OtherSide Of Fear (Outside The Ropes #3) (33 page)

“Break it up.”

“Get Out.”

Things were being yelled as burly men threw patrons off each other. Someone grabbed me from behind just as my fist collided with the cheek of the man pulling Blake’s hair. The man whipped around, cheek flaming red as he swung, hitting me in the stomach. All air escaped me and I caved forward, using the momentum to flip the person restraining me over my shoulder. I used my hands to pull him the rest of the way, slamming him to the wood floor. It was a bouncer, I think.

Breezy was beside me. “Damn. It’s time to go.”

I looked around for Blake. He was grinning, blood smeared across his cheek. Whether it was his or not, I didn’t know. He had his fists up, stepping towards a guy who was poised to fight but had been hanging back, weary.

“Oh, hell.” Breezy charged up to them, but a bouncer got there first.

“Get out now, Blake. We’ve called the cops.”

Cops.

The night stopped being fun.

“Shit,” I pulled on Blake’s plaid shirt; it was missing a few buttons from his fight. “We’ve got to go.”

“Yeah, crazy old gimp. Get gone.”

I glared at the kid who all of a sudden had a mouth but continued to pull Blake to the door.

“Little shit, come outside and say that.” Blake was turning back to face him but still let me pull him out.

“I don’t have to.” He held his arms out. “I just said it here.” His friends were gathering themselves again.

Blake pulled out of my grip, and I wanted to keep going to the door. I needed leave. I should leave.

“Do your fucking job and shut them up,” I came back after Blake, yelling to the bouncer who wasn’t bouncing anything but just standing there.

“Who are you, telling me how to do my job?” He gripped my upper arm, pulling me before I could get to Blake.

Blake was held by two of the men and hit by another.

“Get off of me and stop them.”

“They’ll stop in a minute, when police get here.”

My heart tried to race out of my body, and I jerked free, going for the door. All my thoughts on getting out before—

Four police officers walked in, strolling through the door like they could have been patrons instead of here to do a job.

“That’s a record William. Took you less than ten minutes,” a bartender yelled. The band had long ago stopped playing.

The police officer at the front tipped his hat with a smile. “We were on standby when we saw Blake’s truck. That’s enough Blake.”

Blake finished his swing, knocking the boy in front of him to the ground. He showed his bloody teeth when he smiled to the officer.

I felt like I was in a parallel universe. No one seemed to care.

But I wasn’t pressing my luck. I walked a wide circle around the cops and made my way to the door as they stepped further into he bar.

“Wait,” the bouncer who had stopped me earlier spoke up. “That new girl, she was part of it too.”

I didn’t turn around to see who he was talking about, or what everyone’s reaction was. I kept walking but was stopped when I tried to step through the door.

“Mam, can you stick around for a moment?” One of the officers stepped in front of me, blocking my exit.

I looked back. Blake was at a table with Breezy and a cop. They were all looking at me.

And so was the cop in front of me. His patience was growing thin as I hesitated.

Breezy waved me over and the cop swiped his hand in that direction.

“Sure.” I stepped back into the bar, stomach clenching as I walked to the table.

“So you’re corrupting a new girl now with your conspiracy theories?” The round cop at the table leaned back, laughing. “Sit down,” he ordered to me and then looked back to Blake and Breezy. “What did you say her name was, Riley?”

They nodded and I sat. Blake glared at him as he continued to laugh.

“Now come on Blake, how many times are we going to do this?”

“Till these bastards learn to stop messing with me.”

The officer nodded. “And when will you stop coming into their town and messing with them?”

“What’s the deal? You going to take me in or let me go?” He leaned forward, wiping at the corner of his mouth with the end of his shirt.

All my muscles turned rigid.

“You have somewhere important to be?” Another officer slid up a chair. “Well drop the plans because you’re coming in tonight.”

“Well, Willy, can you give the girls a ride home? You know where it is.”

“She lives at your camp too?” The officer slapped his hand on the table and looked between the three of us. “Who are you again? Riley? Riley what?”

“She was part of the fight tonight too. Threw Sam over her shoulder and hit Mason,” The other officer added.

My mouth went sandpaper dry, and I wanted a drink. Bad.

