I was a fool to think our pasts wouldn't matter.
Police officers stormed us, circling to help Vermont handcuff Silver. Florian stumbled out of the way, his hands in front of him like he expected to be arrested, too.
Running on pure instinct, I jumped forward. “What are you doing to him!?”
Amber irises focused on me, Silver's face a torrent of rage and defeat. His pain was my pain; I reached out, but one of the three officers pushed me away. “Stop this, please!” I shouted.
Vermont yanked Silver's arms back, holding them and forcing him down the steps towards his Subaru. He was ignoring me. Me, the girl he'd hoped would be the key to finding the man he was after.
Unwillingly, I'd been exactly that.
Struggling against the cop, I yelled at the back of Vermont's head. “Listen to me, he didn't do it! Listen!” I filled my chest. “Vermont!”
The detective locked up, his shoulders stiffening. Without a hint of gentleness, he pushed Silver into the back of his car. The door slammed, then he swung his stare at me, climbing the steps.
Encouraged by his approach, I said, “He didn't do it! Silver is innocent!”
“Silver?” Vermont asked. His nose wrinkled. “Is that your pet name for him?”
My heart went cold. “Vermont...”
Scowling, he took the pen from behind his ear, twisting it. “That's why you were protecting him, right? How long did you know?”
Wordlessly, I shook my head. No no no. I stopped shoving against the officer, my body going limp. “Vermont, please. He didn't do it.”
“It's Detective Roose.” Spinning, he cut his hand through the air. The cop released me, backing away.
Through the window of the car, I saw Silver watching. The sight of him gave me strength. “He's innocent, you have to believe me!”
“Believe you?” I'd never seen Vermont so furious. “You lied to me over and over, Alexis. In what fucking world would I ever believe you again?”
One by one, the officers climbed into their cars. Roose ripped his driver's side door open. Over the roof, those once-friendly brown eyes locked on me. “I really thought you were on my side.”
Sides? I thought desperately. This isn't about sides! This was about grey areas... about helping the people you loved!
Shaking himself, Roose ducked into his car. Like a series of missiles the cops and him flew down the road. Silver watched me until he was gone.
This isn't happening. But it was. It fucking was.
Just when I'd gotten my life back, it had all turned to dust in my hands. Clenching my fists, I shivered under the assault of the cool evening air. What do I do now?
Florian was still standing beside me, as shocked by his boss being arrested as me. His face was pale, his eyes far away.
“He didn't do it,” I said softly.
He blinked owlishly at me. “How are you so sure?”
“I just am.”
My sincerity gave him pause. Nodding slightly, he tucked his hands in his pockets. “He's a good guy, but that doesn't matter. The government always has its cocks up our asses, even if we're innocent. If there's any justice, Kes will beat this.”
Something chipped at the back of my memory. “Right,” I said slowly. “He'll beat this.”
Checking his watch, Florian winced. “I should go back in there,” he said, pointing towards Pure Pleasure. “I mean, in case the cops get a warrant and decide to tear apart everything. People could lose their jobs after this. Fuck, I had a shit ton to do before we lost our head-honcho.”
“Wait,” I said. “What should I do?”
“You?” He was already walking backwards. “I don't know. I guess go down to the station, or maybe call up a lawyer for him. That's what I'd want if I was arrested.” He offered a sympathetic smile. “Good luck, and see you around.”
A lawyer, that's smart. “Bye,” I said, not noticing he was too far away to hear me. Silver was going to need someone to defend him. He was innocent—sort of—and a good lawyer could prove that!
Tapping my cheek, I came close to smiling. Yeah, that's it. I just have to... Patting my pockets, then my purse, my heart dropped. My phone! That was why I'd come back here in the first place!
Facing the building, I jumped the steps two at a time. The doors were dark, I'd seen Silver shutting everything down earlier when I'd shown up. I thrilled with relief to find the entrance unlocked from Florian going back in.
The alarm beeped behind me. Motion sensors, right. Silver had shown me how it all worked. Of course, he wouldn't be looking at his phone right now. Or maybe ever again.
In the eerie waiting room, the water cooler bubbled in near darkness. A reddish light by the hallway was the only illumination I had. When I entered the room full of computers, they were all glowing blue. Shielding my eyes, I lifted my chin. There was a rattling sound, wood banging over and over. “Florian?” I asked, spotting him at the top of the stairs to Silver's office.