I looked for Logan, but he wasn’t there. I shook my head. “I was working, and I saw—” Not a friend, not anymore. “—someone I knew. She wanted to talk, so we went to the side of the tent, then Caldron saw me. He was going to hit me. Mason got there just in time to defend me. It doesn’t show that on the video?”
“No. Who else was there whenever this video took place? Who would want to do this to Mason?”
Logan snorted. He’d reappeared. “The question is who wouldn’t.” He indicated the group with a quick wave. “These people here wouldn’t.” He paused, staring at Cass. “She’s still suspect, though.”
Cass had been sitting forward, her elbows propped on her knees, but jerked up at that. “Are you kidding me?” Her mouth fell open. She flung a hand up, almost hitting Mark. “We left, and I could’ve stayed home. I didn’t. Mark wanted to be here for you guys, and I’m here for him. I’ve been very nice to Sam this summer.”
She had. She hadn’t said shit to me. That was nice for Cass.
Logan quirked an eyebrow, and I shrugged. It was the only thing I could muster.
“Unreal.” She stood up. “Mark, I’m out of here.”
He caught her arm, pulling her back. “Stop. You two don’t have the greatest history. Chill. Stay, please.” He kissed her cheek. “For me?”
The fight left her before our eyes. Her rigid jaw and tight shoulders loosened at his soft request.
Logan rolled his eyes, turning back to Garrett. “No dice then? For getting Mase out?”
Garrett scratched idly at the side of his nose. “I don’t have a lot of pull, at least not legally. What I can do is recommend that you talk to your dad. He can call in some favors, I’m sure, and get Mason released. I don’t know if he can get the charges dropped, but I bet he can get them lessened.” He looked to me. “Who else was there that day? There’s been other history with Jared Caldron, correct? They mentioned another incident. Would he have the motivation to dig this video up and turn it in?”
Logan turned to me, too.
He could, but…I shook my head at Logan’s silent question. I didn’t think Caldron had actually done this.
As if reading my mind, Logan said, “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. It doesn’t feel right, but Caldron has plenty of motivation. Mason beat the shit out of him last weekend.”
“No charges were brought because of that, though?”
“Not against us. It was self-defense. Sixteen guys showed up.”
Garrett’s eyebrows raised.
“But this is a pussy move,” Logan continued. “Caldron deserved the beat down Mason gave him, but he doesn’t fight like this. Or he hasn’t in the past.”
“Yeah. I don’t know much about him, but he could sue Mason in civil court.” My dad’s phone started ringing, and he pulled it out and turned it off. “Okay, here’s the plan. Sam, I’m going to drive to Cain tonight, and I’ll bring Sharon and Seb back with me tomorrow. You can see your little sister, if you’d like?”
Mason was in jail. He was my first worry, but the thought of seeing little Sabrina—I felt my first smile in the last six hours stretch over my face. I nodded. There’d been a few holidays and some random times when Garrett and his wife were in Cain while I was, too. That’d been the extent of my time with my little sister. I’d been there for her birth, and I was already anticipating holding her hyper little two-year-old body in my arms.
“I bet she’s a handful now,” I murmured.
Garrett grunted, chuckling. “You’ll see for yourself tomorrow.” He shifted toward Logan and held a hand up. “I don’t know why I was about to tell you what to do. You weren’t there.” His hand came back to me. “You were there. Make up a list of who else was, too, and are you on good terms with the carnival? Are you still working there?” Then it hit him. “Why were you working at a carnival in the first place?”
Lost.
Hurting.
Bored.
And trying to avoid Analise.
“It seemed fun at the time,” I said.
Logan’s head dropped, and I caught a small cough. He was holding in a laugh. “Yeah.” The corner of his mouth twitched up. “We’ll head over there in the morning and see if they can help us.”
“They might have a different video that shows Caldron about to attack Sam. You never know. Or sometimes these places have policies about the use of hidden cameras, too. They don’t like being recorded themselves. You never know what you might find, and I’ll be going to see them myself next week, too. Depending on when Mason can get in front of a judge, I’ll try to get there even before that.”
His eyes rested on me, a small frown showing. “You look tired.”
My mom got married. I’d missed her at first, then raged inside. Then my boyfriend made a controversial speech and got arrested.
I lifted my shoulder and let it drop. “Typical Saturday night for us.”
Logan grinned, holding his hand out. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot.”
Garrett nodded. “Well, Sam is my daughter.” The two shook hands, and he moved to hug me. “You okay, honey?”
