Page 9 of Rule
"Go on," Max demands, his grip on the water bucket unrelenting.
"Fields wasn't just my father. He was Caitlin's as well. We are half-sisters. She hated him as much as I did." She sobs, her voice barely a whisper. "He treated us both like shit, like we were nothing. We both hated him for it."
"Details, Beth," I murmur, my voice devoid of emotion. "How did you do it?"
"I grabbed that fucking cane of his and whacked him over the head with it," she stutters through her sobs.
"And you framed Scarlet because Caitlin asked you to? Is that why she was there so quickly?"
Beth nods.
"Words, Beth."
"Yes."
As I glance at Hugo, we share an unspoken understanding. We've got what we came for. But it's far from over. Scarlet's innocence has been proven, but justice still remains to be served – for both Scarlet, Beth, and Caitlin.
But at the same time, I can feel the satisfaction coursing through me, knowing that we're one step closer to saving Scarlet.
As soon as we leave the back room, I pull out my phone and dial my dad's number. He answers on the first ring. "Well?"
"It's over. Beth has confessed to everything."
There's a pause on the other end of the line as he relays this information to Scarlet, and she lets out a sob that makes my heart ache. "Oh, thank God," she whispers. "Thank you, thank you so much."
"We're on our way back," I say firmly to my dad. "Stay with her."
I end the call and pick up the pace, not wasting a second more than necessary before we're outside the nightclub and climbing back into Max’s car.
It's only when we're on the road, heading towards the police station, with Beth quivering in fear next to me, that I realize how badly I need to see Scarlet. My chest feels tight with an emotion I can't quite name, and my palms are slick with sweat.
When we arrive at the station, I bolt out of the car without waiting for the others.
Without a word, I cross to the room she is being held in with long strides and shove the door open. She glances up, her lips forming a small smile. I scoop her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest. Her body sags against mine as she sobs into my shirt, her shoulders shaking with emotion, her right arm still cuffed to the table.
"It's okay," I whisper into her hair. "You're safe now."
ChapterSeven
Scarlet
“How?” I croak, clinging to Tristan and not caring that his dad is watching this display with interest. I guess he isn’t used to seeing emotion from his son that isn’t violence or anger.
“Adam found her, and we got her to talk. That’s all you need to know right now,” he murmurs into my hair. “Caitlin will be going down as well.”
Looking up at him in surprise, I shake my head. “You know what? I don’t care. Take me home.”
“A few more minutes while Max hands over Beth and the confession.”
“I’ll get the paperwork started,” Justin says, placing a light hand on my shoulder and squeezing it before he disappears.
“I love him,” I mutter, a small smirk playing on my lips.
“Eww. Gross. Don’t ever.”
Snickering, the sense of relief overwhelming me, I place my hand on the back of Tristan’s neck and stand on my tiptoes to kiss him.
He returns it fervently, needing it as much as I do.
