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24Hudson
By the timeI come out of the interrogation room, it’s clear to me that other forces are at play here. Lizza, the woman I’m defending is black and blue and still covered in blood, but the police are giving her zero consideration. It turns out her husband was a respected businessman with friends in high places.
It’s why Lizza ended up reaching out to Lorenzo via the app we have requesting anonymous help. I’ve managed to get her a shower and a single cell for the night at least, and she’s seen a doctor. But I might need some of Lorenzo’s help with this one.
I check my phone and panic seizes my gut when I see I have eight missed calls from Audrey. I call her straight back and she picks up on the first ring.
“Hudson, thank God.”
“What’s wrong?” My first thought is her dad.
“It’s Tia.”
The bottom falls out of my world at those words. “What happened.”
“We’re at the hospital. She broke her arm and is in surgery.”
“I’m on my way.”
“I’m so sorry, Hudson.”
Audrey is crying and the sound breaks me as my legs eat up the distance. “It will be alright. I’m heading to the airport now and will be on the first flight home.”
“I have my private plane waiting on the tarmac for you.”
Jesus, that must have taken some doing, but this is Audrey, and she cares for Tia. Thank you.”
“Hudson, I really am sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
An uncomfortable niggle starts in my gut and builds to a flutter in my chest as I think of what Tia must be going through, how scared she must be.
“There are pictures of her online. We went for pizza and they followed me.”
Fucking hell. I grit my teeth in the hopes that I can tamp my anger down and not react. “I’m on my way, just don’t leave her.”
“I’d never leave her alone.”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
I hang up and race to the airport. Clicking through my phone, I see hundreds of images of Audrey and Tia. Walking along the street, arms swinging, looking happy. Tia and Audrey eating pizza at Gianni’s, our favorite place, and a warm feeling soothes my anger at not being able to get to her sooner. Then a picture of Tia twirling around the restaurant and standing on a chair comes up before a series of images of her falling and Audrey rushing to her side. The bastards captured it all, the paramedics, the ambulance. Audrey’s worried expression as she tries to soothe a crying Tia.
I have the urge to toss my phone but grip it tight instead, reading the headlines, each one more scandalous than the last. They’re calling my sister my secret love child. Then the next says she’s Audrey’s daughter, but the heiress is so ashamed she hides her away.
I board the flight and barely acknowledge the flight attendant as she asks if I need anything.
“No, just get us in the air.”
The whole flight, I tortured myself with the lies and vitriol the rag that spilled Xander Reynolds’ secrets to the world has spouted. Each one is more disgusting than the last. My sweet sister has become the subject of a social media frenzy, and all because Audrey didn’t listen.
She should’ve been more careful. She should’ve just gone home. Instead, she has exposed my sister to this vile online abuse.
I’m out of my seat before the plane comes to a stop and waiting impatiently for the flight crew to open the doors. I brush past them, not caring who I offend as I race down the steps and thank God find a car waiting for me. Ryker is inside, which I wasn’t expecting.
“Why are you here?”
His blond brow shoots up at my aggression. “Hopefully to stop you from going off the deep end.”
