Release

Release
Sam's POV

I returned to my desk, busying myself with my thoughts for most of the day, mapping out in my head how to go about Cecilia Rosewood's case while having to deal with my partner cum ex, whose sole plan is to fuck my life over.
He had an escape plan if things went south. I didn't. His uncle was the mayor of the city, and because of that and the fact that he was actively involved in his uncle's election, he had a lot of connections in the city's political space, while I had nothing but myself, my job, and my helpless friends.
I was an orphan, with nothing to her name but a house I inherited from my parents and some savings. The last thing I could afford to lose is my badge. I had to find a way around this somehow.
I lived most of the day in my head. I couldn't even summon the mental power to look into it or other unsolved cases on my desk. Before evening I was so exhausted and tired from running marathons in my own head, I stood up for home, though I knew I was going to live the rest of the night in my head as well.
Perhaps when the call log and SMS log of Mrs. Cecilia Rosewood come tomorrow from the network carrier, I’ll get some action.
I sighed softly as I fetched my valuables from the desk, put on my jacket, and walked through the aisle between my desk and another, striding for the door. I stopped just a few feet from the door, my mind darting fast to Rowan. I had avoided it all day, but now I couldn't. Now a sudden urge breathed through me, wanting me to see him.
I turned my back to the door and shook my head hard, continuing to my car. I was better off staying away from him. Just like Alex, he was a cancer to my life and job. But somehow, something stopped me again, and I paused just before the door, turning to the corridor leading to the holding cell. For an uncomfortable and unusual string of minutes, I just stood there, staring beyond the heads and desks in the office to the corridor, my fingers tightening on the bunch of keys in my hand.
I shook off the thought and turned to leave again, but once again, that nagging feeling ringing from the rungs of my belly shot up, freezing my legs to the spot. I looked back again at the corridor leading to the holding cell.
I shrugged my shoulders now. Perhaps I should just have a look at him and then leave. Just a look, and I’ll leave, I assured myself, strolling back down the aisle between the desk and the corridor.
I reached the holding cells, bouncing my keys on my hand as I strolled down, looking through the cells for him. My eyes trailed down a couple of faces, but not his.
I halted then, a quick shiver drilling through me as I realized where he could be if he wasn't here—the interrogation room.
I spun around, hurrying for the interrogation room. I pushed the door, stumbling into the interrogation room just in time to see Alex swinging a punch for Rowan's face while he sat handcuffed to the desk, helpless against the punch.
The tears on Rowan's head and the swell on his cheek, as well as the bloodied gashes just beside his eyes, told me he has been helpless to a little more. 
Alex froze his fist midway for Rowan's face, and his head turned slowly to the door. He grunted as he registered it was me at the door. He returned his gaze to Rowan then, resuming his punch for Rowan's head.
The bastard. I shot forward quickly, and I pushed off his arm before his fist could land on Rowan's face. “What the hell is wrong with you, Alex?” I yelled at him, planting myself between him and Rowan.
He whipped his hand back to his side then, dropping back to his side of the table, his glare furtive, his face tightened in a hard frown. “Why are you here, Sam? To defend your boyfriend again.”
“He isn't my…” I was yelling, my fist pumping hard beside me as hot searing adrenaline poured through my veins. But I knew it was useless on Alex. The bastard would always spin it to Rowan being my boyfriend, just to blame me for being prejudicial, when he was the one being so prejudicial. Too jealous to think straight. I ground my teeth, forcing all my rage to my fists, and I tried my best to sound firm even against his hard glaring eyes. “This has nothing to do with him being my boyfriend or not. This is about you unlawfully assaulting a suspect…”
Alex grunted, his jaw tight, aching loudly. “Don’t give me that line, Sam.” He threw his hand in the air in violent dismissal. “He is not a suspect. He is a criminal.” He yelled.
“He isn't,” I retorted, walking around the table to stand just an inch from Alex, looking right into his eyes and daring him. “I don't remember him being convicted of a crime. Suspected of being a con artist, yes, but no court has ever convicted him of being one. As the court has never convicted him of any other crime.”
“Yes, Detective.” Rowan chimed loudly behind me. “Never convicted, never done time in a prison. I am as innocent as they come. That's why my nickname is “innocent.” 
For someone who was just being beaten up by a person he couldn't defend against, he sure was a little excited. Sometimes, like now, I wonder if he was just plain stupid or if he was just so free he could joke about everything. I ground my teeth hard, and I turned and slanted him a glance, rebuking him with a sweep of my eyes.
That told him I didn't appreciate his commentary, and it helped in shutting his lips on whatever nonsense would pour out again. He made a quiet motion of sealing his lips. And he shrugged his shoulders and flashed me that bright, harmless grin again, with an added stretch of his lips now that made him appear almost like a clown. He reclined onto his seat. He would have dropped into his signature pose of throwing his hands below his head if they weren't cuffed to the table.
Perhaps he was just plain stupid. I thought, dragging my eyes back to Alex. I realized the rage and hate in my eyes had dropped after staring at Rowan and wore it back on to the bastard that stood right before me.
I looked into the heat in his eyes, holding them firm and undeterred. “I want Rowan Drake released. He has already stayed forty-eight hours in the cell without being charged for anything. So he…”
“He assaulted me. He will be charged for…”
“A scene to which I am a material witness, and that wasn't an assault on me. It was rather a retaliation to your assault on him.” I shot back.
Alex’s face folded in a tighter snarl, and it snapped from me to Rowan. “Then I am bringing him in for questioning again on the murder of Cecilia Rosewood. He is the prime suspect…”
“And if you read the files, you will find out I am his alibi. We were together that night…”
“In each other's arms, sharing passionate kisses and moments.” Rowan chipped in. He taunted Alex with a grin, licking his lips gently as his grin grew, a mischievous twinkle lighting up his amber-hazel orbs. “You should know what that means, copper. And we did that all night…”
Alex grunted, his face darkening with each word Rowan uttered, thick veins popping in his neck. But as much as I loved the look Rowan was drawing from Alex's face, he was disrespecting me by saying such things.
I turned to him then. “Will you just shut up, Rowan, and stop interrupting?” I snapped at him, rebuking him with a roll of my eyes again.
He shut up and made another motion of sealing his lips again. I just hoped he does well to keep that mouth shut for a long, long time.
I returned my gaze to Alex, whose cock had shot high to his forehead, his eyes heated and narrowed on me. “Is it true what he said, Sam?” He demanded, his eyes quizzing me. “Is it true that you guys were together all fucking night on that day?” 
I forced a smile up at him. “I don't think my sex life should be any of your business, Alex. The only thing you should know is that I am his alibi, and I need the key to his cuffs because I am going to have him released.”
Alex moved to yell, but I beat him to the response, raising my voice high. It filled the small room. “Give me the cuffs, Alex, or I will get the footage of your session with him where you were roughing him up, and I’ll share it not just with our superiors but with a few newsmen, and not even your uncle, the almighty Mayor Callaghan, will be able to save your sorry ass.” I said, nudging my eyes up to the camera hanging on a corner of the room.
Just after his eyes returned to me as he looked up to the camera, I threw my palm right at him. “The key to the cuffs,” I demanded, ignoring the hate consuming his eyes as he glared at me.