Page 136 of Prey for You

How could I ever know when nobody told me anything except what theywantedme to think?

How did anyone in this world ever know what was true?

When Sam had backed off after that attack he’d apologized. He’d lookedafraid.

Because this was assault on an officer and he’d go to jail for that? We all knew Jeremy provoked him, and with that video… no one was pressing charges on this.

“Do you think Sam’s dangerous?” I asked Gerald suddenly. “Like physically?”

Gerald huffed. “Is the Pope Catholic?”

I frowned. “Do you think he’s dangerous tome?”

Gerald sighed. “Bridget, right now I am far more concerned about risks to your mind than your body.”

“But—”

“No, Bridget. I’m not digging into this with you now. You need time. You need to think. You need to process. Nothing you’re thinking right now comes from a place of logic or rationale. You brain isdeepin trigger response and anything you think or feel is likely a product of your body’s fight to survive.”

“But… I’m calm.”

“You’re in shock.”

“But I’mcalm.”

“Bridget, you’renumb.It’s not the same thing. Your body is shutting down your normal, biochemical responses becauseyour stress response was so extreme your system is in overload.I amfarmore worried about the fallout when you genuinely do reach calm, than whether or not you’re going to get kidnapped by Sam tonight. And we know Jeremy won’t let Sam or your dad close to you.”

Jeremy opened the door and stepped into the small space to join us. Towering over me, and still inches taller than Gerald who wasn’t short.

“He’s running scared,” he said hoarsely, but he smiled.

And I hated that he wasdelightedthat Sam was scared right now.

And I hated that I hated that Sam was scared.

I was supposed to hateSam.The fact that I didn’t… that meant the Doctor had been right… right?

My head spun.

“Are you okay?” I asked Jeremy flatly. He winced and rubbed his throat.

“He’s strong,” he rasped. “But I’ll be fine.”

“Are you pressing charges?” I wasreallycareful not to give any hint of what I wanted his answer to be.

Jeremy scowled and shook his head. “If we win this case, I don’t need to.”

Alarm coiled through my chest. “And if we don’t?”

“We will.”

I nodded, but nerves fluttered in my belly. Jeremy wouldn’t press charges? If he thought he had even the barest chance of nailing Sam on assault he’d do it because it would put Sam away whether we won this case or not.

Why would he take that chance?

“Is it… I mean, would it hurt your case because you provoked him?” I asked as blandly as I could. Jeremy frowned for the first time since he walked into the room.

“This wasn’t me trying to bait him so I could charge him, Bridget. This was so you could wake the fuck up and see his true colors. You’ll notice when ourpriestwas cornered he didn’t pray his way out of it,” he said dryly. Then he pinned me with a gaze. “I don’t care what he does to you when he’s being nice, that guy isviolent.”

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