Page 68 of A Protector For Phoebe (Love will OUT 2)

“I promise you’ll get your day in court, but let Aiden arrest him first, yeah?”

I can hardly say no to the man who rescued me from the grips of Satan. I allow him to lift me into his truck. When I look back toward Aiden and Theodore, the action is over. Aiden has Theodore cuffed and in the back of his car. He slams the door before giving Ryker a chin lift.

Ryker buckles my seatbelt for me before shutting my door and walking around to the driver’s seat.

“Where are we going?” I ask as he starts up the truck and heads in the opposite direction of Aiden’s police cruiser.

“The hospital.”

“The hospital? I don’t need the hospital.” Oh wait. The uncles! Is one of them hospitalized? “What happened to the uncles? Was someone hurt?”

He snickers. “They’re fine. Pissed as hell they didn’t get to take part in your rescue operation but fine.”

What a relief. “Then, why are we going to the hospital?”

His jaw locks. “To have your injuries seen to.”

I wave away his concern. “I’m fine.”

“There’s blood dripping from your hands and you were drugged.”

I look at my hands. My nails are shredded. Good. I did some damage to Theodore’s arms then. “This is nothing a manicure can’t fix.” I’m lying. A manicure can’t fix this damage. My nails are going to be a mess for a while, but there’s nothing a hospital can do about it.

“Your face,” he growls.

I flip down the visor to look in the mirror. The right side of my jaw is purple and swollen. “I’m sure the police have an ice pack I can borrow,” I say and flip the visor back up.

Ryker takes his eyes off the road for a second to glance in my direction. A vein in his forehead pulses when his eyes fall upon my jaw. I reach over and grab his hand before he can speak.

“I’m okay, Ryker. Nothing happened. Can we please go to the police station? I want to give my statement. I need to make sure that rat bastard gets locked up.”

His hand spasms in mine before he agrees. “Okay, but the first sign you’re not feeling well and I’m taking you to the hospital.”

I nod. I won’t be going to the hospital, but it doesn’t hurt to let him believe I’m complacent.

When we walk into the police station fifteen minutes later, Hailey and Suzie are waiting for us. Hailey takes one look at my face and marches toward the door marked ‘personnel only’. “I’m going to beat the shit out of your ex.”

Ryker grabs her by her hoodie and pulls her back. “It’s never a good idea to announce you’re going to commit assault at the police station.”

“Yeah,” Suzie agrees. “Maybe we should poison him instead.” She winks at me. “I got this. My chemistry skills are fantabulous.” She drums her fingers together and wiggles her eyebrows. “Bwah-haha.”

Aiden walks out from behind the personnel door. “Phoebe, are you ready to give your statement?”

“Where’s Theodore? Have you got him locked up?”

His jaw clenches. “He’s invoked his right to counsel and is waiting for his lawyer.”

Of course, he has. Classic Theodore. Let someone else do the heavy lifting.

Aiden squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. There are tons of witnesses to your abduction. He won’t get away with this.”

He doesn’t realize how slippery Theodore can be. The man can wiggle his way out of most any legal complication. Money talks, after all.

“You got this,” Hailey says and grabs my hand. “You are not the scared woman who showed up in our offices months ago. No, you are Phoebe Adams, kick-ass PI.”

Suzie grabs my other hand and squeezes. “And there’s always the poison option.”

Aiden raises his eyebrow, but Ryker shakes his head. “You don’t want to know.”

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