CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DAMON
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting in that goddamn interrogation room. The cops were going round and round in circles. Asking me the same questions over and over as if they expected a different answer. I had told them my story, and I was sticking to it.
Not long after I let Athena out, the police caught up to me.
I knew better than to take them on a wild chase through the city.
Even though I was tempted to ditch the car and try to go on foot, I pulled over and let them grab me instead.
Anything to make sure they didn’t find out about Athena and go after her too.
Despite the fact that I didn’t put up a fight, the cops were anything but nice. Roughly dragging me from my car before slamming me to the ground. A knee shoved against my back while they tightly secured cuffs around my wrists.
Now here I was sitting across from two asshole cops, waiting for this to be over. They’d removed the handcuffs so I could drink from the bottle of water they’d provided. I hoped that Noah had found Athena. I hated the thought of her being out there in the city trying to make her way home.
“Let’s go over this one more time,” said Officer Jennings. A shorter man with a stocky build. Thinning hair and a heavy beard. He’d been asking most of the questions. “Tell me again what happened.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered. “I know this is some tactic to get me to break and confess to some shit that I didn’t do. It’s not going to happen.”
“Start talking,” barked the other guy, Officer West. He was taller than Jennings, his build thinner, his eyes angrier.
Not at all intimidated by either of them, I rolled my eyes.
“I’ve been talking this entire time. The problem is that you’re not listening.
I told you how it happened. I went looking for a washroom.
I mistakenly entered a bedroom. The groom burst in behind me waving a gun around, shouting at me about robbing him.
I thought he was going to shoot me so I went for the gun, hoping to disarm him.
The gun went off. He fell. I panicked and I ran. I know I shouldn’t have done that.”
“And you were alone?” Jennings narrowed his eyes.
“Yes. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I was simply trying to defend myself. Pretty sure the guy was drunk and not thinking straight.” This was the story I’d been telling them for at least two hours, possibly longer.
I didn’t want them to know about Athena.
If they knew she’d been present, they would drag her in for questioning.
West leaned forward in his seat, propping both elbows on the table. “The man you shot is currently in surgery. You better damn well hope he pulls through. We need the other side of the story here.”
If that motherfucker survived, he would definitely tell them Athena had been with me. There was no way of proving anything. It was my word against his.
“The gun belonged to him,” I reminded them.
“We’re aware of that. That’s why we’re doing an investigation.
While it may have very well been an unfortunate mistake that got out of hand, it’s our job to figure out exactly what happened.
Unless there’s anything else you would like to share, we’ll be moving you to the remand center while we wait for him to come out of surgery and wake up. ”
The fucking remand center? That was the last place I wanted to go. Not quite a jail nor a prison, it was a holding facility for those awaiting trial or transfer. The place had a reputation for being dangerous as hell. Inmates had no problem turning on one another and causing all kinds of chaos.
“Is that really necessary? Why can’t I post bail?” I looked from one cop to the other, knowing I wouldn’t get the response I wanted.
“You’ll have a bail hearing,” Jennings said. “If the groom wakes up after surgery and corroborates your story, you won’t be there long. Maybe you’ll even get out before the bail hearing. If I were you, I would cross my fingers and pray he tells the same story as you.”
He most definitely would not tell the same story as me. My leg bounced beneath the table, my entire body vibrating with barely restrained rage. All I wanted was to get the hell out of here and get back to Athena. To make sure she was all right. Apparently, that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
When it became clear to them that I wasn’t going to change my story or sell myself out, they put me back in handcuffs and drove my ass to the remand center. Time seemed to crawl as they got me situated in the facility. By the time I was taken to a cell it was nearing sunrise.
The cells were laid out in rows that wound about in a large circle. Three different levels all overlooking a common area filled with tables. At this time of night the common area was empty. Everyone locked up in their tiny rooms.
After being issued a set of standard orange prison scrubs to wear along with plain slip on shoes, I was escorted into a white room with single sized bunk beds, a toilet, and a tiny sink. A thin strip of window next to each bunk made a pathetic effort at making the space feel better.
I glanced around the pitiful space. “Not even a TV, huh?”
The guard escorting me barely grunted a response before closing and locking the door. Well, at least I didn’t have a roommate. Yet.
Flopping down on the bottom bunk, I frowned in response to the thin mattress. I hated not being able to reach out to Athena or Noah. Most bail hearings took place within twenty-four hours of an arrest. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be here too long.
