Page 153

I turned around and made for the door. We had to stick to the plan. Cal would be waiting for me. Near the exit, I peered just outside. Cal wasn’t there. I waited at the window, scanning for him.

Oh, right, this place had two doors, strangely. One at the front, and one at the side. I made for the one at the side, casting one last look at Brody and Drew, who were now engaged in a conversation that was turning Drew’s face beet red. I caught a glimpse of Cal by the side door; well, his Hellions hoodie anyway.

I pushed through the door and out into the parking lot. Taking a good three steps outside before I registered that Cal’s hair was way darker than the person’s in the Hellions hoodie, their back to the diner.

It wasn’t him.

“I knew you’d sneak out like a fucking backstabbing bitch.” Nick turned around, his face wretched. He’d lost weight in the few weeks since I’d last seen him. He had dark hollows beneath his eyes, his lips chewed and dry.

I took a step away from him. I’d picked the wrong door. Cal had to be at the front. I just had to get to the front door, or back inside the diner.

I took a step back.

Nick watched me a second before lunging forward. I twisted away from him and dodged to the side, just like I had the othernight at the pool, running from Brody. God, I wished I was back there. I forgot about Nick. In the rapid plan we’d come up with, we’d all forgotten about him.

I managed to avoid his hand, only just, and ran for it. I raced along the side of the diner, heading the long way around. The surprise threw Nick off for a second, but only that.

Then he was hot on my heels.

In the end, it was my hair that fucked me over.

I was getting away. I was fast, after all. But my hair streamed out behind me. I should have shaved my head at the end of the day. Nick’s hand sank into my hair and yanked me back. My scalp screamed and tore.Motherfucker. He whirled me into the wall and banged my head against it. I tried to scream, but it was too difficult. I was freezing up, the familiar fear lancing through me. A panic attack.

Brody had clearly taken his earpiece out before going into the diner to confront Officer Preston, as he was no longer whispering in my ear. He couldn’t hear me. Cal couldn’t see me. No one would know where Nick was taking me.

No, no, no. I couldn’t stand it again. I couldn’t bear it.

Then Nick smashed my head back on the wall, and darkness enveloped me.

Brody

I sat backand watched Officer Drew Preston gape at the lawyer who had just sat opposite him.

Ronan Black had flown up to Maine this morning from New York for me. He was cutthroat, cold-blooded, and legend had it, a mob boss’s son. I didn’t care about his lineage at all. I just knew there was no better lawyer to intimidate wrongdoers than one who looked like he’d served time himself.

He was a big guy, intimidating, with scarred, tattooed knuckles, an Irish accent, and swagger like no other.

“Now, Officer Preston, since you aren’t being forthcoming, let me tell you what we know for sure.”

Black put his briefcase on the table and paused, as if he were deciding whether to open it or bludgeon Preston with it.

He chose to open it and pulled out several case files. The devil worked fast, but Ronan Black’s paralegals worked faster.

“Here are the lists of complaints and misconduct allegations you’ve racked up over your years on the job. It’s five times the number of anyone else currently working at your station, congratulations. Your ex-partner had similar numbers.”

Preston paled, staring down at the files.

“So? Those charges were all dropped.”

“Yes, they were, which begs a little investigation intowhythey were dropped. You see, some of these could still be pursued. I happened to spend the morning in town and had the chance to speak with some of the victims. You’d be surprised how a strong cup of tea—Barry’s, of course—a sympathetic ear, and the offer to take on their cases pro bono has helped them regain their confidence. Confidence they lost after being threatened by the accused.”

Officer Preston didn’t have a comeback for that one.

“I’m impressed you’ve found Barry’s tea here,” I said to Ronan, thoroughly enjoying seeing Preston squirm.

“I bring my own.” Ronan took a sip of the black, viscous-looking coffee in his mug and grimaced. He tapped his fingers on the table to bring Preston’s attention back to him.

“Now, I have a clear mandate from Mr. Sinclair, and he has provided fresh evidence that you not only extorted ten thousand dollars, which you have on your person at this very moment, but you are also blackmailing a person using sexual content of them taken and used without their consent.” He took a leaflet out his briefcase. “The first charges I’ll bring against you are for sexually coerced extortion, image-based abuse, and nonconsensual image-based sharing—and those are based onyour interaction with Ms. Selena Carmichael alone. Who knows what will come up with enough time and money to investigate?”