I watch as one of the officers picks up a pair of pants off of the floor and holds them out for Zane. “And how the fuck do you expect me to get into them?” He asks as he rotates just enough to show his handcuffs. He laughs.
“What are you arresting him for?” I snap out, standing and blocking Darren’s departure.
“That’s none of your business.” He gives me an evil look. “This is a police matter, Tate.”
“If you don’t drop the charges on him, I’ll report what happened.”
His eyes darken and he moves into me. “No one will believe you.”
“Stu does. He will testify that I’m telling the truth.”
“Well,” his eyes remain dark, but a smile creeps onto his face. “Stu’s dead, so have fun with that.”
“You killed him. And you’re trying to pin it on Zane.”
“Tate, the evidence at the scene says that your boyfriend was there. It doesn’t look good.” He sneers the word boyfriend out at me before he pulls me down the stairs. “I warned you.” He grunts into my ear.
“What the hell is going on?!” It’s shouted from the back of the house and Zeke comes out from the basement, more officers holding him and Liza back.
I look back at them, pleading with him to do something, anything, but I’m not sure that there’s anything they can do.
“You’re coming home.” Darren quietly snaps at me as he grips around my arm, pulling me out the front door.
There’s more shouting coming from outside as they drag Zane away from the house.
“She’s not going any-fucking-where with you.” He shouts as my feet scuff the floor while Darren continues to drag me behind him. “Keep. Her. Fucking here.” Zane shouts, this time looking somewhere outside of the house.
“Is she under arrest, too?” I hear Axe ask as we breach the threshold of the house.
“Yes, matter of fact, she is.” Darren swears.
“Cool, so her name will be all over the arrest report.”
I can feel Darren’s hand loosening on my arm and I pull myself away from him as I watch the other officer shove Zane into the backseat by his head, yet his eyes never leave me.
I feel arms around me as I put distance between Darren and myself, not caring who it is, as long as I’m away from him. Axe steps in front of me, shouting things I can’t quite make out.
It’s not that I don’t understand what he’s saying, it’s just I’m not paying attention enough to. All of my attention is on Zane, as our eyes remain locked and he tilts his head, smirking. I mouth the word I but he shakes his head.
I know.He responds, not needing me to tell him, and also knowing that this is not the time for us to have that moment.
Shit, the moment that we should have said it passed a long time ago.
“It’s okay, Tate.” I think Ella is the one who’s speaking in my ear. “We’re going to get him out.” She whispers again.
“You don’t know that.” I whisper as I watch Darren stomp around the car to the driver’s seat, I’m sure that it’s not the car he drove in here, but he’s pissed off enough with me that no matter what he’s going to have a bit of alone time with Zane.
“There’s no telling what he’s going to do to him.” My voice shakes as the tires kick up the gravel and the car leaves the rest of the group behind.
Axe glances over at me. “Z can handle his own.” He tries to reassure me, but the look on his face doesn’t convince me he believes it himself.
?
When Darren sees the club won’t let him take her with him, he gets pissed and storms over to the car I’m sitting in.
He slams the pedal down, and we kick up gravel before we’re moving. I just lean back against the seat, looking out the window. I don’t break eye contact with her until we’re pulling away from the house. My rage boils over as she grows smaller while we’re driving away and I watch her reach up, brushing a tear away from her face.
“All you had to do was stay away from her.” Darren slams his hand on the steering wheel.
