maybe worse than arrested if things go wrong.”

  Teivel’s eyes widened.

  “That can be prevented,” Anderson continued. “But it’s all up to you. If you let her go and come with me, we can get this sorted. If you don’t, I can’t promise what will happen. Will you let me help you?”

  His mouth gaped, his gaze darted around.

  “You need to decide—and remember, I’m on your side.”

  Teivel suddenly took a few steps back. His brows drew together. “I’m the one in charge here!” He pressed the blade harder against the girl’s neck.

  She cried out, squirmed and kicked.

  He struggled to regain his hold on her. Shouted curses at her.

  She sobbed and screamed.

  Alex couldn’t take another moment of it. He reached for the knob. Pushed the door open. Raced inside. Reached for the knife.

  Teivel dropped the girl.

  She landed on her side with a loud thud, then she crawled toward one of the teachers, wailing the whole way. The teacher pulled her into her arms.

  Teivel stared at Alex, his jaw clenched. Raised the weapon toward him.

  Alex darted out of the way and threw himself against Teivel’s stomach. Knocked them both backward. They crashed into a small table. It gave out under their weight.

  Teivel gasped. Dug the blade into Alex’s arm.

  He felt the pain at the same moment he heard his uniform rip. Ignored the gash. Squeezed his wrist. Wrestled with him, darting away from the knife.

  Commotion sounded all around them as the children and teachers all scrambled around the room, crying out. Anderson appeared in the corner of his line of sight.

  Teivel spat in Alex’s face. Barely missed his eye. Alex focused on him. Managed to pin him against the table.

  He still held his weapon. Spat again.

  Anderson read him his rights, then between the two of them, they got him into cuffs.

  Alex leaned against the nearest wall, released a long breath, and felt his arm. Blood had soaked into the fabric, but it wasn’t too much. He wouldn’t need stitches. Good. They needed to get to the station and question Teivel—assuming he didn’t decide to lawyer up.

  But even if he did, they finally had him. And given what he’d just done, he’d be in custody for a long time regardless of his involvement with his parents’ deaths.

  Relief washed through him, short-lived as it would be. Their work was far from done.

  Chapter 15

  “How’s the arm?” Anderson glanced at Alex’s wound.

  “I’ve had worse.” Alex rubbed his sutures. He’d been wrong about not needing stitches. Luckily one of the paramedics on site had the training, so Alex didn’t need to go to the hospital.

  “Ready to head back to the station?”

  Alex looked around. “What about our suspect?”

  “Garcia took him in while you were receiving treatment.”

  “You didn’t have to stay.” Alex rubbed his wound again.

  “That’s what partners do.” Anderson gave him a knowing look before heading toward the car.

  Alex caught up with him. “We’re going to have a lot of paperwork after this.”

  “Paperwork, questioning, the works. Especially you.” He lifted a brow.

  “What do you mean, especially me?”

  “The way you charged in there.”

  “It needed to be done. I took him down. The kids are all safe.”

  Anderson nodded but didn’t say anything.

  They crossed the street and headed for the parking lot at the movie theater. It felt like they’d parked there a week before. Hardly seemed possible it had been the same day.

  The ride back went by in a blur. All the events raced through Alex’s mind. Things he could’ve said differently. Done differently. But it didn’t matter. They’d arrested the suspect and now they had all the time they needed to question him about his parents’ murders.

  Was he a spoiled rich kid who thought he had the right to kill them because he didn’t get his way about something? Or was he telling the truth and had nothing to do with the killings?

  Only time would tell, but given he didn’t think twice about holding a small child hostage, it didn’t look good for him.

  When they entered the precinct, applause broke out. Alex looked around confused, but then realized their colleagues were clapping for them. Their coworkers patted them on the back and arms, congratulating them for a job well done. Even Chief Crawford gave him an approving nod before going into Nick’s office.

  After everyone went back to what they were doing, Alex turned to Anderson. “What’s our plan with Teivel?”

  “Let him sit for a while. Give him some time with his thoughts.”

  “You don’t think that’ll push him to get an attorney?”

  Anderson shrugged. “He might go that route. But I want him to let the reali
ty of everything settle in. Besides, we have paperwork and questioning, remember?”

  Alex groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

  “Grab some lunch. Head home and give your family hugs. Maybe change into a different uniform.” He glanced at the ripped, bloodied shirt Alex now sported.

