Page 62 of Hope and Country

“How… Yes… I understand.” A long pause. Too long for my nerves. “Are you sure?” He mm-hmmed. “What now?” Another excruciating long pause. “We will. Can I do anything tonight?”

Unable to stay in the dark any longer, I jumped from the counter and joined him. His arms opened to blanket me, and his lips lingered on the top of my head as he listened to whatever his lawyer said.

“Please stay in touch. I want to know everything. Don’t keep me out of the loop… I know you know… Sure… Thank you so much. I appreciate everything. Let me know if I can do something to help.” A ghost of a smile curved his lips at something his interlocutor said. “You too. Good night. Thanks again.”

He ended the call, removing himself from our embrace to stare at me.

“Dev, it’s over. Robbie is gonna be arrested in an hour. The charges against him are heavy. We have proofs now. Remember the pictures I snapped on the first day you were here? I sent your ripped clothes too. A judge signed a warrant for his arrest earlier today. He’ll spend the night in a cell at the precinct. We’ll know more tomorrow. But things aren’t looking great for him, baby. I trust my guys. If they say it’s looking bad for him, then it’s looking really bad.”

I stood there. Frozen. A hand cupping my mouth. Unable to say a word. My shoulders heaving. My heart thundering. And my body shuddering as if I were cold.

I tried to process the news, but a tug of war started in my mind.

Would this be the end for my stepbrother?

Would he really pay for assaulting me this time around?

Would justice prevail? Would I be believed?

So many questions swirled in my head.

“Devon, say something,” Riley urged me.

I stuttered, unable to find the right words. “Y—you sure?”

Of all the things I wanted to ask, this was what I said. God, I needed to get a grip over myself. And my thoughts.

More tears dashed out.

Riley’s words finally hit my process center, and my legs wobbled. This man, the incredible human being I am sharing my life with, caught me before I crashed to the hardwood floor and moved us to the couch.

He hauled me onto his lap, nuzzling my neck as his arms fastened around me.

“Devon, it’s good news. Baby, cry all the tears left in your heart because tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. You’re free.”

He smoothed my hair, and I unshackled the chest of hope I’d locked a long time ago, all my emotions leaping out at the same time.

“Where is he?” I asked once I calmed a little.

“No idea. Why?”

I breathed out. “Because.” Could I really do this? “I want to be there when it happens. I gotta see him when it happens. To see his face. To know it’s real.”

Riley straightened underneath me. “You sure? Baby, you don’t have to.”

I angled myself to meet his eyes. “I know. But I do. I wanna know this time it’s not occurring only in my head. To witness it with my own eyes. And to talk to him. Show him I’m still standing tall.”

Riley sighed. “Though not a good idea and I’m not sure about you going to him, I too want to look the devil in the eye and challenge him to find someone his own size. No one calling himself a man does what he did.” He paused and grabbed my hand. “You really sure you wanna do that?”

I nodded. “Yes, I am.” I exhaled.

Riley studied me for a long second. “Fine, let me see what I can do. Where you go, I’m going. You won’t be alone.”

I swallowed. “Thanks.” I cleared my throat, trying to push away the lump that made my voice so strained while he got up to make the call.

* * *

On the sidewalk in front of the bar where I used to spend my Friday nights with Nicole, I listened to Taylor as he gave me instructions. Even dressed down in worn-out jeans and a simple black T-shirt, the guy looked military grade when he talked business. Massive. And lethal.