Sloane
My eyes burned, exhaustion threatening to pull me into a deep sleep. I've been awake for almost 24 hours now, but I can't sleep.
Not yet.
Not when Chris is in jail and Dodger is scared out of his mind.
I poured myself another cup of black coffee, draining it in a few large gulps, ignoring the bitterness it left on my taste buds. I didn't care about taste. I desperately needed the caffeine.
Dom and Cami stood in their kitchen with me, both of them just as exhausted.
The news about Chris blew up overnight and several of his sponsors dropped him immediately. I wasn't hopeful he would be able to get them back, but we were still going to try. I owed him that much. Cami's been on damage control, trying to spin the news and stop it from spreading too far.
It didn't look like it was working.
I rubbed the heels of my palms into my eyes, fighting past the exhaustion. "Okay." My hands slapped against their marble countertop. "It's 8am on a Sunday. The pound opens in an hour. The bank opens in 30."
"What do those have to do with each other?" Dom asked mid-yawn.
"I'm gonna pull out as much as I can and I'm gonna start playing dirty. The law obviously hasn't worked in my favor. I'm gonna bribe them. Who can say no to cash?"
Dom and Cami exchanged a look, then shrugged.
"You sure?" Dom asked.
"No. But what the hell else am I gonna do?" As a lawyer, it did hurt to consider breaking the law in so many ways, but I'm out of options.
The law isn't going to protect us, it wasn't protecting Chris.
"And his lawyer?"
I looked over at Cami, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. I knew I was a good lawyer, but I'm also humble enough to admit that this was beyond my expertise.
Stu had his opportunity to pull strings. Now it was mine.
Unfortunately for him, I had a lot of favors to cash in.
"Helen Toley. She's... an evil genius. Best defense attorney I know. If anyone is gonna get him out of this, it's her. Cam, can you call her at 9? Her nephew plays for the Yankees. I negotiated his contract up by 3 million. She owes me."
Dom walked over to where I stood, clamping a hand on my shoulder. "Well, even if she doesn't, we'll chip in whatever we need to help. We're here for you guys."
I smiled appreciatively, tears welling up in my eyes. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice cracking a little.
Obviously, Cam and Dom would help me however I needed it, I knew that. But it still warmed my heart that I had friends like this.
I sniffed, taking a deep breath and clearing my throat. "Okay. I gotta... Fuck. I don't know. My brain isn't working."
"It's okay," Cami said softly, "You're tired. It's normal. Just... Go get ready to go, wash your face, then head to the bank."
I nodded a few times, then turned to head to their guest bathroom, skidding to a stop when my phone started buzzing on the counter. I ran over and eyed the caller I.D., snatching it off of the counter when I didn't recognize the number and swiping to answer, "Chris?"
"Hey, baby."
I immediately burst into tears, my knees buckling as I sank to the floor, "God, Chris. I'm so fucking sorry. I– If I would've known, I wouldn't have provoked him like that! I would've–"
"Pip, please, baby. I only have a few minutes and we both know you have nothing to apologize for," He spoke softly, but his voice was strained.
"You okay? You sound off."
Chris stayed silent on the other end for a second too long.
"Chris? What happened?"
He sniffed, "Nothing, it's nothing. I just– I wanted to check on you."
"You wanted to check on me?" I asked quietly.
"Are you okay?"
"Chris, I'm fine. I'm– I stayed with Dom and Cami, they–" I paused, not sure what all he knew. "What's happening there? Have they told you anything?"
He let out an unamused laugh, "Yeah. And, Sloane, I'm so sorry about the apartment. They... Stu came in and showed me pictures. It's destroyed."
My eyes burned again, but I held back my tears, swallowing the emotion building in my throat. "It's okay."
"And tell Cam I'm sorry Dodger had to stay with you."
Fuck.
My heart shattered all over again. I closed my eyes, sighing heavily. "Baby, they took him."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm getting ready to go to the pound to get him back, I'm so sorry, Chris. I tried, but they wouldn't let me keep him."
He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "It's okay, you have nothing to apologize for."
"Did they tell you anything else?" I asked, my voice still shaky.
"Yeah, Pip. They uh– they planted a lot. Almost 3 grams on me. 5 thousand grams were found stashed under the bed in the guest bedroom, and a bunch of weed, too. I'm screwed," he laughed again, this one much more defeated than the last.
My mouth hung open for a second, my mind trying to process everything he just said but also how the fuck they were able to plant everything and where the fuck a bunch of cops were able to acquire that many drugs.
Cami's words echoed through my mind. I could brainstorm and ponder later. But right now, Chris needs me.
"Chris, listen to me. You are not screwed. I have Cami calling the best defense attorney on the east coast, I'm on my way to get Dodger back, I am going to do exactly as he did. Stoop low and play dirty. I will have you home so fast that this will all just seem like a bad dream, okay?"
His staticky sigh came through the phone. "I love you, you know that?"
"I love you, you know that?" I responded, tears spilling over and streaming down my face. "He won't get away with this. I promise."
"I know he won't." He sighed again, "I have to go."