At some point, I began to doze off. It had been a long night. I was startled awake when a guard slammed open my door.
“Breakfast is being served in the common area.” The guard spoke as if he would have rather been anywhere else in the world. “Take it or leave it.”
My stomach rumbled at the thought of food. It had been quite some time since I’d eaten. Rolling off my bunk, I took a piss and washed my hands before heading out through the open door. A hygiene kit sat next to the sink. I would brush my teeth after I dealt with my angry stomach.
Several other cell doors stood open while many remained closed.
Not everyone was free to wander around here.
I’d heard from guys who had been in this place that treatment was often based on what kind of security risk they thought you were.
I guess being allowed to eat breakfast in the common area meant I wasn’t seen as a threat. Their mistake.
I descended the stairs from the second floor where my cell was located to the common area below.
Several inmates were already gathered at tables stuffing their faces.
I joined a few others waiting in line for a tray.
We were given oatmeal, toast, and eggs along with the option of milk, juice, or coffee. I needed the coffee.
Finding an empty table, I chose to sit by myself. I wasn’t here to make friends. My focus was on passing the time until my bail hearing when I could get the fuck out of here. Maybe I should’ve been afraid. Maybe I should have been asking myself if it was time to make a change with my lifestyle.
However, I wasn’t afraid. I enjoyed my lifestyle. There was some fun to be had in the risks I took. I wasn’t sure what that said about me still having that mindset while I sat here in lock up waiting to learn my fate.
I was halfway through my breakfast when a heavy hand fell upon my shoulder. “Well, if it isn’t Damon Price. Funny seeing you here.”
I turned around to find two guys standing behind me, one of which I vaguely recognized. Racking my brain, I did my best to place him. Where the hell did I know him from?
Oh right. Last year I’d taken a job from a woman who wanted me to rough up her ex who just happened to be this guy’s brother. River and I had kidnapped the guy off the street. Beat the shit out of him before leaving him blindfolded, gagged, and bound on the side of the road outside town.
It wasn’t as if we killed him. Although the nasty expression his brother wore told me that I might as well have.
“Do I know you?” I asked, bracing myself for the confrontation I felt coming.
“Pretty sure you know my brother. You beat him bloody and left him for dead on the side of the road. Or did he mean so little that you already forgot about him?”
The guy towered over me where I sat. His head shaved and a scar slashing down one cheek, his entire demeanor made it clear he was no stranger to violence. Why else would he be here?
“That was business, nothing personal.” Turning back to my breakfast, I stuffed a bite of eggs into my mouth. I’d only been here a matter of hours and already managed to stir up trouble. I didn’t even have to try.
“It’s personal now, asshole.” The weight of his fist as he drove it into the back of my head slammed my face forward.
I managed to brace myself with my forearms against the table so I didn’t get a face full of food. This really wasn’t ideal. I may not have been in the mood for a fight but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t participate.
Rising to my feet, I abandoned my breakfast and turned to face him and his silent buddy. “Look, I don’t give a shit about your brother. I was hired to do a job, and I did it. Does he really need you to fight his battles for him? That’s kind of pathetic.”
“We’ve been looking for you for a long time,” the guy continued. “I fully intend to make the most of this opportunity.”
I did my best to block the next punch that sailed toward my face.
Unfortunately, his friend jumped in as well.
The two of them made it fast, knowing they didn’t have much time before guards got involved.
They punched me repeatedly while I fought back, getting in a few solid hits of my own.
Two on one did not make the odds in my favor though, and they quickly got me on the floor.
As I kept trying to get up, they continued to kick me. Nailing me in the ribs and spine. A few in the head. Now I wished that I had killed this fucker’s brother. If I ever saw this piece of shit on the outside, he would be next.
It didn’t take long for the guards to break it up. By that time the damage had been done. I lay there spitting blood, the ceiling spinning above me. Goddammit.
After being treated for my wounds and checked for a concussion, which I likely had, I was taken back to my cell. Splayed out on the bottom bunk, I tried to keep the room from spinning as I focused my gaze on the bunk above me.
Fuck, I missed Athena.
All I wanted was to get back to her. That sassy little grin and her quick wit. Her wild bravery. The way she wasn’t afraid to challenge me.
No wonder I’d fallen headlong in love with her.
The thought of needing to be with her was what would get me out of this place. Because now I had something to live for. Something to fight for. And it would take a hell of a lot more than the so-called justice system to take that from me.