AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Furious hazel eyes turn towards me, but they don’t scare me.
Because these are the eyes of the man that I’m in love with.
The man who would burn down the whole world for me if it meant keeping me safe.
“Lottie?” He blinks once, then twice. “Lottie!”
He pulls himself off the floor and takes me with him, holding me to his chest and just breathing me in. “Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay?” he begs.
“I’m fine. I promise. I’m fine.”
But just as he pulls away to look down at my face, the paramedics arrive along with the police, making their own quick assessment.
“Well, looks like we got ourselves tomorrow’s headline,” one of them jokes while his partner pulls Nate away from my embrace.
“Nathan Wilder, you are under arrest on the charge of assault and battery. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you,” the officer says as he cuffs him, dragging him away like some criminal while leaving the real villain bleeding on the floor.
“Nate!” I shout, rushing after them. “Where are you taking him?! Nate!”
“It will be okay, baby. Don’t worry,” he says softly as the men in blue keep pulling him down the long hallway to the elevators.
“Nate!”
“Move,” the officer orders when Nate begins to drag his feet.
“Stop! Please! Let him go!” I shout at him, angry that they won’t even stop to ask me what happened.
“Baby, go home. Call Piper. I don’t want you to be alone right now.”
“Home? Youaremy home. I’m not going to leave you. Not now. Not ever. So don’t even try to tell me otherwise, because I’m not having it,” I tell him as I wipe my tears away. “Where are you taking him? Which precinct?” I demand, since it’s obvious they won’t listen to reason.
“Your friend here is being taken to District A-1.”
“Guess you won’t make it to this Saturday’s game, dickhead. I had good money on the Guardians beating Chicago’s ass. Thanks a lot,” one of the cops has the audacity to say.
“I’ll make it to the game. Don’t you worry about that.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. The guy you beat up looks pretty bad to me. I doubt he’ll make it before the paramedics can get him to the hospital.”
“Good,” Nate replies unremorsefully, which won’t bode well if this goes to court. I’ve seen enough true crime documentaries to know that anything said while under arrest can, in fact, be used to prove someone’s guilt, no matter how innocent they are.
“Stop talking, Nate. He didn’t mean that,” I tell the officer.
“I did mean it. I meant every word. He had it coming. I’m just sorry I didn’t get enough time to finish the job.”
“STOP TALKING!” I shout so he can get it in his head that talking like that will only make things worse for him. “It’s the adrenaline talking. He doesn’t know what he’s saying. Please, if you let me explain, I can clarify all this for you. Please, just stop and let me tell you what happened,” I say, needing them to know that Nate is the hero who saved me and not the menace to society they think he is.
“Sorry, Miss. We have to take him downtown to be booked and processed. I suggest you get your friend a good lawyer.”
Just as I figured.
They’ve made up their minds.
“He’s not my friend. He’s my fiancé,” I retort proudly. “And you best believe I’ll get him the best lawyer this city has,” I warn him and then turn my attention back to my heart. “Nate, promise me you won’t say another word. I’ll get you out of this, but you have to promise me that you’ll do your part and not say anything else that might incriminate you.”
When he offers me a curt nod, the tension in my shoulders eases a bit.
“Miss, please stand back,” one of the arresting officers orders as he shoves Nate into the elevator.
