Page 38 of False Evidence

“They’re full of shit! I’m going to sue! The tribe. The casino. And Talon & Drake! This was a setup!”

“Then why wouldn’t you take a sip, Russ?” JT asked in a low voice. “Why was there a vial in your pocket? And why did you work so hard to pressure her to drink?”

The woman was magnificent, cheeks bright red, towering over Spaulding as he cowered. She pulled back a fist as if she were going to throw a punch, but as he braced for the blow, she kneed him in the balls.

He doubled over, unable to speak. Every officer looked away, calling out instructions for taking statements, making a show of not seeing a damn thing.

ChapterFifteen

Rage didn’t begin to describe the emotion that coursed through Alexandra. She turned to Kendall and Brent, who’d come running at some point after the cops swarmed Russ. “Did you know about this?” she asked Brent.

His eyes widened and he shook his head. “No! Of course not!”

She turned her gaze on her best friend. “You spent two weeks hounding me to be his date.”

Kendall let out a shocked breath and took a step back. “I had no idea! I swear.”

Of the two denials, Kendall’s was the only one she believed. She turned to Brent. “You are not welcome in our apartment ever again.”

“No!” Kendall said, then she turned and must’ve seen something in Brent’s gaze because she took a step away from him.

“It’s him or me, Kendall.” She pulled the hotel room key that Russ had given her earlier and turned to one of the police officers. “He’ll be in jail tonight?”

The man nodded. “We can hold him while we test the drink and vial. It’s Friday night, so he won’t go before a judge until Monday morning. A prosecutor will file charges if the tests come out as we suspect they will.”

She turned back to Kendall. “Brent can take you home tonight. Pack up anything he left at our place. You can come back in the morning and pick me up. Alone.”

Kendall nodded.

The officers ushered people around so they could be questioned separately, Alexandra was escorted to a private corner of the ballroom. She saw Kendall and Brent leave while she was still being questioned.

As she spoke to the officers, she met the gaze of the hot man who’d been her rescuer. His eyes were intense as he watched her. She felt a strange burn in her belly.

She was thankful, angry, and attracted. A dangerous combination.

She still didn’t know his name, but now, she didn’t want to know. She liked the mystery of it. Did it matter who he was? Or who she was?

She spent her days studying the latest theories about the matter that made up the universe and the power of black holes. She knew exactly how insignificant she was on a cosmologic scale. But she mattered. To herself. To her parents and friends. And tonight, this man had cared enough about a stranger to protect her.

For all she knew, Russ was his boss. She wasn’t foolish enough to think prosecuting a man for a crime that had been prevented would result in much more than a slap on the wrist, even if it had been premeditated rape.

Everything would hinge on what they found in Russ’s home. It would be awful to discover he’d done this before, but at the same time, if they found evidence of other such assaults, he’d do serious time.

Finally, her interview was over. She scanned the room, seeing her rescuer in deep conversation with the tall man he’d indicated was family earlier.

The party had ended with the arrest, and the room was being broken down, but the dessert table still held a few treats. Alexandra crossed to the table. The fancier desserts had been consumed or cleared, but there was a tray of assorted muffins: cranberry, pumpkin chocolate chip, apple cinnamon, lemon blueberry.

There was nothing humble about these muffins. She felt bad for them that they’d been left behind. As if they couldn’t hold their own against a tart.

She grabbed a plate and loaded up, then headed for the door. She paused as she passed the two men who’d been instrumental in her rescue. The cop had told her that the tall man had gotten security and police involved while the shorter man kept an eye on Russ and the drink.

She felt all fluttery again.

She crossed to the two men. “Thank you. For everything.”

Both men nodded, faces solemn. “I’m sorry it was necessary,” the tall one said. “But glad we were there.” He then stepped back.

She was alone—sort of—with her savior. He studied her face, his brown eyes probing but warm. Heat shot through her. She held up the plate she’d loaded with desserts. “Do you like muffins?”

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