AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait here,” the officer said, pushing Bianca down into one of the metal chairs that was bolted to the floor. Then she rushed out the door and left Bianca alone in the room.
Bianca stared at the walls, growing more and more terrified as she pictured the possibility that she might be there through the night. She had been waiting for what felt like hours to her, but in reality, was probably only twenty minutes, when she heard loud voices approaching from the other side of the door. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she could tell that the loudest voice was her brother’s.
The door burst open and Cassiel stormed in, followed by the arresting officer, then a woman in a suit who Bianca assumed was one of the many Loring lawyers, and lastly, Elias. His face was composed, but Bianca could tell by the way his eyes jumped away from her that he was upset. Bianca stood up when they came in and found that her legs were shaking.
“Why the fuck is my sister in handcuffs?” Cassiel hissed at Elias.
Elias held out a hand to the arresting officer and said, “Keys,” in a calm voice.
The officer handed them over and he came to Bianca, stone-faced, while he unbound her. He saw the raw skin under the cuffs and his eyes jumped up to hers. A look of pure anger crossed his eyes. He went back to the blank mask quickly, but for just a moment she had seen how furious he was, probably with her.
Bianca’s face got hot, and the harder she tried not to cry the more she realized she was going to. She looked away from him quickly and pushed her sleeves down over the abrasions. Embarrassed, scared, relieved, worried—she was having at least three too many emotions and the only way they could get out was to cry, which was just the worst thing she could possibly do at that moment.
“What is that?” Cassiel said, pointing at Bianca’s wrists. “Copeland. What thefuckis that?”
“I think we should get pictures of your sister’s mistreatment,” the lawyer said in an aside to Cassiel.
“I’m fine,” Bianca said, keeping her head down and taking a few steadying breaths. “I wasn’t mistreated, and I don’t want pictures.” Her voice wobbled, giving her away.
Cassiel realized she was about to start crying and put his arm around her. That just made it worse. Tears started leaking from her eyes. “I’m taking my sister home now,” Cassiel announced. “Our lawyers will be calling you soon.”
Bianca kept her eyes on her feet, humiliated over the fact that she was crying like a child seeping out of every pore. They had made it outside the station when she heard Elias’s voice.
“Cassiel, wait,” he called out. “Let me talk to her.”
“Who the hell do you think—” Cassiel began, but Bianca broke away from him and went to Elias.
She wiped her face and cleared her throat, bracing herself to get yelled at. She’d seen how angry he was, and she just wanted to get it over with. Instead, Elias pulled her aside, putting his back to Cassiel and facing her away from the inside of the building so his shoulders closed them off a bit from view.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his face blank but his tone incongruously vulnerable.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He looked away from her, glancing around as he spoke. “Can I come to your place later?”
She couldn’t read him. She had no idea why he wanted to come by, but from the way he wouldn’t look at her, she had a feeling it would be to tell her that he couldn’t be with her anymore. She nodded, knowing this wasn’t something she could avoid. Better to get it over with.
“I’ll try to get there before midnight,” he said, walking her to the car. “Is that too late?”
She shook her head in response.
He put her in the back and then faced her brother, blocking Cassiel from getting into the car with her. They stared at each other for a second, neither of them wanting the be the first to speak, the tension rising as they sized each other up.
“Cass,” Bianca called out, worried the two of them were about to come to blows.
Elias stepped out of the way and Cassiel got in next to her. Elias held the door for one second longer. “I’ll get the arrest off her record,” he said, then he closed the door.
Bianca craned her head to look out the back window, watching Elias stalk inside the police station. He looked over his shoulder at her car as he went through the door and he still looked so angry. When she couldn’t see him anymore, she turned and faced front. Cassiel was watching her.
“Unbelievable,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you intentionally trying to fuck up the family?”
“Cass,” Bianca said, scolding him. “That was not my fault.”
“Yes. It was.”
She huffed in frustration. “It’s my fault the neighbors reported a disturbance and the police showed up?”
“It’s your fault you went there, period. You said you were done with Eden.”
