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“Cord!” Dare yells and Cordell, not needing further instruction, walks away from Eric and over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. Dare moves toward Eric and sends a boot into his side. Eric jerks and moans, bringing his knees to his chest.
“Dare!” I yell. It’s not worth it. Eric is not worth it.
“Take her inside,” Dare orders, pointing a finger at me.
“Come on, Lo. Let’s get you cleaned up,” Cord says, guiding me inside.
“Cord, no,” I say, digging in my heels.
“It’s okay,” he assures me. “Asher won’t let him go too far.”
Reluctantly, I let him guide me away. Once inside, Matty walks out of the bathroom, his eyes bulging.
“The fuck!” he yells, jaw hardening as he marches toward me.
“The suit is back,” Cordell informs him.
“I should’ve gone with you.” Matty says, guilt painting his features.
“It’s a bloody nose, Matty. I’m not dying.” I try to laugh to make him feel better, but it sounds fake to my own ears.
I make my way over to the clean myself up in bathroom, ignoring the pain in my throat and face, but the door dings, and I whip around. Only it’s not Dare. It’s Jake. And he has one of the crumpled articles in his hands.
“Cops are here,” he says, and I rush toward the front, but Jake blocks my way.
“Jake, move,” I say through gritted teeth.
“I just need to say something.” His eyes are pleading with me.
I don’t respond, and he takes it as permission to continue.
“I’m not Dare’s biggest fan. In fact, I’ve spent a lot of years hating him.”
“Yeah, I’d say that was pretty clear,” I deadpan, trying to move past him, but he blocks me again.
“But this?” He holds up the article covered in shoeprints. “This isn’t how it went down. His foster brother was my best friend, and while I blame him, it was an accident.”
I give him a terse nod. He’s telling me what I already know to be true.
“Anyway, I told the cops that he was defending you.”
“Thanks,” I say, and when I go for the door again, he moves out of the way.
I walk out just in time to see Dare being led toward the flashing blue and red lights down the street in handcuffs and Eric being shoved into the back of a separate car.
I run up to the one handling Dare. “Excuse me, officer?”
“Yes, ma’am?” he asks, turning to face me, his expression morphing from mildly irritated to concerned when he sees the state of me.
“I’d like to press charges.”
* * *
“STEFAN ADAIR,” AN OFFICER CALLS, and I stand, my body feeling like lead as I make my way to the opening of the holding cell I’ve been in for God knows how long.
“You’re being released.”
“About fucking time,” I grunt. My body hurts. I’m hungover. Weak. Tired. But mostly, I need to see Lo. What the fuck must she think of me now? I was close to bailing. Thought about selling the shop to the most recent prospective buyer. Leaving Lo would be easier than losing her. But then Asher got through to me, reminding me of how he almost threw it all away, and when I saw that asshole Eric with her outside Blackbear, I knew I could never turn it off. This girl is a part of me. The one part of me I love.
