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“She’s coming back to the compound,” I announce to no one in particular. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone says.”
“I’ve already talked to her,” Birdie answers hesitantly. “She said she’d like to stay with me.”
I turn to look at her, and it feels like she just sucker punched me. “She told you that?”
Birdie gives me a stiff nod. “She’ll be safe with us, Kodiak. I promise. And it won’t be forever. She just needs time to warm up to you again. You have to understand how confused she feels by all of this.”
I swallow the words I really want to say because as much as I hate it, I know Birdie’s right. Bianca doesn’t know me. She’s terrified of me. She’s terrified of everything. And the only person who seems to be an exception to that is Birdie. Forcing her to return to my house won’t make her feel safe. And I know that’s what we have to do if we have any chance of getting her memory back.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I mutter.
The door swings open, and Detective Oliver’s gaze locks onto mine. He jerks his chin toward the other end of the hall.
“A word, Madden?”
I follow him reluctantly, the hatred I feel for this motherfucker rolling off me in waves. He’s had a hard-on for me from the first time he even looked at the case. And I’d rather walk through a bed of flaming coals than listen to anything that comes out of his mouth. But I can’t let him leave without knowing what he’s going to do.
“I realize we haven’t exactly had a great rapport over the years,” he begins.
“I suppose that’s because you’ve been trying to ruin my goddamn life.” I glare at him.
He nods, and I’m surprised to see remorse in his eyes. I wouldn’t have thought he was even capable of it.
“You’re right,” he acknowledges. “And I can see that I was wrong, given the latest developments. I know an apology isn’t going to cut it, but I will tell you that I’m sorry for what it’s worth.”
He leaves the words hanging between us, and I don’t know what the fuck to say. I never expected the arrogant prick to admit defeat. I was certain after he learned of Adam’s depravities, and Bethany’s arrest, he still wouldn’t be happy until I was rotting in a prison cell.
“I’m not going to mince words,” he says. “In light of the evidence you provided, we’ve been able to link two of the women from Adam’s hard drive to remains found near the Rio Grande. I suspect there will be more as the case evolves.”
A heavy feeling settles over me as I process that information. “Who were they?”
“Sex workers,” he replies. “These types of crimes are often underreported, and even when they are, they can be difficult to solve. Adam was clearly aware of that, and he took advantage of it.”
“So what does this mean for us?” I ask.
He stuffs his hands into his pocket and shifts. “I’ve spoken with the prosecutor, and we won’t be moving forward with charges against you, for obvious reasons. Now that we have Bethany in custody for the assault, we’ll continue to build our case against her for her other crimes.”
My frustration compounds as I consider that Bethany was under my nose all along. The one time I met her at Adam’s office, she was a completely different person. Her hair was long and bleached, her clothes were expensive, and she was a far cry from the emaciated, dirty woman with buzzed black hair we picked up.
According to Lucian, Detective Oliver also found records that she was in New Orleans shortly after the murder. They believe she’d followed Bianca there with the intent to kill her, but once she realized her memory was gone, she stalked and befriended her instead. If I hadn’t already believed she was certifiably insane, this would have cemented it.
“Whatever happens, I just want it to be over,” I tell him. “Bianca needs peace in her life, and I’m going to protect that at all costs. If or when her memory comes back, then it’s up to her what she wants to say to you. But until then, the harassment stops.”
Detective Oliver meets my gaze. I expect an argument, but he doesn’t give me one. “You really do love her, don’t you?”
I remain silent because it isn’t for him to know how I feel. Those words are for Bianca and Bianca alone.
A commotion down the hall makes both of us turn, and when I catch sight of my mom, Stefan, and Bianca’s mom congregating in the hall, it turns my blood to ice.
“They aren’t going in,” I call out to Lucian.
He nods, blocking the doorway to Bianca’s room while I stalk toward them. All of their attention turns to me, and Stefan is the first to pipe up.
