Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
SORROW
By the time I’m free to leave, all I want to do is sleep.
“I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I swear you’re not alone.”
I look at Olivia and nudge her shoulder with a tired smile.
The woman has been my rock for the last few hours.
I honestly don’t think I’d have made it through without bawling like a baby if she weren’t beside me, tearing the cops to shreds.
By the time she was done, most of the police force looked properly chastened.
The only ones who didn’t were those who were pissed with how things were being handled from the start and seemed to want no part in this.
“They’ll back off now, even if it’s just to regroup. The last thing they want or need is to bring attention to themselves, and that’s what’s going to happen if they keep pulling shit like this.”
I frown, not sure what she means about bringing attention to themselves. She must understand my confusion because she takes my elbow and leads me away so nobody can hear us.
“People who are so quick to cross the line like this have usually crossed it before. I guess that there are a few people here who have done things or have secrets they’d rather not come out.
But if they keep drawing attention to you and, by default, themselves, that spotlight will shine on Tempest, and then we won’t be the only ones digging for the truth.
Add to that, we have a bona fide movie star and director in our midst, and we’ve already piqued people’s interest about Tempest.”
I nod in understanding, already knowing the chief of police is corrupt—to an extent—because of what happened before.
“Your law firm is emailing me copies of everything they have on you. I’m going to go home, kiss my kid goodnight, and read up on everything so I have a better understanding of what we’re dealing with.
I’m also filing those complaints. It might calm down for a while, but I doubt that it will just blow over.
I want you to be on your guard. And if you can avoid being alone, so you have an alibi for whatever they throw at you, even better. ”
I nod, though I don’t have anyone to stay with me. Hopefully, being at the hotel will be enough, especially if they can see my van parked there.
“I’ve texted Wade and Banner. They’ll be here any minute.”
I want to protest. I don’t need Banner in the middle of this any more than he already is. Things are already messy between us.
“Sorrow, I get it. I do, but you need him right now, and I have a feeling before this is over, he’s gonna need you too.”
I wrap my arms around myself and look away, thinking about the day we buried Alec and the promise I made to keep my silence.
I didn’t know then how things would play out.
I was trying to protect the people I loved, not knowing that they’d turn on me like a pack of vicious wolves.
If I knew then what I do now, would I still do it the same way?
I honestly don’t know. Though there is no love lost between me and Alec’s parents, I still love Katy and Banner, and the thought of hurting them by revealing the truth hurts me.
The problem is, in a town the size of Tempest, secrets don’t stay buried with the dead. I have a feeling that if I’d stayed, they’d have come out sooner. Now, I’m torn between a rock and a hard place, and no matter what happens, someone is going to get hurt in the end.
“Laura gave me the gist of things earlier on the phone, so I have an outline, but I’m guessing there is a lot I don’t know. She said she wanted you to fight to get your name clear years ago, but you just wanted to forget things and move on.”
I look back at her and wonder if there is a question in there.
“When this blows, everything will come out. I need you to prepare for that. Because even if you leave, I have a feeling the ripples will be far-reaching.”
I feel my shoulders slump, but I know she’s right. And maybe, if I’m honest, there’s a little bit of relief mixed in with my fear. I’ve been carrying this burden alone for a long time. And I’m just so tired of it all.
The beep of a car horn jolts me. I look over and see Wade pull up. He stops the car and jumps out to walk around the car.
“Hey sugar, you looking for a good time?” Olivia drawls, making me chuckle.
“Really? Are you trying to get arrested for solicitation? I’m sure with how pissed everyone is, they’d love to throw you in lock-up for the night.”
“You’re my husband, doofus.”
“With the way things are going, I’m not sure they’d care.”
Olivia sighs and walks into his arms. He wraps them around her and presses his lips to the crown of her head. I turn away, feeling like I’m intruding.
“How did it go?”
I turn when he speaks, wondering if he’s talking to me, but Olivia is the one who answers.
“It was a shitshow. The chief was acting like a peacock, puffing up his feathers. He even tried to interview Sorrow without legal counsel, saying shit like she was no longer under arrest, she didn’t need me in there, and having me there was akin to admitting her guilt.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Yep. He shot himself in the foot with that because I don’t think he realized how many people were listening in. Cops are duty-bound to uphold shit like due process, and he stomped all over it like it meant shit.”
He runs his hand over his face before glancing at me. “You hanging in there, kid? My wife is like a barracuda when she’s on a mission.”
I offer him a weak smile and nod, feeling guilty that this crap is falling on them.
“Nope. Don’t look like that. This might have started with you, but things have been brewing behind the scenes for a while. I just never had enough proof to do anything about it before. It was getting to the point I started questioning if I was imagining shit.”
“No, you’re not imagining it. Something hinky is definitely going on.” Olivia sighs.
Banner’s truck pulls in behind Wade’s. He jumps out and walks around to me, taking my wrists so he can look at them.
“You get to the hospital and get these checked out?”
I nod as Olivia fills him in on the details.
“I wouldn’t let them interview her before she got medical attention. She had the popped stitches replaced and clean bandages put on. I have to admit, Dr. Fielding, who treated her, was upset. Not at Sorrow. He made a flippant remark about shit like this getting beyond a joke.”
