21. Sam
21
SAM
Sam
I want to rip the cops apart for daring to touch her. I want to splinter their bones and make them pay for every second of fear I saw in her eyes.
But that would only get this more tied up, and as fucking feral as I feel right now, I know when to pick my battles. Even if I'd rather let my fists fly, I'll have to make these guys pay later…
As soon as Kim is out of the house, the officers release me, and I grab my phone. "Jenkins," I bark when my lawyer picks up. "Get your ass over here now. And bring the whole damn firm if you have to."
Not bothering with me, the remaining cops leave. The door slams shut behind them, and I'm left in the sudden, deafening silence of my empty mansion.
"Fuck!" I roar, smashing my fist into the wall. The pain barely registers.
I pace like a caged animal, making call after call. To Jenkins, to fixers, to anyone who might be able to help. Money's no object. I'll bankrupt myself if that's what it takes.
"I don't care what it costs," I growl at Jenkins when he finally arrives. "Just get her out. Now."
He starts rattling off legal jargon, but I cut him off. "I don't give a shit about the details. Make it happen."
The next few hours are torture. I can't sit still, can't think straight. All I can see is Kim's face as they took her away.
When my phone finally rings, I nearly drop it in my haste to answer.
"We've posted bail," Jenkins says. "She'll be released within the hour."
Relief floods through me, so intense it makes me dizzy. But it's not enough. Not nearly enough.
"I'm coming to get her," I say, already grabbing my keys.
"Mr. Warwick, I don't think that's wise-"
I hang up on him mid-sentence. Nothing's keeping me from Kim. Not the cops, not the press, not even Kim herself.
She's mine. And I'm getting her back.
I storm into the police station, my eyes scanning the room for Kim. The desk sergeant looks up, startled.
"Mr. Warwick, what can I-"
"Where is she?" I demand, cutting him off.
He blinks. "I'm sorry, who-"
"Kim Daniels. The woman you arrested. Where the fuck is she?"
A detective approaches, eyeing me warily. "Mr. Warwick, perhaps we should talk in private."
I follow him to an interview room, my jaw clenched. He shuts the door behind us, taking a seat at the table in the middle.
"Mr. Warwick, do you know anything about Nathan Daniels?"
I stop abruptly, fixing him with a hard stare. "Yeah, I know something. That piece of shit is running a drug empire out of his sister's apartment."
The detective's eyebrows shoot up. "And how do you know this?"
"I've seen it with my own eyes," I growl. "I went by the check on Kim's apartment for her, and I walked right into that cesspool he calls a drug den. I told him to get it cleaned up and get out of his sister's place because she has nothing to do with all that shit." I give him a glare to accentuate the end.
He jots that down. "When was this?"
"A few days ago." The vein in my temple jumps, eager to get this over with. I want Kim fucking back.
He scribbles something down. "And why were you looking at the apartment for Ms. Daniels?" He looks up with me with a lifted brow. "What is your connection to her?"
I bite back a snarl. Like hell I'm going to tell him I've been keeping her at my place. "She's an ice girl for the team. I'm just helping her out."
"Uh-huh." His tone drips with skepticism. "And you just happened to walk into her apartment?"
"The door was wide open," I snap. "Nathan was there, high as a kite, bragging about how he's using Kim's connection to the team to expand his clientele."
The detective leans forward. "Did you see any drugs?"
"What, you want an itemized list?" I scoff. "The place was crawling with addicts. There were baggies and pills everywhere. Nathan's got the whole operation set up in there."
"And Ms. Daniels wasn't present?"
"No," I say firmly. "She hasn't been there in weeks. This is all Nathan's doing."
He nods, jotting down more notes. "We'll need to verify this information, of course. But if what you're saying is true, it could help Ms. Daniels's case significantly."
"Then verify it," I snarl. "Fast. I want her out of here now."
He studies me for a long moment, then nods. "We'll look into it. Ms. Daniels is being processed for release now."
