Page 72 of Dolly

“I think you can call me Abigail now, Brian.” She raises her chin and levels me with a soft smile.

Stepping over him, I grab ahold of her, pulling her to me. “Abigail,” I say her name, letting the flavor of it roll over my tongue.

“We need to get Sarah to a hospital. Call her parents. And Ella—” She wipes the back of her hand across her cheek. She’s crying. Silent tears that cleanse the dirt of the past from her. She’ll never be scrubbed of it all, but for the moment, for this moment where her tormentors are gone, she can bathe in a safety she has never fully known.

“They’ll be okay. C’mon. Let’s go.” With my arm draped over her shoulder, keeping her close to me, I bring her out of the room. Ella stands in the living room, her fingernail between her teeth. Sarah’s sitting on a rocking chair, the blanket held tightly around her.

“Is he—?” Ella asks.

“He can’t hurt you anymore,” I assure her.

“It’s my fault.” Ella’s shoulders slump, her eyebrows knitted with pained remorse.

“We need to get Sarah to a hospital.” Abigail brushes off Ella’s comment.

Red and blue lights flash through the front windows.

“What do we do?” Abigail asks, panic quickly rising.

I check the window, hoping they’re going to another house. No luck. Three squad cars pull up in front of the house. I look from Ella to Sarah to Abigail.

“We go.” I grab Dolly’s hand. “Ella, stay with Sarah. Be sure they take care of her, do you understand?”

“Y-Yes. I will. I promise,” Ella vows as I pull Abigail toward the back of the house.

“Brian. Wait.” Abigail yanks against me once we’re on the back porch.

“We don’t have time. We need to go. They’ll take Sarah and Ella to the hospital. They’ll find Romero. It’s fine, but we have to go or they’ll take us too.” If I don’t get her out of here right now, they’ll take her. I’ll lose her. She’ll be swallowed up by the system. Even if she’s never made to pay the price for what we’ve done, she’ll be gone from me. I won’t be able to find her again. It’s not fear, it’s fact burning in my gut.

She finally recognizes I’m not backing down and gives me the approving nod I love so much from her. She’s trusting me.

“We have to hurry.” I yank her harder, and we run through the yard. Bursting through the fence, we sprint for the truck.

As I maneuver the truck past the garage where Romero’s car is still parked, a dark figure steps into the alley. I don’t wait to identify him.

“Go!” Abigail cries out, and my foot slams on the gas pedal.

Twenty-Nine

ABIGAIL

Freedom I never dreamed to hold in my hands teeters before me. If I reach out far enough, I might push it away. If I try to grab hold, I could drop it and lose it forever.

“Abigail.” Brian stands behind me, placing his hands on my hips.

A gentle breeze runs off the lake and rushes over our faces. My hair blows wildly around me. The sun is high in the sky. Summer is finally here.

“It’s a bad idea,” I say after his fingers start to tighten on my waist.

“Okay. Why? Let’s list them.” He’s being reasonable. It’s a trait that irritates me sometimes, like when I just want my way without concession. But Brian is even more bossy than Ken ever was. It’s my biggest flaw that I love it.

I flip around, pressing my ass into the railing of the deck, and tilt my head so I can glare properly up at him. His hands move from my waist to gripping the rail, completely caging me in—a feeling that once shook the nightmares loose.

“He could arrest you.” I point out the obvious. Meeting with Pierce is a horrible idea if only for that reason alone. “He’s a cop. It’s his job to arrest the bad guys.”

“And you think we’re the bad guys?” Brian cocks his head.

“No. Of course not. But he does.”

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