Page 110 of Shattered By the Currents

“What?” Instinctively, Connor pulled Raven behind him. “What evidence?”

Ward’s eyes narrowed. “Step aside, son.”

“What evidence?”

Ward inched closer. “You get in my way and I’ll arrest you too. You want that?”

A soft hand touched Connor’s shoulder before Raven spoke. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not fucking okay. You didn’t kill anyone!” He didn’t take his eyes off the shit-for-brains sheriff.

“Connor. Look at me.”

His jaw clenched as he turned to Raven.

She cupped his cheek. “I need you to not get arrested right now, because I’m going to need your help getting out. I’ll be all right.”

He didn’t want to let her go. Fuck, it went against every protective instinct inside him. But if he tried to stop this, hewouldget arrested.

He glared at Ward. “You keep her safe.”

The sheriff rolled his eyes. “There goes my plan to feed her to the lions.”

Once Raven had her shoes on, Ward cuffed her and read Raven her rights. Then Connor had to watch them drive away. The second they were gone, rage spiraled in his chest. It filtered throughout his entire body until it was all he could feel.

He pulled out his phone.

Ethan answered. “Connor, is?—”

“They arrested her. Ward arrested Raven. We need to get her out. We need evidence that her asshole of an ex-fiancé framed her for everything.”

25

Connor paced the hall of the sheriff’s office. He hadn’t slept all last night. Not a single fucking minute. He’d spent hours waiting for Ethan to call him with some sort of information proving Raven’s innocence, then the rest of the night at the station, waiting for Ward to get in.

He wanted to know what evidence they had against her, and he wasnotleaving until he had it. He didn’t give a shit that he wasn’t law enforcement and they shouldn’t be sharing anything. Ward had done a hell of a lot worse in his time as sheriff—he could certainly break a rule for Connor.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home?” the elderly receptionist asked for what had to be the tenth time in the last hour. “I can call you when Ward?—”

“I’m staying.”

She sighed in clear exasperation and turned back to her computer. There’d already been a front-desk change an hour ago. It was almost nine. Nine in the fucking morning. That meant Raven had been held in a cell for over twelve damn hours.

He’d called her a lawyer, and the lawyer had made contact with her last night, advised her not to say anything without him present, but also said he wouldn’t be present until the morning.

There was no way she was talking to Ward without a lawyer present. The sheriff would take the easy way out like he always did, and right now, that would entail Raven going away for a crime she didn’t commit.

He couldn’t stand here for much longer. He had to do something. Anything.

The doors opened and Connor spun, only for hope to crash and burn at the sight of Ryan. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?” He stopped beside him. “I’m here to make sure you don’t kill someone and get your ass put in a cell.”

“I want her out, Ryan. I want her outnow.”

“I know. Ethan’s been up all night. I’m sure he’s close.”

Connor nodded. Ethanwouldfind something. He was too good at what he did not to.