Page 35 of Fractured Hope
He knelt in front of me, looking up at me with worry and sadness in his eyes. He took hold of my hand. “Please, let me explain.”
Seb appeared at my side and handed Atticus the glass of water. “We’ll head out and grab some coffee. We’ll be back in about twenty. Think that’ll be okay?” He flicked his gaze to me and back to Atticus.
“I’ll let you know. Keep your cell phone on you. Thanks, bro.”
With a nod at us, Seb turned and left.
Atticus handed me the glass.
In a daze, I thanked him, my mind still reeling.
“Are you okay to head inside? We’ll be more comfortable and it’s cold out here.” Atticus spoke softly.
Nodding, I shivered as I stood, noting the cold for the first time. Atticus gestured for me to go first and followed me inside. I left my glass on the kitchen counter and went into the emptyliving room. Sitting on the sofa, I lifted my good leg to my chest and curled my arms around it.
Atticus came to sit next to me. He turned to face me and took a deep breath. “We have reason to believe Derek might have found you.”
“How?” I croaked, but I’d already figured out something awful had happened, and there weren’t many things it could be.
“I have no idea. I’m so sorry.” He rubbed at his brow and began shifting in his seat.
Bracing myself for the worst, I waved my good hand. “Please, just tell me. What makes you think he found me?”
Atticus told me everything. What Seb uncovered in the envelope, and why the sheriff was with them. He also told me what the sheriff needed from me and what we could do now that we had some evidence.
“Derek likes to hunt. The bullet is probably from his Remington Model 700,” I added offhand.
“We’ll need to let Max know. Is there anything else you can think of that we should tell Max? Do you have any evidence from before?” He took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “What do you think about getting your most recent hospital records? The doctor made note of your wrist and rib bruises.”
Thinking back, there was at least one hospital record from Iowa and my time with Derek we might be able to use. I didn’t have any photographic evidence because Derek had destroyed my phone and hadn’t allowed me to get another. I considered the recent emails. They implied his intention, but I didn’t know if they were really enough. I’d never been able to go to the police in the past. Derek was a sheriff’s deputy and beloved in our town and beyond. There didn’t seem to be any point. Maybe Atticus was right. Maybe this time would or could be different.
“There might be something on my phone and from back in Iowa.”
“Your phone? I didn’t think you had one.” Confusion crossed Atticus’s face.
“I don’t. It’s on the phone you gave me. I think I left it in the kitchen.” I gestured over my shoulder.
Atticus quickly got up and went into the kitchen. When he came back, he handed the phone to me, and I opened the email app and passed it to him to read.
“These were why I wasn’t feeling well yesterday.” Not daring to look at Atticus, I rubbed my thumb across the cast on my wrist. “I accidentally logged in to my old email. This is what came up. I had a panic attack when I read them and couldn’t breathe. Kay helped me through it.”
“Oh, Bodhi, I’m so sorry. I noticed Kay looked a little shaken when he came to get me.” Atticus glanced at me and his face had gone a little gray. “We need to let Max know about these, too. Have you opened any of them?”
“No, I just saw the subject lines and panicked.” I took a deep breath to stay in control. “What do I need to do?” I just wanted this to be over. I couldn’t keep living in fear. If Atticus believed Max could help, then maybe it was time to take a chance.
He checked his phone. “They should be back any minute, and then we can go over everything. Have you ever thought about filing a protective order?”
“No point. Derek’s a cop.”
“I think it’s something to consider this time. You moved states, and he followed. The bullet and the emails are very clearly aggressive. Could we ask Max what he thinks?” Atticus had taken my hand again and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth. It was soothing.
“Let’s see what he has to say.”
There was a knock at the front door.
We both jumped, on edge from the fear, stress, and implications of our conversation. Atticus got up and checked thepeephole—something I’d never seen him do—before sighing in relief and opening the door to let Seb and Max in. Seb entered first and was carrying three to-go cups. He set them on the coffee table.
“Hey.” Seb greeted us as he sent me a reassuring smile. “I brought you some tea. Kay recommended the Mint Fusion. He said it’s good for stress.” He passed me the cup, and the strong peppermint smell made me smile. Of course, Kay was as caring as the rest of these guys.
