Chapter 38

Afew hours before

I sat in the stark, dimly lit room with my hands cuffed to the table before me. As I waited impatiently for the detective to arrive, I ran my hands down my face, only to be reminded that they were shackled to the damn table.

My thoughts shifted to Shorty.

Fuck, I miss my girl.

I"ve been worried about her, praying she"s okay. It comforts me that her family is with her and she"s not alone.

And Tia. Fuck, poor Tia.

The door to the room creaks open, and in walks the detective, carrying a bottle of Ice Mountain and a folder tucked under his arm. I brace myself for the grueling interrogation that is about to unfold.

The Bruce Willis look-alike sits down the bottle of Ice Mountain next to me and takes a seat. He lays the folder on the table and leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other and adjusting his checkered tie. I fix my gaze on him, anticipating his rapid-fire questions, but they never come.

"Alright, Donovan," he begins, his voice clipped and businesslike. "Let"s cut to the chase. We have a statement from Payton Reed claiming you attacked her. Care to explain your side of the story?"

I huff, my jaw clenching, as I glare at the officer. "I don"t know what you"re talking about," I say.

He leans forward, his gray eyes unwavering. "We have witnesses who saw you arguing with Payton just before the incident. What happened?"

I scoff. "That"s bullshit."

He leans back with raised brows. "Oh, really? You think I"m bullshitting?"

"I"m saying she"s lying." I grit my teeth.

"So, you"re saying the bruises on Payton's face just magically appeared, huh?"

Bruises? She didn't have any bruises the last time I saw her. What the fuck is he talking about?

I clench my hands into fists, ignoring the burning pain in my wrists, my temper simmering just beneath the surface. "I didn"t touch her."

"You"re saying someone else did it?"

"Yes!" I attempt to raise my hands, but they remain rooted in place, causing me to groan in annoyance. "She came into the locker room searching for me. She threatened my girlfriend. I told her to stay away from us. That"s all there was to it. I didn"t lay a finger on her. She had no bruises on her face when I walked away."

"You expect me to believe that, Donovan? You have a history of violence. Does the pit ring a bell?"

My fists clench tighter. How does he know about the pit?

"I don"t care what you believe. I"m telling you, I didn"t touch Payton or anyone else. You can"t pin this on me just because I have a past that has nothing to do with this." I slam my fists on the table. "I have a restraining order against her, for fuck's sake. Did you take that into consideration before you decided to haul my ass in here?"

Before he can respond, the door bursts open, and in walks a man in a crisp suit, flanked by Javi.

The tension in my shoulders, which has been building up all day, slowly dissipates. I sink back into the chair as relief washes over me.

Javi flashes his badge, identifying himself as an agent with the FBI and the other person as Michael White, a lawyer.

"Stop the interview," the lawyer commands with a steely gaze that leaves no room for argument.

Javi stands beside me and addresses the detective as he speaks with conviction. "You don"t have concrete physical evidence that proves he assaulted that girl. It"s just her word against his, which is hardly enough to incriminate him. Therefore, I request that you uncuff him immediately because he"s leaving with me."

The detective hesitates for a moment before complying, releasing me from my restraints and leaving the room but not before he gives me one more look as if he's saying, "this isn't over."

"Did you say anything?" Michael asks.

My eyes turn to meet the lawyer"s gaze as I reply, "Just that I was innocent. And that I didn"t touch her."

The lawyer nods reassuringly. "I believe you. I have gone through your complaint against her and the restraining order. She doesn"t have a case. However, until we clear your name, it would be wise to keep a low profile." He hands me his card and adds, "I"ll be in touch."

I take his card and thank him. He acknowledges my gesture by giving Javi and me a nod before he exits the room.

Feeling exhausted and emotionally drained from the intense events of the past twenty-four hours, I let out a deep breath and glance over at Javi. "Any word on Sophia?"

When Javi shakes his head, a violent storm rages inside me. I spin around so fast that I slam my fist against the wall. "Fuck!" I bellow.

Punch. Punch. Punch.

"Hey, hey, hey." Javi wraps his arms tightly across my chest. "Keep your shit together." He grinds his teeth.

I try to break free from his grasp, but his grip is too firm, making me feel like I"m trapped in a strait jacket.

"Hey!" he snaps. "Listen to me. We will find her, but I can"t have you lose control like this. If you keep it up, I"ll lock you up myself," he warns.

Let me go!" I growl, my chest heaving with each ragged breath that escapes my lips.

"Not until you chill the fuck out," he snaps. "Take a deep breath and relax."

"You don"t understand," I rasp. "It"s my fault she"s gone. It"s all my fucking fault." My voice breaks at the end, and my body sags against Javi as the fight drains out of me.

"It"s not your fault, Donnie." He loosens his grip on my shoulders and takes a step back. He grabs my arms and spins me around to face him, his eyes intense and focused.

"My team and the police won"t stop working until we follow every lead." His tone is serious. "I feel your pain because it's tearing me up too. But believe me when I say we are doing everything we can to bring Sophia back home."

My shoulders droop, and I shift my gaze away from him. "I can"t—"

Javi takes my face into his hands, and his eyes bore into mine as he makes his point clear. "I need you to be strong for my sister," he says earnestly. "Because she will need you more than ever."

I look into Javi's eyes, seeing the determination and sincerity there. "You better keep your promise, Javi. Sophia is my world. If anything happens to her..."

Javi cuts me off gently. "Nothing will happen to her, Donnie. We"ll find her. I promise you that."