Page 44 of Abducted

She giggled. “Maybe. It’s nice to dress normal.”

“Mmm. I liked your look at the cabin too.”

She smiled, her fingers twisted in the material of his shirt. “What did you need to talk to me about?”

The excitement left his body. “Tanner.”

Her eyebrows rose. “What about him?”

“When were you planning on telling me about the rape charges? Or the murder case?”

She gasped and her body stiffened in his arms. The color drained from her cheeks.

His jaw locked. She knew.

CHAPTER 16

Her breath hitched.Icy fingers raced over her body. She tried to swallow, but her tongue turned to sandpaper. Rape? Murder? She leaned back in Cal’s arms and narrowed her eyes at him. It couldn’t be. “Tanner? Are you sure?”

He frowned. Doubt clouded his face. “You didn’t know?”

“Of course not!” She scrambled off his lap and ran a hand through her hair. She zeroed in on him. “Tell me what you know.”

He stayed seated on the edge of the bed, his face dark. “Nate got the information from his guys at the FBI. When Tanner was a minor, he was charged with rape. In college, a young woman was murdered, Andrea Reid—”

Her stomach leapt into her throat. “Andrea?” She croaked.No. Oh, God no.

Cal nodded, his eyes never left her face. “You knew her?”

The blood drained from her face the way water drained from a sink when the plug was pulled. She tried to regulate her thumping pulse.

“I didn’t know her. But I heard what happened to her.” She paced the bedroom. Her mind raced. All this time…how had she not known?

“What happened to her?”

Nausea coiled her stomach in knots. Andrea’s death had shaken their community. Even though she didn’t know her personally, the attack had hit close to home. Fear had struck her and her friends…everyone.

“She was drugged at a frat party.” It took every effort she had to speak over the lump in her chest. “She was raped and died of a drug overdose.” Memories of the young woman flooded her mind. Her face, her eyes…a blow hit Lana to the solar plexus.

Her stomach lurched. She doubled over on a gag and raced for the bathroom.

Cal was right behind her. He scooped her hair out of the way, his hand on her back. She crouched down and struggled on a deep breath.

“Are you all right?” His voice was heavy with concern.

Her mouth swarmed with saliva. She swallowed once, twice. Her eyes closed. She wouldn’t throw up in front of him. She wiped her eyes where tears had leaked out. She took another shuddering breath, nodded, and straightened away from the toilet. Her eyes locked on Cal’s. “Did you happen to see her picture?”

His mouth dipped at the corner. “Andrea’s? No, why?”

“Look it up.”

He pulled his phone from his back pocket and sat on the edge of the tub. She sat on the floor against the wall. The room spun. She inhaled through her nose and blew out through her mouth.

“Holy fuck,” he rasped. More curses fell from his lips. “She’s your damn twin.” He turned the phone for her to see. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “The comparison is unreal.”

The resemblance had meant nothing to her before. And it had never dawned on her before that Andrea’s attack could have been because of her. Cal got to his feet and extended a hand. She placed her fingers in his palm, and he pulled her up. He guided her back to the bedroom and sat her on the bed.

“I’m going to get you some water. I’ll be right back.”

---