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That had a smile forming on my lips.
“I’m going to record this for our records. Do you consent?” she asked, sliding a stack of forms our way. I signed off my name and dated it, as did the others. When that was done, she pulled out her phone and began the recording, giving her full name, rank, and badge number. Chief Campbell was meticulous, lining up an open notebook, two pens, and the phone in perfect order.
“Can you tell me what happened to you?” Again, those startling eyes were on me, rendering my brain useless until Cyrus squeezed my thigh.
Our story had been rehearsed, so I didn’t have to come up with anything on the spot. It would also match theirs if we were separated for questioning.
“Actually, first, do you need a doctor?” She eyed my arms again, and true concern colored her expression. It was nice to know that she cared enough to ask, but there was no way in hell I was going to the hospital.
“I’ve seen one,” I reassured her. “He said it will take a while for the bruising to heal and gave me instructions on how to ice it. The limp will heal in time, and we’re going to see him in a few weeks to assess any need for physical therapy.”
“I’m glad you received proper care,” she said with a nod, glancing down at the notebook in front of her and writing out a few notes. “Who did this to you, Bailey?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, playing up that innocent look I gave the world. “One minute, I was using the restroom at the coffee shop, and the next, I was being drugged and dragged out of the back door. They threw me into some kind of car. I couldn’t see who or what because they shoved some sort of hood over my head. That, and the drugs had the world spinning before I passed out.”
“That must have been terrifying,” she said quietly. “Did they tell you anything you could use to identify them? Did you see anything like a tattoo, piercing, or scar?”
Danny was my scapegoat since Hayes had wiped any ties he might have had to the Family. I described a few things about him, from the brown teeth and haircut to the scars.
“He asked me about my work with the senator, but he didn’t believe anything I said. The senator is my boss, yes, but he doesn’t give me sensitive information. When I didn’t provide the answers… he hurt me. He seemed to enjoy it. It was terrifying.” My quivering voice had gone quiet, and it wasn’t an act. Reliving the details of the torture as I painted the picture for her was even worse. The whole ordeal had left me shaken. Between the memories and nightmares, I was considering therapy even though I had no idea what I could really tell the therapist. Oh hey, I’m struggling because I murdered my ex when he tried to assault me, and now I’m being blackmailed. Then I got kidnapped and tortured.
No big deal, no red flags to see here.
“What questions did he ask you?” she pressed on, albeit a bit more gently than before. “I’m sorry. We have to know in order to help you.”
“The senator just went on a two-week business trip. The alpha torturing me asked where he went during his time away, but I wasn’t there on the trip with him. Then they wanted information on his campaign platform, but that’s public knowledge. The entire situation was just strange.”
“The inquiries into the campaign had us wondering if his competitors could be involved,” Cyrus said evenly.
She nodded at his words and continued her notes, only glancing up when she was finished.
“I had the same thought, however, when I heard you were coming in, I had my detectives dig into his whereabouts. He was in very public places the entire time. Not to say someone couldn’t be using that solid alibi to do the dirty work for him while keeping his hands clean, but it would be nearly impossible to prove,” she admitted.
Carlisle was at the bottom of my suspect list. Now that I’d uncovered Burke’s circle and the men he had already introduced me to, I put nothing past them. Hayes had already started looking into his former employees, checking into their whereabouts.
“I just want to move past it,” I said quietly. “It was a terrible few days, and if I hadn’t escaped and managed to find someone to bring me home…”
I let her fill in the blanks there. It was a terrible situation to imagine, one I’d lived through, and I’d given her most of the gory details at this point.
“How did you escape?”
There was the question I’d been waiting for. “He got careless and stepped out for a smoke. Any moment I could, I’d worked on untying myself, and when I got one arm free, pure adrenaline had me out of the rest and sneaking away. I heard him yelling, but I’d already made it to the road by then.”
“Wait, what road? What did you see?” she asked, pen poised and eyes eager. This was the lead she wanted, though it wasn’t one I could give her truthfully. Not without risking the guys being found out.
“There was a farm. It smelled like livestock and engine grease,” I said. “I was in some sort of warehouse there. The road was empty. I had to run for a while before an old truck ended up coming by. The driver tried to take me to the hospital, but I freaked out enough that he took me back to my apartment. Thankfully, the guys were there.”
“They were at your apartment? Why?”
“That’s none of your business,” Sterling said bluntly. The alpha had been silent so far, letting Weston and Cyrus take lead, but apparently, this crossed the line for him.
“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “The senator assigned them as my bodyguards. They’re like family now.”
“Ah,” she said, giving him an odd look before writing that down. “Sounds like guilt got in the way since you were supposed to keep her safe.”
A low growl rumbled from Sterling before Cyrus dragged him from the room.
“He blames himself,” I said sadly. “Your comment struck a nerve.”