“Riley, you got an ID on you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“No? How old are you?”

“Twenty one.”

“Leave her be. She was just trying to keep me from getting ganged up on,” Blake spoke up.

“She must be new if she thought you needed help.”

He shrugged.

“Or drunk.” The officer closer to me leaned in. “She’s been drinking. We need to see ID.”

“I told you. I don’t have any.” My legs shook to run.

They were all asking questions at once, somehow all directed at me. I wasn’t the one to start the fight, or even take a big part in the fight. But before I knew it, I was the main focus and they were pulling me into a police car, reading me my rights.

“I didn’t do anything. Why are you arresting me?”

“For assault and disorderly conduct.”

“Bullshit. You’re taking her in because she’s with me and wouldn’t answer your questions,” Blake shouted as he was lowered into the back of another police car.

I stayed silent for as long as I could, hoping something, anything, would save me. But at the station they needed my social security number and name. They thought they knew it, Riley Rivers, but I didn’t have a social security number for that, and they took my fingerprints when they processed me. I was cracking under the pressure and gave in. On the form they pushed in front of me, I wrote my real name and my real social security number.

I always knew I couldn’t run forever. I just thought I had a little more time.

By any grace of God, I might. If they didn’t hold me that long, I might. If the name wasn’t released. I might. If. If. If.

But they did hold me—for the rest of the weekend. I had to see the commissioner before they would let me out, and he wouldn’t be in till Monday. All my ifs went up in smoke because Blake had gotten out that night. Why wouldn’t I? I already knew that answer. My time was up.

The only real question was who would be waiting for me? And was I ready?

THE OFFICER FROM THAT NIGHT WAS THE one walking me out, down the single hallway this police station had, to the front lobby.

“We pushed up your release when the reporters started calling. We don’t want that mess here, but there’s already a few out front.”

That could be a good thing. A form of protection.

“I don’t know what type of game you’ve been playing at, but leave Blake out of it.”

I wrapped my arms around my waist. My stomach was tumbling, and his statement only kicked it up a notch. I wasn’t trying to include Blake in whatever was waiting for me.

He continued his slow walk, moseying along in front of me till he reached the door. He paused, turning back to me, hand on the nob. “He’s a good man who served our country well, and he’s paying for it in all the wrong ways. He don’t need someone like you coming along and pulling the wool over his eyes. It ain’t right.”

He raised an eyebrow at me like he expected a response so I nodded. I didn’t have space to worry over this man, not when my mind was consumed over what was on the other side of that door and what I could do about it.

Blake was standing at the front desk. He pushed away and stood up tall the moment I stepped through.

“Well about damn time.” He cleared his throat and focused on the officer at my side. “She free to go now, Willy?” At his nod, he continued, “Well, let’s get gone, girly.”

“Blake.” I hadn’t expected him, not after he found out I lied. “Breezy.”

She rose from a seat against the wall and stepped next to him. She gave me a weak smile, and I could see the doubt in her eyes.

“We’ll talk later.” He lifted his hand to silence me. “Right now, lets get outa here. This place stinks.”

“Make that a reason not to come back.” William nodded to Blake, giving me one last glare before we turned away.

But my feet froze mid step as my heart stopped. Gage walked in through the front door of the police station. His eyes hit mine, vacuuming all the air from the room with the intensity in them.

Blake shifted, going for the door behind Gage. “Pardon?”

Gage’s eyes narrowed in on him, but he stepped to the side and let him pass. He shifted to block me, his body larger than my memory.

“Put this on.” He shoved a hoody in my direction.

I hesitated but grabbed it, still adjusting to his sudden appearance. It had been so long and my initial urge was to grab him, touch him, but I couldn’t. That would throw away the past few months, and the look in his eyes made it clear it wouldn’t go over well.

I slipped on the thin zip up hoody, muscles shaking with nerves. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t do anything here at the police station. I didn’t want anyone getting in trouble.

“Who’s this?” Blake lifted his chin to Gage, questioning me as he stood with the door held open. Beyond him, past the sidewalk, I saw a small group of reporters with about three cameras.

