Crown of Lies

“Let him go!” I clambered to my knees, whacking the back of some pudgy guy in a high-vis jacket. “Get off him!”

My arms were pinned behind my back.

“Give it a rest.” Someone hauled me upright. “Don’t assault a security guard, ma’am, unless you want to add that to your misdemeanors tonight?”

I tried to spin. But the man who held me gave no leeway. Yanking me backward, he said to Nameless, “Don’t be a hero. You’re outnumbered. Stop wasting time.”

My eyes connected with the man I’d kissed. He ceased fighting, turning limp rather than scrapping with the security guard. We didn’t look away as a police officer stepped forward and ducked to grab his wrists.

With a sharp smile, Nameless swung once, twice, then gave up. A last hoorah rather than an attempt at escape. His head didn’t bow as his arms were yanked behind his back like mine, and the sharp click of handcuffs being fastened interrupted the night.

He breathed hard as the police officer jerked him to his feet, not caring half the garden came with him in a tumble of dried leaves and dirt.

The security guard who’d launched on him stood too, limping a little but with a cruel sneer on his face at winning.

We were marched out of the bushes and made to stand on the pathway where joggers and pram-strollers would walk in a few hours when the sun rose. For now, it was a processing place for illegal canoodling.

My heart thundered as I twisted my wrists in the cold metal imprisoning me. Tearing my gaze from Nameless, I glanced at the police officer lurking close to his captive. “Please, you don’t have to arrest us.”

Another police officer with graying hair and a heavy artillery belt rubbed his jaw. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. Trespassing is a serious offense. As is indecent exposure. Plenty of crimes committed tonight.”

“Indecent exposure?” I scoffed. “When?”

“Making out in a public place.”

“That’s not illegal.”

“I saw him feeling you up.” A security guard with a sweaty face grunted. “Who knows how far you would’ve gone if I hadn’t interrupted. Sex on a baseball field? That’s a punishable offense.”

My cheeks pinked. I didn’t want to discuss anything to do with sex with these idiots. “That’s your word against ours. We would never go that far. We’re not savages.”

“Speak for yourself.” Nameless chuckled. “You can argue until you pass out, Elle, but you won’t win.” He narrowed his gaze with hate at the guards. “I know the law, and the law doesn’t give a shit about the truth.”

“Watch your mouth, son.” The cop with the heavy belt pointed in Nameless’s face. “You’re already fucked, so I wouldn’t be adding any more ammunition to your file if I were you.”

File?

Wait, he has a file?

Shaking my head, determined not to let questions undermine me, I looked at the officer who seemed to be in charge. “Look, we’re sorry. Can we just pay a fine?” I looked at Nameless, suffering such guilt that he’d saved me from being raped, given me one of the best experiences of my life, and now, he would be imprisoned all because I couldn’t run fast enough. “Let us go. I promise we’ll leave and never come back.”

“No can do, little lady.” The police officer with his heavy belt whispered to a colleague, nodding to something said on the radio clipped to his lapel.

He smirked at Nameless. “According to reports, you were seen beating up two men earlier tonight. They said they found you about to rob and rape a young woman, and they tried to stop you. For their troubles, you almost broke one of their cheekbones and cracked a rib or two.”

“Bullshit.” My kisser bared his teeth. “I was the one trying to prevent them from doing that.” He cocked his chin at me. “That’s the girl they were trying to hurt.”

The officers and security guards all raised an eyebrow. “Is this true, ma’am?”

I shrunk a little but nodded. “Yes. He saved me.”

“Saved you?” The officer coughed. “Saved you and then brought you to a closed park to do what?”

I swallowed. “I’m very aware of how this looks, but he’s right. We met when he saved me. They—they were going to hurt me.”

“And he would’ve hurt you if we hadn’t appeared.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“You don’t know him like we do, miss.”

A police officer came over to pat me down while another patted my savior’s body. My heart stopped when they found the eighty dollars in his hoodie pocket.

“Didn’t rob you, huh?”

“That’s mine, fuck face.” Nameless fought against the handcuffs.

“Of course, it is,” the lead officer said. “How many times do we need to tell you, lying only makes it worse for you?”

I froze.

How many times?

How many times had he faced situations like this?

I tried to catch his eye. To apologize. But he kept his glare on the officer who pocketed the eighty dollars. The money that could’ve bought him a better meal and a roof for a night.

Another person arrived on the scene, his heavy footsteps familiar even before he appeared in the flashlight glow of the security guards. I should’ve known he would turn up. He had a police scanner and had most likely been looking for me ever since I didn’t call for him to drive me home.