by Adele Huxley
“We’ve got some cookies up at the desk if you think that might help? A little stale, but they’ll keep your blood sugar up at least.”
“That sounds great, I really appreciate it.” He grinned at me as he walked past and I have never wanted to hurt someone so badly in my entire life...until five minutes later when Noah appeared. His nose was bandaged in a white splint and he peered at me through two black eyes, a glimmer of glee hiding behind his fake fear. I nearly cringed when I saw how much damage I’d actually inflicted on his face. Not that he hadn’t deserved it, but I was certainly going to pay for it. Dylan followed closely behind and I stood as they both approached my cell.
“This the guy?” Dylan asked.
Noah nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. Has it out for me, for whatever reason.” I couldn’t stand that they were talking about me as if I weren’t right there, Noah looking at me like I was an animal in a zoo.
“You know damn well why. I’m not the sort of man that watches someone get assaulted and not do anything about it,” I growled. “Like you’re so innocent. You know who I am. I’ve been to your house.”
“I know you were, uninvited I might add. Thank God my friend Steve was there to back me up, especially after what happened at the bar a couple weeks ago.” He turned to the cop and lowered his voice, just not enough. “I almost forgot to tell you. There was another incident at the bar in town. He hit me out of nowhere. I’m sure the bartender would be willing to talk to you.”
“I’d be very interested in speaking to whoever was there. We’ve already had several people step forward and give statements about the incident from the other night.” That pricked up my ears. Noah was so focused on the words, he wasn’t picking up on the subtext. Hopefully the witnesses had described the whole situation. I could tell the cop wasn’t all that pleased about him being there but was merely remaining professional. Maybe I had a shred of hope left.
“Sometimes people are just prejudiced against the wealthy,” Noah nodded sympathetically. “I don’t understand it, but what can you do?”
I watched Dylan’s body language. He smiled tightly. “I’m sure it can be very difficult. Now that we have your confirmation, why don’t you head back to the desk and my partner will help you complete the paperwork.” Noah glanced at me for just a moment before walking away. His look of superiority was enough to make my blood boil. The only thing that kept the lid on tight was Dylan hanging back. He watched the creep as he walked away, only speaking when the footsteps had grown faint. I approached the bars, instinctively grabbing them in tight fists.
“Listen, something janky is going on here, I can see that.”
I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank fuck for that.”
“Yeah, well, that said, there isn’t much I can do right now,” he looked at me sharply. “Is it true you got into a fight with him at the bar?” I gave a curt nod. “Great. That doesn’t exactly help your cause.” He groaned and leaned against the cell, sucking his teeth in thought.
“They kicked him out that night,” I offered in defense.
“Yeah? I have a couple witnesses from the other night who heard you threaten to kill him if he came near you or those girls again. And you hit him with a rifle? Jesus, man.”
I leaned forward, the panic rising in my voice. “Listen, those two are not what they seem. Steve’s real name is Rick something, I don’t know his last name. He and that blond twat in there are the ones who’ve been bringing drugs into the town. All those overdoses? It’s them.”
Dylan rounded on me, his eyes suddenly daggers. “You have proof of that?”
Like a trapped animal, I was only trying to save myself at that point. I just spoken without thinking. Telling the police about the drugs could implicate Kayla. While I didn’t give two shits about her, I knew Liz did. Throwing her friend in prison probably wouldn’t win me any favors and it might implicate her as well.
“Not physical proof, but it’s true,” I insisted.
“Nothing I can do with that either, but I’ll keep it in mind.” He paused, shaking his head. “Listen, the guy is pressing charges so I’m gonna have to book you. It’s a good thing you’re friends with Walt in there. He’s already said he’s gonna post your bail.”
I whipped my jacket off and chucked it down on the bench in defeat. “Great.”
“I have to warn you, it’s gonna take a little while. We need to get hold of a judge and seeing—”
“Right, yeah, Christmas.” I groaned and sat down on the bench, using my balled up jacket as a pillow. “I’m good. Thanks, man.” I might’ve gotten myself into some serious shit here, I thought. What a great Christmas present for Liz.
