Page 152 of Rebel

There’s a scream, and I turn, my heart hammering so fast, they must hear it.

Kolton’s face is contorted in a mask of fury, one I have never seen on face before. There are flecks of blood across his cheeks, and his eyes are wild as lightning flashes, illuminating him and his bloodstained knuckles as he yells and pummels Ben. I can’t see Ben beyond the bed, but I know he’s there.

“Kolt—” I cough, my voice cutting off.

“Kolton,” Chase snaps, and Kolton’s head jerks around, his eyes widening as he sees me. Ben is forgotten as Kolton scrambles over the bed, his anger turning to worry and love as he wraps himself around me, bloodstained hands and all.

“He killed her. He killed her,” I sob. “He killed my sister. He was going to kill me.” My words are a rough whisper, but they hear me as I sob and finally break.

In the moonlight, with a storm raging on around us, I break and let them put me back together again because I finally realized I don’t need to do this alone.

They found me.

They came for me.

I’m not alone.

The door is open.

I’m alive.

SEVENTY

Ihad forgotten my phone was still recording until the police bagged it as evidence, and then I suddenly remembered. It recorded everything—Ben’s confession and the truth. I let them know as they bustle around the motel room. We stand beyond, huddled together against the chill just outside the room, the blue lights splashing across us from below from the police vehicles and ambulance, which contains Ben.

He’s alive but badly beaten. I tell them it was self-defense after hiding Kolton’s hands.

It was all me.

They believe me, and after being checked over by a paramedic, I refuse to go to the hospital. I don’t want to be where he is. I want my men, my family, my home. My throat will bruise badly, and my voice will take a while to heal, but there’s no lasting damage. Not on the outside.

On the inside, it’s a totally different matter.

I have to live with the truth of what happened here tonight.

My sister didn’t kill herself, she was murdered, and all this time, she has been reaching into this world to lead me to her killer.

She’s dead, I can’t change that, but she didn’t want to be.

She wanted to stay. She wanted to save her life that was stolen from her.

I can’t change that, but I can change this world.

I can bring the truth to light and show them the real her—the one who chose to step off the bridge despite everything, who was fighting despite the darkness dragging her down.

I can tell my sister’s story.

I can build her legacy, her memory, so no one ever forgets her.

It will have to be enough.

Tears slide down my face unchecked as the detective stops before me. He wears a sad look on his weathered face. “You’re very lucky to be alive,” he says.

“Not lucky.” I look at my men. “Loved.”

They explain how they spoke to Gill, a member of the crew, and realized Ben was behind it all. All it took was putting some pressure on Rachel to get his phone number, and then they tracked him down using a location service. I’m impressed at how smart they were, but under all that, I’m relieved that they didn’t give up on me. They came for me even after I left them.

I might be dead if they did give up on me.

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