I tried to swallow past the building lump in my throat, but it was proving harder than I thought. “I…” I backed away from Lola, but she didn’t move away from me. She was a wall of steel. A wall of protection—my protection. “I’m scared.” I wasn’t sure who I was talking to: myself, Lola, Brody, or just the universe, but my words were out there for them all to hear.
“I know.” Brody stepped forward, his height imposing but all it did was make me think of Asher. “You don’t have to do this. We can take you to our house and forget about all of this.” His gaze flicked over to Lola. “Or you can let them do what they need to first. It’s entirely up to you.” He paused, his chocolate-brown eyes not moving off me. “We’re here for you, not for anyone else. Okay?”
My hand fluttered to my neck, and I glanced around the room and all of the people inside it. There were too many bodies in here. Too many people staring at me. Too many things to try and think through.
“Why don’t you all leave apart from the nurse?” Lola said, her hand rubbing my arm. “We don’t need all of you in here.” At her words, they all disappeared from the room with Brody last. He took one last look at me, smiled the kind of smile Asher did, and closed the door behind him.
“Brody’s right,” Lola commented. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” She paused, waiting for me to look at her, and when I did, she continued, “But if this piece of shit is gonna go down, they’re gonna need the evidence.”
“I…” I pulled in a breath. “Go down?”
“Yeah.” Lola pushed her shoulders back. “He doesn’t deserve to be a free man, not after what he did to you.” She pointed at the cart the nurse was standing next to. “All it will take is whatever the nurse needs to do, and then it can be over.”
“But…what about Asher?”
“Asher will be fine.” She smiled, the kind of smile that told me everything would be okay, but would it? “All that matters is that you’re safe now.” She nodded. “Okay?”
“O…okay,” I whispered. I wasn’t sure if I was agreeing with her, saying yes to the tests, or both. But I knew I had to do this. I had to let them gather everything they could. I had to stop the cycle. I had to halt Knox. I had to do this for myself. For my own sanity. For every woman who could come after me if I didn’t do this. “I’ll do it,” I said, this time more confident. Lola nodded and turned, but I darted forward and grabbed her arm. “Don’t leave me.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Lola replied. “Ain’t nothing that could get me out of this room right now.” She took my hand, gave it a squeeze, then led me to the nurse. “Let’s get this done and then we can get out of here.”
ASHER
I sat on the last attached stool on the table, my back to the wall, and my eyes on the entire pod. Every bed was taken, and I was currently sleeping on the floor with my mattress, but I didn’t care, because at least out here in the open, I knew what was happening around me.
I’d spent the night in intake and been brought here at 5 a.m. promptly after my shower and new uniform of an orange jumpsuit. I went through the motions, waiting and waiting for my number to be given to me to let me know I had credit to make a call. I didn’t know why I thought it would have only taken hours, but now we’d all had our trays of food for dinner, and still I hadn’t been given my number.
My thoughts were constantly on Elodie and how she was doing. Had Dad managed to find out where she was? Were they making sure she was okay? Was she okay? Or had she gone so far inside herself that it was almost impossible to come back out? I was stuck on a loop of unanswered questions, and the only thing which would stop them was making one goddamn phone call. But I couldn’t even do that. Not until—
“Easton,” someone shouted, and I whipped my head around to the main door as it unlocked, and a guard walked inside. He held a piece of paper in his hand and glanced around the room, waiting for someone to answer him.
“Me,” I ground out, trying to keep my cool and not seem too eager as I stood and moved toward him. He held the paper out and I took it with a nod of thanks. I didn’t bother reading it, playing as if I was unbothered, when in reality I was fuckin’ ecstatic to get this lone piece of paper with my number on it.
I stared up at the TV and made as if I was still watching the show playing, but I was just biding my time. Waiting for the best moment to call. The door locked shut, leaving us all in here again, and it was only a matter of minutes until someone sat at the table with me. I’d learned a lot about politics inside county jail in the short time I’d been in here, and there was one thing I knew not to do: get involved.
