Fighting Shadows (On the Ropes #2)(41)

With shaking hands, she squared her shoulders. “You . . . You told me once that I couldn’t go through life trusting everyone. Thanks for proving that.” She tried to laugh, but it came out as a sob. “You’re wrong about me though. I’m a good person. I’ll prove that.” She pulled her heels off. Tears were streaming down her face when she looked back up. “Since that’s what you really think of me, don’t worry. You’ll never have to see this criminal again.”

I apologized profusely in my head, but anger and self-preservation never allowed the words to leave my mouth as I watched Ash, barefoot and with her head hung low, walk out my life.





I DIDN’T EVEN MAKE IT a full four hours before I regretted all the things I’d said to Ash. I wasn’t sure how anything could work between us, but I had dismissed the idea of even trying entirely too quickly. I just needed a few days to logically work it out in my head. Develop a new strategy for slowing things down between us but still keeping her in my life.

I couldn’t lose her.

I was told that Slate had driven her home from the party. Quarry texted me late that night to tell me that something was seriously off. Ash had cooked dinner that night for everyone and sat at the table with a huge smile, telling her father that she loved him and how much she had loved getting to know Debbie and Quarry. She had hugged them all then spent the rest of the night in her room.

I gave Q strict instructions to keep an eye on her. I had too much pride to actually call her, and part of me was a little scared too. I was positive she needed some time to cool off.

My phone rang the following morning at seven A.M. I was exhausted, and if it weren’t for Quarry’s name showing on the caller ID, I would have sent it to voicemail.

“What’s up?” I answered, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

“I need you to come get me. The cops are here arresting Ray and Debbie.”

I sat straight up in bed. “What!” I yelled, settling the phone between my shoulder and ear so I could transfer into my wheelchair.

“I have no idea what the f*ck is going on. About four cars arrived at the house. Cops stormed in and hauled them out. Till’s not answering. I need you to come get me.”

“Where’s Ash?” I rushed out as I headed to my dresser to pull some clothes on.

“I don’t know. She’s not here, and most of her shit has been cleared out.”

“Where the f*ck did she go?”

“I don’t know! Just come get me!” he responded.

“Okay. I’m on my way.” I hung up and started dialing Ash’s number.

I put the phone on speaker and tossed it on the bed then struggled to get dressed, pausing every few seconds to hit redial when it went to her voicemail.

“Come on, Ash. Where the f*ck are you?” I mumbled, tugged my shoes on.

She still hadn’t answered when I left my apartment, and I had to regretfully give up calling in order to find Till.

After the third time calling, he finally answered.

“I’m headed over there now. Cops just left here,” he informed me without so much as a greeting.

“What the f*cking hell is going on?” I asked, weaving though traffic.

“Good ol’ Debbie and Ray were blackmailing the judge to get custody of Q. Federal offense. Cops assume they were going to try to use him to extort money from me.”

“Oh, f*ck!”

“Anonymous blonde dropped off a box full of evidence last night. Pictures, recorded conversations—you name it, the cops have it. Ray and Debbie are going to prison.”

I was vaguely aware that Till kept talking because I instinctually held the phone to my ear, but my mind was stuck on two words: anonymous blonde.

I knew.

I f*cking knew.

“I’m a good person. I’ll prove that.”

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar pain settled in my gut.

“You’ll never have to see this criminal again.”

“Oh God,” I breathed, dropping the phone into my lap.



“Ash Mabie!” I yelled at the detective, slamming my fist on the table.

“Chill. That’s not helping,” Till scolded from beside me.

“Neither is sitting here, answering seven million questions, when we could be out looking for her.” I turned my head back to the detective. “When you could be out looking for her.”

“Calm down, son. Her picture and the plates have been distributed to all the officers in the city. We really just need to figure out who this girl is. As far as we can tell, Mabie doesn’t even have a daughter.”

“Yes, he does! She’s not a f*cking figment of my imagination.”

“And you’re sure this is her?” he said, pushing a grainy surveillance photo in front of me.

“Yes,” I snarled, shoving it away.

I didn’t need to look at that picture again. Once had been more than enough. I didn’t need to see her usually bright eyes absent of all emotion or the way her confident shoulders rounded forward in defeat. But what killed me the most was that pain-filled grimace that didn’t deserve to be anywhere near her beautiful face. However, even with all of that . . . it was still Ash.

“Get Mabie’s ass in here,” I barked.

“He’s asked for an attorney. It’s going to take a little while before we can get in there to find out who she really is.”