Page 70 of Erik's Salvation
“Brigid—”
“How long have you known Erik?” Her eyes were narrowed now, her words flat. “A month? Maybe two? And how long have you known James?”
She swallowed. “Four years.”
“Four years. Yet you believe this new guy when he says your best friend’spartneris a drug addict?”
“He never said he was a drug addict, just that he—”
“Had a bag of drugs, probably took said drugs, and owes people money for them.”
Oh God, this was not going the way she’d hoped. “I’m not saying I believe it or that I don’t. But Ihadto mention it, Brigid. Imagine if I didn’t and something happened. You’re my best friend. I want you to be safe.”
If anything, those words seemed to enrage Brigid further. “Iamsafe with James. He’s my world, Hannah. Something you should know.” Her chest expanded and she straightened. “As a friend, I would encourageyouto think really carefully about where you putyourtrust. Erik’s barely told you anything about himself. Hell, you don’t even know what he does for work.”
“Brigid—”
“I actually have a lot of ordering to do, so if you don’t mind…”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. She searched her friend’s face, but there was no leeway there. God, she’d never seen her so angry, and she had no idea how to navigate it.
With numb fingers, she lifted her own untouched latte and left. It wasn’t until she was sitting in her car again that she sucked in her first long breath.
What did she do now? She and Brigid had been friends—no,bestfriends—for four years, and they’d never fought before. Sure, small squabbles here and there, but never like that.
The entire drive back to the office, she ran over the exchange in her head. Could she have done it differently? Used different words so her friend didn’t get so offended? Or maybe she shouldn’t have said anything at all. Maybe she should have just stayed out of it.
Christ, she had no idea.
When she reached the office, she didn’t get out right away, instead lifting her phone and typing out a text to her friend. But every time she wrote something, she immediately deleted it. What could she say to make things better?
She went with something simple.
Hannah: Brigid, I’m sorry. I love you. X
Sent. There. Done. Now it was in Brigid’s court.
Why did that thought make her chest feel unbelievably tight?
She blew out a breath and sped up the steps to the front door. The office was dark and empty, but then, it was Saturday afternoon, so she’d expected to be alone.
She was moving down the hall when something sounded…footsteps, maybe? Was shenotalone?
She stopped. “Hello?”
When she didn’t hear anything else, she took slow steps forward. That’s when she heard the soft creak of the back door.
She walked faster down the hall to find the back door closed, but not locked. She tugged it open but saw nothing.
Still, a chill swept over her skin that had nothing to do with the cool breeze. This entire scenario was too much like the break-in at her house.
When her phone dinged with a message, she closed the back door and clicked the lock before tugging out her cell.
Erik: How does vindaloo sound?
She forced herself to forget the back door. Maybe she’d been hearing things. Or maybe she hadn’t, and it was Taylor grabbing something? She’d left the office door unlocked once before, when she’d been in a rush to get her son from school.
She focused on the text in front of her, but even though she smiled at his question, she couldn’t get Brigid’s words from earlier out of her head. She was right. Shehadn’tknown him for long, and she didn’t know what he did for work. She’d told him she was okay with not knowing for now, but what if that time stretched into months, or even years?