I barely hear the rest of what he says. My entire body thrums with anticipation. When the door finally opens and Kim steps out, looking small and vulnerable in her wrinkled clothes, something inside me breaks.
In two strides, I'm there, sweeping her into my arms. "Kim," I breathe, burying my face in her hair. "Fuck, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
She shakes her head against my chest. "I'm fine, Sam. Really."
But I can feel her trembling, her fingers digging into my back as she clings to me. I tighten my grip, lifting her off her feet.
"I've got you," I murmur. "You're safe now."
I carry her out of the station, ignoring the stares of the officers and the flashes of cameras outside. Kim doesn't protest, just burrows closer to me.
My driver opens the car door, and I slide in with Kim still in my arms. She settles onto my lap, her face pressed against my neck.
"Sam," she whispers, her breath warm on my skin.
A surge of possessiveness, of pure fucking joy, courses through me. She's here. She's safe. She's mine.
I stroke her back, savoring the feel of her in my arms. "I'm here, little dancer. I've got you."
I carry Kim up the stairs, her slight weight nothing against my chest. She's quiet, her face buried in my neck, and I can feel her breath tickling my skin. It drives me fucking wild, but I push that down. She needs care right now, not my raging libido.
"Let's get you cleaned up," I murmur, setting her down in the massive ensuite bathroom.
She looks up at me, those big brown eyes still a bit dazed. "I can manage, Sam."
"Like hell," I growl. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."
A ghost of a smile touches her lips. "Possessive much?"
"You have no idea," I reply, my voice low and rough.
I turn on the shower, steam quickly filling the room. Kim hesitates, her fingers toying with the hem of her shirt.
"Don't get shy on me now," I tease, though my heart's pounding. "Nothing I haven't seen before."
She rolls her eyes but starts to undress. I keep my eyes on her face, much as it kills me. When she steps into the shower, I lean against the counter, arms crossed.
"You gonna join me?" she asks, peeking around the glass door.
The invitation nearly floors me. "Don't tempt me. I'm trying to be good here."
She laughs, a sound that warms me from the inside out. "Since when?"
I don't have an answer for that. Since her, I guess. Everything's different with her.
When she's done, I wrap her in the fluffiest towel I own and carry her to the bedroom. I pull out one of my shirts for her to wear, and fuck if the sight of her in my clothes doesn't do things to me.
I settle on the bed, pulling her onto my lap. She curls into me, still damp and warm from the shower. I breathe her in, my arms tightening around her.
Just then, my phone starts to ring. I growl, ready to ignore it, but Kim shifts in my arms.
"You should answer that," she says softly. "It might be important."
I glance at the screen. "It's Jenkins."
She nods. "Your lawyer? You definitely need to take it."
Grumbling, I answer the call. "This better be good, Jenkins."
His voice comes through, excited. "Mr. Warwick, I have excellent news. The charges against Ms. Daniels have been dropped."
I sit up straighter, Kim still in my arms. "What?"
"Yes, sir. And there's more. Nathan Daniels has been arrested and charged. It seems your information checked out."
A wave of relief washes over me. "Fucking finally," I breathe.
Kim looks up at me, questioning. I cover the phone with my hand. "Charges dropped. Nathan's been arrested."
Her eyes widen, a mix of emotions crossing her face. I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Thanks, Jenkins," I say into the phone. "Keep me updated." I hang up without waiting for a response.
Kim's quiet for a moment, then she looks up at me. "It's over?"
I nod, cupping her face in my hands. "It's over, little dancer. You're free."
She lets out a shaky breath, then surprises me by pressing her lips to mine. It's soft, tentative, but it sets me on fire.
When she pulls back, her eyes are shining. "Thank you, Sam."
I shake my head, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "Don't thank me. I'd do anything for you, Kim. Anything."
And I realize in just that moment how literal I mean it. Which can only mean one thing.