Broken Trust A Dark High School Romance - Tate James Page 0,96
out of their hands. “I didn’t do it, Riley,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. He was imploring me to believe him, and in this regard, I pretty much did.
“I know,” I said quickly. “We’ll get lawyers for you. Don’t say anything until they show up.”
Dante nodded. The officers started to lead him away again, and I would have faltered if Beck hadn’t kept me upright. Dante looked back. “I’m so sorry, Riley. So fucking sorry.”
I didn’t know what he was apologizing for exactly, but it was destroying me nonetheless.
“Dante,” I called, crumpling forward.
He was almost at the closest police car then, and I could only just see him when he shouted. “Stay away from Catherine. Don’t trust a thing she says—”
Anything else was muffled as he was pushed down into the back of the car.
I broke apart then, and it was only Beck’s arms around me that kept me standing. He held me while I sobbed against his shirt.
“Dante works for Catherine, doesn’t he?” I said, choking on the words.
Beck didn’t speak. “How long?” I said, pulling back, my hands twisted in his shirt front. “How long has he been working for her? From the start?”
Beck hesitated. “It would make sense. She probably never wanted to lose touch with you, just in case. Dante was the perfect mole. Who would have expected a kid to be a double agent?”
All a lie. Every fucking moment with Dante from the first time he “found me” in his neighborhood had been a lie.
But … could it all be a lie? He’d expressed real emotions to me more than once; demonstrated his caring. He loved me in his own way, I was sure of that.
He’d have to be a damn good actor if it was all a lie.
And maybe he was. Maybe it was naive of me to think that this was anything other than a careful ruse orchestrated by my fucking bitch of a birth mother.
Another way for her to control my life. To control me.
I was still holding onto Beck, staring up at him, tears filling my eyes. I wasn’t really seeing him though, stuck in my own head, as I tried to comprehend it all.
“What’s wrong with Riley?” Dylan asked from nearby.
Beck didn’t answer him, his dark gaze still on me, murder in his eyes.
“Riley,” Dylan said, closer to my face. “Snap out of it for a minute, because if you don’t, Beck is going to go postal and start hurting people.”
I swallowed hard, trying to stop the rapid in and out breathing I was doing—sounding like a dog panting. I couldn’t seem to get myself under control.
“Dante,” I choked out. “He’s been Catherine’s mole the entire time. All the fucking time. My entire fucking life. It’s all been a lie.”
How much more could Catherine take from me? How much more could she extract before there was nothing left inside?
Beck made a low rumbling sound, his chest and arms shaking, and I somehow managed to calm my own freak out, so I could wrap my arms around him. “It’s okay, Sebastian,” I said, using his name in an attempt to snap him out of it. “I’m okay. We’ll figure this out.”
His hold was rough, almost painful as he yanked me into his body. “It’s going to be okay, Butterfly,” he said close to my ear. “I promise you, Catherine will pay.”
He didn’t have to tell me that, I was already planning it in my head.
This time when I pulled the trigger, she would be the one in my sights.
31
Jefferson police station was not that large, nothing like the ones back in Jersey. It had a sterile, tiled sitting area at the front, a long desk with screens and bars, and a door that led back into whatever was beyond the sitting area.
I had started pacing ten minutes ago, much to the annoyance of the middle-aged chick behind the desk.
“Miss, if you take a seat, I will let you know when you can see your friend.”
I swung a glare in her direction. “I’ll sit down when you tell me something. For now, I’m pacing, okay?”
She shut her mouth and continued with whatever paperwork was in front of her. It was almost 4:00 a.m., and I’d been waiting here for two hours. Delta lawyers arrived just before us, and they were back there now with Dante. So far we hadn’t heard a thing.
“Riles, sweetheart, maybe we should wait at home. Meredith here will call us as soon as there’s news, right?”