Chapter 1

Lia

People say certain experiences in life define you as a human being, and I have to agree. Because the second my fist collided with my soon-to-be ex’s face, I realized something very important about my life: it absolutely sucked.

“Damn, woman. I can’t believe you did that.” Travis fell to his knees on the sidewalk, his hand over his bloody nose.

“And I’d do it all over again if I had to.” Sweat trickled down the side of my neck as I shook out my hand.

Knees shaking from adrenaline, I darted toward the front door of Jimney’s—the bar where I worked every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night—but was stopped short by the outstretched arm of my boss, Patricia.

“Turn right around and get on home, Lia.” Her lips twitched as she stared down at my hand, then back at Travis.

“But I’ve still got two hours left.”

“Yeah, I get it, baby girl. But I also don’t want the cops all up in my place of business.”

“Why would the cops come?” It’s not like I’d strung Travis’s balls up behind his ears and hung him upside down by his penis from the telephone pole.

Although the thought had crossed my mind.

Finding your boyfriend screwing the brains out of your coworker next to a Dumpster outside your place of employment did tend to make a woman feel murderous…

Patricia clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and nodded her head at something behind me. “I didn’t call, but I’m pretty sure one of them did.”

I turned back around, finding two girls lingering by the Dumpster. Sure enough, one was on her cell, while the other stood with her arm around Aubrey—said coworker—trying to console her as she sobbed. I rolled my eyes as an unmarked cop car pulled into the lot, red lights silently flashing.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Patricia pressed her hand between my shoulder blades. “As much as I feel for you, I’m not going to be sticking around.”

A car door slammed. Boots crunched against the pavement, announcing the arrival of two cops. I jerked my head their way just in time for the shorter of the pair—the pudgy one with the ’stache—to ask, “What’s the problem here?”

“She fucking broke my nose,” Travis whined.

I folded my arms. “He deserved it.”

With a sigh, I turned toward Cop Two, whose dark eyes were on me. He lifted his eyebrows, sweeping his flashlight over Travis, Aubrey, and her friends, then back my way. This officer was tall, with broad shoulders, a visible neck tat, and a face full of stubble. He was hot—in a badass biker way.

Nodding once, Cop Two switched off his light and lowered it to his side. “Did he hurt you, miss?”

I blinked, taken back by his concern. “Well, I—”

“Cuff her, Mitch,” Cop One grumbled as he wrote something in a little black notebook. “Man’s pressing charges, and there’re witnesses.”

I stiffened. Oh God.

“Was he hurting you?” Cop Two repeated.

“Not physically, no.” I folded my arms.

He scratched at his stubbled jaw, then nodded. “Not much I can do for you, then, I’m afraid.”

“Wasn’t asking you to, was I?” Like a four-year-old, I dug my toe into a crack, willing a hole to open below me. Embarrassed didn’t even begin to describe the way I felt.

With an apology on his face, Cop Two motioned for me to turn around. “We’re going to have to take you in. I’m sorry.”

Doing what he asked—because I didn’t want to be charged with resisting arrest—I nodded as the cold metal of handcuffs snaked around my wrists.

“You have the right to remain silent…” he began.

Chin high, I swallowed, pushing down the aching throb in my throat. I refused to cry over something that I’d never regret doing. “I want to talk to my law…yer.” Crap. I didn’t have a lawyer. I couldn’t very well afford one either—not when every bit of my savings had been spent that morning on my final tuition payment.

“Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,” he continued, his voice low, his grip strong around my forearm.

I jerked my eyes to the left, just as Aubrey and crew slipped into her car. The motor of her little Mercedes putted along as she passed. Not once did she look over at me as she pulled out of the parking lot, but I saw her smile, those tears she’d been shedding long gone and likely just done for show.

“You’ll get to make a phone call once we arrive at the station.” Cop Two nudged me toward his car.

I blew out a slow breath, concentrating on the clipping of my boots against the pavement as I moved. Seriously, who could I even call? My brother wasn’t an option. Not only would he kill me, but he’d also call my parents and tell them. They’d have to hop on a plane and fly back from Arizona, which meant they’d be unable to finish their winter vacation. That’s the last thing I wanted, especially since I’d caused enough heartache in their lives as it was.

What I needed was a miracle.

And, yeah, a lottery win would have been nice too.

I sank into the backseat of the squad car, reality smacking me in the face. There was only one person I could call who wouldn’t make me feel like the trash I was.

I just hoped he’d pick up the phone.