“Coffee?”. She asked pouring herself one.
“No”. I huffed. “What are you doing about Blaze?”.
“I did warn you that they were coming for him”. She sighed.
“But he didn’t do this”. I glared. “He shouldn’t even be there”.
“Calm down Ava I’m trying my best”.
Trying her best? She hadn’t done a damn thing. Those officers that made me lose our baby were out there walking free.
“What’s the update on the police officers?”. I asked.
“Both still suspended without pay. They go in front of a hearing in two days to see whether they get to keep their jobs or not”.
I felt the air leave my lungs. Blaze was right. Cops stick up for cops regardless if they were in the wrong or not.
“Can anyone go to this hearing?”.
“Unfortunately, not”. She shook her head. “It’s a closed-door policy but I’m certain the outcome won’t be pretty”.
“Are you sure about that?”. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Because nothing seems to be going right. You need to do something to get Blaze out of there my dad won’t sit on this much longer”.
“I told Franko not to touch this”.
“And he didn’t”. I yelled. “None of them did and it still ended up with one of us being punished. How is that fair Sammie?”.
“It’s not”. She poured me a cup of coffee and handed it to me. “Leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do”.
“No”. I placed the cup down on her desk and got to my feet. “You’ve done enough”. As I walked to the door, I turned to look at her. “I wish I did let Blaze handle it because at least then maybe I’d have had some justice”.
I didn’t have the first clue on where to look. I was sat in the Walmart carpark with my phone in my hand staring at his number.
What if his number had changed? I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try. I tapped his name putting the phone to my ear. Just as I suspected the number was disconnected.
Of course, just my luck.
I did have one place I could try but what were the chances he’d be there? I had been to his house here before and I knew roughly where his workplace was.
But Nate was a businessman and the chances of him being in the country were probably slim to none.
Sighing I started my engine and started the drive to his house.
..
It was as beautiful as I remembered. Nate lived in the fancy part, big house, big gardens, everything was big and very private. So, me being here in a pickup truck was probably going to raise suspicion.
I drove my car into his driveway and cut my engine. I wasn’t sure if he was home but there were three cars already parked here. At this point I was desperate and if Nate couldn’t help his own brother, then who could?
They didn’t have the best relationship in fact they didn’t have a relationship at all, but they were still brothers. They would always be family. My stomach knotted as I noticed the front door opening.
There he was squinting his eyes as he walked towards my car. So, instead of getting out I put my window down a little. I didn’t know what to expect after our last encounter.
It wasn’t pretty and I was a little nervous to be around him.
“Ava?”. He frowned.
“I need your help”. I chewed the inside of my cheek. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told me where to go. Here I was turning up unexpectedly and about to ask him for money to bail his brother who takes nothing to do with him out of jail.
This was a bad idea, and I should know better than to come here.
But I was desperate.
“Is Everleigh okay?”. He took another step towards my car.
“She’s fine”. I frowned.
“Then what-…”. He paused and the penny dropped. “How much?”.
“What?”. I asked.
“You’re here for money right so how much?”.
Yeah, I shouldn’t be here.
“Nothing I shouldn’t have come here”. I started my car. I knew this was a bad idea. The tone of his voice was enough to know this was a mistake.
“Look I’m sorry”. He sighed. “Come inside and tell me what’s going on”.
“No, really it’s okay I have to go”.
“He’s in jail, isn’t he?”.
“This was a mistake I shouldn’t have come here”. I didn’t hear what he said as I started my engine and reversed back out his driveway.
What was I doing? How could I ever think going to Nate was, okay? It was a desperate plea because I was desperate to get him home. But Blaze would never forgive me.
I didn’t get far. I drove half a mile down the street before I pulled up at the side of the road. I had to clear my head before I went home and that meant taking a few moments before I continued the drive.
My head wasn’t exactly in the right place. I was trying not to let it get to me, but truth was I could feel my guard slipping, my brave face disappearing. I didn’t want to do this again without him.
I didn’t want Everleigh not to have her dad again. I wanted a somewhat normal life surrounded by the people I loved, and I loved Blaze dearly.
A lump appeared in the back of my throat when the black SUV pulled up beside me blocking me in. My doors were already locked but I had nothing to protect myself with.
If this wasn’t Nate, I had a feeling I was in trouble.
When the driver’s side door opened the panic disappeared. It was Nate right enough.
“I think we need to talk”. He spoke.
“You need to move your car. You’re blocking the road”.
He shrugged. “Turn your car around and I’ll meet you back at my house”.
“You know I can’t do that”. I chewed the inside of my cheek.
“Yes, you can. You need my help, and I want to know what mess he’s got himself into this time”.
“I don’t need your money Nate”.
“That’s your call but I still want to know what’s going on”.
“It doesn’t concern you”.
“Maybe not”. He shrugged. “But he’s still my family. The door will be open if you change your mind”.
I didn’t change my mind, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the last I’ll have seen of Nate. My own fault really, he should never even have been a thought and now because of me he knows Blaze is in trouble.
I started my engine and headed back to the clubhouse.
When I pulled into the clubhouse, I wished I’d just went home. I couldn’t cope with the loudness. Bikes were all lined up secured across the side wall which meant my dad had called in Marko.
Yes, it was a big deal to them that Blaze was in jail, but did they really have to be here? Most of the time they were here was for a piss up. A family get together as they liked to call it.
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with several drunken idiots and yes, I said idiots because that’s what most of them turned into. Instead of going inside I parked up my car and stayed put.
But instead of jumping to conclusions I should have gone inside to see for myself because they were indeed here to help. How they intended to help I had no idea. No one could help the situation until we came up with the bail money.
“What you sitting out here for?”. Jared asked.
He had seen me pull in and didn’t like that I had yet to come inside. It was then that he continued to tell me that this visit wasn’t like all the other visits. In other words, no one was going to be shitfaced and off their head.
I didn’t quite believe it, but time would tell.
“I did a thing”. I chewed the inside of my cheek.
Telling Jared was just as bad as telling Blaze. Sometimes it was like they were the same person. It scared me how alike they were at times. I don’t even know why I was telling him when I knew I was about to get an earful.
“Tell me you didn’t”. He took the cigarette from behind his ear and lit it up. “Tell me you fucking didn’t”.
Oh, shit.
“I didn’t ask him for money, but I almost did”. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. I wasn’t sure I was prepared for the blow that was coming.
“So, he knows he’s in jail?”.
I nodded.
He ran a hand down his face before balling his hand into a fist. “Much did you tell him?”.
How did he know I had gone to see Nate?
“I thought it was a good idea until I got there and realised I was being an idiot. I didn’t tell him anything”.
“You must have told him something if he knows he’s in jail sweetheart”.
“He guessed”. I shrugged. “I made a mistake, I just want him home, but I came to my senses because I know Blaze will never forgive me if we used money from Nate”.
“Aye darling but we’re running out of ideas here”.
Oh. I made a face. Were they considering asking Nate?
“Is there any update?”. I asked. “Have you heard from Sammie?”.
“She’s trying darling believe me she is but they’re doing everything in their power to make this charge stick”.
“Because they’ve been after him for years”. I whispered.
It was all starting to make sense. It didn’t matter if they had evidence or not. They had Blaze right where they wanted him, and they were going to do everything to make sure he stayed in jail.
He nodded. “But I ain’t gonna let that happen darling. We’ll get him out”.
I nodded. There wasn’t anything we could do but wait and hope for a miracle.