“Misunderstood? No, there was no misunderstanding what I saw, Clay, and I’m not going to apologize for protecting you from seeing it, too.”
“I was just a kid and you ruined my life.”
“I ruined your life?” I whisper, looking around to make sure no one is listening to us. I can’t believe he would even say that. “I saved you that night.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, Saint Lucas, you’re so full of shit. You know what… now that I think about it, maybe she’s not even really dead.”
“Jesus, how many drugs are you on right now?”
He throws himself on a park bench. “That’s not an answer. We never should have left.”
I shake my head and sit down next to him. “Clay. Leaving was our only option. Why is that so fucking hard for you to believe?”
“I am fucking done with this,” he says as he stands. “Just leave me alone, Luke. I don’t want to see you and I sure as hell don’t need anymore of your help.” He turns and walks away from me. I follow after him.
“Rodriguez called me this morning for you, asshole, and don’t think for one goddamn second that I believe you won’t call again the next time you’re in trouble.”
He turns toward me, walking backward with his hands up. “It was a mistake. Just forget about it.”
“Clay!” I yell, stopping as he turns away from me and crosses the street without looking back. I sink onto the bench and drop my head into my hands. What the fuck is going on with him? He’s always had questions about that night but to go as far as to say that I ruined his life when all I was trying to do was protect him… I don’t know what to do with him anymore.
The door to the police station slams open and Rodriguez stomps down the stairs, his head down as he clutches a file to his chest. Fuck. He really shouldn’t be back at work already and I worry he’s going to lose it if he keeps obsessing over Laney’s case. He needs to find her killer and we all understand that but this isn’t healthy. Grabbing my phone, I dial Moose’s number and press the phone to my ear as I watch Rodriguez throw himself behind the wheel of his car and beat his fists against the steering wheel.
“What’s up, brother?”
“Hey. You doing anything today?”
There’s a pause on the line. “I was gonna go watch some fireworks but I can change plans. What’s up?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I hear a woman shriek in the background and I wince.
“Sorry, dude. I can call someone else.”
“Naw, don’t worry about her. It’s not serious and she’ll get over it the next time she wants some dick.”
I laugh as I shake my head. “Yeah, okay. Listen, you mind checking up on Rodriguez later today? I’m at the station to bail Clay out and he’s not looking good.”
“You got it, man. How’s Clay?”
With a sigh, I run my hand over my face. “A pain in my goddamn ass.”
“Sorry.”
“Not your fault. Rodriguez is leaving the station now and I don’t know if he’s going back to the clubhouse or his place but I think someone needs to be with him.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll find him.”
We say good-bye and as I hang up the phone, I notice a text from Quinn.
Quinn:
Just wanted to say thank you
for all your help yesterday.
Me:
No problem. How are you feeling?
My knee shakes as I wait for her reply and I picture her as I carried her up to her bed last night as I fight back a smile. She’s just what I need to turn this fucked up day around.
Chapter Five
Quinn
“I don’t know,” Alice muses as her gaze rakes over me, lying on the couch. I sigh and roll my eyes.
“Well, I do. Go out with your friends.”
Her eyes flick to Brooklyn, who is sitting in the middle of the living room, smashing blocks together and laughing. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Al. We’ll be fine.”
When she meets my eyes again, her teeth sink into her bottom lip and she looks even more unsure than she did just a second ago. “I really don’t have to go. If you are feeling sore or you need to rest, I can stay and take care of Brooke.”
“Alice, I love you so very much but you’re turning into a stick in the mud. Go out and have fun with your friends, for Christ’s sake. It’s the Fourth of July, you shouldn’t be cooped up with your injured sister and baby niece.”
She walks over to the couch and checks the blanket over my legs. “Are you still in pain?”
“Will you stop?” I tsk, batting her hands away. “I am sore but in case you forgot, I was hit by a truck so that’s normal.”
“You know what, I’m just going to stay home with you guys. We can rent movies or something.” She sits down next to me on the couch and tosses her purse to the other side. I swing my legs off the middle cushion and push myself off the couch as my body protests.
“Alice Ann Dawson,” I mutter, limping over to the other end of the couch before grabbing her purse and putting it in her hands. “You are going to go have fun and I forbid you from coming home until, at least, midnight.”
She sighs, staring up at me for a moment before she stands up and slings the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “Okay, but you call me if you need anything, you hear? I’ll have my phone on the whole time and I’ll text you to check in.”
“Oh, my little worry wort,” I sigh as I wrap her up in a hug. “Seriously, go have fun and don’t worry about us. We’ll be here when you get back.”
“As you pointed out, you were just hit by a truck so excuse me for being concerned about you.”
I release her with a smile. “I know but the doctor gave me the all clear and between school and helping me with Brooklyn, I can’t remember the last time you went out with your friends. You deserve a break and I don’t want to hear anymore arguments.”
She opens her mouth to protest and I cover her mouth with my hand.
“No. No arguments. Go have fun.”
We move toward the door and she sighs. “All right but I am going to text you and if you don’t answer me, I’m coming home.”
“If I get even one text from you when you’re supposed to be having fun like every other twenty-one-year-old on the planet, I’ll change the alarm code on you and pretend to not know you when the police show up.”
“Bitch,” she teases through the grin on her face.
“Nag,” I fire back and we both laugh.
“Fine. I’ll be here at midnight, on the dot so don’t be inviting any boys over.”
I roll my eyes and give her a gentle shove toward the door. “Oh, yeah, cause you really need to worry about that.”
“Go on,” I urge her as Brooklyn babbles from the living room and I peek over my shoulder to check on her. When I turn back to Alice, she waves and steps out of the door as I release a breath. I honestly don’t know how I’d do all this without her but my sister has paused her life enough for me. It’s time that she gets out a little more and lives her life.