The shrill ring of my phone jerks me awake. Blinking at the clock, I grab it from the bedside table. Unknown number. I frown and wipe my eyes before answering the call.
"Hello?" I respond, my voice is rough from sleep, and I rub at my eyes.
"Miss Alondra Hale?" The voice is cold and official, I sit up slowly, my frown deepening.
"This is she."
"This is the Central Police Station. Your brother, Micah Hale, has just been taken into custody. You need to come down to the station immediately. " My chest tightens. I felt sick to my stomach.
"W-what did you say?" I manage, my voice trembling.
"Miss Hale, you would want to make your way to the station now. Your brother was arrested."
"For what? Why?"
"You will find out at the station." The line goes dead.
I stay frozen, my phone still in hand, the words echoing in my head. Micah? Arrested? Why now, after months of silence?
I finally drag myself up, heart-pounding, and dial my best friend. As I throw on jeans and a hoodie, the line connects on the second ring.
"Hey girl," she answers, casual as ever.
"Bella, my brother's been arrested,"
There's a pause. "What?"
I drop the phone on the bed while tugging my hoodie over my head. "I just got a call from the station... Micah's in custody."
"No shit."
"Bella, this is serious. Are you busy right now?"
"Not really, I'm on my break,"
I sigh and close my eyes, biting my bottom lip.
"Meet me at Greeny Cafe."
"Oh my God, thank you so much, girl. I love you!"
"Yeah, yeah, let's go see what Micah's been up to."
I press the phone to my lips. "Love you." I hang up and grab my bag, dread twisting my stomach.
****************************
I stare at Micah, disappointment burning in my chest. He avoids my gaze, twisting the loose threads on his hoodie.
"You stole 50 million dollars... Micah'
He throws his head back and forward again, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "Sis, I didn't do it! I was framed! You know me. " He grabs my hand.
I pull it away slowly, tears threatening to spill. "No...no, Micah. I don't know you. "
His shoulders slump, and he looks at me with that pleading, familiar stare. This wasn't the first time he'd been in trouble with money, but fifty million? It's hard to believe him...though a part of me wanted to.
"Where is the money, Micah?" my voice cracks, my hands trembling. I can see the veins on his forehead, and I feel the tension radiating off him. I still adore him - long lashes, baby blue eyes. Straight nose and a sharp jawline-like a reflection of me, except my eyes are brown.
"I didn't steal it. How would I know where the money is?"
Anger flares, and I slap him hard. Bella gasps, gripping my arm. Micah freezes, his cheek still turned to me. He nods slowly and gets up. "I'm done here," He tells the police officer, waiting at the door.
"Sit down, Micah." My voice is firm, but my eyes are red and aching. How would I get us out of this situation. Even if he was innocent, what proof did he have?
The officer steps forward and cuffs him again, Micah doesn't resist. He just walks away. I collapse onto Bella, burying my face in her shoulder.
"He's all I have. What do I do, Bella. I can't...I can't let him stay here. "
She holds me tight, stroking my hair. "I already called a lawyer on our way here. Then we find out the bail fee"
I nod, sobbing into her shoulder, heart hammering, knowing I don't have money.
I wipe at my tears and grab my bag. Bella wraps her arm around me as we leave the station. My legs feel like lead with every step. The lawyer waits for us in the lobby, a tall man in a sharp suit, his expression unreadable.
"Miss Hale?" His voice is calm but carries an edge that makes my chest tighten. "I hear your brothers... situation is serious."
"Serious? He didn't do it!" I burst out, voice cracking. "They said he stole fifty million dollars! He-he's my only family!"
The lawyer sighs and rubs his forehead. "I understand your panic. But the court doesn't care about innocence right now. The bail... it's set at fifty million."
I freeze. My stomach drops. Fifty million? The number swirls in my head, impossible, unreal. I swallow hard. "I... I don't have that kind of money."
He leans back, eyes sharp. "Then your options are limited. Either he stays in custody pending trial... or you find someone who can cover it." His gaze flickers at Bella, then back at me. "Someone influential."
I bite my lip, heart hammering. "Like... who?"
He hesitates, then speaks slowly, as if the words themselves are dangerous. "There's a man... Dante Cross. If anyone could pull strings... it would be him. But he's not someone to bargain with lightly."
I catch my breath. The name echoes in my mind: Dante Cross. Powerful. Dangerous. The kind of man who makes the city tremble. Could he... help us?
I glance at Bella, the thought of Micah locked up, igniting every ounce of fear and desperation in me. I don't have fifty million dollars. Hell, I don't even have fifty thousand. I nod slowly. "Tell me... how do I contact him?"
The lawyer's lips tighten into a thin line. "You don't call Dante Cross. He calls you... if he wants to. But I can arrange a meeting."
My pulse quickens. My only way out of this nightmare-my brother's only chance-lies in the hands of a man whose name is whispered like a curse.
Tomorrow, I will meet Dante Cross.