Page 94 of Saving Grace

The door to the cell block opened. Frank Briggs, a deputy for the court and a long time friend of Matt’s, appeared.

“Frank, thank Christ,” he muttered in relief. “Please tell me you’re going to let me out.”

The man’s face looked grim.

“Millie and Cassie are on their way.”

“Why?”

“To post bail.”

“For what? For Kyra’s death? I thought I wasn’t charged.”

Briggs sighed. “For multiple counts of assaulting several sheriff’s deputies.”

“They were keeping me from Grace,” Matt growled. At the mention of his wife, hisfriend flinched and a look of sorrow crossed his face. Matt felt his stomach drop to the soles of his feet. He couldn’t breathe and found himself sinking to his knees.

“Oh, God,” he looked up at Briggs in anguish. “Tell me Grace is okay.”

“Foster …” the deputy began.

His chest grew so fucking tight. “Is she …Jesus.” He couldn’t say the word. “Fuck … is she—”

“No!” Briggs said in horror realizing what Matt had concluded.

The force of his friend’s denial was like a fresh influx of oxygen. “Then what are you not telling me?” Matt rose to his full height and glared at his friend.

“You have to promise me you’re not going ape-shit again—”

“I swear to God, Briggs, if you don’t fucking tell me now—”

“Roger is dead.”

Matt froze. “And Grace?”

“It was Cristiano. Troy is badly hurt, but he’ll survive.”

“Briggs, Goddammit!—”

“We can’t find Grace,” Briggs blurted out, rubbing his face in frustration. “Cristiano was ambushed and she’s gone.”

“The Reaper,” Matt whispered. He looked blindly around his cell, looking for something to tear apart, to smash, but there was nothing. Instead he shrank away from the bars and dug his fingers into his hair to quell the rising panic. Undiluted fear coursed through every vein and marrow.

He needed to cling to the hope that Grace was alive.

She needed him.

He couldn’t leave this cell and help her if he lost his shit.

He expelled several deep breaths and straightened his body.

“Let me out so we can go get my woman,” he told Briggs with a dead calm.

*****

“I could lose my badge for this.”

Briggs raised the yellow tape and let Millie and Cassie cross the threshold of Kyra’s home. Matt followed them inside. Despite their numerous hookups, Matt had never seen the inside of Kyra’s house. He always kept it as impersonal as possible, preferring to use a motel. He had, on a few occasions, taken Kyra home, but that was about it. After sex he was done. No cuddling, no sleeping together, and definitely no breakfast together.

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