“Shit, well you know I’m here if she wants—”

  A soft knock sounds at the door and not a moment later, it’s pushed open and Arizona’s head pokes through the small gap. “Can I come—oh, shit! You’re awake,” she squeaks, her puffy, red-rimmed eyes lighting up with relief.

  Arizona barges through the door, flinging it open and storming into my room. She cuts across the end of my bed and all but climbs over Tanner’s lap to get to me. Her arms fly out wide before she crashes into me, and within seconds, she’s sobbing into the crook of my neck.

  Tanner gapes at me over Arizona’s shoulder before awkwardly climbing out from beneath her and moving to the far corner of the room. Arizona wails against my neck, releasing all her pent-up frustrations and fears, and all I can do is hold her. “Are you okay?” I murmur, trying to crane my neck to get her hair out of my face.

  “I tho—I thought I was,” sob, “going to,” sniff, “lose you.”

  My heart breaks for her. I can’t even imagine how everyone must be feeling right now, watching their best friends being taken away by paramedics, their hands and clothes soaked in blood, not knowing if we were going to survive. It would have been the scariest thing they’ve ever been through. “You think you can get rid of me that easily?” I tease. “I’m like a bad rash that won’t go away, no matter how hard you try.”

  “You’re gross.”

  “Yeah, well, you had Riley’s junk in and around your mouth at the lake, so technically, that makes you grosser.”

  Arizona laughs and pulls back, dropping her ass into Tanner’s vacated chair before blowing her cheek out with a heavy breath and wiping her tears on the back of her sleeves. “Holy shit,” she mutters under her breath before finally raising her chin and meeting my stare again. “Okay. I think I’m alright.”

  “You sure?” I ask. “If you need to cry some more, I can kick Tanner out. It’s no problem.”

  “Over my dead body,” Tanner mutters from the back of the room, leaning against the wall and crossing his strong arms over his chest, his biceps on full display with those damn tattoos that make my mouth water.

  Arizona shakes her head. “No, really. I’m okay,” she says. “It’s a freaking sob-fest out there. I’ve already gotten most of it out. I was just so relieved to see you awake and alright. I swear, between me, Chanel, and Ilaria, I’m surprised the waiting area isn’t flooded with tears.”

  My bottom lip drops, hating to hear they’re not doing so well. “They can come in here if they need somewhere to break down.”

  “I’m sure they will,” she says. “We’ve been fighting over who gets to go and check on you first, and of course, I lost. So I told them I was going to pee instead and jumped the line.”

  A soft laugh bubbles up my throat as I shake my head, not surprised by her tactics. “How are you really though? Have you heard anything more about Jax?”

  Arizona shakes her head and the pain in her eyes nearly destroys me. “I wouldn’t know,” she says with a nasty bite in her tone. “Logan is refusing to let me see him or even tell me how he’s doing. Apparently, all I’m good for is messing him up and I don’t need to mess him up any more than I already have.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it,” I tell her. “Logan is just scared for his brother and you’re the perfect target for him to lash out at. Once Jax wakes up and Logan relaxes, he’ll be able to think with a clear head and then you’ll be able to see him.”

  “Yeah, well …,” she says, glancing at her hands. “I don’t know if I want to see him.”

  My brows furrow and I search her eyes but see nothing but the agony his rejection at the track caused, still burning so bright despite everything else that’s happened over the past six hours. “Ari …” I breathe.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” she cuts in. “I’ll hang around and check in on you and Addie when she wakes up, but I can’t bring myself to face him yet. It’s too hard. I’ll just creep in the corridors, hoping I hear some kind of update.”

  I take her hand and give it a tight squeeze, hating how much she’s hurting. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “He just needs some time to realize what he’s missing. I’m sure he’ll—”

  Three short raps at the open door have my head craning around Arizona’s shoulder to find two policemen crowding my doorway. “Brielle, is it?” the one on the right questions as they welcome themselves into my room.

  My gaze briefly flicks toward Tanner before returning to the cop. “Yes,” I say, the hesitation clear in my voice. “Can I help you?”

