If You Go Down, I Go Down With You

Warrant

"Miss Ridley, Mr. Barnes. We have a warrant to search your home and we're going to need you to come to the station with us." One of the detectives at the door says to us as he holds out a piece of paper.

"Let me see that." James says and takes the paper from the detective. He looks over it and then hands it back. He steps out of the front of the door and moves me aside with him letting them in. "James wha-?" He looks at me and shakes his head, gesturing for me to just go along with it.

There was something about Eliza that James just couldn't help but be attracted to. It was the way she looked at him. The way she trusted him. How she believed in him. How she kissed him. It was the way she said his name. No matter what context it was in.

He couldn't help but want her. Want to protect her. Want her all to himself. He wanted everything with her. He needed her. And he needed to get them off the list of suspects.

"Come on doll. We have to wait outside while they search the house. And detectives, there is a handgun in my desk drawer but the registry for it and license to carry is in the same drawer. I'm assuming you need to take it in for ballistics."

"Yes. Thank you both for your cooperation. It's just routine Mr. Barnes. I'm sure neither of you had anything to do with it and a warrant doesn't seem like routine but it's to rule you out."

"Alright. Well take your time." James says. He shakes the detectives hand then grabs mine in his as he walks out the front door with me.

We get outside and it's a little chilly so James takes us to his car and we get in the backseat together. He wraps his arms around me and I lay my head on his chest. "James I hate this." I say.

"So do I." James says as he kisses my head. "No I hate the way I feel. It's all new to me. I feel scared for the first time. And the way I feel about you...I've never felt it before. I don't know what it is."

"I know what you mean. Believe me I do. All I know is, we have to get off this suspect list. I can't have you go to jail and I can't go to jail. I can't be away from you like that. It's bad enough we don't have a business anymore. I think we're gonna have to shut it down Liza. There's no way we can stay off the radar now."

"I know. I hate it more than anything. It was my dads business before it was mine. It hurts to part with it but if we keep it up it's not and if we get caught it's a when. And I don't have the kind of allays to get rid of a life sentence. And I'm not willing to do the time. I want a life."