Chapter 28
Anastasia
I’m still trembling.
It’s been three hours since we left the police station, and I can’t seem to get myself under control. Shouldn’t I be relieved? Grateful that they caught the guy who murdered my friend, tried to kill Sawyer and Jack, and has been after me?
But it’s not relief I feel.
It’s this twisting reminder in my gut of that night I found her. Because I saw those pictures. The ones they tried to hide from Weston and me. They’d been scattered all over the floor in the fight, left there for everyone to see.
A strangled sob leaves me, and I sink to the floor of my bathroom.
God, please help me. Please, Lord. It hurts.
How can it still hurt so bad?
I’d been looking for her. Stumbling around in the dark, injured and bleeding, trying to get to my friend. And I’d tripped over her body.
Fallen to the ground right beside her.
And he’d been there. Right there. Watching me the whole time.
My shoulders shake, and my chest burns with the force of my pain. Weston had to have seen those pictures, too. He’d been forced to face that monster just like I had, and seeing him lose it like that—he’d been completely out of control.
Lost to his rage.
While I’d stood there and stared at the man who murdered my friend.
He looks so ordinary. Like anyone I could pass on the street. How many times did I see him? Shouldn’t I have known?
Violet would have.
She was always so good at reading people.
Is that why he killed her? Was he at that party? Did she want to leave because she knew what he was? Because she sensed he was a bad guy?
The door to my bathroom opens slowly, and I turn my face to look at Sawyer through my tears. His expression is hard, his gaze full of pain.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
“For what?”
Sawyer kneels in front of me. “That he killed her. That you found her. That you had to see those pictures. And that I didn’t move fast enough to remove him from this world forever.”
My eyes fill all over again, making it impossible to see. But I can feel Sawyer as he sits beside me. “It’s not your fault.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not sorry, baby.” He pulls me into his lap, cradling me in strong arms that I know would move the world for me if I needed him to.
“It just hurts so bad, Sawyer. I should be relieved that he’s been caught, but tonight was just a reminder of that moment when I found her. And to know he was there? Why didn’t he just kill me, too? Why did he let me live, only to come after me now?”
“We may never know, Anastasia. But Jack and Leopold will find out as much as they can.”
I nod. Jack stayed back at the precinct with Leopold while the rest of us left. Zane went to relieve Ryker so he could handle Weston, who took off from the precinct and hasn’t been seen since.
Tonight felt an awful lot like ripping open an old wound, just to throw salt into the torn flesh. But maybe it’s also the first step to healing. Maybe we’ll be able to finally lay all of this to rest.
“She was such a good person,” I whisper.
Sawyer presses a lingering kiss to the top of my head. “Tell me about her.”
I smile through the tears, forcing myself to focus only on the good memories. Of all-night sleepovers spent talking about boys or schoolwork. Of long summer days on the beach, swimming and searching for seashells.
And with each memory I relay to the man I love, I slowly unbox the pain I’ve kept locked up for far too long.
“How are you doing?” my mom asks as she takes a seat at her kitchen table.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee fills my lungs, perking me up just slightly.
I spent most of the night sitting on my bathroom floor with Sawyer as I relayed happy memories of my friend.
He’d listened intently, asking questions and engaging until the pain I’d felt was muted just enough to let in some of the happy I’d felt back then.
Once I could barely keep my eyes open, he’d lifted me into his strong arms and carried me over to my bed, sitting with me until I fell asleep. This morning, when I woke, I found him lying on the floor beside the bed, head propped up on one of his muscled arms.
I’d crawled down next to him on the floor, curling into his side as he held me.
“I’m doing better,” I say. “Sawyer is with Captain Leopold now, giving his statement about the shop and boat house explosions.”
“It’s all over?”
“It is. The man gave a confession after Sawyer broke his nose and fractured his orbital bone.”
My mom arches a brow. “I don’t condone violence, but in this instance—go, Sawyer.”
I laugh softly. “Yeah, well, they’re waiting to see if this guy lawyers up and whether or not he’ll come after Sawyer and Weston for assault.”
“Surely he can’t do that.”
I shrug. “He won’t win. Or, at least, Jack doesn’t think he will. Not with all the evidence they have on him.”
She cocks her head to the side. “How are things with Jack?”
“Good. I think. Or, at least as good as they can be. He’s been kind and understanding. When he came by for coffee this morning, he and Sawyer were even having a civil conversation.”
My mom feigns shock. “You don’t say! The same Sawyer who sat at my dining room table and shot him murderous looks as if those alone could get rid of him?”
Smiling, I nod. “Seems they bonded over saving me.”
“Well, both men love you, Anastasia. Neither wants anything to happen to you.”
“Love.” I smile. “I feel bad, but I never felt for Jack what I feel for Sawyer. It’s crazy, though. I dated Jack for eight months. But with Sawyer, it’s just like it clicked day one. That sounds insane.”
My mom covers my hand with hers. “Not even a little, honey. You’ve loved Sawyer for years now. It just took both of you an obscene amount of time to figure it out.”
I snort. “That obvious?”
“Please. Marlene and I talked about it all the time. She finally started trying to set him up with women after you were with Jack. We were both tired of him looking like a wounded animal.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “That’s a sad description.”
“But an accurate one.”
There’s a knock at the door, and my pulse jumps even as my mom gets to her feet.
“Mom, maybe we should—”
She gently squeezes my shoulder. “Sweetie. They caught him. It’s probably just Deputy Shultz. He’s been watching the house ever since Zane and Tessa left this morning. Something your brother assures me won’t be necessary once he’s been transferred to the County Jail.”
I take a deep breath to steady my nerves as she releases my shoulder and crosses toward the door. Will I ever not be scared?
