Page 31 of Byte

“Will do, Prez. See you soon.”

When I got into my truck, Gabby was staring blankly out the window. Shadow was sitting on the floor in front of her with his head resting in her lap.

She didn’t move or even acknowledge me when I placed my hand on her shoulder. “I talked to Phoenix. I’m taking you to the clubhouse, and we’re going to take care of this.” Then I moved closer and gently kissed her cheek. “I’m going to fix this for you. I promise,” I whispered.

I didn’t wait for her to respond. Instead, I took her hand in mine and drove us back to Croftridge.

It looked like Phoenix had called everyone in because the forecourt was packed when we arrived.

“Do you want to go in through the back?” I asked.

She didn’t respond.

“Okay, we’ll go through the back, and I’ll take you to my room,” I said, as if she had answered me. I had no idea how I should respond to her, but I thought acting like everything was okay was better than letting her know how much she was scaring me. And she was. I was fucking terrified. I’d never seen anyone shut down the way she did.

I walked around the truck and opened her door. “Do you want to walk?” I asked, unsure if she even could, or would. She didn’t answer verbally, but she got out of the truck on her own accord. Shadow jumped down behind her and waited by her side.

“Come on,” I said softly and took her hand to lead her inside.

Once we reached my room, I led her to the bed and had to tell her to sit down. Then I took both of her hands in mine and squatted in front of her. “I’m not sure what’s going on in your head. I know you’re scared. And what happened today was veryupsetting. I guess what I’m saying is it’s okay to feel however you feel. And while I’d love to have some kind of response from you, I’m not going to pressure you for one. Take all the time you need, and I’ll be right here when you’re ready. In the meantime, you’re safe, and we’re going to take care of this for you.”

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead right as someone knocked twice on the door, causing Shadow to bark.

I quickly stood and opened the door to find Phoenix standing there with a look of surprise on his face. “When did you get a dog?”

“Flint found him hanging around my property last week, and he’s since taken a liking to Gabby. She named him Shadow, and well, now we have a dog.”

“How’s she doing?” he asked.

“See for yourself,” I said quietly and gestured for him to come in.

Phoenix took one look at her and exhaled heavily. “Are you okay with Harper staying with her while we have church?”

“I can’t think of anyone better.” Harper and Keegan had always been close, so I knew Gabby was comfortable with her. Plus, Harper was an excellent therapist, and it was clear that Gabby needed help.

“I’ll send her in,” Phoenix said and left the room.

Harper must have been waiting right outside the door because she was in my room mere seconds after Phoenix left. She bypassed me and sat down beside Gabby, wrapping her arms around her. “Oh, sweet girl, you’re going to be okay.”

Harper looked at me over Gabby’s head. “I’ll stay right here until you get back. Lock the door on your way out. I don’t want anyone coming in here except you.”

“Thanks, Harper.”

“Hold on,” she said suddenly. “Who’s that?”

“Shadow. He’s friendly, and he adores Gabby.”

“Perfect,” she said, and patted the bed. “Come here, Shadow.”

Shadow jumped onto the bed and situated himself beside Gabby. Harper smiled. “Sometimes dogs are the best therapy. Go on. We’ll take care of her until you get back.”

With that, I locked the door behind me and headed to church.

Phoenix filled the officers in on everything that had happened with Gabby.

“The cameras didn’t catch anything?” Carbon asked.

“I haven’t had a chance to check, but I’m going to assume they didn’t since I didn’t get any notifications of activity,” I said and opened up my laptop. It only took a few moments to confirm my suspicions. “The cameras were disabled two days after I installed them.”

---