“Maybe they let him come here to see Roxi,” I mumble.
“That’s bullshit,” he spits, but he knows it’s a possibility.
Lionel may not be allowed on HCU’s campus, but that doesn’t mean all of Colorado is off-limits. It doesn’t even make Hollow Canyon off-limits. And as sickening as it is, Roxi gives him the perfect excuse to be here.
Barry knows this, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a really hard fucking pill to swallow.
“Can I get a protective order against him? Or at least a temporary one? Will that help?” I ask.
Barry sighs. “They’ll give you a temporary order without issue, but you’re still required to set a court date to prove he’s a danger to you. There needs to be hard evidence he’s threatening or harassing you. Until he does, a court won’t grant a permanent order just because you want one.”
I close my eyes in defeat.
“If his parole officer granted him a temp permit to leave, Lionel is required to tell them exactly where he plans to be and who he’ll be with before they approve it,” Barry continues. “They are extremely strict, and deviating from those plans is taken very seriously. So if we can prove he violated his parole by going on campus, he will go back to prison quicker than he can shit in a proper toilet.”
I refuse to feel any hope.
Not even a pin drop.
Because deep down, Barry knows as well as I do nothing is ever that easy where Lionel D’Amour is concerned.
“Call Sable and tell her you need to stay with her,” Barry instructs, his tone soothing. “Don’t drive to her in case Lionel knows your car and is tracking it. Don’t let anyone else know where you are. I’m getting an officer there right away, and he’s going to take you to her place and keep watch overnight. Got it?”
I nod, forgetting he can’t see me.
“Rev?” he pushes.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” I rush out quickly, my voice hoarse and throat raw.
“Okay, sweetheart. In the meantime, I’m going to contact his parole officer and figure out what the fuck is going on. I’ll text you, and you better let me know when you’re there safe, okay?”
“Okay.”
I’m so out of it, I just stare at the wall blankly for a few beats before Ihear him gently say, “Hang up now, honey.”
Blinking, I whisper a goodbye and click the end button, already arguing with myself about calling Sable.
As much as the idea of staying in my dorm makes me want to vomit, the last thing I want to do is put my best friend in danger. Even with an officer driving me there, I don’t trust my father isn’t somehow watching my every move, and I’m not stupid enough to convince myself he can’t track down her place.
If he can find my exact dorm room, he can find my best friend’s house.
“Shit,” I mutter, conflicted with what the fuck to do.
My phone buzzes, and a text from Barry pops up.
Barry: Officer Nichols is on his way to you now. Pack a bag for a few nights.
And then what?
Lionel still knows where I sleep, and even if the residence life director relocates me to a different building, what’s stopping him from finding me there? This all just feels so… pointless. Running from a man who doesn’t give a fuck about abiding by the law is fuckingpointless.
You could still leave. Run off to London and never look back.
But I would look back. I would check the news religiously, just waiting for Roxi’s face to pop up one day, breaking news of a college student brutally murdered by the Locksmith.
And because the murders never fully stopped after Lionel went to prison, the media will be none the wiser when he kills again. To the world, it’ll look like business as fucking usual—the Locksmith has struck again.
My fingers continue to toy with my North Star necklace, Barry’s words echoing in my mind. Before I’ve fully wrapped my mind around what I’m doing, I reach behind my neck, unclasp the chain, and set it down on my nightstand.
