Chapter Three
It surprised him how much it upset him. His palms itched, and there was a knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat that made swallowing difficult. Not that he had an interest in eating, all he cared about was a certain red head- well that and getting out. When the cuffs had been placed on him he had gone, well not quietly, but he hadn't punched anyone's lights out which he supposed was a big step for him. He had been in a cell, lived day in and day out with bars, but the pain hadn't been like this, it hadn't seared his stomach and hallowed out his heart. No, Jared had never experienced this kind of pain.
The guard announced a visitor and he quickly crossed the small space. "Thank God." He looked at his father, the man whose name he had cast aside. "Are you here to bail me out?"
Charlie tucked his hands into his jacket pockets, shame mingling with guilt. There was something wrong about a father letting his son sit in prison but at the moment he didn't have much choice. "How- how you holding up?"
Jared gawked at the man in front of him. How was he doing? He was in the seventh circle of hell. "How do you think I am doing?" It came out as a sharp bark, making Charlie look even more like a hangdog.
"I mean… I know this must be tough on you."
Jared could see through Charlie's stammering that he wasn't going to be of any help. "Never mind. How's Natalie?" There was a flash of something in his father's blue eyes that made Jared withdrawal. "You don't honestly think that I did what they say I did?"
Taking a deep breath, Charlie carefully weighed his words. He didn't want to believe it, but he didn't want to believe his son had grown for a broken hearted little boy into a con either. Yet the truth was right in front of his eyes. "Rex told me to tell you that it would be a lot easier for everyone if you just struck a plea bargain."
"A plea bargain?" He repeated, dumbfounded. "For what?" He couldn't control the way his voice boomed, echoing against the concrete and steel. A sharp glance from the guard made Jared lower his voice, leaning in to Charlie as much as the bars would allow. "I didn't drug, Natalie."
Rohypnol that is what they had found on Natalie's blood work. Cris' had been right, Natalie had one drink that night, far below the legal limit. The rohypnol had shown up when John ordered further blood test, a date rape drug. It was lucky for Jared that Antonio had received the result first and quiet pushed forward an arrest warrant. As it was, Jared was behind bars before John could kill him, and kill him he would if given half a chance.
"You have to believe me!" Jared insisted. "I didn't put anything in Natalie's drink. Look-" He pleaded his case. "We went to Capricorn, Cristian made her a Cosmo, she drank it and ate some chili fries and then she left. If I had drugged her wouldn't I have insisted on driving her home? I mean, come on! Natalie and I were in love." A bit of fear crept into his last statement; she had felt it too hadn't she? Jared wasn't so sure, time had its way on him, making things once so sharp and clear, hazy and fuzzy.
"Then why don't you tell them that?" Charlie asked. "Take a lie detector test or whatever they need!"
Jared sighed, bringing a hand to his weary head. "I can't. I can't, Dad."
Charlie felt a twinge of pity course through him but pushed it aside. "You mean you won't." He corrected his son.
"So what? I should tell them I lied about being a Buchanan? I am sure that will make me look very reliable." He shook his head. "I can't. Can't you see that? I just have to wait." He resigned himself to his fate. "Natalie will remember everything and then- she will tell them. She will tell them that we were together and that I would never hurt her." It was too optimistic for a man that considered himself a realist, but at the darkest hours there was nothing but hope to hang on to.
Jared tried not to think about Natalie in that hospital bed; scared out of her mind, pulling at her IV's insisting that she was fine and that she couldn't afford all of it. The Buchanan clan had been ushered out save for Vicki and they watched through the open door as Natalie flat out refused to believe her mother. She wasn't an heiress, she didn't have a twin sister, her father died years ago; it was all some sort of sick joke that they were playing on her, a twisted game.
Roxy was the next option but that choice had appeared to be ill thought out. Natalie was visibly shaking and it took every bit of willpower for Jared not to rush in and force her lousy mother to leave. She kept saying that she didn't really take the money, that she had used it to pay the rent and power bills and that she was sorry. Roxy, of course, was confounded and blabbed endlessly about Natalie having all the money in the world. Finally it was Doctor Michael McBain that had stepped in and told everyone that Natalie needed her rest.
Two hours later they were scouring the hospital for her. Three more hours and with Natalie still missing Jared Buchanan had been arrested. So he sat in his cell and waited on hinged hope that everything would somehow work out, just this once, it would work out for him.
"Have they at least found her?" He asked, sitting on his cold cot, head hanging in his hands.
Charlie longed to comfort his son, but he would not lie, not any longer. "Not yet." Jared swore under his breath. "McBain had a lead but he lost her."
"McBain." Jared repeated, of course. He wanted to believe that the cop had something to do with Natalie's drugging; he had after all been at Capricorn that fateful night. Jared had watched from across the room, their easy banter, jealousy filling his veins at how they just were, how they just clicked. He had been pulled aside by the new police commissioner to discuss some of the rumors swirling about B.E. blackmailing CEOs, but he had been far too distracted by watching the love of his life smile and laugh with someone else. If Jared hadn't brought her drink directly, he would have loved to believe that John had something to do with it, but he couldn't.
"About him." Charlie hesitated. "I think it would be best if you just sat tight here for a little while."
"You are not posting my bail?" Disbelief was etched across the young man's handsome features.
"Rex thinks it's for the best."
"Well whatever Rex thinks!" Sarcasm dripped from his tongue, he was envious of a place he had freely given up.
"Yes!" Charlie had too agreed it was for the best. "And I think he is right! Right now McBain is looking for someone to pay for what happened to Natalie. I get you out I might as well sign your death sentence." There was truth to Charlie's words but Jared did not want to acknowledge it just yet. It was too much to be born, too much to endure. Charlie softened at the sight of his son, so obviously lost. "Just sit tight. I will talk to Rex and we- we will find whoever did this to Natalie. I will get you out of here, Son."
But Jared just shook his head. "Don't worry about me. Just find Natalie." Hope, it was all he had left.
A/N: I hope that scene helped clear up any lingering confusion from the previous chapter. This story is being written scene by scene and yes it will explain why Ramsey was so interested in Natalie in the prologue. Again thanks for the feedback. It really inspires me to keep churning out the Chapters.
