Protecting Salvation: A Shadow Elite Novel

Aubrey had been a welcome sight right when her strength had been starting to flag. Tears pricked Peyton’s eyes as she sunk into Aubrey’s embrace as she patted her on the back.

“Don’t let that little prick or his cronies get to you, Pey. I know you didn’t do this and we’re going to get it squared away.”

Aubrey’s unquestioning confidence in the fact that she was innocent without her even asking had bolstered her. A promise that she’d be in the observation room during the interview made her feel like she could get through this. Maybe having a superior officer watching over him would have McCain behaving but she doubted it. Pricks like him were so full of their own self-importance that they thought they were invincible.

The door clanked open again and a smiling female officer approached. “Your lawyer is here so I believe Detective McCain is going to begin the interview.”

Her voice was calm and kind, and Peyton knew that somehow Aubrey had arranged to have this woman brought in to cover her. “Thank you.”

A small nod was the only acknowledgement but it was enough as she was led down the corridor to the interview room where Damon Cavendish was waiting for her, a small smile on his handsome face. Dressed in a custom suit that probably cost more than her car, he had success written all over him. A respected and revered barrister, there was nobody better to have in her corner, but the fact he was here also made her fearful that Shadow had thought the big guns were needed.

“Don’t look so worried, Peyton. We’ll have this cleared up before dinner.”

A sexy smile crossed his lips as he nodded at the officer beside her and she would’ve sworn she heard the younger woman sigh. He had that effect on women, he was rich, smart, successful, and hot as sin, yet all she wanted was to crawl into Warren’s lap and have his big arms enclose her in his scent.

“I’m not sure why they called in the big guns, but I’m glad to see you, Damon. Thank you.”

He waved her off with a grin and ushered Peyton into the empty interview room. She sat as he turned to the officer, his confident control reassuring. “I’d like to speak with my client alone, please.”

He didn’t ask but neither did he demand or make the officer feel small. He just stated what he wanted like he expected his order to be followed.

“Of course.”

He stood waiting until the door closed then turned to her with a glance at the corners to ensure nothing was recording, which would be a violation of her rights but not one she’d put past McCain.

Clearly satisfied he sat opposite her. “Are you okay, Peyton? Have they treated you well?”

Her fingers twisted in knots but she nodded. “Yes, they have.”

“Good. Now, the charges they’re trying to bring are murder. I’m afraid your cousin was found late yesterday. My condolences.”

“Thank you but, honestly, there was no love lost between us.” Although he was her last living blood relative, it was hard to miss someone you despised so completely. But the way he died, she’d mourn that for him. “I didn’t do it.”

Damon chuckled. “I know that, and so do they, but they have an agenda. Once I get you out, it’s one I know your friends will uncover for you.”

“On what grounds did they arrest me?”

Peyton wasn’t a fool, they had to have something to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant or the Crown Prosecution to back this level of heavy-handedness.

Damon leaned back in his chair looking relaxed as he tapped his finger on the table in front of him. “They say they have the murder weapon with your fingerprints on it.”

Her heart slammed into her chest. “How is that possible when I didn’t kill him?” She threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “I haven’t even seen the man in two years.”

“Naz says you had a break-in at your office yesterday.”

“Naz?”

His cheeks pinked. “Sorry, Lotus.”

“Oh yes, I did. It was trashed and they found evidence of ammonium nitrate there too.”

“Yes, it was found at the crime scene also.”

“Are you saying the killer is the same person who broke into my office?”

Damon frowned. “Possibly but I’ll leave that to the experts. My job right now is to get you through this interview and back to Hurricane before he rolls through here and flattens the entire building to get to you.”

Hearing that was both a blessing and a curse. That he cared so much was proof of how intense his feelings were for her but it was quickly overshadowed by what any kind of stress could do to his health. Her expertise was the mind, not the medical aspect of life-changing conditions like a tumour and how it would react under stress like this.

The fact that in the last week or so, since the night at the club, all those old feelings had flooded back should be shocking. But in the last twenty-four hours it felt like she’d handed him her heart and trusted him to take care of it and treat it gently but more, he’d done the same. It was a huge about-face for him and one she wondered if he was regretting right now.

He thought his life was complex but hers seemed to be falling apart and she could finally see he’d done what he had and walked away without giving her a choice. It was because he did care and didn’t want to drag her down with him, which was exactly what she was doing right now.

She should walk away, tell him it was all a mistake but for the life of her, she didn’t think the strength existed where she could walk away from a man like Warren Tanner. “Is he okay?”

Damon blinked in surprise. “Yeah, as far as I’m aware he’s fine. Ready to tear McCain limb from limb last I heard but he’s with Titan and Lotus doing something while I fix this little blip.”

Peyton smirked. “Little blip?”

