“Don’t say a fucking word,” Cooper says to Justin. “Not a peep.”
“I want my lawyer,” Justin says right before the clicking of the handcuffs fills the room. “Sweetheart, I’ll be back.”
“You can’t take him!” I yell at them and fight to get free. “You can’t take him! He didn’t do anything!” I sob and fight to get to him, to hold him, to kiss him one last time. “Please,” I plead with everyone around me. “Please don’t take him.” I finally collapse in Matthew’s arms while Parker holds Dylan, whose sobs now echo mine.
“Justin!” Dylan yells his name.
“It’s going to be okay, buddy.” He looks at Dylan. “I need you to be strong for your mom,” he says, and Dylan breaks free from Parker and throws himself at Justin, hugging him around the waist. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Don’t let them take you,” Dylan pleads while he sobs and shakes. “Don’t take him.” He pleads with the officer who just looks down.
Cooper makes his way over to Dylan and has to peel him off Justin, who just yells for Justin as he’s pulled away and led out of the apartment. Cooper hands Dylan to Parker.
“Get over here now.” I hear Matthew say to someone as he holds the phone to his ear, and Cooper runs out of the apartment, following Justin as he is led off.
“I ruined him,” I say to Matthew. “Everything is my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” he says. “You have to be strong for Dylan.” I look over at my son as Parker whispers to him, and he sobs out, calling for Justin.
“Baby,” I say to Dylan, and he comes over to me. Matthew finally lets go of me, and Dylan crashes into me and the both of us sob in each other’s arms. Matthew is on the phone nonstop. The front door opens, and both of us look, hoping it’s Justin, but it’s just Max and Allison, who has her own tears running down her face.
“Go,” she tells Matthew. “Take Mom.” Parker gets up and looks over at me, her eyes with her own tears, and I swear I can almost hear her say she’s sorry. She rushes out of the apartment with Matthew at her side.
“Where is he?” I ask them, and Max comes to sit beside us, and the door opens again, and this time, Viktor walks in.
“They are taking him in,” Max says. “We just heard it on SportsCenter.”
“Oh my God,” I say, putting my hand to my stomach. “I’m going to be sick,” I say, turning and running into the bathroom. Whatever is left inside me comes out, and I close my eyes and vow to make it better for him. It’s my turn to protect him, even if it means breaking my heart in the process.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Justin
I sit in the lock-up cell the whole night, not once closing my eyes because when I close them, all I see is Dylan rushing to me and calling out my name.
When they placed me in the car and pulled away, I looked out the window. “We just want you to know that we had no choice,” one of the officers said.
I didn’t say a word the whole time, and my lawyer arrived five minutes after me, and I got my hands out of the cuffs. “You know this is a bullshit case. I have seven eyewitnesses who say Mr. Woods threatened my client.”
He pushed and pushed, but the law was the law, and they couldn’t do anything until I saw a judge, and that was only happening at eight this morning.
They did give me five minutes with my father and Matthew, but the only thing I cared about was Caroline and Dylan. “Stay with them.” I looked at Matthew, and all he did was nod.
“Mr. Stone.” My name is called, and I stand up. “You’re up next.”
“Thank you,” I say and walk with him down the concrete hallway, and he stops at the big brown door.
“I’m sorry I have to do this,” he says, and I just nod at him and turn around to have him cuff me. I would do whatever they tell me to do if it gets me one step closer to Caroline and Dylan. I walk into the courthouse, and my eyes fly to the people in the room. All the men in my family fill the first row with my parents at the end. I make eye contact with Matthew, who just nods. I also notice a couple of reporters in there, and I roll my eyes.
“All you have to say when they ask you is not guilty. Your bail is set to be posted, so it’ll be right after he calls out the number. We have a car waiting for you,” my lawyer says. “I’m not going to lie, though. The press got a hold of the story.”
“I don’t give a shit. I need to get home,” I say, and we stand in front of the judge. When the district attorney starts reading the charges, I almost want to snort when they call Andrew the victim.
The judge asks me how I plead, and I finally speak. “Not guilty, Your Honor.” He sets the bail, and I don’t even hear how much nor do I care. When he hits the gavel, I look at my lawyer, and he looks at the DA, who nods his head. “Go.”
I walk to my family, and my mother gets up and walks next to me with my father on her side, and Matthew on my other side. Max, Viktor, and Evan walk in front of us. “Caroline?” I ask Matthew. He avoids eye contact, and my stomach sinks. My mother grabs my hand, and I look at her. She tries to pretend she is okay, but she just shakes her head.
The car is waiting, and I get in the back with my mother and father, and Matthew gets in the front behind the wheel. The reporters try to take our picture, but I turn my head, and when we are away, I ask the question again. “Where is she?”
“At your place,” Matthew says. I look at his eyes in the rearview mirror, and I know he isn’t telling me something. The drive home takes more time than I care for, and when I get out of the car, my father calls my name before I take a step toward the elevator. I look back at him, and he stands there with my mother beside him.
My mother has tears running down her face. “Justin, we need to talk,” my father says.
“Dad, it’s really not a good time,” I say and try to turn around.
“I think this is the best time,” he says. “Justin, you have to take a second.” I turn and look at my parents. “I get that you have a connection with this woman, but, Justin …”
“What are you saying?” I look at my parents who have been by my side my whole life. By all of our sides without thinking twice. No matter how many times we fucked up, the only thing that was the same was their support for us.
“I’m saying you need to walk away,” my father says, and now my mother talks.
“You want to save her,” she says, and I shake my head. “I know how much you care for her and Dylan, but, Justin, this situation …” She swallows. “Justin, it’s not safe.”
“What the fuck?” Matthew says under his breath.
“Listen to us for a second,” my father says. “We always have your best interests at heart. Always.”
“Obviously not always,” I say, putting my hands on my hips.
“Justin, the guy threatened to kill you,” my mother says, almost shouting.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” I yell. “He’s crazy.”
“Exactly,” my father says. “What if the next time he comes with a gun? Justin, seriously, you are putting yourself in harm’s way, and I think you need to think about it.”