“Copper, get your boy under control. Dash, shut the fuck up and don’t you dare move a muscle,” Phoenix ordered.
I looked up to see Carbon’s arms wrapped around Dash’s upper torso holding him in place. I turned my eyes to my Prez. “What happened? I’m good. Just tell me what happened to her. Is she okay?” I spewed.
Copper nodded and Batta released me, though Phoenix did not give Carbon the okay to release Dash who was still actively struggling to free himself from Carbon’s vice-like grip.
“She tried to call you. We tried to call you,” Copper said and audibly swallowed. “River was arrested at the hospital this morning. She’s being charged with second-degree murder,” Copper said.
“What?!” I shouted in utter disbelief. “Who do they think she murdered?”
“Brett Owens,” Phoenix shared.
“That’s not possible!” I insisted. “We’ve got to get her out of there! So help me, if something happens to her, I won’t stop until every person involved has suffered the consequences!”
A familiar hand landed on my bicep. “Son, we’re going to do everything we can, but you need to pull your shit together so you can help her, too.”
“Mom,” I croaked and choked back the sob that desperately wanted to escape.
She engulfed me in a comforting hug like only a mother can. “It’s going to be okay, Jonah. Officer Dunk made sure she was placed in a cell by herself and I’ve already spoken with Judge Hinkley. He pulled some strings and will oversee her bond hearing first thing in the morning.”
“She has to spend the night in jail?”
“She does, but Officer Dunk was able to arrange for her to have a trusted guard assigned to watch over her private cell,” Mom reassured.
“I want to see her.”
“You can’t, baby. She can’t have any visitors right now.”
“Bullshit! I’m going to see her and nobody is going to stop me!”
Copper stepped in front of me and kept coming until his nose was touching my nose. “I’m stopping you.”
“Step back, Prez,” I growled through my clenched jaw. I was barely holding it together and if Copper didn’t get the fuck out of my face, I was going to do something I was sure I’d later regret.
Copper didn’t back down. “We’ve been friends for a long time, Jonah. You’ve always had faith in me. I’m speaking to you as your friend, not your President. Have faith in me now.”
“She’s my Old Lady,” I declared.
“I know,” he said and clasped my shoulder. “She’s got the full support of the club.”
I took a step back and nodded. Carbon had since released Dash, but was still standing in front of him ready to intervene if necessary. I surveyed the room full of concerned faces and asked, “Can someone tell me how in the hell this even happened? How did they come to the conclusion that River murdered Brett?”
Phoenix and Copper exchanged a look. At Phoenix’s nod, Copper started explaining. “There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence that links River to Brett. She dated him in high school and was recently involved in an altercation with him at Precious Metals. He was found dead in the house she was renting. She had two run-ins with Didi, who happens to be Brett’s sister. Spring was found dead in Brett’s trailer.”
“And how did she supposedly kill him?” I asked.
Copper sighed. “Preliminary toxicology reports revealed Brett had fentanyl in his system. They’re saying River stole the medication from the hospital and injected Brett with a large enough dose to kill him.”
“She would never do something like that,” I shouted.
“We all know that, brother. Not a single person in this room thinks she’s guilty.”
I took in a deep breath and silently counted to ten. It didn’t do a damn thing to calm the rage burning inside me. My chest was violently rising and falling as I heaved in breath after breath. “You have got to be fucking kidding me! This is utter bullshit and we have to do something! Right fucking now!” I roared.
Batta put his hands on my chest and forced me to take a few steps back. “We know she’s innocent and we’re going to do something. Now, get your shit together so we can figure out the best way to help her.”
“I can’t believe this shit! Do we have a lawyer for her? And where the fuck is Kennedy? She should be able to help prove this isn’t true.”
“Pop made some calls and has a lawyer on the way to the clubhouse as we speak,” Phoenix said.