Page 56 of Claimed By the Deputies

“I don’t know what possessed you to ask me about Trevor, maybe it was some kind of instinct, but...”

“Tim. Tell me.” My stomach is already in a freefall. I know my world is about to come crashing down before his words even reach my ears.

“He’s out.”

“What?” I take a deep breath, but it does nothing to quell my devastation.

“Trevor is out of prison.”

I can feel myself shaking as I sit on the edge of my bed. “When? How did this happen? He’s supposed to serve at least six years, pending more charges. You said the DA was gunning for him. That they were building another case against him.”

“Honestly, Tassia, I have no idea how. From what I understand, he got out on good behavior. Two years, the rest on parole. I reached out to his parole officer. He’s still in New York City, and he has to check in with his PO on a weekly basis. He’s under judicial control.”

“That’s not good enough. This doesn’t make sense.”

“I know, and I wish I didn’t have to make this call, but you deserve to know.”

“Does Trevor know where I am?”

As Timothy pauses for a moment, I take a look in the wall mirror. The beautiful woman I saw mere seconds earlier is gone. I now see a scared little girl, plump and inadequate, afraid of a past that refuses to let go of her.

“I don’t think so,” Timothy replies. “The New Beginnings program isn’t allowed to divulge any information to anyone outside of law enforcement, and even then, only under the authority of a warrant. Our lease agreement for the cabin isn’t registered anywhere either. While not exactly legal, I figured it would be fine if no one caught on. I’ll pay any fines when the time comes, if necessary.”

“Tim, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. You don’t have to justify yourself to me, and you certainly don’t have to get yourself in any kind of legal trouble on my account,” I say.

“It’s okay, Tassia. Just keep your head down. Whatever Trevor Callaghan wants to do next, it will not involve you. You’re out of his reach. You’ve moved on. You filed for the divorce, he signed the papers?—”

“Which I never thought he would do,” I mutter, remembering the fateful day. “And he did it without even asking to see me.”

“Deep down, I think Trevor knew he’d done enough harm already. Let’s hope he’s moving on and he’ll leave you alone.”

“Yeah, let’s hope,” I mumble.

“Just keep your head down, like I said. Work. Live. Enjoy every day. Don’t look over your shoulder too much. You have the sheriff’s full support. You know that, right?”

I do, which means I’ll have to sit Lucas, Mitch, and Tyler down at some point and tell them the whole story. I owe them mytruth, anyway, especially after I blurted it out the other day in the holding cells.

Shuddering again, I thank Timothy and hang up.

I feel cold. The kind of cold not even a hot bath can heal. It’s the chill of dread, genuine dread at the thought of Trevor somehow finding me. Hurting me again.

A knock on my bedroom door startles me.

“Yes?” I call out.

“Are you okay in there, babe?” Lucas’s voice comes through.

I take a deep breath and let him in with a warm smile, but I can feel my cheeks are tight, the smile struggling. “Just wanted to take a hot shower before we go into the station,” I say, then take him in my arms and kiss him softly on the lips.

“Are you sure that’s all?” He gives me a curious, slightly worried look.

I smile bigger and kiss him again. It’s not enough to make the fear go away, but I’ll take whatever bit of calm I can get at this point. “I’m positive. I’ll see you downstairs in a bit.”

“I’ll get the coffee brewing,” he replies, playfully smacking my ass before he makes his way downstairs with a sly grin.

Only when he’s out of sight do I allow myself a long, trembling exhale.

What the hell am I going to do?

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