Page 70 of A Protector For Phoebe (Love will OUT 2)

Chapter 29

Put on your big girl panties and take a chance once in a while. ~ Phoebe’s rules for becoming a better person

Lunchtime has come and gone by the time we leave the police station. Theodore’s legal counsel has arrived, but he’s still refusing to answer any questions. Of course, he is. The man answers to no one. Or so he thinks. I hope being in a state where his influence is less than in California will help keep his ass in jail.

Thanks to my statement and other witness statements, Theodore has been charged with unlawful confinement, assault, criminal endangerment, and a whole slew of other charges.

Ryker lifts me into his truck. I stop him before he can shut the door. “What happens when he gets out on bail?”

“With these charges, I don’t think he’ll get bail.”

How cute. He thinks Theodore will be denied bail. There’s no way the man who calls himself my husband will be remanded to jail. But I’m not starting an argument with Ryker in the parking lot of a police station. “Say he does get bail. What then?”

“Bail will be at least a cool million. Theodore isn’t going anywhere.”

I grab his hand. “A million is nothing to a man like Theodore.”

Ryker’s eyes widen slightly before determination sets in. “We’ll deal with it when it happens.”

We drive to McGraw’s where the uncles and Hailey and Suzie are waiting on us. Suzie and Hailey left while I was still answering a gazillion questions from Officer Kent. And by ‘left’ I mean Officer Kent ‘requested’ Suzie leave after she interrupted his questions for the fifth time to ask if she could see his badge and gun.

As soon as we enter the pub, I race to the uncles. Sid has a bandage over his forehead. “Oh no. You were hurt. I’m sorry.”

Sid grunts. “Nothing for you to apologize for. You’re not responsible for your ex-husband’s actions.”

“But you were hurt.” I reach forward to touch the bandage, but he grabs my hand to stop me.

“The nurse insisted I get stitches, which I didn’t need.”

Barney chuckles. “You didn’t look like you minded at the time. And Nurse Mary Ann gave you her number, didn’t she?”

“I thought you had wife number six on the hook?”

“Number five,” he corrects.

Barney leans forward and whisper-shouts, “Number six didn’t work out.”

Wally clears his throat. “Can we move on from the woman who stalked Sid now?” My eyes widen. Someone was stalking Sid?

“It’s not stalking when I like it,” Sid mumbles.

I giggle. Is he serious?

Lenny grabs my hand. “How are you, Doll?”

Ryker wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close forcing Lenny to drop his hand. Lenny smirks and raises his hands in surrender. I roll my eyes.

“Overprotective much?”

His nose brushes against my hair before he whispers in my ear, “Need I remind you I watched you taken away from me this morning?”

I shiver at the sound of his deep, growly voice in my ear. The sound causes my nerve endings to wake up and say Hello! Where have you been all my life? Apparently, my nerve endings are cliché.

Pops joins us. “Sit. Sit. You need to eat.”

My eyes widen when I see the plates of burgers and fries. “Um.”

“I’m not taking no for an answer. Sit. Eat.”

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