Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
SORROW
I watch with my heart in my throat as the squad car pulls away. While the cop on the doorstep is distracted by one of the neighbors, I turn to a sobbing Katy.
I pull out my phone and type as fast as I can.
I don’t trust him not to try and take you. Sneak out the back and keep your phone on you. Once I get rid of him, I’ll text you and find you.
I hold my phone up for her to read. She wipes her eyes as she reads and nods before heading to the back door.
When she hesitates, I mouth for her to go before I use my app to call Blake.
“This is Blake.”
I swallow, suddenly nervous, having heard about Banner’s boss but never spoken to him before. What if he hates me, too? I shake it off. This isn’t about me.
“This is Sorrow. The cops came and arrested Banner for kidnapping.”
“What the fuck? Who was he supposed to have kidnapped?” I hear him moving and voices in the background, but I don’t let it distract me.
“Katy. I made her leave so they don’t try to force her back home. They’ll probably arrest me too, and I didn’t know what else to do or who to call—”
“Alright, Sorrow, I’ve got you. We’re on our way. You’re at Banner’s place?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m coming to you. I’ll send some others to the station. You call Olivia?”
I mentally curse. I should have thought about that first. “No.”
“I’ll do that on my way over.”
“Miss Wells?” I ignore the cop and close my eyes for a second, trying to slow my racing heart.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Just hang on for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Miss Wells, I need you to hang up the phone and put your hands where I can see them.”
“Don’t hang up the phone. I’m recording this. Just slide it into your pocket,” Blake tells me quietly.
I pretend to hang up and do as he suggests before moving my hands out and putting them up in front of me.
“Step outside slowly.”
I do as I’m told, feeling my face flush with embarrassment when I see some of the neighbors outside and watching with confused expressions. They must have seen Smith taking Banner away. He pulls his gun and aims it at me, making me flinch. Someone gasps, but I keep my eyes on the cop.
“I’m unarmed,” I mouth, and even though he watches my lips, he ignores me.
“Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your head.”
Not wanting to get into it when there is a gun pointed at me, I comply, lying flat on my stomach and putting my hands behind my head. I wince when I feel a knee in the center of my back, but I don’t complain. Once he locks handcuffs around my wrists, I’m yanked to my feet.
I stumble back into the cop and find the gun pressed against the center of my forehead.
The unexpectedness of it all, the acute fear rushing over me, and my inability to scream have my brain shutting down.
I feel my bladder release, along with my tears.
My shame makes me sob, the blood rushing so loudly in my ears that I can barely hear anything else.
I can sense the shift in the atmosphere as the neighbors gather closer, some looking horrified, others looking pissed. For once, I don’t think it’s aimed at me.
“What are you doing?” someone yells at the cop—Karen, I think, from two houses down, with the quiet husband and the yappy dog.
“Ma’am, step back. This woman is under arrest.”
“What on earth for now? All you do is arrest her.”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“To me, sure, but you haven’t told Sorrow what she’s being arrested for either or read her her rights.”
The fact that she’s coming to my defense makes me sob even harder.
Her swayed opinion of me encourages others to speak up, and before I know it, a crowd has gathered around.
The gun is thankfully moved from my head and is now held pointed down at the ground as the cop leans into his shoulder mic and radios for help.
“Officer in need of assistance at 8446 Mayfair Lane. I repeat, officer in need of assistance.”
“Ten-four, officer en route,” a voice replies from the other end as the crowd gets louder.
The cop drags me toward the remaining squad car just as a truck comes barreling down the street and parks in the road, effectively blocking us in.
Everyone turns to look as a tall, blond-haired man built like an action figure steps out of the driver’s side, and a handsome, I’ll fuck you up dark-haired man gets out from the passenger side.
I instantly know they’re here for me. They move closer, the crowd parting with ease to let them through.
Silence descends as people buzz with anticipation.
“Fuck,” the cop holding me grumbles under his breath as he catches sight of who’s bearing down on us.
“You okay, Sorrow?” I recognize the blonde’s voice. This is the infamous Blake.
I almost nod on reflex, but I’m not okay. Not even close.
“You wanna tell me what you’re arresting her for now? Olivia is filing multiple grievances against Tempest PD as we speak. I might as well add this situation and your name to the list.”
