Page 103 of Angels & Whiskey

“What if he’splan is to get you and Paul locked up and then come after me?”

The closer I drove to the house, the more I wanted to turn around and drive off with Autumn and never look back. Fucking Major Dick! I didn’t know if I was driving into my demise or if it was just another hurdle I needed to face when it came to Autumn. I didn’t want to lose her. If I was behind bars, and so was Jackson, there was no way for me to protect her.

“If the cops arrest us, I want you to take my car and go get your parents. Leave town.”

“I can’t just leave you,” she protested.

“Just leave until this blows over. I’ll call you. I have your number now.” I smiled, trying to put her at ease when in fact I was nervous as fuck.

“And if they arrest me?”

“It’s going to be okay.” I reached for her hand and held it in mine. “They can’t hold you. You didn’t do anything, and once they see the feed, they’ll know that. I have some friends in L.A. you can stay with. Take my phone and get the numbers for Bryce and Cayson.”

She nodded and grabbed both phones. By the time I pulled into the driveway, she was done and an unmarked police car sat on the street in front of my house.

“It’s going to be okay.” I grabbed her hand before she could open the car door. “Whatever happens, we’re going to be okay.”

She sighed and I pulled her toward me, before giving her a kiss. I didn’t know when I’d get to do it again and I wanted to ingrain it into my memory just in case. The kiss wasn’t like our usual ones. The way her mouth moved against mine was hesitant as if she wasn’t sure what I was saying was true.

I didn’t know my fate; I’d assaulted Rich, but Autumn—she’d be okay. If she stuck to the plan, she could be in L.A. and I knew my boys, Bryce and Cayson, would take care of her.

I grabbed her hand when I rounded the hood of my Yukon and we started to walk to the front door but were stopped by a detective.

“Mr. Hastings. Mrs. Jones. I’m Detective Evans and this is Detective King.” He motioned to himself and his partner. Both men looked to be in their late fifties with peppered colored hair. They took off their sunglasses as they approached and I stared at them.

“What can we do for you, detectives?”

“We’d like you to come in so we can ask you a few questions about an ongoing investigation.”

“Questions about what?” I prodded.

“Mr. Hastings, it would be better if you came by the station.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, my legs spread a little trying to show them I wasn’t scared when in reality I was. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized they weren’t looking to arrest us. If Rich filed charges against me or even Autumn, I’d assume they’d arrest us right away and notaskus to go to the station.

“Now?” Autumn asked from behind me.

“Yes, Mrs. Jones. The sooner, the better.”

“We’ll follow you.” I grabbed Autumn’s hand to lead her back to the car. “I’m not sure what’s going on, angel, but if Rich called his cop buddies or the regular cops, I’d assume they would have arrested me.”

“Every scenario is running through my head,” she groaned.

“Mine too,” I admitted.

I used to think the only excitement my life saw was when I was with a client. One time I’d escorted a client to a female strip club. I was all for it. Trista and I met up with two of her female friends and they watched me get attention from the strippers. They thought it would be a turn on. So did I. But when we walked into the strip club, at least two of the strippers were pregnant and the thought of a pregnant stripper trying to entice me had the opposite effect.

“No. Just no!” Allison commented as we sat around the round dance floor with a pole in the center running to the ceiling.

I barely heard her over the music that blared, but it made me laughed. “They need the money for their babies.”

That night I’d thought I’d officially seen it all—now I might be seeing the inside of a jail cell for the first time. Fighting with Major Dick, guns being pulled, and now on the way to the police station tops the most excitement I’ve had in five years.