She kissed him!So much relief floods me I could hug the guard. Still, I blurt out, "She kissed him? He didn't kiss her?"
He shakes his head. "No, ma'am. Not from what I witnessed."
My heart pounds faster. "Have you seen him?"
The guard's face hardens further. In a firm but emotionless voice, he informs me, "I assume he's getting processed."
"Processed?" I inquire in confusion.
"Yeah. He and the other guy he was with got arrested."
"Arrested?" I shriek, imagining Gianni in handcuffs. My chest tightens until I feel like I can't breathe.
The guard crosses his arms. "When men punch me, there are consequences."
My mouth almost drops to the floor. I gape at him, speechless for a brief moment, before pointing at his face and questioning, "He did that?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Why?"
The guard cracks his neck. I wince, and he replies, "He tried to follow you inside. He doesn't have clearance. The other guy got involved as well. It took four of us to diffuse the situation."
I freeze, imagining Gianni and Killian fighting the guard. A large lump forms in my throat. I swallow it and spin, running toward the door.
"Ms. Marino!" a man calls out, but I don't stop.
I get outside, and a woman steps out of a cab.
"Ms. Marino!" the man yells again.
I don't stop. I jump inside the cab and slam the door. "Take me to the nearest precinct and step on it!"
23
Gianni
"Turn to the side,"the officer instructs.
Pissed, I grind my molars. I follow his orders and stand with my shoulder against the wall that has height markings on it. For all the crazy stuff I've done, not once have I ever gotten arrested. My plan was to not take my eyes off Cara the entire week. Now I'm stuck here, doing my best to stay calm. And there's no doubt Papà is going to be upset. He's probably already planning another stern lecture for me.
"Now the other way," the officer demands.
I sniff hard, do what he asks, and he snaps another photo. I keep my hands balled into fists, still feeling the ink on them from when he took my fingerprints.
"Let's go," he orders and leads me down a hallway.
I assume I'm going to a cell with Killian, but instead, he takes me to an interrogation room.
I stop outside the doorway and question, "Why are you putting me in here for a fist fight?"
"Do what you're told," a man barks.
I glance to the side of me. Two detectives step forward. One has a neutral expression. The other has hatred written all over his face.
A bad feeling races through me. I stay frozen, not moving. I've never gotten interrogated before. Papà has several times. It's always been out of the blue when they picked him up. Each of my brothers has strict instructions on what to do if this happens, but it still makes me uneasy. "What's this about?"
"Inside," seethes the man. His voice is laced with loathing. He motions toward the room.