This news was too good to be true. He wanted to see the man who had made him insanely jealous behind bars. Dax left his place and made his way back into the city once again. When his boss found out, he’d be pissed. But Dax couldn’t stay away.
He would stay in the shadows away from prying eyes, but to see Travis in cuffs would make his night. Eyeing the way he held Sarafina, the way he kissed her on the cheek, wrapping his arms around her as if he had a right to, sent him right off the edge. He would enjoy seeing his discomfort sitting behind bars.
They didn’t manage to get Martin Chilani, but they were one step closer. His son would do very well as a replacement.
Sarafina brushed another tired hand over her eyes as she tried to wipe the sleep away. Getting no sleep the night before because of a handsome man keeping her awake had deprived her of much-needed sleep. Waking up to an empty bed, alone, had crushed her more than she cared to admit.
She knew it would hurt, the pain like a knife wound to the chest. She just hadn’t realized it would hurt so badly that simple functions like eating would become difficult. Moping around the house, barely coherent had been how her day played out.
Every time she turned, Dax’s face pricked her mind. They hadn’t explored her home, never leaving her bedroom for anything, but he was still imprinted everywhere in her home. She couldn’t walk into any room without thinking about him.
Pathetic.
That’s how she felt—again—towards a man. Why did she do this to herself? Last night had been a night to remember. That’s it. A distant memory that would pierce her heart until the day she died. He’d been that good, that sweet, that attentive. No man would ever replace him.
And darn it, he had topped off her entire checklist with ease. In one night. Why did he have to seem so perfect?
Going to bed tonight had been futile, to say the least, but she laid down in bed anyway. Tossing and turning, imagining the perfect man she shouldn’t. Not much sleep came over her.
When her phone rang around four in the morning, she welcomed the distraction. Seeing it was Lily calling had put her in a sudden panic. She should be enjoying her honeymoon on some exotic island, not calling her in the middle of the night.
After hanging up, her world turned upside down. She had no idea how she dressed, called a cab, and made it to the police precinct thirty minutes later.
Travis had been arrested.
Never in his life had he gotten in trouble. Sure, she saw the news articles and heard the whispers around Lily’s family when Mr. C was arrested a few times. But lies—that’s all they were. Mr. C was a good man. She couldn’t understand why the police harassed him as they did. Murder, extortion, bribery. A few things she remembered reading about. To think he had anything to do with such things shocked her. Trying to talk to Lily about it hadn’t gone well. Ignoring it seemed like the best solution. She couldn’t picture Mr. C the kind of man people tried to make him sound like.
He could be hard, cruel even, at times. But she refused to believe him to be that monstrous.
And Travis. Never. This had to be a mistake.
Lily had been in tears, crying that they would catch the next flight home. She managed to convince Lily that she would take care of Travis. She would find out what happened and keep her updated, if necessary. But under no circumstances were they to come back home. This was her honeymoon and she would enjoy it.
Sarafina, angry that someone called Lily, asked who told her what happened.
Her father.
Why in the world would Mr. C ruin her honeymoon? Times like this, that’s what made him into a cruel and hateful man. These were the times she didn’t like him.
Unsure of what was happening to Travis and the exact charges he was facing, Sarafina wasted no time getting to the precinct. Now, here she sat on a cold bench as she watched people come and go.
The precinct was busy for an early Monday morning. Cops walking back and forth. Some alone. Some dragging along an arrest that looked clear to her they were criminals. Women who looked like hookers. Men zoned out, hooded with track marks on their arms explaining why they were in handcuffs. One guy even had her backing far into the wall as he passed by, the blood sprinkled on his shirt giving him a killer vibe. Was that his blood or someone else’s? She didn’t want to know.
Of course, she shouldn’t judge any of these people. Innocent until proven guilty. She had to remember that. Because she would want people to do that for Travis. He was innocent. She needed people to believe that. Wanted them to believe that.
What she also wanted was the man behind the desk to answer her questions. What were the charges against Travis Chilani? How long was he going to be held? How could she pay his bail?
“Have a seat, ma’am.”
That’s all the blasted officer would say to her, even after repeated questions were thrown his way. Have a seat! How in the world could she have a seat when her best friend’s brother was sitting in a dirty, smelly cell surrounded by people who committed an actual crime? Like the man who had blood all over his shirt. She prayed that Travis was nowhere near that man.
She didn’t believe for one second Travis committed a crime. Never. He was a kind man. Respectable. Better than that. He was a lawyer, for goodness sakes. Not a criminal lawyer, more dealing with corporate law, but a lawyer, nonetheless.
Where in the world was Mr. C? This was his son. He should be sitting on this bench next to her. Or better yet, demanding answers be given to him immediately. No one would dare ignore Mr. C when he asked a question. She wouldn’t be wondering and worrying if Mr. C was sitting next to her.
He had the nerve to call Lily and tell her what happened, but he couldn’t be bothered to come get his son. Maybe he believed Travis was guilty.
No. Travis would never do anything against the law. She refused to believe it.
“Fina, what are you doing here?”
She looked up. The one time she had been staring at her lap, unwilling to see more disturbing people walk by, and she failed to see Travis emerge out of wherever they had him.
“Oh, Travis. What happened?” She stood up with shaky feet, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
He hugged her back, his body taut with tension. “How did you know I was here? You shouldn’t be here.”
She didn’t want to pull away yet, needing to feel him warm and safe in her arms. “What happened? I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
He was the one to pull away first, cupping her cheeks lightly. “Don’t worry about that. How did you know I was here?”
“Your father, who obviously couldn’t be bothered to come down here, called Lily. She called me in a panic, crying and upset. She wanted to come home. I talked her out of it. I told her I would be here for you. So, here I am. What happened? Quit ignoring me.”
He dropped his hands and took a step back. “This isn’t the best place to talk. I can’t believe he called her. She shouldn’t be worried about anything. And neither should you.” His face became hard as he leveled his eyes at her. “I don’t want you here. You shouldn’t be in this disgusting place.”
“And you should be?” She leaned forward, whispering, “Did you see some of the people walking by? You are not like them. Why can’t you tell me what happened?”
“Because it’s not something I want you to worry about. Although, I do appreciate you coming down here for me. It’s nice to know you care.”