  “Good thinking.” Alex’s mind swirled with everything he needed to do. Not only stop by the house but also get fitted for the tux like he’d promised Nick. Then he had to get back to question Teivel with Anderson. He didn’t want to think about the paperwork waiting for him.

  “See you soon.” Anderson walked away.

  Alex slumped into his chair and took a deep breath. His eyelids grew heavy and every muscle ached. But it was no time to rest. Too much to do.

  He pulled out his phone to call Zoey and saw a slew of missed texts and calls, not only from her but also his parents, sister, and Ari. There was no time to call everyone individually. He sent out a group text, thanking them for their concern and let them know he was fine and couldn’t wait to give each one of them a hug as soon as he could.

  His stomach rumbled. Alex checked the clock. Not much time left in his window to get fitted for the tux. He didn’t want to let Nick down, so he decided to head for the mall. His growling stomach demanded food, but it would have to wait until after the fitting. At least there were plenty of options at the food court.

  He quickly changed into a clean uniform. More texts and calls came in while he dressed. When he was done, Alex made his way to the parking lot, he put his phone on speaker and returned Zoey’s call.

  “It’s so good to hear your voice!” she answered.

  “Same here,” he agreed. “I thought about you and the kids the whole time I was in there.”

  “Are you okay? The news said one of the officers was hurt taking down the guy. It wasn’t you, was it?”

  “I’m fine.” Alex rubbed his arm as he unlocked the car. Noise from a commotion caught his attention.

  Cameramen were gathered outside the chain link fence, filming him from a distance. Some shouted questions. He quickly got inside the car.

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” Zoey said.

  Alex drew in a deep breath as he started the engine. “It was me, but it’s just a gash. No gunshots or major injuries.”

  “A gash? What do you mean?”

  “Teivel had a knife. It’s no big deal.” He pulled out of the spot and exited the private lot.

  “No big deal?”

  “Just some stitches, and they were overkill. I’d have been fine with a bandage.” A glance in the rear-view mirror showed some of the gawkers running his way. Others climbed into vehicles.

  Zoey gasped on the other end of the line. “Do you at least get the rest of the day off for being injured?”

  “I’m taking my lunch break right now. Heading to the mall for my tux fitting.” At least that would keep the gawkers from following him to the house. “Then I need to get back to the station so Anderson and I can question our suspect.” He took a quick turn without using his blinker. Hopefully that would throw off the paparazzi.

  “I’m going to meet you at the mall.” Zoey sounded out of breath.

  “Babe, you don’t have to. It’s no big deal, really. Just a small wound.” He glanced in the mirror. No cars behind him. For the moment.

  “You clearly don’t understand how worried I was! I’ll see you in a few minutes.” She ended the call before he could protest.

  Guilt stung. Maybe he should’ve gone home and put off the fitting. No time to change his mind now. He was almost at the mall, and Zoey was probably already in her car. Next time something like this happened, he’d head home as soon as possible. Assuming he didn’t have the media following him. Protecting his family from them was more important.

  Alex took side roads and alleys to get to the mall. From what he could tell, he’d lost the cameras. It was hard to tell once he got in the parking lot. Someone could’ve been recording from any of the vehicles.

  He hurried into the tux shop for the fitting. Winced every time the lady pressed on his stitches. It ended up being a perfect fit, so nothing else was required. By the time he stepped out of the store, Zoey and Ariana appeared from seemingly nowhere and threw their arms around him. He squeezed them tightly, never wanting to let go.

  Then he noticed people filming him. Heading their way.

  “Come over here.” Alex pulled from Ari and Zoey and nodded toward the right.

  “Why?” Zoey asked. “What’s going on?”

  “They want a story, but they need to leave us alone.” He took her hand and led her away from them.

  Only to face more people with their cameras out. They ran toward them.

  “Is it true kids were killed in the daycare center?”

  “How many shots did it take to kill the gunman?”

  “No comment!” Alex shouted. “Leave my family alone.”

  Then someone aimed a question at Ariana. “Is it true your boyfriend has been abducted—just like you were?”

  It took all of Alex’s self-control not to start swinging his fist. Anger surged through him. “I said to leave us alone! We have nothing to say to you!” With that, he led them to the closest door. “Ignore them.”

