Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
I felt Greer tense, as if she was about to launch herself out of my lap.
I caught her before she could and tightened my hold.
Neither one of us said a word.
Not until Greer turned her head and glared at Sunny. “Tell us everything.”
Then with a calmness that denoted control but most assuredly wasn’t, we both listened to Sunny tell us everything.
“When I was a very new special agent, as in my second case ever, we got a call about a seventeen-year-old that could possibly fit our serial killer rapist case. I was the person to respond to the call. I interviewed Sara. Then I got her the help she needed. It was never solved, by the way. The man that was responsible for doing it is still out there, free to do it again to whomever he likes, whenever he likes. And until he fucks up, there’s nothing we can do,” Sunny explained.
Rage like none I’d ever felt before in my life suffused my veins.
That’s when I realized that I wasn’t the one doing the holding anymore. Greer was.
We were both silent for a really long time as we tried to get ourselves under control.
Then, very carefully, I let Greer up to go to her friend.
Greer did, walking straight to Sara and asking, “Can I hold you?”
Sara threw her arms around Greer, and together they just held each other for several minutes.
Hearing all that had happened to Sara explained a lot of things.
How she didn’t date in high school. How, after it’d happened, her mother wouldn’t allow any of us over for a very long time. How, when she finally did allow us all over, I wasn’t allowed to be alone in a room with Sara.
God, if I’d only had it explained to me, I would’ve fought a whole lot less.
Sunny slapped me on the shoulder, and I looked at him to see him gesture me outside.
I went with him, and he gave me a few more details that he’d left out earlier. About how bad she’d done for a while, and how it’d been Greer and me that’d kept her safe and whole.
“There was one time I’d come to ask her a few questions,” he said as he leaned against one of the pillars that held the front porch up. “The time before, she’d been very bad. She’d looked bad, acted bad, and honestly I was scared that the next time I saw her, she was going to be dead because she killed herself.” He shivered slightly. “But the next time? She’d finally seen you guys. It was as if y’all brought her back to life. She talked and talked about y’all. You and Greer being her best friends. How, after you saw her, you forced her to go out to her favorite joint.” He winced. “That’s where it happened, you know.”
I felt my stomach bottom out.
“I had no clue,” I admitted. “I had zero clue about any of this. I would’ve been a much different person around her had I known.”
“I think that was the point,” he admitted. “She didn’t want y’all to act any differently. She just wanted y’all to continue being her friends. But you helped her face a lot of fears without even knowing it, by just being yourselves. I’m glad that she had you as her friend. And Greer. You saved her life.”
I didn’t talk after that, processing the information. Not for a long time.
“What are your intentions, Sunny?” I asked.
Sunny laughed. “What makes you think I have any?”
I looked over at him as if he thought I was dumb. “Sunny, you are a smart man. I know you just like I know any man. You have feelings for her.”
“I have feelings for her,” he confirmed. “But I’m allowing it to move at her pace.”
That made me feel relieved.
“Sara will reward you for that,” I admitted. “She’s a beautiful, smart, kind, loving person.” I looked at him. “I’m going to put Kobe on this.”
I pointed at the door behind me. “I’m gonna have him find him. He can find anyone.”
Sunny blew out a breath. “I think that if this were solved, she’d be a lot more open to what we have.”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “Maybe not. But until then…”
“Until then, I’m gonna give her the space she needs if she needs it. While also simultaneously showing her that I won’t leave,” he said. “Not even if you ask me to.”
I smirked at him. “If she ever wanted you gone, I could make you gone. But that’s not what she’s going to ask, and we both know it.”
He laughed then, low and husky.
“Davis,” he said casually. “You’re a scary man.”
I grunted. “When I want to be.”
• • •
I walked in on them laughing.
“I should really work out.” Greer patted her belly, which wasn’t even remotely big or puffy or anything. “I feel like crying winded me.”