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"We got him back!" shouted a voice as I rolled over onto my side, gasping for breath. When my eyesight cleared, I noticed a paramedic standing over me. I coughed and groaned from a pounding headache. Sitting up, I glanced around. Hobbs was in shackles, and not the orange ones, either. The red shackles for detainees who were going to face trial. My stomach sank, and a sob erupted from me. It wasn't intentional. I shouldn't cry. I should've been rejoicing. But as I watched the police drag him away, I wanted to beg for his life. I wanted to take everything back. I wanted to scream, "Trevor, don't leave me!"

Instead, Ikept my mouth shutand pulled my knees to my chin, hugging my legs tightly. I was an evil person. Yes, Trevor was an asshole. He could be cruel, but he could also be kind.Hegave me pets. He always apologized when he hurt me, yet I sent him to his death! We had our good times. I'll never hear him call me his perfect little star ever again.

My heart began to race, and I could barely catch my breath. I needed to calm down, or I'd end up having a full-blown panic attack. Frantically, I got to my feet and dashed past the chatting officers to the liquor cabinet. Yanking it open, I found thestrongestalcohol we owned and pulled the cork. I didn't bother getting a glass as I began chugging it until a quarter of the bottle was gone.

"Mr. Braun?"I turned to the police chief, who had an awkward smile on her face.

"Did you get what you needed?"I asked in a raspy tone. My throat still hurt from Trevor trying to crush it.

She nodded. "We couldn't have gotten a clearer confession if we planned this ourselves. Good job, Mr. Braun...You should let someone take you to the hospital tomake sure there isn't anyserious damage."

I shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"The senator wants to speak with you, so I'll show him in."She left me there.

My head was already beginning to feel the buzz of the alcohol when Beau walked in with a sympathetic look on his face. "I have the file," I stated, trying to keep my balance.

"I'd appreciate that. I'd also like the records you took from Mr. Hobbs so that I can prove that you are indeed a free man."

On wobbly legs, I entered the room where I kept Little Hopper and his new buddy, Spot. Reaching into the doghouse, I grabbed the chips that I had taped to the roof a few nights before. Standing unsteadily upright, I handed them both to Beau. "I don't deserve to be free. You can charge me with blackmailing you. I deserve it."

He frowned. "I'm not thrilled that you did it, but I get it. Just so you know, I wouldn't have brushed it under the rug like you assumed. I would have taken your claim very seriously, with or without sex." He sighed. "But I understand why you would think you needed this. I'm not going to press charges."

A tear slid down my face. "But I'm a murderer. I don't deserve to be free. I deserve to be tossed over the wall." I could no longer hold my own weight, so I crumbled to my knees in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

The tears in my eyes made his face a blurry mess. "They're going to kill him! I set it up! I loved him, and I killed him. He gave me everything, and I betrayed him."

Beau's face softened, and he crouched down to my level, placing a hand gently on my shoulder. "You poor boy. He really did a number on you, didn't he?" He got back to his feet. "I brought someone here to see you. Hopefully, he can make you forget for a while. I'm not sure if he is the correct bartender, but he was the hottest one I could find."

My heart felt lighter the moment I saw Vic walk through the door, and I stumbled drunkenly to my feet. He ran to me, lifting me from the ground and pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back eagerly as tears ran down my face.

"I suppose I got the correct one?" Beau chuckled.

With a giggle, I nodded, running a hand through Vic's soft hair.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"I suppose we can take a trolly to your place? Shouldn't cost that much."

"Why do you have to leave here?" Beau asked.

I looked at him dumbfounded. "Because this is Trevor's home?"

"You are a resident of Top Hill. This is your home as much as it is his. There is no law saying you can't have company, so there is no reason why your boyfriend can't stay."

I grinned widely and kissed Vic again. "Looks like you're crashing here tonight."

His smile was full of love. "Looks like it."