Chapter 26

<Gavin Forrester>

I run down the hallway and then down the back staircase towards the lobby. Once I reach the lobby, I run out the front door. Cop cars have already congregated outside and they are rushing inside to interview everybody in the hotel about the shooting. Paramedics push gurneys inside and continue shouting things at each other as if I'm not even here.

Perfect escape.

I turn around and see a car honk right outside the yellow caution tape. Slick is in the front seat of his car with a serious look on his face. I walk under the tape and leave undetected. I slip into shotgun and tell him to drive to the Brooklyn Bridge. He does as he's told and we ride there in silence.

When we arrive, I get out of the car and pull the gun from my pocket. A million thoughts race through my head as I stare down at the cold water below me. I stand up straight and look over the side of the bridge and throw the gun as far up the river as I can.

I slip back into the car before anyone can see me. I know I'm going to get caught but at the moment, I'm just happy Victoria is free of those despicable parents of hers for the time being. Slick doesn't mention what I just did and just drives away.

"Where are we headed?" he asks, breaking the silence.

"Victoria's house. I need to give her something." I say and continue staring straight ahead.

Slick nods and turns off of the bridge, heading back towards Victoria's house.

~~~~~

There are at least 3 cop cars already guarding Victoria's house. Slick parks across the street and turns his car off as he looks towards me. We sit in silence for a few minutes before Slick breaks it.

"Gavin, it's been a pleasure...Your bravery is enlightening." He holds out his hand and I shake it firmly.

"Throwing out the gun was a coward's move though. If I wanted to own up to my mistakes, I would've taken it to the cops and confessed." I chuckle and run a hand through my hair.

"You sacrificed your freedom for Victoria and you did it without a second thought. There's not an ounce of coward in you, Gavin Forrester." Slick claps my back and turns to face the road in front of him.

"Thanks, please take care of Victoria once I go away. I don't want to have sacrificed my freedom only to find that she gets killed anyway." I mutter, my voice cracking a little.

"Anything for you, my friend." He says, a stray tear appearing in his eye.

I've never seen either him or Blaze cry; it's kind of scary now that it's happening. I nod my head solemnly and go to open my door but Slick grabs onto my shoulder before I can get out.

"You're a good man...Don't let the cops tell you otherwise." He wipes his eyes and lets go of me.

"I don't want you to get caught. The minute I get out of the car, I want you to leave and dispose of anything that connects you to me. I'm not going to let you take any part of the fall. This is my crime and I'm going to own up to it." I give him a serious look and he nods.

"Got it. See you later, Gavin." Slick pats me on the back as I get out.

I walk across the street and wait for him to drive away. I half expect all the cops to jump on me and arrest me but they just watch from their cars as I walk up to Victoria's front porch.

I pull the letter from my pocket and set it on the welcome mat. I turn around and watch the cops, they're frantically talking on their walkie-talkies and looking at me with fury. I hear the door open behind me and I spin around.

"Hey, stranger." Victoria says with a teary smile.

She wraps her arms around my neck and places her lips on mine. I pick her up and hold her close to me as I continue to kiss her. We let go and I set her back down. She places her hands on either side of my face and smiles. Tears stain her cheeks and her hair is disheveled but to me, she's the most beautiful person in the world.

"Victoria, I'm going to go away for a long time and I need you to know that I love you." She lets go of my face and turns away as more tears make their way down her cheeks.

I place my hand under her chin and force her to look at me.

"I'm never going to stop, princess. Even when I'm behind bars, remember that my heart is with you. I'll get out someday and come back for you and never leave your side for as long as I live." I whisper and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I love you, Gavin...Please don't leave me." Her eyes fill with tears and her voice cracks.

I give her a small smile, but my heart is breaking inside. I feel a tear make its way down my cheek as I lean in to kiss Victoria for the last time. When we let go, she wipes her eyes.

"You should go inside, it's about to get ugly." I mutter and look out at the cops who are finally putting 2 and 2 together.

"I love you, forever and always." She whispers as she goes inside and shuts the door.

Out of the corner of my eye I see her staring at me through the glass pane next to the front door. A bright light shines on me and I know that the cops have finally come for me.

"Sir, please put your hands above your head and kneel down. You are under arrest for the shooting of Marie Grayson and Talon Tenebris." An officer shouts as a dozen cops get out of their cars, guns raised.

As if I'd try anything stupid...I'm not even armed anymore.

I do as I'm told and kneel down on the cold stone of Victoria's front porch. A few officers take the plunge and race up to the porch where I'm kneeling. They force my hands behind my back and cuff them, the cold metal stinging my skin a bit.

"No!" I hear Victoria scream through the glass pane as she begins to sob.

I crane my neck a little so I can see her. She has a blanket around her shoulders and tears flooding her features.

"Forever," She mouths as the cops cart me off of the porch.

I watch her put her hand over her mouth and slide down the glass pane with tears still staining her cheeks.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you..." The cops continue to state my Miranda Rights but I've already tuned them out.

The cops force me to walk forward and then they shove me into the back of one of the cars. A dark van pulls up in front of the house and the police chief steps out. He rushes over to the car where I'm stashed. The window rolls down and the police chief grabs onto my shirt collar.

"You're the asshole that shot my wife..." he stares angrily into my eyes.

I nod, not a trace of regret on my face.

"She was pregnant..." He shouts and slaps me.

Despite the stinging in my cheek, I find it in me to talk to him.

"I can guarantee that it's not your baby, sir. Get a paternity test of the fetus because I bet you anything Talon Tenebris is the father..." I maintain eye contact with the police chief as he releases me.

"Just feel lucky that she and the other victim are going to live." He snarls as he stomps off towards his front door.

"If I have anything to do with it, Talon Tenebris is not going to live." I think to myself as the cops drive off towards the precinct.

