Page 94 of Rise After Fall

“Can I ask why?” Kevin asks.

“It’s a long story, Kevin. A really long story. You should probably go ahead and take me down to the station to get it all sorted,” I say.

He nods. “Okay.”

“No,” Zoey cries. “He was defending me.”

“Was that gentleman threatening you?”

“Not exactly. Not at the moment.”

His eyes come to me.

“It’s okay, Zoey. I laid my hands on him, and I’d do it again. I’m going with Kevin. You stay with your mom and dad.”

I let her go and place my hands together in front of me so Kevin can cuff me.

“We also need help getting that son of a bitch off my property,” Langford says, gesturing to Tobias.

Kevin passes me off to the other deputy, who leads me to his car.

“PJ, are you honestly going to let these Neanderthals remove me from the premises?” Tobias asks.

“You’re lucky I don’t kick you down the mountain myself,” PJ spits.

“Sir, if Langford wants you to vacate the resort, you have to go. Where are your belongings?” Kevin asks.

“In our room.”

“I’ll escort you to get those, and I’ll drive you down to the valley. You can get a room at one of the motels.”

“A motel?”

“Yep.”

“I need a car service that can take me to the airport,” Tobias snaps.

Kevin laughs. “Good luck with that this late on a holiday weekend.”

Langford breaks off from the group and sticks his head in the window of the patrol car. “Hang tight, brother. I just texted Weston. He will be down at the station, waiting to bail you out as soon as you get there.”

“Thanks.” I look past him to Zoey. “Can you stay with her until you’re sure Taut is gone?”

“Absolutely, brother.”

He stands and backs away as the deputy gets behind the wheel.

I mouth,I’m okay, to Zoey as we drive away.

I lean back against the headrest and close my eyes.

It felt good to bloody his nose.

Morris

We get to the station, and the deputy releases me from the backseat of the patrol car and escorts me into the jail.

We go through the motions of taking my fingerprints and mug shot.