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“Yesterday, when I woke up and saw you hadn’t come in…” The sinking feeling in my stomach hasn’t yet subsided. “I knew something was wrong. What happened that night?”
“After Jay left me, I continued talking with a guy. I think his name was Garrin. Or Darrin. Something like that. He works at some tech company here. He was cool at first, but the more he drank…” She cringes. “The more he became a dick. So, I left him at the bar and started walking back to the hotel. It was only a block or two away. But that’s the last thing I remember. I don’t think I was out long because when I woke up, it was still dark outside. I was tied up in an old shack. I thought I was going to die.” She squeezes my hand harder. I know that feeling.
“I wonder if Carl was watching you and slipped something into your drink.”
She shrugs. “When I left, I was a little more buzzed than I thought I should be. I just chalked it up to strong drinks. You know I always try to keep my drink close to me. We were sitting at the bar the entire time, talking. And it was really packed in there, so I don’t know…” Her voice trails off, and I leave her to her thoughts.
Mine are a jumbled mess. There’s a lot to unfold from the last forty-eight hours.
Mainly, Pearl.
A ruse. A deadly ruse.
All to get me and her son together.
The worst part is that she didn’t regret it. In her eyes, her plan worked. I just don’t understand that level of evil.
“Thank you for saving me,” Ari whispers.
I sniffle and let out a sarcastic chuckle. “I didn’t do much. In fact, I made things worse.”
She pulls away, pinning me with a sincerity that cuts through the shadows of doubt. “He was ready to give up looking for you. He was getting more agitated, throwing things and screaming. This morning, he told me he was done waiting.” The weight of her words sends shivers down my spine. He planned to kill her, with or without me. Martinez’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, his expression softening. “There is no way I could’ve fought him myself. I tried. I tried, but he was too big. But you fought for us.”
Tears fall down my cheek. I don’t feel like the hero. I feel like I caused this. That is where the fight came in—deep inside the guilt. I owed it to her. Dr. Betty would disagree. I can already hear her soft words. “Responsibility lies solely with the person who chose to hurt you.”
She’s right. Pearl is to blame.
Chip is to blame.
Carl is to blame.
I am the survivor.
The rest of the ride is driven in a solemn hush, embraced in each other’s arms. When we arrive at the station, a swarm of news reporters gathers at the doors. A protective barrier of officers ushers us through the glass doors. The second we step into the lobby, Ari’s parents and twin sister scream her name and rush over to her, encasing her in a tight circle.
I flash her a bittersweet smile as I keep walking. A pang of longing resurfaces, reminding me of all the times I had to stand on the sidelines during school events where moms, dads, and grandparents came for the day. As an adult, it doesn’t hurt any less.
Martinez joins me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “You did great out there. Glad you’re okay.” I lean my head against his arm, welcoming the sentiment regardless of if he’s doing it because he feels sorry for me. It’s all I’ve got at the moment, and I’ll take it. He stops walking and turns toward me. “I was also wrong about Paxton.” His words catch me off guard. I don’t imagine he’s the type of man to eat his words often.
“Well, in a way, you were right about it being linked to him.”
“Eh.” He bobs his head a little. “I still had my doubts. But he proved me wrong. He’s a great cop and a good man.” He’s still wrong. He’s the best man. Even though I haven’t figured out if he’ll ever be my man again.
“Kali!”
The call of my name snaps my attention upward. Amy barrels down the long hallway, Ted hot on her heels. Her arms open wide, and then she engulfs me in the warmest, tightest hug ever. If my heart could burst open, it would.
Someone cares about me.
Ted joins in, cocooning the both of us with his large embrace. “Thank you,” I cry. “Thank you for being here.”
“Sweetheart, when we found out, there’s no other place we could be. We’ve been here all afternoon, worried sick about you.” She pulls back, scanning me for any signs of distress. “Are you okay?”
I manage a nod. “I still can’t believe it was Chip. But he’s…” Gone. The word gets caught in my throat, refusing to come out.
Amy nods, her eyes fill with empathy as she wipes away my tears. “We know.” I sniff a couple times. Ted walks over to the front desk, grabs the box of tissues, and hands it to me. I take one with a grateful yet sad smile.
“I was so scared,” I confess, my voice trembling. “But Zander’s words kept me fighting, kept me searching for ways to escape. If it wasn’t for my time with you guys, I don’t know if I would’ve found the strength to fight him.”