  “You can,” he says. “However, not right at this moment. We’ll be back to take your statement in a little while. You’ve only just woken up from surgery. I’m sure the last thing you want to be doing is talking to us.”

  “Okay,” I say slowly, noticing the way the other cop watches Tanner with a close eye. “Then what can I do for you?"

  “Nothing,” he says, turning his sharp stare toward Tanner. “It’s what he can do for us. Are you Tanner Morgan?”

  Tanner pushes off the wall, not liking the harsh bite in the cop’s tone. “Why do you need to know?”

  “Come on, Tanner,” the second cop says. “Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. It’s after five in the morning and the last thing we want to be doing is dragging you out of here in cuffs. We have multiple witnesses who claim you were involved with the assault of Colby Jacobs. We just need to have a chat. That’s all.”

  Tanner glances back at me, holding my stare a moment longer before pursing his lips and letting out a deep breath. “I’ll just be out in the hallway,” he tells me. “If you need anything, just call out and I’ll come right back in.”

  “I’ll be okay,” I tell him, holding his stare and sending a silent message, reminding him that he did nothing wrong. “I love you.”

  “You too,” he says, giving me a tight smile before following the policemen out of the room.

  The moment he disappears out the door, nerves break through the surface, and I grip onto the bed sheets, bunching them in tight fists as I turn my terrified stare to Arizona. “It’s going to be okay,” she says, reaching out and taking my hand, forcing me to release my hold on the sheets. “There were hundreds of people there. They know Colby was in the wrong. Tanner’s going to be okay, and like they said, they just want to talk. They’re probably just taking his statement and getting a clear picture of what happened.”

  Knowing she’s right, I try to breathe, but it doesn’t stop the panic from overwhelming my every thought. Despite everything that’s happened over the past few months, I feel like a lost child, way in over her head, needing her mom to hold her and tell her everything will be okay.

  “Do you think …” I pull myself up short as a cringe settles across my face, not sure if this is what I really want.

  “What’s wrong?” Arizona asks. “What do you need?”

  “I was going to ask if maybe you could ask my mom to come in, but I … I don’t know. Things are still weird between us, and she’ll probably only start ranting at me about making shitty decisions and then probably blame the whole thing on me, but …” I pause again, indecision plaguing me. “You know that feeling when you’re having a really awful time and all you need is your mom to hold you and tell you that everything is going to be alright?”

  “Yeah, I know the feeling,” she tells me, her lips pressing into a hard line as her eyes flicker with a strange guilt, holding something back.

  “What?” I ask. “What is it?”

  “I’m sorry, Bri,” she says, gripping my hand a little tighter. “Tanner called your mom, but she never showed up.”

  “She didn’t come?” I ask, disbelief hitting me like a fucking freight train. I know things are messed up right now, but surely she’d still show up for me. Surely the past eighteen years have meant more to her than this. “Are you sure?”

  Arizona gives me a broken stare. “Girl, I’m sorry,” she says, pushing up from the chair and dropping her ass to the mattress. “Your mom doesn’t know how lucky she is to have you. One of these days, she’ll realize exactly what it is she’s been pushing away. Until then, you’ve got me. Now scoot your bitch-ass over so I can snuggle with you until you pass out.”

  Without another second of warning, Arizona pushes in beside me, under the blankets and all. Her arm slips beneath my neck the same way Tanner’s does, and she pulls me into her, holding me close, not giving two shits about the stab wound that’s all too close to my nether regions for my liking.

  Letting out a broken sigh, I cry into her shoulder, wishing desperately that things could be different.

  Chapter 3

  TANNER

  The door of the hospital conference room closes behind me as the cop with the staring issue indicates for me to take a seat. It’s a far cry from the corridor I told Bri I’d be in, and it makes me wonder if these assholes plan on having a little more than just a friendly chat. Why else would they bring me into a private room? The cops of Bradford aren’t exactly known for being the forgiving type.

  Taking my seat, I watch the two cops as they strategically place themselves around me, blocking the exits while also keeping a firm eye on me. Though I can’t blame them. They know what I did. Why else would I be here? They have a right to treat me like a fucking criminal. That’s exactly what I am.

