Page 16 of Dancing With Lies

Roxie’s only response was to let her eyebrows rise. Like she had anything to worry about. She’d had nothing to do with the fire.

“Fuck, she was such a bitch.” Emily whispered as she closed the front door behind the cops. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but I think I’ll go. I guess I need to go bail Nathan out of jail.” Roxie brushed the hair out of her face and tried to think of who she needed to call.

“I’ll have Dylan find out what his bail is. Let me know if you need help with paying it.” Emily offered and gave Roxie a hug.

“I would never ask that of you,” Roxie said firmly and patted Emily’s back. “I’ll call you later. Tell Dylan to call me if he finds anything out.”

Roxie grabbed her bag and headed out to her car. The sensible thing would be to leave Nathan in jail. He’d been a dick for far too long and now he was in jail. Doubt tugged at Roxie’s mind and she knew she couldn’t leave him in jail like that. He was as alone in the world as she was. It was one of the things that had drawn them together at the beginning, back when it was so good, and his smile alone made her heart flip over in her chest.

If she could have that Nathan back she’d bail him out of jail a million times.

She didn’t have to think about whether he was guilty or not, she knew there was no way he would have set that fire, not with her in the place. She didn’t even pause to wonder, she trusted him, even if he’d gone off the rails lately.

* * *

Roxie answered her phone as she walked into her apartment, relieved that it was Dylan. “Hi Dylan, what have you found out?”

She put her bag and car keys on a hook by the door and walked into her living room. She’d like a strong drink, but she might have to drive so that wasn’t an option.

“He’s not getting out through a bail bondsman, first of all,” Dylan said without preamble, he knew Roxie liked to get straight to the point.

“Why?” Roxie asked, surprised that a bail bondsman would turn Nathan down.

“His bail is 150 grand, Roxie, he has no fixed address, and no job. He’s definitely a flight risk and even with my connections, I can’t find a bondsman that will take him. They’ve all said the same thing.” Dylan sounded as annoyed as Roxie felt. She sympathized with him.

“Thanks, Dylan, I know you tried.” She sank down to the couch, her eyes on a spot on the floor in the corner. “And before you ask, no, I don’t want you to bail him out. If the bondsmen all think he’s that much of a risk, I don’t want you taking that on.”

How was she going to get 150 grand? Her eyes flitted back to the corner but stayed there this time. She’d have to do it, if she wanted to help out the man she’d thought about marrying, if it had ever come to that.

“Well, if you change your mind, you know how to get me. Good luck, Roxie. I know you’ve been through one hell of a time and if we can help, just let us know.” Dylan’s voice was a soothing balm to Roxie’s fractious nerves and she knew that was one of the reasons Emily was still so enamored with him. Dylan was sexy as fuck. Sexy, but untouchable because he belonged to her friend.

“Thanks, Dylan. Tell Emily I’ll call her tomorrow and let her know how things are going.”

“You do that, Rox. Take care.” Dylan hung up before Roxie could say any more and she closed her eyes.

She didn’t want to go to that spot on the floor, didn’t want to pull back the rug that had kept the compartment hidden for an incredibly long time. That compartment held a memory, a part of who she used to be, a part of her that no longer existed. To open it now would tear open old wounds that had never quite healed right.

But Nathan was worth it, wasn’t he?

The old Nathan certainly was, but now? Roxie leaned back against the couch and wished for a bottle of tequila and some limes. She hadn’t stopped on the way home, but she should have. There was no way Nathan was getting out of jail tonight and maybe not tomorrow. She’d have to call some of her contacts.

But first, she’d have to open that compartment.

She got down on her hands and knees and crawled to the section of flooring. With shaking fingers, she pulled back the rug and then pried up the five-inch square section of floor. She pulled out the item she’d hidden there, dazzled by the late afternoon sunlight as it bounced off hundreds, maybe thousands of small diamonds set in the watch. The watch she’d borrowed the night her parents died. A night she didn’t want to remember.

Anger at her parents, at fate, and at Nathan mixed as she stared down at the watch that had always been too flashy to wear out anywhere. It was all she had left of parents that may or may not have abandoned her. Either way, they’d been involved in something that had led to their deaths and if they’d stayed on the straight and narrow Roxie wouldn’t have ended up in this life she now led.

She’d have to pawn the watch if she wanted to get Nathan out of jail. Could she really part with it though? It was all she had left of them. She leaned back against the wall and stared into the looming darkness that grew as the sun sank in the sky. What the hell was she going to do?

5

Lincoln

“Hello?” A sultry female voice spoke from Lincoln’s cellphone, but it had little effect on him. The voice belonged to Emily James, a very happily married lady. She wasn’t available on any level. He respected that bond of marriage. In most cases.

“Hey, Emily, it’s Lincoln Young. How are you today?” Lincoln spoke smoothly, with just the right amount of curiosity.