Everlyn Chapter 19 #4
My reply snapped something within him. A loud roar escaped him, then Bishop lunged toward me.
Zephyr moved effortlessly, catching him mid-charge by the neck.
He shoved him backward while sweeping his legs out from underneath Bishop’s body.
That move knocked the blowhard onto his back on the ground.
Like a flash, Zephyr was on top of him, flipping him onto his stomach.
When Zephyr crouched, straddling Bishop, he jerked both of the guy’s arms up behind his back. Bishop’s shouts of pain told me how badly that hurt. Bishop struggled, causing Zephyr to say something.
“The more you fight me, the tighter I’m torquing your arms. You keep it up, and I’ll snap them. Believe me, it’s no problem for me if that happens.”
“Let. Me. Go. You have no right to touch me. I’ll sue you,” Bishop hollered.
“With what you’re facing, I’ll be the last of your worries,” Zephyr said, smirking.
He was looking toward the parking area. A crowd was gathering, but that wasn’t what had his attention and mine.
It was the two county sheriff vehicles pulling into the parking area.
I’d been about to call them and ask what the hell was taking so long.
As soon as I messaged Zephyr, he would’ve called them, so they knew.
Bishop hadn’t seen them since his face was almost buried in the mud, and he kept shouting that we’d pay and a bunch of other threats that were supposed to scare us enough to let him up.
The four officers coming toward us took in the scene.
It wasn’t until the oldest one said something that Zephyr’s captive stopped yelling and turned his head to look at them.
“Is there a reason you have him face-first in the mud?” The deputy’s tone was neutral.
“Thank God you’re here, officer. This man assaulted me, as you can see.
I want him arrested, and yes, I’ll press charges.
And this woman instigated it. She should be arrested, too.
I’m Bishop Reeves. I manage the Gulf Shore sewage treatment plant.
This is one of our pipes.” Bishop immediately replied, his voice authoritative.
“It’s deputy, not officer. And I know exactly who you are, Mr. Reeves. You can go ahead and let go of him and back up,” The deputy in charge told Zephyr.
Slowly, my man did as asked. He came to stand next to me.
“Good day, deputies. We’re glad you could make it. I’m the one who called you, Leif Halvorsen. This is my girlfriend and the one running this cleanup effort, Everlyn Forrest,” was Zephyr’s pleasant reply.
“Ah, yes, Mr. Halvorsen, Ms. Forrest, it’s nice to meet both of you.
I’m Sheriff Hickman, and these are my deputies: Wilkerson, Shamrock, and Levin.
Thank you so much for helping us coordinate this.
Typically, it would be the local police, but since this is outside the city limits, it becomes ours. ”
“We’re happy to help. And the reason I had him on the ground, restraining him, is that he tried to attack Everlyn. I wasn’t about to allow him to touch her.”
“Why the hell are you talking to him? Arrest his ass. He assaulted me,” Bishop said indignantly.
“No, he didn’t. And I have proof on my phone. You went after Everlyn, and Zephyr stopped your ass,” Liam said from behind us. He held up his phone.
“Sir, if you’ll step back until we’re through with this, I’d appreciate it. And everyone else needs to disperse. You stay nearby, though, so I can see that video,” Hickman said.
When he finished speaking to Liam, his attention landed on me.
“Did he hurt you in any way? Or lay a finger on you?”
“No, he didn’t, Sheriff,” I assured him.
He nodded, then faced Bishop when the idiot hollered.
“Let go of my arms! Why are you manhandling me? I’m not the criminal here. They are.”
“Mr. Bishop Reeves, you’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.” The sheriff stated calmly.
I listened as Hickman read Bishop his Miranda rights as his prisoner sputtered and yelled that they were making a terrible mistake.
He threatened them with lawsuits, loss of their jobs, and even prison time.
Nothing fazed them. Finally, after getting him Mirandized and in handcuffs, Hickman told him why he was under arrest. I took immense satisfaction in hearing him say it.
“Mr. Reeves, you’re under arrest for making fraudulent reports on maintenance that wasn’t done at the Gulf Shore sewage treatment plant.
And in lieu of paying for the repairs that you claimed were done by outside vendors, you are accused of taking the money for yourself.
That’s theft. Your company has reported suspicious financial claims that have been traced to you, implicating you in embezzling funds from the City of Gulf Shore.
That’s what we know off the top. I’m sure we'll have more charges to bring against you. It’s in your best interest to stay quiet and call a lawyer once we get you back to the department. ”
Those allegations were enough to silence him. Bishop’s mouth snapped shut. Deputies Wilkerson and Levin escorted him to one of the cruisers. Shamrock went to speak to Liam while Zephyr and I spoke to the sheriff for a few minutes. We recounted what happened.
When they finally drove off forty-five minutes later, I saw the set of Bishop’s jaw. He wasn’t happy. Good.