Authors: Elizabeth Finn
Chapter Forty-Three
“W
hat do you mean I can’t see her? I have to. Chief, she hasn’t done anything wrong. You cannot let them take her back to Salt Lake City!”
“Settle down, Eli. I can’t personally stop Salt Lake from taking her, and from the sounds of it, they’re not wasting any time either. They expect to have transport arranged within the next week, and I’m not going to lie, that’s bizarre. These things usually take time, a month even, but someone is interested in getting her back to SLC.”
“Fuck! Don’t you get it? She was framed, and the charges are nothing more than their way of getting you to do their dirty work. You’re going to hand her over to people who want her dead.”
“Chill out. She’ll go before a judge here, and she’ll have a chance to fight extradition.” The look on the chief’s face was getting more annoyed by the second. “Eli, I’ve known you a long time, and I can’t honestly say what I think about any of this, but you’ve got to understand, my hands are tied.” The chief sounded as frustrated as Eli was. “The most I can do is not return calls quickly, ignore my e-mail for a while, but I can’t postpone this thing indefinitely. She’s going to have to fight extradition to stay here. If she doesn’t, under the UCEA, I will have no choice but to let her go.”
“I need to see her. You have to let—”
“She’s in holding status. No visitors allowed.”
“That’s bullshit. Chief, you’re killing me.”
The Chief of Police stood then, taking a deep breath. This likely wasn’t what he planned on encountering this morning, but Eli would be damned if he cared that he was pissing the man off. “Listen. I’ll get you in to see her. If I was you, I’d get her a good lawyer and fast. If there’s any hope of keeping her here, a lawyer needs to get involved and start fighting extradition. It never actually works, mind you, but if she fights it, Salt Lake will have to get a governor’s warrant to take her, and it will slow things down. It might buy you a month, two if you’re lucky, but in the end, she’s going back to SLC unless those charges are dropped.”
Eli stood then, nodding. He stared at the man’s desktop, and soon, the chief was on his feet too, shaking his head. “Damn it, Eli, you’re really rocking my boat here. But I’ll be damned if I don’t believe you. Meet me over at the jail. I’ll sign off on the special visitation privilege.”
Even with the chief following him, it was hard for Eli not to speed the whole way there. He snapped up his phone, dialing Sam quickly. He’d called Sam twice since she’d been dragged away from him first thing that morning, and it was now nearing midday.
“Sam. I’m getting in to see her.”
“Good. Now I need you to listen to me carefully. She’s not going to like this, but frankly, I don’t give a fuck. It’s our best shot at exposing these men and having them arrested. If they’re arrested, she’ll be safe even if she’s dragged down to Salt Lake. Once they’re arrested, their case records will be scrutinized, and the charges against Brynn will start to fall apart.”
“Sam, I’m only blocks from the jail, you’re going to have to make this quick.”
“Then shut up and listen. She has access to a disc, and it has enough damning evidence on it to shine a not-so-welcome spotlight on them. You
need
that disc.”
“What do I do with it?”
“I’ve already called a lawyer, Mark Everly. He’s on his way from Cheyenne. He left this morning right after I called him. You give that disc to Mark. He’ll know what to do.”
“The chief said we need to fight extradition and demand a governor’s warrant.”
“Yes. Mark will handle that. But the disc is what he needs to play ball with the feds and with Salt Lake for that matter. You need that disc.”
“Okay.” He pulled up in front of the jail, and the chief parked next to him. “Listen, I’ve gotta go. I’m here. I’ll call you once I’ve left.”
“Eli, she’s not going to like this. We thought we could avoid it if we had enough time, and up to this point, we actually thought it would do more harm and make her even more of a target with Lars. You tell her this is coming straight from me, and you tell her we’re out of time. If there’s any way to avoid using it, we will, but it’s our best hope of ensuring her safety.”
“Got it. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Okay. Change of plans. I’ll head out tomorrow. Your parents are going to hang back, and as soon as Denver PD says it’s okay for Brianna to leave, your parents will bring her. Denver PD is still all over her house right now, so she needs to stay put for a while longer.”
He climbed out of his SUV to the chief’s glaring expression.
