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I grit my teeth. I have a feeling I know where this is going. “Bailed out how?”
Cole’s expression goes stony. “Over the last five years, Kyle has been a suspect eight different times. All women, all claiming they were drugged, then physically and sexually assaulted.”
Ari’s hand trembles under mine. Quietly, she asks, “How is he not in jail, then?”
I think I know the answer to that, too.
“The charges have all been dropped,” Cole replies. “And conveniently, not one of the women will speak about Kyle Morgan, or even acknowledge that they know him.”
“Non-disclosure agreements.” I shake my head in disgust. “He either paid them off, or intimidated the women into signing.”
Cole gives me a sharp nod. “That’s my guess, too.” He hesitates, frowning, and looks at Ari. “Are you sure you want to hear everything?”
She swallows hard. “Yes.”
“There was one woman who refused to drop the charges and insisted on going to court. But two weeks before the case was supposed to be tried, she disappeared. Without her testimony, there wasn’t a case, so the charges were dropped.”
“What?” Ari stares at Cole, aghast. “She disappeared? And no one went looking for her?”
He shakes his head somberly. “No. Apparently, there was enough evidence to show that she moved to Mexico, wanting to start a new life there. There had been issues with her family, financial troubles, some legal issues… so people just accepted it.”
Fuck. This is as bad as I’d feared it could be.
Ari turns in her chair to face me, that terrible fear back in her eyes. “Cash.”
Dammit. My heart wrenches. She shouldn’t have to go through this. “It’s going to be okay,” I soothe, swallowing back my own fear and anger.
“Will it?” Her voice wobbles. “What if I’m leaving work, and… what if I disappear too?”
“You won’t,” Cole assures her, leaning across the table. His gaze is solid and reassuring. “We have a plan, and we’re going to make sure you’re safe. Unfortunately”—he grimaces—“that woman didn’t have people looking out for her like you do.”
I level my gaze at Cole, trying to ignore the ache in my chest and the burning need to drag Ari out of here and fly her to a deserted island where she’ll be safe. “What’s the plan?”
“Fortunately, your home is very secure,” Cole says. “So I’m not concerned about Ari when she’s there. But I want to have someone with her any time she leaves the house. Taking her to work, shopping, visiting with friends… she shouldn’t be alone in public.”
Nodding, I add, “I’ll protect Ari whenever I’m not at work. And I can try to get someone to cover my shifts at the station.”
Ari interjects. “No, Cash. I don’t want you changing your life even more because of me. And you love volunteering. I’m not taking that away from you.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Cole reassures her. “With you living right here in Sleepy Hollow, it will be easy for us to coordinate protection for you. Cash can give us his schedule, and one of my team will be there when he can’t be.”
Sitting here beside Ari, holding her hand, watching her work to hold everything together, I realize I’d drop anything—my shifts at the station, work—if it means keeping her safe.
“We’ll also keep an eye on Morgan, though it will be tough when he’s in Manhattan.” Cole glances down to flip through his folder. “Ari, do you have security cameras at yourhouse?”
She frowns. “Just a Ring doorbell.”
“It’s a start, but I’m going to have some more cameras installed,” Cole says. “That way, we’ll know if he shows up looking for you there.”
“What about school?” Ari asks. “I can’t have someone with me inside the building. My students would be so distracted. And it’s a new job; if I come in with a bodyguard…”
“As long as someone brings you to the building and back, it should be fine,” Cole replies. “From what I understand, it’s all secure access there, right?”
“Yes.” Ari nods. “The only access is through the main entrance, and it’s always locked. You have to go through security to enter.”
“Okay then.” Cole nods in approval. “So the only other things are the devices.”
“The devices?”
