Page 133 of Saints & Sailors

Outnumbered and cornered, Aidan put up no fight as he sank against Dreux. Instead, his shoulders shook as he cried in defeat.

Flashing red and blue lights, the smell of cheese and sauce as a pizza lay abandoned on the front porch, and static from a walkie-talkie filled the air as I sat on our porch step wrapped in a police blanket. Cameron was bundled up beside me. Quiet and in shock.

Ahead of us, Dreux was standing and talking to Rick. René was standing next to them and Aidan was locked away in the back of a police cruiser. Dreux kept stealing long looks in his direction, as if he wanted to get ahold of him.

My head was killing me and I really wanted a nap.

“I’m sorry, Saylor.” Cameron’s soft voice greeted me, pulling me from my dazed state.

I looked over at the girl beside me. The girl with tears in her pretty blue eyes. All I could do was scowl and shake my head. “Don’t ever apologize when a man’s the one in the wrong.” I reached out and found her hand, squeezing it tightly as we entwined our fingers. “I got you.”

A sad smile had Cameron lightening up. “Girl power?”

I managed a small chuckle. “Girl power all the way, babe.”

The moment was heavy and intense, but we still were able to hold on to each other.

“Saylor!” Scott’s voice broke through the air as a car door shut in the background. Footsteps pounded against the pavement as he came rushing over to us from his car. He stopped and looked between Cameron and me with worry etched in his eyes before glancing over at the squad car with a police guard in front of it, the ambulance, and the St. Julien men who had been talking. He came back to me, eyes crazed. “Are you okay?” He crossed over to me and examined me for wounds. “What happened?”

“I’m okay, Scott,” I let him know.

He turned to Cameron who gave him a weak smile. “We’re okay, Uncle Scott.”

“What’s going on?” he demanded to know.

The St. Juliens came over just then with René taking lead as he stepped between Scott and me.

“I was at the high school this afternoon and the computer records show Aidan logged in and looked through Saylor’s file,” René explained as he looked back to where Aidan was sitting in the squad car. “Video footage early Monday morning shows him walking up to Saylor’s locker with his bookbag and dumping something inside before walking away.”

Scott’s forehead creased as he took a step back and peered over at Aidan. “Aidan Church is behind this?”

René nodded. “It seems tonight he paid a visit to Saylor with the intent of doing…harm.”

Disgust and rage covered Scott’s face. He looked unlike I’d ever seen him as he staggered back, peering over at the squad car. “Son of a bitch…”

He launched himself at the vehicle, but Rick and Dreux got a hold of him, both struggling to keep him away.

“It’s not worth it,” Rick ensured as he gritted his teeth and fought with Scott.

Enraged and red-faced, Scott pointed in my direction. “That’s my daughter!”

“He’s not getting away with this, Scott,” Dreux insisted as he spoke calmly and gently. Really, he looked half a second from joining Scott in massacring Aidan. Neither man had ever been so worked up and angry. I could feel their animosity as I sat watching them struggle with the morality of the situation.

In LA, I had the guys and my mother, and here in Meadow Grove, Scott and Dreux were my protectors.

Against the chilly night, I felt warm inside knowing I was in safe hands.

“Listen to me, Scott, don’t do anything stupid. Your daughter needs you more than ever right now. Don’t throw your life away over some punk kid,” René spoke up, being the voice of reason.

Glassy-eyed, Scott faced me. “I should’ve been here.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s not Saylor’s fault. It’s not on anyone, but Aidan,” René went on. He glimpsed at the squad car. “When I reviewed the evidence, I wasn’t sure of a motive, and I was going to discuss this with you all in the morning.”

“It’s because of me,” I spoke up looking between my father and the St. Juliens. “I talked to Cameron about standing up for herself and she broke up with him. He blamed me for it and wanted payback.”

“He was attacking her when I stepped in the door,” Cameron added. “I used my key to get in and I heard them in the living room.”

Revulsion turned Dreux’s face into a scowl and he was quick to come and sit beside me, taking me into his arms.