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I could just barely register the sound of Hayes screaming my name, but I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t get my mouth to function. And when I watched someone walking toward the car, I thought it was someone who was going to help. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
A van screeched to a halt next to Mali’s car, and the person dropped down to their knees. Next thing I know, there’s a rag being held over my mouth and nose, and no matter how hard I tried to fight it, I couldn’t.
And then everything went black…until I woke up in the box.
I look down at my nails as I sit in the bathtub. The damage to the tips reminds me of how I tried to claw myself free, but no matter how hard I fought to get free, I couldn’t. I didn’t know where I was. All I knew was that I was getting tired and weak. The lack of oxygen was kicking in, and I didn’t have it in me to keep fighting.
So, I curled into a ball in the corner of the box and I cried, telling myself over and over again that Hayes would find me. He’d stop at nothing until he found me.
“Hey,” he says softly as he pours the warm water over my shoulders. “It’s okay. You’re safe, and I’m never going to let her hurt you again.”
Her.
My head whips over in his direction. “The test?”
He nods. “It’s a match. Riley and Monty are related.”
I feel a rush of so many different things flood through me. Terror at the fact that she spent so long around the people I care about. Sadness for Hayes and Cam that they’re losing someone they thought was a good friend and employee. But most of all, I feel relief, because we finally know who is doing this.
And now we can end it.
Tears pour from my eyes as I tilt my head back so Hayes can wash the shampoo out of my hair. He works so gently, treating me like I’m fragile and he’s afraid he’ll break me. But surprisingly, after hearing that, I feel stronger than ever.
THE FOUR OF USsit in the living room, trying to come up with a plan on how to deal with this. We know it’s Riley, that much is clear. But now we need to figure out how to handle it.
She’s always been smart and conniving, and the last thing we need is for her to have fail safes in place that end up backfiring on us if we hurt her. Isaac was one thing. We knew how to hit him where it hurts. But Riley is a wildcard.
I’m sitting on the chair, wearing a pair of shorts and one of Hayes’s shirts. My hair is still damp from when Hayes cleaned me up. But while everyone is watching and worrying about me, I’m worried about Hayes.
He’s clearly on edge, and that’s understandable. But I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s blaming himself. He can’t sit still for longer than thirty seconds before he gets up to look out the window.
If I don’t deal with this, it’s only going to get worse.
“Cam,” I say softly. “Take Mali and go somewhere.”
Hayes turns to me in a panic. “What? No. We need them here. We need to keep an eye on you.”
I give him a warm smile. “It’s okay. You’ve got me, remember? You’ve got me. I’m safe with you.”
That manages to get through to him, and he calms down slightly, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close. I glance over at Cam and Mali and gesture for them to go. I know exactly what he needs, what webothneed, and Cam isn’t going to want to be in the house for it.
“You probably need water,” Hayes tells me, and immediately heads into the kitchen.
I follow him and lean against the doorway. “H.”
“Don’t,” he pleads. “I know what you’re going to say. Just don’t. Okay?”
But I can’t do that. He needs to hear it. “This wasn’t your fault.”
His eyes fall closed, and his hands press down on the island. “You don’t know that.”
“I do,” I assure him. “You didn’t do this. The only thing you had to do with was saving my life.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
It looks like he’s in excruciating pain as he finally looks at me. “She wants to tear us apart! She’s going to stop at fucking nothing until we’re not together anymore! I know this, and yet I’m being selfish and holding on anyway!”
