Page 75 of Concealed

“Then I’ll call the station and have cruisers regularly drive by. No arguments, okay? Just until Wyatt gets home, and then you can tell him what happened, and he’ll take over protector duty. You’re going to tell him, right?”

“I guess,” I whisper. “I was probably just imagining Matt was there. It was my first time out of the house alone, and I just lost my shit.”

Even if I did imagine the whole thing, knowing that Wyatt’s colleagues will be driving by and making sure the house is secure lets me breathe a bit easier. I don’t trust cops, not after living with Matt and how the Vegas PD treated me.

But this situation is different.

I trust Wyatt and his friends.

He’s right – cops aren’t all the same.

“Check in with me often tonight, okay?” Gabe orders. “Call, text, whatever you want. Just make sure I know you’re okay at all times. Do you want me to drive down? I’m at work, but I can leave.”

“By the time you get here, Wyatt will probably be home. I can’t wait to see you and the rest of my family in person, but you don’t have to come tonight. All I want is for this nightmare to be over and to have my life back.”

“I’m going to talk to Wyatt, and we’ll figure out a plan, okay? It will involve some kind of charges against Matt. It’s the only way.”

“That will just drag everything out. I’ll never have a normal life.”

“You will. Doing things the right way is the only option. And, yeah, the court system can be slow, but it’s better than hiding for the rest of eternity. We need to do something now that you’re away from him and safe.”

Safe.

But am I really safe?

“I trust you both. We’ll make a plan. But for tonight, I just need to not lose my shit again until Wyatt gets home.”

“I’m here if you need me, and I’ll call the Sunnyville station right now.”

“Thanks, Gabe. Love you.”

“Love you, too, kid.”

I’m absolutely disgusting and covered in sweat, but the thought of getting naked and into the shower is terrifying.

Hollywood has taught me that women always get murdered in the shower. But this isn’t a movie, and I can’t let Matt control me even inside my own – temporary – house.

A creak makes me scream and jump a mile, but it’s just the house settling.

Or is it?

Jesus.

I run to the closest window and peer outside, but nothing is out of place – just the nearly empty parking lot with the same cars as always.

Repeating the process at five other windows yields the same result – nothing. Matt believes he’s untouchable and invincible, but surely even he wouldn’t break into a fellow cop’s house.

Would he?

My heartbeat is in my throat, and I have no idea how I’m going to get through the night. I wish that I knew the code to Wyatt’s gun safe because surely, he has an extra in there.

Instead, I go to the kitchen and grab the biggest knife that I can find, which will be staying by my side until the telltale sounds of Wyatt coming through the door reach my ears, and I can finally relax.

But what am I going to do the next time Wyatt goes to work? Somehow, I need to take my power back and keep it.

The weight of the knife in my hand is somewhat comforting, but Matt is a big, strong man, and I don’t have much hope of taking him down. I tried – for years – and he always won.

Just as I’m thinking that this time would be different because I’m stronger now and more determined to stab him in the throat, the front doorknob rattles.

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