Page 202 of Revv

Even knowing Cece was probably watching the clock.

Even knowing every minute I stayed silent was proving every fucked-up thing she’d ever told me she was scared I’d do.

I hate it, but I’d make the same fucking call again.

Lena had to come first on this.

I just have to pray Cece gives me enough time to explain why.

The door at the far end of holding opens, and when an officer calls my name, my head snaps up.

“You’re being released.”

For half a second, I just stare at him.

Then I’m already on my feet.

Because I’ve got one place I need to fucking be.

My knees bitch the second I push off the metal bench, stiff from sitting hunched against a concrete wall for fuck knows how long, and somehow my entire body feels heavier than it did after hauling ass around a track earlier.

At least race exhaustion makes sense. This is adrenaline burned down to nothing, Travis still crawling around inside my head, and the knowledge that Cece has spent the last few hours thinking I became exactly the kind of asshole I promised her I wouldn’t.

I follow the officer out of the holding cell and through another hallway toward processing, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead and making the whole place look even more miserable than it already is.

I’m barely paying attention to where he’s taking me until we round the corner and I see Lena sitting against the wall.

Shit.

Her arms are folded tight across her chest, golden-blonde hair pulled back from a face that’s paler than usual, and her jaw is locked in that particular way I know too fucking well. She’s cried.

Maybe in the car, maybe in a bathroom before she came inside, somewhere private where nobody could see it happen. Now she’s pissed about having cried in the first place, which is about as Lena as it gets.

The second she sees me, her gaze drops straight to my hands.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Revel.”

I glance down at the split skin across my knuckles, the swelling already setting in and dried blood still streaked along the side of my thumb.

“You should see the other guy.”

Her eyes snap back to mine. “That is not funny.”

“Little bit.”

“Revel.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I drag a hand over the back of my neck and wince when my knuckles pull. “I’m fine.”

She gives me a flat look that says I’m, apparently, still stupid enough to try that shit with her.

Lena pushes to her feet and comes closer, her attention dropping back to my hands before she looks up at me again.

“You scared the shit out of me, you know.”

That wipes the grin off my face.

“I know, I’m sorry.”