“I’m visiting family,” I lied.
“No you damn well aren’t,” he said. “Get back on a plane and get here now. I won’t have you interfering with this investigation.”
“Cap, I know what I’m doing. This woman is dangerous, and Tommy’s here alone. I know her, I can help him.”
O’Leary sighed, knowing I was right. Tommy should have called for backup but he was young and he wanted to pull in the biggest case our city had on his own. I’d been that way once.
“She can’t get away again,” he said. “You hear me?”
“I know,” I said, understanding the reality of me walking away right now was dependent on how far Tommy had gotten to her. I didn’t want the kid to die, but I also didn’t want him to destroy Maurelle’s chance to get away.
The indecision running through my brain was causing my heart to flutter in my chest. I had to save her.
I sped down the highway toward the last ping, praying Tommy was clueless as to where she was.
My phone rang and I looked down at the unknown number, wondering if I should answer or leave it. My intuition told me to get it. Grunting, I clicked on the green button.
“Garrick.”
I heard the faint sob on the other end and immediately I knew who it was. I pulled over to the side of the road.
“Maurelle.”
“How’d you know?” she asked me, the extreme emotion in her voice told me she was in mental anguish.
“What happened?”
“I found him…the guy who…you know.”
“Camille told me,” I said. “She’s worried about you. I’m worried about you. Where are you?”
“You won’t get here in time,” she said. “I wish things were different, Kane. I wish I was normal.”
“You are, Maurelle, you are normal. You just had a shit life, and I wish I could make it better. I wish I could wipe out your record and the investigation I started.”
“You made me feel things I never thought I could,” she said, her voice breaking. “I thought I was incapable of love, of feeling safe in someone’s arms, of allowing myself to be a woman…but you gave me all of that.”
I didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“Where are you, Maurelle? Tell this to my face.”
“You won’t get here in time,” she repeated.
“I’m in Anchorage,” I told her. She gasped in response. “Tell me where you are and I’ll be there.”
“You came for me,” she said, her voice breathy as if she were still surprised.
“Always,” I told her. “I’ll always come for you.”
She relayed where she was. I quickly plugged it into the GPS and started the car again.
“Maurelle, I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I told her.
“Really?” she replied. “This isn’t you pulling up in the driveaway?”
Fuck. Tommy had found her first.
“Don’t open the door, Maurelle. It’s Tommy. Wait for me.”
