Page 117 of Deadly Secrets

An hour ago, I was so sure I would die in this cabin that the fear of not seeing and being with them again made me do something I never thought I was capable of.

“I killed them. I killed them.” That was all I could mumble between sobs as they held me together. Without them, my knees would have probably hit the floor by now; I was just wiped out. My heart was still pounding, and I shivered as the adrenaline wore off. I didn’t even realize Ander had moved away from our group hug until I saw him chatting with Officer Larsen out of the corner of my eye. That was when I asked the guys to give me a little room to catch my breath.

Ander nodded to the police officer, and after a quick handshake, he went to speak with another officer who had arrived with the backup. Officer Larsen, on the other hand, turned his attention to me.

“Miss Moore,” he began, “the paramedics are ready to transport you to the hospital. They need to address your wounds and run a few tests to ensure there’s no internal bleeding or concussion.” Suddenly, Officer Larsen was interrupted by an incoming phone call. “I’ll need to take this; Agent Miller is calling me,” he said, glancing at the caller ID. “I’ll need you to come by the station tomorrow morning to give an official statement and answer some additional questions, but for now, you’re free to go,” he added, gesturing to the paramedics. “Excuse me,” he concluded, turning away and heading toward the cabin, where Lizzie and James lay under a white sheet.

“Thank you, Officer,” I responded. I turned my face to Noah and Zayn and added, “He said Agent Miller was calling him?”

Noah tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and replied, “When we spotted blood in the apartment and couldn’t reach you because your phone was off, we got worried. That’s when we decided to contact Agent Miller and told him that we suspected the stalker might have hurt you. We also shared your location with him.”

“How did you know where I was?” I asked.

“Your keys. You probably haven’t noticed, but your key ring is an Apple Tag. You were lucky that James and Maggie, or shall I say, Lizzie, had iPhones but had left them in the car,” Ander chimed in once he rejoined our group. “He called us back before we got here to tell us that the police had arrived at the location and that you were safe. He also told us there were two casualties, James Reed and Elizabeth Price, whom you had identified as Maggie Towerby.”

Even before he spoke, I could feel Zayn’s eyes scanning every inch of my body, looking for injuries.

“You’re covered in blood. Did they hurt you?” he asked, his voice tinged with rising anger.

“Yes, they did. But this blood is not mine.”

Zayn and Noah raised their eyebrows and looked at each other before looking back at me with puzzled expressions.

“I’ll explain everything later,” I promised.

One of the paramedics, a petite woman in her thirties, approached us from the ambulance.

“Miss Moore, please follow me. We’re taking you to the hospital now.”

“I’ll come with you in the ambulance,” Zayn stated.

“I think it’s better if I go alone and meet you all there. It doesn’t feel right to leave Noah and Ander behind, and they only allow one person with me,” I replied.

“Which hospital are you taking her to?” Noah asked her.

“We’re taking her to Stanford University Medical Center,” she answered.

“I’ll see you there, guys.” I placed a gentle kiss on Noah’s, Ander’s, and Zayn’s lips before I followed the paramedic.

She tilted her head slightly as she lowered it, giving me a curious look before offering a timid smile. I replied to her by pressing my lips together and shrugging my shoulders.

Girl, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.

* * *

The drugs the doctors had given me worked wonders. They determined that I didn’t have any internal bleeding and only suffered from a mild concussion. X-rays were taken due to my complaint about my right hand, but fortunately, there were no broken bones. Just a sprained wrist, which was now nicely wrapped in a bandage. I had to return in two weeks to have the stitches removed from my arm, but the only instructions they gave me were to rest and take strong painkillers.

I sat perched on the edge of a hospital bed, my feet dangling, hands resting atop my legs. As I awaited my discharge papers, the boys entered the hospital room.

“Are you feeling better, babe?” Zayn asked.

They all seemed concerned, and despite my reassurances between each test that I was fine, they continued to touch my arm and shoulder as if seeking reassurance of my presence. That I was alive.

“Yes, I think so,” I responded with a strained smile.

Ander gently touched the back of my neck, his fingers tracing tiny circles on my skin.

“What the hell happened, love?” he asked.

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