I think for a second that he’s going to give Blake the same spiel he gave Karen, but Blake is a lot more intimidating than Karen.
“Miss Wells is being charged with kidnapping and resisting arrest.”
“She did not resist arrest. She did everything you told her to, and you still put a gun to her forehead,” Karen shouts.
The dark guy’s eyes narrow. “You did what?”
“She went for my weapon.”
A man speaks up from the crowd. “She was handcuffed. She fell into you when you yanked her off the ground.”
“That’s not—”
“I got it all on camera,” the guy snaps before the cop can say anything else.
I look away, realizing my shame will be immortalized for everyone to see.
“Hey,” a hand on my face makes me jump as the dark-haired guy looks at me with concern. “We’ll fix this.”
“Marcus?” Blake calls out before his eyes dip down to where my shorts are wet.
Without hesitation, Marcus whips off his sweatshirt and reaches around me to tie it around my waist.
And the goddamn tears start all over again.
“Back up, Marcus, or I’ll arrest you too.”
“By the time you guys have finished, you won’t have any cops left to arrest anyone,” Marcus snaps at him before he leans into me and presses a kiss to my forehead.
“We’ve got you now, and we’ve got Banner. I promise. You’re not alone.”
I swallow and nod as he pulls back.
“Let’s go,” the cop orders, opening the door to the squad car.
I look at Blake and mouth the word Katy. He nods as the officer places his hand on my head and guides me in.
At least he’s gentler than the rookie was, though I can’t find it in me to care. Not when I’m sitting in wet jeans that will soon start to smell.
As he waits for Blake to move his truck, people walk over and press their hands briefly against my window.
It takes me a minute to understand that it’s a show of solidarity.
I think they’re finally realizing that this is about more than me.
If Banner gets arrested simply for having his sister in his home, then something is not right.
The police force is the hub of a small town.
If that town can’t trust them to have their best interests at heart, people will start to buck the system.
They know if it can be Banner, it can be any one of them.
I lean my head against the glass as we start to move, zoning out until a single thought slaps me up the side of my head.
In a small town, everyone knows everything about everyone. So, everyone knows that Katy splits her time between her parents’ house and Banner’s. How does staying with her brother suddenly turn into kidnapping?
This has to be the Bannerman’s’ doing. It has to be. Banner won’t give me up, and so they’re punishing him for it. I squeeze my hands into fists, feeling the metal of the cuffs digging into my wrists. I hate how underhanded they’re being. Setting me up is one thing, but to turn on their son?
Or maybe it’s a ploy—not to get Banner to leave me, but to make me leave him.
As much as they hate me, they know what I put up with, what I’m willing to endure for someone I love.
The only thing that could make me leave him would be if it guaranteed his safety.
They’ve overplayed their hand. Not only because I think this is the beginning of a war they never foresaw, but because they forgot to factor in Katy.
No way am I leaving her to deal with them alone. Fuck that and fuck them. I squeeze my eyes shut, weighing all my options. Really, there’s only one. I’ve already had Olivia start the ball rolling, but I’ve been trying to avoid feelings getting hurt. However, after today, I’m done.
They want to drag not just me, but Banner and Katy, through the mud? So be it. It’s time I started throwing it right back.
I sit in a holding cell for an hour and a half before the door opens and the chief walks in.
He sits down with a smirk on his face, so I turn and stare at a spot on the wall.
I don’t have my lawyer present, so I won’t be talking to him.
If Olivia isn’t with me, it’s for a good reason.
She wouldn’t leave me here alone otherwise.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re here yet again, Miss Wells. Seems to become somewhat of a habit.”
Yeah, I think it’s called harassment and stalking, buddy.
I shift uncomfortably, my wet jeans doing nothing to improve my mood.
“It’s an unfortunate event that’s transpired. Hopefully, Jake can move past this and learn from his mistakes.”
I keep ignoring the asshat. Banner did nothing wrong, and we both know it.
“For Jake, this was his first offense. For you, however…” He lets his sentence trail off, but I know what he’s implying. Because I have a prior conviction, I’ll be treated more harshly. It’s not his job to determine that, but a judge’s.
“I think at this juncture, the smartest thing for you to do is just leave town. I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay.”
I turn to glare at him.
The door opens, and Olivia walks in with a briefcase in her hand. “Now I know you’re not questioning my client without me here.”