Page 99 of Tethered Fates

Golden lunges forward to join in on our group hug.

“Fuck yeah!” Apollo cheers.

“This is incredibly unsafe,” Kate grumbles.

We all sit back and put on our seatbelts. But much to Kate’s annoyance, we’re all safely belted in just as she pulls into the police station.

We get out of her car when she parks. The detective shoots us a bland look, but I spot her lip twitching as she leads us into the concrete building.

“Try to act normal,” Kate orders as we enter. It might be the middle of the night, but the station is still bustling with officers moving around or going through paperwork.

“Nah,” Apollo replies.

Kate ignores him and sits us down in a row of blue plastic chairs. They’re hard, uncomfortable, as are the buzzing fluorescent lights. Only an hour ago, I was with Sen and so damn happy. And now…

“What’s with the party?” A detective with dark skin, a shaved head, and a goatee asks, stepping over to us with a steaming cup in hand.

“Nothing to do with you, Jerome,” Kate grunts.

“Yeah, Jerome,” Apollo mocks, making Kate release a tired sigh. The other detective cocks an almost amused eyebrow.

“What has nothing to do with Jerome?” A white, freckled detective asks as he approaches, a folder tucked under his arm. “Kate, what’s this about?”

Kate doesn’t say anything, her shoulders square like she’s preparing for a fight.

I look at Kai, who motions at me to stay quiet.

“Kate?” The white detective asks again, more hesitantly this time.

“It’s gonna be one of her weird cases again,” Jerome mutters into his mug before taking a sip.

Kate steels herself. “They’re in trouble, Ryan.”

Ryan deflates. “Kate.”

“This is serious,” she tells them.

“Okay.” Jerome sets his mug on a table. “Then let’s take this case seriously. What happened?”

Normally, I’d relish in an awkward silence. But when I take in the raised eyebrows of the detectives and the uniformed officers behind them pretending not to eavesdrop, I can’t help but feel sorry for Kate.

Unlike Apollo, who’s grinning from ear to ear.

“C’mon, Kate,” Jerome urges kindly, but like someone waiting to be proven right. “Share the case details.”

When Kate says, “I can’t,” neither Jerome nor Ryan nor the other police officers look surprised.

Kate runs her fingers through her short, choppy bob. “I have to help them.”

I can’t stand it anymore and jump to my feet. “Kate is doing her best. You’re all being fucking dicks.”

“Fuck yeah!” Apollo flips two fingers up at the whole station.

“Oh my god,” Kai sighs, dropping his head into his palms.

“Maybe it’ll be okay,” Golden tells my brother, smiling.

“Kate,” Ryan says, voice heavy with disdain. “I think it’s time you escort your friends out of here.”