Page 86 of Follow Me Down

“Yes you can, and you will. Unless you want to see your boyfriend spend the next ten years in federal prison.”

“Ten years.” His words slam into me like a thousand-pound weight making me feel off balance.

“If you get in the car, I will make all the charges disappear. Mr. Driscoll will be free to go in a matter of minutes. But only if you get in the car.”

“I don’t... I don’t understand,” I stammer, the reality of the situation seeming to settle over me like a weighted blanket, cementing my feet to the floor. “You.” The word isn’t more than a whisper. “You did this,” I accuse.

“I warned you what would happen. But you forced my hand. Now, if you don’t want that man to rot in jail because of your actions, I suggest you do as I say.” He pauses for a brief moment. “Get in the car. Once you’re on the road, I’ll give the word to let him go. Mr. Driscoll will walk free. But mark my words, Fallon. If you do not come home, if you ever try to contact him again, I’ll make sure he gets locked away for a very,verylong time. Do you understand me?”

His words echo through my head.

Ten years.

Federal prison.

The thought of Titus behind bars is more than I can bear. Especially knowing that it’s my father that put him there.

“You set him up.” It’s not a question. I already know the truth. “You had someone put that bag in his truck. You orchestrated this whole thing.”

“I’ve told you what you have to do. Now do it. Orhepays the price.”

With that, the phone goes dead.

I pull the device away from my ear, and it clatters to the floor seconds later.

I feel a panic attack coming on hard and strong, my lungs fighting to pull in air that doesn’t seem to exist. I clutch at my chest, tears welling in my eyes.

I try to convince myself that he’s bluffing, that there’s no way he has that much power. But I already know that’s not true. I’ve seen the things he’s capable of, the people he can bend to his will. Why would I think his power wouldn’t extend to a small-town police station? Everyone has a price, after all. If my father has taught me anything, that is it. And right now, he’s found my price too. The one thing he knows I won’t be able to refuse.

“Miss Buckley.” The female officer’s voice sounds far away, like she’s speaking through a tunnel. “Miss Buckley,” she says again and only then does my gaze snap to hers. “Come with me.” She pulls open the door and holds it that way until my feet figure out how to move.

I follow her into the hallway, everything inside of me screaming to resist, but knowing that I can’t, not unless I want to see Titus behind bars for something he didn’t do.

Anger and regret burn deep in my belly.

This is my fault.

I did this.

And now it’s up to me to fix it.

After collecting my purse from the front desk, Officer Purdy leads me out the front door, where, as my father said, there is a black town car waiting for me on the curb.

I swallow past the bile rising in my throat, willing my legs to move. Willing myself to walk away from the only thing in my life that has ever felt like mine.

Titus...

I have no way of explaining. No way of telling him how sorry I am. He’ll walk out of this jail thinking I abandoned him. Thinking I believed him to be capable of something like this.

He won’t understand that I’m doing this for him.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I gather my resolve and make my way toward the car, taking one last look at the police station before tugging open the door and slipping inside.

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