The ride to the station was a blur. My thoughts kept circling back to Bailey. Their faces twisted with glee, and in my struggle to get out of that court, I remembered fighting Bailey and Carter, the only thing within reach, and the blind panic that had taken over. I remembered the flash of pain, the adrenaline pumping and driving me to fight.
At the station, the formalities were swift but disorienting. Mug shots, fingerprints, a curt female officer who took my statement without sympathy. My arm throbbed, and I fought back tears, not wanting to appear weak.
I was led to a cell, the door clanging shut behind me with an ominous finality. The cell was cold, and the air smelled faintly of bleach and despair. I sat on the hard cot, cradling my injured arm, and tried to steady my breathing. Hours passed, or maybe it was just minutes. The lack of windows made it hard to tell. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving me exhausted and in pain.
When I opened my eyes, it was because I heard the door swing open, and two police escorted me to the questioning room. The harsh fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a stark, unforgiving light on the gray, featureless walls. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat resonating with the echo of my footsteps on the cold linoleum floor. I tried to steady my breath, but anxiety clawed at my throat, making it difficult to focus on anything other than the looming confrontation. I looked at the clock plastered on the wall; it showed 1 am, which meant I'd been asleep for five hours.
The officers led me to a metal chair bolted to the floor. I sank into it, the cold seeping through my clothes and chilling my skin. Across the table, the detective introduced himself as Decker sat with a folder in front of him, his face a mask of professionalism. He flipped it open, revealing a stack of papers, photographs, and scribbled notes. His eyes, sharp and piercing, locked onto mine.
"Ms. Williams," he began, his voice calm but with an edge of authority. "We need to discuss the events of last night."
My mind raced, piecing together fragments of memory that felt disjointed and surreal. But I just can't think of anything. "I want to see my brother."
That's it. That was the only thing I could think of.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a blond-haired man with a crisp grey suit barged into the room like this was his house. His presence immediately commanded attention. Detective Decker's eyes flicked up, momentarily breaking his composed demeanor.
"Who are you?" Decker asked, irritation creeping into his voice.
The man hands out his card, his expression coolly confident. "Ethan Parker, Ms. Williams' attorney," he announces. He moves to stand beside me, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "From this point forward, my client will not answer any questions without my presence."
Decker's jaw tightened, but he nodded curtly. "Fine. But we need answers. Now."
Ethan gave a small, tight-lipped smile. "And you'll get them."
He pulled out a chair and sat beside me, opening his briefcase and taking out a notepad. "Now, Ms. Williams, I need you to tell me everything you remember. Don't leave anything out, no matter how insignificant it might seem."
I still don't know who or how he can get here, and I'm sure he's not a lawyer from the DA's office. Not with how expensive his watch and bag were. I looked back at Detective Decker and wondered if I told him the truth. I can get out of here. It's pretty obvious that Bailey had used her parent's influence to get charged with not only a misdemeanor but a felony as well. Don't ask me how I know. I used to think that going to the police was the only choice I had to stop Bailey, so I researched every possible charge I could throw at her. But after learning about the extent of her parents' influence, I didn't go through it.
Now, here I am.
I looked at Ethan because, for some reason, he seemed to be on my side. "It was self-defense," I whispered.
Then, I turned to look at the detective and told him everything that happened on the basketball court. It was painful trying to remember the torture, and I had to show him my scars that are still fresh. They don't even care to give me some medical attention on the way here. Just put me in a cell and leave me alone.
"Now that you have heard her side of the story, I want to talk to my client alone." Ethan looked at the detective. Somehow, it felt like he was expecting a confrontation, but Decker sighed before leaving the room.
"Who are you?" I asked as soon as the door closed.
"I'm your lawyer,"
"Yeah, no one says you're not a lawyer," I sighed. "But, I never had a lawyer at my beck and call so, who are you and who told you to come here?"
Ethan smirked, hearing my snarky comments, but this is the right moment to be an asshole to anyone. "Isn't it obvious? Your brother sent me here. He's now in the waiting room, probably trying not to punch every cop who tells him he can't see you."
"So, you want me to believe that a lawyer like you doing a charity case?" I frowned and was right to be skeptical because my brother could not possibly have enough money to hire a lawyer like him.
"Lawyer like me?" Ethan found it amusing that I asked the obvious, and he chose to play dumb.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you walked like the earth belongs to you, and we're just renting, definitely rich, and definitely not from the DA's office."
He leaned back in his chair, the smirk still playing on his lips. "First of all, I don't own the earth, but yes, Jake didn't hire me. This is more like one of his benefits as an employee in Corazon."
I remembered something like that about the company. It was a private military group. "But I'm not their employee."
Ethan nodded. "I know, but you're a family member, and Chris insisted I come to make sure none of the charges will stick."
I raised my eyebrows at the mention of Jake's new boss and wondered what type of person he was. "So, what you got to get me out of here?"
"Well, not much for now," Ethan said, leaning forward again. "But we'll get there. Your story and the scars on your arm will be solid proof of your self-defense claim."
I just nodded because the nerves are starting to set i,n and I suddenly develop anxiety. Who knows what's going to happen?