“So, Easton, huh?”
I raised a brow at the voice next to me but didn’t look away from the TV screen. “Yeah.”
“I knew an Easton once.” My stomach dropped at his words, and my palms started to sweat. My dad had put countless criminals away while he’d worked for the DEA, and I was just hoping to God no one would find out who he was, and in turn, who I was.
“That right?” I asked, acting indifferent.
“Yeah, man. I had this teacher when I was in high school like twenty-five years ago. He was the coach too.” He laughed and slapped his palm on the table. “Turned out he was fuckin’ his student.” He clicked his fingers and made a humming noise. “What was her name? What was it—Aria! Her name was Aria. Oh, man, it was the talk of the school.” My lips quirked on one side at his words. “He was cool as shit.” He paused. “You know him?”
I knew most people asked this and expected the answer to be no, so I took great fuckin’ pride in turning to face him and saying, “Yeah. He’s my brother.”
His eyes widened, the tattoo on his temple stretching. It was badly done and missing half of the ink in the letters. “No shit.”
“Yep. Cade Easton.”
“That’s him!” He pointed at me and stood. “Holy shit, what a small damn world.” He shook his head and stared around the pod as if he wanted to share this revelation with someone else. “Whatever happened to the student he was fuck—”
“They’re still together,” I interrupted, not wanting him to be crass about it. I could curse like a sailor all day long, but I really didn’t want that damn imagine in my head.
“Fuck me,” he breathed out. “This is some epic love shit, then, huh?”
I chuckled, not knowing what else to say. It was hurting my eyes to look at him and see his awful face tattoo. I itched to correct it or send him to go and get it lasered off.
“I’m Artie, by the way.” He held his hand out to me and I shook it. “What you in here for?”
I’d heard several people ask the newbies in the pod this, and each time they explained why they were in here and what charges they had. Even though I didn’t want any of these people to know why I’d done what I had, I knew I had to stick to the rules of county jail, so I told him, “Assault.”
“Figured as much,” Artie said, glancing down at my hands. I’d cleaned them the best I could when I had a shower before being brought to the pod, but what I really needed was a first aid kit. “How come?”
“Protecting my girl,” I said simply, not willing to go any further than that. It was all he needed to know, and from the way he nodded, he understood.
“Gotcha.” He tapped his knuckles on the table and stood. “We got a spare bed in our room if you want to join us.” He pointed to the last room on the bottom row nearest the phones.
“Yeah?” I liked being out in the open, but I had no idea how long I’d be here. It was Sunday evening, and although it was possible I could get in front of a judge tomorrow, it wasn’t guaranteed. I could be in here a few more nights yet.
“Yeah, man. Bring your stuff in and I’ll introduce you to the guys.”
I stood and hooked my thumb toward the phones. “Just gotta make a call first.”
“Okay, bro. Come in when you’re ready.”
I nodded and moved toward the three phones attached to the wall under the TV. I pulled the receiver off the one closest to
the room Artie walked into and dialed in my inmate number and then Dad’s cell number and waited as it rang out. Two rings was all it took for him to answer, “Asher?”
“Dad.” A breath whooshed out of me. “How is she?”
There was a pause and then, “Not doing too good to be honest, son.” There was movement over the line, and I heard a door opening and closing. “We found her at the hospital.” My stomach bottomed out. “She let them do the rape kit but wouldn’t let your mom leave.” He huffed out a sad laugh. “Not that your mom would have anyway.”
I smiled at that because I knew what my mom was like when she went into Mama Bear mode, and no one wanted to get on her wrong side when that was activated. “Did they take pictures and—”
“Yeah, they took pictures.” He paused and I knew what was coming before he even said, “Tell me what’s been going on, son.”