  The bigger of the two—the one who looks like he’s running the show—pulls out a chair and takes a seat. He silently watches me, and I can only imagine the bullshit running through his head. I’m nothing more than a delinquent teenager who’s had everything handed to him. Why the fuck should he take it easy on me? I’m probably the next bastard in a long line of assholes he plans to make an example out of.

  “This doesn’t need to be any harder than it already is, Tanner,” he starts in a gruff, dismissive tone, placing a recording device in the center of the table. “If you’re up front and honest with us, then this will be quick, and you can get back to caring for your girlfriend.” He pauses a moment, waiting for me to acknowledge him, but I remain silent. “I’m Detective Daniels and this is Officer Kennedy. We will be conducting this interview and it will be recorded. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” I press my lips into a hard line, not liking this one bit, but I fucking killed a guy. This was never going to be easy. “What do you want to know?” I ask, wanting to get back to Bri. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

  “We have witnesses who place you at the scene,” Daniels says. “Others who claim you’re responsible for putting Colby Jacobs in a coma.”

  My back stiffens, and my eyes widen in shock. “Coma?” I question, my heart racing a million miles an hour, a strange hope blasting through my veins—the kind of hope Colby doesn’t deserve. “I thought he was dead.”

  “It was close,” he says as his partner hovers nearby, watching me like a hawk. “Colby sustained significant injuries to the brain. He’s been put into a medically induced coma until the swelling on his brain can recede and the doctors can assess him properly. However, there is a very good chance that he is brain dead.”

  “So, what you’re telling me is, whether he’s breathing or not, I fucking killed him.”

  Officer Kennedy leans forward against the conference table, getting closer. “So you admit you did it?”

  “What did you want me to say?” I question, resisting the urge to lunge forward and knock the fucker out. “You already told me there were witnesses who placed me at the scene. You know damn well I was involved. Would you have preferred I lied? What’s the fucking point? You have statements from hundreds of witnesses, and it’s their words against mine.”

  Daniels clears his throat and forces my attention back to him. “No, I appreciate your honesty,” he says, trying to keep control of what could potentially turn into an ugly situation. “Don’t be fooled, we know exactly who you are, Tanner, and we know all about your connection to Colby Jacobs. We’re just trying to get a sound understanding of what happened last night.”

  “Okay,” I say slowly, not wanting to trust this false sense of security. “What do you want to know?”

  “Start from the beginning. What were you doing there last night?”

  “It’s my cousin’s property,” I explain. “We go there every Friday night to let off steam. Fuck around and have a few drinks. Shit like that. Everybody comes. It’s always a big party.”

  “Oh, we are well aware of your Friday night parties at the Morgan property, and we are more than aware of what actually goes on there,” he says, a disapproving darkness in his eyes. “However, that seems irrelevant right now. Can you recall where you were when Colby showed up? Time? Location? Any kind of details.”

  “My girl and I,” I say, remembering exactly what happened in those woods in fine detail, “were talking on the outskirts of the property. A few of my friends had an argument and everyone needed a moment to chill out. It was maybe eleven when we started walking back and heard everyone screaming. I thought someone must have been shot or something. Everyone was running, not watching where they were going. I’ve never seen anything like it. Bri got body slammed and I was barely able to hold on to her, but I needed to get back to my friends and my sister to make sure they were okay.”

  “You didn’t run for your car to get out of there?”

  My brows furrow, not understanding his train of thought. “Like I said, my sister and friends were there. I wasn’t about to leave without making sure they were safe. They’re the only family I’ve got.”

  “Very honorable,” he says, though the lack of conviction in his tone suggests he thinks I’m full of shit. “What happened next?”

  “Bri and I ran through the crowd and we were just making our way back up the hill when we found Colby. He had a knife in his right hand, and it was already coated in blood. He was talking shit to my cousins, Jax and Logan, and they were trying to calm the situation, but Colby wasn’t having it. His back was to us, and at this stage, he didn’t know Bri and I were there. He was too busy making demands.”

