“Umm, do I need to go to your office? Can’t I give this here?” I pull the two-thousand dollars out of my purse. “It’s all here. Bart can count it.”
“I trust you, but I’d still like to talk inside.” His tone is clipped, and Bart grabs my elbow.
“Are you going to kill me?” I blurt out.
His eyes grow wide, and he throws his head back, roaring in laughter. The sound bounces off the buildings around us, causing my heart to race.
“No, Ember, very much the opposite. I only want to talk. In five minutes, you can be on your way.”
Bart gives me a gentle shove, and I’m forced to follow Dade into the warehouse. When we get to his office, the two guys with him stand to the side, eyeing me. My over reactive mind races with possibilities of what he wants to talk about.
“Dade, I’m sure you don’t care, but I’m extremely uncomfortable and really want to go home. Here’s your money.” I put it on his desk.
“I wanted to tell you, you’re done. Completely free of Natalie forever.”
A lump forms in my throat, wondering what exactly he means.
“I did some digging, which I should have done to begin with. One thing about me is that I don’t like to be fucked with. Natalie fucked with me when she sent me to you. My guys found out what happened to you and your family because of her antics. If I’d known, you never would have been in this position. She isn’t my type of client, and Trey now knows to stay away from her going forward.”
The guy to his right grunts loudly. The sound makes me jump. He’s one of the scariest men I’ve ever seen. Ugly tattoos cover his body, his expression unreadable. He looks at me briefly then focuses his eyes on the wall.
“There’s a good chance she’ll do this again, but you will never be her scapegoat. I’ll put the word on the street she’s bad news, but if you ever need me, call me.” He hands me a business card. “That number will come directly to me.”
I take it, wondering what the hell is happening. “Um, I’m sure this is going to sound really crazy, but what’s happening here? Are you trying to be my friend?”
He opens his mouth to answer but never gets the chance. I hear the words “Freeze!” right before I’m pushed to ground and gunshots ring out. Chaos ensues.
30 minutes earlier
Robbie
I climb into the car and hand Max his drink. He puts down the binoculars and sighs.
“This shit is boring. I forgot how much surveillance sucks. I’d much rather be with your dad right about now.”
“No shit. I just talked to him, and they’re ready to move. ATF and NPD are certain the shipment today is coke. Dade Lewis finally fucked up. They’re moving in now. Our job is to watch for Lewis’ crew and any activity around that warehouse. Once they secure it, we’re done.”
My phone rings, showing Thad’s name flashing across the screen.
“What’s up?” I greet him.
“Robbie, where’s Ember?”
“She’s off today, so my guess is she’s with Chloe, making dresses. Abbi’s begging her to finish, and with Raven pregnant, they had to make adjustments. She’s planning to go to the movies tonight. Why?”
“Something’s not right. I’m in Alabama, and we just rushed Natalie back to the hospital. Her painkillers were being administered by a staff member. Apparently, she stored them up and took a bunch at one time. She’s hallucinating. Serena’s with her now, but Natalie keeps spewing something about being sorry for bringing Ember into this.”
“Into what?”
“I don’t know! But Ember’s not answering her phone. Cruz and Chloe say they haven’t seen her today.”
“When are you coming home? I’ll try to get Finn to cover me, but it will be at least an hour before he can get here.”
“I’m leaving the hospital now, but my gut is turning. Something’s going on. I can feel it to my bones.”
At his words, my own stomach twists and a sense of dread washes through me.
“I’ll find out what’s going on, Thad. Ember wouldn’t keep anything from me.”
“I’ll come by when I get to Nashville.” He hangs up, and I dial Finn’s number.
“Holy fucking shit. What the fuck is happening here?” Max’s statement freezes me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Call your dad now. Tell him to stand down.”
“Why?”
“Man, just do it.” He reaches for my gun, but I get to it first.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on.” I snatch the high vision binoculars from his hand and focus on the small alleyway we’ve been watching for hours. My heart stops as I watch Ember and a man walk from the restaurant toward the warehouse. When Dade Lewis comes to the door, my vision goes red. She stares at him for a second, exchanges a few words, then follows him inside.
“James, you have to stop! Ember’s in there! Abort!” Max screams into the phone, but I don’t hear any more.
I’m out of the car with my gun in my hand, running in the direction Ember disappeared. Before I can get to the door, two strong arms grab me and pull me back into a wall. ATF agents restrain me as Max yells to let me go. My arms flail, trying to get free, but they hold, telling me quietly to calm down.
As soon as I hear the gunshots, my protective instincts kick in and I’m able to get free. Max pushes me forward, following me into the warehouse. Black and blue uniforms swarm the place, but I’m too busy looking for Ember to stop.
Gunpowder fills the air, but no more shots are fired. When I get to the doorway of an open office space, panic seizes in my chest. Ember lies on the ground underneath the enormous man from earlier. Once he’s handcuffed and pulled off of her, she rolls over, her eyes locking with mine.
Absolute horror fills her expression as she tries to speak. An officer starts to handcuff her, as well. I move to stop him, but my dad’s arms wrap around me strongly.
