Chapter-52

As Rook’s words dropped between us, he took my arm, guiding me, and as we made our way through the crowd towards the back, Tonya grabbed Rook’s arm. "Be safe," she whispered.

He nodded. "I will," he assured her.

The alley behind the Hideout was dank and narrow, the perfect place for a private confrontation to turn into a brawl. Keeping me close against his side, we made our way over to Rook’s bike. Handing me the spare helmet I’d used earlier, he murmured soberly, "This is club business and shouldn't affect you in any way, Mar. So, you should be safe. I'll be in contact when everything's clear. Now, let’s get to what we need to." Afterward, he climbed onto his bike, avoiding my eyes.

With a heavy heart, I straddled the bike behind him, my arms tight around his waist. The engine roared to life, and we sped off, leaving the Hideout behind us.

Minutes later, as we pulled up to my apartment, I climbed off the bike, and looking at me, his eyes glinting in the moonlight, he instructed, his voice low and serious, "Remember, not a word to anyone.”

"Not a word," I agreed.

He gave me a nod. "I'll come to you when it's over," he voiced, before peeling away and disappearing into the night once again.

With a sigh, I went inside, my thoughts racing. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but I knew it wouldn't be good.

I couldn't sit still, so making my way to Brian’s room, I knocked lightly, hoping he was awake. When I didn’t receive an answer, I pushed it open a crack, disappointed when all I saw was an empty room. With a frustrated breath, I made my way back into the living room. Going through everything in my head, the sound of the TV was a comforting background noise.

As I waited for any sign or word from Rook, I found myself hyper alert to every siren, every bike in the distance as the night stretched on, and my nerves grew tauter with every passing minute.

The TV continued to blare in the background, but it might as well not have even been on, as my mind was with Rook and whatever he was facing. As my phone buzzed in my pocket, I jumped, startled. Peering at the screen, I read the message. "Stay put. I’m handling it-R."

I bit my lip, pacing the floor. "What if he doesn't come back?" I murmured to myself, my agitation continuing to skyrocket.

The silence was shattered by the sound of the apartment door swinging open, and I spun around, expecting to see Rook. Instead, it was a group of uniformed officers, guns drawn.

"Freeze!" one of them bellowed, his voice echoing through the small space.

I raised my hands in the air, heart pounding. "What's going on?"

"Marlowe Mills?” the lead officer questioned, and at my nod he stated, approaching me. “We have a warrant for your arrest.”

Panic flooded through me. "What? Why?"

"Conspiracy to commit murder, among other charges," he said, slapping handcuffs around my wrists. "You're coming with us."

~~

A short time later, I found myself at the precinct, being thrown into a cold, sterile cell and left alone with my racing thoughts. Conspiracy to commit murder? What the hell?

Sometime later, I wasn’t really sure of how much as I had no way of telling the time, the cell door swung open and a guard walked in. “Your bails been made,” he declared. Then, taking my upper arm, he led me out of the cell and down the hall. Coming to  a stop before a large metal door, he opened it with a keypad, and ushered me through. On the other side of it, I found Burdock waiting for me.

As I opened my mouth to say something, he shook his head. “Not a word,” he growled, “you need an attorney. And a damn good one.”

The shock was wearing off and the anger was setting in. “What the hell's going on, Burdock?” I hissed as we exited the precinct.

"I 'm not sure. But I know you didn't fucking conspire to kill anyone," he growled.

As we approached the parking lot, Burdock climbed on his bike and the engine rumbled to life. He tossed me a helmet, his expression stern. "Get on."

I complied, feeling the engine's vibrations between my legs as we sped through the city streets. The mugginess of the night was uncomfortable, but the adrenaline from the arrest kept me from feeling it. Within a short time, we arrived at a nondescript office building, and Burdock led me inside to a small room where a man in a crumpled suit was waiting. He introduced him as my attorney, Mr. Lowry.

The attorney looked over the paperwork Burdock had brought and began firing questions at me, his voice sharp and focused. "Who have you been in contact with from the Raven's ?" he demanded. "What was said? Who can vouch for your whereabouts?"

I rattled off the details as best I could, trying to keep the tremor from my voice. "Rook, Tonya... I don't know who else."

Mr. Lowry nodded, scribbling notes on a legal pad. "Good, we'll start there. Now, tell me exactly what happened at the Hideout tonight."

I recounted the events, from the tension in the air to the moment Rook left me at the apartment. Burdock leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and a thunderous look on his face. When I finished, the attorney leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin. "Alright, here's what we're going to do," he said. "We're going to get you out of here tonight, but you're going to have to stay low. This isn't going to go away easily."

He stood up, gathering his papers. "I'll start working on your defense. In the meantime, don't talk to anyone about this. Not even Rook."

Burdock's grip tightened on my arm as we left the office. "You got somewhere to crash?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

"No," I admitted, feeling the weight of the situation settling on my shoulders.

With a nod, he handed me the keys to a beat-up old car parked outside. "Take this. It's safe. I've got a place you can stay."

I followed Burdock to a small, nondescript house, the kind that blended in with all the others on the block. Inside, it was cleaner than I expected, but sparse, with only a couch, a TV, and a kitchenette.

"You'll be safe here," Burdock assured me, his eyes hard. "But don't leave. And keep the phone I gave you on you at all times."

Before I could protest, he was gone, the door shutting behind him with a final click. I sank onto the couch, the reality of my situation setting in. I was on my own, caught in a storm of accusations and danger, with no clear way out.

The TV was still on, the news playing in the background, and I couldn't help but feel like the world outside was spinning too fast, leaving me behind in the chaos. I switched it off, the silence in the room now deafening.

Suddenly, the phone in my pocket buzzed. I pulled it out, expecting another curt message from Rook, but it was a number I didn't recognize. Hesitantly, I answered, my heart racing.

"Marlowe, it's Tonya," the voice on the other end was frantic. "You need to get out of there. Now."

I shot to my feet, my pulse pounding in my ears. "What's happening?"

"It's Jax," Tonya revealed, her voice barely audible. "He's been playing both sides, giving info to the cops and the club. And now he's gone missing."

Panic surged through me. "What about Rook? Is he okay?"

"I don't know," she said, her voice cracking. "Everything's falling apart."

With shaky hands, I turned the TV back on, searching for any news of the unfolding events. My heart thudded in my chest as I caught snippets of a story about a biker club war and a missing snitch.

The door burst open, and Burdock rushed in, his eyes wild. "Time to go!”

I didn't argue.