He must have fallen asleep on his couch, because he was woken up by thin, firm hands, holding him around his waist. It felt different, felt wrong. He fought through another groggy state, trying to understand why he was being held and where he was. As soon as he heard unknown voices, he shot upright, his head screaming as he did. “Oh, my god. Joe! Joe, what are you doing here? Get your hands off me. How’d you get in here?” Cayson jerked and squirmed until he was sitting all the way up. He looked behind him and saw two men who looked like they were well-dressed mobsters standing behind his couch.
“Your door was open. Look, Cayson. I need your help. I’m so sorry about everything. The way I treated you. Talked to you. And I know I don’t deserve it, but I need you. I need a friend. I mean really, really need your help.” Joe stopped trying to hug Cayson and started walking back and forth in front of him. “I swear to you. I’m innocent.”
“I didn’t accuse you of anything,” Cayson countered, still peeking back at the large men, who had yet to speak.
“Don’t worry about them. They’re for my protection. I’m in trouble, Cayson. You have to come down to the police station with me and tell them I didn’t do it.” Joe’s hair was a messy bird’s nest on top of his head and he had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in days. He had on an Adidas tracksuit, like he’d just come from the gym. Cayson had to be careful not to let his worry show. He’d never seen the man in anything less than business casual. Joe looked like he really was on the run. Maybe I should… definitely. Cayson pressed and held every button on his watch, too scared to look down and make sure he was hitting the right one for 911. He wasn’t concerned with Joe’s innocence; he just wanted him gone. He didn’t know this man. It seemed he never had. Cayson just wanted to be left alone, by everyone.
“Turn yourself in Joe. Tell the truth. Your dad has lawyers up the ass.”
“I only told that idiot to scare Roman Webb. I didn’t tell him to actually try to kill anyone, and I damn sure didn’t tell him to hire more men. It wasn’t supposed to get this far!” Joe’s hands shook with his wild gestures.
“What?”
“Now my outcast nephew on my mother’s side is at the police station fabricating a story to get himself a deal and frame me. I wouldn’t try to have anyone killed!” Joe grabbed Cayson’s arms, shaking him. “Cayson you have to know that. You have to help me.”
Quick
“My damn phone is dead. Do you have a charger in here, Judge?” Quick asked from the backseat of Judge’s F350.
“Naw. Michaels broke it last week. Haven’t replaced it.”
“Fuckin’ great! All of us in here with dead phones!” Quick punched the seat and Dana jumped in the seat next to him. Duke turned around and looked at him like he was crazy.
“That can happen when you’re up at four a.m. and held in a police station for almost twelve hours,” Judge said, ignoring Quick’s anger.
“Stop me by a payphone or something,” Quick ordered, his skin getting hot and tight the longer he sat.
“A payphone. What the hell is that?” Judge laughed.
“Stop playing around Judge. Does it look like I wanna fuckin’ entertain you right now? I’ve had enough comedy today from your ridiculous cop friends to last me a lifetime.” Quick was still simmering from having to deal with God and Day. No one should ever have to be subjected to their antics. And he was pretty sure that rookie cop had been put on desk duty by the time Day finished making him look incompetent.
“Look, Quick. I’m sorry, okay,” Dana started again, but Quick threw his hand up and shot him another look that said “Shut the fuck up, or else.” Dana sealed his lips and made himself small, inching over as close to the door as he could get.
“Rome. Knock it off. Cayson was going to find out anyway,” Duke said, trying to get his cell phone to turn on.
“He didn’t have to find out like that. And Ford. What the hell was he thinking talking to Cays like that? He threatened him, Duke. I want him fired, immediately.” Quick fumed, trying to be careful not to rip apart the interior of Judge’s truck. Quick growled deep in his chest and Dana looked like he would rather walk the long way home than ride next to him.
“We’re going to get this resolved, Quick. But I need you to calm the fuck down,” Duke said, and then turned to Judge. “Go to Quick’s house. I doubt the doc is still at the hospital. Maybe he went back there after—”