“Let her go, son. I’ll make sure she’s okay, but she’s got a lot of questions to answer.”
Watching the woman I love being led away crushes me.
Chapter 43
Space
Robbie
Fury builds inside me and threatens to explode as I watch Ember’s interview with the officer and ATF agent. She alternates between fiddling with the hem of her shirt and picking at her nails. Her skin is so pale; she looks like she may pass out. Each time she replays her story, my anger builds a little more.
Every person involved with this raid knows she’s innocent, but protocol requires she be interviewed a number of times before she can be released. My dad has the family lawyer in the room with her, but only as a precaution.
Since they hauled her in, she’s only been allowed to talk to my dad and the lawyer. At first, I was belligerent, screaming at anyone who would listen to let me see her. But when my dad explained I was going to be locked up for threatening an officer, I had to rein it in. Somehow, he was able to get me into the observation room to watch the interviews. Finn and Max are beside me, most likely to make sure I don’t go crazy again.
When the interview is over, the agent and officer leave as the lawyer talks to Ember quietly. Her head slumps as he pats her hand.
“You’re up.” Dad walks into the room, signaling to me.
As much as I’ve wanted to get to her, now I dread it. I’ve been asked to talk to her and see if there are any inconsistencies. Against my better judgment, I agreed. To me, we should be having this conversation at home.
I pass the waiting room and see the worried eyes of everyone in our group watching me. Chloe looks miserable as she tries to calm Thad. Even Serena is in the room, sitting alone. Raven runs to my side and places her hand on my arm.
“Robbie, she has a good reason. Please don’t screw this up. She’s going to need you.”
Finally, I lose it. “Screw this up? Is that what you said? I’m going to screw this up?”
“I loved this girl with everything I have. My plan was to make a future with the one w
oman that could bring me to my knees. And she did that! By betraying me. Trust is everything. Everything! She didn’t trust me. So now, I’m going to interrogate my own girlfriend, who didn’t believe in me. I’m going to get her out of here, and who knows what happens next? I want to hold her in my arms and never let go, but at the same time, I can’t stand to look at her.”
Raven’s eyes flood with tears, and Declan grabs her tight. “Man, we all know you’re hurting, but don’t talk to her like that.”
“Then tell her to mind her own fucking business.”
I walk away as sobs fill the small hallway. Not one of them calms me down.
Ember eyes me warily when I enter the small room. Her eyes rim with tears when I look to the lawyer and motion for him to go. She nods and he leaves, but not before throwing me a stern look.
I sit down and stare at her in silence, not trusting myself to speak. After several long seconds, I finally talk.
“Tell me what happened. Word for word.”
“Robbie, I am so sorry. You have to know I did this to protect you. If anything would have happened —”
“Ember, tell me what happened.” My tone is harsh, and she starts to shake. It takes a few minutes for her to compose herself, but then she spills. Every single tear hurts, but her words cause pain. When she tells me about her real reason for visiting Natalie, I start pacing. She had every opportunity to talk to me and chose not to. Anger bleeds into rage. My insides burn with betrayal. Her broken voice keeps talking, and I force myself to listen. When she finishes, she’s a broken mess. Her sobs fill the room, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“How’d you get all the money?”
I growl when she tells me her final payment came from selling a few of her sketches through Randy’s connections.
“You have to understand,” she cries. “He was going to hurt the people I love. You were at the top of the list. I couldn’t let it happen!”
I finally lose my shit. “I work in high-tech security! I carry a gun! My life has been about protecting! WHY DIDN’T YOU COME TO ME?”
“I told you! He threatened you! He threatened Cruz, Alex, Raven, Declan, everyone! I had to listen to him!” her voice cracks as she yells. “I love you too much to take the chance that something would happen to you! Look at what Natalie did to my dad!”
A loud banging from outside the room startles us both. She slinks back into her chair in fear. I open the door to see Thad being held back. He’s furious. His eyes meet mine with pure pain. He must have been listening to our conversation with my dad.
I close the door and look at her frightened face. My heart leads me straight to her. She wails. Her hands clutch at my arms, her nails leaving marks. Her body vibrates so hard it takes us both to the floor. She holds me so tight I think my blood flow stops on my arms. But I give her this. I give her what she needs. Truth be told, I need this as much. To feel her body against mine. Know she’s okay. Know she’s still that broken girl I met so many months ago.
She cries openly as I lift her to the chair and stay by her side, rubbing a hand down her back. “You’re going to be released in about thirty minutes. Thad and Chloe are taking you to their place.”
“Why?”
“I’ve got some shit to handle.”
“I’ll have them take me to my car. I’d prefer to go home.”
“Do what you want, but I think your family wants to talk to you. You owe them an explanation.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but then closes it, nodding.
“When will you be home?”
“I’m not sure, but maybe you could stay at their house tonight.”
“What? Why?”
The look of pain on her face would normally hurt me just as much, but I’m hollow.
“A lot has happened today, Ember. I think it’s best if we have a little space.”
“Space?” Her body deflates as her eyes search mine. “How much space?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly.
