Page 49 of Diluted Truths
“The same way you do, of course,” Griffin began. “Us three, we’re connected. Joey and I had our turn. It’s your turn now, Jackie.”
I opened my mouth to respond and continue to question when Will grabbed my arm.
“Jackie, we need to go now,” he stated firmly with no room for argument.
I looked at him, confused as to why he sounded so alarmed. I was taken aback by the stone cold expression he held and the storminess of his eyes. He was speaking to me but glaring at Griffin, his hand clasped around the journal so tightly his knuckles were turning white, his jaw ticking under the tension.
“What’s going on?” I asked Will.
“Now, Jacqueline,” his voice was gruff and left no room for argument.
“You can’t speak to her that way!” Griffin yelled as he stood, now toe to toe with Will. “I worked hard to bring her to me.”
“What is going on?” I asked again, confused how things had escalated.
Will handed me the journal in response. I flipped through the pages quickly while Will and Griffin maintained their stare off. It was when I flipped to the next page that I understood.
There were drawings of me.
Dozens, maybe even hundreds.
Every one depicted me in various circumstances. There were some where I was simply walking down the street, in others I was sleeping, in most it was just me smiling. The most unnerving part was that the drawings took place in my home, in my bed, in my office. There was no denying that these drawings were based on potentially real moments.
Finally, on the last page there were two drawings. One of me was at a cabin that was oddly familiar. I couldn’t place it but I felt like I had been there before. The other was me, laying in the cemetery where Griffin’s victims were found. I looked… dead and had the sigil carved into my forehead.
“W-What are these? How did you do this?” I asked, almost to myself not fully wanting the answer.
Griffin turned to me, his demeanor relaxing.
“I told you, Jackie, I did it all for you. To bring you here. I needed to meet you. I needed to meet an Advocate,” he answered.
I began to shake in fear, not understanding anything that was happening.
“How did you draw these? How do you know what my apartment looks like?” I asked Griffin as tears began to fill my eyes.
“That’s your apartment?” Will asked as he glanced at me for a second before returning his attention back to Griffin.
I nodded my head in response, unable to form any words.
How could this be real?
It was obvious Griffin had some sort of obsession with me, butwhyI couldn’t understand. We lived on opposite sides of the country and had no ties from what I knew. How did he even know I existed before today?
“We’re leaving,” Will stated firmly as he took my hand and began to lead me out of the room when Griffin grabbed by my other arm and pulled back, hard.
“You can’t take her from me!” Griffin yelled as he yanked me backwards so hard to the point I fell to his feet. “She’s mine! This Advocate is mine!”
I had heard stories about how protective wolves get when their pack is attacked. How they will take down anything in their path and fight to their deaths to ensure those they cared for were safe. As I looked at Will, I knew I was about to see first hand what that was like.
In a flash, he was across the room and had Griffin by his collar as he held him up on the wall. Griffin was tall, but Will was strong. In comparison, Griffin looked like a rag doll. I felt someone grab me and pull me out of the room. I looked to see one of the security guards thatescorted us in. It was the sound of cracking that drew my attention back into the room.
Will had punched Griffin straight in the jaw. Griffin collapsed into a pile on the ground, obviously dazed by the strike.
“You will never touch Jackie again. Do you understand me?” Will growled, in a shockingly calm yet deadly tone.
Initially there was no answer. Will picked him back up and held his collar so they were face to face yet again.
“I have more power than you can dream of. I do not care that you’re already locked up. You will not look at her, talk to her, draw her, or anything again. If you do, I will kill you. That’s not a threat, it’s a fucking promise. Do you understand?” Will growled yet again.
