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And she was still blocking his path. “Someone died today?”
He nodded. “So many burns…” A shake of his head. “I have to get back to my station. Need to check on my crew.”
She eased out of his path. But even as Wesley hurried out of the station, Royal was there. He stepped to the side and frowned at the firefighter. Wesley didn’t even look twice at him.
Avalon bolted through the door and met Royal on the station’s steps.
“That man looked like the grim reaper.” Royal peered after Wesley. “Never a good look.”
“The cops have Beau in custody.”
“That would be why I got the Code Avalon.” He extended his hand to her. “We need to get the hell out this place.”
“Uh, no. We need to get the hell back in there.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the station. “And we need to help Beau!”
High heels clicked on the steps. “That’s why I’m here!” Ophelia waved as she hurried toward them.
Lane shadowed her steps.
“They won’t stop me from seeing Beau.” Ophelia’s voice was slightly breathless. “I can do this scene in my sleep. I’ll have him out of here in no time. Provided he doesn’t say some asshole comment, piss off the cops even more, and screw us all to hell and back before I can get in there to shut him up.”
“It’s a mistake.” They all needed to understand this. “They’re charging him with assault. Saying that he attacked an arson investigator.”
“Did he?” Lane asked. He stood just behind Ophelia.
“A mistake,” she repeated. How many times would she have to say that? Mistake. Misunderstanding. Dammit. “We didn’t know who the guy was. As soon as Colton?—”
“Colton Ross?” Ophelia practically jumped at her.
“Yes, Colton Ross. As soon as he identified himself as an arson investigator, Beau lowered his knife.”
Royal squeezed his eyes shut. “Of course, he’d have a knife. He always has one.”
“They’re interrogating him now, aren’t they?” Ophelia’s gaze snapped toward the station’s doors. “Lane, come on! We need to be in there.”
“Uh, I need to be in there, too.” Avalon needed to be at Beau’s side.
Royal’s eyes opened. “A Code Avalon means I am supposed to get you to someplace safe. I’m supposed to stay as your guard until Beau can come to your side. I’ll go out on a limb and say, I don’t think he believes just hanging out at the police station is the place you should be right now.”
Sympathy darkened Ophelia’s gaze as she studied Avalon. “You will not be able to help him here, but I can. I’ll get him free as fast as possible, and then he will come to you.” Her lips thinned. “Colton Ross once served on the New Orleans FD. Lane and I haven’t been able to dig much, but pulling up his background was easy enough. The guy was in New Orleans, and now he’s just succeeded in getting Beau locked up here in Savannah. Beau is locked up, and as far as Colton knows, you are on your own, Avalon.”
“She’s not,” Royal said at once. “Consider me her human shield.” His hand was still up. Waiting for Avalon.
“I will get Beau out of here,” Ophelia promised. “Trust me.”
Avalon nodded. “He said to trust you.” Her gaze darted to Lane. Then to Royal. “All of you.”
“If you trust him,” Royal did not lower his hand, “then trust us.”
No part of her wanted to leave that station. But she wasn’t the one who could help Beau. Not then. “Get him out,” she told Ophelia.
A grim nod. “I will. But in order to do that, he will need to know you’re safe. If he’s crazy with worry for you, the man is going to be even more difficult to handle than normal. And that’s saying a lot.”
“Code Avalon,” Royal murmured.
Avalon finally took his offered hand. “By the way, when this mess is over, we are having a serious talk about your extracurriculars.”
His brows flew up. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
