Page 40 of The Aster Valley Collection, Vol. 2

Rolly looked at me funny but didn’t ask questions.

He simply began reading Kix his rights and escorted him to the back of the vehicle.

Once Kix was secure, he returned to my vehicle and Mirandized Finn as well.

Finn’s eyes widened in surprise as they flicked over to me.

I couldn’t even give him a reassuring expression considering I didn’t know how this was going to play out.

I turned back to the crowd of witnesses. “Can anyone here give me a witness statement about either the altercation or the arrival of the blue sports car?”

A few hands shot up, and I pulled out my little notebook to take down contact information and hand out my business card so the witnesses could come in at their leisure tomorrow to make statements.

One of the witnesses was Gentry Kane’s uncle Doran, who’d just pulled up to pick up dinner from Kozani’s also.

He wasn’t known for keeping his mouth shut, and I knew he’d run right back to report what had happened to Gent and Winter, who’d probably tell Mikey and Tiller what was going on with the film crew who’d rented their property.

There were several witnesses for both crimes which made me both relieved and also angry as hell. Why had Finn thrown the first punch? If he’d just kept his cool and stayed in the vehicle, we’d be happily eating Greek food right now.

I looked over at the restaurant. Castor held up a finger for me to wait, so I re-entered the shop. “Sorry about all this,” I said. “Is it okay if the sports car stays in the lot until tomorrow?”

He waved off the concern. “Yes, yes, of course. Your food is almost ready. Tell Janine I made extra so she has enough for a midnight snack.”

I smiled my appreciation at him, taking a small moment to appreciate how much I loved living in a small town where everyone knew everyone and people looked out for each other.

Even though I had strong feelings for Finn, I was going to be very happy when the film crew left town and Aster Valley returned to normal.

When the food was ready, I got back in the car and handed one of the bags of food to a stone-faced Finn.

“That motherfucker read me my rights and told me I was under arrest.”

I glanced at him in the rearview as I settled into the driver’s seat. “You are. You’re under arrest for assault. Second-degree assault is a class four felony in Colorado with a potential jail term of two to six years.”

The blood drained from his face. It was a familiar response to a law enforcement officer, but not one I’d ever wanted to see on his freckled face.

“But I was defending myself.”

I chose my words carefully. “From what? Menacing? Menacing, or threatening bodily harm, is also illegal in Colorado. It’s a class three misdemeanor. Up to six months in jail.”

His eyes widened as he realized what I was saying. Not only could he hold the car theft over Kix, but he could also suggest the man had violated the law when he’d approached Finn with anger. The combination of potential crimes might make Kix rethink pressing assault charges against Finn.

This was all something a high-paid criminal attorney would know, but Finn wouldn’t see an attorney for several hours at least. If he didn’t want to spend the night in a jail cell, he might want to use some of this information before the fancy California lawyer arrived.

But it wasn’t my place to suggest it.

Finn spent the rest of the drive shoving food in his mouth since he correctly assumed he wouldn’t be able to keep eating once we began processing him in.

As soon as we walked into the department, Janine raised her head up and gestured to a man in the small seating area. “Mr. Heller’s attorney.”

I was stunned at how quickly they’d gotten someone here. Even a lawyer from Denver would have had to take a helicopter to get here this fast.

“I don’t know you,” Finn said carefully, looking at the well-dressed man. He was very good-looking with dark styled hair and a trendy bit of dark scruff on his cheeks and chin. A little niggle of jealousy wormed its way into my gut.

The man reached out a hand to shake Finn’s.

“I know. I’m friends with Tiller and Mikey, who own the property where you’re staying.

When they heard you’d been arrested, they sent me to help.

I’m a corporate attorney out of Denver, but I was in town visiting Mikey to go over some business contracts.

I figured I might be able to help clear this up before you go to the trouble of bringing in the big guns from LA. My name is Julian Thick.”

Finn’s signature smile appeared. “Julian, so nice to meet you. Thank you for coming to help out. I really appreciate it.” He turned to me. “ Sheriff , I’d like to meet with my attorney. Alone.”

He was acting like any of this was my fault. I wanted to put him over my fucking knee.

“Right this way. I have an interrogation room you can use.” Two could play at this game.

Once I got them settled in the room and closed the door, I let out a breath and returned to the front where Rolly was helping Janine enter Kix’s information into the system.

“Kenneth Rowe, you say?” Janine asked with a raised eyebrow.

I wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable Kix looked.

“Yes, ma’am. Why did Finn get to see an attorney already? I want an attorney. And I want to make a phone call.”

“His attorney was here waiting for him. I didn’t arrange it for him,” I informed him. “Would you like a public defender? It might take me a couple of hours to get one here, but I’m certainly happy to do that.”

