Page 76 of Romeo

Destroyed in a single conversation.

I sprint out of the room after the guards.“Where are you taking him?”I call out.“Stop!Wait!”Panic fuels me as I close the distance and try to push myself onto the elevator they’ve stepped onto.

“Ma’am, you’re not getting on this elevator,” one of the security guards says.

“Riley,” I manage, though emotion strangles me as I see his expression.

“Call Bradyn.He’ll know what to do.I’m sorry, Jules.”

The doors close, shutting me off from the one person I need right now.

Anger sings in my veins.I spin on my heel and march back into Odie’s room.He’s on his back, and a nurse is looking over his injuries.Including the one that landed him in here in the first place.

“You need to get out of here,” one of them tells me.

“Not before I get my things.”I retrieve the folder Odie tossed to the bed and make sure I have all the images.“I know you had something to do with his death, Odie.Even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll figure out the truth.And there will be no saving you when I do.”

“Are you hungry?”Dylan asks as he carries in a fresh mug of coffee.He sets it down on the coffee table in front of me then takes a seat on the other side of the couch.I’ve been sitting here ever since Bradyn came and got me from the hospital four hours ago.

“No, thanks.”Romeo lies at my feet, staring at the door.He hasn’t been settled since I got back, and it makes me sad that he’s suffering too.

“You know, he’s going to be fine.”

I turn toward Dylan.This is basically the most he’s ever spoken to me, and while I appreciate the attempt at soothing me, I know there’s a lot more than just bailing Riley out of jail.Odie is planning to press charges.

And if he does that, the chances of Riley not getting saddled with jail time are low.With my grandfather’s money behind him, Odie has deep pockets and a lot of people in his corner.My thoughts immediately go to Glen Dodger.What if he goes to him and tells him that Riley is trying to find proof of what happened?

What if they get to Riley before we can get him out of jail?

My heart begins to pound, and I take a few deep breaths to try and calm the panic.God, I know I don’t have any right to ask anything of You, but please let Riley be okay.Please let him be okay.

I clear my throat.“Thanks.”

He smiles softly.“You don’t believe me.”

“I know he’s going to be okay, physically anyway.But Odie lives to punish those he feels have wronged him.”

“Like you?”Dylan asks.It’s such a simple question, but it’s heavy as lead.

I don’t answer.

“Look, I just want you to know that we’ve dealt with cases where the stakes were a lot higher than they are now.And we’re all still standing.”

I reach forward and take the coffee he brought in for me.“I just don’t want him to suffer because of me.”

“You have a habit of blaming yourself for the actions of others, and that’s a dangerous road to be on.”

“It is my fault.Odie was taunting me?—”

“Riley’s the one who threw the punch.Frankly, I would’ve done the same.All of us would have, given the same set of circumstances.”

“Odie will press charges.”

“Then we’ll deal with it.”

“You guys don’t fear anything, do you?”I ask, half joking.

“There’s nothing in this world to fear once you’ve experienced hell on earth.Something I believe you know something about.”

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