“Can’t believe I’m doing this for you, Eli.”
“Chief, I really appreciate it, and for what it’s worth, you’re making the right decision.”
“Yeah, well, that remains to be seen. So you wanna tell me who this gal is to you?”
They were walking side by side into the building. “I’m in love with her.”
“You sure you want to saddle yourself with so much drama?”
“She didn’t ask for this drama, Chief.”
The chief looked over at him, pausing at the intake desk, and he shook his head again.
Chapter Forty-Four
T
he officers didn’t say much of anything to Brynn as they led her to a small interview room. She wasn’t sure what to think at this point. It was late afternoon, and she was still doing nothing but staring at the ceiling, waiting. She didn’t have a clue what she was waiting for. She was just waiting. Maybe Salt Lake was already there to drag her ass back down south. It seemed unlikely given she’d only been arrested that morning, but what the fuck did she know?
“Wait here.”
And then she was alone to fidget and wait some more.
When the door opened moments later, she started sobbing, and she reached for the table as her legs started to wobble. Eli pulled her to him, clasping her tight in his embrace. “Shh. We don’t have long, and we have some things to talk about. Are you okay?”
She nodded against his chest, and then he pulled away, leading her to a chair. She wasn’t ready for anything real just yet, but he was all business as he sat down.
There was another man present. She recognized him as the Chief of Police that had come into the showroom weeks before.
“Twenty minutes, Eli. Make it quick.” The chief stepped out, leaving them alone.
“Sam has a lawyer on the way, and they’re going to try to get you in front of a judge as soon as possible to start fighting the extradition. If they fight it, Salt Lake will have to get a governor’s warrant, and the Governor of Utah will have to sign off on the warrant before you can be extradited. It will slow things down and keep you here longer. Salt Lake City is making it clear they want you back, and that is likely being influenced from the four officers there who were associated with Lars. Usually extradition is a slow process, but from what the chief has told me, they’re moving fast. That’s why we need you in front of the judge soon. The lawyer Sam hired is one of the best around, so you’re going to be in good hands, but…” His voice trailed off, and he started fidgeting for a moment before he took a deep breath and continued. “Sam says we need the disc.”
She could feel her face falling, and her heart started racing. “There has to be another—”
“No. We’re out of time, and we’re out of options. Sam said whatever is on that disc will ensure those men are arrested, and that keeps you safe. Baby, please.”
She shook her head. She couldn’t do this. Not with him here. Not ever. This was the one thing she’d have done anything in the world to avoid. How could she have come so far, survived her husband just to find herself here, being forced to endure this? “No. I can’t—”
“You can. Sam said he won’t use the disc if he doesn’t have to, but he wants that option on the table.” Eli grabbed her hands, holding them harshly in his. “Damn it, Brynn, don’t be stubborn now. You have to think about your safety. Do this. Do this, so you can come home to me.” His eyes were pleading with her, and her body started shaking as her sobs started taking over again. “Whatever it is, I don’t care. I just need you home. We can deal with this together. You have to put some faith in me now, baby. I love you, and our future is in jeopardy if you can’t do this.”
Her head sank, and her sobs became so intense she was fighting just to breathe through them. She had to do this. She had to face the music and hope he could cope, hell hope she could cope.
He desperately pulled her up to her feet and into his arms. She wouldn’t be surprised if he started shaking her any minute.
“
Please
, Brynn. I can’t be without you. You have to do this for us. Do this for me.
Please
.”
When she opened her mouth to speak, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d even be able to get sound out. “It’s in the little shed at the back of the warehouse property. It’s taped to the underneath side of that old workbench in there.” He pulled back, looking at her for a moment. “Please don’t watch it. I know I can’t stop you, but please don’t.”
He looked stunned. What had he thought the disc was? Had he thought it was something other than a video? From the look on his face, he was clueless, and his brain was whirling with the prospects. She hated it. She hated every last ounce of what he didn’t know was on there because it would eat at him. She couldn’t bear him knowing, seeing what they’d done to her, but there was little chance he could lay his hands on that disc and walk away without looking.
“Okay.” His voice was whisper quiet, and his attention dropped to the floor.
