Page 58 of The Keeper

“Ma’am, are you injured? Can you tell us what happened?”

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My throat felt raw as if I’d been screaming for hours instead of minutes. Maybe I had been.

A female officer knelt beside me, her face swimming in and out of focus. “Can you tell me your name?”

“P-Piper,” I managed to choke out. “My full name is Amelia Piper Kelly, but I go by Piper.”

“Okay, Piper. We’re going to get you checked out by the paramedics, all right?”

I nodded numbly, allowing her to help me to my feet. My legs wobbled, threatening to give out with each step.

As we passed the body on the floor, now covered by a white sheet, bile rose in my throat. I barely made it to the trash can before retching violently. The acidic burn of the vomit mingled with the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.

The officer kept her hands on my shoulders as I emptied the meager contents of my stomach before guiding me out of the bakery and into a waiting ambulance. The brisk morning air hit my face, and I shivered violently before clutching the edges of my jacket a little tighter.

The paramedics peppered me with questions, shining lights in my eyes and probing at the bruise blooming on my cheek. I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking slightly as I tried to make sense of what hadhappened. The world felt hazy and distant, as if I was watching everything unfold from behind thick glass.

All I could focus on was the sticky feeling of my attacker’s blood drying on my skin and the knowledge that those men had known Dane.

They knew about me, about my connection to him.

And they had used that knowledge to target me.

NINETEEN

PIPER

Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Fifteen:

Know where the exits are in any situation.

“Amelia!” My mother’s voice cut through the fog. I looked up to see her pushing past the officers, her face pale with fear. “Oh my God, baby.”

She pulled me into her arms, and I broke down completely, sobbing into her shoulder like a child.

“I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here,” she said, stroking my hair. “You’re safe now.”

Once my attacker’s blood was cleaned from my skin, the police resumed their endless questioning, their voices growing more insistent.

What happened?

Did I know the men?

How did they get in?

Why did they target the bakery?

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out their demands for answers I couldn’t give.

“That’s enough,” my mother finally snapped, herarms tightening around me protectively. “Can’t you see she’s been through hell? She needs rest, not an interrogation.”

The lead detective backed off, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “We understand, ma’am. But we need to get her statement while the details are still fresh.”

I took a shuddering breath, forcing myself to meet the detective’s eyes. “I-I’ll try to answer your questions.”

My mother squeezed my hand reassuringly. I swallowed hard, fighting back another wave of nausea as I recounted the robbery and assault. But I hesitated when it came to their comments about Dane and Silent Phoenix.

“They...they seemed to know who I was,” I said carefully, omitting any mention of Dane or the club. “But I’d never seen them before.”

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