“What’d you say to her?” I ask Ryan.
Right when I ask him that question, she blows out a rush of air, opens her eyes, stands up straight and walks toward my bedroom.
Ryan shakes his head. “Nothing. She’s insisting on being in here for what I’m about to tell you.”
Sloan is in the bedroom now, leaning against the door, watching as Ryan and Tillie make their way around the room to the couch. The last thing I want is for Sloan to be involved. If I could have my way, she’d never have to hear Asa’s name again. But I know we’ve got a long road ahead of us and a lot of court hearings. Possibly even testimonies on stand. So until Asa is convicted and put away for good, I know I’m not going to be able to protect her from all of it. Instead, I pat the spot beside me on the bed and encourage her to come sit with me.
She does. Once she’s settled next to me and we’re both propped against the headboard, I look at Ryan. “What is it you don’t want to tell me?”
He shakes his head and leans forward, clasping his hands in front of him. “I don’t even know where to start,” he says, his eyes meeting mine. “I met with Young today.”
“And?” I ask.
“It wasn’t good,” Ryan says. “I don’t even know how to sugar coat this, so I’m just going to explain it in a way you’ll both understand.”
Sloan’s hand wraps around mine and I can already feel her shaking. I squeeze her hand for reassurance. Ryan tends to overdramatize situations; I just wish Sloan knew that so she wouldn’t be this worried.
“Asa is claiming he shot the guy in his bedroom out of self-defense.”
Sloan scoffs. “It wasn’t self-defense!” she says. “I was there!”
Ryan nods softly. “Not in defense of himself,” Ryan says. “He claims he was defending you. That he heard you screaming for help, and when he walked into his room, the guy was attacking you and he was holding a gun. He claims he had no other choice but to stop him before he killed you.”
Sloan is shaking her head. “It wasn’t…” she looks at me. “Luke, he didn’t have to kill him.”
I knew Asa was going to pull this shit. I wrap my arm around Sloan and refocus my attention on Ryan. “What does this mean exactly?” I ask. “When it goes to trial, his defense won’t stand up to Sloan’s testimony?”
Ryan blows out a quick breath. “That’s what we’re hoping,” he says. “If it goes to trial.”
“If?” Sloan says, voicing my exact thought.
Tillie speaks up this time. “The thing is…” she says. “It’s a solid case of self-defense. The guy was holding an unauthorized weapon. Sloan was screaming for help. He was attacking her. Even with her testimony, Asa’s defense holds up. And the gun he used was a legal firearm, registered in his name. Unlike the victim. Also, Asa is claiming to have no knowledge of who the men were who broke into the home. And the police haven’t located any of the men who fled. Only the victim, who, so far, has no ties to Asa that we can prove.”
I rake my hands down my face. I can hear Sloan’s breaths speed up as she begins to realize what Ryan and Tillie are telling us.
“But what about the three of us?” I ask Ryan. “It’s our word against his. We know he orchestrated that entire thing. He admitted to it out loud.”
Ryan nods. “He admitted it to you, Luke,” he says. “I never heard him say it, so I won’t be able to testify against him. I wasn’t in the room with the two of you. And…” Ryan pauses.
Tillie leans forward and says, “He’s claiming the two of you set him up.”
I sit up straight. “Are you fucking kidding me? What jury is going to believe that shit?”
This is ridiculous. They’re in here saying absurd shit and upsetting Sloan. I shouldn’t have let Ryan talk to me about this in front of her.
“I know this sounds crazy,” Ryan says. “We all know how guilty he is. But to a jury…how do you think it’s going to look that Asa’s fiancé was knowingly sleeping with the undercover cop who was trying to have him arrested? How do you think it’s going to look to a jury when it’s Asa’s fiancé and that undercover cop’s word against his?”
Sloan’s hand slips from mine and she covers her face. My chest is starting to ache with all of this.
“You knew I was pursuing her, Ryan. If I knew it would jeopardize the case…” I was about to say I wouldn’t have done it, but I shut my mouth. Because I would have done it. I did do it. I pursued her, no matter the consequences, and now it’s putting us in a huge fucking bind.