She could almost see a whirlwind of thoughts circling through his mind—the scenarios, the suspicions, the fears, the morbid fucking fascination. She understood it too well. She’d not let go of what he’d told her about his father’s death, and she’d spent entirely too much time imagining what he’d endured, what his mother had endured to end up with no other option than to push a man to his death down a flight of stairs. But where she could only speculate how he’d lived, he would be given a front row seat if he chose to take it. How could he not look?
He hugged her silently. He seemed like he was in shock, and when he let go of her body, he took a deep breath. She held her focus on him for about two seconds, which happened to be two seconds longer than she thought possible, but then her focus shifted to his chest, and she studied as his diaphragm lifted and fell over and over.
But he seemed to regain himself before he left, and as the chief walked back in, he pulled her back into his arms again, leaning to her ear. “I love you. You’re my life, and nothing’s going to change that.” He held her cheeks, refusing to let her face drop again, and he studied her eyes. Hers were bleary with tears, and she nodded. He kissed her quickly, and then he was gone.
She sank down to the chair then, and she sat in a stupor. It was silent. She felt a little bit like her life was ending, and at the same time, she felt a bit like her life might just be starting. Could the end be near? She’d lived for so long running, hiding, and thinking there was no way to make it end, but now, she’d handed over her darkest secret to the one man in the world she wanted to love her.
Chapter Forty-Five
E
li was on auto-pilot as he drove to the workshop, located the disc where Brynn had said he’d find it, and then drove to his home. He couldn’t even remember driving himself home, and once he was inside, he sat at the dining room table with that damn disc sitting in front of him. The worst of what she’d endured was on that disc, and he couldn’t help but want to see it. He didn’t want to see her pain, it killed him to even imagine, but he hated what he didn’t know. He was the control freak after all, and information was power to him—not power over her but power over his world. He couldn’t stand to see this part of her life hidden from him. He wanted every part of her life to belong to him, even the very worst of it.
Not having this too left him feeling distant from her, and he hated that. He wasn’t willing to do distant anymore. He could see it. He could see it if he wanted to. He could tell her later he just couldn’t help himself, hope she could forgive him. She’d have to forgive him, wouldn’t she? He could lie. No, he couldn’t. He hated deception, and he hated lies. He’d hated hers, necessary as they’d been for months, and now this was the only one standing in the way. She owed him this. No, she didn’t. She didn’t owe him anything at all anymore than he’d owed her the truth about his own past. He’d given it to her freely without any strings attached. Why couldn’t she give him this? He needed it. He needed to know, he needed to see, he needed to own this too, but he couldn’t.
He snatched the disc from the table, and he walked into his living room, turning his TV and DVD player on, and then he reached for the open DVD tray and froze. He could almost imagine the horror of what he was going to see, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. This was going to kill him. This was going to drive him insane, and he was going to end up killing the men responsible for hurting her. He dropped the disc into the tray and hit close, cursing as the tray slid within the unit. The screen went from blue to black, but just before the video came to life, he hit the power button on the TV remote, turning it off, and then he dropped to his knees, crying.
He couldn’t do this to her. God, he wanted to know and feel her pain so much, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t betray her. She was his everything, and it didn’t matter if he apologized later, it didn’t matter if he could hide it from her forever, it was a betrayal, and he couldn’t be the one to do that to her. He climbed up to his feet, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. A wave of rage tore through him and he threw the remote as hard as he could against the back wall, shattering it into pieces. He powered the DVD player off before he could turn the TV on by hand, and then he left the room.
He lay on his bed, missing her more with every passing minute and knowing there was nothing he could do to speed the waiting up. When his phone rang he snatched it from his pocket. “Yeah.” His voice was hoarse.
“You sound like hell. You doing okay?”
“No. What’s happening?”
“Did you get the disc?”
“Yeah.” His voice was clipped. He was resenting the hell out of Sam at the moment, and while he knew it would pass, he wasn’t there yet.
“Mark is about thirty minutes away. I wanted to make sure you were home. I’m giving him your address. You see that he gets that disc and any other information from you he might need. His assistant has already made inroads getting Brynn in front of a judge tomorrow morning—not an easy thing given we’re only two days from a holiday.”
