“Ma’am?” A low voice started to break into my consciousness. “Excuse me, ma’am?”
I forced myself to look up at the police officer staring down at me.
“Yes?”
“Were you involved in a shooting this evening?”
I nodded.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
I shook my head.
“Can you tell me your name?”
I swallowed hard. “Katherine Cowen.”
Reese trotted over to us, pulling his bloody shirt back over his head.
“Can I help you, officer?”
“Are you Reese Hardgrave?” the officer asked, finally shifting his attention off of me.
Reese straightened out his back. “I am.”
“Mind telling me what happened this evening at your home?”
Reese’s hand landed on my shoulder. “A man broke into my house, attacked my best friend, and tried to abduct my girlfriend. He was about to slit my throat when Katherine shot him.”
“How did you get that gunshot wound if your attacker had a knife on you?”
I held my breath as Reese answered, “Katherine shot through my shoulder, getting Alastor right in the chest.”
“You knew the assailant?” the officer asked, continuing to pry open the entire evening.
“He held Katherine prisoner for seven years in a basement,” Reese explained. Hearing the words fall into the air made me feel dizzy immediately.
“Ma’am, is this true?” The cop’s eyes were wide as I willed myself to stand next to Reese.
“It is. A little over seven years ago, Alastor Fleming kidnapped me. Reese rescued me a couple months ago, and when Alastor figured out where we were, he tried to come for me again. He tried to kill my brother and Reese. I couldn’t let him do that. I had to protect my family.” I fell into Reese’s arms as he tucked me into his side.
“I think the two of you are going to need to come down to the station so we can sort through all of this out.”
I glanced up at Reese for the answer as to what to do.
“Gladly—with a lawyer present, and once Jett is up and moving. We’re not leaving this hospital until he is all patched up,” Reese responded.
“Whatever makes you more comfortable.” The officer looked down to me. “I hope your brother gets better soon, Miss Cowen.”
“Thank you.”
Reese
Walkingin to Jett’s room was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do.
Watching as Katherine collapsed onto his bedside, crawling up to lay next to her brother was completely heartbreaking.
He was pale, with tubes coming out of him from everywhere. I fucking hated that he was on a ventilator.
