Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Did you have anything to do with it?”
“No sir. Like I told the CO, I don’t do drugs and I don’t mess around with people who do.”
“Your brother is a known habitual drug user.”
Ice filled her veins as she shifted her gaze to the XO. “My brother is a lot of things. One that he isn’t, is part of my life.” Would he be behind this? While she knew he didn’t like her this was a bit much. Wasn’t it?
Hell, now she wasn’t to sure of anything.
“They want to speak to you.”
“And that’s fine but I will not do so without JAG beside me.”
“You have something to hide?” XO’s tone was snide.
“No sir, but neither am I foolish to think that because I know I am innocent that others will afford me that same courtesy. For a lot of us it’s guilty until proven innocent, not the other way around.”
She swore COB’s lips twitched but she didn’t smile in return. Neha dismissed him with a glance and focused back on the CO. “Shall I call them and have them meet me somewhere?”
“I’ll have someone there. We’ll do this on base. That will be all gentlemen. XO has the boat until I get back. Let’s go, Kirk.” He rose and she followed without thinking more on it.
I didn’t expect him to come with me. She preceded him off the boat and began walking only to stop and wait once more. She didn’t even know where she was supposed to be heading.
A black car waited at the end of the pier and she watched as two men stepped out. Good looking ones at that.
“Step lively, Kirk. We have a car to catch, then maybe, if you don’t mind, we can put this shit behind us and get ready for this deployment.”
“Yes sir. Sorry sir.”
At the car, she climbed in first as she was of lower rank. He slid in after her and the driver shut the door while the other got in the passenger seat.
“Sir. We have two lawyers there waiting. The press has caught wind of this sir and they are asking to come on base and speak to her.”
“Denied. I’ll not have my crew bothered as we are about to leave port.”
The man nodded once. Sharply. “Understood.”
Neha hugged the side of the car, trying to make herself as small as she could. The silence was deafening. All she could think about was losing her career. All she’d worked hard to accomplish. For nothing more than someone deciding to drop her name in the wrong situation.
Her nerves weren’t doing any better when they arrived and the car stopped. Biting her lower lip, she took a deep breath and slid out after her CO, grateful he was at her side.
At least for now, it seems he is believing in me.
They entered the building and the walk down the hall was silent aside from their footsteps. The guard opened the door and stepped back allowing them to step in. Her CO entered first and she followed once more. There were two officers in JAG uniforms there and two detectives. The lawyers looked at her and smiled. The detectives, not so much.
She lifted her chin and waited for this to begin.
I will not cower.
* * *
αβ
* * *
Davin knocked on her door. He’d given her a bit of time to hopefully cool off before he returned. Why isn’t she seeing that I want to help her through this. Whatever the fuck it is?
He hated feeling helpless and that’s what this was doing.
The door swung open and he halted his greeting as he found himself staring at all three of her friends. Sugar, Renny, and Cindy.
“Where’s Neha?”
“Why? Looking to help get her kicked out of the Navy?”
His brow converged. “What? No. Why the fuck would I be trying to do that? I want to help her.”
“So much so you just figured to casually mention to her about a drug bust where her name was mentioned?” Sugar’s tone was borderline feral.
“I told her to give her some head’s up because my brother told me.”
“Which you weren’t even supposed to tell her about,” Tavin said walking into view.
“Fuck off, Tav,” he retorted. Davin didn’t take his gaze from the three he knew meant the world to the woman who in his life had come to mean the same amount. Everything.
His brother, of course, didn’t listen to him and instead pushed his way beside him and into the apartment. Davin went as well, kicking the door shut behind him. There was an empty feeling in her place now and he hated it. Almost like it knew she had run.
Sugar, Cindy, and Renny stood shoulder to shoulder in the living room and he ran his gaze over them. A mismash of looks for sure, but these were her ride and die and he needed them to be on his side with her. For their influence and suggestion would go so far with Neha.