Chapter 8 - Desperate Measures

The air was thick with tension as Riley sat on the cold sand, her mind racing in a blur of emotions. Her heart was still pounding in her chest from the rush of everything that had happened in the past few minutes. The police had taken Damon, and she was left there, shaken and broken by the events that unfolded so quickly.

She couldn't just sit here, helpless. She had to do something.

With trembling hands, Riley reached for her phone, dialing Damon's friend, someone who had always been there for them both. The phone rang in her ear, the sound feeling too loud, almost surreal. The seconds dragged on as she waited for someone to pick up. Finally, there was a click on the other end.

"Hello?" his voice came through, tired but sharp, as if he had just woken up.

"It's Riley," she said quickly, trying to steady her voice. "The police - they took Damon. I don't know what's going on, but they arrested him. I… I don't know what to do. You have to help me."

There was a beat of silence before his voice came back, more urgent now. "What? What happened?"

"I - I was with him. They just… they just came and took him. He was trying to protect me, but they tased him. He's not even awake, and they just dragged him off. Please, you have to help me get him out of there." Her voice broke on the last sentence, and she felt her chest tighten with panic all over again.

"Riley," his friend said, his tone calmer now, though she could hear the anger building in his words. "We're going to fix this. Just hang tight. I'll meet you at the police station."

Without waiting for her to respond, he hung up.

Riley immediately stood, her legs weak beneath her as the adrenaline continued to course through her veins. She wiped her tear-streaked face with her sleeve and mounted her bike, her hands shaking as she gripped the handles. She needed to move, to act, to get to Damon.

The engine roared to life, cutting through the silence of the night as Riley sped toward the police station, her thoughts scattered but focused. Every mile that passed was another second of waiting. She could feel the weight of the uncertainty pressing down on her chest. She had to be strong - strong for Damon.

When she finally arrived at the police station, she could see her heart was pounding even harder, but she wasn't going to back down. Damon needed her. He needed them both.

As she approached the station, she saw Damon's friend leaning against his car, his eyes filled with determination. Without a word, he pushed off from the car and started walking toward her.

"We need to get inside," he said, his voice low but firm. "Come on."

Riley didn't waste any time. She followed him into the building, the cold fluorescent lights overhead flickering as they approached the desk. The officer behind the counter looked up with a bored expression, but that quickly shifted when he saw the urgency in their eyes.

"What can I help you with?" the officer asked flatly.

"I'm here to see Damon," Riley said, trying to keep her voice steady. "The one you arrested. You have to let me talk to him."

The officer glanced down at the paperwork in front of him and then back up at Riley, his eyes narrowing. "You'll have to wait. He's being processed. It'll be a while before you can see him."

Riley felt the heat rise in her chest. She was tired of being told to wait. She didn't care how long it took - she needed to see Damon.

"I don't care about the process. I need to speak to him now. I'm not leaving until I do," Riley insisted, her voice a little sharper now.

The officer looked at her for a moment, clearly deciding whether to argue or not. Finally, he sighed and stood up. "Fine. I'll take you to him, but you're not allowed to stay long."

Riley nodded, following the officer down the sterile hallway, her heart racing. Her footsteps echoed in the quiet corridors as she tried to prepare herself for whatever they were going to say.

They arrived at the holding cells, and Riley could barely breathe when she saw Damon sitting there, his head down, still groggy and pale from the effects of the taser. His hands were cuffed to the wall, and he looked up slowly when he heard the footsteps approaching.

"Riley..." he whispered, his voice hoarse. It was clear he was still recovering from the shock, but the relief in his eyes when he saw her was unmistakable.

"Damon," she whispered back, her heart sinking at the sight of him. She rushed to his side, her hand reaching through the bars to touch his arm. "What happened? Why did they take you?"

He swallowed hard, his face contorting with pain. "I don't know. They… they said something about an incident. But I was just trying to protect you. I swear, Rai, I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Riley's eyes filled with tears again, but she quickly wiped them away. "Don't apologize. We'll get you out of here. I won't let them keep you."

His friend appeared behind her, his face set with determination. "We'll figure this out. You're not alone, Damon. We'll fix this."

The officer stood back, watching them with a neutral expression, but Riley didn't care. She wasn't leaving until Damon was free, and she wasn't going to let this night end in another separation.

This wasn't over - not by a long shot.