Reporters frantically scribbled in front of me. Others just stared at me in this transfixed manner.
“And so, what did Utah say to my hero?” I asked the crowd. “They locked him up. They replied they weren’t sure what had happened, even though the cops came into the room and saw me on the bed, drugged out of my mind, my clothes torn. They were still unsure if Ru really hurt me even though Gio told him that Ru tried to rape me. The cops still waited for Ru to wake up and confess.”
I looked as many reporters as I could in the eyes. “And the whole time, the one person that saved me, the one person who stopped Ru’s madness from happening...he’s sitting in jail like a criminal. What is Utah saying? What is our government, our police, this governor saying? What other facts do we need? Ru confessed to the sexual assault. Drugs were found in my system, but because these are two rich, high profile men, everyone’s taking their sweet time to act.”
Someone gasped.
I looked into one of the cameras. “Release Gio.”
GioKnights screamed and chanted, “Release Gio! Release Gio! Release Gio!”
And then the reporters rushed in with questions, but I was done talking. I stepped back. Midnight’s bodyguards swarmed around me, keeping everyone back so I could get back into the car.
Once everyone got in, we drove away.
“You did good.” Midnight checked his phone. “People had you live on Facebook and Twitter. You’re trending. Release Gio is trending. Shit. Gio might be out by tonight.”
“I hope so.” I leaned against the door and watched all the news vans run past my window. “Midnight, I don’t want to go back to the hospital.”
“I think the doctors want to do more tests.”
“I don’t want them to.”
He nodded. “You want to go back to Gio’s house?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Where do you want to go?”
“To where everything was perfect for him and me—”
His phone rang, interrupting our conversation. He answered. “Yes. Are you sure? Okay. I don’t care that bail is a million dollars. Get him out. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.”
I couldn’t wait for him to hang up. “Are they letting him out?”
“Yes, but not until tomorrow morning.”
I sighed. “That’s better than nothing.”
“It is. Once he’s out, I’ll have the lawyers work on getting the state’s charges gone. Gio was protecting you. He might’ve gone too far, but he wasn’t trying to kill him.” Midnight shrugged. “At least that will be what we tell him. His lawyers said he might be on house arrest, but we could make the location that he has to stay at anywhere, as long as it’s in Utah.”
Unease sat in my heart. “Good.”
“So, where did you want to go?” Midnight asked.
“Not Gio’s house. I don’t think I could go back there.”
“Gio won’t want to be anywhere you don’t want to be. Where would you be comfortable?”
And then my mood brightened.
“I’ve got an idea,” I said.
“Should I be worried? I feel like Gio and you have already had enough excitement for a year. Let’s just bring in the new year strong.”
“It won’t be that bad.”
Midnight rubbed his belly and shook his head. “I can’t wait to get out of this motherfucking state.”
I grinned. “Utah isn’t that bad.”
“Shit.”
Epilogue
Giovanni
Music is
the poetry of the air.
~Richter
To my surprise, the guards came and got me from my cell and began the process of releasing me. I’d worn the damn prisoner uniform for so long it started becoming my second skin. In here, I barely ate, talked, or slept. All I did was write or lay on my cot and stare up at the dark ceiling hovering over me.
Still, I was shocked as I changed into new clothes they said Midnight had given them—a regular pair of jeans, a black shirt, socks, and sneakers. It felt good to put on new clothes and walk away from the jail, but nothing would calm my nerves until I saw Simone in front of me.
I hoped she’d be outside, but she wasn’t. Instead, Midnight and two of my lawyers hugged me. I could’ve been more grateful for their hard work, but all I wanted to know was if Simone had fully recovered.
“Don’t worry.” Midnight gestured to the limo parked in front. “We’re taking you to her. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I headed to the car. “Thanks for getting me out.”
“Your girl was the main one who did it.”
I paused and looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“Get inside. I’ll show you.”
I climbed inside of the limo.
He got in after me and handed me his phone. “Press the video.”
I turned it on. Simone stared back at me, talking about what had happened to her. The jail served as the background. Crowds of people swarmed around her.
“She was out here?” I looked at him.
“Yes, last night. We needed to make this public to get the governor moving.”