Witness

20. Kaiden

"Beckett," a voice hisses. 

I turn quickly to the left. 

The passenger door of Damien's range rover - which seemed empty - is now slightly ajar. I can't see Chelsea's frame through the tinted windows but I know she's in there. I recognise her panicked voice. 

My feet barely make a sound on the ground as I quickly walk over to her. 

The police station is a few mere yards away, and Damien Mierro is somewhere inside. 

I shouldn't be here. 

Chelsea's SOS message arrived less than fifteen minutes ago, and I didn't think twice before jumping in my car - my own fucking car - and driving down here. At least I had the sense to park down the street and jog over here. 

God knows I've been lacking in sense these past few weeks. 

Still, my McLaren is going to stick out like a sore thumb in these parts. A few kids stood on a street corner were already eyeing it up when I pulled up onto the curb. 

"Why am I here?" I ask, the words leaving my mouth a fraction more angrily than I'd intended. 

"Why am I here?" Chelsea returns. She doesn't seem fazed by my anger. "Damien's being weird. Vik is all beaten up-" 

"Varga?" I interject. 

"He got a phone call from the cops, and then decided we'd just drive on down here. Told me to wait in the car. Something's wrong." 

All the more reason for me not to be here. 

Her foot taps repeatedly, nervously. 

"It's fine," I sigh, despite having absolutely no idea whether it is or isn't. I've been looking into Damien for months and not once has he stopped by the police station.

I mean, sure, I guessed he was paying some of them off on the side, who wouldn't? But a Mierro doesn't do the dirty work himself. I assumed Reed would look into his own men. Maybe I should've done it myself. 

"Probably just about Vik if he's so beaten up." 

"You don't believe that at all," she scoffs. "Don't outright lie to me. How fucked am I?" 

"How am I supposed to know?" I retort. "What do you want me to do here, stuff you inside my coat and sneak you out of the country?" 

She rolls her eyes dramatically. 

"Unhelpful as always, Kaiden, thank you." She bites one of her nails. "Damien said something a while ago about using me as character witness for Tony. For... you know." What he did to James Hartley. Once again I'm reminded how badly we need to go over that night, how helpful her insight might be into Damien and Tony's relationship. "What if this is that?" 

I don't recognise the feeling in my chest at first. Worry; pure, unadulterated worry. 

The lead here could die with Chelsea. If Damien does have a bigger plan for her, a plan involving framing and jail and a false witness statement, then I could truly have nothing. 

More than that: this normal girl, albeit with a snappy tone and angry eyes, could get be sucked into the Mierro world for good. She could do time for failing to report their extra-curriculars - hell, Damien could just turn around and kill her when she stops being useful. 

"I thought he liked you?" I ask, again too angrily. 

"I've told you plenty of times that he doesn't like me. He says I amuse him. He says I'm a slice of normal in his otherwise abnormal life." She shakes her head at me, her fingers white around her phone. "Are you going to say anything helpful?"