Page 60 of Unravelling The Beast

“They were robbed not long after Cree was born and it's believed she thought they were going to take him; she was only protecting her son.”

My mouth is agape as I take in her words before she continues.

“Anyway, Arlo found her in the closet, tied up, and she had been shot in the head.”

I close my eyes, my heart aching for Arlo to have to find her in such a way and when Sara speaks again, I pick up my glass of wine with a shaking hand, taking a large gulp.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Wren; I was worried about how you'd react, but I knew you would be perfect for Cree. He needs someone like you, and I believed you were tough enough to deal with Arlo.”

My concerned eyes meet hers as I speak gently.

“Did they ever find out who did it?”

She gives a small shake of her head.

“Unfortunately, not. It appeared to be a professional job. They removed all the footage from the security cameras and left no evidence. That's probably why Arlo is tense most of the time, and who can blame him? He's been trying to figure out who did it for years, but no one will talk and he hasn’t found closure."

I give a slight nod of understanding.

“He's not making your life a living hell, is he?”

My brows furrow when she says that, and I sigh, followed by a head shake before glancing away.

“He's alright. I hardly ever see him.”

She gives me a hesitant nod as she observes me, her eyes raking down to my neck, causing dread to surge within me, and I turn away slightly.

“Why do you have marks on your neck, Wren?”

I close my eyes as my stomach stirs with anxiety, not knowing what to say.

"He hasn't hurt you, has he?"

When my eyes instantly meet hers at her accusation, I respond with a headshake.

“It's not like that.”

Her eyes enlarge when I confirm it and I notice Arlo creeping around from the corner of my eye in the living room. I can feel his burning stare all over my body from a distance, but I don't look his way because I'm too focused on Sara and her shock.

“He did this to you?”

I place my hand on her arm in panic as she begins to stand up to confront him.

“It's not like that, Sara!”

She looks at me with confusion when I repeat myself before she takes a slow seat on the stool and I swallow hard because I don't want to have to clarify it to his sister.

After some time of staring at one another in cold silence, I finally see it click through her eyes and a big gasp escapes her.

“Wait, you’re fucking him, aren’t you?”

When I feel my cheeks heat up, I face away.

“Oh, my God, you are!”

“It's just sexual chemistry, nothing more.”

As she responds, she shakes her head vigorously.

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