Make Me Bad(70)

Instead of doing as he asks, I unlock the doors. Andy reaches over and frantically relocks his like monsters are about to break in. Hell, maybe they are. The guys near the door watched us pull in and park. My SUV doesn’t exactly blend in out here. I should have parked down the street or something.

“This is stupid. They’re going to kill you and dump your body. I’m going to have to run our damn firm all by myself.”

“No they won’t. They’re not murderers. Just—”

“Look!” Andy shouts, pointing out my window. “The cops are already here arresting someone else! Probably for murder!”

I jerk my attention to where he’s pointing and sure enough, three police officers are escorting a guy out the front door in handcuffs. The light’s not great out here, so it takes me a second to realize one of the officers is Madison’s brother.

Oh good. We can continue what we started this morning, round two of Hart vs. Rosenberg.

“Look, see? That’ll be you. If you go in there, you’re going to get arrested again. Mark my words.”

I ignore him and watch as Colten steers the guy toward the waiting police cruiser. I’m wondering if I should wait until Colten’s gone before I get out. I don’t really want to get into it with him right now, but then I take another look at the guy they’re arresting and my attention snags on his shoes.

My breath stops short.

I know those shoes.

I’ve seen those shoes.

I yank my car door open and slam it closed behind me before I fully realize what I’m doing.

Andy’s yelling at me to get back in, but my pace only picks up.

“Don’t be stupid! What are you doing?!”

This is the guy.

This is Madison’s attacker. Those faded red sneakers with the black laces—they’re the same pair I described to the police that night.

He’s here now, slightly shorter than I remember and younger, a punk making a scene as the police try to haul him toward the cruiser. He kicks and jerks around, calling them every name under the sun and trying to break out of their hold. They’re having a hell of a time getting him into the back of the vehicle and I think, Good, let him cause trouble. Hell, they should just let him go. I have a bone to pick with him.

Colten sees me walking over and nods his head to the officer beside him, making sure he has control of the situation. Then he breaks off and makes his way toward me, hand outstretched as if to stop me from going any farther.

I realize then I must have murder in my eyes.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asks brusquely.

“That’s him,” I say, trying to swerve around him. What’s my plan? I don’t know. Let me get my hands around that guy’s neck and we’ll see.

Colten sidesteps in front of me and presses his hand to my chest. “Yes, it’s him. Don’t be stupid.”

Don’t be stupid?

“I’m not, just—here, let me have your gun for a second.”

He laughs and the sound is so shocking that I blink, my rage-filled cloud starting to dissipate.

“Jesus. Remind me not to piss you off,” Colten says, shaking his head.

I chuckle, just once, but it feels good. Oh shit. Oh fucking shit. I was so close to walking into that bar and doing something stupid. My adrenaline was already pumping. My heart was prepping me for the fight. I wasn’t even thinking.

I lean forward, drop my hands to my knees, and laugh. I’m near tears. I think I’m delirious with relief. I really didn’t want to have to go in there and face Mac. I had no plan. I sort of hoped he’d feel bad for the whole talking-shit-about-my-mom thing and getting me arrested, bad enough that maybe he’d be willing to give me information about his friend here.

All in all, I was going to end tonight with another black eye, at least.

“So…what are you doing here?” Colten asks again. “I take it you’re not just here for a drink.”

I stand back up and face him. “Turns out, the same thing you are.”

He furrows his brow.

I shrug. “After your dad said there wasn’t much hope of solving the case, I thought I’d take matters into my own hands. So you got him?”

Colten nods. “We’ve been looking into people who might have had a motive for hurting Madison. Turns out, I arrested this guy’s brother a year ago on a grand theft auto charge.” He tilts his head toward the cruiser. “He thought he’d get revenge by scaring Madison, but then he bragged about it to some friends, friends who had no problem throwing him under the bus when we pushed them on it. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”

Any ill will I might have harbored toward Colten is gone, just like that, with the snap of a finger. He just made sure Madison won’t get hurt again. He’s arresting the guy. I kind of want to high-five him, but I don’t get the feeling that we’re there yet.

“If you’d shown up and we weren’t here,” Colten continues, eyes narrowing on me. “What were you going to do? Just march in there and—what? Shout out to the bar and ask if anyone’s held up a girl at gunpoint lately?”

I smirk. “Basically.”

He laughs then. “Idiot.”

I shrug. “I love her. What would you do if you were me?”

His laughter dies suddenly and, much the way his dad looked at me outside her apartment, Colten assesses me like he doesn’t quite recognize me.