“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise!” my mom says.
I turn as Jack walks in, a hesitant smile on his face. “I hope it’s okay I dropped by. Sawyer said I could find you here.”
“Of course.” My fears fade away, and relief rushes through me.
“Would you like some coffee? I was just about to pour us some.” She leads Jack over toward the table.
“Please, have a seat. I’ll get it. I’m honestly not sure I’m ready to sit just yet,” he says. “It’s been a long day.”
My mom takes a seat at the table, and Jack starts pouring coffee.
“We got the confession,” Jack says. “Ryan will be transported to the county jail and will wait for his arraignment. After that, he’ll face trial for everything he’s done.”
“What about Sawyer and Weston?” I ask.
“He will not be pressing charges.” Jack turns toward us and sets two coffee mugs down on the table, then returns to his before taking a seat.
“I made it clear that it wouldn’t be in his best interest to go after the brother of the girl he murdered, or the boyfriend of the one he was trying to kill. ”
I swallow hard, but Jack smiles at me.
“It really is okay, Anastasia. I just want you to be happy.”
“I didn’t deserve you,” I say.
“Nonsense,” my mother says. “Sometimes two great people just aren’t meant to be great together. But you’re still a part of this family, Jack Weathers.”
Jack smiles. “Thanks, Momma Knox. I appreciate that.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “Uh, so I wanted to come by before I headed back to Savannah.”
“You’re leaving?” I ask.
“Yeah. Need to get back to my life. I wanted to thank you both, though. Especially you, Anastasia.” He meets my gaze. “You came back for me when it would have been safer for you to stay away.”
“I wasn’t going to let you die. Sawyer either.”
“I know. And that risk couldn’t have been an easy one to make. Especially for him.”
“Everything worked out.”
“It did, didn’t it?” He smiles and takes a deep breath, then lifts his coffee mug again.
“You know what, we need something to snack on with this coffee.” My mom gets up, then pauses as the color drains from her face.
“Mom?”
She braces both hands on the table. “I don’t feel right.”
“What is it?” I ask. “What do you mean?”
“I think I—” She starts to fall forward, and Jack jumps up to catch her. Slowly, he lowers her to the floor and presses his fingers to her neck.
“Mom!” I scream and shake her, then reach for my phone. “I’ll call—”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, lovely.”
Lovely.
Slowly, I turn my attention back to Jack. The charming smile he wore only moments ago is gone, replaced with the expression of someone who might as well be a stranger. His gun is drawn and pointed directly at my mom.
Not me.
Her.
“What are you doing?” I ask, betrayal setting in like poison in my bloodstream. All this time—how did I not see? How could it be him? I keep waiting for something else to happen. Maybe he’ll rip off a Jack mask and I’ll see the true monster beneath.
Because this can’t be.
It can’t be Jack.
It’s Ryan. They caught Ryan.
“I don’t want to hurt her. Really, I don’t. But I will put a bullet in her if you don’t do exactly as I say.”
“Jack?”
“There will be plenty of time for explanations. Now. You are going to put your phone on that table and walk out of here with me. When Deputy Shultz asks you something, you’re going to smile and wave, and pretend nothing is wrong. Understand?”
“I can’t leave my mom, Jack. Please.”
“She’ll be fine in a few hours so long as you listen.” He grips me by the arm, hard enough to leave a bruise.
“Was it you this whole time?” My eyes fill with panicked tears as my heart pounds.
“Be good, Anastasia. We can’t have Deputy Shultz thinking anything is off. Got it?”
Lord, help me. Please keep Momma safe. Jesus, I need you. Amen.
“Okay.” I take a deep breath and start toward the door. Jack drapes a jacket over his drawn pistol and follows me out, the gun pressed to my spine.
“Hey, Anastasia!” Deputy Shultz greets with a wave. He’s young. A former Army man turned police officer in the last year or so.
“Hey, Tanner.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Jack is going to give me a ride home.” Bide your time, Anastasia. My dad always told me that, if someone tried to abduct me, I was not to go with them.
It was better they shoot me right there than to let them get me alone.
So, I try to keep my voice level, my smile plastered. Until we reach Jack’s car. As soon as he opens the door, though, I turn like I’m going to get into the car, then slam my knee into his groin and sprint away from my momma’s house. “Call Sawyer! It was Jack!” I scream.
A single gunshot tears my attention back to the scene behind me.
Tanner is collapsed against his cruiser, his weapon beside him. And Jack is standing there. His weapon drawn.
He turns back toward me. “Stupid girl,” he spits out.
On trembling legs, I sprint as fast as I can away from him. In the opposite direction from my mom and Tanner. That way, he’ll follow me instead of going after them. If I can just get—another gunshot.
Agony spreads like fire through my veins, and I stumble forward, hitting the pavement.
Jack is on me in an instant, lifting me up by my arm and dragging me toward his car.
“Stupid girl. How many people have to die before you get it? You can’t beat me!
” he hisses the words in my ear and lifts the trunk of his car.
He throws me inside and slams it shut.
Darkness surrounds me, but it’s nothing compared to the pain. I reach down to my side where the bullet tore through me. My fingers come back warm and sticky. No. Please, God, no.
As much as I don’t want to, I press down on the wound, biting back a scream as pain shoots through my side all over again. Pressure, I have to keep pressure.
Fear thrums through my veins, adrenaline slowly fading away to the cold realization that things just went from bad to impossible.
But I know that, if he gets me alone, I’ll be dead before the sun comes back up tomorrow morning. Tonight, though, I’ll fight. Until there’s nothing left in me.
Jack Weathers may succeed in killing me, but I’m going to do some damage on my way out.