I felt Rowdy jerk a little next to me and the leg I was holding on to went rock hard under my fingers.
“I . . .” He trailed off and I saw his head sort of drop. “I can’t think about that right now. I appreciate you helping us out and riding to the rescue, but trying to get my head around the money and you . . .” He shrugged. “I don’t know that I’m ready for that just yet.”
Sayer smiled a little sadly. “I understand. I guess as long as there is an option for you to get your head around it at some point, I can wait—and I will.”
He cleared his throat again and got to his feet. He walked over to the desk and stuck his hand out to her so that she could shake it. Seeing the two of them next to each other like that . . . there was no denying they were related. They looked so strikingly similar, except for the classic elegance that Sayer possessed and the delicate femininity of her features, there was no missing the fact they were brother and sister.
“I’m sorry I acted like such an ass**le when you told me who you were. I don’t do so great with surprises.”
I saw her squeeze his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I took a swing at my dad’s lawyer and called him a liar when he broke the news to me. I understand it’s a lot to take in.”
He nodded and took a step back toward me. “You seem like a really nice person, Sayer. Half sister or not, you didn’t deserve to have that bomb dropped on you like that any more than I did. It was a shitty thing to do to both of us.”
Sayer snorted and got to her feet behind the fancy desk and took a few steps around the side. “Dad was a pretty shitty guy.” She lifted her chin a little and changed the subject as she told us, “They never moved Asa out of the lockup at the city precinct. He’s probably still there until his sister posts his bond. You can probably catch up with them if you head that way now.”
Rowdy nodded and thanked her again. I scooted around him and wrapped my arms around her. “Thank you.”
She hugged me back. “Of course.” She looked over my head where I was sure Rowdy was watching our exchange.
“I told you he would get there.”
“I think your friend with the shady past might’ve sped the process up.”
I laughed a little and let her go. “Well, they do say everything happens for a reason.”
“I guess so. Good luck. Call me if you need any more help. Quaid is the best in the business but I’m always available if you need me.”
“You’re amazing.” Rowdy’s voice was soft and there was a wealth of emotion coloring it. He took my hand as we left the law building and made our way back up toward Capitol Hill, where the downtown police station was located. It actually wasn’t too far away from the Marked, and the closer we got, the tenser and more agitated Rowdy seemed to get.
Spotting Ayden as soon as we entered the doors was easy as could be. She was pacing back and forth in a frantic matter, the heels of her red cowboy boots clicking on the linoleum floor. She jerked her head up when Rowdy called her name and then flew into his arms with enough force that it rocked him back a few steps. The poor girl looked exhausted and harried, but over all of that she looked furious.
“Asa didn’t do this.” Her golden eyes gleamed with such certainty that if I had had any questions about Asa’s innocence before, Ayden’s zealous faith in her brother was enough to squash them.
“I know, Ayd. I was there the night the kid started shit with him. I think he set Asa up.”
Ayden pushed her hands through her dark hair and pulled at it in frustration. “Asa has gotten into all kinds of trouble since he could walk, but he isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t put the bar or Rome at risk like that.” She gulped. “When I accused him of being involved in that robbery a while back and he shut down, pulled away from me, I knew . . . he wants to be here and he’s changed. I can’t believe this is happening all over again.”
Rowdy ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “We’ll get it figured out, Ayd. We got him a lawyer that doesn’t mess around and there were plenty of witnesses there that can give statements to the fact that it was the kid that started harassing Asa not the other way around.”
Ayden barked out a bitter-sounding laugh and started pacing again. “All I can keep thinking is what would’ve happened if I was in Austin when this happened? Who would be here to get him out? Who would be here to believe that he was innocent? It’s making my heart hurt and stomach turn over and over.”
I could see she was spinning herself out of control and Rowdy was at a loss as to how to get her back on track. I stepped around him and grabbed her wrists to pull her hands out of her hair.
“Ayden, breathe for a second.” Her whiskey-colored eyes flashed at me and for a split second I thought she was going to take a swing at me, but she did what I said and took a series of deep breaths and I noticed her hands unclenched. “We’re here. We know he didn’t do this and we are ready to help him fight to prove it. He won’t be alone.”
“I’ve been here for over three hours waiting for them to bring him out. It gave me too much time to remember what this is like. Seeing your brother or anyone you love in handcuffs sucks.”
“I know, honey, but this time trouble found him, he didn’t go looking for it. That might happen from time to time and it wouldn’t matter if you are here, in Austin, or on the moon. Your brother just has that way about him.”
I wasn’t lying to her. It was there in Asa’s wicked grin and effortless charm. Boys that pretty and that smooth were bound to end up in hot water from time to time even if they were actively trying to avoid it.
I think she was going to say something back, but just then Rowdy called her name as Royal and a man also in a dark blue police uniform guided Ayden’s brother to where we were waiting. Royal wouldn’t meet Ayden’s gaze, so she settled on looking at me. I could see in her dark eyes a hundred different levels of turmoil as she said, “Sorry it took so long. Getting the paperwork together took longer than it should have.” She sighed. “You’re lucky they let you bail him out without having to go in front of a judge first.”
Ayden gasped and Rowdy swore when Asa stepped around the police officers and the damage to his face became clear. One of his eyes was swollen entirely shut, his lips were puffy and swollen, and there was a gash across his chin that looked gory and nasty. It looked like it probably could have used a stitch or two to hold it shut.