I glanced around the pod, hyperaware of anyone being able to hear. “Her ex-boyfriend was…abusive.” I ground my teeth together at my words and my hand clenched harder around the receiver. I should have taught the fucker a lesson the first time I’d witnessed him laying hands on Elodie, but I hadn’t, and now we were here. “I found him beating on her outside the tattoo shop, and…let’s just say it wasn’t the first time.”
“So, you helped her?”
“Yeah. I…” I ran my palm through my hair. “We kind of knew each other before that. She works for Jax, and I…fuck…I…we kissed and—”
“Yeah, I get it,” Dad interrupted. “You don’t need to say anything else.”
I shuffled my feet on the floor, waiting to hear what else he was going to say, but when he was silent, I asked, “Where is she now?”
“In your room,” Dad answered. “Fuck, Asher. Why didn’t you tell me what the hell was going on? I could have helped—Ford could have helped.”
I let my head drop back. “It wasn’t my place to tell you. And it’s not something you tend to say when you introduce a girl to your parents. Fuck.” I slapped my palm on the wall. “None of this was meant to happen. I promised to keep her safe and then left her there because fuckin’ Jax called me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Dad ground out, but he could say that all he wanted, and it wouldn’t make a lick of difference. I always walked her up to her apartment, and if I would have, this probably wouldn’t have happened. But then her ex had been determined, that much was clear. If it wouldn’t have been then, it could have been anywhere, anyplace, and I may not have been able to turn up. It could have been worse…so much worse.
“You know who the ex is, don’t you?” Dad asked, his tone lower now. I didn’t bother answering him because I didn’t give a flying fuck who he was. “His dad is a judge.” My back straightened at his words. “I’m guessing you’re listening intently now,” Dad commented, and I could just imagine his brows raised. “I’m in touch with my contacts, but I have no doubt if this judge has his way, you’ll go down for what you did to his son.”
“He fuckin’ deserved it,” I growled. “He fuckin’ raped her, Dad. Raped her. He took her choices away. He’s been taking her choices away for god knows how long.”
“I get it, son, I do. But you need to be real goddamn clever right now. You have people on your side and evidence to back you up, but I need you to be prepared for what could happen. You might not get out of there this week.”
“I have to,” I gritted out. “I can’t stay in here. Elodie needs me. I…I can’t fuckin’ stay in here, Dad.”
“I’m working on it, Asher,” Dad said, his voice tired. “I’m not gonna let you go down for protecting what’s yours. You should know that by now.” He cleared his throat. “Ford just pulled up. I’m about to fill him in.”
“Dad…” My eyes widened. “You can’t tell him what happened to Elodie. It’s not your place to—”
“Elodie has already said she’ll do anything to help.” I heard his breath over the line and then a car door closing. “That was before she went and got into your bed.” I frowned at the way he was talking. “She’s not doing good. She hasn’t moved out of there since we got home early this morning.”
“She just needs time,” I said, hoping that was all it was. She’d been through so much in the last twenty-four hours. She needed to process it all. She needed to heal. And I was stuck in here, not able to do anything but rely on my mom and dad to take care of her the best they could. I was trapped inside this damn place with no idea when I’d be getting out.
“That’s what your mom said too, but fuck, I’ve never been good at this kind of stuff, and now I gotta sit back and let Ford try to handle it and—”
“Really, Dad?” I shook my head but couldn’t help the quirk of my lips. “I’m stuck in this place and you’re complaining because you gotta let Ford handle this instead of you?”
“Shit, yeah, you’re right.” He chuckled and the sound relieved some of the tension in my body. I wasn’t sure whether I felt better now that I’d spoken to Dad and knew Elodie was safe at their house, or worse because I couldn’t get to her. “I’m gonna fill Ford in. When you calling next? I’ll try and get Elodie on the phone.”
“Tomorrow.” I glanced over to the last room on the bottom row and saw Artie standing there watching me. There was an edge to him, but for some unknown reason, I trusted him. I knew I shouldn’t, not in a place like this, but my instincts were never wrong. “Look after her, Dad.”
“I will. Make sure you look after yourself.”