My eyes shut as I nodded to myself. "Okay. I love you so much."
"I know. Bye, baby."
I waited until I heard the sound of the phone clanking against the hook switch to pull my cell phone away from my ear. "Fuck!" I cried, pulling my knees to my chest and letting out a sob.
He sounded so defeated. And so fucking tired.
Cami sat down behind me pulling me against her chest, letting me cry out all of my pent up frustrations.
Fuck Stu, fuck the Boston PD, fuck whoever sold them these drugs and fuck anyone who believed Chris was actually guilty.
I gave myself a second to let it out all, knowing this was the last time until Chris was free that I'd allow myself to do so. Cami rubbed my back, Dom stood helpless on the side, hating that there was nothing to do. He had to go to practice soon and as much as he pushed to skip, I knew he would get fined if he did so.
I took a shaky breath, taking the tissue out of Dom's hand and smiling at him appreciatively. I wiped my nose, then turned and looked at my best friend. "I gotta call Lisa."
There was no way she hadn't heard about the news yet and she would be absolutely heartbroken thinking that Chris was capable of this. Neither of our families really knew what happened with Stu except for Zoey. And she barely knew the truth.
Now they'd all have to know. A part of me thought that maybe they pieced it together after we broke up, but I wasn't certain. Today, they would know for sure.
My family and the family of the man I now loved would know that I let some pathetic excuse of a man isolate me, control, and belittle me. Living with the fact that this happened in the first place was humiliating enough and now everyone I loved would know, too.
I rubbed my eyes again while Cami moved to stand, "Listen, Sloane. You're only human. You can't take this on alone. Go to the bank, go to the pound. Get Dodger home. Dom and I will take care of Lisa. We'll tell her it was a mixup and that we're working on it. I'll let you– If you wanna give details, I'll leave that up to you. Let's just take this step by step, okay?"
"Okay," I answered, blinking again to stop a fresh wave of tears from forming in my eyes. "Okay," I exhaled sharply and took the hand Cami offered to pull me up from my spot on their kitchen floor.
"Stu will not get away with this. The Boston PD will not get away with this. You hear me?"
A weight lifted from my shoulders, the conviction she normally carried was back and breathing new life into her words.
"I hear you."
She smiled softly. "Okay," her hands clamped down on my shoulders. "Go get your baby back."
Given my apartment was currently a crime scene and I was denied access, the only clothes I had were a baggy pair of sweats and an old t-shirt courtesy of Dom, and a pair of flip-flops, courtesy of Cam.
Ideal for the path of destruction I was set on burning? Absolutely not.
But it would have to do.
My bank only allowed $5000 cash withdrawals at each branch and even though it didn't feel like enough, it would have to do. I didn't have time to drive all over Boston to each bank.
I pushed open the doors to the pound, immediately met with the smell of dog food and cleaning supplies. Dogs barked in the distance, some deep, booming barks, others small or high-pitched.
There was only one bark I was dying to hear.
There was a man at the counter wearing a dark green volunteer shirt. I'm not exactly well-versed in pound politics, but he seemed like a good place to start.
I smiled, placing my arms on the tall counter, a large wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket.
"Hello, there! What can I do for you today?"
Nerves twisted in my stomach, unsure of how this was going to pan out. "I need to speak to someone that's in charge of the stray dogs or dogs that come in via... police escort."
He stared at me blankly for a second, blinking several times.
"Is there anyone here to help me with that?"
"I– Uh... sure, give me just a second," He disappeared through a swinging door behind the desk, leaving me alone in the lobby.
10 minutes went by, then 20. I was starting to lose my patience. And then I started to panic. What if he called the police? What if Stu was on his way to me right now?
I stopped pacing and eyed the door, wondering if I needed to make a break for it. Though I'm not exactly on the run, I'm not in trouble. It was just the aspect of being in the same room as Stu that set my fight or flight into motion.
"Ma'am?"
My head whipped towards the counter, a woman standing there with an uneasy smile. She could probably see the anxiousness in my eyes.
"You were looking for the head of stray intake? Did you lose a dog?"
I swallowed, my eyes flickering from the door and then back to the woman behind the desk. "Yes. Do you think we could talk somewhere?"
She nodded, disappearing from behind the counter and reappearing behind a door that read 'kennels'. The woman pushed it open with a wary smile and waved for me to come through.
I followed her back, my eyes sweeping each kennel we passed by, hoping to see Dodger.
"Do you have a picture of the dog?"
"I– uh– yeah, yes. Just a second." I pulled my phone from my pocket, swiping through the pictures until I found one of Dodger sitting at the foot of our bed, my eyes immediately welling with tears. "It's uh– This is him," I showed her my phone screen, swiping at the tears falling down my cheeks.
"Ah," she sighed, wringing her hands together. "He was brought in last night."
I nodded eagerly, "Yes, can I see him? Please? I just wanna take him home."
She chewed on her lip, her shoulders dropping. "It's out of my jurisdiction."
"What does that even mean?"
"He was brought in by the police, there's a mandatory quarantine. I can't– there's nothing I can do."
