Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
I looked over at Vicky, not knowing this.
She looked away.
I didn’t like that. Vicky and Howard hadn’t told me.
“They’ve been in the news lately,” Mallory continued, “promising their latest attempt at an appeal will be successful.”
I went back to watching Mallory.
Her mouth went flat. “I think they’re full of shit, but lawyers can sometimes pull a rabbit out of a hat. With the new DNA, they want to rule yours out so they can say it’s another unidentified person at the crime scene. They’ll argue that could’ve been the real killer.”
“What the fuck are they saying is their client asshole’s reason for being there then?”
She lifted her eyes to Brett. “They’ve not made their argument official, but my guess is that they’re going to claim Cameron Fowler happened to be in the area, heard a scream, and came in to help.” Her eyes flickered to me before returning to him. “According to Miss Harm’s statement, she didn’t actually see him murder anyone.”
God. I was back there.
The screams.
“I saw him entering the house, and I hid,” I told her. “They were alive when he came in and dead when he left. There was no one else there.”
Silence fell over the group.
Mallory’s shoulders stiffened. “Yes. They’ll pick that apart.”
I rocked back against Brett.
This was a nightmare. My nightmare.
It was going to work—everything she’d said they were going to do, and he was going to be released.
Then he’d come for me.
This was it. This was how the universe was going to take everyone away from me.
Panic built in my chest. Slowly. It had grown with each word Mallory Christening said, and now I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.
I could only think of one word.
Run.
I tore myself away from Brett. “I’m not giving consent. I don’t give a shit what they say.”
Mallory frowned. “Willow—”
“Do whatever you need to do. Send me the bill, but I’m not giving my DNA, and they need to get the fuck off this land. It’s private property. They no longer have permission to be here.” I swung around, blinded by my need to get away.
I started for Brett’s vehicle but stopped just as quickly because coming over the hill, red and blue lights flashing, was a caravan of cops.
The first was a black truck, one that I recognized.
I was aware in the back of my mind of the screen door opening and people coming outside, but I was locked on the first truck’s driver as he parked and got out.
Travis.
His badge hung from his neck.
His face was grim.
He was here on official business.
29
BRETT
“Who died?”
Billie was the first to ask, and her voice was hoarse. She was standing by herself now, and my God, the sight of her, facing the onslaught of law enforcement vehicles. Tiny. Petite. Those lights swallowed her whole.
But she stood there. Fierce and firm, except for a slight tremble in one of her arms.
She tucked it behind her and raised her chin, as if she could defy whatever bad news was coming.
I was punched in the gut. This woman was mine and was going to be mine for the rest of forever. She is mine.
A wave of possessiveness and protection surged up in me. I moved to her as Detective Dickhead approached. I’d been fine standing behind her earlier, but this shit was different.
He stopped just short of her and looked her over, a bleakness on his face before he blinked and it was gone. His gaze moved to Vicky, who had migrated forward. Howard now stood behind her, a hand resting on her shoulder. She covered his hand with hers. They were both there, as a unit, for Billie.
Billie knew it. She pulled in a breath like she was reaching out to them, drawing some of their strength.
My fingers curled around her arm before falling to her wrist, then sliding to her hand. She laced our fingers and moved to my side, her forehead resting against my bicep.
I still felt a slight tremble from her, and I squeezed her hand gently. She drew in another breath, her mouth moving so her lips could graze my skin.
My bicep flexed, all by itself, among other body parts. He liked that touch.
I liked that touch.
She burrowed closer to me.
“Travis?” Vicky spoke up, alarmed. “Not Lo?”
He blinked, startled. “No! God, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d jump there.” He spoke to her, but his gaze kept going to Billie.
“Why are you here?”
His eyes found mine. He could see I wasn’t happy about any of this.
About him coming here.
About us needing to be here for those fucking lawyers.
About how he kept glancing Billie’s way as if she were his to take care of, but he couldn’t so he had to stand away from her and do his job, because that was why he was here.
I hated all of this, but mostly that I couldn’t make any of it go away.