Page 553 of Dark Love

Tears pour down my face. How did she stay sane after all the things he’s done to her? And how could any lawyer walk away from this woman when she needs it the most?

“…This afternoon I saw him holding one of my textbooks outside of the window and I knew it would never end.”

“It will end. You’re going to get through this.”

“Thank you for believing in me.”

I don’t deserve her thanks. Doing the right thing is the responsibility of all of us. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.”

“It’s almost over. I’m just a few blocks from his place.”

She’s putting herself at risk. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me where you are? There’s got to be another way. I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

“No. This is the way it has to be. I’m going to take a shortcut—Oh no. He found me. He’s here.”

“Who? Who found you? Where are you, Marlie?”

“He’s getting closer. There’s something in his hands. It looks like a needle. Help me.”

“Where are you? Tell me where you are.”

“No. Don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me.”

There’s a loud crash, then silence, and the phone disconnects.

I failed her.

“There’s got to be something I can do.”

A hand comes down on my shoulder.

“There’s nothing more we can do. You did everything you could,” Adonis says from right behind me. “She wouldn’t tell you where she is. There are too many troubled people on the streets of Urbium.”

Troubled. After all that, Adonis thinks she’s troubled. There’s a woman out there being hunted, maybe even held against her will by someone she should be able to trust, and Adonis is calling her troubled!

“She needs help.” Real help. Not people telling her what they can’t do or calling her crazy.

“And when she calls again, and I can promise you she’ll call again, we’ll help her. If she lets us.”

We can’t just walk away from her. She needs help now.

But there’s nothing we can do. My role is limited.

Tears continue to flow.

“Prue, why don’t you take—”

A call clicks on. I forgot to put myself as unavailable. It’s too late to do anything but answer. “911. What is your emergency?”

“Hello, beautiful. Have you missed me?”

No.

Not him.

Not now.

“I’ve been thinking about you.”

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