My heart sank, "Please, I– I'll pay whatever it takes, please! He was–" I took a slow breath, attempting to control my emotions. "Just– hear me out, okay?"
I rubbed my lips together anxiously, my whole body seemed twitchy and nervous. "My ex-boyfriend. He–" I gulped, my eyes filling with tears again. "He was abusive. I finally left him and I– I moved on with someone who treats me so well and I'm so happy and he can't stand to see it. So now he's taking it out on everyone in my life. My boyfriend–" my voice cracked thinking about Chris in jail, "My dog. I just– I want Dodger home. He's completely innocent in all of this, we all are, and I just– I want him home. I can– I have $5,000 cash I can give you now. I can– my boyfriend and I have money, and my best friend works for a PR firm. I can get you sponsored by the Red Sox by Wednesday. Please, just–" I took the cash from my pocket, shoving it at her while tears streamed freely down my face, "Please help me."
Her brows furrowed as she stared at the cash in my hands, "I–" she swallowed, anxiously looking at the camera in the corner of the room. "Come with me." She turned quickly, her short legs carrying her at a surprisingly fast pace as I struggled to keep up in Dom's sweats.
She pushed through another set of doors, leading me through a dim hallway before she reached an office door. She held it open, ushering me inside.
I walked through the threshold, standing off to the side while she closed the door behind us.
"Are you safe from this man?"
I stared at her for a second before my lips started quivering. I've been so concerned about Chris and Dodger that I hadn't really stopped to think about myself. "I think so. He seems to just– I think he just wants me to suffer by taking away the things I love most."
Who knew this damn dog would pull my heartstrings like this?
She nodded, "Okay. I need to– Just–" she sighed, "I was you once. Scrambling to pick up the mess left by an asshole who couldn't take no for an answer. I'm sorry."
I didn't trust my voice so all I did was nod.
"I'll go get him okay? I just need to shut off the cameras. Give me a second and I'll have your baby back."
Her words lifted a massive weight from my shoulders, my knees threatening to buckle at the relief that consumed me. "Really?"
She nodded, "Of course." She turned to do something on the computer, her fingers typing quickly. "Okay, the cameras have 'malfunctioned' for about 10 minutes. I'm gonna go grab him, I'll meet you out front?"
"Yes, of course," I agreed quickly, hoping she wouldn't change her mind, "Here," I pushed the wad of cash in her direction but she shook her head.
"No, keep it. Just– get me that sponsorship?"
I smiled the first genuine smile since last night, "You got it, I promise."
"Sounds good," She smiled in return, then gestured for me to exit the room. "Just down that hall and through the kennels. I'll have him out in just a sec."
Without thinking, I threw my arms around her shoulders, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Thank you, oh my god! Thank you so much!"
After a moment of hesitation, her arms wrapped around me, too. "I'm sorry this is happening to you."
I pulled away, keeping my hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry you went through it, too."
It felt like maybe both of us needed that hug.
After a second, she snapped out of the moment. "We only have 10 minutes."
"Right, I'll meet you out front."
I worked my way back through the maze of the hallway and through the kennels, pushing through the door to the lobby.
I'm getting Dodger back. I'm not even remotely close to getting Chris out, but I got Dodger. A small piece of the man I loved was going to be in my arms in just a few moments.
Even though she declined my money, I still felt obligated to thank her somehow. "Excuse me?" I walked back over to the desk, the same man sitting on a stool next to the computer. "Do you have an envelope?"
He nodded, searching through a drawer for a second and pulling one out, and sliding it across the counter.
I thanked him, parting it open out of his sight and sliding the cash inside. Once it was sealed, I set it back up on the counter. "Umm– A pen? And the name of the lady that helped me?"
He slid a pen over to me, "Chrystal."
"Thank you," I wrote her name across the top of the envelope and slid both objects back toward him. "Make sure she gets this after I leave, please."
He eyed the envelope, then looked back up at me, "Oh.. kay?"
Before I could thank him again, the doors pushed open and Chrystal walked out with Dodger on a leash. I could tell the second his eyes landed on me, everything about his demeanor changed. Dodger's ears perked up, his tail started wagging.
He felt safe again.
I rushed over and fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close while he whimpered with excitement. My eyes filled with tears once again, a small little boulder of relief chipping away from the mountain that weighed me down.
I had Dodger. He was safe, I was taking him home.
There was still a myriad of things that I needed to do, but knowing that Chris's dog was safe slowed the downward spiral my life seemed to be taking just a little. I had a tiny bit of control back.
"Thank you," I whispered, looking up at Chrystal. Her eyes were glassy with tears, blinking rapidly to stop them from falling.
She cleared her throat, "Of course. Be safe." She nodded once with a soft smile on her lips before disappearing through the swinging doors.
I took Dodger's leash in my hand and led him through the front door, knowing what my next step was going to be.
Me staying with Cami and Dom was already a huge imposition and with Cam's allergies, I would feel horrible if Dodger stayed with me. It hurt to think about not being with him, but I knew the best thing for everyone was to take him to Lisa and Bob's. He could stay with them while I tried to get me and Chris's life back in order.