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Steel
As I’m led into the police station for processing, my mind is racing. What the fuck is happening? Where’s Ray? I need to find her. I need to remain calm throughout this situation, or I’ll never get out. This isn’t my first rodeo, so I remain calm and appear relaxed on the outside while the inner me is crawling, nails scraping down the inside of my brain, demanding to be listened to and to be let out.
They record my vital information, take my mugshot, empty my pockets, and shit, this looks bad. They remove mine and Ray’s phones and her rings, along with my keys and my wallet. Shit, shit, shit. They’re covered in blood, and someone is called to take swabs. They confiscate my clothing, which also has blood on it, but whose? I’m sent for fingerprinting and a full-body search, which is fun—not! They check for warrants, carry out a health check, and then give me my phone call. I call Ares, but he doesn’t pick up, so I leave a message. They throw me in a cell.
My mind is still racing. I'm unable to quieten it. This is what it must feel like to be insane. I feel like the inner me is screaming, throwing himself against the walls, dragging blunt fingernails down his face, tearing skin, and all I can do is sit and wait and wait some more.
It’s a good fifteen hours later when Scar and Ares arrive. I’m going out of my mind. They lead me into a room to talk to my counsel, and they’re both there. Ares looks terrified; it is not a good look on him, and although they both look stoic to anyone who doesn’t know them, Scar looks fit to hurl.
“What the fuck’s going on?” I whisper.
“It’s a shitshow, Brother.” Ares shakes his head.
“She played us. She fucking played us all,” Ares spits, “I fucking knew she was too good to be true. I’m sorry, Steel.”
I look over at Scar, and she hangs her head, “Tell me everything!” I bark at her, causing her to flinch.
“Please, I don’t believe it. I think… I don’t… this can’t be real… ”
“Scar!” I snap, I’m literally going out of my mind, and I need answers.
A steely mask slides over her features, like she’s detaching herself from the situation. She takes a deep breath before speaking.
“The initial charges were the murder of Lewis Carlisle and kidnapping and potential murder of Ray. The second charges have been dropped.” She pauses.
“That means she’s okay. They found Ray?” I say with a hopeful tone.
“She came forward, apparently.” Ares scoffs. “We were fucking raided by the FBI, Steel. That’s why I didn’t answer my phone. About thirty minutes after you left, they burst through the fucking doors into the clubhouse and ransacked everything. They even raided the old gun locker. They ripped everything apart; they seized all the computers. Luckily, they didn’t find anything and won’t find anything on them. She shafted us, Brother.”
Scar flicks him a glare like she can’t quite believe it. “Apparently.” She flicks a glare to Ares, which I read as “shut the fuck up,” and looks back at me. “Apparently, she turned up and has been placed in protective custody.”
I scoff a laugh and shake my head. Ray has never needed protecting. “So what’s happening?”
“There was a witness at the security offices. They saw you shoot Mr Carlisle, then drag Ray from the car by her hair, snatch her rings from her fingers, throw her in your truck and drive away. Then you came back minutes later alone, and that’s when the police turned up. Apparently, Ray said she got away from you. You lost it when you found out she was having an affair with Mr Carlisle.”
“What? Affair? What the fuck are you talking about?” My mind is reeling. It’s overloaded with shit slamming around up there. I can’t slow my thoughts. Affair? That’s why she didn’t want kids? Was she leaving me?
“Yes! They were having an affair, and a few people from the ball confirmed that they were a couple.”
I rub at my face, unable to process anything more. “What does this mean?”
“You’re being charged with murder. They found the murder weapon in your truck, Ray's blood on you and in the truck, the rings and the phone in your possession. Steel, this is fucking bad, we’re lucky they didn’t find anything at home, or we would all be locked up. She’s testifying against you. That’s why she’s in custody. She’s confirmed you killed him.”
I close my eyes, and my head sinks into my hands, and a stray tear runs down my cheek. I look at Scar, and all I can think is, “She never loved me, did she?”
“Steel.” Scar reaches forward and places a hand on mine. “I don’t… I can’t… I won’t believe this till I hear it from her lips myself. This isn’t real. Ray wouldn’t do this. You’re her universe. She wasn’t even living till she met you. We’re trying to get hold of Dane, Dice, Bran and Demi, but they’re all away for the weekend, and Bernie and Cade aren’t answering. We will get to the bottom of this, Steel, I promise!”
As I’m being led back to my cell, I fracture inside. I thought I was a strong man, a mountain of a man, and when I met her, I became the strongest I’d ever been. Now, I’m a shell, I’m empty, I feel everything yet nothing. I swallow down the lump that forms in my throat as I try to… I don’t know what to try to do. My heart stutters in my chest, my breathing becomes pained, there’s a tingling sensation in my fingers, and nausea rolls over me. The dizziness takes me by surprise as I stumble into the wall. I’m gasping for breath as I slide down the wall. A buzzer goes off as I’m dragged down the corridor.
I’m aware of chaos inside me, and as I focus outwardly, I’m in a medical room.
“It was just a panic attack. Vitals are good; you can take him back to his cell,” A woman in a lab coat says to the guards in the corner. Panic attack? What the fuck?
Ares
I’m pacing in the bar. Scar has her laptop out in our booth and is doing fuck knows what. I’m doing even less. There’s a sombre feel to the place. We’ve been betrayed; we all loved her, and she stabbed every single one of us through the heart.
Scar is in denial; the boys and Demi are all AWOL, and so are Bernie and Cade, which just adds to her guilt for me. Are they all in on it? What’s real anymore?