“Is this the kind of space where I come back home tomorrow and we work through things? Or is this the kind of space where I should pack my clothes and move back to my townhome?”
Dread fills my heart at the thought, but I can’t find the words to answer her. Are we over? Can I get past this?
The image of her laying on the ground in the warehouse flashes in my head. The man lying on top of her. The gunshots. The thought of her being hurt. Pain seizes my heart as my vision goes spotty. Sweat trickles down my back, and the room starts to suffocate me.
I stand quickly and go to the door. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Be careful.” I walk out without another glance in her direction.
Finn and Max wait for me by the back door. I send a text to my dad that I’m leaving.
“What’s the plan?” Max breaks the silence.
“We get drunk.”
The smell of burning flesh surrounds me. Severe pain shoots down my leg, and my hand feels around, trying to stop it. Screams fill my ears as my eyes finally open and adjust.
Bodies lie all around me, lifeless eyes staring into the distance. There’s an explosion behind me, sending dirt and debris everywhere. I try to move, but my leg won’t allow it.
The truck we were riding in is now on it’s side, half of it blown apart.
“Robbie!” Finn’s voice calls for me.
“Here!”
He runs through the smoke and reaches to help me. Once I am over his shoulder, he moves us through the smoke and into a clearing. He drops to his knees, laying me down. I roll to my side to face him, but it’s not him. Instead, lying next to me is my beautiful Ember, her blue eyes wide with fear.
She’s wigging, trying to get free of the handcuffs at her back. A man yanks her up roughly, causing her to flinch. I try to yell, reaching for her, but she’s pulled away, screaming for me to help.
I roll over, and suddenly, I’m falling.
“Shit!” I yell when I hit the floor. My heart races against my sweat-covered chest. Looking around, I see Max staring at me.
I’m on the living room floor, next to my couch. The memory of coming back to my house and passing out on the sofa comes to me. I couldn’t sleep in my bed, because the scent of Ember was everywhere in my room. Hell, everything I look at in my house is a reminder of her.
“You want to talk about it?” Max asks gently.
“Damn, I haven’t had one of those in forever. Forgot how much they freak me out.” I rub my head where it hit the floor.
“How long?”
“Months.”
“Was it the same?”
“This one had Ember. She was so scared and yelling for me to help her.”
“Damn. You need anything?”
“That’s a loaded question.”
“Listen, man, I can’t imagine how you feel, but are you being a little hard on her?”
“Hard on her?”
“She needed you tonight, and from where I sit, you needed her as well. Only been around you two a few times, but she’s good for you. Sending her home with Thad and Chloe seems harsh.”
“It was for the best. If she’d have come back here, I’m not sure what would have happened. I couldn’t trust myself to not say something we’d regret.”
“You mean, you’d regret. I’m pretty sure, after watching her today, she’d never do anything to intentionally hurt you.”
“Well, she did.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
I rub my fists over my eyes and try to think of an answer. The thought of not having Ember in my life physically hurts. But can I forgive her secrets and lies?
Chapter 44
Regret
Ember
My life has turned into a tragedy. There’s no one to blame but myself. It has been one week since the Dade incident, and nothing has gone back to normal. My family is talking to me, but not really talking to me. My actions caused devastation to everyone who loves me. Not one
person seems to understand the position I was in. Or, at least, I thought I was in.
Dad and Chloe both cried as I explained everything the night Robbie sent me home with them. Cruz and Alex sat to the side, listening angrily. When I confessed to how I got the money, Cruz walked out and never returned.
Chloe was disappointed in me, but my dad was mad. He was angry with me, but he was furious with my sister. She recovered from her little overdose, just to be met with the wrath of Thad Walker. She tried to backpedal and cover her ass, but he didn’t want to hear it. He told my mom he was done. She could come up with the money to either keep Natalie in treatment or put her back on the street. Whatever she decided was up to her. He knew he’d been played and his generosity had been taken advantage of.
I wanted to respect Robbie’s request for space, but was only able to stay away for one night. When I got home the next day, it was obvious Robbie hadn’t slept in our bed. He didn’t come home until late that night and barely spoke to me unless I asked him a direct question.
When we went to bed, he rolled to his side and stayed to himself. I begged him to talk to me, yell at me, anything at all, but the silence was killing me. He once again asked for space, so I backed off.
That night, and every night since then, he’s woken up and jumped out of bed, coated in sweat. When I’ve reached for him, he cringed, stepping back. Then he left the room, preferring to sleep on the couch. He hasn’t touched me since the afternoon in the interrogation room, when he held me as I cried.
To say I miss him is an understatement. He’s letting me go right in front of my eyes. I’ve been so wrapped up in feeling sorry for myself, I haven’t fought for us. But tonight we’re going to talk. My regret is smothering me.
The only thing that has remained constant in my life is my work. I’ve been here from opening to close every day except for Sunday.
The silence in the store is miserable, especially since I’m not alone. Chloe is in the back finishing Abbi’s dresses, and Cruz is doing monthly inventory. He hates the job and usually whines about it for hours, begging me to take over. But today, he’s silent, never even sparing me a glance. We are ten feet away from one another, but the distance is immeasurable.
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