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“What are you doinghere?” I asked in a rough voice. My throat felt like I hadswallowed a hundred nails.
Kate offered me asmall smile before grabbing my cold hand. She rubbed it betweenhers, bringing heat back to my skin.
“Damon called us.”She tilted her head in the direction he’d disappeared. “Em’s on herway,” she finished.
I nodded my head inacceptance as I thought about the implications of this night. Emilyand I were about to become a lot closer after this.
“You wanna tell mewhat happened?” Kate asked softly.
“He didn’t tellyou?” I responded with shock in my tone.
Kate shook her head.“He said it would be better if you talked to me about it. I thinkit was his way of getting you to talk about it in general. Men canbe sneaky like that.” She offered a small smile. “So, do you wantto talk about it?”
That was all it tookfor the dam to burst. I buried my face in my hands as I sobbed.Kate moved to my side then. She pressed against me and wound herarms around mine, pulling my head to her so I could cry on hershoulder.
I wasn’t sure why,but I had become such a crier in these last few weeks. BeforeDamon, I had always kept my emotions bottled up. Whether or notthat was healthy was still debatable. But now? I was way more intouch with my feelings and I didn’t know how to deal with them.
I heard my frontdoor open and slam closed suddenly. Kate and I looked up in time tosee a frazzled Emily walk in. She spotted us immediately and rushedfor us. When she sat down next to me, she leaned in to soothe me aswell. That made me cry even harder. I hadn’t known she cared thatmuch about me.
“Oh, honey, whathappened?” she asked as she rubbed my back.
I calmed my sobbingenough to tell them about the last week. I let them know aboutFiona going missing before I explained all the details about mynight terror and the knife Jason held. I’d looked at Em as Ipromised to tell her about him later. Then I moved on to the eventsthat happened tonight. I told them all about how I found Fionaagainst Damon’s door with the very knife Jason held in mydream.
When I was donetelling my story, both girls were quiet as they contemplated howbest to help me. It was Em who spoke first.
“Nothing I say isgoing to make any of this better, hun. But I just want to tell youhow sorry I am. We will figure this out, you’re not alone,” sheoffered.
Kate spoke next.“You’re damn right, she isn’t alone,” she said as she hugged meagain.
I dried my tears andsniffled before hugging her back. Emily’s arms wrapped around metoo. Soon we were all embracing each other. At that moment, I wasextremely grateful for those women. I didn’t know where I’d be inthis world if I didn’t have either of them as friends. Assisters.
“I hate to interruptthis, but I need to speak with Jill,” Damon’s hushed tone broke themoment.
Both girls leanedback as they looked over at the detective that stood in the doorwayof my living room. I nodded my head as I stood and walked toward mylover. He seemed to soak in the sight of me as he held out his handfor me to follow him to the bedroom. Once there, he shut the doorbehind us.
I opened my mouth tospeak first when he hauled me to his body in a fierce embrace. Hishands were everywhere as if to see if I was broken. When he foundno damage, he held my face between his hands as his eyes searchedmine. I leaned into him and enjoyed the feel of him caressingme.
“I’m so sorry.” Hereleased a pent-up breath harshly. “I should have done more, Ishould have looked into that son of a bitch as soon as you told mehis name. I would have known to be more careful then. I would havekept tabs on his movements. I would—” Ishushed his self-deprecating ramblings with my finger pressedagainst his lips before I replaced them with my lips. I kissed himsoftly until I felt him relax slightly, then I pulled away.
“None of this isyour fault,” I whispered as I hugged him. He wrapped his armsaround me and squeezed me tight. I let him hold me for long momentswhile we both decompressed. He sighed against me as he kissed thetop of my head.
“You scared the shitout of me, Red,” he mumbled and I felt my heart clench.
“I’m sorry,” Iallowed. “I’m getting really good at passing out when I’mstressed,” I joked.
Damon chuckledquietly before he pulled away from me. When he tucked my stray hairbehind my ear, I thought he was going to kiss me again. When hedidn’t, I deflated slightly.
“I called a friendof mine who’s a PI to help find Jason. Apparently, he didn’t go tohis last six-month check-in with the local sheriff. When theyvisited his place of residence, he wasn’t there. You would thinkthe idiots up in Georgia would have given you a heads-up that hemight have been nearby. I’m going with Cruz to the station to seeif we can look further into him, maybe find out where he’s beenstaying,” he told me with a serious tone.
I shook my head. “Idon’t want you to leave,” I said in a small voice. I wasn’t used toasking for help so this was all new territory for me.
His brows furrowedas the look of sorrow crossed his eyes. I could see that he wastorn between his need to keep me safe and the need to see me happy.I immediately felt guilty for putting him in the position where hefelt he had to choose. I shook my head and cleared my throat.
“It’s okay, I’mokay. You go and do what you need to do and then come back here tome.” I tried to give him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
He searched my eyesfor a minute before pulling me back to him. I sighed as he squeezedme. I appreciated him so much at that moment and felt theoverwhelming need to tell him just that when I heard shoutingcoming from my living room.
“What the fuck areyou doing here?” Emily’s loud voice carried our way. I looked up atDamon before we bolted for the door.
