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“I appreciate it,” I tell her. “You should get Olivia home. You’ve both had a long afternoon.”
“Okay.” She nods. “I guess we’ll see you again soon?”
“Soon,” I agree.
Chapter 62
Madden
—PAST—
Ranger and I take our time driving the rest of the way to Texas, stopping along the way at lakes and parks and sleeping in the bed of the truck at night. We fall into an easy rhythm, waking with the sun and starting our day off with a walk. He sniffs around and chomps on grass but never strays far from my side. It’s an unconditional faith he’s given me, and it amazes me that he could trust anyone after being left behind by someone else. But every day, I make him a silent promise that he’ll be with me until the end.
I keep him in a steady supply of his vet-approved treats, figuring if his clock is running out, he should enjoy the time he has left. We stop often to explore new places, and I learn that he loves to fetch toys, but he can only play for a few minutes before he tires out. We watch the sun set together, and sit by the fire, and I catch myself talking to him far too often. But his favorite thing to do is just lie in bed with me, getting belly rubs while I listen to him snore.
The dark thoughts don’t go away for good, but with him by my side, they come less often. I’m responsible for him, and it gives me a purpose because I won’t let him down. So no matter how I feel, or how many times I wake up at night reliving the past, I get up and do my thing every day. I put on my boots, and I shave, and I tell Ranger we’re going to be okay because that’s the only option we have.
I cross the Texas state line on day six and keep going until I’m in Edinburg. It’s late—about nine o’clock—when I drive by Adam’s new address and notice the gate is locked and all the lights are off.
“He must be at the office, bud.” I reach over and ruffle Ranger’s fur, and his tongue falls out of his mouth as he lifts his head in agreement.
As I drive the familiar route to the TCA office, that same sickness twists in my gut. This is the thing I’ve been putting off, but I can’t procrastinate anymore. I took my sweet time getting down here, but now I have to bite the fucking bullet.
When Ranger and I pull into the lot at TCA, only two cars are left behind—Adam’s Porsche and a silver Audi. I glance over at Ranger and consider my options. Even at night, it’s too hot down here to leave him in the truck. He’s going inside with me, but I don’t know how he’ll react if Adam comes uncorked.
“You don’t worry about me, okay?” I clip his leash onto his collar and help him out of the truck, and he moseys along beside me to the front of the building.
I punch in the security code at the front door and walk inside. The A/C is on full blast, and it’s loud, which I figure is a good thing for Ranger’s sake. I pause at the front desk and loop Ranger’s leash around the office chair.
“You just sit tight. I’ll be back in a bit.”
He lies down with a sigh and watches me as I walk down the hall toward Adam’s office. I’ve rehearsed what I want to say a thousand times, but it doesn’t matter how I rearrange the words, they aren’t going to come out right. There is no good way to own up to what I’m about to tell him.
I’m so twisted up inside my head that I don’t realize what’s happening as I turn the corner. Adam’s office door is wide open, and at first glance, what I’m seeing doesn’t compute. Not until the sound hits me, followed by the visual impact of him plowing a blonde woman who’s bent over his desk.
I freeze mid-step, convinced I must be hallucinating because, by the grace of some higher power, that’s not Bianca. But it is someone, and it’s going down right in front of me. Adam squeezes her hip with one hand, yanking her head back with the other before he wraps his fingers around her neck.
“Yeah, you like that, don’t you, whore?” He spits in her face and smears it around with his palm.
She moans, and not only does she take it, she begs him for more. She tells him to come inside her, choke her, slap her, fuck her harder. He complies, and I don’t want to watch, but I can’t seem to move.
He’s being rough with her, and I’m still trying to convince myself it’s real when he squeezes her neck so hard her face turns red. She comes, and Adam forces her onto her knees to release himself all over her face.
