It’s too much and I barely make it to the bathroom after I log off. I’m not entirely sure how I kept it together as long as Idid. Once I get myself under control, I plop down with my back against the bathtub and pull my phone out of my pocket with shaking fingers.
“Addyson,” the voice of my best friend, Tallulah, helps to soothe me, but I still feel like I’m teetering on the edge of a cliff.
“Tal,” her name sounds rough as hell as I push it past my lips.
Her tone instantly changes from bright to ready for war, “What’s going on?”
Instantly I feel horrible—for calling her and for what I just witnessed—and I clear my throat with the hope I don’t sound like I’m dying this time around. “I’m so sorry,” I start out, I still sound rough, but not as bad, “I shouldn’t have called. You just gave birth to Joplin a month ago. You should be resting or napping when she naps or something.”
“Addyson,” she snaps, “something is clearly wrong, and you’re going to tell me exactly what it is. All I need to know before you spill it is if I need to put you on speaker so Jensen can hear you.
“Put me on speaker,” my voice wobbles and I gave up trying to wipe away the tears on my cheeks a while ago.
“Okay,” Tal’s voice shakes just like mine because she knows if I want her biker to hear, then shit is serious, “tell me everything.”
And I do. It all tumbles out of me, even telling them about me breaking the rules, making the thumb drive, and writing down her information. The other side of the line is silent, until I’ve completely run out of steam and am curled up next to my bathtub, the cold of the floor seeping into me and helping the numbness spread.
I need it.
And I just cleaned my floor yesterday, thank you very much.
I feel like I’ve been wrung out.
Jensen blows out a breath, his words slow, “I’m sorry you heard that. You shouldn’t have, but I’m also really glad you were on the call to be there with her. I’m proud of you,” the words are soft, but they land.
When Jensen rolled into town with is club brother, Tallulah’s brother, the last thing anyone could have predicted was him falling for my best friend. But he did. With a look, it’s all he needed.
You better fucking believe I threatened him about hurting her. Then I told him we are a package deal, and I’ve been his little sister ever since. He’s a good man, and the way he loves my sister of the soul is kind of gross and a whole lot sweet.
Knowing he thinks I did the right thing helps some of the panic ebb. Not all of it; not even close.
“You’re going to keep your head down and see how this plays out,” his voice is stern. I open my mouth to argue with him, but he beats me to it, “I’m serious, Addy. If they need to talk to you, then you’ll be contacted. It’s a fucking coincidence that the caller was so close; they could have been on the other side of the country. You will not get involved any more than you are. Trust the system.”
“I agree,” Tal pipes up and I don’t even try to stop my eye roll.
“You realize the immense irony of a biker telling me to trust the system, right?”
He snorts out a laugh and then I force Tallulah to tell me all about my niece and how she’s doing. As much as I wanted to be there for Joplin’s birth, I want them to be able to bond as a new, little family. I’ll sweep in soon enough. It’s not like Joplin will ever doubt how much I love her.
It’s only hours later, after I’ve crashed fully from the adrenaline high and my mind has whirled far too long, when I’m able to fall asleep. Still, the memories of the call follow me into my nightmares.
CHAPTER 2
ADDYSON
I can’t take it anymore.
I have to do something.
I can’t take it anymore.
For the last two days, I’ve been hunting down any and all news about Kendra Wagner. The speculation around the case is it was a robbery attempt gone bad. My gut tells me something different.
And why the fuck haven’t I been contacted? Shouldn’t they want to interview me? I just don’t understand.
One thing I didn’t know, but learned from the news reports, is that her husband, ex if she had anything to do with it, is a cop. I looked into it; the precinct who is investigating her case isn’t where he works. Which is why I’m sitting outside the police station closest to where Kendra Wagner lived.
I’m too close to the police station, honestly. It makes me want to squirm. Or maybe throw up again. Definitely run in the opposite direction.