~~~~~

They force me through the doors of the precinct and begin booking me. They pat me down and take my phone, my keys and the little bit of money I had stored in this suit. Then a female officer make me hold up a plaque with my name and a number.

"Left," The female officer shouts and I turn so she can take my mug shot from the left side.

She finishes and then beckons for me so she can take my fingerprint. I do as I'm told and after she's taken my fingerprint, she begins filling out an arrest report.

"Full name," She glares at me and clicks her pen.

"Gavin Edward Forrester." I say with tight lips.

"Address," She mutters as she fills in the name space on her report.

"2565 Highland Avenue. Right Wing Apartment Complex. Apartment 3F." I cross my arms and stare at her as she writes.

"Date of Birth,"

"May 7th 1989." I glare at her as she finishes filling out her report.

"You can make your phone call now, before we take you to central booking." The woman gives me a look of disgust as she points me towards the phone.

I walk over and think about who to call. My brothers are on submarines at least 20 miles underneath the surface. My parents are in Florida not even worrying about what's going on in my life. I've already told Victoria everything I need to and I don't want her any more involved than she already is. I think about calling Blaze but then I remember that I want him and Slick to pretend they don't know me.

I bite my lip and realize that I really have no one left to call. I could call the lawyer Talon assigned to me when I started working for him but odds are he's already heard and is coming to try and get me out of this.

But I want to own up to my mistakes...I don't want out of this.

In the end I pick up the phone and allow my fingers to decide what number to call. They pick Talon. I wait patiently for someone to pick up on the other end. Talon's deep chuckles comes over the phone after the 3rd ring.

"Gavin, miss me and my protection already?" He says, a sneer making its way into his voice.

"I told you I wouldn't do it and now I'm going to own up to my mistakes. I'm not sorry I shot you and I'm not sorry I shot Mrs. Grayson." I mutter, my voice rushed as I try to say everything in one breath.

"I know you aren't but don't go give in. Have a trial and fight for your side; you are innocent until proven guilty." Talon chuckles again and I can feel his sarcasm dripping through the phone.

"If you or any of your operatives, employees or contacts come within one foot of Victoria, I will spill everything I know about you and your business. You'll really be done for then; they'll have you in handcuffs before I even finish my story." I smirk and twirl the phone cord around my index finger.

