Chapter 15: Jason

"Could you sign here?" the man in the brown uniform asked.

Jason signed the electronic pad and handed it back. "Thanks."

The delivery guy gave a distracted nod, then turned to walk out of the garage while tapping the buttons on the pad.

The box on his work bench had the new ball-nut assembly for the RV. If he could get the part installed and tested by Wednesday, then he and Di could be on the road to Orlando by Thursday. That last minute brake job had paid well enough to consider an extra day of vacation.

Taking the part out of the box, Jason walked down the steps to get under the RV. He hit the lights and moved between the front wheels to get busy. Keeping his hands occupied freed his mind to wonder how the hell he got so lucky.

Being with Di had been better than he'd dreamed. She was as responsive as a fine sports car. Being vocal about what she liked made being with her as easy as breathing. Hearing her throaty voice calling for more was officially his new favorite thing in the world.

After her earthshaking orgasm, they talked and cuddled for a while. When Di went to make some toast and coffee, Jason took a shower and painted the walls with his own guilt-free release. He wouldn't push her, not even a little bit. If things progressed, fine, but he had discovered that making her happy was more than enough for now.

He had gotten the ball-nut assembly bolted in when he heard multiple cars pulling into the gravel driveway. Grabbing a shop towel to wipe his hands, he headed out of the pit to see what was going on.

Di's scream brought him running out of the garage toward the house. Lola was back with two police cars. A female officer was trying to drag Di out of the front door. She clung to the doorway with a panicked look at Jason and screamed his name.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jason screamed as he ran up to them. "Let her go!"

"Mister Peters," Lola said from behind a large deputy sheriff. "You need to stand back and allow these officers to complete their investigation."

"Come with me, Mister Peters," the male deputy said as his hand hovered over the Glock on his hip. Glancing at his brass name plate he saw the name Hollister.

Jason felt like he was being torn in half. "Di, just go with them. I'll call an attorney for you."

"She doesn't need an attorney Mister Peters," the deputy said with a soothing tone as he led Jason to the side of the house. "But you might want to call one for yourself."

Biting back angry words, Jason clamped his teeth together and followed the deputy until he stopped a dozen feet away from the cars.

"We've had a tip that you've been engaged in sexual activity with a minor, Diamond Rose Gantry. She is going to Swain County Hospital for a rape kit and then to a shelter for a few days. Whether you go to jail or not depends on what you tell me now and what we find out later."

"Am I being detained?"

"Yes, you are."

"Then I have nothing to say until I speak to my attorney."

"That will only slow this process down," he said with a sad shake of his head.

Jason said nothing as he watched Di being placed in the back of the police car. She had tears streaming down her face as she looked out the window at him. With her lips pressed in a thin line, she wiped her eyes before the female officer drove her away.

"Now, let's go see what we can see," Lola told the deputy and turned towards the house.

"I don't consent to a search," Jason said. "Do you have a search warrant?"