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Of course, he is. Davi's confidence didn't come out of nowhere. She was the equivalent of an Italian princess, and she knew it. If only she chose other people to associate herself with. If only she had stayed far away from me. Maybe then she would still be here.
WE GO THROUGH ALL the paperwork, and Finn explains to me how things will go from here. He tells us he will submit the paperwork today for an extradition hearing, and that we should hear back tonight or tomorrow, but that he will definitely put a rush on it. Before I leave, I thank Finn and give my dad a hug, but no part of me is going anywhere near Mr. Trayland. He and his traitor son can stay the hell away from me.
The betrayal of what he did burns inside of my chest with no way out. It simmers under the surface, and every time I think about how long he must have known this was coming, it worsens. My best friend for as long as I can remember, and he didn't have my back when I needed it the most.
Then again, it's not like it matters much. No matter how much Finn tried to look hopeful today, I could see the truth in his eyes. Their evidence is stronger than we were prepared for. My fate is all but sealed. The final nails are just waiting to be hammered into the coffin.
The only question is whether I'll get life in prison or be sentenced to death at only twenty years old.
I'M LEANING AGAINST THE wall, trying to stay out of everyone's way, when a familiar face comes up to me with a few of his friends. I know I've seen him before, but I can't seem to put my finger on where.
"Hey man," he greets me. "Don't I know you?"
"Probably not."
He looks me up and down. "Nah, I'm pretty sure I do." Then he snaps. "You're Carter's boy, aren't you?"
My brows furrow until my gaze lands on a snake tattoo wrapped around his arm. Blade. I haven't had any personal experiences with him, but I've heard enough from both Rinaldo and Carter. He was one of Rinaldo's dealers and spent months torturing Zayn, until he fully snapped and tried to kill Amelia. Carter's dad is the one who finally succeeded in getting him locked up for the next twenty years.
"No, man. Sorry." I go to walk past him, but before I can get anywhere, he grabs the back of my neck in a vice grip.
He moves his mouth to my ear. "Nice try, London. Tell your friends I have a message for them."
The first blow to my stomach is the worst, because it's the most unexpected. It knocks the wind out of me, and as Blade shoves his elbow into my back, I crumble onto the ground.
One blow comes after another. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth, and I can feel as one particularly hard kick causes one of my ribs to snap. Everyone around is watching, but no one makes any attempt to stop them, even as sirens go off and guards start rushing in.
And when the pain becomes too much, I welcome the darkness that saves me—the same way I found peace in it before.
The living room at the London's home is filled with people all worried about Jace. After his arrest last night, I haven't been able to focus on anything else. Becca keeps telling me that I need to sleep, or at least try to eat something, but I can't. There is a heavy weight sitting in my stomach, making me feel like I could be sick at any moment.
No matter what I've tried, I can't manage to get myself to stop crying. Being in this house feels strange without him. He didn't do anything wrong. He should be here. But instead, he’s in the last place I ever expected him to be—locked behind bars.
"We need to come up with a game plan for if he gets extradited anyway," Mr. London says. "Jace doesn't have a support system in Florida."
Brax stands up. "I volunteer as tribute."
Mr. London rolls his eyes, not finding the humor in his comedy right now. "Of course you do, but you're still in high school."
"High school, schmigh school. My brother needs me."
His dad levels him with a look and he pinches his lips closed. Meanwhile, Mrs. London is sitting next to me as we comfort each other, with Becca there to grab me if needed. Jace's mom has been just as upset as I have, and that's to be expected.
"I just don't understand why he was arrested," she cries. "He's a good kid."
Mr. Trayland sighs. "I used a few work connections to get a look at the warrant. They've managed to compile quite a bit of evidence against him, including a video recording from the roof."
"Recording?" Carter asks his dad. "Of what?"
He shrugs. "I wasn't privy to any of the video evidence, but a friend over at Tallahassee PD said it looks like Jace pushed Davianna off the roof."
"No." I wrap my arms around myself. "No. There's no way."
Becca tries to hold me, but I shrug her off. It's not the comfort I want. I love her, but she doesn't hold me the way he does. She doesn't kiss my forehead just because she knows I like it. She doesn't know that once I'm sleeping, you need to let go because otherwise I get too hot. She's my absolute best friend, but she's not Jace, and I just want Jace.
Mr. London looks over at Mr. Trayland. "I just still can't believe you knew and didn't tell me."
"I couldn't," he argues.
