Page 20 of The Vow Thief
He didn’t react. He walked to the police, spoke in low tones, and pointed. At her.
The air went cold.
Lily’s mind flashed to the side hallway she’d scoped out when she first walked in. One push bar, a quick jog down the walkway, and she’d be gone.
She moved before the officers turned. The push bar gave under her hands, spilling her into the sunlight. Gravel crunched under her heels as she sprinted down the side path, the wind tearing at her hair. She made it twenty feet before the heavy thud of boots closed in.
Hands grabbed her arms. She twisted, kicked, but the grip was iron.
“Stop resisting,” one of them barked. Cold metal bit into her wrists.
“I need to see Matt!” she gasped, stumbling as they walked her toward the cruiser.“Please, get Matt, he’ll explain everything! We’re in love! You don’t understand, he’s being brainwashed by a woman named Sarah Taylor! She’s poisoning him against me!”
“Keep moving,” the officer said, guiding her into the backseat.
“I’m trying to save him! You have to help us!” Her voice cracked, breaking into sobs.“Please, he’s not safe with her!”
They shut the door on her words.
From behind the glass of the school’s front doors, Matt stood with Pam and the officers who’d stayed behind. Lily couldn’t see him, but he heard every word, each one confirming what he’d been fighting to admit: she wasn’t just obsessed. She was dangerous. And there was no saving her.
The cruiser pulled away.
Matt stayed at the window until the taillights disappeared.
Matt’s phone buzzed in his hand. Jim Holloway’s name lit the screen. He answered immediately.
“Hey, Jim.”
Jim’s voice came fast, tight.“Matt, God, please tell me everything’s okay.”
“Yes, we’re fine. Thank you for checking in.” Matt’s gaze drifted toward the parking lot where the cruiser had disappeared.“She tried to get my kids from their school. She’s heading to jail right now.”
There was a sharp exhale on the other end, followed by a beat of silence.“Matt, this is too much. I’m getting a little scared for you and Sarah… hell, for your entire family.”
Matt rubbed the back of his neck, the weight of it all pressing heavier.“Yeah. Me too at this point.” He hesitated, already knowing what Jim’s reaction would be.“I’m going to visit Lily in jail. Maybe if I confront her, she’ll get the message. She thinks Sarah’s holding me hostage, or that I’m not in control of my own life.”
“I’m going with you,” Jim said immediately.“There is no way you can be alone with that woman.”
Matt didn’t argue.“Alright. I’ll call you when I know visiting hours.”
They hung up, but the echo of Jim’s urgency stuck with him. Even with Lily in cuffs, the danger didn’t feel over. If anything, it felt like she was just getting started.
Chapter 10 - The Kids
Matt stared at his phone for a long time before finally dialing. There was no easy way to start this. Sarah answered on the second ring, her voice light.“Hey.”
“We need to talk about something, and I didn’t want you to hear it from anyone else.”
The warmth dropped from her tone.“What is it?”
Matt exhaled.“Lily showed up at the kids’school today. She tried to check them out, told the receptionist there was a family emergency.”
There was silence for a split second, and then Sarah’s voice sharpened like glass.“She what?”
“She didn’t get to them. The school called me right away. I had them keep her there until the police arrived. She’s in custody now.”
Sarah’s fury came through the line in waves.“Matt, I swear to God, I will...”
