I gasped because Addie was inroughshape. Her face was a kaleidoscope of bruises; her entire left eye was swollen shut, the other a mottled black and blue. More purple bruising covered her puffy cheeks, and a two-inch-long gash cut through her left eyebrow was held together with stitches. Her lips were split and the deep red of broken blood vessels.
“Hello, Sutton,” she practically sneered, causing a bit of blood to well in the cuts on her bottom lip.
It all clicked then.
Addiehad accused me of doing this to her.
Her obsession with Lane ran far deeper than we thought. And I was caught in the middle of whatever game she was playing, like a fly in a spiderweb.
“I didn’t touch her,” I blurted.
Johns smirked at my hands, at my reddened knuckles from my latest kickboxing session.
“How do you explain that, then?”
“I take kickboxing classes,” I answered, then immediately regretted it, realizing that only gave them ammunition. Only provided evidence that I was, at the very least, physically capable of doing something like this.
Johns grin grew, and Addie chuckled next to him.
Get it together, Sutton, I silently admonished myself. I was only playing right into their hands.
“Agent Caldwell here says you came to her residence last night, forced yourself inside, and assaulted her.”
“Why?” I demanded. “What possible reason would I have to hurt her?”
I was doing a terrible job at keeping my mouth shut, but I couldn’t believe this.
Addie tossed a manila folder on the table and flipped it open, then pushed it across to me. At first, I couldn’t be sure what I was seeing. The synapses between my eyes and brain had to be firing incorrectly. But the deeper into the stack I went, the more my gut roiled with shame and despair.
The folder contained what pages and pages of texts…between Lane and Addie.
They started off innocent enough. Making plans for Crew’s wedding. Addie texting to check up on Lane after he was released from the hospital and recuperating. Asking if he needed help with anything.
But the tone quickly shifted to flirtation, to making plans to see each other, to suggestions of what they’d do together when Lane was cleared to return to work.
My eyes snagged on a particular missive, and a check of the date told me it was right after I’d moved in with him.
ADDIE
She’s ruining all of our plans
LANE
I know, baby, I’m sorry. But I can’t just kick her out. It’s my job to protect people.
ADDIE
how long will she be there?
LANE
I don’t know. But I can always come to you
ADDIE
This weekend?
LANE
