10. CHAPTER TEN
I paced my office at Forbidden Ink as Oya looked at me like I’d lost my mind. This was at least the fucking third time her ex had tried to confront her. Once when I was there and another time while she was out with Raquel, now at her job.
This shit had to end. I’ve been patiently waiting for Emilio Messina, the new Don of the Bianchi Syndicate to do what he promised King he’d do, but he wasn’t moving fast enough for me.
Now Oya’s job was in jeopardy because her damn ex-husband didn’t know how to take no for an answer and move on with his life.
“This is fucking ridiculous!” I stopped pacing and looked at her. “He shouldn’t be able to do this.”
She sighed after I resumed pacing. “I agree. But power and money talk, and unfortunately, he has both. I’m not worried Gavin, the truth will eventually come out. Everything will be all right.”
That motherfucker had the nerve to approach the Dean of the university with the outrageous allegation accusing Oya of giving grades in exchange for money. Now the school was investigating and had put her on unpaid leave indefinitely.
“He’s costing you your job.” I shook my head in disbelief at how far he was willing to go.
I shouldn’t be surprised because he was a bastard but Oya’s the mother of his kid.
You think that meant something but if that didn’t mean anything to my father why would it mean anything to someone like the congressman. “And for what? Because of me?”
If I had anything fragile in my vicinity, I’d break it. I was so fucking pissed. Not only was he going after the Sinners' legal businesses, including Forbidden Ink, but now he was going after her job too.
It hadn’t even been two hours since the Health Department had left because someone had filed a complaint against us.
Of course, they didn’t find shit because there was nothing to find.
I did shit the way it was supposed to be done because this place was my life.
If it got out that a complaint had been filed about Forbidden Ink being unsanitary, I could be ruined.
Not only my business but me as a tattoo artist. I wouldn’t be able to work again.
Which I knew was what he wanted. He wanted to hit me and the Sinners.
Oya stood and walked to me, causing me to stop pacing. She cupped my face. “We will get through this, okay?” She kissed my lips and then pulled away. “Take a breath.”
I closed my eyes, inhaled a deep breath, then released it opening my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I can’t imagine how this was impacting her.
We just wanted to be happy. I finally found contentment and some asshole was doing everything in their power to destroy it.
What sucked was someone else was handling him when it should be me.
I didn’t give up easily and I wouldn’t this time, but it wasn’t easy.
None of this should be as hard as it was.
Her brows dipped in confusion. “For what?”
“For bringing all this down on you. I don’t want our relationship to cost you everything you’ve worked hard for.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “This isn’t anyone’s fault, but Thomas’. Everything will work out. Trust me.”
Before I could respond, there was pounding on my office door. “Police!”
“Police,” I muttered as I walked to the door. “What the hell?”
I yanked the door open. Two uniformed officers stood there like they were ready for anything. My eyes flicked down to their hands on the butts of their guns, then back to their eyes.
“Can I help you?” I asked as calmly as possible. I wasn’t about to get shot by police officers who were ready to kill me on the spot.
“Are you Gavin Lawson?” the officer who was closest to me.
“I am.”
“We have a warrant for your arrest,” he said, while the other officer pulled out his handcuffs. “Please turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
“What for?” Oya asked. “Let me see the warrant.”
“Ma’am. Step back.”
“But he didn’t do anything!” she shouted.
I was so fucking overjoyed she had so much faith in me. I hadn’t done anything, and it felt amazing to have someone on my side especially when this was about to be a shit fest.
“It’s fine, babe.” I turned around and put my hands behind my back. “I didn’t do anything so there’s nothing to worry about.”
I hated the tears pooled in her eyes. She was scared for me. But I was used to these types of situations. I’d spent the best years of my life in prison. There was no reason for me to freak out because I wasn’t a kid anymore and I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I’d made back then.
“Call Reaper. Tell him what’s happened,” I said as the cops escorted me out of my office.
Thank God today was slow, and the shop was empty right now. I could possibly lose customers if they’d seen me being ushered out in handcuffs despite it all being bullshit.
“What the fuck, Gav?” Angel asked as we passed him.
“I don’t know, man. Cancel the rest of my appointments, and give Oya, Reaper’s number.”
“What about King?” Angel asked from behind me.
“Don’t bother him. He needs to be with Alana.”
My older brother had enough shit to deal with. All I needed was for Reaper to get in touch with our lawyer and let him handle the rest because I know for a fact, I haven’t done shit.
“I got you,” Angel said. “Hang in there until the cavalry arrives.”
“Don’t worry, Oya!” I shouted as they pushed me out the front door. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
Handcuffed to a metal bar bolted to a green rectangular table in an interrogation room was like deja vu.
It wouldn’t shock me if this was the same room I was in all those years ago.
My much younger self freaked out when this happened before.
Seven years in prison and running with the Sinners had hardened me to this type of situation.
They wouldn’t break me this time because they can’t. I wasn’t that same kid.
