by Rebel Hart
But right now, the only thing on my mind was getting in touch with Rupert. Or John. Or anyone that would help me.
We have to get Max out of jail.
The nurses wheeled me out the front doors in a wheelchair, as protocol stated. And, like I figured, my parents were there to greet me. Unfortunately for them, I was in a hurry. I had no time to waste on this matter. I needed to get into a cab, get my ass to Max’s place, and figure out what the hell to do next.
But my father wasn’t having any of it.
“Dani,” he said.
I moved past him and held my hand up for a cab.
“Danika, talk to me.”
I watched the cab pulling up into the roundabout circle as someone tapped on my shoulder.
“This is also yours,” the nurse said.
I took my purse from her. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I appreciate it.”
“And remember what we said: no swimming for three weeks, rest and make sure you keep yourself nourished, and if anything pops up out of the ordinary--a fever, pain in your chest, shortness of breath--you come right back to us. Understood?”
I nodded. “I understand.”
My father kept rattling on in my ear as the cab stopped in front of me. I went to open the door, but his hand shoved it closed. I drew in a sobering breath as I tried to open the door again. But his hand was blocking my way into the backseat of the car.
“Dad. I’m asking you kindly to move,” I said.
He shook his head. “Not until we talk.”
I tried to open the door again, only for it to slam shut.
Mom took my hand. “Just talk to us. That’s all we’re asking.”
I nodded. “Yes. And talking to you got Max arrested when he tried to save my life. I won’t ever forgive you two for that.”
Dad snatched my arm. “Danika. You're behaving irrationally. Please. Just sit down and talk this through with us. How long has this been going on? Where did you meet this man? Why did you think--?”
I yanked my arm free. “I would have answered these questions if you’d asked them before you arrested the man who saved my life. Now get the hell out of my way. I have to leave.”
The nurse piped up again. “Do you need any help here?”
I looked down at my father’s hand and he slowly removed it from the cab door.
“No. I’ve got it. Thank you,” I said.
I peeked over my shoulder at my mother. “Don’t bother following me, either.”
My father growled again. “Danika Young, don’t you get in that cab.”
I ducked myself down into the seat. “Dad, if you actually wanted to help me, you would’ve tried to understand the situation rather than manage it. You have no idea what I’ve been through. Or what Max has been through to get me to this hospital in the first place. The two of you have done enough already. If you follow me, I’ll have you arrested for harassment and defamation of character. Understood?”
I slammed the cab door before they had a chance to respond. Then I commanded the driver to simply get me away from this place. I didn’t want to be anywhere near my parents right now. Especially my father. I dug my phone out of my purse. Thank fuck it hadn’t made it into the pool with me. As the cab driver pulled onto the main road, I felt his eyes on me in the rearview mirror.
“Got a destination in mind?”
I nodded mindlessly. “The nearest police precinct, please.”
I dialed Rupert’s number, but I got no answer. And of course, I didn’t have John’s phone number. I shoved my phone back into my purse and gazed out the window, my mind whirring a million miles a second.
“Actually, can you take me somewhere else first?” I asked.
The cab driver pulled over to the side of the road. “Where to, miss?”
I rattled off the address to Max’s place and he whipped a U-turn in the middle of the road. If I wanted to find the guys after something like this, then they were in one of two places. They were either at the bar or at Max’s. I had a pretty good feeling we were closer to the house than that bar. I wasn’t quite sure where I was, but things quickly started to look familiar.
Like the fast food place Max adored getting burgers from.
Or the milkshake place he’d taken me to once at three in the morning after drinks.
“Uh, miss?”
I drew in a deep breath. “Hmm?”
“You sure this is the address you want?”
I turned my head forward. “Yes. Why?”
The driver pointed. “Look.”
I craned my neck over the seat and my eyes widened. My pulse quickened and my palms began to sweat. Max’s driveway was filled with cop cars, most with their lights flashing.
“Keep going,” I said.
The driver nodded. “You want to head back to that precinct?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve got one more place I want you to take me. Is that all right?”
“Long as you got a way to pay, I ain’t askin’ questions.”
“I appreciate that, thank you.”
Even in my panicked state, I had a growing hunch. Well, more like a last resort, really. I gave the cab driver the address for the bar and slid down into the seat. I couldn't even see the world passing by, and my only saving grace was this courteous driver who didn’t have the kind of curiosity my parents did. I closed my eyes and drew in a few deep breaths. This place had to be okay. It just had to be.
I didn’t know where the guys would be if they weren’t here.
“I don’t know about this place, either,” the driver said.
I didn’t even have to look up to see the flashing lights illuminating the inside of the cab.
“Bastards,” I hissed.
I peeked over the edge of the seat and saw police dragging leather-jacketed men out in handcuffs. Tears rushed my eyes as I ducked back down, mindlessly telling the driver to keep going. My stomach felt sick. It grew hard to catch my breath. I pressed my hand to my heart and felt it racing out of control against my palm. The house was gone. Men were being arrested in the bar. What did that mean for Max? And John? And Rupert? What did this mean for the crew?