  Officer Kennedy crosses his arms over his chest. “What kind of demands?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “The usual bullshit,” I say. “He was saying he wasn’t leaving until my friends told him where ‘she’ was.”

  “She?”

  “Yeah. He said she, and I assumed he meant my sister, Addison. Colby made plenty of promises that he was going to come for her after the rape charges were dismissed. We’ve been walking on eggshells every fucking day, just waiting for that bastard to step out of the shadows. So when he said she, I figured he was looking for her, and so did Riley because he told Colby that he’ll never give Addison up to him. That’s when Colby laughed and was taunting him that he’d already dealt with Addison and was saying how fucking easy it’d been.”

  My hands ball into tight fists at the memory, but Daniels’ sharp tone cuts through the room like Colby’s knife slicing through Jax’s stomach. “What were his exact words?”

  My nails dig into the palm of my hand, and I try to control the rage just to get through this fucked-up interrogation. “When Riley said he’ll never give up Addison, Colby laughed and said ‘That bitch? Oh, I’m already through with her. She was easy then, and easy now.’”

  The cops glance at one another, their expressions impossible to read. “Right,” Daniels says. “And when Colby referred to a ‘she’, who was he looking for?”

  “My girlfriend, Brielle,” I say. “They used to date when she went to Hope Falls. He’s had it out for her since the second she dumped his ass. In some fucked-up way, he blames Bri for pushing Erica to go to the cops about him raping my sister. Not that she went to the cops with the fucking truth.”

  “Colby Jacobs was cleared of the rape of your sister.”

  I scoff. “Only because his lawyer is a dirty piece of shit who messed with the rape kit.”

  “Do you have evidence of this?” he questions.

  I press my lips into a hard line and shake my head. “No, sir.”

  He stares back at me, his dark eyes like a mask concealing the demons inside. “That’s a very serious accusation, Mr. Morgan.”

  I stare right back at him, letting him see just how far I’ll go for this. “I know.”

  The silence in the room could fucking kill me as we remain locked in each other’s feral stares. “You’re speaking of Orlando Channing. The top criminal defense lawyer in the country, your neighbor, and your girlfriend’s new stepfather,” he says. “Are you sure you’re not acting out due to personal differences? Perhaps he doesn’t approve of your relationship with his daughter.”

  “Stepdaughter,” I clarify. “And you’re damn right it’s personal. The guy is the dirtiest fucking lawyer I’ve ever met. He allowed my sister’s rapist to walk free for the purpose of his own fucking ego, the little girl next door who he’s watched grow and mature into a beautiful young woman. It’s because of him that last night even happened. If he hadn’t stood in the way of true justice, Colby would have been behind bars, awaiting trial while my sister, girlfriend, and cousin wouldn’t be suffering in this goddamn hospital—”

  “And Colby wouldn’t have been beaten to a pulp, suffering severe brain injuries and in an induced coma,” Officer Kennedy says.

  “And if Colby hadn’t come onto private property with a fucking knife, he wouldn’t be in his current situation either,” I throw right back at him.

  “Okay, okay,” Daniels says, holding out his hands. “We’re getting off track. Let’s rewind and take this back to last night. You were saying how Colby was looking for Brielle and had just alluded to the fact that he’d hurt your sister.”

  “Yes.”

  “Are there other witnesses who can confirm what Colby said?”

  “Yes. There were a bunch of people. Jaxon, Logan. My friend Hudson, and Brielle’s friends were there too. They all heard it.”

  “Okay,” he says. “Go on. What happened after that?”

  “It’s a bit of a blur after that. All I could think about was my sister. If she was alive, where she was, and if he’d really hurt her like he’d done before. I think I yelled or said something because Colby turned around and saw me with Bri and he started running at us—at her—and I couldn’t let him hurt another person I loved. I was ready to take him out, but Jax was closer and lunged at him. He tried to drag him back, but Colby took him down. It happened so fast. One minute he was there trying to save everybody, and the next thing I know, everyone was screaming and blood was covering Jax’s shirt.