I’d been in here well over an hour. I could feel their eyes burning into my head as they hid behind the one-way window that took up most of the wall in front of me. They thought they could make me sweat. But they weren’t going to get anything out of me especially since I hadn’t done shit.
The door to the interrogation room swung open and I groaned when two detectives I was very familiar with strolled in the room with smirks on their faces. These were the two detectives who had helped convict me.
“Look who’s back,” Detective Moore said as he tossed a manila folder on the table then took one of the seats in front of me, while Detective Chavis, took the other. “If it ain’t Gavin Lawson, or should I call you Saint.”
I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut. He could call me whatever the fuck he wanted. I didn’t give a fuck and I wouldn’t let this prick get under my skin.
“Cat got your tongue?” Detective Moore asked, chuckling.
“Nope.” I shrugged like it was no big fucking deal I was here. “I just ain’t got shit to say other than, I want my lawyer.”
Detective Moore narrowed his eyes at me.
He couldn’t stand the sight of me. Other than being a Sinner, I didn’t know why.
When I was arrested at seventeen, I had nothing to do with the club, but he still made it his mission to make sure I went to prison for as many years as possible for the charge.
If I didn’t know any better, it was personal, and he held a grudge against me.
I didn’t know him personally, so I didn’t know why he had a hard-on for me.
“You’re no better than your father,” he sneered.
And there it was. He knew my Da.
“What did he do?” I asked, not able to stop the smile curving my lips. “Let me guess. Now you tell me if I’m wrong, Detective Moore,” I taunted, laughing. “He fucked your wife, didn’t he?”
“You son of a bitch! “Detective Moore shouted, as he shot to his feet, then planted his palms on the table. His face was only inches from mine. He didn’t deny it so that definitely had to be what this was all about.
What a small fucking world. My Da and the detective that helped send me to prison had a fucking history.
“If I know anything about my Da, he probably fucked her in your house.” I chuckled. “Am I right? Did you walk in on them together?”
Anger rolled off him, but I didn’t give a fuck.
I understood he didn’t like my Da, but what the hell did that have to do with me?
Back then I knew these two detectives had it out for me, but I couldn’t understand why.
I’d even mentioned it to my Da, which evidently was the wrong person to say anything to.
But I was a seventeen-year-old kid. A baby who didn’t know shit about how the cops operated.
And these two used my trust in the police against me.
But now I knew how they rolled. It didn’t matter if I didn’t do shit, they’d find a way to pin it on me anyway.
But not this time. Every fucking thing that had gone wrong in my life centered around my fucking sperm donor but this time I would not be the collateral damage to his behavior. I was going home to my woman.
“You’re going down, Lawson,” Detective Moore threatened. “Just like you did all those years ago.”
Once again, the door swung open and the Sinners' lawyer, Johnathan Ledet strolled in. The man had a presence and was a badass in the courtroom. He wasn’t around when I got sent up the first time.
I was sure if he’d been my lawyer there’d been no way in hell, I would have pulled time.
He would have figured out a way to get me off.
He arched his brow. “Gavin, you good?”
“You got here just in time, Johnathan,” I said without taking my eyes off the detective. “It looks like Detective Moore has a problem with his temper.”
“I see,” Johnathan said, eyeing Detective Moore. “Detective, I suggest you get out of my client's face and have a seat unless you want to have a lawsuit on your hands.”
He unwillingly pulled his gaze away from me and focused on Johnathan Ledet.
The man was one of the most powerful defense attorneys in Oakland, and always got any member cleared of anything they’d been charged with.
I wished I’d been a Sinner all those years ago, I know for a fact I never would have served a day in prison.
Ledet took the seat beside me, his six-foot-four frame barely contained in the rickety metal chair. He sat his brown leather briefcase on the floor at his feet. “Sorry it took me so long to get here,” he said, apologizing. “I was in court, so it took a while for my assistant to get me the message.”
“No worries,” I said. I was just grateful he was here now. “I haven’t said anything.”
“Good.”
He turned his attention to the two detectives who were seething in their seats. They knew the reputation of Johnathan Ledet. And they also knew they were fucked. He’d eat them and the fake ass evidence alive.
“So, gentlemen, you don’t have a case. My client will not be making a statement at this time.”
“You don’t know what we have,” Detective Moore sneered. “Your client killed a man, and we have an eyewitness to prove it. He’s a violent criminal and this time, I’ll be putting him in prison for life.”
I held in my emotions. I wouldn’t let them goad me into showing any anger especially when they’d try to use that outburst against me.
There was no fucking way I killed anyone, and I could prove it.
I was either at the shop, with Oya, or at the clubhouse.
Every place had security footage to prove where I was.
“You have anything to say for yourself?” Detective Chavis asked me.
I looked at my attorney then looked back at Detective Chavis, keeping my mouth shut.
“My client has nothing more to say, and this interview is over.”
He leaned over and whispered in my ear, then got up and left. My bond hearing was at nine in the morning, and I’d be home for lunch.
“Take me back to my cell.”