“You think he’s treated other patients where the police have gotten a little too rough?” Wade asks quietly.
Olivia shrugs. “That’s what I got from what he was saying, but I don’t know for sure if that’s actually what he meant.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Wade offers, but Banner shakes his head as he takes one of my hands.
“I’ll talk to him. You might be too close in all this. You’re a good cop and a good man, Wade, but some people wouldn’t be able to see past the badge and lump you all in one.”
“Which is exactly what I’m trying to avoid.” He sighs. “Fine, you look into it, but I want to know what you find out. You got Sorrow covered?”
“I’ve got her,” Banner replies before I can protest.
Oliva walks over and pulls me into a hug. “Let the man look after you. You’ll feel safer having him around. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”
I pull back and stick my tongue out at her, making her laugh.
Wade comes over and scoops her up, giving me a wink. “See you folks later.”
Banner chuckles before leading me to the passenger seat of his truck.
He opens the door and waits for me to climb in.
His truck is for giants, not regular-sized folks like me.
I try to figure out the best way to get in without embarrassing myself, but let out a yelp when I feel hands at my waist, lifting me in.
I look at him wide-eyed once I’m settled and find him grinning at me. What in the heck? I huff as he closes the door and walks around to the driver’s side before climbing in.
He starts the truck up and heads back to the house as I fiddle with the frayed hem of my shorts. The silence between us doesn’t feel hostile, as it often does, but it doesn’t feel comfortable either. That makes me feel nervous.
As if sensing my discomfort, he slides his hand over my leg, just above my knee.
The heat coming off him makes me swallow because all I can think about is his bare skin against mine.
I shut off those thoughts before they spiral.
Yes, I might have always had the biggest crush on Banner, but he never saw me as anything more than a kid, then as his brother’s girl after that.
I bite my lip, glad he doesn’t say anything else for the sake of filling in the silence and take a relieved breath when we pull up outside his house.
He stops the truck and jumps out, walking around to help me down before I can open the door. I grip the door to ease myself out, but he’s right there, hands on my hips again, easing me down. This time, my body slides down his, and both of us catch our breath at the contact.
I wait for him to take a step back, but he doesn’t.
Instead, his hand slides into my hair and tips my head back.
His eyes move over my face, and for a moment, I tell myself he’s just looking at the bruising under my eyes and around my nose.
But then his gaze drops to my lips, and my breathing stalls altogether.
For a minute, it’s as if both of us are frozen in time. Then I hear Katy’s voice, and the spell is broken.
He pulls away and looks toward his sister, seeming completely unaffected by what just happened. Here I am, trying to remember how to breathe and stop my legs from buckling.
Katy runs over, bypassing her brother and launching herself at me. She forgets she is taller than me now, and I end up squished between the truck and her boobs.
“I was worried.” She pulls back to look at me.
I touch my hand to my chest and make the okay sign.
“You might be okay, but I’m not. My head kept running off in a million directions. I’d started contemplating baking you a cake with a file in it, just in case.”
It takes a second for her words to sink in, but when they do, I throw my head back and laugh.
“Alright, let’s get off the streets before the neighbors come out to see what the noise is about,” Banner says, but I see the amusement on his face.
I reach over and give Katy a squeeze. When she steps back, I mouth ‘thank you’ to Banner and hold my hand out for my keys.
“Katy, head on in, I’m going to walk Sorrow over.”
“Okay.” She heads off with a wave. I don’t bother telling Banner it’s unnecessary. The man’s going to do whatever he wants.
He retakes my hand and walks me to my door before unlocking it. I step inside to turn the lights on and find myself nudged out of the way when Banner pushes in beside me.
“I’m gonna do a walk-through.”
I shrug and let him do what he wants. I frown when I realize I can smell pizza. I follow the smell into the living room but find it unsurprisingly pizza-free. The room is far tidier than I remember it being.
It isn’t until I glance up at the wall that Katy and I started painting, I realize someone finished the job. I cover my mouth with my hands, swallowing a gasp when I spin around, slowly noticing the whole room has been done.
As Banner steps into the room, he watches me from just inside the doorway, as if unsure how I’ll react.
I point to the walls, then to him.
“Yeah, but I had some help. We figured it was one last thing for you to worry about.”
I feel tears well behind my eyes and I try desperately to swallow the lump in my throat, but I don’t think I’m winning this battle anytime soon.
“Hey, what’s all this?” He hurries over to me and uses the pad of his thumb to wipe away the tears that slip free. “Baby, you’re killing me.”
I drop my head so it’s resting against his collarbone and try to corral my tears, but it takes far longer than usual. Through it all, Banner holds me together as I fall apart.
Once I finally have my shit together, I look up at him and find myself caught up in him once more. What the hell is happening here? If there were one person on the planet I should stay away from, it’s Banner. Nothing good can come from this, and yet I can’t seem to pull away.
“Better?”
I nod, feeling embarrassed.
“Let’s get what you need and get out of here.”
I pull away then but stop when I think over what he said.
“Caught that, huh?”
I fold my arms and tap my foot impatiently, making him grin.
“With shit swirling around you, it’s been decided that I’m going to watch over you. Olivia must have mentioned something to that effect, right?”
I nod slowly; not sure I like where this is going.
“Good. So get your stuff from the van because you’re staying with me.”