“Chelsey?” he croaked.
“Detective Paulman?”
“What are you doing at this nightclub?” Mr. Paulman’s attention shifted from her to Brock who hadn’t moved a muscle since the gun had been pointed at him.
She swallowed. “Um…” How did she explain the impossible to a man who wouldn’t understand?
“Your ID?” the detective demanded of Brock.
“I’ve done nothing,” Brock said, flatly.
“We just got here. We were just sitting here. What’s going on?” Chelsey asked.
“It doesn’t look like you were just sitting here,” he stated. “We’re looking for a jewelry thief. A witness claims to have spotted the suspect here.”
“Just in case you’ve noticed, pal, I don’t exactly have a bag of jewelry lying around anywhere,” Brock offered.
“ID,” the detective demanded once again.
Brock grumbled in indifference but produced his ID anyway.
“Brock Justice,” the detective made a quick gesture to another cop behind him. “Cuff him.”
“What the hell?” Chelsey exclaimed.
“What the hell, indeed. Does your dad know you’re out here with a shifter and a criminal?”
The cop grabbed hold of Brock and just like the detective ordered, applied handcuffs.
“Please, stop! What are you doing? He’s been with me all evening. He’s not the jewelry thief.”
“No, he’s not. But he’s damn sure worse than a jewelry thief.” He turned to Brock. “Brock Justice, you’re under arrest for trespassing, theft, and vandalism. You have the right to remain silent…”
“Everything will be fine, Chelsey,” Brock reassured her as he was read his rights. “It’s nothing new for me. You just stay strong.”
“But you’re…” Before she could finish her sentence, a cop shoved him forward and led him away from the deck.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“My job. I do believe I owe it to Governor Canon to let him know what kind of trouble you’ve attracted. You’re coming with me,” Detective Paulman stated, taking her by the arm.
“You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
“Honey, I don’t think I want to know, but I do know that I want to keep my job. Your dad’s a friend of mine, but he can also cut me off from my check. I have an obligation to steer you away from this place. Let’s go.”
33
“Are you out of your mind, Chelsey?” Her dad ran his fingers through his hair and sighed harshly. “You were at a shifter nightclub?”
“Yes. So what? It was a nightclub. I go to them all the time on campus. Does it matter who owns it?” she replied.
“Theoretically, yes,” he countered. “I don’t know any of these people and, quite frankly, the security is a little lax. There’s an ongoing criminal investigation involving this club right now. What does concern me is Paulman’s account of how he found you.”
He scoffed and then continued, “He said you were in a very intimate position with this man. Do you know those shifters sold sexual services out of the back of this joint? How could you even go there to begin with?”
Her dad’s accusations and questions had gotten out of hand. She was seriously overwhelmed at this point, and the fact that Brock was arrested and she was somehow held here to be questioned made the whole situation worse.
“Look, I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“Is this why you wanted me to make a deal with the Alpha of the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack? So you can be with this guy?”
“I asked you to do this because your reasons for following through with eminent domain proceedings are very unethical. Even if they were my enemies, I wouldn’t wish for them to lose their homes because of one greedy corporation.”
“This is insane and very embarrassing,” her dad exclaimed. “Do you know that Paulman asked me if you were working at the nightclub as a sex worker?”
“What business is it of his if I was working there or not? I went to enjoy myself.”
“Enjoy yourself? With your legs wrapped around a man several years older than you?”
“He and I…are dating.” If she told her dad that she was presumably a shifter’s intended mate, he’d flip out right where he stood. She had a right to choose her own boyfriend and lover, but what she didn’t appreciate was being reprimanded at the local police station like she was a common criminal for making out with him and minding her own damn business.
“I’ll explain everything to you soon,” she added. “I’m sick of the third-degree treatment from both you and your detective friend. Even if I knew every single detail about Brock, I wouldn’t tell them anything. I asked them for a lawyer. I wasn’t expecting you to come here and bail me out.”
“I’m glad you know your rights, but I’m your father and you’ll explain everything to me right now starting with how you got involved with the same man whose brother wants to dictate how I handle my business.”
Chelsey sat back in the uncomfortable chair and diverted her attention to the drab gray cinder block walls. “You wouldn’t understand if I told you how.”
“Oh, I’ll understand completely if you’re straightforward because right now you’re not being straightforward.” He slid a manila folder across the table to her. “Your trouble-making, shifter boyfriend has a rap sheet bigger than the size of this County. Thank God none of this has reached the press. You can also thank Detective Paulman for that. He’s managed to keep the reporters away.”
She swallowed but didn’t move to look inside the folder.
“I’m also highly suspicious of why you’re suddenly interested in this eminent domain case. I thought I could make a deal with Mr. Dane Magnus like two civilized beings, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now that I know that one of his brothers has been playing games with my daughter.”
“It’s not like that. We’re not playing games, dad,” she replied. “And you’re not telling me anything that I don’t already know. I got involved with him because I wanted him.”
