XVI | Waiting Game

Halle slid off of the kitchen island, her heart pounding in sync with each knock.

Chiko was conflicted for a moment too long, and the police officers were growing more and more impatient.

"Open up now or we're coming in!"

"Fuck!" he whisper yelled, and reluctantly put his hand on the doorknob.

There wasn't any drug paraphernalia in the apartment, but there were plenty of unregistered firearms in various hidden locations. Chiko was known for having the gift of gab, but could he talk his way out of a situation where someone's mind was clearly made up?

With other deep breath, he decided try his luck.

And he opened the door.

"On the ground, now! Both of you!" The officer's shouted, their guns pointed at the unofficial couple.

Halle followed their orders, her lips tucked to conceal any sound as the side of her head met the hard floor. She didn't understand why this was happening, and neither did Chiko. He was a bit more defiant though, his hardened gaze challenging the men in navy blue uniforms.

"I said get on the fucking ground!" The thinner cop gritted his teeth. "And keep your hands where I can see them."

Chiko blew his breath, and slowly lowered his body onto the floor, palms flat on the wood. The phone is his pocket dug into his thigh uncomfortably, but he didn't dare to fix it.

Both police officers pounced on him as soon as he was still. The one with the stocky build put his weapon away and replaced with a pair of steel handcuffs that were tightly snapped around Chiko's wrist in seconds. Then they hoisted him to his feet.

"You haven't said what you're arresting me for." His voice was icy, and his muscles were stiff.

"Murder." The bigger one adjusted his trousers, perspiration on his forehead from all the shuffling.

"What?" Chiko's head jerked back with shock, and his blood ran cold. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Taz was the first person that came to his mind, but everything about their approach was off, leading him to believe that they weren't telling the truth. They were too vague and unprofessional. Their badges looked cheap and flimsy. They hadn't even spoken his full name to properly make the arrest, or named the victim.

They each grabbed one of his biceps to usher him forward, but his feet were has heavy as cement.

Chiko started verbally firing ten numbers in rotation. Over and over until it was stuck in Halle's head.

"Halle, call my brother," he said after the seventh round of reciting Izzy's phone number.

"Okay," she said just loud enough, watching as they drug him out of his apartment.

Halle sprang up when the door snapped shut, her hands shaking as she chanted the ten digits. The line rang and rang and rang until it went to voicemail.

But she didn't give up.

On the fourth call, Izzy answered, "Hello?"

"Chiko got arrested, and he told me to call you," she blurted out, gnawing on her middle fingernail.

"What?!" Izzy sat up in bed, squinting to read the time on his phone. It was 11:36 PM. "Who is this?"

"Halle," she spoke timidly, knowing that the more people who knew of their meetup, the harder it would be to keep the affair private.

Don't be selfish. This is not about you right now! Her conscience scolded.

Izzy checked his brother's location, and sucked his teeth. He was traveling east at 70 mph towards the desert, much to his confusion.

"Okay. Thanks." He hung up and scrambled out of bed to find some pants.

Halle clutched her phone to her chest as she exited Chiko's apartment, her legs wobbly with anxiety. The entire situation was bizarre, but given the circumstances, she couldn't even vent about it.

She drove all the way back to the penthouse, debating on whether or not she should call Sage. She could use the distraction, but she didn't trust herself to not spill everything that was on her mind. Before she clicked her best-friend's contact number, she pressed the power button to lock the screen. This would have to be something she kept to herself. She needed to sleep on it.

Halle took some deep breaths in the elevator, praying that Rowan hadn't decided to wait up.

The freezing AC made her shiver when she walked through the front door, but not as much as her boyfriend's tired eyes landing on hers.

Her prayers were not answered.

Rowan got up from the sofa, his mouth in a tight line as he assessed his girlfriend. Neither knew what to say.

"You're still up," she commented the obvious, placing her keys on the hook drilled into the wall.

"Yeah, I just can't sleep these days."

"I've noticed." Halle offered him a pity smile, wrapping her arms around her body as she headed for the bathroom. "There's some melatonin on my nightstand if you need."

Her shower was a long one, partially because she enjoyed the feeling, but mainly because she wanted to avoid talking to Rowan. She was stalling.

And Rowan could tell.

He could feel her distance, see her cowering under his gaze. His only dilemma was on how to approach the subject. Should he pull back or smother her with affection? Did he even know how to do the latter? Halle was usually the lovey-dovey partner, and he could not adapt to this new change. He did not like it at all. It was unnatural.

He sat on the bed, his head in his palms when the warmth from the steamy bathroom was released into the master bedroom. Halle's slightly oversized fuzzy shoes flopped as she rounded the bed, her dirty clothes discarded into her hamper. She looked more at ease, but there was still a gleam of uncertainty in her eyes.

Rowan wet his lips to prepare his sentence, but the rhythmic vibrations of an incoming call cut him off before he could even get it out.

What could Karter possibly want at almost one in the morning?

Rowan swiped his thumb across the screen, struggling to conceal his agitation. "What is it?"

"I need you to come to the hospital."

~

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