The Ahern Brothers Collection - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,80
believe me if I told you what they did to me?” She narrows her gaze.
They both nod.
“But you’re not the police. There’s nothing you can do to him.”
“We’re not, but we have a close relationship with the FBI. Special Agent Luke Galvez is in New York working with one of our partners.”
“Corbin can buy people. He’s always got something up his sleeve to blackmail them with.”
Bradley’s lip twitches slightly. He either finds her laughable, or he wants to get his hands on that material. I choose to believe the latter.
“You shouldn’t worry about that, but I’m glad you told me. Rest assured that once we apprehend him, we’ll put him away for a long time.”
“What about Shaun?” She chews the inside of her cheek. “He’s in the area.”
Bradley leans forward, taking her hand. “We’re going to catch them both. I assure you, you’re safe.”
“Corbin gets away with everything. The man still lives in my old house and hasn’t stopped hurting people.”
“How do you know he still lives there?” He frowns. “You shouldn’t be in contact with him.”
“I’m not. I learned from Peyton, an old friend.” She scratches the back of her head. I want to grab her hand and stop her from hurting herself. “This might sound crazy, but I sometimes feel like he’s following me.”
She shakes her head and stands up. “Never mind. I hope you catch him and bring justice to his victims.”
“Do you believe yourself to be in danger, Ms. Lyons?” Hawkins places his hands on top of the table and leans forward, studying her.
Abigail’s back tenses. She fidgets with her fingers until her gaze finds mine. “Yes.” She walks away after crushing my chest with that single word.
Hawkins tilts his head toward the door. “It might be unfounded, but she seemed upset at the possibility of the perpetrators being nearby.”
“As we close the case, we can provide a couple of men to cover you,” Bradley mentions. “Just in case.”
“Why wait?” Hawkins arches an eyebrow.
“Unless you can stay for a couple of days, we don’t have any men available until Wednesday or Thursday.”
Hawkins shakes his head. “Just make sure she’s not alone.”
Bradley hands me a card. “Here’s my direct number in case you think of anything else or if you see them around. We’ll contact you when we close the case.”
“That’s it?”
Bradley nods. “That’s all. We just wanted to give you an overview and find out what you knew.”
Hawkins pulls out a card. “If she needs to talk to someone, we have a team that will be happy to find her a program or a counselor.”
“Thank you,” I say, overwhelmed by all the information. I have a sense of accomplishment and yet also feel like nothing was achieved with their visit.
“I’m both happy and surprised that Ms. Lyons made it out alive.” Bradley shakes my hand. “Make sure you get her the support she needs.”
I swallow hard realizing the magnitude of what he just said. He’s right. She could’ve easily died.
Then, like thunder striking a tree, it hits me. “What if he’s been purposefully toying with her?”
“How so?” They both stare at me.
“He reported that she had a mental illness when Abby went to the police. In his statement, he emphasizes that Abby suffers from delusions. The last time she saw him, he swore he’d make her pay. The guy tortured her for months, and if what she says is true, someone really is following her. What if he’s just doing it to mess with her mind.”
“He’s manipulating her,” Bradley agrees with me. “Fucking asshole.”
“We should take her with us to Seattle,” Hawkins proposes.
“We’re not going home just yet,” he answers to his partner.
“She’s safe,” Bradley assures me, patting my shoulder. “I’ll be here by Wednesday.”
I nod, thanking him.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Abby
I draw in a thick, shaky breath. The heat chokes me as I step outside the building. My chest spasms. He’s here. I see him. My body is hard, heavy, and immobile. Help. I want to say the word, but I can’t make my mouth function. Air. I can’t breathe.
“Abby?” Sterling touches my shoulder.
I shove my breath out, suck in another. Once I feel my legs, I spin toward the café. I should be safe in there. The air-conditioning is cold enough to shock me back into reality.
One, two, three, four, five. I count the quartz, then pull the rubber band and begin to count again. The steady count inside my head helps me regulate my breathing. Everything is coming back into focus until a big bang and