When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(55)

“God, I love you.”

“Time’s up,” Hunter says before dragging me away from her. He stashes me in the back of his squad car, then leans down. “If you can behave, I’ll take off the cuffs and we’ll keep what happened here between us.”

“You won’t arrest me for slightly resisting you?”

“I wasn’t here to arrest you in the first place. Just to bring you in for questioning, which I would have explained had you not lost your f*cking mind.”

“Old habits and all that. But I’ll be a good boy.” I turn, giving him my wrists. The handcuffs come off and I massage my skin as I sit back in the seat.

“Jase.” Piper calls my name and I find her in the small crowd. “I’ll wait for you.”

You wouldn’t have to ask me to wait for you. I would just do it.

A huge lump forms in my throat and I can’t say a damn thing.

Piper’s eyes stay glued to mine the entire time. As we drive off, I turn, not wanting to let her out of my sight until it’s physically impossible to see her.

“For what it’s worth, I believe you didn’t touch the guy,” Hunter says.

“Oh, I touched him all right, but I didn’t beat his ass like he deserved.”

“What did he do to get you so pissed off?” Hunter asks.

Jaw clenching, I look out the window. “He put his hands on Piper, shook her like a rag doll, and slapped her for daring to turn him down.”

“Fuck,” I hear him whisper.

“So yeah, I wish I had been the one to break his face, but I made a promise to keep my nose clean. I wanted—no, I want a future with Piper.”

“We’re only questioning you. Then you’ll be free to go.”

“Yeah…so, does that video show what Mark did to my girl?” I already know the answer. Hunter wouldn’t have been shocked by what that * did to Piper if it had.

He shakes his head. “No. Sorry.”

“I’ll have to meet with my parole officer afterward.”

Hunter glances at me in the rearview mirror. “I’ll get ahold of him for you.”

“Appreciate that.” I look out the window and my stomach roils. The last time I was in a squad car, I ended up in prison. I can’t go back there. I refuse…

“Never the ones who actually deserve to go to jail, is it?” he asks.

“Money and power have that kind of effect on the justice system.”

“But maybe not this time.”

“Yeah—maybe not.” But I’m not holding my breath. However, for the first time, I’m praying that things end differently for me.





Piper


Once the cop car is out of sight, I slump against Seth’s truck. “What’s going to happen to him?” I ask Rowan.

Her face is ashen. “If they even think he’s remotely guilty, he’ll go back to jail. I know they’ll find any excuse to send him away.”

A whimper leaves me. “Jail? He can’t…I can’t…”

Rowan starts to cry softly while trying to hide the fact that she’s crying at all.

Seth takes her in his arms. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”

“It’s so unfair. He already took the fall once. They won’t investigate like they should. All they’ll do is take one look at the video, his rap sheet, and say, close enough.” Rowan bangs a fist against Seth’s chest. “I’ll never get my brother back. Never.”

A wave of impotent rage washes over me. There’s nothing I can do to help. There’s nothing I can say.

I scrub at the tears on my face and stalk to my car. I have no idea where I’ll go or what I’ll do, but I refuse to be helpless. I’m not going to stand here and do nothing while the man I love suffers from a false accusation.

“Where are you going, Piper?”

“I can’t stay here.”

“So you’re bailing on us? Giving up on Jase?” Rowan asks.

Eyes narrowing, I whirl around and place my hands on my hips. “I’m not giving up on Jase, and as my best friend, you should know that about me. But crying over him isn’t going to help. The mayor will do everything in his power to get Jase convicted.” An idea pops in my head. “Unless…”

Seth gives me an encouraging look. “Unless what?”

“We hire a private investigator and the best lawyer Charlotte has to offer. The mayor will use one of his buddies to prosecute Jase, and normally they deal with public defenders, who are so overwhelmed with cases that I don’t know if their free services are worth it. If we can get a shark, they won’t know what hit until after she’s done.”

“She?”

I nod. “One of Mother’s sorority sisters owns a firm in Charlotte. A few of the male lawyers who live in The Oaks like to call her a bitch, and that’s how I know she’s the best. But she’s expensive and a private investigator isn’t going to be cheap, either.”

A look of determination covers Rowan’s face. “We can use the money we’ve been saving to pay for the wedding.”

“Absolutely,” Seth says. “And I’ve got some more in savings.”

“I’ll contribute, too.” It’s been a month since I’ve been to Aristotle’s Closet. “Rowan, I’m going to need your help.”