  People kept calling out questions.

  They made it outside, not that they were free.

  “How far is your car?” Alex asked.

  “We parked by the tux shop.” Zoey nodded in the direction.

  “Me too. Let’s go.” Alex jogged and looked back.

  The group was spilling out the doors in search of them.

  “Why won’t they leave us alone?” Ari asked.

  Alex clenched his fists. “There’s a lot of money in being the first to release a story.”

  “How did they know you were here?” Ariana asked.

  “They followed me from the station.”

  “Are they going to follow us home?” The worry in her eyes made his heart hurt.

  He shook his head. “I’m going back to the station. They’ll follow me.”

  “What then?”

  “I’ll park in the locked lot where they can’t get to me, and then I’ll go inside. They won’t get past the front desk.”

  “What if they wait and follow you home?”

  “Then I’ll bring in Weiss. He’ll know what to do.” The attorney helped officers all the time, so surely he’d dealt with situations like this. “Besides, the journalists will get tired of following me before long.”

  “Did the kid get killed?” Ari’s eyes were big.

  “No. And no shots were fired. Everyone in there walked out safe and sound. Pretty sure my stitches are the worst of it.”

  They made it to the area of the parking lot near the tux shop. Zoey’s car was just one row over from Alex’s.

  He turned to her. “You two head home. I’ll do my best to be there soon, but if Anderson and I end up questioning Teivel, it might be a while.”

  Zoey kissed him. “We’re just glad you’re safe.”

  He hugged them again and waited outside the sedan as the reporters approached. “If anyone follows them, I’m calling in your plates!”

  They called out more questions, but Alex ignored them until Zoey’s car was out of the parking lot. Then he went to his and slunk into the seat, locking the doors quickly.

  Just as he was about to start the engine, a text came in from Agent Kutcher.

  Kutcher: Call me NOW.

  Alex’s stomach knotted. What could be so urgent?

  Chapter 16

  Damon rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Being alone in this room at the bottom of his house with no windows made it hard to tell how much time had passed. The nightlights were hardly giving him any clues. Had he been there days or hours? And when would his headache finally go away?

  He glanced over at the empty plate. It had gone against everything he wanted to do, but he’d been hungry and got to the point where he didn’t care if it had been drugged.
And it didn’t seem to have been. He didn’t feel any worse than before.

  Which led him to the question of why they were holding him. If not to kill him, then what? Use it against his dad? That thought made him laugh. Like Cal Jones would care that his son had been abducted. The joke was on his kidnappers. Unless the whole thing was orchestrated by his dad.

  That was a thought that sent a chill through his body. His dad wouldn’t hesitate to order Damon’s death if it was convenient for him. But that was another theory that didn’t make any sense. What would his dad gain from Damon’s demise?

  He drew in a deep breath and tried to stop thinking so much. Not that there was much else to do. His captors were hardly checking on him, and it wasn’t like they were engaging him in any conversation. Just shoving food at him or taking him to the bathroom—nothing like having an audience for that.

  Someday, he’d write a book about his life. But first, he needed to get out of here. And that meant overtaking these trained killers or finding a way to sneak out. But how could he get out of a locked room with no windows? A room that was probably guarded by one or more thugs.

  Then again, maybe it wasn’t.

  He walked the perimeter of the room feeling the molding and carpet for anything out of place. Tugged and pulled, pushed. Nothing budged. If there was a failsafe, it wasn’t in or near the floor.

  Loud footsteps sounded above. Angry tones. Something scraped partway across the room.

  Damon cringed at the thought of his mom’s reaction to a gash in the hardwood floors she’d picked out. Then his heart sank. Even after all this time, he still expected her to be alive at random times, despite knowing the truth.

  He pushed the thought from his mind and moved around the boxes, listening. Trying to make out anything that was being said from above. Nothing other than muffled voices, and they continued to sound sharp. Snapping at each other.

  His heart raced. If his captors were in a bad mood, they were more likely to be harsh with him—perhaps violent or even deadly.

  He needed to find a way out as soon as possible. A key, a weapon, anything. It didn’t matter. The only thing he needed to focus on was survival. Getting back to Ariana. At least he had someone who cared whether or not he lived. And he couldn’t wait to get back to her, to hold her in his arms and never let go.