Chapter 23
I sit in the last row in the courtroom, almost directly behind where Drew sits, trying to keep out of her sight.
I watch her shoulders sag before she turns her head enough to look back, catching my eyes, almost as if she could sense me as soon as I was in the room.
It’s the first time I’ve looked into her eyes since the morning I left the house.
Hurry back, I love you. Plays in my mind, and I press my lips into a firm line as she exhales. Even though I glance away, I see her stand up, rushing towards the aisle and vacating the room.
I know I shouldn’t, but my feet are already at the door before I realize I’m following her.
Seeing the back of her head as she rounds the corner, and I’m starting towards the end of the hall. The door closes as she exits, and I shake my head.
“Sketch!” I call after her, pushing the door open. She’s already moving down the steps.
“Don’t call me that.” I can see the tears in her eyes as she shouts at me, holding her hand up.
Biting my tongue, I stand, staring at her.
“Why are you out here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed upset.”
She lets out a sarcastic laugh and shakes her head. “I’m upset because I saw you in there. Because it’s the first time I’ve seen you since… Why are you even here?”
“I…” pausing and looking at her. I want to say everything. Want to tell her why I came and why I’m here. “Because I’m doing a favor for your brother.”
“What does that even mean?” she tosses her hands out to her sides.
Lowering my voice, I step into her and nod. “They have a plan, and they asked me to help. I’m here to make sure I’m on the same page with timing and shit…”
It’s a goddamn lie.
I’m here because regardless of the time that’s gone by, I’ll always think of Z as my friend. And more importantly, I knew today would be hard for her…
But I can’t tell her that.
“How generous of you.” She cuts out.
The door opens from behind me, and I know I should be concerned. It was risky to follow her, but hopefully everyone’s preoccupied with the trial to even notice she’s missing and come looking for her.
“Drew!” Liv’s voice calls from behind me before she passes, walking over to her and pulling her into a protective embrace. Liv glares at me as she passes, and I just sigh, not sure what I’ve done to piss her off.
I know I shouldn’t, but I walk back into the courtroom anyway.
Catching her, glancing in my direction a handful of times, as if she’s pleading for me to come to her.
And I want to. God, I fucking want to so damn bad, but I keep my ass planted.
Not only because I know if I don’t, everyone here will put shit together, but because I need to be there after we all leave here. I have to make sure everyone’s okay.
That’s my entire purpose.
And I know that if I let myself have one moment with her, I’ll never make it.
The judge calls for the end of the day, and everyone makes their way out of the courtroom.
“Didn’t think you’d be here.” Sherman says to me.
We haven’t spoken since the incident in the parking lot at McGuire’s, and all I want to do is tell him to fuck off, but I have a better idea.
“That was some riveting testimony today, don’t you think?” I pause in the hall, baiting him.
He doesn’t answer me, just cuts his eyes.
“The real question is, did you know she was in love with him the entire time? And is that why you purposefully knocked her up? You needed to finally beat him at something.”
He walks in front of me down the stairs.
“How embarrassing is it knowing that everyone knows you married a woman who was in love with your rival? And even after everything you tried. He still won in the end.”
“He didn’t fucking win. He’s in prison.”
“For now. Based on that testimony, it definitely makes me question the arrest.”
He turns, looking at me wide-eyed before I watch his eyes turn almost black. The rage coursing through him.
* * *
Collins and I arrive at the diner shortly after getting on shift.
“So, what’s this plan?” He asks me, glancing over.
“He’s already pissed.”
“Why?”
“She just told everyone that she’s been in love with Z the entire time they were together. His ego’s bruised. I’ll let Zeke know when she gets here. We come out right before she does. Turn your body camera on. He’ll attack.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Cause I may have egged it on a little when I saw him.”
“What’d you say?”
“How embarrassing it is for him to know he married a woman who was in love with someone else, and in the end, Z still won.”
“How long has she been in?” Zeke’s voice starts as the seat moves next to me.
“Walked in when I called you.”
Collins looks confused as he looks over at Zeke. “He’s waiting in the car.”
“Cool, I’m gonna call her and tell her we’re ready. When you guys see us pull up, go outside.” He tells us.
We nod in response.
“Thanks.” He starts to walk back out of the diner, but stops, looking back at the table. “Oh yeah, guys, you fuck me over on this, and I’ll fucking kill you, okay?” There’s not an ounce of humor behind his face, as if he’s enjoying this.
“You can —”
“Zeke,” deciding it’s probably the best thing to cut Collins off.
“This isn’t about you or Z or the club.” Shaking my head.
“Doing this for Tate. She deserves better than how he treated her. She deserves someone to treat her the way Z does. And Z doesn’t deserve to be set up for this just because of who he’s in love with. ”
“Really?” Collins laughs as he looks back across the table at me.
Glaring back and telling him to keep his goddamn mouth shut.
“Okay…” Zeke trails, I’m sure confused by our interaction just now. “Again, if you screw us over, I will kill you.”
Zeke’s not even out of the room before Collins is looking at me, shaking his head.
“You know, sometimes you should think about taking your own advice.”
“Fuck off.” Shaking my head as if it will shake this entire topic out. “We have to focus on what’s going on. My situation is entirely different.” Stopping as I see the blacked-out van pull up into the lot. “Come on. They’re here.”