“That’s all I’ll allow it to be. If there is one thing I hate it’s bent coppers with an agenda, and that’s exactly what’s going on right now. So why don’t we discuss how to proceed?”

“Okay.”

“He’s going to throw questions at you and try and trip you up. I want the only words past your lips to be no comment. I’ll handle the rest. They have twenty-four hours to charge you or get an extension, which I’ll fight. Then we’ll get you home.”

He sounded so confident it was difficult to disagree. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How come you came and not Sebastian?”

Snow’s husband Sebastian was a judge but he was still licensed to practice law and would have been her first thought. She hadn’t considered Damon would be here or willing to get involved.

“He’s currently involved in a big corruption case in London. So, unfortunately for you, you have me instead.”

Peyton slapped her hand over her mouth suddenly feeling incredibly ungrateful to a man who was helping her out. “Oh my God, I didn’t mean it like that!”

Damon laughed and it was deep and rumbly and she wondered how the hell nobody had snapped him up yet. “Kidding, Peyton. I’m happy to help. Any friend of Nadia’s is a friend of mine.”

She’d almost forgotten his brother was married to Nadia Benassi, second in command at Shadow. The two men were both handsome but where Gideon was broody, Damon exuded warmth.

A knock sounded on the door and she blew out a breath when McCain walked in all swagger and arrogance.

“Time’s up.”

Damon stood but she remained seated, not wanting this dick to see how much her legs shook.

“We were finished anyway, Detective.” He held his hand out for McCain to sit. “Shall we get started with this farce? I have things to do.”

McCain sat and seemed to catch himself doing as he was told and stood again to be obstinate. “Take a seat, Mr Cavendish, is it? Surprised a big-time barrister like you would bother with small fry like Miss Lawson here. Surprised she can afford it on what she makes fixing broken people’s minds. This case is open and shut. It won’t be good for your career.”

McCain was playing with fire and he had no clue but she did, especially when Damon gave the man a smile that was anything but pleasant.

“It’s Dr Lawson. Please address my client accordingly.” Now Damon sat like he didn’t need the bullshit power position to hold the power. “And I’m doing this for free because Dr Lawson is a friend and you’re correct. It won’t be good for someone’s career but it won’t be mine.” He fiddled with his cuff and then smiled. “Shall we?”

McCain and the officer that had just slipped into the room behind him looked flustered and sat, beginning the interview recording by stating who was present.

Two hours passed while McCain did everything to trip her, goad her, and make her slip, and Peyton’s only response was no comment, just like Damon had suggested.

“It seems to me, Detective, you have nothing but a smudged fingerprint on a weapon that was in all likely hood stolen from my client’s office.”

“Your client did not list the item as stolen.”

Damon flicked through several pages before he turned a report to McCain. “Yes, she did. It states here that a knife gifted to her by a client was stolen during the break-in.”

“Why would a client give a gift like that? She could have set the entire thing up to make it look like it had been stolen.”

“You’re reaching, Detective. What has the coroner put as the time of death?”

“Between three and four pm yesterday afternoon.”

“Have you even bothered to ask my client if she has an alibi?”

McCain pinned her with a look loaded with disdain and hatred. “Do you have an alibi?”

“Yes, I do. I was at home all afternoon.”

He sneered like he thought he had won. “Alone?”

“Oh no, I have seven witnesses who were with me all afternoon and one who has not left my side since my office break-in.”

McCain looked like he might have a coronary.

The door opened and Aubrey stood there looking like she ate nails for breakfast. “Detective, a word?”

It was almost funny to see him fight his natural reaction to being told what to do by a woman who was his superior.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Damon gave Peyton a short nod and tip of his lips as they waited. The clock ticking was loud and Peyton wondered what stories this room could tell as she waited for McCain to come back inside.

The door opened again and McCain was gone, leaving Aubrey there. “Dr Lawson, you are free to go.”

Peyton blinked, not sure if it was real. The weight of a hand on her shoulder made her look up at a smiling Damon, but his wasn’t the face she wanted to see, it was the dark brooding man with a gentle heart. “Thank you.”

Aubrey shook her head, clearly in professional mode now as she offered a hand, which Peyton took in a firm grasp. “I apologize on behalf of West Mercia for the treatment you have received. If you wish to lodge a complaint, my office will send over the details.”

“I appreciate that.” Usually, her default would be to let something go but men like McCain, in positions of power, weren’t something she could overlook.

Aubrey gave an approving nod and she walked out, head held high with Damon ushering her towards the front desk where her belongings were given back to her. Damon was on the phone to someone and Peyton was shocked to see the sun disappearing already, the sky beginning to smudge with darkness. She was barely out the door when Warren was there. His long strides ate up the space from Lotus’ car and she was swept up in his arms. His hand cupped the back of her head, his big body pressed against her, arms holding her firm to him like he never wanted to let go. And she knew that feeling because she held on tight like she never wanted to let go either.