“I . . .” He trailed off and I saw his head sort of drop. “I can’t think about that right now. I appreciate you helping us out and riding to the rescue, but trying to get my head around the money and you . . .” He shrugged. “I don’t know that I’m ready for that just yet.”
Sayer smiled a little sadly. “I understand. I guess as long as there is an option for you to get your head around it at some point, I can wait—and I will.”
He cleared his throat again and got to his feet. He walked over to the desk and stuck his hand out to her so that she could shake it. Seeing the two of them next to each other like that . . . there was no denying they were related. They looked so strikingly similar, except for the classic elegance that Sayer possessed and the delicate femininity of her features, there was no missing the fact they were brother and sister.
“I’m sorry I acted like such an ass**le when you told me who you were. I don’t do so great with surprises.”
I saw her squeeze his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I took a swing at my dad’s lawyer and called him a liar when he broke the news to me. I understand it’s a lot to take in.”
He nodded and took a step back toward me. “You seem like a really nice person, Sayer. Half sister or not, you didn’t deserve to have that bomb dropped on you like that any more than I did. It was a shitty thing to do to both of us.”
Sayer snorted and got to her feet behind the fancy desk and took a few steps around the side. “Dad was a pretty shitty guy.” She lifted her chin a little and changed the subject as she told us, “They never moved Asa out of the lockup at the city precinct. He’s probably still there until his sister posts his bond. You can probably catch up with them if you head that way now.”
Rowdy nodded and thanked her again. I scooted around him and wrapped my arms around her. “Thank you.”
She hugged me back. “Of course.” She looked over my head where I was sure Rowdy was watching our exchange.
“I told you he would get there.”
“I think your friend with the shady past might’ve sped the process up.”
I laughed a little and let her go. “Well, they do say everything happens for a reason.”
“I guess so. Good luck. Call me if you need any more help. Quaid is the best in the business but I’m always available if you need me.”
“You’re amazing.” Rowdy’s voice was soft and there was a wealth of emotion coloring it. He took my hand as we left the law building and made our way back up toward Capitol Hill, where the downtown police station was located. It actually wasn’t too far away from the Marked, and the closer we got, the tenser and more agitated Rowdy seemed to get.
Spotting Ayden as soon as we entered the doors was easy as could be. She was pacing back and forth in a frantic matter, the heels of her red cowboy boots clicking on the linoleum floor. She jerked her head up when Rowdy called her name and then flew into his arms with enough force that it rocked him back a few steps. The poor girl looked exhausted and harried, but over all of that she looked furious.
“Asa didn’t do this.” Her golden eyes gleamed with such certainty that if I had had any questions about Asa’s innocence before, Ayden’s zealous faith in her brother was enough to squash them.
“I know, Ayd. I was there the night the kid started shit with him. I think he set Asa up.”
Ayden pushed her hands through her dark hair and pulled at it in frustration. “Asa has gotten into all kinds of trouble since he could walk, but he isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t put the bar or Rome at risk like that.” She gulped. “When I accused him of being involved in that robbery a while back and he shut down, pulled away from me, I knew . . . he wants to be here and he’s changed. I can’t believe this is happening all over again.”
Rowdy ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “We’ll get it figured out, Ayd. We got him a lawyer that doesn’t mess around and there were plenty of witnesses there that can give statements to the fact that it was the kid that started harassing Asa not the other way around.”
Ayden barked out a bitter-sounding laugh and started pacing again. “All I can keep thinking is what would’ve happened if I was in Austin when this happened? Who would be here to get him out? Who would be here to believe that he was innocent? It’s making my heart hurt and stomach turn over and over.”
I could see she was spinning herself out of control and Rowdy was at a loss as to how to get her back on track. I stepped around him and grabbed her wrists to pull her hands out of her hair.
“Ayden, breathe for a second.” Her whiskey-colored eyes flashed at me and for a split second I thought she was going to take a swing at me, but she did what I said and took a series of deep breaths and I noticed her hands unclenched. “We’re here. We know he didn’t do this and we are ready to help him fight to prove it. He won’t be alone.”
“I’ve been here for over three hours waiting for them to bring him out. It gave me too much time to remember what this is like. Seeing your brother or anyone you love in handcuffs sucks.”
“I know, honey, but this time trouble found him, he didn’t go looking for it. That might happen from time to time and it wouldn’t matter if you are here, in Austin, or on the moon. Your brother just has that way about him.”
I wasn’t lying to her. It was there in Asa’s wicked grin and effortless charm. Boys that pretty and that smooth were bound to end up in hot water from time to time even if they were actively trying to avoid it.
I think she was going to say something back, but just then Rowdy called her name as Royal and a man also in a dark blue police uniform guided Ayden’s brother to where we were waiting. Royal wouldn’t meet Ayden’s gaze, so she settled on looking at me. I could see in her dark eyes a hundred different levels of turmoil as she said, “Sorry it took so long. Getting the paperwork together took longer than it should have.” She sighed. “You’re lucky they let you bail him out without having to go in front of a judge first.”
Ayden gasped and Rowdy swore when Asa stepped around the police officers and the damage to his face became clear. One of his eyes was swollen entirely shut, his lips were puffy and swollen, and there was a gash across his chin that looked gory and nasty. It looked like it probably could have used a stitch or two to hold it shut.
