AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My brain hurt. His words made sense, but the reason behind Alice’s actions didn’t. “Duke?”
“He’s staying with Liam,” Tess chimed in. “Summer says he’ll be fine in a few days.”
Nate nodded. “He had some bruising and a puncture from a sharp implement—not a knife—but she stitched him up and he’s recovering nicely.”
“Alice’s shoe,” I told him. “She kicked him with her high heel.”
He shuddered. “Poor dog.”
“And Ezra?” I asked, recalling the way he’d fallen to the floor. “Why was he released, and is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Nate said. “He explained a few things to us that changed our perspective of him, but I’ll let him share the details with you himself.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes, tempted to disappear back into the mindlessness of sleep, but I forced myself to stay conscious. “Do you know why she did it?”
“Not the whole story, but we’ve pieced together parts of it.” He pursed his lips. “Are you sure you’re ready to hear it? You only just woke up.”
I reached for him with my uninjured hand, and he clasped it between both of his own. “I need to know.”
“Okay.” He glanced at Tess. “Keep this to yourself, okay, honey?”
“Yes, Dad.” We both knew Tess wouldn’t breathe a word. She was a vault when she needed to be.
“On Alice’s computer, we found evidence that she was a finalist in a writing contest you won several years ago. The prize was mentoring from a successful author. She got second place. An email she sent to a friend of hers made it sound like she thinks that mentoring was what launched your career and that if the judges had scored differently, then she’d be the one with all your success.”
“Wow.” I struggled to comprehend that. “I had no idea. If I knew she was a writer, I’d have helped her. She never mentioned it.”
He grimaced. “I doubt she wanted your help. We found a number of manuscripts on her laptop with your pen name on them, but they aren’t among the titles you’ve published. This is pure guess work, but it’s possible she intended to publish them under your name after you were gone. Posthumous works can bring in a lot of money, and she could have claimed she’d found them on your computer and was making them public to honor your memory. I think she was obsessed with you. We were looking for someone who wanted you to be theirs when we should have been looking for someone who wanted tobeyou. It was right there in her note.”
Your life is mine.
I recalled wondering what it meant and whether someone thought I owed them my life or intended to take it away. In a way, the truth was more sinister. Alice believed she deserved to have my life.
I felt sick.
“How did I not see the ugliness inside her?” I asked.
He kissed the back of my hand. “You weren’t the only one. I should have noticed something was off with her. In less than a year, she became completely enmeshed in your life.”
“She was my assistant. She was supposed to be.”
He sighed. “I’m still sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. When I saw you on the floor, it took years off my life.”
“You saved me,” I reminded him. I couldn’t remember what had happened, but if he’d found me and I was still here, then it made sense he was responsible for that. “You did exactly what I needed.”
He released a shuddering breath.
“Can I have more water?” I asked.
He let go of my hand and guided the water bottle back to my mouth.
I drank enough to wet my lips and allow me to keep talking. “When I thought I was…” My chest tightened, but I forced myself to go on. “…dying, I wished I’d told you how much I loved you.” Despite the pain radiating throughout my body, I managed to smile. “I love you so much. I always have. I love you too, Tess. You’re my family.”
“We love you back,” Tess replied immediately, her face appearing over mine again.
Nate smiled tenderly. “We do.” He took my hand again. “I love you with my whole soul. I couldn’t stand not knowing whether you’d be okay. I need you around for another few decades yet.”
The whoosh of a door indicated someone else had entered the room.
