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It had my signature at the bottom—at least something that looked awfully similar, but I could prove wasn’t mine in a heartbeat if that’s really the only reason they were here.
Truth was though, when it came to an opportunity like this, law enforcement grabbed it with both hands and ran with it because whether they believed I wrote those bullshit letters or not, this was an excuse for them to get inside the clubhouse.
“Couple of handguns, all registered and legal,” one of the officers announced after rummaging through God knows what in the bedrooms upstairs.
The detective in charge couldn’t keep the anger off his face. “Nothing else?” he demanded, but every officer in the room shook their head. His fingers rolled into a tight fist for a second, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed them so fucking tight. “Bring him in anyway. We can hold him until I’m satisfied.”
Dragged to my feet, a couple of guys forced me in cuffs toward the door. I looked over at the girls, the three of them obviously upset—Cassie looking like she was about to leap into action and make demands.
“It’s okay, just get on the damn plane tomorrow morning.”
“But—”
“You can’t miss court! Zoey…”
Zoey nodded. “We’ll make sure she’s on it.”
Thank fuck because technically, after this, I wasn’t confident I would be. And if Cassie doesn’t make it to court, which Katrina promised she would as part of her agreement for letting us leave the state during an ongoing investigation, she was going straight to jail.
Do not pass go.
Do not collect two hundred dollars.
CASSIE
What exactly has life come to when you can’t enjoy a flight on a private jet?
The five hours I spent feeling nauseous about whether Drake would be released and the cops had officially found me not responsible for Brian’s death. Katrina was confident the evidence was still dramatically in my favor, but after what happened at the clubhouse last night, it was obvious that sometimes the law didn’t always get it right.
When we landed, I gathered my suitcase, ready to head toward the airport building, but instead, I noticed a familiar face and car waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
“Simon,” I beamed, and he jogged over to meet me, instantly relieving me of my luggage. “It’s really nice to see you.”
I knew Drake trusted Simon, so it felt good to have him here waiting for me. Someone to have my back. Zoey had tried to get a couple of the boys on the plane, but the detective made it clear that anyone who was a member of the club wasn’t to leave until everything had been cleared up.
Another guy dressed in casual clothes like Simon’s stepped out of the passenger seat just as we approached the vehicle. “This is Kyle, he’s from Reed’s security team. He sent him over to help out. So, to court?” Simon inquired, but since we were in the city with time to spare, I had other plans.
“Actually, can we shoot by my apartment? I’d really like to find something presentable to wear to court and just check in on Aspen.”
“Absolutely,” he answered with a grin as I climbed in the back seat and tried to act like I didn’t wish Drake was here to hold my hand right now. I hadn’t become reliant on him, but I was getting used to having him there as support.
He helped me feel more confident.
He helped me believe in myself and my abilities to fight back and not let the world and the people in it get away with walking all over me. And he did it just by letting me know he’d be there to catch me if I stumbled. I was even starting to believe I really did deserve to stand beside him and be a part of his world.
“I’ll be like, ten minutes?” I told Simon as I leaped out at the curb outside Aspen’s and my apartment.
He frowned. “I should come—”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. There’s only one door in and out, so as long as you’re watching it, everything is fine. I won’t be long, and I’d really like to have a moment with my best friend, take a breath, and have a quick shower.”
He was apprehensive but eventually nodded. “Ten minutes. Then I’m coming to check.”
“Deal,” I agreed with a nod before dragging my suitcase to the apartment doors and up the flight of stairs. I dug around inside my bag for the keys, but it was only moments before the door swung open, and I was practically attacked.
“Thank God!” Aspen sighed, dragging me into her arms.
We just stood there for a minute.
