I twisted around in my seat, hearing Mikhail whine a little as I tried to hear what they were saying.
“Cocaine,” one of the officers said. “That’s a felony.”
I shot my eyebrows up. Cocaine? As in… cocaine? I unfastened my seatbelt and opened my door. No.
Stepping out of the car, I got out, leaving the door open, and kept my hand on the vehicle, using it as guide as I walked toward the rear. I wasn’t supposed to leave the car. They were going to yell at me, but…
“You guys have to be joking?” Ethan growled. “You planted that!”
I heard a scuffle and a grunt, and I sucked in a breath.
“Whoa, whoa,” one of the officers said. “Are you under the influence right now?”
What was happening?
More grunting, gravel kicked up under their feet, and I knew they had their hands on him.
“Stop!” I yelled, my hands sliding down the hood of the car to the open trunk as I reached them. “He would never do drugs. What are you doing?”
I heard heavy breathing I assumed was Ethan’s as the chilly evening air stung my nose.
“We’ve got at least fifteen baggies here,” a cop said.
“That’s intent to distribute,” added the other.
Intent to distribute. Two possible felony charges? My head was reeling.
“You son of a—” Ethan growled but was cut off and shut up.
“Wait!” I burst out. “Please stop. This is my fault.”
This was all a setup. There was no way he had drugs in his trunk. These cops stopped us for a reason, and it wasn’t a busted taillight.
I stepped closer, careful of my footing. “I called him,” I said, taking the blame. “What do you want me to do? Just please… Please don’t do anything to him.”
There was silence for a few moments, and then I heard some clicks. Someone was on their phone.
“Sir?” one of the cops said. “I have her here.”
Damon. This was him. He was who the cop was calling.
A cool hand touched mine, and I jerked, pausing when I realized the officer had put the phone in my hand. My fear and confusion slipped away, replaced with anger. I breathed hard, seething as I clenched my teeth.
I raised the phone to my ear.
“I’m very disappointed you actually thought this would work,” a hard voice said. “Although I am surprised you even got out of the house.”
It wasn’t Damon.
“Gabriel?” I barely mumbled, shocked.
Damon’s dad had arranged all of this? I was pretty sure he hadn’t been at the wedding. I knew he had to fully support what Damon was doing, but it escaped me that he’d have his back, too. He was watching me.
“Try not to worry,” he went on. “They’ll let him go in the morning.”
“They’ll let him go now!” I growled.
I wasn’t having my friend suffer at all because of me. It was stupid. I should’ve known better. Even if I had made it out, I would’ve put Ethan in Damon’s path just by involving him.