I hear a rattling, as Brody most likely disarms the creep, and I tremble heavily before turning to face the judge for the first time, happy to see him without a weapon and his hands raised high in the air. He's bald, short, and not at all attractive. Add in the fact he's completely psychotic... I understand perfectly well why Kade's mom chose Paul.
Something hits me and makes me roll my eyes. "Judge Higdon. Roy Higdon. The Justice of the Peace who signed the marriage certificate for Thomas and Henrietta."
So the judge moonlights as a JOP. Why didn't I figure that out sooner?
Brody nods, his smile growing. "You mean forged?" he asks, winking.
"You have nothing to prove that," the judge repeats, almost growling. "This is her property, and I rent here. I'll have you both arrested for assaulting me in my own home."
Thank goodness Kade's grandfather didn't marry some troll without telling him.
"Unless I, as a man of the law, stumble across something in plain sight that could contradict that. Right, Judge?" Brody asks, making the growling man even more furious. "I think you've got an open safe to deal with," Brody says, covering his eyes with one hand and pressing harder against the back of Roy's head with the gun.
"That safe is not open! That's private property! You can't touch it!" the judge yells in objection. Yeah. Like I'm going to listen.
I quickly press the enter button to see if the code I pushed in earlier is correct, and my smile of wonder grows when a loud beep emerges, allowing the door to pop open just a hair. First damn try. Hell yes.
I quickly pull the door all the way open, delighting in what is right on top of the pile. "Oh look," I mutter, feigning innocence. "A document inside a very widely opened safe. And it looks like a will."
I turn to Brody who takes the will happily. "It seems you've found evidence that this property doesn't belong to the people who can now be considered trespassers. That's enough for me to hold them for now. It won't take me long to gather the rest. Good job, Raya."
I almost giggle like a silly girl, feeling the claws of adrenaline sinking in, but I refrain, coughing back the ridiculous outburst that was seconds from spilling out, and I offer a respectable smile and nod instead.
Brody rolls his eyes as he cuffs the judge, and then he looks at me once more. "You'd better not be hooked."
It was a thrill, a scare, and then a thrill again, but I'm far from hooked. There's only been one thing I've ever been hooked on and thoroughly addicted to, and... well, it was a person. In reality, I suppose I was just hooked on our game, because that's all it would have ever been - a game.
"Let's go," I mutter somewhat sadly, my euphoric cloud shattered by reality.
Brody frowns, but he starts shoving the handcuffed judge up the cellar stairs. I hear sirens going crazy outside, distorted voices coming over speakers, and shuffling feet going crazy. I whip my head around to find Brody smiling bigger.
"I might have called in backup. I suppose I had a little faith in you," he says with a shrug.
I sigh contently, happy it's all over, until we reach the outside and I see my father being pulled around by men in suits. His hands are cuffed, his curses are flying, and his claims of innocence are being ignored. Suddenly I'm twelve again, and my heart almost strangles me when it lodges in my throat.
"Unhand me you crazy sons of bitches!" Dad demands.
"Ray Drivel, you're under arrest for the-"
"Not him!" Brody yells, laughing almost hysterically. "He's with me. It's the other three," he says, motioning to Harold, Henrietta, and Leonard, who are all face down in the grass with their hands behind their heads. Poor Ember isn't far away, and she's doing the same thing. I really owe her one.
"And this one," Brody adds, shoving the judge off the porch and making him stumble to the ground with a loud umph.
They release my father, and my breath returns. He's finally one of the good guys. Well, good enough. I'm sure he'll always be a little bit bad.
"You okay?" Brody asks, reaching over and touching my shoulder.
"And it's Ray Capperton!" Dad screams, interrupting any lie I was about to tell Brody about how fine I am.
Dad rubs his wrists as he scowls at Brody. "You swore I could keep Ray Capperton. It's my favorite alias."
A snicker actually comes out, and Brody rolls his eyes before pulling out his wallet and handing Dad a license. "Here, Ray Capperton."
"Finally," Dad grumbles, ripping away the license and shoving it in his wallet.
I just smile as they embark on a candid conversation. Even when Ember joins us, I remain lost in my own world.
My phone buzzes, and I get a little sick when I see Kade's name flash across the screen. I'm sure by now he's already heard. His father has more than likely filled him in on what little he knew, and there are police here on their phones. I'm almost positive one of them is talking to Paul, briefing him on what has just transpired.