Warmth from those words helped settle some of my nerves, but Mason was still in jail “I’ll be better on Monday.”
It was late, nearing midnight, and I knew most lawyers wouldn’t have even come. I hugged Garrett back a second longer. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” His voice was hoarse all of the sudden. “I’d normally get a hotel room, but I promised to watch Seb while Sharon has brunch with some friends tomorrow, so I need to go. We’ll be back here late afternoon.” He stepped back as he was talking. “And, Logan, I don’t know how bad the speeches were, but talk to your dad. I’d be shocked if he didn’t still want to help Mason out with this. Aggravated assault and battery is a big deal; it’s a life-changer.”
“I will.”
I stepped back as Garrett said that last bit to Logan, and I felt a chill coming on. I didn’t know if it was from the evening breeze or something inside of me, but I felt it wind itself all around me. I hugged myself, trying to ward it off, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. Mason was in jail. He wasn’t coming out. He’d come out before. He’d only spent a couple hours in there, but this was different.
After Garrett left, I knew the others would come closer. They’d want to know what was going on, since they’d hung back to give us space. I only had a moment of privacy with Logan. Taylor was here, but she was a part of Logan now. I looked at him and said, “So this is what it’s like to be on the outside.”
He sighed, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. “I’ll talk to James tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll help.”
He probably would, but not tonight, and maybe not even tomorrow.
I didn’t know how things worked in the legal system, but I had to assume every minute counted. We needed someone to help, and there was only one person I could think of left to ask.
I held my hand out. “Give me your keys.”
“Why?” Logan frowned, digging in his pocket.
He placed them in my hand, and I got into the driver’s seat of the Escalade. He could get a ride home with someone else.
“Sam?”
I started the car, then opened the window. “Mark?”
He moved forward with Cass right behind him. “Yeah?”
“Go talk to Keifer. See if they have anything there that might help us. I know Petey will try to help.”
He nodded. “Got it.”
“Sam.” Logan stepped close to the door, resting a hand over the opened window. “Where are you going?”
“We need help now. I’m going to call in a favor.”
“With who?”
There was really only one person who owed me.
“My mom.”
It was irrational to come here.
Logan would talk to James tomorrow, and he’d help Mason. But I wasn’t listening to the rational side of me. I was all irrational at this moment, and that was why I was waiting in a hotel lobby at one in the morning.
“No. Who else was there whenever this video took place? Who would want to do this to Mason?”
Logan snorted. He’d reappeared. “The question is who wouldn’t.” He indicated the group with a quick wave. “These people here wouldn’t.” He paused, staring at Cass. “She’s still suspect, though.”
Cass had been sitting forward, her elbows propped on her knees, but jerked up at that. “Are you kidding me?” Her mouth fell open. She flung a hand up, almost hitting Mark. “We left, and I could’ve stayed home. I didn’t. Mark wanted to be here for you guys, and I’m here for him. I’ve been very nice to Sam this summer.”
She had. She hadn’t said shit to me. That was nice for Cass.
Logan quirked an eyebrow, and I shrugged. It was the only thing I could muster.
“Unreal.” She stood up. “Mark, I’m out of here.”
He caught her arm, pulling her back. “Stop. You two don’t have the greatest history. Chill. Stay, please.” He kissed her cheek. “For me?”
The fight left her before our eyes. Her rigid jaw and tight shoulders loosened at his soft request.
Logan rolled his eyes, turning back to Garrett. “No dice then? For getting Mase out?”
Garrett scratched idly at the side of his nose. “I don’t have a lot of pull, at least not legally. What I can do is recommend that you talk to your dad. He can call in some favors, I’m sure, and get Mason released. I don’t know if he can get the charges dropped, but I bet he can get them lessened.” He looked to me. “Who else was there that day? There’s been other history with Jared Caldron, correct? They mentioned another incident. Would he have the motivation to dig this video up and turn it in?”
Logan turned to me, too.
He could, but…I shook my head at Logan’s silent question. I didn’t think Caldron had actually done this.
As if reading my mind, Logan said, “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. It doesn’t feel right, but Caldron has plenty of motivation. Mason beat the shit out of him last weekend.”
“No charges were brought because of that, though?”
“Not against us. It was self-defense. Sixteen guys showed up.”
Garrett’s eyebrows raised.
“But this is a pussy move,” Logan continued. “Caldron deserved the beat down Mason gave him, but he doesn’t fight like this. Or he hasn’t in the past.”
