AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shook my head, wondering if Hannah would make a shish kebab out of me for telling her sister about the nightmares. But here I was, about to talk, so I might as well prepare to be skewered. “She’s been having nightmares. Bad ones. But she doesn’t remember them, or she says she doesn’t, and she doesn’t want to talk about it.”
Lauren started pacing. “I’ll talk to her. I’ll make her understand she doesn’t have to hide this. Stress is nothing to be ashamed of—”
“Lauren.” I waited until she stopped pacing. “We might need to give her some space—she is an adult. The most important thing right now is to protect her.”
“Agreed.” She started pacing again. I left her to it.
As I headed to my room, I had to stop frequently. I leaned against the wall, desperate to catch my breath and not pass out. I wiped my brow and composed my features as I reached the door.
It’s my issue, and I’m dealing with it.
Hannah was in the shower. She came out a few minutes later in one of my T-shirts, her face puffy from crying.
“C’mere.” I pulled down the comforter.
She shuffled into bed, clutching a tissue.
“I’m so sorry about your friend.”
She blew her nose.
“It’s okay, you know. It’s okay to be scared.”
She sat up a little, glaring. “I’m not scared.”
“I meant sad,” I backpedaled.
“I’m not sad—I mean, I’m sad, but that’s not why I’m crying.”
“Okay…” I waited to let her finish.
“I’m mad. And I’m not just mad, I’m so angry, I don’t even know what to do. I’ve never felt this way before. It’s like I’m out of control. If Li Na was in front of me right now, I don’t even know what I’d do.” She shook her head. “I hate hating her. But I hate her so much.”
I held her closer. “I know how that feels.”
Many times, in the service and on the job, I’d felt a blinding rage, an urge to crush someone.
“Do you feel like that now?”
I shook my head. “Right now, it’s more like a dull throb. Like I’m the Hulk, and I’m getting ready to burst, but I’m not quite there yet. I’m more in the planning stage. I like to plan, then I like to burst. It’s more effective that way.”
A brief smile crossed Hannah’s face. “I like that.”
“Good.” I wrapped my arms around her. “The Hulk’s got you, babe, and there’s extra security on the premises.”
“What about Fiona?”
“Levi and Ash sent a team there. too. And the police are there. Her family’s safe.”
Now.
She looked as if she might start crying again, but I rocked her a little, holding her close.
“Go to sleep, babe. And tomorrow?”
She looked up at me expectantly.
“Tomorrow we plot our revenge.”
