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“Samuel won’t know what to do with you two.” Garrett slides a glance between Troy and me. “You’re both magnets for getting hurt. But I’m glad to see you’re okay, Jess.” He nods at me.
“What happened?” I rasp and point once more to Troy’s sling.
“He can explain on the bus,” the paramedic says calmly. “You’re going to the hospital.” That’s mostly directed at me. She gets me to lie down on the stretcher.
I don’t argue but reach out for Troy’s hand. He squeezes my hand and climbs into the ambulance with me.
Forty minutes later, I’m sitting on the chair next to Troy’s bed in the ER, wearing a pair of scrubs and waiting to hear the verdict about his shoulder. I’ve already been cleared, the neck brace removed, and have been given strict orders to let my still-sore throat heal over the next few days. I’m allowed to talk, but not excessively.
Troy’s been doing most of the talking, telling me what happened after he and his brothers followed Violet’s soon-to-be ex-husband.
I’m still processing it all.
I drop my gaze to my lap. When I look up after a beat, it’s to find Troy’s eyes fixated on the bruises around my neck.
I know what he’s thinking. It’s there on his face. “It wasn’t your fault.” My voice is hoarse, but it’s an improvement over what it was an hour ago.
I stand and brush my lips over Troy’s, telling him without words how grateful I am he’s alive. If the FBI hadn’t shown up at the warehouse when they did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’d be mourning the loss of the man I care deeply for, instead of waiting with him to find out news about his shoulder.
The possibility of surgery has been mentioned.
Samuel has also threatened to put Troy in a body cast so the shoulder can heal. I think he might’ve been joking, but that might not be a bad idea based on Troy’s current track record.
The room door opens. But it’s not Samuel who enters or one of the nurses. It’s Zara and Garrett.
“The nurse said we could come back here.” Zara’s carrying a bag in one hand, which I hope contains my clean clothes. In her other hand is what looks like a folded section of a newspaper. Her gaze drops to the bruises on my neck, and for a fraction of a second, horror snags her expression before she alters it to something more neutral. “How are you two doing?”
“Good.” I cringe at my hoarse whisper that sounds anything but good. But I’m still alive, so I’m holding on tight to that. At least I can breathe—both literally and figuratively—now that Violet’s husband is going to be locked away for hopefully a long time.
I can return to focusing on building my new life.
Garrett, Zara, and Troy talk for a few minutes. I let my throat rest while I listen and watch them.
And that’s why I notice something is off about Zara. Her eyes keep darting my way, and I get the feeling there’s something she wants to tell me but doesn’t know how to broach the topic.
“What’s wrong?” I ask when her gaze settles briefly on me again.
Garrett gives her a resigned nod, looking no happier than she does about what they have to tell us.
“Someone left this in Treats.” She holds up the front section of the national newspaper.
“And it’s against the rules to leave newspapers there?” I venture because I have no idea why a newspaper would stress Zara out.
“It’s not the newspaper that’s the problem. It’s what’s in this particular issue…” She unfolds it, hands the paper to me, and points at a picture.
My stomach plummets at the sight of it. How the hell…? How the hell did the newspaper get a picture of me? It’s not one of my old photos from when I had brown hair and no scars. When I looked pretty and wore more makeup than I do now.
This one was taken in Maple Ridge. And not only that, it won’t take much investigative work to figure out which town I now call home.
Troy rips the paper out of my hand. “Where the hell did they get this picture?”
My eyes go to the title of the article, and then drop to the byline. Cora Harding.
No no no no no. She’s a reporter? This entire time…all the questions. Olivia’s sister was asking me questions for an article. In a national newspaper.
Letting the world know where to find me.
Letting everyone in Maple Ridge know about my dark past and my shame.
To Be Continued in ONE MORE TRUTH...