“I will.” I placed the receiver down on the phone, sauntered over to my bed on the floor, and scooped it up. If being in here longer than a few days was a real possibility, then I may as well get comfortable in a room instead of the open floor.
Chapter Nineteen
ELODIE
The sun shone through the gap in the curtains. Birds chirped outside the window. Voices drifted from downstairs. The world was still spinning. Life was continuing. But I didn’t move from the position I was in. Asher’s childhood ship bed had become my safe haven, and I was afraid to leave, even to use the bathroom. It had only been days since Asher had brought me in here while the cookout was happening, and I tried to keep my mind occupied with the memory—anything to not remember what happened after we’d left.
“And this is my bedroom,” Asher said, his large hand encasing mine. It was so big and strong, and the calluses on his fingers scraping against my palms had me shivering. There was something about the smooth mixed in with the rough that ignited a fire within me.
I smiled up at him, still not taking in the room we’d walked into. I could have been in the most beautiful place in the world, but it wouldn’t have compared to him. Big, protective, handsome, and sexy. He was the full package—the perfect package—and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was an illusion. Was it all a trick? No. I shook my head. My gut told me what you saw was what you got with Asher.
I’d always known there was something eerie with Knox. There was a darkness to him, even when he was a kid. I should have known back then that it didn’t matter what I did and how much I followed Knox’s rules. I should have known he wouldn’t let me walk away from him. I’d been too stupid and blind to see it—no, I hadn’t been blind, I’d chosen to ignore all the warnings. It was my fault. I’d allowed him to continue. But then I’d tried to put a stop to it. I’d been on a mission to escape the bad in my life, but I hadn’t entertained what would come from it. I hadn’t thought it through the way I did with everything else.
I’d acted on my instincts, and now I was paying for it.
I’d chosen the short straw in life, and this was what I had to deal with. Everything happened for a reason, right? I’d suffered at the hands of people who should have loved me the most, and it had all led me to Asher. So maybe he was my end point. Maybe all roads led to him and the happiness I craved but had never gotten.
“So, what do you think?”
I shook my head, trying to concentrate on what he was showing me. He pointed to the bed, and m
y lips lifted into the biggest grin. “It’s a ship.” My eyes widened, and I stepped away from Asher, letting his hand whisper across mine until we were no longer touching. When he’d said downstairs that he had a pirate bed, I didn’t know what I imagined, but it wasn’t this. There was a literal ship in the middle of the room and a huge mattress inside it. “Holy shit.” I paused at the edge and moved my fingers across the smooth wood. There were three steps which led onto the bed.
“Cool, right?” I turned to face Asher who was also grinning. “Me and Belle used to use it as our pirate ship when we were kids.” I raised a brow, and he must have known what I was thinking because he said, “Fine, we used it as adults too.”
“When was the last time you did that?” I placed my hand on my hip and tilted my head to the side, waiting for him to answer, but when he looked to the side and focused on the wall, a laugh escaped my throat. The kind of laugh which spoke of freedom and happiness. Asher did that. Asher made me happy, and he had no idea, not until I blurted out, “You make me happy.”
He whipped his head around to face me, his brown eyes darkening at my words. “Say that again.”
“You make me happy,” I repeated, leaning my back on the side of the ship.
He sauntered toward me, slow and intent, and my heart sped up. No one had made me feel the way he did, not in that moment, and not in any moment since.
The voices downstairs became louder, but still I didn’t look away from the gap in the curtains. The sun shone high in the sky, so I was guessing it was the middle of the day. I wasn’t sure what day, but I knew every moment which dragged by was another moment Asher was in county jail and I was here, in his childhood bed, his comforter wrapped tightly around me. I was safe here, in this room. Asher surrounded every inch of the place, which was why I didn’t want to leave.
It was dangerous out there. Scary and dreadful. But inside these four walls, nothing could touch me. Nothing could hurt me.
Burned Duet: Asher & Elodie: Fast Burn & Deep Burn (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 4) Page 25