"Fine, but you enjoy your 25 to life, Forrester." Talon scoffs.

"I'll enjoy every minute of holding your own secrets over your head. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Talon." With that I hang up and am forced back into the uncomfortable handcuffs as some cops cart me off to central booking.

~~~~~

It's been a few weeks of me patiently waiting for arraignment. I have to spend every day in an uncomfortable cell with nobody to talk to but my thoughts. It's gets pretty lonely but as long as I think about Victoria, I never feel truly alone.

The day finally comes and I sit next to my lawyer in front of a judge, awaiting my fate. I'm dressed in a suit and have a solemn look on my face. The judge, a woman with gray hair and beady eyes, folds her hands together and stares at me. She then pulls out a piece of crisp paper with my charges.

"Gavin Edward Forrester, please stand for the formal reading of your charges." I stand and so does my lawyer, Mr. Jameson.

"You are charged with defacement of property, the 2nd degree attempted murder of Marie Lily Grayson and Talon Robert Tenebris and the disposing of evidence. Do you understand the charges against you?" The judge gives me a beady glare and waits for me to answer.

"Yes, Ma'am." I nod and make eye contact with her.

"Counselor, how does your client plead?" The judge turns to Mr. Jameson, awaiting his response.

"He pleads guilty, your honor." Mr. Jameson says in a defeated way, almost as if he wishes he could get a chance to fight for me in court.

I had a long fight with Mr. Jameson about my plea and at some points I felt like we'd never reach an agreement. See, my lawyer is an old friend of Talon Tenebris and he knows all about Talon's little business. He wanted me to make a deal with the prosecution on my case so I would have to spend less time in jail by telling them everything I know about Talon. The problem is, I shot Talon because I wanted to, not because he wanted me to.

My lawyer then argued that Talon's years of mental abuse and threats put me in a vulnerable state when faced with the choice of shooting him. However, I wanted to own up to my mistakes so, I made the choice to plead guilty. I didn't want to wuss out and pin all the blame on someone else when I so obviously did the shooting on my own.

"You will come back in one week for a sentencing hearing. You are both dismissed." The judge mutters, hitting her gavel on a wooden plaque on her desk.

~~~~~

It's been almost 2 hours and my sentencing trial is finally finishing up. The prosecution have brought so many witnesses and experts in that my head it spinning, mostly because I don't understand half of what's being said.

My lawyer has argued for leniency on the grounds that I was acting in a fit of rage since my girlfriend was tied up on the bed being threatened with murder and was therefore not responsible for my actions. My lawyer actually got Victoria to come in and speak on my behalf which made the trial a whole lot easier but she had to leave immediately after giving her statement.

The prosecution brings in the victims who put on quite an act if I do say so myself. I almost believe them and then I remember that I shot them because they would've killed Victoria had I not done something. They cry a lot as they explain how terrified they'd been of me and how they could see the intent in my eyes.

I believe this is what qualifies as perjury since all of the words coming out of their mouths are lies...The only thing those 2 are terrified of is being caught.

I roll my eyes and stare at the wall, not wanting to see their pathetic performance to save themselves from being exposed any more.

Ironic how even after Victoria's statement about why I had to shoot them, they're both considered victims instead of perpetrators despite tying her up and stabbing me in the shoulder. Remind me again why I'm not mentioning what Talon did to me and how Mrs. Grayson stabbed me?

Why am I sitting in this chair when I could probably be getting off clean with all the helpful information I have? Why am I keeping all of this helpful stuff to myself? Half the stuff that happened that night could prove that what I did was perfectly within the limits...

The victims finish giving their testimonies and take their seats on the benches behind the prosecution. My lawyer gives a final statement about how the circumstances that night caused me to do what I did and then we wait for the judge to give me my sentence.

"Based on the various arguments, I am sentencing you, Mr. Forrester, to 9 years in a New York State prison with 2 years' probation. The prison you will moved to in the morning is Attica Correctional Facility. You are dismissed." The judge pounds her gavel on the wooden plaque, sealing my fate.

I'm actually going to prison...