Chapter Twenty-Five
The dream felt too real to be a dream. I was back in the old house. Lindie’s shrill voice was coming from all around as she blamed me for everything. For Dad leaving. For losing her baby. For breaking her mind. All of it.
My heart pounded in my throat as I reached for the piano lid, desperate for something solid, but when I pressed on the keys, seeking its solace, instead, I got a warped sound. It was too deep, too drawn out...
“Cadence!”
I jolted awake, chest heaving. The early light spilled across the room, soft but too bright for the hour.
It took me a second to remember where I was. To realize that I wasn’t in the past. That the weight against me wasn’t a locked door but Bryan’s arm, heavy across my waist.
He was still sleeping, his breathing slow and even, his forehead resting against my shoulder. That steadiness and warmth anchoring me back in reality. My heartbeat slowed, the nightmare slowly fading away.
I drew in a shaky breath, letting my eyes close again. I was safe here. I was home, next to Bryan. I was more than safe.
The quiet was broken by a soft buzz from my phone on the nightstand. I frowned, reaching for it, expecting a text from one of the other guys. Maybe Seth reminding me about Sunday dinner. But the screen glowed with a notification from my security app.
Front Door: Motion Detected.
I tapped the doorbell camera feed and froze.
Two figures stood on my front porch, one of them in a dark uniform. The familiar badge patch on the older man gleamed faintly in the morning light.
Officer Brelly and Roman Davies.
My stomach dropped. There was no good reason at all for those two to be at my doorstep at seven in the morning.
“Shit.”
Bryan stirred beside me, startled awake as I practically launched out of bed. “Cadence? What?”
But I was already halfway to the door, heart pounding.
I barely remembered flying down the stairs. My bare feet hit the hardwood, my pulse echoing in my ears, louder than even the sound of them knocking.
I yanked open the door to see Officer Brelly’s hand raised, ready to knock again.
“Officers,” I said, breathless. “Is something wrong? What happened?”
Officer Brelly’s expression was the same calm one he’d always had, his dark eyes filled with kindness. “Morning, Cadence. Sorry to drop in like this.”
Davies stood beside him, arms crossed, towering as usual. His scar caught the light, the old military sharpness still in his posture. “We got a call from Mr. and Mrs. Goodrow. Said their son was missing.”
I blinked. “What?” Bryan was most definitely not missing.
Officer Brelly sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Apparently, after an argument last night, Bryan ran from home last night. They reported him as a runaway.”
“He’s seventeen!” I said too loud as anger surged through me. Did his parents seriously do that? “He’s not—he’s fine. He’s here because his parents—”
Davies raised a hand, stopping me. “Easy, Cadence. We know.”
Behind me, footsteps thudded on the stairs. Bryan appeared, hoodie half-zipped, hair messy from sleep. He stopped cold when he saw the two of them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.
“Afraid not,” Officer Brelly said. “Your parents were concerned. Said you left angry in the middle of the night.”
Bryan’s jaw clenched. “They took my car keys. I had to leave.”
“Yeah, well,” Davies said dryly. “They told dispatch you were taken. Which means we get to spend our Sunday morning checking to make sure your girlfriend didn’t kidnap you.”
My face burned. “What—no! I didn’t—”
This was so ridiculous! Me? Kidnap Bryan? I looked over at him. He was just over six feet tall, the tallest of all the guys, and while he didn’t play sports, he was still in good shape. If anything, he’d have kidnapped me. There was no way I’d ever be able to overpower him.
Officer Brelly’s mouth twitched, trying not to laugh. “Relax, Cadence. We know. But maybe next time, just...don’t harbor a runaway, huh?”
“I didn’t harbor anyone,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
“Sure, sure,” Davies said, mock serious. “But you might want to write that in your diary tonight just in case you end up in court for kidnapping your boyfriend.”
Bryan groaned. “Can we not—”
“Can we not threaten me with jail over this?” I said, glaring at Davies, who only chuckled.
“Noted, but also, there’s evidence.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “What evidence?”
“Your text message. What did it say again?” Davies asked.
My eyes widened as Officer Brelly pretended to flip through a small notebook. “ ‘Consider your son kidnapped.’ ”
I groaned as Bryan stepped closer to me, resting his hand on my back. “I wasn’t kidnapped.”
“Noted,” Officer Brelly said, the edge of a grin breaking through. “We’re just glad he’s safe.”
Davies gave a small nod, this time more sober now. “Still, Bryan, you should head home. Get things sorted before they escalate things. They are in a position to be able to press charges against Cadence if they choose to.”
I felt lightheaded as the gravity of what he was saying hit me.
Bryan’s expression darkened. “They always panic when I don’t do what they want.” His voice dropped, sharper. “I’ll handle it.”
He turned to me, his frustration softening just a bit. “I’m sorry, Cadence. I’ll fix this. They won’t do shit to you. I’ll get a ride from Seth. You shouldn’t have to deal with this crap when you were just doing me a favor.”
“Bryan—”
He gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, Cadence. I promise.”
He brushed my arm gently as he leaned over and kissed the side of my head before stepping past the officers.
Davies watched him go, then looked back at me. “He’s got fire.”
Officer Brelly snorted in amusement. “The whole group does.”
I sighed and leaned against the doorframe, noting that the two of them had made no move to leave. “You guys really came here for that?”
“Standard protocol,” Officer Brelly said. “We figured it was better if we came instead of the regular patrol since we were around when the call came through. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
Davies crossed his arms, expression turning more serious. “You still helping out Hope’s Embrace, right?”
My stomach tightened. “Yeah. Why?”
Officer Brelly exchanged a look with him before saying carefully. “It’s not bad news yet. But that organization has been flagged for review. Something about money trails.”
