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“We got this,” he promised.
I stepped toward him, but the officer laid a hand on my shoulder and shoved. I stumbled back, nearly falling on my ass.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Arsen intoned, his voice somehow making it past the stress muddling my brain.
“That right there is assault!” Jamie howled, shouldering through to stand by Ryan. There was no hint of sarcasm or his normally good nature in sight. In fact, his six-three frame seemed to puff up as his blue eyes deepened with malice.
“Go wait in the car, Maddie,” he told his girlfriend without even looking back. The only time he ever told her that was when he wasn’t confident he could keep himself in check.
“Look, it was just a party,” Ryan explained, ever trying to be the voice of reason. Except when it came to his girlfriend that he’d nicknamed Carrot. He was never reasonable when it came to her. “A celebration that the swim season just finished. We’re on campus property. I’m sure if you call the dean and Coach Resch, this could all be sorted out. No one was hurt. You didn’t arrest anyone else. Just issue them a citation like the others you caught.”
“You asking me for a drinking citation?” One of the cops goaded him.
He straightened. “I’m twenty-one years old. I’m not over the legal limit. I’ll take a breathalyzer right now and prove it. Last time I checked, going to a party was not a crime. But if you want to write one up, go ahead and try.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Jamie told the officers. “His in-laws are super power attorneys. Ever heard of Coin and Coin?”
“Loitering is a punishable offense,” the officer said, ignoring the warning. I wasn’t sure if that made him brave or stupid. His eyes glinted as they swept over my large group of friends. “Seems to me all of you are doing just that.”
“Seems so.” The officer beside Arsen agreed.
As if I wasn’t already practically drowning in panic, more pushed me deeper. It made me mad. Furious, actually. Elite showed up for me, and now they could be punished. “You sure one’s good and one’s bad?” I heard myself ask. “They both seem like assholes to me.”
“Hey, that was a good one, P. But now’s probably not a good time,” Kruger said as if he didn’t have three times the audacity I did.
“What are they gonna do? Arrest me?” I spat.
“Of all the times you want to run your mouth,” Kruger muttered.
“Let’s go.” The bad cop grabbed my arm and steered me to a squad car. My throat tightened as I stared into the back seat. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was enclosed with bars.
One, two, three. I tapped my thumb against the thick metal of the handcuff. One, two, three. I did it again, counting every tap. One, two, three.
I sucked in a breath, repeating it again and again, staring as the car drew closer.
“You’re seriously arresting them?” The worried voice stalled my thumb and brought my head up. “You can’t!”
Jess rushed forward, her long dark hair floating out around her head. I turned toward my chosen sister just in time for her to wrap her arms around my waist and press close. “Matty.”
I tried to swallow, but the spit was too thick, my throat too swollen. The cuffs clinked when I tried to put my arms around her and was denied.
I started tapping on the metal anew, my thumb going faster and faster each time. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two three.
“Ma’am, step away. No contact.”
Her arms tightened around me. “He’s my brother.”
“Step away, ma’am, or I’ll charge you with impeding an investigation.”
I stiffened, and Kruger made a sound, but before anyone could do anything, Jess pulled away, her spine ramrod straight as she faced the officer while swiping at her wet cheeks.
“Weren’t you the officer who responded to the call when I needed help?”
He cleared his throat.
“You remember? You helped put that horrible pervert behind bars,” she said, reminding me of the shit she’d been through. And now this.
A liability to everyone around me.