Left alone in that cell for quite some time, I sat feeling incredibly sorry for myself. I was so absorbed in my self-pity, I didn’t hear her approach.
“Let’s bust you outta this joint,” Liz said in a sultry voice, posing against the wall like a pinup girl. I couldn’t help but laugh, amazed that she could cheer up any situation.
Walt took forever getting ready. I repeatedly checked the time on my phone, slowly racking up the minutes I’d left Bryan sitting in a jail cell, the minutes we should’ve been spending together in the cabin. Walt made several phone calls. When I told him that Noah was the one pressing the charges, he seemed to think he had to call up the special forces. I had no idea who was on this elite Tellure Hollow anti-Richards task force, but everyone he called seemed equally sure the Richards family was ruining the town.
When I finally got him downstairs and in the cold truck, he glared up at the ski resort. “That asshole has them working on Christmas, if you can believe it. Angel Vista,” he spat. “Powder Mountain was always closed on Christmas. It’s a day you should be spending with your family, you know?”
I winced, remembering my dad all alone back home. When I called him on Christmas Eve, he’d told me about swapping duties with a friend so they could spend the day at home. “He’s got a young girl, looks like you a bit,” he’d said. “I couldn’t stand the idea that she wouldn’t have her daddy there when she was opening presents.” The knife twisted a little at the memory.
“The only family he cares about is his own,” Walt continued to grumble, saving me from my thoughts. “We’ll show them we take care of our own here in Tellure Hollow.”
I glanced at him, the venom in his voice surprising me. He really didn’t like these people. At all. Not that I could blame him. He continued his rant the entire way to the station, not really caring if I was there or not. Even through the gruffness, I could see a warm person who just felt like he’d been pushed too far. The fact that he was coming out to help Bryan spoke volumes enough for me.
I pulled into the same spot Bryan had parked in originally, remembering the hot kiss we’d parted with before going inside. A second squad car was in the lot and I immediately remembered they’d gone out looking for Rick. I took a deep breath to calm my crazy beating heart. How could one morning be such a supreme mess?
Confidently striding down the hall, ready for Walt to lay the smack down and get Bryan out, I found Dylan. The second cop looked me up and down as I approached, his mouth stopping just short of falling open. The poor kid looked at me like I was the first woman he’d ever laid eyes on. I was about to play it to my advantage, but unfortunately Walt cranked the aggression up from the start.
“That boy back there hasn’t done a damn fool thing wrong and you know it. This is illegal what you’re doing, holding him in that cell!” he yelled, punctuating his words with a slap on the desk.
Dylan held his hands up. “Whoa, whoa there, Walt. You know I wouldn’t do anything like that. The guy went willingly. He ain’t under arrest. Come on, let’s talk about this over here.” He led Walt to the back office leaving me and blondie alone at the desk.
I made a show of unzipping my coat, leaning against the top of the counter. No, honest, I have no idea I’m pressing my chest against this ledge, I thought coyly. He blinked at me like his
frontal lobe had just been wiped clean.
I flashed him my best smile, glancing at his name badge. “Hey, Merry Christmas, Officer Hughes.”
“Mmhmm Christmas,” he mumbled. Perfect. This is going to be too easy.
“Were you the one who went out looking for that accident? Weren’t you scared to go alone?”
It was like I could almost see his chest puff up with pride. “Well no, of course not. We’re trained for all sorts of different scenarios,” he said resting his hands on his hips.
I nodded wide-eyed like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. “Did you find him? The guy who wrecked?”
“Steve? Oh yeah,” he said with a wave of the hand. “He’s in the back resting. We’re trying to get a doctor or nurse in here to take a look at him but since it’s—”
“Christmas, right...” I said looking down the hallway. It was the same direction I’d seen Dylan lead Bryan before I left. But he just said Steve, so it was probably some other accident that’d been called in. “Say, my friend is back there. Do you think I might be able to go see how he’s doing?”