My pulse jumped. Months ago, Davies had asked me some questions about them when Janice had first come back to town to share her connection and knowledge about the Ryder gang. I thought that was the end of it.
I stared between the two of them in disbelief. “You think they’re laundering money? Right? Isn’t that what usually comes out of money trails in all those police shows?”
Davies shook his head. “No, not them directly. It’s about who they were partnered with.”
“Who?” I asked.
Davies didn’t blink or hesitate as he said, “Arden Laurens.”
His name hit me like a cold wave. He had chased Janice and me through my school, shooting at us. The sound of his gun still haunted me most weeks. That desperation and fear of being hunted. I still couldn’t shake it and apparently, I wasn’t allowed to either.
“Turns out,” Davies continued, “he’s connected to a larger network we’ve been digging into. He was only tied to the Ryder gang as a middleman from a higher up. Organized crime that likes to hide in nonprofits.”
My mind reeled. “No. No way. Hope’s Embrace would never deal with something like that.”
“We believe that,” Officer Brelly said quickly, palms raised. “That’s why we came to tell you ourselves. So far, it looks like Laurens was trying to use the charity as a front. He’s already under investigation. We just wanted you to hear it from us before rumors start flying.”
I swallowed hard. “So you’re saying it’s not over.”
Davies’ tone softened. “Not for them, but I don’t expect it’ll drag out much longer before they’re completely cleared.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. “Isn’t that kind of stuff kept under wraps?”
The two of them glanced at each other before Officer Brelly replied, “Because you’re connected to them, Cadence.”
My stomach dropped as I realized the reason they came here was more than just to make sure Bryan went home. “Connected how? I just help with events—”
Davies shook his head. “Not just events. You were contracted to compose music for the musical they were creating. The very project that connected Laurens to the nonprofit. That work involves invoices, payments, email correspondence, all of which, unfortunately, fall inside the scope of the review.”
The room tilted slightly. “Are you saying I’m being investigated?”
“No,” Davies said firmly. “Let me make that absolutely clear. You are not a suspect. But the financial trail between you and Hope’s Embrace is part of their routine audit. It’s procedural. Anyone who received funds or did work with them in the last fiscal year gets screened.”
Officer Brelly reached into his jacket and pulled out a sealed envelope, holding it out to me. I grabbed it with shaking hands.
“This is a subpoena for access to your financial records, especially related to Hope’s Embrace. Bank statements, any invoices, receipts, contracts, drafts.”
My mouth went dry. “But I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just a contractor.”
“We know,” Davies said, his voice gentle. “That’s why we wanted to come in person instead of someone else coming. You’ve already been through enough. And honestly?” He sighed. “Your paperwork is probably going to be the cleanest part of this whole mess.”
Officer Brelly nodded. “This isn’t an accusation. It’s just verification. It protects you too. The more transparent you are, the faster you’re cleared and the faster they clear Hope’s Embrace.”
I stared at the envelope, dread coiling in my stomach. “Does Mara know?”
“She does,” Davies said. “She got the same notice this morning. We planned to call you tomorrow, but since you decided to become a kidnapper, we figured this would be easier.”
Officer Brelly spoke up. “This is just paperwork. Nothing more. But it’s important you understand what’s happening so rumors don’t blindside you later.”
“Thanks.” I held up the envelope. “I hope you understand I’ll call my lawyer first and then we’ll work with my financial advisor to make sure you get what you need.”
Officer Brelly held up his hands. “I one hundred percent agree with that.” He gave me a smile. “And if you hadn’t suggested it, I would have.”
“Right,” I mumbled, back to staring at the envelope. I’d had so many firsts when it came to the police, the law, and courts this past year and it seemed it wasn’t going to end anytime soon.
“Cadence, don’t worry. This is something that will resolve on its own,” Davies said.
“If anyone goes after Hope’s Embrace, then I won’t stay quiet,” I said darkly, the words coming out harder than I expected. I refused to sound small. How dare someone like Ardens try to darken such a beautiful organization like Hope’s Embrace.
They both froze for a beat, then I kept going, quieter, lower, speaking in a way that demanded others listen and take things seriously.
“I have people I can call. Volunteers, parents of kids they helped, a lawyer who owes me a favor, and a few others who know how to make noise in the right places. I don’t need to start anything violent.
I know enough to make sure anyone who tries to use Hope’s Embrace for their own ends regrets the decision.
I’ll be careful, but I will not let them drag that charity through the mud. ”
Davies’ jaw tightened. “You’ve got fire, Cadence. That’s useful but also dangerous.” He didn’t sound disapproving, only cautious.
Officer Brelly nodded, the patience in his face replaced by the practical look of a cop who’d been through too many messy public feuds.
“Right now, things are contained. If you go rallying up support, it won’t be contained anymore.
This needs to stay under the radar. We haven’t made any waves yet and Mara has been working with us too. Let’s try to keep it that way?”
I squared my shoulders and stared at them both, refusing to let them intimidate me when it comes to the one thing in this world I absolutely love with all of my being. “Fine. But if this breaks out, I’m fighting back. I won’t let anyone tear Hope’s Embrace down.”
Davies let out a breath that was almost a laugh, half admiration, half warning.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less. Just don’t be reckless yet.
So far, everything is going well and in Hope’s Embrace’s favor and no one has caught on to what is being investigated.
We don’t want to drag their name through the mud either. ”
“Fine,” I finally said.
Officer Brelly smiled. “Good. We do have some questions for you, we’ll need a statement from you considering your long history with them and that you were contracted to work with Lauren under their name. Do you mind if we come in and do that real quick? Should be short.”
I nodded and stepped back, letting them inside. I’d do anything for Hope’s Embrace.