What does this mean for me?
“Sure you don’t want to go to the precinct now?” the driver asked.
I felt hopeless. “I don’t know, really.”
And the truth of the matter was, I didn’t.
I didn’t know what the hell to do now.
11
Max
I jiggled my wrists, watching as my cuffs clanked against the table. They were threaded through a metal ring mounted to the table in front of me, which was bolted to the damn floor. It forced me to keep my hands on the table. Not that I wouldn't have had I not been cuffed in the first damn place. But, apparently, I looked like a man who needed cuffs.
So I had cuffs.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there. Or how long it would take for someone to get in here and start talking to me. All I knew was that I needed a phone call to contact Rupert. Or John. Anyone that might have been running the guys at this point. I needed to tell them to stand down. I needed to give the code word to tell them to disperse. They were in danger. In the pit of my gut, I knew they were.
And it made me sick to think about.
The door behind me opened and I sighed. Finally. Someone to come relieve me of my boredom. I didn’t bother craning my neck around. I didn’t care who was actually coming in. All I cared about was the one phone call I should’ve already been afforded.
Guess guys like me don’t have rights.
I watched a woman sit across the table from me before she lifted a briefcase onto the table. She popped it open before pulling out some paper, then slammed it shut. Her poorly-tailored tan suit almost matched her rust-colored hair, though I noticed gray coming through at the roots. She looked fairly young, though. In her face, at least. No crow’s feet. No frown lines. No wrinkles in her brow.
What gives with the gray roots,
then?
I watched as she tried to organize herself. She shoved her briefcase off to the side, and I watched it almost slide off the damn table. She placed the folder down and flipped it open, and I saw my mugshot paperclipped to the corner. Which made me even more curious.
“Who are you?”
Her eyes whipped up to mine. “Sorry. Just trying to get my ducks in a row first.”
I nodded slowly. “Still doesn't tell me who you are.”
She sighed. “Mr. Ryddle. My name is Jessica Hall. I’ll be your attorney. Unless, of course, you have someone else at your disposal?”
Her tired eyes searched my face and I wondered how many other people she had seen before me.
“No, I don’t have any representation.”
She nodded. “All right, then. Let me take a quick look at your file, then we can talk. How’s that sound?”
I shrugged. “Got all day.”
She chuckled, but I didn’t return the sentiment. So she cleared her throat and dropped her tired brown eyes back to my folder. She flipped the pages over, turning them around so I couldn't see what was on them. Every once in a while, she’d sigh. Heavily. Or click her tongue. A few times, she even shook her head. Which didn’t fill me with the greatest of hopes.
“Not good, huh?”
Her eyes flickered up to mine. “We can determine that once I’m done reading. Hold on.”
I licked my lips. “Like I said, got all day.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I went to lean back in my chair, but the cuffs stopped me. So I rested my forearms against the table. I was tired. Deep in the marrow of my bones, I was fucking exhausted. And this woman’s sounds didn’t do shit for my confidence. Ten years, at least. Probably more. This wasn’t the first time I’d been arrested. This was simply the only time I’d made it this far in the judiciary process.
I’d say ten years, at least, for the shit that’s already on my record.
I watched the woman gnaw on the bottom of her lip. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally closed the file. Her movements weren’t as sharp as they had been when she first came in. She leaned back in her chair, tucking her hair behind her ear. And after crossing one leg over the other, she clicked her tongue.
“You’re the youngest son of Ashton Ryddle.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“And this is your fourth arrest.”
I nodded again. “Yes.”
She studied me. “Did you do it, Mr. Ryddle?”
I blinked. “Do what?”
She sighed. “What you say in this room stays between us. Lawyer-client confidentiality. But I need to know what kind of man I’m representing in order to do my job properly and see that you get the best deal out of all of this that you can.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “What are you asking me, Miss Hall?”
She didn’t flinch. “Did you shoot your father last night at his estate?”
“No.”
“Do you know who did?”
“No.”
She leaned forward, clasping her hands together. “Would your answer change if I told you your father came out of surgery this morning and doctors have confirmed he will survive with no permanent injuries?”
I felt my jaw flex. I fucking knew it. I knew my father would survive this. That fucking psychopathic devilish immortal son of a bitch! I tried to maintain my cool expression on the outside, but inside, I was fuming. I was fearful. I was worried for my men, and for Dani, and for anyone that might have been involved last night. If this woman was actually telling the truth, then we were all in danger. Dani. Myself. Dani’s parents. Rupert. My men. John.
Anyone who had anything to do with me, even remotely, was in danger.
The woman nodded. “You don’t need to answer right now, Mr. Ryddle. I understand loyalty. And I understand how clubs like yours work. You won’t give up one of your men, so I’m not going to get you to try. But you should know that your men are already falling like flies.”