“I’m at home.” He couldn’t seem to muster more than a one or two word response.
“Eli, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. How is Brianna?”
“She’s okay. She’s anxious to get there. I’m going to drop her off with your parents first thing tomorrow morning when I leave. I hate to leave her like this, but she wants me there with Brynn. Listen, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yeah.”
He went back to staring at the ceiling after he hung up with Sam, and after a few minutes of that, he stood and started pacing. The doorbell rang as he was staring out at the ranch lands and zoning out.
“You must be Eli. I’m Mark Everly. Sam Caval said you had a disc for me.” The man was all business, and Eli didn’t bother trying to make small talk. He led the man to the living room.
“Disc is already in the player. You’ll have to turn the TV on by the button on the side of the screen. Remote’s…broken.” He turned to leave then.
“You’re not staying?”
Eli turned back around, studying the man for a moment. He knew he could say yes, but his decision was made. “No. Brynn would prefer I not. I’ll be back in the bedroom at the very end of the hall. Let me know when you’re done.” He didn’t wait for the man to say anything to him. He turned, and he left the room. He turned the stereo on in his room, and he paced. He stared out the window, and when he was tired of letting music drown what he was afraid he might hear from the other room, he turned the TV on, trying to become absorbed in some random sitcom. It was useless, and eventually, he abandoned that too. He cranked the stereo up again and retreated to the bathroom.
He stood under the hot jets of the shower and he sank to his knees, letting the water beat down on him and the sound drown out his thoughts. He climbed out after a while, and he brushed his teeth. He shaved just like it was any other day, and dressed in clean clothes. He’d been distracting himself for over an hour and a half when there was a knock on his door. He quickly turned the stereo down and opened the door for Mark who walked in.
He seemed to be in as much of a stupor as Eli felt he was in. “Well?”
The man stared out the window for a moment. When he finally looked back to Eli, he exhaled a deep breath. “That girl is not going back to Salt Lake City if I have anything to say about it.”
“Pretty bad, huh?” He didn’t really think he needed to hear the answer to that question.
“They’ll be hard-pressed to mount any sort of consent defense with that.”
“How do you mean?”
“It’s fairly common in cases of sexual battery and rape for the accused to try to turn the tables, claim the sexual contact was consensual. That’s not going to happen here. There was nothing consensual about what was done to her.” He took a deep breath again, letting his eyes drift back out the window. “Listen, I’m going to take this.” He held up the disc. “I need to make a copy, and I’ll hold both until she’s released. I’ll be tied up with Brynn tomorrow morning, but have Sam call me the moment he arrives. I need him to bring me up to speed on what’s happening with this federal investigation, so I know what we’re dealing with. I’m staying in town, but here’s my cell number. You call me if you need anything.”
Eli took the man’s business card from his outstretched hand, and he crossed his arms. “How soon could she be out?” He needed to hear something good.
When Mark chuckled, Eli lost hope. “Nothing much moves fast in the system. When it comes to extradition, it’s even slower. Try to remember, we’re not arguing against the drug charges, we’re just fighting to keep her here. That has nothing to do with getting her released. She’s safer in a cell here than there, and that’s our only objective—to keep her here and keep her safe until these scumbags are locked up and can’t be a threat to her.”
“Well, what about bail? I mean, shouldn’t she be eligible for bail or something?” He was desperate. He didn’t know shit about the law except what portions of it applied to businesses, and even that he’d proven well he was willing to ignore—at least in Brynn’s case.
“Sure, but only if Utah agrees, and they’re not. The only thing we can think about is keeping her here. That has to be enough for the time being. Don’t worry, we’re fighting extradition, and that means she’s not going anywhere—at least not for a while. But it doesn’t make her Salt Lake City problem go away, and until we can solve that, she’s going to be in limbo. We can’t fight this forever. At some point, this extradition is going to go through, and Jackson isn’t going to be able to hold her. We’re buying her time.”
Eli nodded and then led Mark to his front door. He shook the man’s hand, and Mark turned to leave. He paused, looking back at Eli. “When this thing is over, you take good care of that girl.”
“I intend to.”
“We’ll talk soon.”