When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(54)

There’s a screech of tires. I drop the spatula and make my way around front. Piper and everyone else joins me.

My eyes widen as a squad car, with lights blazing, pulls into my driveway.

Hunter gets out. “You. We need to talk.”

Hands in the air, I start to back up. “I didn’t do it.”

“Didn’t do what?” he asks, advancing on me.

“Whatever it is you think I did.”

“You didn’t confront Mark Williams in the parking lot of The Oaks Country Club?”

That little shit. “Yeah, I talked to him about his manners.”

Hunter sighs. “You’re going to have to come with me.”

“The f*ck I am.”

Piper gets in front of me. “Jase did nothing wrong. All he did was talk to Mark.”

She’s lying for me. To a cop. Holy f*ck. “Get behind me, Piper.”

“No.” Piper marches up to Hunter, shoving her finger into his chest. “You can’t arrest him. He only shoved Mark away from me. I filed a report about what happened.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here. I haven’t read the report, but your man’s wanted at the police station for questioning over a security video from the night of Mark’s attack.”

Piper glances back at me, her face pale. “I shouldn’t have filed it—I’m so sorry.”

Hunter pushes her out of the way and she stumbles. I lunge for her, trying to catch her, but end up tussling with Hunter. Piper goes down hard on one knee.

“Seth,” I roar. “Get Piper out of here. Rowan, too.”

“You just had to go there, didn’t you?” Hunter says as he cuffs me. “Why couldn’t you cooperate and make my life easier?”

“This is bullshit and you know it, Hunter,” I snap, struggling against him. Inside I’m warring between punching him and staying calm. I can’t hit a cop, and not because I’m opposed to it. “You’re a traitor.”

“For doing something different with my life? Call me whatever you want.” Hunter spins me around and begins to bodycheck me. “But if you don’t calm down, I’ll be forced to arrest you.”

Piper’s eyes are wide. Her chest is rising up and down in a familiar shallow pattern I’ve seen before.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m all right,” I assure her. “Take deep breaths for me while Rowan gets your meds from the nightstand in my bedroom.”

Rowan takes off, disappearing inside the house.

“Let’s go,” Hunter growls, pulling me toward the squad car.

Piper screams my name and attempts to run after me, but Seth grabs her around the waist, speaking to her in low tones while she fights against him. Where the f*ck is Rowan?

“Please, man. At least let me stay long enough to see that she’s all right,” I plead. At this moment, I don’t care if I have to get down on my hands and knees to beg. I will do whatever it takes.

“Fine.” He handles me roughly, shoving me against the car in warning. “Don’t run.”

And risk Piper? Not a chance in hell. “No problem.”

Piper begins to cough, her face going from pale to bright patches of red.

“Got it,” Rowan shouts, holding Piper’s inhaler high in the air so that Hunter can see. “Meds only.”

Straining against my handcuffs while I force myself to stay, I watch as my sister helps Piper take her meds. I count to ten with them and don’t breathe until she does.

My body slumps when color returns to her face. Our gazes collide.

“I’m okay. It’s okay. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

“But you didn’t do anything but protect me,” she says, her voice cracking. “Please, Hunter, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Piper, I understand why he did what he did to Mark, but that doesn’t change the fact that he broke the law and put a man in the hospital.”

“I didn’t f*cking touch him like that,” I shout. “I’m being set up. Swear to God, Piper, I didn’t f*ck him up him later. Swear to God.”

“I know. I believe you.” Piper swipes at her tears. “Please let me go to him.”

Hunter’s lips thin before he nods once. “Make it quick.”

Piper stumbles to me, her ridiculous heels nearly tripping her. She falls against me, wrapping her arms around my neck to keep from hitting the ground. She peppers my face with kisses.

“I know you’re telling the truth because you would never break a promise to me.”

I want to put my arms around her so bad that it’s slicing my heart to ribbons. “I promise you. Fuck, this isn’t right.” Somehow we crash together again, her mouth moving frantically against mine. She is kissing me in front of everyone while I’m in handcuffs and pressed up against a squad car with lights flashing.

Piper is staking her claim on me. She’s not ashamed of being with me, not even when I’m at the bottom of the barrel.

“I love you,” she breathes.

“Love you, too.” I run my lips across her cheek. “Everything will get straightened out. I have you for an alibi.”

“Yes, you do, and I’ll keep shouting it until someone listens to me.” She starts crying again, gently dropping her forehead to my chin. “I hate this. Why does this have to happen to you, to us? You were finding your way, figuring things out…I was—I am so proud of you.”