Her dad’s eyes bulged. “So you know that this guy is a criminal and you’re hanging out with him willingly?”
“Whatever he’s done in the past, I don’t care.”
“Take a look.” He gestured toward the unopened folder on the table.
This wasn’t supposed to end up this way. She didn’t want to learn about Brock by flipping through his criminal records.
“Not only is this guy a seasoned criminal, he’s also an outlaw. Nothing good could come of any relationship with him.”
“You’ve never even spoken to him or asked his side of the story!”
“Now that I know what he’s capable of, I’m not sure I want to. Aren’t you concerned about your reputation?”
“If having the kind of reputation you’d like me to have means that I’m going to be miserable trying to defend it for the rest of my life, then no, I’m not concerned about what others think of me.”
Her dad sighed heavily and folded his arms over his chest. He then rubbed at his chin before saying, “I called Priscilla while I was waiting to come speak with you. She seems to be on board with my decision that you stop seeing this criminal immediately.”
“How dare you two discuss my personal relationship behind my back? Just in case you haven’t noticed, I’m an adult. I’ll be twenty-three soon and I have no intentions of moving back home.”
“What you don’t understand is that your reputation isn’t the only thing on the line?”
“You should be concerned with your own reputation as it stands,” she countered.
He pointed at the folder on the table. “And you’re not concerned about his reputation then?”
At his inquiry, she looked down at the table and ran her eyes quickly over the documents and list of accusations and charges against Brock Justice.
Assault. Trespassing. Petty theft. Aggravated kidnapping. Grand theft. Resisting arrest.
&n
bsp; She slapped the folder close and pushed it back across the table. She couldn’t read anymore.
“Tell the Detective to release me from custody. It’s against the law to hold me here without charge,” she stated.
“It wasn’t the Detective’s idea to hold you here, Chelsey. It was mine. I needed to make sure the man in the next holding room hadn’t kidnapped you against your will. They’re known for doing that.”
Chelsey swallowed a gasp and then spoke once she’d regained her composure. “Now that you know he hasn’t been holding me against my will, you can let him go.”
“No. Unh-uh. It won’t be that easy for him. Mr. Brock Justice already had a warrant out for his arrest,” he said.
“A warrant for what?”
“Disarming and assaulting a police officer.” Her dad pushed the file folder back over and flipped a few pages before stabbing his finger on the center of a paper.
Her gaze flew across the details. “It says here that Brock was at a friend’s house when he got into a fight with the officer. After the altercation, he shifted and fled the area.”
“Go on. You’re missing pertinent facts.”
“It says…” She stopped cold when her eyes reached the damning evidence. “Oh…” She read on…
The victim (Officer Ferrell) claims that the suspect, Brock Justice, engaged in sexual relationships with his wife on several occasions. Office Ferrell was off duty but in uniform at the time of the altercation. Injury report attached.
“So there you have it? Your shifter boyfriend lacks moral judgment. I haven’t been the greatest husband in the world to your mom and I’m working on that. I’ve seen how I’ve hurt her and wouldn’t want the same heartache for you. I agree that you’re an adult, but I’m still responsible for what happens to my daughter. It’s up to you to take what you can from this and make an informed decision.”
Chelsey swallowed. “I just want to leave.”
“Before you go, I’ll need you to sign something for me,” her dad stated. “Apparently, Brock has called his lawyer and they’re waiting in the other room to discuss a deal.”
“A deal?” Her breath quickened as confusion set in.
“Several deals actually. It’s quite simple.” Her dad rose from his seat. “I’ll get Detective Paulman to let them know we’re ready.”
Anxiety rose in her chest. “Ready for what?”
“To fix this mess.”
34
Chelsey walked over to the other holding room with her dad, the family lawyer, and a member of the city’s council. She was in a state of denial about everything that had happened tonight. One of the best weeks of her life had proven to be both unpredictable and eye-opening. Yes, she’d gotten her man, but it seemed that everything was working against them to try to keep them apart.
Brock, Dane, and an older male she didn’t recognize were already in the other room. Some legal papers and a few pens were in the center of the table waiting for them. Brock was still in handcuffs. The moment she entered the room their gaze met, and despite the mute expression on Brock’s face, his eyes lit up. All she wanted was to leave this place with Brock. What her dad saw was a hopeless criminal, but in Brock, she witnessed a soft-hearted man capable of love and being loved. Brock was a man who fought hard for whom and what he wanted, even if it meant having his reputation burned in the process.
Everyone was introduced formally. She’d met them all at least once before, except for the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack lawyer, Mr. Johnston. Mr. Johnston seemed a little worried and anxious about something, but his monotone statements and knowledge of the law as it pertained to his client’s rights were on point. His extensive expertise even had Mr. Neilson, who was her family’s lawyer, taken back.
Mr. Johnston shuffled around a few papers as he spoke. “…which leads me to demand that my client is released immediately and that all pending charges against him be dropped.”
