Strip Tease (Protect and Defend 1.50)

Billy lifted his right hand, the gun’s metal gleaming in the bright sunlight as he brought the muzzle to his temple. Ginger shrieked, tried to leap out of the booth. Janelle clamped her arm around her shoulders, keeping her still.

Her blood ran cold, her stomach bottomed out as fear slithered through her.

“Don’t do it, Diaz! Drop the fucking weapon now!”

Billy pressed the gun hard to his right temple. “I can’t go to jail, Ginger. I love you, baby.”

And then he pulled the trigger.

* * * *

Janelle held her sister to her, running her hand over her disheveled hair. Ginger pressed her face into Janelle’s neck, her shoulders wracked with great big heaving sobs, her tears soaking Janelle’s skin.

She figured they were both in shock, Ginger far more so. Janelle still couldn’t believe Billy had shot himself on the front step of the diner, right in front of everyone.

A horrible sight she’d never forget.

“Ginger Pearson?” A tall, thin man in a suit stood in front of the booth where they still sat. Janelle looked up to find him watching the both of them, his expression serious.

Ginger moved away from Janelle, sniffing loudly. “I’m Ginger.”

“Ginger Pearson, I’m placing you under arrest. Please stand up.” Another cop came up behind him, his expression eager. He went for Ginger and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the booth seat. She swayed on her feet and he grabbed both of her arms, turning her around so the other guy could cuff her.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Janelle scrambled out of the booth, hysteria filling her. After the shock of everything that occurred, they were going to arrest her sister?

“Stay out of it, miss. We have orders.” He gestured to Ginger. “Relax.”

Ginger did as she was told, a solemn expression on her tired, tear streaked face as the man slid the handcuffs around her wrists. Janelle could only stare in horror, dumbfounded. So afraid for Ginger and uncertain of what would happen next.

The officer read Ginger her rights and Janelle glanced around the restaurant. It was swarming with people, a few uniformed cops, but mostly men in casual suits. Federal agents, she could only assume.

Janelle released a shuddering breath and shook her head. Where was Nate? Couldn’t he put a stop to this?

“I’ll call you when they set bail,” Ginger told her as the two men began to escort her out of the restaurant.

“Hold on, let me find Detective Ban

ks. This is a mistake. She shouldn’t be arrested,” Janelle pleaded with the two stone-faced agents as she followed them. They led Ginger through the kitchen and exited through the back door, no doubt to keep their crime scene intact in the front, escorting Ginger toward an unmarked car.

“Banks has nothing to do with this, ma’am. This is out of his hands. It’s a federal case. She needs to be brought in for questioning immediately,” one of the agents told her.

Janelle stopped at the last step, watching as they pushed Ginger into the cruiser and slammed the door. Ginger shot her a quick smile from the window and settled into her seat, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.

Anger mounted inside Janelle as she strode through the throng of onlookers and police officers, the many federal agents who were laughing and slapping each other on the backs. As if they caught a prize fish or something, rather than watched a man kill himself. She caught sight of the various media with their big, obvious white vans and she turned away.

Nate was nowhere to be found.

Finally, she spotted him the moment he spotted her, and he sprinted toward her, the relief clearly visible on his handsome face.

“Thank God you’re all right.” He drew her into his arms but she remained stiff, still full of anger. Withdrawing slightly, he peered down at her. “What’s wrong?”

Janelle pulled out of his grip. “You know what’s wrong.”

His brows furrowed. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

“They arrested Ginger!” Janelle practically shouted, then took a deep breath before she continued. Tears started to form in her eyes. “Why, Nate?”

He sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “Procedure, Janelle. They have a warrant. They want to press charges.”