The hush of the room feels like a relief to my ears, and I charge forward in an effort to grab onto Noah or Everett with a firm embrace, but one of the beefy deputies standing guard pulls me back.
“Take a seat,” he says it low like a growl, and I take a seat on the end of an elongated table that has Everett and Noah next to one another, with Fiona taking the helm at the other end. There are only a handful of deputies in here, and I’m glad about it, too. The fewer people to witness our misery, the better.
“I’m so sorry,” my voice warbles as I get the words out.
“Lemon,” Everett says it sweetly, and yet with a touch of remorse, as he closes his eyes.
“Lottie, don’t worry.” Noah blows out a breath as if he were very much worried himself.
“You don’t get to speak.” Fiona holds a finger my way, but her attention is on the two men before her. “Essex, we have less than a minute before they haul you off. There are men in this room. You know the rules. We don’t get down to business until we’re alone. I’m here as your acting attorney.” She blinks to Noah. “Are you interested in my representation?”
“Yes,” Everett answers for him with an aggressive bite to his voice. “But he won’t need you for long.” Everett snaps his gaze my way and there’s a tension between us like never before. Everett is doing his best to press an entire conversation into my mind. The muscles in his jaw redefine themselves as he stares me down hard. He is imploring me not to speak, not to ruin the terrifying momentum he has going, and to be truthful, I’m afraid to. I’ve already ruined so much more.
The door opens up again and in walks Jack Turner—Sheriff Jack Turner. I grew up with his daughter, Keelie, and she happens to be my best friend. Jack has been like a second father to me.
“Lottie.” He nods my way, acknowledging my presence, but his eyes stray to Everett then Noah. “Detective Fox, what the hell is going on?”
Noah has been the lead homicide investigator here at the department for over two years. He has a spotless record, and now I’ve caused a blemish as large and destructive as a wildfire.
“He has nothing to do with this.” Everett pulls his chin up, and the dark scruff on his cheeks only makes his eyes illuminate like the blue flames they are. “I did it.”
Both Noah and Fiona groan in unison.
The door opens as a couple more deputies stream on in and one of them whispers something to Jack.
“We’ve got a cell ready for you.” Jack sighs, looking at the two of them. “For the both of you. We’ll get to the bottom of this one way or the other.”
“Essex,” Fiona snips as she rises to her feet. “I’ll speak with you in private, and until then, you will not utter a single word.”
But Everett isn’t paying attention to Fiona. His eyes are locked over Noah’s as he glowers his way as if he were about to commit a homicide.
“Let him go,” Everett growls out the words. “I acted alone.”
“It’s not true,” Noah says as his jaw clenches.
“Shut the hell up.” Everett lunges at him just as a swarm of deputies pluck both him and Noah from their seats.
I bolt up and one of the deputies moves in front of me.
“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to step outside,” he says, but I can’t be bothered to acknowledge him.
“Everett, what are you doing?” I hiss. “Don’t.” I shake my head as tears blur my vision.
“You’re not going down for this, Everett—” Noah starts and Everett smashes into him like a freight train.
“I did this.” Everett looks directly at Sheriff Turner when he says it. “I alone am to blame for everything that’s transpired.”
All chaos breaks loose as the deputies hustle them to the door. Noah slips by before I can catch him, but I rush over and latch my arms onto Everett’s neck, forcing us to do a little dance as I swing to the side of him, my huge belly brushing up against his hip.
“Why are you doing this?” The words come out of me pressured in one quick string.
“You don’t want to know what they’d do to him in prison,” he says it just under his breath as the deputies pull us apart.
“Everett!” I shout with everything in me. “Noah.” My voice carries, but soon the room drains as the crowd follows them down a corridor.
Fiona backtracks and sweeps her eyes up and down my body.
“Get out of here, Lottie.” She sighs hard. “I’ll take care of this. Thanks to Essex and his foolishness, I bet Detective Fox will be home in time for dinner. As for Essex, you may never see him again.”
She takes off, and I’m all alone.
The baby gives a swift kick to my ribs to remind me I’m not alone at all. And I have a feeling he or she will never let me forget how I’ve ruined its father’s life forever simply by its presence.
I’ve taken both Noah and Everett down, so far and fast, I’m the one who should be behind bars. That would have been the only thing that could have kept them safe from me.
And now Noah and Everett will pay for ever setting eyes on me.
I bet they’re sorry we ever met. And if they’re not, they will be soon enough.
I’ve tarnished their reputations, taken down their careers, and ground their hearts under my heel, and ironically, I only meant to love them.
The baby gives another hearty wallop, and I place my hand over my belly.
All I want to do is love this baby, too, and a part of me is afraid of what my toxic brand of love might put this innocent child through—what I’ve already put it through by proxy.
Some
