Rian ran his hands through his hair, then rolled his head in a circle with a pop of his neck. He exhaled, glancing back to the clock before he turned and made his way back toward the wall once more. He would sit his time out, he would get released and he would find Lexi. He would call and tell the club about what was happening. Everything would work out. He nodded his head as though he was trying to convince himself of that very thought.
They were the good guys, the good guys always won. He repeated it like a mantra inside his mind as he turned once more and continued pacing. He lifted his arms, placing his forearms on the cool wall as he leaned forward. Head lowered, his eyes were closed until he heard the loud bang at the entrance of the room.
With a swift turn, he saw Deputy Weasley walk into the room. Rian moved to the cell doors, remaining still once he reached them, waiting to find out what was going on. The men stared at one another wordlessly for over a minute before the deputy started to speak, his tone hushed.
“I don’t know what's going on, but I know you’re innocent of this murder. Lexi, Lexi would never… she spoke about you often. About the club even, to me. She is my friend and it’s not like her not to be here. At the very least check on you. So, I stopped by your place. I knocked. I called. I checked the property and although nothing was cause for me to enter, something seemed off. I know there is something wrong.” He paused. “She’s in danger, isn’t she?”
Rian remained silent for a minute more before he nodded his head. “I believe so, yes. That’s why I need to get out of here. I need to go find her.”
The deputy furrowed his brows with a slight tilt of his head. “You should be released tomorrow…”
“That’s too late.” Rian spoke abruptly. “If I'm still here in the morning, they are going to charge me without cause. You and I both know it. I need out of here now.”
“What? Escape? I can’t let you do that. Are you crazy?” The deputy asked. “When the sheriff gets in, I’ll talk with him, get him to see reason.”
Rian shook his head. “The sheriff isn’t going to let me out, you know that. I heard you try to reason with him already, he isn’t interested in listening to reason.”
“What do you mean, you heard us?”
Rian exhaled. “He’s involved, I don’t know how but I know he’s involved in this. Look, the more time we spend talking about this, the longer Lexi is in danger. You’ve got to let me out of here. I promise, you let me out, help me, and I’ll tell you everything about me. You can trust me.”
The deputy remained still, his gaze locked to Rian a minute more before he shook his head and reached for his keys. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
He inserted the keys into the lock, and with a quick turn, the loud clink echoed through the room. The deputy gripped around the bar, pulling the door open with a hard yank before he stepped in front of Rian. “I’m doing this for Lexi. Don’t make me regret it.”
Rian nodded in agreement before he stepped from the cell past the deputy before both men made their exit through the back of the station. They were both quiet, introspective. At the moment, there wasn't much to say.
When they arrived at Rian and Lexi’s house, Rian hopped from the passenger side of the cruiser before the car had even stopped moving. Pushing open the unlocked door, he moved inside and made his way to the kitchen. The house looked as it had the morning he'd been taken into custody. The same dishes were in the sink that he'd placed there. Her notepad with the grocery list rested on the counter.
Rian turned and swiftly made his way down the hall toward their bedroom as Weasley entered the house behind him. As he walked into their bedroom, his eyes closed as the scent of musky cologne hit him like a train. He knew that scent. He turned, walking from the bedroom, his stride slow as he stopped just before the foyer where the deputy stood.
“Well?” Deputy Weasley asked.
“She’s not here, but I know where she is. Who she’s with.” Rian had taken a step toward the door to leave when Weasley slid over in front of him, stopping his movements.
“No, you’re going to tell me what’s going on. She’s my friend and since I basically just threw my career away to help you, you owe me that much.”
Rian licked his lips before he turned and moved into the living room. “Take a seat,” he motioned to the couch, moving to the chair opposite it. As Rian waited for Weasley to take his place, he could hear the nervous breath catch in his throat, the rapid beat of his heart, the droplets of sweat that formed along his hairline. Rian knew he couldn’t tell the deputy everything, club business was club business after all.
“So, spill it.” Weasley demanded.
Rian exhaled. Where to even start? “What all do you know about Billingsworth?” Weasley furrowed his brows in response. “I mean, how much do you know about his desire to buy up land around Bel Mar?”
Weasley shrugged. “I know he’s been buying up land all around the River. Been working on a few inside town limits with the promise of building and improving the shops. Supposed to be doubling our tourist intake or something. Least, that’s what the Mayor has said on why he’s joined forces with him.”
Weasley cleared
