AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Thirty-Five
Gabby
Hours later, Gabby sat on the edge of the emergency room bed at Sibley Memorial Hospital. She’d delivered Kennedy here. Breathed through terror and confusion, both of which she experienced now but in a different way. Still wild and out of control but now trembling and gasping at the thought of someone trying to hurt her. Having to deal with Detective Schone didn’t help. The woman showed up everywhere, including here.
Before the detective could get off another question, Liam shoved the curtain aside, rattling the hooks on the rod and pushing his way into the small area. “What the hell happened?”
Through all the emotional upheaval and dragging pain, seeing him still comforted her. She wanted to reach out but was convinced she’d lost that right.
“She says she was attacked at home.”
It was the way the detective said things that made Gabby so defensive. She was pretty sure the digs were a law enforcementtool. Understanding that and liking it were two different things. “‘Says’?”
The detective shrugged. “I believe you this time.”
Gabby didn’t have the energy for this. Dealing with Detective Melissa Schone meant being in top form, and Gabby had nothing left. No energy and very few working brain cells. “Is there another detective I can talk with?”
“You’re stuck with me.”
Liam came closer to the side of the bed but didn’t touch Gabby. “Are you okay?”
“Small cut on my arm. Bruised ribs.” She still didn’t know how or when the cut had happened. It wasn’t deep, but the second she saw it, it started burning. “Completely confused.”
Liam lifted his hand as if to touch the side of her face but then dropped it again without making contact. “I bet.”
The detective made a humming sound. “Interesting.”
An awkward silence followed the comment. The usual easy back-and-forth Gabby enjoyed with Liam had vanished. She had no idea how to get it back, but she yearned for a return to normal... or what they had long accepted as normal between them.
“So...” He cleared his throat. “Someone broke in?”
Tense, stifled conversation. Gabby hated it but joined in. “It looks that way.”
“She didn’t set the alarm,” the detective said.
The woman liked to start trouble. Gabby really didn’t need more.
Liam frowned. “Gab, why?”
“It’s been a hectic few weeks with Baines and the stuff after and . . .”Good Lord.What did she say next?
Liam nodded and took a step back from the bed. “Right.”
She ached for closeness. For forgiveness she didn’t deserve. “I... just...”
He patted her knee then let his hand drop again. “The important thing is you’re okay.”
No one said anything.
Gabby tried to think of a word bigger thanawkward. That’s what this was. Messy and broken, filled with half sentences and the kind of made-up affection she usually aimed at the unlikeable mothers of some of Kennedy’s friends.Fake, fake, fake.
The detective let out a sound that came close to a laugh. “Don’t let me stop you two from having a deep conversation.”
“Shouldn’t you be at her house or investigating?” Liam asked.
Some of the amused nosiness left the detective’s face. “Other than the attack in the hallway, the rest of the house is intact. Mrs. Fielding will need to have a look around and tell us if anything is missing, but jewelry, money, laptop, televisions look to be all there.”
“Maybe you caught them right as they broke in,” Liam said to Gabby, as if trying to make sense of what happened.