Making sure the body cams are on as we walk outside, pretending as if we’re unaware of what’s about to happen, or how we’re about to arrest one of the officers we work with.
Tate comes out of the restaurant. I’m watching Darren out of the corner of my eyes as the door to his car swings open and he’s storming up to where she stands, the phone pressed to her ear.
“Tate!” he screams.
I pretend not to know what’s happening as he screams, reaching Tate and hitting her so hard she’s knocked to the ground, and his hands wrapping around her throat.
“Shit,” Collins and I both shout as we’re rushing over and pulling Darren off her.
“I’ll fucking kill you!” he shouts as I have him locked up so he can’t charge after her again.
He mutters something to himself, but it’s so low I can’t quite hear what it is, although I have a feeling it has something to do with him realizing he was set up.
That Z’s gonna get out now, and he’s fucked.
“Calm the hell down!” Collins shouts at him, and once he’s settled. I release his arm. Placing him in handcuffs and reading his rights. Nodding to Collins, telling him to take him to the car.
“Are you okay?” I ask Tate, kneeling down to her.
She nods, but I know her well enough.
“Can we get an ambulance to the parking lot of Lucky’s Diner?” I call into the radio on my shoulder.
“No!” Tate strains out, shaking her head.
“Tate, you have to. You’re going to the hospital.” Zeke demands. “We let you get this far; the hospital is not optional. This is more than what was supposed to happen.”
She’s already nodding, telling Zeke she’ll go as I add.
“And your actual husband will murder us if we don’t make you go.” I mumble to her.
A shy grin spreading across her face as she looks at the ground.
Once she’s inside the ambulance, Zeke nods his head to me. “Do you and Z talk or something?” I feel like I can hear a bit of jealousy in his voice.
“I mean… not really.” I shrug.
“What do you mean by that?”
“What do you really want to know?”
“You called him her husband.”
“Zeke,” thinking about what Z said when he was drunk. “It doesn’t matter how much time passes. I’ll always know who he, and you for that matter, is underneath the exterior you try to maintain.” Nodding my head. “It’s only a matter of time. People don’t change that much.”
“Yeah, you sure fucking did.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself.” I just shrug before walking back towards the cruiser.
* * *
I’m up and out the door, on the way to the second day of the trial. I know they kept Tate overnight in the hospital, but releasing her this morning.
After we took Darren into custody, I stayed at the hospital with all of them most of the night.
Today I know I have no excuse for being at the trial. Most people who see me there will think it’s because Z and I were close, and while that’s a small part of it, it’s the same as yesterday. I have to make sure Drew’s okay.
The sun is bright as I walk out the door, squinting my eyes as I make my way down the steps. Turning the corner by the house and into the driveway, I pause, tilting my head as I look at my truck.
The laughter echoes out as I shake my head. Walking over to the back tire and squatting down. Shaking my head at the puncture hole as the rim sits on the ground, knowing what happened.
Pulling the back door open and lifting the seat, grabbing out the jack and spare.
It only takes me a few minutes until I’m getting back into the truck and cranking the engine.
Looking at the clock, I tilt my head again, even more confused before I pull out my phone, glance at it, and shaking my head.
For most people, having someone break into their house and adjust all the clocks an hour ahead would set them on edge. It would kill any sort of feelings they have for her. But somehow it makes me smile.
She took a chance, and she was right. I’d pay more attention to the clock next to the bed than to my phone that early in the morning.
By the time I get the tire fixed and back home, I will have just enough time to get ready for work. Fixing my clocks before heading out.
The station is in a somber mood. Everyone glares at me and Collins as we walk through.
“Go figure, we’re the bad guys for bringing him in.”
“Isn’t that how it always is?” shrugging and asking him. “Told you good guys are just a myth. The important thing is figuring out who you’re okay with seeing you as the villain.”
Matthews blocks me as I try to walk outside.
“The fuck do you want?”
“You’ve had it out for him for years.”
“No, I think he’s a shit person, but keeping him from strangling her was what did it.” I laugh. “And it’s apparent he framed Z. Are you proud of supporting a cop killer? Or is it only loyalty to people you deem important enough?”
Matthews hesitates because he has no way to justify how he’s so defensive of Sherman.
“He told me what you are?” he finally stumbles over his words.
“What am I?” I ask, stepping into him.
“A traitor.”
“So, prove it.” Shoulder-checking him as I walk through the doors and to the car.
“Oh, I will.” He shouts back at me.
Slamming the door behind myself as I crank the car and pull out of the lot.
My radar goes off, glancing over, but I’ve never cared about some speeders… or really anyone for that matter.
Finding myself out near the compound, I tap the steering wheel to the beat of the song playing. I wish I could just roll up there like I used to.
It’s been lonely the last 9 years without everyone. I just wish things could be like they once were.
The dispatch radio starts; the piece of shit always cutting in and out, but I hear a couple of bits of info. The address, I already know it’s the gym the club owns, and where Kyle died. And how they’ve gotten calls about a loud ‘explosion-like’ sound, but no one can see any flames.
Swerving around, heading back in the direction.
I’m almost to the turnoff when I see Axe and Jag pull out onto the road, followed by Spyder and the remaining of the club.
“Where the fuck are Z and Zeke?” I whisper to myself as I make another u turn, pulling up after them. The van speeding past me makes me nod my head.
Glancing at the clock, I realize that it’s already the end of my shift, but still curious about what the fuck happened… or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.