“Yeah. I don’t know much about him, but he could sue Mason in civil court.” My dad’s phone started ringing, and he pulled it out and turned it off. “Okay, here’s the plan. Sam, I’m going to drive to Cain tonight, and I’ll bring Sharon and Seb back with me tomorrow. You can see your little sister, if you’d like?”
Mason was in jail. He was my first worry, but the thought of seeing little Sabrina—I felt my first smile in the last six hours stretch over my face. I nodded. There’d been a few holidays and some random times when Garrett and his wife were in Cain while I was, too. That’d been the extent of my time with my little sister. I’d been there for her birth, and I was already anticipating holding her hyper little two-year-old body in my arms.
“I bet she’s a handful now,” I murmured.
Garrett grunted, chuckling. “You’ll see for yourself tomorrow.” He shifted toward Logan and held a hand up. “I don’t know why I was about to tell you what to do. You weren’t there.” His hand came back to me. “You were there. Make up a list of who else was, too, and are you on good terms with the carnival? Are you still working there?” Then it hit him. “Why were you working at a carnival in the first place?”
Lost.
Hurting.
Bored.
And trying to avoid Analise.
“It seemed fun at the time,” I said.
Logan’s head dropped, and I caught a small cough. He was holding in a laugh. “Yeah.” The corner of his mouth twitched up. “We’ll head over there in the morning and see if they can help us.”
“They might have a different video that shows Caldron about to attack Sam. You never know. Or sometimes these places have policies about the use of hidden cameras, too. They don’t like being recorded themselves. You never know what you might find, and I’ll be going to see them myself next week, too. Depending on when Mason can get in front of a judge, I’ll try to get there even before that.”
His eyes rested on me, a small frown showing. “You look tired.”
My mom got married. I’d missed her at first, then raged inside. Then my boyfriend made a controversial speech and got arrested.
I lifted my shoulder and let it drop. “Typical Saturday night for us.”
Logan grinned, holding his hand out. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot.”
Garrett nodded. “Well, Sam is my daughter.” The two shook hands, and he moved to hug me. “You okay, honey?”
Warmth from those words helped settle some of my nerves, but Mason was still in jail “I’ll be better on Monday.”
It was late, nearing midnight, and I knew most lawyers wouldn’t have even come. I hugged Garrett back a second longer. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” His voice was hoarse all of the sudden. “I’d normally get a hotel room, but I promised to watch Seb while Sharon has brunch with some friends tomorrow, so I need to go. We’ll be back here late afternoon.” He stepped back as he was talking. “And, Logan, I don’t know how bad the speeches were, but talk to your dad. I’d be shocked if he didn’t still want to help Mason out with this. Aggravated assault and battery is a big deal; it’s a life-changer.”
“I will.”
I stepped back as Garrett said that last bit to Logan, and I felt a chill coming on. I didn’t know if it was from the evening breeze or something inside of me, but I felt it wind itself all around me. I hugged myself, trying to ward it off, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. Mason was in jail. He wasn’t coming out. He’d come out before. He’d only spent a couple hours in there, but this was different.
After Garrett left, I knew the others would come closer. They’d want to know what was going on, since they’d hung back to give us space. I only had a moment of privacy with Logan. Taylor was here, but she was a part of Logan now. I looked at him and said, “So this is what it’s like to be on the outside.”
He sighed, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. “I’ll talk to James tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll help.”
He probably would, but not tonight, and maybe not even tomorrow.
I didn’t know how things worked in the legal system, but I had to assume every minute counted. We needed someone to help, and there was only one person I could think of left to ask.
I held my hand out. “Give me your keys.”
“Why?” Logan frowned, digging in his pocket.
He placed them in my hand, and I got into the driver’s seat of the Escalade. He could get a ride home with someone else.
“Sam?”
I started the car, then opened the window. “Mark?”
He moved forward with Cass right behind him. “Yeah?”
“Go talk to Keifer. See if they have anything there that might help us. I know Petey will try to help.”
He nodded. “Got it.”
“Sam.” Logan stepped close to the door, resting a hand over the opened window. “Where are you going?”
“We need help now. I’m going to call in a favor.”
“With who?”
There was really only one person who owed me.
“My mom.”
It was irrational to come here.
Logan would talk to James tomorrow, and he’d help Mason. But I wasn’t listening to the rational side of me. I was all irrational at this moment, and that was why I was waiting in a hotel lobby at one in the morning.
