9. Evgeny #2
I wait until his light blue eyes are locked on mine.
“I swear to you that I’m getting you out of here.
I just need you to hang on. They’re going to try and get you to break, to fuck up, to lose your temper, anything they can think of that will give them more ammunition against you.
Don’t fucking let them,” I warn. “You will behave, and you will not hurt or kill anyone. Do you understand?”
“I’m not going to just sit back and take a beating,” he says.
“They beat you?”
“Alvarez kicked me while I was cuffed and on the ground. I’m sure he’ll try again once we’re alone.”
“That fucker,” I say, making a few more notes before setting my pen down. “Lift your shirt.”
As soon as he does, I see the deep red mark that will quickly turn into one hell of a bruise that covers his ribs on the right side. I’m so pissed it takes me a few minutes to compose myself.
“I’m going to make sure that gets reported, but I’d be lying if I thought it would do any good. They’ll say you resisted arrest, and I’m guessing none of their body cams will show the footage.”
“I’ll be fine,” Sasha says. “Don’t worry about me, Ev. I can handle myself.”
“I know you can,” I tell him. “I’m just worried they’re going to try something else and you’re going to kill them for it.
” I meet his eyes, willing him to believe me when I say, “It’s not going to be easy to get you out of here, Sasha, but I swear I’m going to do it.
If you hurt someone while you’re here, though,” I start to say, unable to finish the thought because it will mean my cousin will spend the rest of his life behind bars, and I can’t force myself to voice that fear.
“I would never do anything that could keep me away from Cyn and the girls, Ev. Stop worrying. I’ll protect myself if I have to, but I’m not planning on starting anything.”
I nod, knowing he’s telling me the truth. “Your arraignment will most likely be tomorrow morning. I’ll argue for you to be released on bail, but there’s no way any judge is going to agree to it. I want you to know that before we go in tomorrow. I don’t want you surprised by it.”
“I figured my home would be a cell until your brilliant mind can convince them to drop the charges or this goes to trial.” He’s quiet for a second, and I know he’s thinking of all the time he’s losing with his family. “If it goes to trial, it’ll take a while, won’t it?”
I want to lie to him and tell him not to worry about it, that he’ll be out of here in a few days, but I can’t look at my cousin, the man I’ve known my whole life, someone who’s as close to me as a brother, and lie to him, so I tell him the truth.
“It could be a year or more before this even goes to trial, Sasha.”
“Fucking hell,” he mutters. “No wonder people complain about the justice system.”
When he sits back and I see a glimpse of the devastation he’s feeling, I lean forward and grab onto his forearm, giving it a firm squeeze.
“I’m not going to let that happen. Niki’s already on this, we all are, and none of us are going to stop until we get the evidence we need to rip this case to shreds.
Do you know how many men I’ve helped who have been guilty as hell?
” I force out a laugh and smile. “This is going to be a breath of fresh air. My first non-guilty client. Who the hell would’ve ever guessed it would be you? ”
I manage to pull a small smile from him before he pats the hand I’m still holding onto him with and says, “I’ll try to look as innocent as possible before the judge tomorrow.”
“That would help,” I agree.
Letting him go, I pick my pen back up and ask, “What are the cops going to find at your house?”
“Nothing, thank fuck,” he says. “All my gear is at the warehouse. I have a couple of registered handguns and a few knives, but nothing illegal and nothing with a shred of evidence on it that could be used against me. I would’ve been good and fucked if they’d searched the place before the girls were born. ”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure even I could’ve gotten you out of that mess.
We would’ve had to move straight into the jail break phase of things.
You know if it comes to that, we’ll do it, right?
There’s no scenario where you end up spending the rest of your life here.
It’ll just be a whole lot easier if we can do it legally. ”
“Thanks, Ev. The only reason I’m not losing my shit right now is because I know if anyone can get me out of here, it’s you.”
“I’m not going to let you down, Sasha,” I promise, meaning every word of it. “I will get you out of here.”
He nods before resting his head in his hands. “Tell Cyn and the girls I love them.”
“I will, and everyone will make sure they’re not alone through any of this.”
“Thank you,” he says, and I reach out and smack his arm hard enough to have him lifting his head to look at me.
“We’re family, Sasha, and family is everything.
We take care of our own. Your wife and kids will be fine, and we’re getting your ass out of here as soon as possible.
Just hang in there for the time being. Don’t say a goddamn word to anyone, and I’ll be back tomorrow morning for the arraignment.
They’ll let you make a phone call, but they’ll be listening to every word,” I warn him.
“You can speak freely to me, but that’s it. ”
“Yeah, I know,” he says. He looks around the dingy room, forcing himself to accept the fact that a cell will be his home for as long as it takes me to get him out of here.
Everyone reacts differently to being in a cage.
There’s something so final about hearing the cell close for the first time, and even the strongest men cave under the psychological strain of having all their freedoms stripped away.
Sasha has always been more feral than most, and I know this is going to hit him hard, but I also know how stubborn and determined he can be, and he’s fighting for a lot more than just his life.
He’s fighting so he can get back to his wife and kids, fighting for the right to be able to see and touch them anytime he wants, and that is what’s going to help him through this.
They will never break my cousin, of that I’m sure, but I also know that he’ll keep himself in check for as long as he believes there’s hope. If he loses that, if he convinces himself that there’s no getting out of here, then nothing will stop him from killing every fucker he can get his hands on.
In other words, the clock is ticking and I need to get my ass moving. Before our time is up, I decide the risk is worth it and walk over to him. Pulling my cousin up, I hug him, not caring if it’s unmanly or if he doesn’t want it.
“This seems highly unprofessional.” He murmurs the words near my ear, but he hugs me back while he says it, and I can’t help but grin and squeeze him tighter.