Liv let out a breath and hurried over to the guy. He rolled over onto his back, panting hard, his face blotchy. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“I think that crazy fucker broke my rib.”
She winced. “Okay, just lie here. I think someone called for help.”
Finn was still where she’d left him. He’d set the phone down in front of him and had his hands laced behind his neck, breathing hard.
Sirens blared outside, and Liv’s heart picked up speed. She took a breath, willing the panic away. She’d gotten used to sirens in the city, but for some reason, they sounded different here. Too familiar. She didn’t have time to freak out, though, because Finn was going to need her to do some fast talking.
But when the two cops walked in, Finn didn’t give her the chance. She thought he’d explain that he was a cop or tell them what the guy had done to set him off. Instead, he stood, still dripping wet, and put his hands up. “Just take me to the station. I don’t want to discuss anything here.”
Even though he was going willingly, one of the cops insisted he be cuffed. Finn turned and put his hands in position without protest. When the cuffs snapped shut, he finally looked her way, resignation there. “I’m sorry. Just go to breakfast. I’ll handle this.”
“Finn—”
The officer turned to lead him out before Liv could say anything else.
“The hell you will,” she said under her breath as she grabbed the kid’s abandoned phone. She’d just seen what Finn handling things looked like. With renewed resolve, she stalked over to the table where he’d left his bags and keys. She grabbed all of it, along with her own things, and eyed the kid—Adam.
The other officer had spoken with him, and now he was slumped in a chair, holding his side, while the officer interviewed the older man. Liv made her way over to the kid as she opened his phone. Sure enough, he had a number of close-ups of her, the back of Finn’s head, and a picture of the broken door from last night. She deleted them as she went, but then an Any luck? text popped up, opening an excited text trail between him and what she guessed was his girlfriend, detailing the events of last night.
Adam: I don’t know which one she is,
but she was totally freaked out
Claire: Srsly? Still?
Adam: Inorite? Like 10 yrs have passed & they’re still messed up
Claire: Sad. Would make a great story. Can u get me pics? Confirm which ones they are?
Adam: What do I get in return? ;)
A string of sexual promises and suggestive emojis followed.
Ugh. Liv wanted to kick the guy herself. But even with this, he hadn’t deserved a beating from Finn.
Adam looked up, his jaw tight. “Give me my phone back. That’s private.”
“Private? I wasn’t aware you were familiar with the concept.”
He put out his hand. “Your whackjob boyfriend better not have broken it.”
Liv’s teeth clamped together. She glanced at the other cop, making sure she was still occupied with her interview, and then crouched down next to Adam’s chair. From a distance, her posture would look like she was making sure he was okay, but the words that were about to come out of her mouth were nothing of the sort. She pressed his phone into his hand, and when he grabbed it, she gripped his hand hard and pinned him with a stare.
“Now you listen to me, you smug little shit. I’m sorry that you’re hurt, but you don’t get to slap labels on us like you know us. You don’t get to take pictures like we’re some sideshow attraction. You think you know what’s what, but you have no idea. That cute little girlfriend you’re sending eggplant emojis to? Yeah, imagine if you’d taken her to prom, and while you were dancing, her brain got blown up with a bullet in front of you.”
His mouth went slack.
“Imagine if along with that, all your closest friends, the people you cared about, ended up dead, too, bleeding out on the floor around you. Oh, and maybe you got a gun pressed to your head, and you had to beg for your life. Then imagine years later someone photographing you because—wow, cool, someone who was in the news. And man, aren’t they screwed up? Ha-ha.”
His throat bobbed. “I didn’t mean… I’m sorry.”
She let go of the phone and stood. “Yeah, well, show you’re sorry then. Don’t press charges. And thank the universe that you’re so freaking clueless and have no idea what we’ve been through.”
He looked up, eyes haunted, and gave a quick nod. “I will. I really didn’t mean it like… I didn’t think.”
“Everything okay over here?” the female officer asked, stepping up behind Liv.