Bradford Brawler (Bradford Bastard 2)

Chapter 26

TANNER

Red hot fury tears at my chest as the officer moves across the courtroom and releases Colby from his handcuffs, all while Addison’s whimpering cries sound through the shocked room. He turns and catches my stare, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips just moments before Channing ushers him through the small gate and toward the exit.

No. No fucking way.

That did not just happen.

Eddison comes storming back to us, his hands balled into tight fists. “That motherfucker,” he spits between a clenched jaw, his voice barely audible to anyone around us.

“What the fuck just happened?” my father demands, getting right in his face as Mom desperately tries to comfort Addison. “You said we had this. How did you let that happen?”

I stand, unable to get a grip on myself, my control quickly slipping away as Brielle stands beside me, her face mirroring the horror I feel inside.

Eddison shakes his head. “I don’t know how Channing did it,” he says, almost to himself. “He’s a piece of work, but I didn’t realize just how dirty he was.”

“What happened?” I spit through a clenched jaw.

“He switched out the results from the rape kit,” Eddison explains. “The semen sample taken from Addison in the hospital is no longer a match for Colby Jacobs. There was some kind of mix up and now Channing claims it’s proof enough that his client had no action in this, and the judge agreed. As for the attempted murder charge, the judge claims the footage from the hospital surveillance is not adequate enough to provide a positive identification. There were no obvious markers to suggest the man in that video was Colby, apart from an estimated height and weight. She said it could have been anyone. We require more evidence if we would like to pursue the charges.”

“What?” Addison breathes from the bench, tears streaming down her face. “How is that possible? I saw him. I felt him. He held me down and forced his way inside me while I screamed for him to stop. It was Colby. How could she let him get away like that?”

Eddison shakes his head, not liking this outcome one bit. “I’m sorry, Addison, but my hands are tied. The evidence shows that Colby’s DNA was not that of your rapist’s, and if we were still able to get this to trial, no jury would convict him now. We might be able to get him on drug charges, but then again, it’s his word against yours, and he will say that you took them willingly. Channing will drag you through the mud on this, and after everything you’ve already gone through, I don’t recommend pushing right now.”

“That’s bullshit,” she cries.

My hands clench, picturing the way Colby would be walking down the hall right now, free as a fucking bird, pushing through the doors and out into the fresh air to do whatever the fuck he wants.

He’ll come after Addison for this, and then he’ll come for Bri again.

Fuck that. Colby Jacobs will not hurt my family ever again.

His family celebrates loudly on the opposite side of the room, his mom sobbing about how she knew her baby would never do something like this, and it sends me right out the fucking door, my father and Bri desperately scrambling after me.

I see fucking red as I storm through the hallways, my sharp gaze flicking from left to right as Bri catches me and clings to my arm, trying to pull me back. “Don’t do this, Tanner,” she begs, but every word falls flat, and I push myself on, shaking her off. “Please, we’ll get him, but not like this. Not here.”

“Tanner,” my father’s booming tone sounds behind me. “Think about what you’re doing. Don’t be stupid, boy.”

Fuck him. Fuck them all. I’m not letting him walk away from this and I’m sure as fuck not about to give him free rein to come after the people I love. No way in hell.

People linger everywhere—lawyers in designer suits looking like the most arrogant types of assholes, while their guilty-as-fuck clients cling to their last hope at their side. There are officers scattered throughout and people who look like they’re about to be sick with nerves, but none of them matter to me.

I reach security at the main entrance and slip past them, pushing out into the breezy fall air and flying down the stairs, my gaze shooting from left to right. Raised voices fire off behind me, but nothing is more important than getting to the two assholes standing down on the curb, lingering by the side of the most pretentious Aston Martin I’ve ever seen.

Fire burns through my stare as I race toward them, my hands already curled into tight fists, and hearing the commotion coming from behind me, both their heads turn up, only it’s too fucking late.