Page 38 of Secrets Within Us

“You’d be singing a different tune, Mr. Montgomery, if you’d seen the way she gutted that nice pastor in his own home. Carved him up like he was some piece of scrap meat.” The young buck sneered, never taking his eyes off of her from where she stood behind me.

I took a menacing step towards him as my lip curled up in disgust at his sniveling weak self, but Hadley grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me back again.

“No, don’t.” She said as she dropped my hand and stepped out in front of me. “My name is Hadley Catherine Shaw, you’re here for me, leave him out of it.”

“There’s a warrant out for your arrest in connection to the murder of Peter Daniels, Ms. Shaw. I came here only to ask Kip if he’d seen anything unusual, seeing as how your trail had pointed in this direction before we lost it. I never expected to find you here though, that’s for sure. Or looking the way you do, either.” The sheriff said as he eyed Hadley speculatively, taking in what he could of her bruises on the skin that was bare to his gaze before looking up at me again.

“Hadley, say nothing until my lawyer gets here,” I warned from behind her, I moved forward again and laid my hand on her shoulder to show her I was right there with her. Without uttering a word, she shrugged my hand off her shoulder and continued walking, her footsteps echoing as she grabbed her bag from the floor next to the cabinet.

“I don’t want a lawyer, Mirandize me and handcuff me if it makes you feel better and take me to the station.” She said, speaking to the sheriff only.

“Hadley, you don’t know what you’re saying. Just take a deep breath and protect yourself, okay? Just think about this and let me help you.” I pleaded, putting my hands on both shoulders now.

Sheriff Boyd hadn’t made any move towards her and neither had his cohorts, but the threat of them putting iron on my girl’s wrists kept me on edge.

Hadley turned to me and leveled me with her stare. “I don’t want your help, Kip. Don’t pull any strings or call in any favors, don’t call your lawyer, and sure as hell don’t try to visit me in jail. You’ve made your feelings incredibly clear today. You think I’m a murderer and you lost your family to someone like that and that should be all that has to be said.” She turned back to the cops then. “Are you going to arrest me officially, or are you just going to make me stand in the middle of the house from which I was told to get out ten minutes ago?”

“No, just stop for a second. I was wrong-” I started.

“Please.” She begged the sheriff, acting like I wasn’t even in the room anymore.

Sheriff Boyd hung his head like he wasn’t super happy about what he was about to do as he stepped forward, releasing his handcuffs from his belt.

“Hadley Shaw, you’re under arrest for the murder of Peter Daniels. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to-” I didn’t hear anything else as I stood watching in shock as he handcuffed her hands behind her back and led her out my front door.

Out of my home.

Away from me.

Chapter 13 - Hadley

Answers

The metal around my wrists was cold.

Cold like the air.

Like my skin had become.

Like my heart had gone.

Cold seeped into my veins like ice water leaving behind brittle fibers and frozen glass that shattered when the door to the police cruiser was shut behind me.

While they were leading me out, Kip stood frozen in the kitchen. I’d fought to remain composed as I put one foot in front of the other on the way to the cruiser. Just like I had walked through the woods when I was cold, alone, and afraid.

Yet there I was again. Cold, alone, and afraid.

I had felt warmth during my time with Kip. He had warmed me inside and out. We had a rocky start and a catastrophic ending, and while the time we had together was brief, I wouldn’t give it back for anything. Regardless of what I’d said in anger earlier, I was glad I’d met Kip Montgomery. He had healed me when I didn’t even know how broken I was.

But it would be easier with a clean break. It would make it easier for him.

There was a very good chance I wasn’t going to get away with what I had done, and I didn’t want Kip dragged down with me through it.

He had suffered enough; he had suffered actual loss when his family was taken from him. The amount of suffering he had experienced was enough.

It was nothing compared to that.

I was nothing.

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