Hughes pressed his lips together and checked over his shoulder to Dylan. “Well, I don’t know if that’s—”
“Aw, come on,” I said pressing my breasts together with my arms. My thick sweatshirt might as well have been a bikini for the way he looked at me. “I promise, I’ll be good,” I purred.
He nearly shuddered when I spoke and I half wondered if he might have to change his boxers. Why can’t all men be this easy to manipulate? “I suppose it wouldn’t—”
“Thanks so much, sweetie,” I called out, already a few steps down the hall. I grinned to myself. Not only was I incredibly happy I’d managed to work my magic, but for once, I was the one saving the day. Getting Walt, breaking Bryan out of this podunk prison...it wasn’t exactly the way I’d thought our day would turn out but it’d make for a great story.
I spotted the back of Bryan’s head against the wall and smiled. This’ll be all over soon. “Where’s my sexy little Christmas present?” I said as I turned the corner. It was so stupid of me. I had no way of knowing if there were going to be other people in the area with him, but I went walking in there anyway, running my big mouth. When I saw Rick sitting at the far end of the hall, my stomach did a flip.
I looked to Bryan for an explanation, which I barely heard through the loud ringing in my ears. There’s that name again, Steve. Is he trying to say Rick’s name is Steve? What the fuck? Then Rick told me he was worried about me, like I hadn’t seen the look in his eyes in the parking lot.
Before I knew what was happening, I had already lost my temper. Standing in front of him, yelling nearly at the top of my voice, until Dylan appeared behind me. Honestly, I was thankful he’d interrupted because I wasn’t sure what I was capable of at that point. Seeing Rick sitting there, smug and on the wrong side of those prison bars...I shook with anger.
Embarrassed that I’d made such an ass out of myself, I glanced at Bryan and apologized. He was on his feet, fingers wrapped around the bars, looking so upset and helpless. On shaky legs, I returned to the front desk, trying to calm myself. A hysterical woman wasn’t going to win any favors in this place. So much for saving the day. A whoosh of cold air hit me as the door opened at the far end of the hall. As I squinted into the dim light, I recognized the gait of the figure approaching.
“Great,” I muttered. Noah was just walking in the front door looking like he’d gone three rounds in a boxing ring. Both his eyes were a pretty shade of purple and the bandage on his nose actually made him more attractive somehow. It washed away the white collar stink, implied he might’ve done a day of work in his life. Maybe Bryan did him a favor by breaking that thing, I thought. He glared at me as he approached but didn’t seem too concerned with my presence.
We both ended up at the desk at the same time.
“I’m Noah Richards,” he announced before I’d gotten a chance to speak.
“Ah, Mr. Richards,” Hughes said with a look I couldn’t quite read. “I guess you’re here about the assault charges.” He glanced at Noah’s nose as he spoke, the slightest curl at the corner of his mouth.
“And I understand my friend Steve has been injured in a similar incident? I was hoping I could check on him.”
I tried not to gape at him. The polite tone was like hearing him try to speak Portuguese, obviously rusty and awkward on the tongue. Not only that, but he was referring to Rick as ‘Steve,’ which had to be significant. I was too overwhelmed to piece all this together. Everything was happening too fast.
Rick appeared from my left, brushing past me casually. He and Noah shared a knowing look, almost a nod and smile. Something about it raised my hackles. Feeling like I was at a distinct disadvantage in terms of scheming, I played the cards I had. I took advantage of the power I had over Hughes. Locking my eyes on him, I could almost see him tremble. “Do you think I could speak to you for a moment, officer?” I glanced at Noah and then added, “In private?”
His Adam’s apple bounced with a deep swallow, but he gestured to the room beside the one Dylan had pulled Walt into. “Ah...of course.”
