Page 65 of Prince of Control

The house feels completely different without Baron’s quiet authority. I didn’t realize until his absence how much his control brings a sense of safety. Without him, everything feels unsteady. Adrift.

Scary.

I don’t like the idea of Baron being down at the police station. Not one bit. Once again, it seems like he sacrificed his own comfort, safety, and pleasure in exchange for taking any pressure or stress off everyone else.

Except I do feel the strain.

I want him out. I want him safe. I want to know why they’re harassing him when he worked so hard to keep everything above-board for this party.

“Should someone tell Lili?” I ask. She left the party at some point and went home. She knows nothing about her older brother being taken into the police station.

“Let her sleep,” Leo says immediately, like he’s already thought it through.

It seems like Baron’s not the only one with protective instincts when it comes to Lili Baranov.

“Explain the American laws to me again,” I say to Leo.

“He wasn’t arrested when they left. They just took him in for questioning. If they don’t have enough on him to charge him with a crime, they can’t hold him for more than forty-eight hours without bringing him before a judge for probable cause.”

I shake my head, still not understanding what it all means.

“I’m going down there,” I declare, standing. “To break him out or bail him out or whatever.”

Anders’ phone beeps. “It’s Baron.”

We all crowd around.

* * *

Did you take Melinda home last night??

* * *

Ander’s face turns pale. “Shit. Something happened to Melinda? Oh God.” He quickly types back:

* * *

No, you said you needed me to shut the party down, so I called security to escort her to her dorm.

* * *

They want you to come to the station for a statement and DNA swab as soon as possible.

* * *

Anders rises to his feet, looking wobbly.

“I’m going with you,” I say firmly. “I don’t care if I have to wait at the police station for forty-eight hours. It’s better than sitting here not knowing what’s going on with him.”

Leo also stands. “Me too. I can pull security footage of her leaving, in case it helps.”

Fifteen minutes later, the three of us walk into the small Whisper police station, where the cop at the front desk immediately leads Anders back, ignoring me and Leo.

Leo starts working on his phone, pulling up camera footage from the front porch of the house. His face is grim. “I hope nothing happened to Melinda,” he says tightly.

“Are you friends with her?”

Leo shakes his head. “No. But I would feel terrible if anything happened to her leaving our party. I’d feel responsible, and Baron–”