“Excuse me!” I called out, hoping someone would hear me. “I’d like a glass of water, please!”

I waited a moment, hoping to get something. But after about a minute of waiting, I gave up on it. I turned back to the cell I’d been put in two days ago.

It was small, though it could hold a few people comfortably. I wouldn’t know, though, since no one else had been there, or brought in after I was. I was happy, and kind of not, to be alone. I wondered if that was a deliberate act, if this thing with the company was something that big, or if it was just a slow crime week.

But I sure as fuck knew I was glad not to be locked up with any possible criminals.

There were a cot and a small toilet in there, so I hadn't been let out for the past two days and nights. Fuck, it got so cold at night I’d though that first time my teeth would chatter until they all fell out! I had to figure out some way to get out, but I’d already been told that I was denied bail. I did get my one phone call, and in my infinite wisdom, I decided to make the call to my parents.

“Worst fucking plan ever,” I groaned to myself, dropping on the cot, only to wince. The cot only had one thin mattress and two thin blankets, so it was no comfort.

Hell, I hadn't even had the option of a bath and a change of clothes, so I felt utterly disgusting, and I had just to sit there and wait for news because my fucking parents couldn’t help me out.

I sighed, throwing an arm over my eyes and I squeezed them closed. “I should have called one of my friends and talked to them.”

They, at least, I knew would not have failed me. They would have told me they were doing whatever they could to help me, and then actually go ahead and do it.

Not that I can entirely blame my parents, either. I talked to them, but of course, they had no money. My family wasn’t rich, it was all they could do to get me through my secretarial exams, and I had to get a job and pay for half of them, besides my other living expenses.

That, and they just weren’t willing to help me out. They believed I got myself in hot shit, so I should get myself out of it. Then they hung up before I could tell them to inform someone else that might be of help.

Out of nowhere, I heard the loud sound of metal as the door into the room was opened. My eyes snapped open as I sat up quickly. Was someone finally coming to see me? Or were they bringing in some criminal they caught?

I got off the cot and moved closer to the bars. An officer was walking into the room, followed by a man I’d never seen before, in a tailored suit and a leather briefcase.

“Ma’am,” the officer called, his face sour. “Your lawyer is here.”

My jaw dropped as I looked at the other man again. I was positive I didn’t know him. He looked maybe a few years older than me, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a pair of glasses. I didn’t know any lawyers, and I doubted either of my friends would, either.

The cell door was opened and held for me to walk out. I did so slowly, still in disbelief over this turn of events. The lawyer held his hand out for me, and I reached forward to shake it automatically.

“My employer asked me to represent you,” the lawyer told me. “My name is Isaac Mitchel, and I’ll be your lawyer until the suspicions against you are cleared.”

“Hey,” the officer protested, narrowing his eyes. “That’s going a bit far.”

The lawyer just gave him an unimpressed look. “There are no formal charges against my client, I didn’t word it wrong. All you people have so far are suspicions, and not enough to have her locked up for two days in a cell.” Then he turned to me. “Were you charged with any crimes, miss?”

I floundered a little, my hands clasping together as my mouth opened and closed a few times. I looked at the officer and the lawyer.

“Um,” I started. “I was just picked up from my home on Saturday morning, though I’m not sure what time. I was read my rights, and I was brought immediately here. I got a phone call, but besides that, I haven’t talked to anyone?” I voiced it as a question because I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d missed. It was my first time getting arrested, after all.

“The police didn’t make any charge against you, so legally, you only should have been in holding for twenty-four hours, not as long as they’ve held you for.”

My jaw dropped. Fuck! Could I have been out of here yesterday?

“Now, wait a minute here,” the officer cut in, looking furious. “We have evidence against the miss, so we had every right to hold her for as long as we did. She wasn’t offered bail because we have evidence against her.”

“Just not enough to charge her,” Mr. Mitchel said bluntly. “Now, if you would excuse me, I would like for my client to be released now.”

The officer’s face was still twisted in anger.

Mr. Mitchell turned back to me. “Were you questioned by the police?”

I nodded slowly, still glancing between the two of them, because I had no fucking idea what was going on besides I was getting the fuck out, finally.

“Uh, yeah, they did. It happened the day I got here, on Saturday .”

I had been so freaked, especially since it was after the call with my parents. I’d pretty much answered almost everything with ‘I don’t know’ beside the definite things like the company I worked for and who I worked for. I’d been too distressed to remember I could ask for a lawyer, and they stopped questioning me, anyway. I was a little worried I’d done or said something self-incriminating, but there was nothing I could do after the fact.

Mr. Mitchel gave me a sharp nod. “Any further questioning will only be conducted with me present. If you are asked to come into the station by the police again, say nothing and ask for me immediately.”

I nodded back, feeling my shoulders slump in relief. Hell, my whole fucking body was trembling, and it wasn’t just because of the cold.

“Thank you so much,” I told him fervently. I wanted to take his hands and squeeze them in gratitude, but I hadn't had a shower in two days. “I don’t think I could repay you for this. Literally.”

He walked behind me as we were led out of the room, and to a different one. This one was similar to the room where I was first held when they brought me in before I had to go through questioning.

“Please wait in here, someone will come get you,” the officer said and left with a brisk walk.

I turned to the lawyer, and he offered me a polite smile.

“There’s no reason for you to repay me. As I’ve already said, my employer wishes for me to represent you. All my fees will be going to my employer.”

I frowned, wondering who this ‘employer’ could be. Besides my parents and my friends—since Olivia would have given the news to Emma—who even knew I’d get picked up by the cops?

“Who exactly do you work for?” I asked, narrowing my eyes because suddenly I felt weary of owning this ‘employer’ anything.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at me with confused eyes. “I believe he’s your employer as well? He told me you work as his secretary.”

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. It wasn’t the most graceful reactions, and any other time, in front of someone so sophisticated, I might have felt ashamed of myself. But at that moment, I was too busy feeling surprised.

“He gave me a call earlier this morning, and I came immediately. I managed to get you out on bail; we need to be at the hearing in a little while. Luckily, with all they have, it’s not nearly enough for a solid charge, so you should be fine for now. It shouldn’t take long, and after that, they should release you.”

It hadn't sunk in until the lawyer mentioned him by name. I could only imagine what all of it cost, the lawyer and the bail charges. Why the fuck would Gabe throw all that away for me?