Page 74 of Operation K-9 Brothers
Jack felt his face flush.The lady was no-nonsense, and he liked that, but it was embarrassing that he’d put Deke in the position of having to make excuses for him.He’d gone from never even having a speeding ticket to being arrested, accused of putting a man in a coma, and all because he’d decided the answer to his problem could be found in the bottom of a beer bottle...make that bottles, plural.
Everything that had made him happy when he’d woken up the day of his doctor’s appointment was gone.He couldn’t be a SEAL with a shoulder that kept him from shooting straight.That hurt, but what hurt the most was the damage he’d done to his relationship with Nichole.What did he have to offer her now?Answer, nothing.
“No, I don’t hang in bars, and I don’t get drunk.As a rule.”He sat back, wishing he didn’t have to bare his soul to this woman he didn’t know.But he did, so he told her everything, from the news he’d gotten from his doctor and why that had been upsetting to the point of deciding to get a drunk on through when he’d been arrested.
As he related the events leading up to him sitting handcuffed in a police department interrogation room, one thought kept running through his head.Failure wasn’t an option for a SEAL, yet he was failing at every turn.As much as he wished his teammates were here to support him, he was glad they weren’t.He didn’t think he could handle the disappointment he’d see in their eyes.
The only thing he didn’t tell her was about blacking out.He’d given it a lot of thought, and as drunk as he was, he was sure there was no way he would have forgotten dragging a body to the back of the building.He remembered putting Gregory to the ground, and he remembered stumbling toward his truck after that.There was also a fuzzy memory of falling down, but he couldn’t swear to it.If he had put his hands out to catch his fall, that could explain his bloody knuckles.
“And that’s it until the cops broke my door in yesterday.”
“Unfortunately, there aren’t cameras outside the bar to back up your story,” she said when he finished.“There are cameras inside, so that’s how they were able to track you down.”
“The only thing I hurt on that man was his wrist and maybe his knees.”He had to believe that.
“That doesn’t matter—”
“It does to me.”
“But not to me.Guilty or not, it’s my job to protect your interests and make sure the law works as it should.”The hint of a smile appeared on her face.“It is a plus when the client is innocent, which I believe you are.”
“Thanks.That’s important to me.What happens now?”
“We get you out on bail.”She gave him a dollar figure.“That’s my best guess estimate on what your bail will be.It helps that you don’t have a record and Deke said you own a home here.Can you cover it?If not—”
“Not a problem.”He glanced down at the orange jumpsuit.“Any chance of getting my clothes back before I go to court?”
“Sorry, no.You’ll be taken in with the other prisoners going up before the judge today.I’ll do all the talking, so don’t piss me off and open your mouth.”
Caught by surprise by her sayingpiss, he laughed.“Yes, ma’am.”
“The only time I want you to talk is when you’re asked what plea you’re entering.That’s where you’ll say not guilty.Anything other than that comes out of your mouth, you can go find yourself a new lawyer.”
“Got it.”Jack had been trained to the gills on following orders, and Deke was right.This lady was sharp.He wasn’t about to do anything but obey her, especially if it meant he’d be at home in a few hours where he could take a hot shower.
“I’ll want a list of character witnesses.Family, girlfriend, teammates who might be available to testify.”
“What else do you need from me?”he asked, avoiding telling her his only family was Grammie, and no way would he put her through a trial.His teammates would gladly testify on his behalf if they weren’t over seven thousand miles away.As for a girlfriend...he just didn’t know.He wasn’t sure who he was anymore, and what woman would want a man possibly headed to prison?
“That’s it for now.Be in my office in the morning at nine, and I’ll fill you in on what to expect as we go forward.Do not under any circumstance talk to the police without me present, and that includes Deke.He’ll be obligated to inform the detective on the case anything you say to him.”
He felt as if he was being isolated, and for a man used to having his team at his six, he was...lost.
