Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 80176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“How about y’all go back in there, and don’t worry about what’s going on out here?”
“I’ll worry about it if I want to worry about it, motherfucker!”
We all froze at those words coming out of a very pregnant, beautiful woman’s mouth.
But not for long.
The cop rounded on Hannah, ready to push her, but, suddenly, Travis was there, stopping him before he could even take a step
“Officer Rogers,” Travis’ voice was low and barely controlled. “I seriously suggest that you rethink what you’re about to do, because I’m not above beating the shit out of you in front of witnesses.”
I finally looked at the officer that had yanked me around like a rag doll.
Officer Rogers. The cop who had asked me out and I turned down. The one whose truck I had helped Evander to recover.
Holy shit.
More struggling from the other side of Officer Rogers had me turning to see Evander still struggling on the floor.
“Let him go!” I screamed, my fingernails digging into my palms.
That’s when I saw Evander’s brother was one of the arresting officers that had thrown him to the ground and allowed his poor face to hit the floor.
“Walter,” I whispered. “What are you doing?”
The accusation in my voice was enough to make Walter wince.
Evander’s eyes looked fucking ravaged.
“Don’t, baby,” he insisted gently. “Just don’t.”
My throat felt tight, and I couldn’t get my legs to work.
I wanted to go to him. I wanted to pull him into my arms.
I started to crawl.
“Travis,” Evander barked as he was yanked to his feet.
Travis’ angry eyes came down to me, but I didn’t stop despite Travis’ attempt at reaching for me.
No, I crawled across the floor, past the asshole, Officer Rogers, straight to Evander, coming up to my feet about halfway and throwing myself at him.
I hit him hard and wrapped both of my arms around his neck.
His hands were restrained behind his back with cuffs, so he could do nothing but drop his head to my shoulder and kiss my neck.
“Don’t do this,” he whispered to me. “Be good. Don’t do this.”
Then he was yanked away from me, causing me to stumble.
His eyes met mine once more, and then he was gone, being led out of the small clinic with Officer Rogers the asshole following right behind him, shooting daggers at Travis and me as he went.
I watched as Walter opened the back door of the cruiser, and then moved out of the way for the other officer to shove Evander—none too gently—into the back before slamming the door.
Words were discussed among the officers, and it was then that I saw Evander’s parole officer out there as well.
My heart started to beat double time.
“What’s going on, Travis?”
That was my nurse, Hannah.
I didn’t bother to turn around, instead watching as the cruiser pulled away, leaving Evander’s brother the only one left on the scene.
And suddenly I found myself irrational.
I pushed the door open and stomped down the walkway, straight up to the awful man.
“You’re a despicable, disgusting excuse for a human being,” I told him. “I can’t believe I ever left my goats to you. You’d probably eat them.”
Walter flinched at my words.
“I had to.”
My brows rose.
“You had to?” I laughed humorlessly, and it hurt my own ears to hear. “You also had a responsibility to your own brother,” I snapped. “Or is that how you treat family around here?”
Walter’s face shut down completely.
“I can’t protect him when he’s stupid,” he hissed. “And I’m not sure what it is that you wanted me to do? I didn’t tell him to commit any crimes.”
My mouth dropped open.
“You don’t truly believe that your brother would do anything like that, do you?” I asked. “Because if you do, you’re fucking stupid.”
Walter’s jaw muscles worked as he clenched his jaw.
“There’s stuff you don’t know.”
I stared at him like the little worm that he was.
“There’s stuff you don’t know,” I told him. “Like the fact that your brother is the most beautiful, caring, loving, helpful person in the whole goddamn world.”
“He committed a crime,” Walter snapped.
“You believe that about as much as I believe you actually care about him,” Travis countered from behind me.
It was good to know that I wasn’t the only one that was disappointed in Walter.
“I’m not a detective,” Walter shot back. “I’m a fucking police officer. I have to do what I’m told, or I lose my job.”
“What’s the point of having the job if the people you work for are shit-ass dirty?”
That was me, eloquent as always.
His eyes sliced from Travis to me.
“Someone has to make a difference.”
I started to laugh.
“Oh, that’s fucking rich, coming from you. Someone has to make a difference?” I brought my hand up to my face and swiped at the tears leaking from my eyes. “You’re not the one making a difference, you fool—Evander is! You’re just another one of the spineless, pieces of shit with a badge who don’t do anything other than toe the dirty cop line in this town.”