Page 68 of Omega Rock

I wonder who called the cops and when. I wonder if Aiden’s ex-band manager is the one who did it.

But as Wes comes to stand beside Mia and look at each of us in turn, I realize it doesn’t matter who involved the police. His hard, disappointed eyes say enough.

This might be the end of Exit Fate.

ChapterTwenty-Two

MIA

I’ve never been arrestedbefore. It occurs to me sometime after Wes appears and before we all arrive one by one at the local police station to be processed. I’m not even entirely sure how the fight escalated to a level requiring arrest to stop it but here we are. Arrested. Processed. Awaiting bail.

I can just about make out the cell holding all the guys. I’m separated in my own cell for now, partway down the holding space, but Darius’s voice carries through the whole area as he requests immediate release and asks, “Do you even know who we are?”

No one cares. And they shouldn’t.

My face throbs with pain. I was quickly checked out by medical before being loaded into a cruiser. Just a bruise and swelling await me, although I’ve been given no ice to help with any of that.

I sit on an uncomfortable bench with my back against the wall. Carefully, I lay my head back against it. I can’t believe how sideways today went. Maybe my parents were right. Was this all really the best thing for me?

Music, yes. But within a month and a half, I’d gotten so drunk on tour the guys had to take care of me and now a fight, all the while the general opinion of our band is still hit or miss?

A sadness hollows out my heart. They say parents always know best, but do they really? I want this. I want it all so badly.

Or so I thought.

“Mia?” Aiden calls from where the guys are all being held. He’s pressed his face against the cell bars. “Are you okay?”

I lift my chin and try not to let my voice shake. “Yeah. Achy. But I’m fine.”

A pause. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” That’s from Darius.

“Shut the fuckup, man,” Noah curses. “It’s your bullshit that’s got us all in here.”

Yeah. In here. All night long. Never in a million years did I think I would ever be sitting in a police station with Designation fucking Outsider because we were all arrested at the same time.

“You threw the first punch,” Ed argues.

There’s a shuffling sound. I wish I could see my pack and make sure they were all okay and not about to fight again. But I can’t so there’s no point even standing up.

“Enough,” Aiden says, and then there’s a hardthumpsound like someone hit a wall. “Enough. After we’re all out of here I want nothing to do with any of you ever again. Or Jordan. You hear me?” A few mumbles of agreement sound, and then Aiden asks, “Leo?”

This makes me look up. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” Leo says.

I stand and go to the edge of my cell. “What’s going on?” I ask again.

“You’re not fine,” Noah says with worry in his tone. “You’re cradling that arm again.”

Fuck. Was Leo hit at all? I can’t remember. It all happened so fast.

“Nerve pain, yeah,” Leo admits so softly I barely hear it. “It’ll pass like before.”

“Except you don’t have meds on you,” Aiden says before loudly shouting, “Can we get some medical attention in here?” He bangs on the cell bars. No response comes until what feels like forever later.

It’s not the attention we wanted.

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