“I don’t want to cause a scene, ma’am, so if you come willingly ...”
“What is going on?” I ask, shaking my head in confusion.
“You are under arrest for lighting this fire and making an attempt at human life.”
“You’re kidding, right? I wasn’t even here.”
“We have multiple reports that you were.”
I look to Riggs, who is staring at me.
“I didn’t do this,” I yell at him as the officer pulls out his cuffs and tells me to turn around. “Riggs, I didn’t fucking do this.”
Riggs walks a little closer, glaring at me. “I didn’t think you’d take it so fuckin’ far.”
“I’d never risk someone’s life. I didn’t light this up.”
“You’re a fuckin’ liar,” he growls. “You swore you’d get me back and you did. Well fuckin’ done.”
“There’s a man inside!” someone bellows. “We need help.”
A man.
Who?
I try to look as the officer yells out something to another person, while holding me with my hands cuffed behind my back. Panic grips my chest as I look toward the burning building and see a heap of firefighters rush in. Minutes later, they come out with Adan. They have both his hands wrapped in something, and my eyes get wide. He seems okay, but is he burned?
Is he hurt?
“You did this,” Riggs growls in my direction. “If he dies ...”
Anger explodes inside of me. I know we haven’t exactly been good to each other, but the fact is, I’d never put someone’s life at risk, and he should know that. He should know that I play by the rules we set out. Not only would I not do it in case it hurt someone, I’d never risk his business like that.
“I didn’t do this, Cash,” I say, my voice angry. “I swear, I didn’t do it.”
He studies my face, shakes his head and walks off but not before telling the officer to take me away. How dare he?
Who the hell does he think he is?
Is this part of his little plan? Did he light that place and blame it on me so I’d go down? Is this because I called the cops on him?
He’ll go down for this.
My god, I’ll make sure he regrets it.
This isn’t over.
“MA’AM, ARE YOU LISTENING to what I’m saying to you?”
I blink slowly, tipping my head just slightly at the police officer speaking to me. He’s got a notepad in his beefy hand and eyes that are so dark they could almost be black and yet ... I find him weak, boyish, not someone I’d want on my side if I was in some sort of trouble, that’s for sure. Poor guy, perhaps he got picked on as a child and this was his way of regaining control?
When did I become so judgy?
After all, I am the one in a police station after being arrested for arson.
They’re wrong, though. I didn’t do it.
I know just who aimed the blame at me—that good-for-nothing, pain in the ass biker that took over my life, the garage next door, and stole all my sanity. He thinks he’s winning the war by pinning this on me, but he’ll come to find out, I can play a whole lot harder.
God damned bikers.
The cops might be scared of him. I certainly am not.
“I’m listening to you, sir,” I say, my eyes all doe like and my lashes fluttering as I blink innocently. “I just don’t understand why you think I had something to do with this.”
“Ah, Cash Riggs reported you, said he saw you light the fire in his garage. This was confirmed by two other members.”
That motherfucker.
“Firstly, with a name like Cash Riggs I’m surprised anybody is taking him seriously, and, secondly, I’d never enter that garage. Have you any idea what goes on in there?”
The officer, who I can see is named Billy, narrows his eyes. “I’m unsure what you mean, miss.”
I lean forward, letting my eyes dart from left to right before focusing on him. “A lot of sex, officer. So much of it, that I’m not sure how they’re even walking with the amount of STDs they’re sharing around in there. Don’t get me started on the alcohol, and drugs ...”
“Drugs?” Billy’s eyes widen.
I nod ferociously. “You don’t think bikers are just fixing cars in that garage, do you? Gosh, no. They’re selling drugs. Heaps of them. To my customers.”
Probably not true, but it wasn’t true that I started that stupid fire, either, yet here I am.
He watched me get dragged away by those police officers, with hate in his eyes. He thinks I did it, but deep down I’m certain he knows I didn’t.
Revenge is bittersweet.
Riggs should have been more careful who he messed with.
“Have you any proof of these transactions?” Billy asks.
“I do not, just as you have no proof I went in there and lit that fire. Don’t you know that Wildflowers is the best café in town? I wouldn’t risk it all to light that dumpster on fire.”
“Cash Riggs is sure you were the one he saw do it.”
“Cash Riggs is a liar, and his parents clearly hated him, you know ... giving him that name and all.”
“His name is of no concern to me, what does concern me is that you are being accused of arson. Did you light that garage up? You tell me the truth and you might get away with a lighter sentence.”
I cross my arms. “I could light my place on fire and say he did it, too. Without proof, it’s hearsay. Is there evidence of me leaving that scene? Camera footage? Something you can hold me on, because I can assure you, Officer Billy, that I was not there.”
“We’re currently investigating and I’m sure once we find evidence ...”
“Once you find it? So you don’t have any?”
He twitches nervously. “Not at this stage, no.”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret. Cash Riggs hates me, and he’ll do anything he can to get me out of that space we so happen