“On what grounds?” Detective Paulman demanded.
He placed a paper firmly down in front of Paulman. “According to this written and notarized statement from Officer Gordon Ferrell, he instigated the argument and threw the first punch that led to the altercation on January 7 of this year. A motion for summary judgment has been filed.”
“Wait a minute. Your client has been evading arrest since the incident,” Paulman countered.
“I don’t know about you, Detective Paulman, but I wouldn’t easily hand myself over for unfair charges brought against me. And with all due respect, it’s not against the law to have sex with the wife of a police officer—a fact that my client wasn’t made aware of at the time. It’s not against the law to defend oneself while being pistol-whipped in the face repeatedly by a man of the law.” He slid photos across the table of Brock with bruises to his nose and eyes. “Here’s another statement from a witness who was there that night that says several guests at the house gathering tried to stop the fight, but an officer of the law insisted on…hold on, let me read the exact statement… ‘leash and beat your ass like the mangy mutt you are’. My client could’ve very well torn Officer Gordon Ferrell to pieces, but I think he displayed better judgment in this case. Don’t you think? Consequently, I was looking into some other information and discovered that several DUI charges had been dropped against this officer of the law in the past. Ironically, the most recent charge had been a month before he got into an altercation with my client.”
Detective Paulman pushed back from the table. “This has nothing to do with the fact that he put Ferrell in the hospital that night.”
“My client knocked Officer Gordon Ferrell unconscious. That put an end to the fight. If not for that, continuing to fight could’ve led to more serious injuries…like death.”
“All these things like dropped DUI charges have nothing to do with what happened that night,” Paulson stated. “Your client here has a healthy criminal record leading back to his teenage years. And prior assault charges abound…”
Mr. Johnston cleared his throat. “I’m aware, but the frivolous charges that you’re holding him on have been disputed. I know you flunked out of high school, Detective, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to evaluate the hardcore evidence. He shouldn’t have even been arrested. I’ve pretty much rambling on in here with concrete findings that I didn’t even have to share with you. I should also remind you again that I haven’t slept in almost twenty-four hours. I was supposed to take my medication thirty minutes ago with food, and yet I am still here over this matter. I don’t have time to fuss and knicker with you at this hour, Detective Paulson. Uncuff my client.”
With a dumbfounded look on his face, Paulman turned to Mr. Neilson for support.
“Unfortunately, Detective, I don’t represent Officer Ferrell. I’m here on behalf of the Governor concerning his daughter.”
Paulman nodded. “Very well.”
The room went silent for a several minutes before Detective Paulman excused himself and stated that he would discuss with the Sherriff. When he returned, he had a set of keys in his hands and unlocked Brock’s cuffs.
A breath of relief rushed from Chelsey and she had a hard time containing her joy. Brock didn't even try to hide it. His grin spread from ear to ear and his attention remained on her and her alone. Until her dad cleared his throat.
Before making his exit Paulman stated, "Alright, you lawyers can have the room for no longer than an hour. More than that and my boss will get suspicious." He eyed Brock. "You got off the hook this time. Next time, it won't be so easy."
"Noted," Brock said.
Chelsey looked from her dad to Brock questioningly, wondering why they were seated here when they were more than free to leave.
"Now that we're all here together, I don't think we need to wait until next week to have a formal meeting. We might as well get this issue with the land you so desire to keep out of the way," Mr. Neilson stated. He began by opening his briefcase and then passing what looked like a one hundred page packet to Mr. Johnston.
"Oh, but there are some things Mayor Canon would like to stipulate before he signs anything free and clear."
"And that is…?" Dane inquired.
Her dad cleared his throat. "After speaking with you, I thought you could be someone that I could have a healthy business relationship with as far as my plans for this town, which aligns with your plans for your Pack. However, I can’t sit around and pretend to be pleased about my daughter being harassed and pursued by a criminal."
Her face heated in embarrassment when she realized what this was all about. "Dad!"
"No Chelsey," he interrupted. "This is business and this is necessary."
"Your accusations of harassment…are they warranted?" Mr. Johnston asked.
"I'll call it like I see it," her dad countered. "I don't want her around Mr. Brock Justice period."
"This is absurd," Brock protested. "What does this have to do with the prior agreement you made with Dane about our land?”
"Oh, it has everything to do with our agreement," her dad replied. "Before I sign anything, I want an agreement from you that you'll leave my daughter alone."
"No!" Chelsey stood. "You don't get to make that call."
"Sit down, Chelsey," her dad ordered.
"I'm not sitting anywhere. I told you what Brock meant to me. How could you try to manipulate any of us over something like this?"
"I think you know why. You're my only daughter. My only child. And you have your future ahead of you."
"Exactly Dad. My future. I just can't be--."
"Chelsey," Brock called out.
Even with the anger welling up in her heart, the sound of Brock's voice changed her entire perception on everything. She turned her attention to him.
"Everything's going to be okay," he reassured her.
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