Page 86 of Bravo

I only met him once, when he’d shown up at our dorm to talk to Olivia our freshman year. But the darkness in his eyes still haunts me even to this day. In some of my most recent nightmares, it’s him holding the gun when that door opens—not Vincent.

“I stand before you, a father terrified for his daughter.” A picture of Olivia smiling pops up on the screen, and a stabbing pain shoots through my chest at the sight of her. “She’s been troubled since the sudden death of her mother and even dropped out of college to spend all her time at home these last two years.” He sucks in a breath and wipes the tears from his eyes. “She wentout to meet her friend two nights ago and never returned.” He closes his eyes and pauses a moment while I continue staring at the screen, sure that I must be imagining all of this.

The image of Olivia disappears and is replaced with one of me. My student ID image from UC Davis. “This is Kennedy Smith. She’s the friend my little Olive Bug went out to meet, and she’s missing too. Kennedy has always been a troubled girl. It’s how they bonded, but where Olivia tended to withdraw from the world, Kennedy had a violent streak. I am asking for your help in locating both of these girls so I can make sure my Olive is safe and Kennedy gets the help she needs.” His gaze shifts to the cameras, and it feels as though he’s looking directly into my soul. “Kennedy, if you’re watching this, please reach out. Let me know that Olivia is safe so I can have my daughter back. Whatever you need, I’m here to help you.”

The blood drains from my face, and I stumble back into the counter behind me. Breathing ragged, I’m trying desperately to separate the anger from the fear.How dare he.How dare he stand there and taint Olivia’s memory like that! A troubled girl? She was only troubled because of what he’d done to her!

“Breathe, Kennedy.” Bradyn places both hands on my shoulders. Where did he come from? Wasn’t he across the room?

“I took that picture of her,” I say, my voice shaky. “Me. We went to the park after finals were finished, and I took it. He used a pictureItook to condemn me to the world.” I’m rambling, and I know that, but I can’t seem to find stable ground. “And she’s dead! He knows she’s dead! He killed her, and he’s acting like—” I suck in a breath and close my eyes.

“Breathe,” Bradyn says again then pulls me against his chest and wraps both arms around me. Focusing on the steady beat of his heart against my cheek, I manage to catch my breath. But only barely.

“My parents are dead. Olivia is dead. And he’s just standing up there, asking an entire country to track me down and hang me for it.”

“That won’t happen, Kennedy.”

I pull back and start to pace, desperately needing fresh air but knowing I definitely can’t have any tonight. “Bradyn, I’m dying here. The entire town has seen my face. Theyallknow I work here. They’re going to come looking. They’re going to?—”

“Even if they do show up, they’re not getting through the gate,” he assures me. “No one is coming for you, Kennedy. He knows where you are, but he knows he can’t touch you. Not yet. It’s why he’s trying to get someone to turn you in.”

“He just put out a massive wanted poster with my picture on it, Bradyn. All they have to do is say I might be here, and the police will be beating down your door.” My chest aches, panic squeezing my heart like a vice, so I press the heel of my palm against it and rub. “I’m never going to get away from this.”

“Yes, you will. We’ll get it figured out.”

“You’ve been saying that for a week. At what point does running make more sense?” I ask, tilting my face up to look into his gorgeous hazel eyes. “At what point am I going to have to disappear again?”

A muscle in his jaw ticks, and his gaze hardens. “You won’t have to run.”

“There might not be a choice. There’s already not a choice.” I throw up my hands. “I can’t even go outside. I’m trapped, waiting for someone to kick in the door all over again.”

“That’s not going to happen,” he insists.

“Bradyn.”

“No.” He crosses toward me and stops a few inches in front of me. He raises his hands and grips my biceps, gently stroking in his attempt to offer me some form of comfort. I’ve gone cold,though. Cold and afraid. “You’re not going to have to run. I promise we’re going to find a way.”

“I don’t see how.”

“Don’t you trust me?” he asks.

I tilt my face up. “With my life. Haven’t I proven that?”

His gaze flicks to my mouth for a second, and my heart jumps. Then it travels back up to my eyes, and I momentarily forget all the reasons us getting closer is such a bad idea. “I won’t let them get to you. I just need you to hold on a bit longer. I will find a way to finish this and get Olivia, your parents, and all the others who died at his hands the justice they deserve.”

I swallow hard. “I’m just tired, Bradyn.”

“I know.” He reaches up and runs his knuckles over my cheek. I close my eyes and lean into the touch as it soothes some of the brokenness in me. Then he’s gone. Moving away and making me long for his touch again. “Are you okay if I go finish up? I’ll be back soon.”

“I’m okay. Honestly, I’ll probably go catch a nap.”

“I’ll be done soon. I just have something I need to take care of first.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.” I turn away then remember the cookies. “Want a cookie for the road?”

“Absolutely.”

I cross into the kitchen and pluck one from the pan then hand it to him. He’d eaten nearly a dozen of them between yesterday and the day before, but he takes a bite and savors it like it’s the first time he’s tasting it. “You have a gift, Kennedy.”

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