I blinked. “I’m sure they are.”
“It’s important we get out ahead of this before it has a chance to spiral into something bigger. Your father’s lawyers are already working. Quickly, I might add. And I must admit… I have the distinct impression that the sharks are circling. Are you a shark, Mr. Ryddle? Or are you bait?”
I grinned. “What do you think?”
“I think your father is a bad man. I think he’s wildly lucky to be alive. And so are you.”
“Anything else?”
She nodded. “I also think he has a lot to gain by dismantling your club. Am I wrong?”
I felt my heart pounding furiously. This strange woman with the premature gray roots had managed to make more sense of my father than I had in my entire goddamn life. And all of this by simply reading my file in front of me. What was she, some kind of wizard?
I could really use her on my side.
I mean, she looked tired and overworked. But there was a sharpness about her stare that promised intelligence. Not just the words flying from her mouth. And if I was a gambling man--which I was, on occasion--then my gambling gut told me that I stood a chance with her in my corner.
So I braced myself.
“Well, Miss Hall, I suppose you’re not wrong.”
She nodded. “Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
I didn’t know what this meant for me and my men. I didn’t know what she meant by them ‘dropping like flies.’ My worst fears ran away with me, though. Had they been arrested? Where were they now? Was Rupert already in custody? What was he saying? John wouldn't be able to survive in prison. Not with the injuries he had. And I’d promised my men to keep them safe at all times.
If this woman was right about my father’s survival, I could almost guarantee he’d already had them arrested.
Or much, much worse.
“So where do we go from here?” I asked.
She stared directly into my eyes. “We talk. You tell me what happened, honestly, and I tell you how I can help you--and your men--judging by what I’ve read in your file. Which, by the way, is extensive. The folder I pulled out is only one of four.”
I can only imagine what you’ll know after reading all of them.
“Guess I’m a popular man.”
She leaned forward. “Or you’ve got a lot to go away for.”
“Can’t it be both?”
“Neither of us get anywhere with snark. I have two hours with you, right now, unmonitored. It’s illegal for them to record, listen in, or generally attempt to figure out what’s going on with this meeting. I would hope you’d take advantage of that so I can better help you.”
“Suppose I don’t really have a choice, then.”
She leaned back again. “Oh, you do.”
I snickered. “Do tell, then.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You can choose to not talk. Not tell me anything. Not accept my help. And that would lead to a cascade of reactions you’d be responsible for. Jailtime, for starters. You’d go away for a while. I might be able to get you a plea deal in exchange for information regarding your father. But something tells me you wouldn’t do that.”
I nodded. “You’d be right.”
“After that, your men go down. One by one. I can’t help them if you don’t talk to me, and I can almost guarantee no state representative will step up to the plate for them. I was the only one that volunteered to take your case. It was passed around six times before it found me.”
“Wonderful.”
Her eyes grew stern. “You lose everything by not talking, and gain nothing but jail time if you don’t. That’s your decision.”
I shrugged. “Sounds like a shit one.”
“Well, we can’t all be privileged in life, Mr. Ryddle. So what’s it going to be? Are we going to have our meeting? Or are you going to dismiss me?”
12
Dani
“I want to see him. Now.”
The cop sighed. “I know you want to. B
ut you can’t.”
I blinked. “And why not?”
“Because that’s protocol. No one can see an inmate.”
“He’s not an inmate because he’s innocent!”
“And that will be determined by a jury, if anything goes to court.”
“Has he had a phone call?”
The officer blinked. “Excuse me?”
“A phone call. I read up about things on my phone on the way here. He should’ve been granted a phone call. Has he been given one?”
He shrugged. “Not my area, so I don’t know.”
“Well, I know he hasn’t been granted one because he hasn’t called me. Now, you let me see him, or I’ll have you--”
He grinned. “Maybe he just didn’t want to call you. Ever think of that?”
This dumbass cop was giving me a hard time, and I wanted to throat punch him right in that massive Adam’s apple he had protruding from his neck. I didn’t want to be messed with any longer. Why did people think they could always fucking mess with me? I had to find a way to fix that. Later.
“I need to see Max,” I said.
The cop shook his head. “You won’t be seeing Mr. Ryddle for a while.”
“What about a trade, then?”
He chuckled. “This isn’t a negotiation. You can’t see--”
“I was a witness to what happened at the Ryddle estate last night.”
He blinked. “You were what?”
“You heard me. I was a witness. I saw everything. I want to make a statement, and I want to see Max.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You can make a statement. Actually, you have to. It’s your duty as a citizen to do that. But I still can’t guarantee anything.”
“You will let me see him or you get nothing!”
My voice cracked. I was borderline shrieking at this man. Hell, I half expected them to slap me in handcuffs and drag me off for getting so hysterical at the front desk officer. But I had to see him. This was completely unacceptable.