“Her husband. You can go. I’ve got it from here.” Gage didn’t fully face him, but his body was tense, his fingers curled at his side.

Blake dropped the door, letting it close as he stepped back into the station. His eyes narrowed in confusion. “Husband? Girly, whatever your name is, what’s going on? Are you all right going with him?”

“Yes.” I was quick to answer, wanting to kill the tension mounting between them.

“Are you coming back to the camp?”

“Yes,” It was Gage that answered. “Now go. You’re not walking out with her in front of those reporters.”

Blake eyes swept to mine, unfazed by Gage’s anger. “You’re sure?”

“She said yes.” Gage’s knuckles turned white as his fist strained.

“She’s been hiding from something,” Breezy stepped beside Blake, speaking so low I barely heard her.

“No.” I grabbed Gage’s arm, to keep him back and to reassure them. “It wasn’t him. We’ll talk later.” I was all too aware of the other eyes on us in the police station.

Gage shifted so he was standing next to me, but also so I wasn’t touching him anymore. I let my fingers drop, still tingling with the feel of him and his cold brush off.

We stood that way until Blake and Breezy were gone, giving them time to get past the reporters. Giving me time to steady my vibrating limbs and accept that I was about to be alone with Gage. A fizzy nervousness coursed through me, bursting in my veins when he slipped his arm around me and walked us out the door.

I pulled my hood over my head as we walked past the small group of reporters. They followed us with questions, but neither of us spoke to them as we rushed into Gage’s rental car. He opened the passenger side door for me to get in and then closed it, going to his side.

It made my stomach hurt to watch his body move as he passed the front of the car with such a casual dominance. His jeans and hoody fit perfectly and moved easy with his long strides. I had missed him, but this pain was worse—being near him and knowing I had to push him away all over again.

“What’s the address?” Gage asked the moment he was in, his fingers pressing on the navigation system.

I closed my eyes, unable to think.

“Fine. We’ll just go straight to the airport.”

“No. Here, I’ll put it in.” I typed on the screen. It’s not like I could stay there anyways, not with my arrest drawing attention. I was a mess because I knew I had lucked out finding Blake and Breezy. It wouldn’t be as easy anywhere else. I didn’t even know if I could keep doing this, running. But I couldn’t pull a solid idea from my brain. It was all shit.

“Who was that guy?” His voice was low and sharp as we pulled onto the road.

“My landlord, my boss, a friend.” I shrugged, somehow keeping all my emotions from my words.

“He’s who you were with at the bar when you were arrested?”

I nodded.

“And where do you work?”

“A tattoo and gun shop.” I needed a drink. I couldn’t fucking handle him in person. Questioning me. I needed back to the camper, and I needed a drink. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. But I knew I wasn’t doing it right.

He dropped the questions and didn’t talk the rest of the drive. Neither did I, until I had to give him directions the GPS didn’t know. I kept them short, and he made the turns onto the gravel road silent. The pressure in the car threatened to erupt with the tiniest spark, and I didn’t want to be the one to detonate it. Not yet. I wasn’t ready.

“Park here.” I pointed to the side of the path, wanting to avoid going by Blake’s for now.

Gage pulled over. “There’s nothing here. What are you doing?”

I slid off my seat belt and opened the door. “We have to walk.” I began the hike, not waiting for him.

I didn’t get far before he caught up. The silence continued, thicker than the mud under our feet, louder than the bugs and animals calling around us.

After a few minutes of walking, Gage grabbed the fabric of my sleeve and turned me to him. “Is this some sort of fucking game to you?”

I pulled out of his grip and pointed to the camper that could barely be seen in the distance, between the trees. “It’s there.”

He sighed and walked ahead, the silence back. I preferred him talking; it was easier to see his thoughts, to feel his anger. His silence was a dark cover, and I didn’t know what was underneath. His silence left me emptier than his absence had.

I was beginning to doubt my sanity in bringing him here as he stood in the center of my tiny trailer, taking in every detail, filling the little space with his presence. He was like a bomb about to explode, the wick of his fury on a slow burn. It was only a matter of time; all I had to do was wait. And I decided that’s what I would do. I still had no explanation, and I wasn’t going to pretend I did.