Kickstart My Heart (Burgers and Brew Crue #1) - Lacey Black Page 0,87

to get a car seat out of Walker’s truck.”

“But my dollies are at Walk’s,” she argues.

“I’ll get them for you,” he replies solemnly, but I know he’s just appeasing her. There’s no way he’ll be allowed into Walker’s house right now.

I stand by and let Walker’s best friend take control. He helps gather up Lizzie’s books and leads her to the front door. “Come on, Mal. It’s going to be all right.”

I want to believe him.

I just don’t know if I can.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Walker

I’m climbing the fucking walls. I’ve been in this interrogation room for hours, or at least that’s what it feels like. My mind is spinning. The knock on the door. The cops, most of whom I know from growing up in Stewart Grove. The warrant.

First thing I thought of was Lizzie. I had to get her out of the house as soon as fucking possible. As I stepped out onto the front lawn, I shot off a group text to the three people I knew would come running in the event of an emergency. I hadn’t been wrong. Jameson was there in less than ten minutes, Isaac a little longer. Jasper stayed behind until he could get another chef to come in. Plus, he had the task of keeping an eye on Mal.

Mal.

Fuck.

She had to be worried out of her mind when she heard.

What a clusterfuck this is.

I have no clue where those drugs came from, and that’s exactly what I told the investigators. And my attorney. And my friends. I don’t do drugs, and I sure as fuck don’t sell them, especially not the shit they found in my bedroom closet. Meth and pot. Cheap shit, on top of it.

Food was delivered about an hour ago, but I didn’t touch it. No way can I even think about eating food, when all my mind can focus on is Mallory and Lizzie. My heart wants to climb out of my chest with fear. It’s like history repeating itself for her, and I’ll be damned if I let it affect her a second time. Even if that means I have to walk away, this bullshit won’t touch her.

Not again.

Never again.

The door opens, revealing Jim Samson, the attorney Isaac brought to help, as well as Lieutenant Moyer, the lead investigator on the case. “Good news, Walker,” the officer says, as he takes the seat across from me.

Jim sits, a smile on his face, as he listens to what the lieutenant has to say.

“What’s up?”

“You’re being released.”

I take my first deep breath in hours. “Seriously?”

He cracks a smile. “Seriously. We checked the prints all over the bags of drugs. Know what we didn’t find?” When I arch an eyebrow, he answers. “Yours. Know what we did find?”

“Someone else’s?” I ask, though it’s a stupid question.

“Someone else’s,” he confirms. “Sliding a sheet of paper across the table. This guy look familiar?”

I glance down, instantly recognizing the man in the mugshot. Devon Henderson. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” the officer states, reaching for the printout and returning it to his folder. “What can you tell me about him?”

I go through what happened at the preschool that day when I arrived to pick Lizzie up, and how I told Mallory about it after we left. I shared what she told me of Devon and explained that I haven’t seen him since that day. To be honest, I’d hoped he had left town, but clearly that’s not the case.

“Mallory?” I ask, fear gripping my chest.

“She’s here.”

I swallow over the lump in my throat. “She is?”

He nods and smiles again. “Actually, she came in about thirty minutes ago, demanding we release you because we had the wrong guy.”

The corner of my lip ticks upward. “She did?”

“Oh, she did. She told me she didn’t know where those drugs came from, but she insisted they weren’t yours.”

Now I’m smiling. Fuck, I love that woman.

“The prints came back when she was here, and she’s been cooperating and helping us build our case against Devon. The only problem is, we haven’t located him yet. We issued the APB, and it’s only a matter of time before he shows his face.”

I sigh, leaning against the chair in relief. Before I can ask to see Mal, a knock sounds on the door and another officer steps inside the room. He whispers into the lieutenant’s ear before handing him a folder and turning to exit the way he came.

“Well, it sounds like we have Mr. Henderson in custody,” the lieutenant says, glancing over whatever report is in