Kix lifted up his hands and stepped backward, away from the counter where Janine was preparing to take his fingerprints.

“Woah. Woah. Wait a minute. I’m the victim here, and I’m the only one being fingerprinted. That’s not right.”

Rolly met his eyes. “You’re under arrest for stealing his car, remember?”

“He loaned me that car!”

Rolly shrugged. “He says he didn’t. You can take it up with the attorneys and the judge. It’s above my pay grade.”

Kix looked between me and Rolly. “He’s playing favorites. The sheriff is sleeping with him, and he’s giving him the cushy attorney and the special meeting room. I’m going to sue your asses for preferential treatment of the man who assaulted me.”

I held up my hands. “All I did was drive him here. Deputy Kepplow arrested him. Deputy, do you have any prior relationship with Finn Heller?”

“No, sir. I do not. And I placed him under arrest the exact same way I did Mr. Rowe here. The only difference as far as I see it was allowing Mr. Heller to meet with his attorney at his own request. We’re not legally allowed to prohibit that at this juncture.

The man has rights. You’re welcome to do the same. If you have an attorney, that is.”

I was going to have to reconsider Rolly’s termination. He was impressing me with his cheek.

Kix’s nostrils flared. “Get him out here. I want to talk to him.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea until we take your statements.”

Before he could argue with me, Julian came out of the interrogation room and joined us at the counter. “I think we can clear this up easily without any charges being made. Is this Mr. Rowe?”

Kix narrowed his eyes at the hot attorney. “I am. Did the film send you? If so, that’s not fair.”

“No, a personal friend of Mr. Heller’s sent me from Denver.

I’d like to propose you both drop the charges against each other.

You drop the assault charge, and in return, Mr. Heller will drop the first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft charge, the class three menacing charge, the defamation charge, the perjury charge for bearing false witness, and the?—”

Kix couldn’t take it anymore. “Fine! Fucking fine! Jesus. I get it. Finn has more money than I do and can afford a fancy lawyer to pound me into the ground. Typical fucking Finn Heller maneuver. I’ll bet his fucking mother sent you here, didn’t she?”

Julian leveled him with a professional stare. “Do you agree to drop the charges?”

Kix looked suddenly deflated. “Yes. Fine. But that means there’s nothing in the record about this for me either, right?” He looked at me, but Janine was the one who answered.

“No record, sweetie.” She made a few loud clicks on her keyboard that probably did absolutely nothing to the data she’d entered.

Julian dropped his business face and replaced it with a kind smile. “Would you mind handing me the keys to the McLaren, please?” Then he held out his hand to the younger man. Kix looked like he wanted to shank the man, but he handed them over.

“Are you at least going to give me a ride back to the lodge?”

Julian’s eyebrow raised. “You’re staying at Rockley Lodge? That’s where I’m headed. I’ll give you a ride. No problem.”

After they were gone, I thanked Janine and Rolly and made my way to the interrogation room which was still closed. When I opened the door, I saw Finn asleep with his head on his crossed arms on the table.

I closed the door quietly behind me and approached him, squatting down and running my hand through his hair.

“Hey, tough guy. You’ve been sprung from the clink,” I said softly.

Finn blinked his eyes open. His makeup had worn off enough for me to see the dark scrape still healing on his cheek from the rock face incident the other day and a new bruise forming around one of his eyes from a punch Kix had obviously landed before I got there.

“Are you mad at me?” he asked in a whisper. His worried green eyes were a knife to my heart.

My heart flooded with affection. “No, sweetheart. I’m so fucking proud of you.

When I showed up on set, it looked like you were standing up for yourself.

And then with Kix… I don’t know what he said to you, but I could tell it upset you.

I don’t agree with punching the guy, but again, it looks like you were defending yourself.

I wouldn’t have wanted you to sit there and take it.

I only wish I’d come out quick enough to get him to back off before it turned physical. ”

“He said some bad stuff. About me. About my mom. And he thought I was being too sensitive about the house party thing. He’s… it’s a long story, and I just want to be done with him. We were friends for a long time. At least, I used to think we were friends. But I see it very differently now.”

I got the impression the little punk had used Finn, but I didn’t want to say anything when I truly didn’t know the full story. Hopefully, Finn would tell it to me in time, but tonight he looked too worn-out for much more than sleep.

“Come on,” I said, standing up and pulling him out of the chair. “You’re coming back to my place tonight. I assume your mom is still at the chalet.”

Instead of following me to the door of the interrogation room, Finn pulled my hand until I’d turned to face him, and then he walked right into my arms.

I held on tightly to this man I’d completely misjudged. The man who was trying so hard to figure out who he was and who he wanted to be in this big bad world.

The man who was damned near close to stealing my heart completely out of my chest and taking it back with him to California forever.