Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(51)

“It’s time to get your statements. Still need a formal one,” Sheriff Wallace says, interrupting. He points to the table and chairs. “Bella, would you like your folks present or not?”

Being interrupted sits as well with Mom as my ‘our’ statement had.

Again, I’d love to tell her that Drake and I are married, but that information could be the dynamite I’ll need another day, so I’m better off saving it. “I don’t care, Sheriff. I don’t have anything to hide.”

Drake and I walk to the table and sit down, then Wallace and my parents.

Drake keeps one hand on the back of my chair as the sheriff begins asking questions.

I run through everything as well as I can remember, and then it’s Drake’s turn.

He tells the sheriff about hearing me shout for him, and the trip wire, and my injuries, as well as the evidence he sent to Shelia.

Sheriff Wallace asks if we took pictures of my injuries.

When I said we hadn’t, he asks if it’d be okay with me for Shelia to take some after we’re finished here.

I agree, though I doubt it’ll make any difference.

The men hadn’t stolen Edison, so I’m not sure they can even be charged with anything besides trespassing, and maybe criminal neglect or something over the wire.

Mug shots of the men are then shown to us. Front facing and side views.

I don’t recognize anything about them, but seeing their pictures makes my insides shrivel up.

They’re rough looking people, with short, dark hair and angry eyes.

One has a scruffy beard. The other has a dragon tattoo on the side of his neck.

Once again, I’m glad Gramps did what he did, bringing in Drake.

Otherwise, I would’ve been alone at the ranch when these guys showed up.

Worse, I’d have been alone when my parents and Avery Briar showed up yesterday, too, and again today.

Where would I be without my shield? Without him?

I glance at Drake, thankful I’m not alone.

He smiles slightly, then glances up as Shelia lays a hand on my shoulder. She’s returned from showing Avery out.

“Come on, Bella-Bell,” she says. “Let’s get those pictures.”

The idea of getting pictures taken where I’m half undressed in a police station isn’t what makes my stomach drop and my heartbeat triple. It’s leaving Drake alone with my parents.

Crap, crap, crap.

He understands my reluctance, I think, because he gives my shoulder a quick squeeze, nodding toward Shelia. “I’ll wait here with her folks.”

“Won’t take long,” she says.

I nod and stand. Shelia leads me out of the room and across the hall, into another room that has a table and chairs like the one we’d just left.

I remove the western shirt I’d pulled out of my closet this morning and hold out my hands and arms as Shelia snaps pictures of my palms and forearms. She’s chatting the entire time, and I make small talk, but my mind is across the hall, wondering if my parents are giving Drake the third degree. Or a freaking cannonball to the head.

I pull down my jeans and carefully remove the outer gauze bandaging for Shelia to get shots of the cut on my knee. When she’s done, I replace everything and jerk up my jeans.

“I don’t want you to worry,” Shelia says. “You’re in good hands. Those men aren’t getting out of jail anytime soon. Rodney will see to it.”

I put my shirt back on. “For trespassing? How long can you hold them?”

“They’ll be charged with that, too.” She walks to the door. “They had drugs and cash, lots of both. Plenty of illegal contraband in the truck to put them away for a while.”

I frown, wondering if that’s confidential. I don’t want her getting into trouble just for me.

And my frowny face grows when she opens the door. The one across the hall is still open, but the room looks empty.

Uh-oh.

I follow Shelia down the hall to the lobby. Drake is there and so are my parents.

Mom’s lips are pinched as she states, “Annabelle, we’ve decided we’re going to the diner for lunch.” Head up, she marches toward the door.

The lunch part is certainly a command, not an invitation. I glance at Drake.

There’s that mysterious look again. The one that says it’s my decision.

My backbone stiffens. He’s right. It is my decision, and making them is so much easier with him near. “Sure, we’ll meet you there.”

Mother spins about. “I meant you, your father, and I. Family only.”

I know what she meant. Everyone in the room knows what she meant.

Not letting my irritation show, I smile at Shelia, and then walk across the room to Drake. I wrap both of my hands around his arm. “Well, clearly. But there’s one teensy little problem...”

I start walking. Drake matches my steps.

He can’t possibly know how much I appreciate it right now. As we walk past my mother, I say, “Things are different now. Where I go, Drake goes. Where Drake goes, I go.”

He pushes open the door, and I smile back at her. “Sorta like you and Dad, really.”

She’s pissed, but it all boils down to the fact that she hasn’t got her hands on Gramps’ money. Too bad.

She’ll just have to accept it. A hint of guilt twists my stomach. She’s not in control this time. I know how important that is to her, to be in control of everyone and everything.