Page 76 of Stolen Love

“Is that true?” Leather Jacket asks. Without waiting for an answer, he turns to a few of the cops that have been controlling the crowd. “Go check it out. Search everywhere.”

They burst into action, spreading through and around the venue.

“You.” Leather Jacket turns to Rebel. “Take out your ID.”

“Kinda hard with these cuffs.” Rebel shrugs. “But help yourself. It’s in my pocket.”

The detective slips the wallet out of Rebel’s jacket and then digs out the plastic card from inside the leather. His mouth turns down in the corners. “You do realize this is obstruction. I can arrest you for aiding your brother in avoiding arrest.”

“I didn’t aid him.” Rebel smirks. “You didn’t ask who I was. I figured since we’d been through this before that you must have known it was me.”

“Take the cuffs off my client,” Jason demands.

The media start to pelt us with questions.

It appears our truce is over, and while I would have liked this evening to pass without incident, I never expected it would.

Summer rushes to join us. She inserts herself between us, preparing to address the crowd.

But this is my time.

“Miss Love,” Jackson warns as I move ahead of him to stand beside Summer.

There are so many people. It is absolutely terrifying and I don’t have my bunny ears. My stomach climbs into my throat and my heart pounds in my ears. I’m pretty sure as soon as I’m finished here I’m going to need to vomit. And Alec is watching me. I can see him staring at me out of the corner of my eye. His hatred burns into me. I fight the urge to cower.

Summer’s eyes widen. “Ivy?”

“Ivy Love, do you believe that Rogue Maddox is a murderer?” A man shoves his mic in my face.

My throat is dry and wet at the same time. I can barely swallow and I’m not sure I’m actually breathing. I take a step toward him. “I have something to say.”

“Great. If you could say it into the microphone,” the journalist tells me.

My hand trembles as I lift the mic to my face. I clear my throat. “Rogue didn’t kill that man. He is being framed… by the same person that had Marty Kendall killed… my mother, Nicole Hawthorne.”

Silence. Dead silence.

The crowd stays frozen for only a fraction of a second before they erupt with a million questions.

“Let me start at the beginning.”

Marty’s memorial becomes the backdrop of the only interview I’ll ever do. While I didn’t know Marty all that well, after listening to everyone speak about her integrity and her courage and her commitment, I have to believe that if she were here, she would have encouraged this. Even urged me to set the record straight. For all our sakes.

Alec watches me the whole time I speak about our mother. He doesn’t interject. But his smile grows as I explain how I believe she killed my father and how Marty was looking into that tragic event when she was murdered and why Nicole is trying to frame Rogue.

When one of the reporters approaches him and asks for his thoughts on what I’m saying, I expect him to make a comment on my medication or mental health. I expect him to make me sound crazy.

He strolls toward me. “My sweet little sister, are you really going to vilify our mother like that after all she’s done for you?”

My knees weaken and my heart beats erratically the closer he gets. The back of my neck crawls and that sensation spreads as he stands right beside me.

“Are you worried about defamation?” one of the other reporters calls out.

“Of course she isn’t.” Alec side-eyes me. “You do have proof, don’t you?”

“I…” I clear the clog from my throat. “I don’t have proof. But I’m hoping that—”

“Don’t worry, little sister.” Alec turns to me. “You can blame your outcry on your mental health when you come to your senses.”

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