I swished past him, feeling Noah’s cold eyes on my back as I left. As soon as the cop shut the door behind me, I let the tears I’d been holding back well to the surface. He didn’t need to know they were more out of frustration and anger than from fear. I settled on the edge of a cheap looking office chair and made a show of wiping my cheeks.
“The man back there,” I sniffed, “he’s been stalking me. I spoke to Officer Dylan before, but he’s obviously busy now with Walt...”
The officer came around to the side of the desk and leaned against it, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’s alright, we have him behind bars now. He won’t be able to hurt you.”
I swallowed my annoyance. “No, the other guy. He says his name is Steve but...” I sobbed a few times, shrinking away from his touch. Blinking up, hoping whatever makeup I still had on was running a little, I found his eyes. “His real name is Rick Oakley. He has a criminal record and I’m pretty sure he wants to hurt me.”
The policeman grew serious which somehow made him look younger, like a confused child. “Has he put his hands on you? Is that how you got all those cuts?”
I considered lying but had the feeling it might end up biting me in the ass. I shook my head but kept my expression terrified. “He tried to kidnap me and I had to jump out of the truck to get away. But he’s made it obvious he wants to. He came after me with a gun.”
“Okay, I believe you but I’ll have to look into what you’re telling me. Where does he have a criminal record?”
“North Carolina.”
“Do you want to press charges? File for a restraining order?”
I chewed on the idea but ultimately decided it would be a lot of hassle for little payout. What I wanted most was for Rick to show up on their radar. His history would take care of the rest. I shook my head.
“There’s not a lot I can do right now but I’ll give him a good talking to, maybe scare him straight.” I nearly laughed at the idea of this kid scaring Rick straight, but I managed to keep it together. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to me between his first and middle fingers. “You call me the second something happens and I’ll come straight away. Any time.” He looked at me earnestly, boring the hint in with his eyes. I get it buddy, I have your number.
I held the card in my hand, choosing to pretend he was looking out for my wellbeing and not just trying to get into my pants. “Thank you,” I said flashing him a demure smile. “I feel better already.”
When we walked out of the room, I came face to face with Rick and Noah. I took pleasure in their bruises and obvious concern about my private meeting with the rookie cop. But they still stood there, free, cocky, and dangerous.
I touched the cop lightly on the arm as I passed. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Do you think I’d be able to go visit my
friend in the cell again? I feel really uncomfortable out here with...” I nodded towards Rick. “I promise, I’ll really be good this time.”
“What a fucking day that was,” I groaned as Bryan opened the door to his house. It was well past 9 p.m. and my stomach was grumbling. In all the excitement, we hadn’t eaten anything all day except those stale sugar cookies from the station.
Bryan chuckled softly as he closed the door behind me. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you, but you have such an elegant way with words.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” I said with a wink. “You don’t grow up on a military base without a few things rubbing off on you.”
He stepped behind me and set the plastic shopping bags on the counter. We’d stopped by the gas station on the way home, the only business in town open on Christmas night. We had a veritable feast of microwave burritos, chips, and beer to look forward to. Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less what we ate as long as we were together.
The police had allowed Rick to leave with Noah without much questioning. It took a few hours to finally get the charges booked against Bryan, but the moment he had been officially arrested, Walt posted bail and he was free to go. By the time we left the station, I’d had all the officers in stitches with my jokes but Bryan had barely cracked a smile. Even when I’d returned to the cell to cheer him up, he’d remained mostly sullen and reserved. There were little reminders here and there that no matter how comfortable I felt in his presence, I didn’t actually know him all that well. I couldn’t get a good read on him. Was he embarrassed? Upset? Disappointed? I hated the awkwardness between us but I wasn’t sure what more I could do or say.
He popped the microwave open and tossed in our dinner, the clicking of the old-fashioned dial the loudest sound in the room. Digging through the bag, I pulled two cans of beer free from the plastic rings and cracked them open, handing him one without a word. I leaned against the counter, facing him without meeting his eye. There was a long pause as we took sips of the foamy liquid.