Why hadn'tshe come down?
I was booked, fingerprinted, and had my mugshot taken. I spent the night in holding and it wasn't until morning, when I could call my lawyer, that I discovered all the charges being levied against me.
"Kidnapping? You're not serious." I stared at the sheet and tossed it back onto the table.
"Max Stanton claims you took his fiancée and held her captive for two months. He said you held her down and tattooed her, without her consent."
"Held her down?" My mouth parted, and as I went to speak again, I closed my mouth quickly and bit my tongue. I looked around the room. There was no definite saying that I wasn't being listened to right now.
"Emile."
"Don't fucking Emile me, Jason," I snapped. "Get me the fuck out of here."
The very expensive lawyer stared at me for a long time. He knew exactly what I needed him to do.
Write a check.
"I'll get on it then. But just know, there is press out there. Word has gotten out about your previous expunged record, and everyone wants a photo op."
I inhaled and sat back. "Fucking wonderful. I better be out by dinnertime, Jason."
He stood and nodded to me. "On it."
As if they'd been told to wait just until sunset, I was let out of the jail cell.
"Apologies, Mr. Gatsby, for the confusion," the officer who'd pointed a gun at my face last night said. "We just want?—"
"That's enough." I held up a hand. "I better not be brought in for some bullshit charges again. Understand?"
"Absolutely. Again, we apologize, sir."
Jason cleared his throat to get my attention and togetherwe walked out of the police station to an eruption of flashing cameras and loud chatter.
"Emile, how does it feel to be falsely arrested a second time?"
"Emile, are you going to sue the police station?"
"Emile, who did you stalk?"
I stopped short on that last question and turned to face the crowd of cameras.
"Let's get this clear. I didn't stalk anyone. Daisy Lovelace and I are in love. And if anyone says otherwise, they're only fooling themselves."
The crowd went crazy with my soundbite. They followed us to the car and beat on the windows, looking for one last comment from me. The adrenaline still raging through my blood over the person's insinuation caused me to roll the window down.
"Any last questions before you never see me again?" I asked, feeling certain that they'd never hear of Emile Dumas after today.
"What are your plans now?"
"What are you going to do now that you've been accused?"
I licked my lips and let a slow smile cross my face.
"What am I going to do?" I chuckled and reached for the window button. "I'm going to throw a party, of course."
Chapter 57
Daisy
