Page 5 of Adoring Fletcher
3
FLETCHER
I was scared.Terrified.
I spent the night in a holding cell with a couple of other shifters. Inmates, or would-be inmates, anyway. Maybe even cellmates if I ended up getting convicted and locked away for awhile.
The thought made me feel sick.
Two of them were drunk. One was spewing threats. The other one started spewing vomit. It smelled like wet dog. I didn’t get a wink of sleep; I just sat curled up in the corner, hugging my knees to my chest, praying it would all be over soon.
I wondered if Jacks was happy with what he’d done. I wondered if he’d slept soundly last night. I wondered if the gang had celebrated their win, having successfully robbed the rich Alpha. I wondered if they even cared what had happened to me.
My thoughts churned like storm clouds, growing darker and heavier with each one.
In the morning, an officer came to fetch me. I was brought to a small room, cuffed to a chair, and questioned about the robbery by a muscular Alpha with a buzz-cut. His vibe alone wasenough to have my inner-lynx puffed up and hissing at the back of my mind.
Where did I even start? Could I really give up the gang’s whereabouts? Could I snitch on them? That’s what the cops wanted, wasn’t it?
We went around in circles for over an hour, fear ensnaring my heart, twisting and tangling it up in a thicket of thorns.
“It wasn’t my idea,” I told him for the third time, my voice small. “I never wanted to hurt anyone.”
“Whose idea was it then?” the cop pressed.
I grimaced, my eyes burning. “I… I’m part of a gang. I’m homeless, and I’m an Omega without protection. I don’t have anywhere else to go. T-They offered me safety in exchange for…helping them do stuff. Like rob houses.” Among other things.
“They used you as a scapegoat.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. A true one. I dropped my gaze to my trembling hands. “Why are you trying to protect them?” He raised his voice, and I flinched back.
I didn’t answer.
The cop growled and took a sip of his probably now-cold coffee. “Tell me about this gang,” he insisted instead, changing topics ever-so-slightly.
I swallowed hard but stayed silent. I was scared. If I spilled the beans, Jacks would find me. He’d hurt me the minute I was back on the streets. He’d hunt me down like the monster he was and tear me apart…
“I can’t,” I choked out.
“Why not?” he demanded.
“I’m afraid.”
“Who are you afraid of? Tell me his name!” He slammed his fist down on the table so hard, the coffee mug rattled.
“The leader of the gang.” My throat was tight, raw. I didn’t meet the cop’s gaze. I couldn’t. My fingers curled into tight fists.“He’s made my life miserable the last few months. He has it out for me. If I tell you, he’ll hurt me.”
The cop didn’t seem to care. He kept pressing. I kept deflecting.
After awhile, he must’ve gotten tired of me, because he stood and left, the door slamming shut behind him. I was alone. My heart raced, throbbing loudly between my ears.
Fuck, what was I supposed to do now?
I crumpled over the desk, pressing my face into the cool metal tabletop. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t dare. Not here. Maybe once I was back in my cell. My hands shook as I listened to the loudtick-tockof the clock on the wall above.
The door creaked open. I jerked upright.
Not the Alpha cop from before, but a different officer. An Omega. A deer, from the faint scent of pine needles and tree sap. That surprised me. Since when did prey animals join the police force?
I swallowed hard and looked up.
