What Fire Dragons Treasure - Cristina Rayne Page 0,64

and open. Only when Garrett was handcuffed and being shuffled away did the female and the final male cop approach her.

“I’m Officer Lewis, and this is my partner, Officer Torres,” the policewoman introduced. “Are you hurt, Miss?”

Amber pointed at her throat. “He grabbed me around the neck before he pulled the gun on me.”

This police report, like all the others, would be swept under the rug. It was best to just keep things simple. She had absolutely no idea what the dragons’ endgame would have been before the sudden appearance of the Austin PD had thrown a wrench into everything, including her own plans, but given that her confrontation with Garrett had ended without any bloodshed, having someone call the cops had likely been the best outcome.

“Looks like he also smacked you hard across the cheek,” Officer Torres said with narrowed eyes.

In all the chaos, Amber had completely forgotten about the backhand. “He did.”

“And he’s your husband?” Officer Lewis asked.

“Soon to be ex,” Amber said angrily as she accepted the hand up from Officer Torres. “This all started at my lawyer’s office because he found out I was about to serve him with divorce papers. I agreed to meet him in this park because it was public but not public, if you get what I mean. I never expected him to pull a gun on me.”

“We’ll need you to come down to the station to give an official statement. Did you come here in your own vehicle or…?” Officer Lewis asked.

“I took a cab,” she replied.

The officer nodded. “We’ll give you a ride.”

Amber felt her phone buzz twice in quick succession in her pocket. She debated for a split-second whether or not to answer it before pulling it from her pocket. There was only one person who was bound to text her while she was being interrogated by cops.

Tell them that you can call an old college friend to pick you up from the station. Then pretend to call. Be sure to delete this message.

Amber made a face as she shoved the phone back into her pocket. “Just spam.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

It was only when Amber reached the police station that the department realized the full enormity of Garrett’s and her identity.

Suddenly, her statement became a full-blown interrogation. After reiterating that she was not missing and revealing that she had already informed the Houston PD and the FBI of her status as well as her divorce intentions, Amber’s stay at the police station stretched while her information was verified. That they now had Senator Johnson’s son in custody on a potential attempted murder charge, the very senator who only two days earlier had pleaded in a nationally-televised news conference for information on the whereabouts of the woman who was now the victim of his son’s alleged crime, complicated everything threefold.

Amber had no doubt that Senator Johnson had already been contacted, and a pack of lawyers were on their way to the station. For long, terrifying moments as she sat alone in a small interrogation room after they had finished taking her statement about the assault as well as asking her questions regarding the missing persons report that had been filed on Matty and her, Amber had been deathly afraid that the senator would suddenly play the old kidnapping accusation card.

That’s why when an officer came into the room what seemed like an eternity later and told her that she was free to go, Amber immediately suspected a trap. Just as Ms. Madden had ultimately screwed her over, Amber had totally expected the Austin PD to sell her out to Henry. She also knew because of the text that Raphek and company were somewhere nearby listening to every word spoken within the station. The combination of all those variables had the potential to ignite her worst-case scenario, the scenario she had tried to sacrifice herself to Garrett to prevent.

Why, why had she agreed to make an in-person statement now? Why had the dragons let her? She should have just called a cab and had it drop her somewhere remote where she could have then called Raphek to pick her up. She could have been safely tucked away in the dragons’ safehouse with Raphek until it was safe to fly back to Elysia South.

Instead, Amber was now on her way out of the station with the air of a prisoner heading for the gallows after having pretended to call her “college friend” for a ride. It was only when she stepped past the row