Page 49 of Safe Haven

Without thinking, I reach out and drape one arm across Audrey's shoulders, reflexively pulling her close. Like I canprotect her from any misunderstandings she might have over Harlow’s words.

I realize my mistake almost immediately. It’s the same amount of time it takes the women watching us to figure out there’s more going on between me and Audrey than a simple bodyguard scenario. I can pinpoint the second my arm around her registers. Harlow lifts a brow. Mona smothers a smile. And Heidi full on grins like the cat that ate the fucking canary.

“Anyway.” Harlow recovers first and circles right back. “I hope you’re not trying to feel bad for being afraid of a man who proved he was capable of being violent toward you.” Harlow’s tone is sharp and her expression stern. “Because we don’t fucking do that. We recognize that abuse leaves scars. Ones you can see and ones you can’t. Sometimes they heal and sometimes they don’t.” Harlow leans forward, eyes fused to the screen like she’s staring right at Audrey. “And we let those abusive men own every bit of their bullshit.” She straightens, eyes dropping once again to the file in front of her. “And Trevor Hawthorne the third absolutely deserves to own his shit.”

Heidi lifts one hand high in the air. “Preach, sister.”

Mona nods. “A-fucking-men to letting assholes get what they have coming.”

She had her own issues with a man who thought he deserved way more than he did. Of course, that guy’s dead. Just like the one who made Harlow recognize and understand Audrey’s pain.

I wish I could simply end Trevor. It would make all of this so much easier. Audrey would be safe and able to move on with her life.

Whatever she decides that looks like.

But I can’t, and we’re about to discuss the reasons why.

“Tell me more about this Trevor motherfucker I’m about to torment without mercy.” Harlow flips through her papers. “It says here he’s an attorney and politician?”

Audrey nods. “Right now he is a state senator, but his plans include becoming the governor of Tennessee within the next two years.”

Audrey continues explaining her experience with Trevor and everything she knows about him, including why she started to become suspicious of him. She explains about the number of sketchy looking men she started seeing coming and going at their house. Why the amount of campaign money he was collecting from strangely named sources made her decide to start digging into his dealings. And how much of his dealings she was able to download to the flash drive gripped in her hand.

From the sounds of it, more than enough.

“Do you know who he’s affiliated with at the Memphis Police Department?” Pierce asked.

Audrey shakes her head. “Honestly, I didn’t know he had connections within the police department. I only started to suspect that when nothing happened after I made those anonymous reports.”

Pierce sighs, the sound carrying frustration. “It was a correct assumption. From what we’ve been able to find, your ex-husband’s reach is wide and far. He’s got people from the city level all the way up to the federal government.” Pierce rubs his face, looking tired. “And until we find someone willing to take this to the county prosecutor, we’re stuck.”

Audrey blinks fast. “Are you saying we might not be able to do anything?”

“That’s not what he’s saying at all.” Heidi sucks down another gulp from her cup. “What he’s trying to say without actually saying, is we really need the information from that flash drive.” Heidi’s eyes focus as she types on the keyboard in front of her. “I’ve made as many connections as I can, but without insider information, I can’t narrow it down any more.”

Audrey nods. “Okay.” She lifts the flash drive. “You can have everything as long as you promise you will do whatever it takes to get Becca’s sister back.”

Heidi stops typing and refocuses on her screen. “Babe, I don’t only plan to get Becca’s sister back. I plan to ruin this man’s life. I’m going to take down everyone who’s ever sneezed in his fucking direction.” Her normally easy-going expression turns serious and scary. “I’m going to make him suffer. I’m going to make him wish he was dead.” A maniacal smirk twists her lips. “And then I’m going to let Maddox give him his wish.”

Audrey blinks, then turns to me. “You would kill him?”

I would lie to most people at this point. Try to soften the truth. Sugarcoat reality to make it more palatable.

But I don’t have to do that with Audrey. Because she’s turning out to be as big of a contradiction as I am.

“Honestly? I would have killed him days ago if we didn’t have so much riding on keeping him alive.”

I know the exact moment I decided I wanted to watch Trevor Hawthorne III bleed as the life left his eyes. It was when Audrey told me that fucker kept her dog. No one else in this goddamnworld loved her, and he knew how much she would suffer without it.

I want him to suffer equally.

No. More.

Audrey stares at me a second, rubbing her lips together. Everyone in the video call is silent, so I’m pretty sure they all hear when she asks, “Could I help?”

SIXTEEN

AUDREY

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