Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,9

situation, sure Cassidy could help.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Fix it. She didn't do this.”

He could hear the frustration in his sister's voice when she replied, “I can't just fix it, Mason. If there's evidence, it will have to be investigated. I know you don't want to believe it—”

He didn't allow her to finish. “She was set up, Cass. I'm as sure of that as I am sure my eyes are brown.”

“If that's the case, that's what the police will find.”

“What good is having a prosecutor for a sister if she can't help my fiancee?” he muttered. With a sigh he spoke into the phone, “I can't just sit by and wait for an investigation. I know she didn't do it. And I know who did.”

“Wait. What?”

“It's Priscilla. She's undermined every relationship I've had, but this time the bitch has gone too far.”

“Excuse me? You're telling me Priscilla McClaren hid drugs in your girl—sorry, your fiancee's studio?”

“Yes. She wants to get Kat out of the way so she can have me.”

“Delusions of grandeur much, big brother?” she scoffed. “Don't you think Priscilla has more important things to do than put your gi—fiancee in prison for possession?”

“I wish she did, Cass. I really do.”

It was Cassidy's turn to sigh. “Look, Mase, I want to help, really I do, but I can't.”

“Can't, or won't?”

“I can't help—this has conflict of interest written all over it, and that's assuming it even gets to trial. If it's as you say, and Katerina is being set up, that will come out in the investigation. And, even if I could help, I wouldn't. If she really did this—”

He cut her off again. “Don't finish that, Cassidy Anne Everett. She didn't do this, and you're going to regret not helping when you could,” he growled, his teeth clenched. She was lucky she was on the other end of the phone and not in the car with him. He might not be prone to violence, but right now he was pretty sure he'd be able to throttle his own sister.

~*~

“How long do I have to stay here?” Kat asked the short officer, whom she had since learned was Officer Longwood.

“A night, maybe two, until someone springs ya. Shoulda thought about that before you broke the law.” He raked his gaze over her before he added, “It's a shame you got into drugs. We might've been able to work out an... agreement if you were a hooker.”

Appalled by his comment, she forced her expression to remain neutral as she merely replied, “I'll be using that right to remain silent now, Officer.”

Mason searched the parking lot for Carter Jamieson's Lexus. He didn't want to walk into the station without an attorney. He hated that he had to call his friend, and he hated Priscilla and her misplaced possessiveness. They had dated junior and senior year of high school, had lost their virginity to each other, but had parted ways when he went to University of Virginia and she to James Madison. They hadn't made any plans, and he'd never thought past the summer after graduation. Hell, he'd been eager to leave Tyler and see the world, so to speak. It wasn't until he'd come back eight years ago that he'd discovered Priscilla carried a torch for him, and it wasn't until he started dating he found she'd not only staked a claim, but had been using drastic measures. Until the incident with Melanie it had been annoying, but this was pure evil. There was no way he would let Kat be punished just because he was in love with her. He'd get Kat out of this mess, and Priscilla would pay for it. He banged his hands against the steering wheel. Just last night he had promised it would all be fine. How the hell was he going to make that happen now? A knock on the window pulled him from his thoughts. Carter had arrived.

He stepped from the car, nodding once in acknowledgment of the lawyer. “You have to fix this. This is all my fault, I didn't do anything to stop Priscilla years ago, and now...” He slammed his car door. “I did this to her, and I don't know what—”

“Mason, calm down,” Carter interrupted his friend's tirade.

“Calm down? Calm down?” He pointed at the station across the lot. “That's the love of my life in there. She's in jail for a crime she didn't commit, facing God knows what. Calming down is not an option.”

Carter held his