should have been fine, not the victim of a—”
Her voice broke. She turned from her dad to Liam, who had crossed the room. He didn’t say anything, just put a hand on the small of her back and led her out while she struggled to breathe. Her face itched and when she scratched at it, she was crying.
In the hall, Andrea bent forward with her hands on her thighs and sucked in air. Liam rubbed up and down her back, but she didn’t think anything would cut through the chill of the fact that she was alone.
Her parents were too wrapped up in themselves to worry about growing their relationship as a family. Kiera might have been self-destructive and generally a wreck, but Andrea had needed her sister almost as much as Kiera needed her.
And now Sunny was gone.
A tissue was pressed into her hand. Andrea wiped her face and straightened. Both Liam and Caisey stood in front of her, but it was Liam who motioned to the front door. “Let’s get some air.”
“We should just leave.” Andrea took a breath. “I’ve said what I came here to say. It’s done now.”
His eyes softened, where Caisey looked like she wanted to punch someone. They made a good pair, opposites working together and balancing each other out.
Andrea wondered if they’d ever been more than partners, but figured if they had there was no way it would have ended without completely destroying their working relationship. They were both way too strong-willed to part amicably.
When she was settled in the back of the car, Caisey looked back from the front seat. She’d argued, wanting Andrea to sit up there. But being by Liam would be a bad idea when her emotions were this close to the surface.
Caisey’s eyes were soft. “You need anything?”
Andrea thought for a moment. Was it too early to ask?
“Just say it.” Caisey smiled. “How bad could it be?”
“I need the key. Kiera’s key. It would have been on a gold chain around her neck.”
Caisey’s face flashed with surprise. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Andrea turned to the window. She stared at the sidewalk and the trees as they blurred past, but all she saw was Kiera’s face. Pale. Lifeless.
Emotion burst from her throat again. Andrea leaned forward and put her forehead on her knees. She needed Kiera’s key. She needed to see her sister happy again, even if it was only in the pictures she kept in storage. Otherwise all she would ever remember is what Sunny did to herself and the part Andrea had played in her sister’s death.
Her phone rang, but she left it in her briefcase. The real world could wait until later. This place was a whole lot more scary and exhausting, a place where she needed constant protection from FBI agents, but at least she didn’t feel like the robot she usually was.
It rang again.
Andrea pulled it out to look at the screen. The number was blocked. Who would bother to restrict their number? Unless they didn’t want to be found.
She swiped the screen. “Hello?”
“Think you’re so smart, don’t you. Well, you’re not.” His voice sounded like pure evil, and nothing else. Nothing at all. “I can hear you laughing from here.”
Andrea’s body jerked. Liam slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the street. “Give me the phone.”
She looked up at Liam, but didn’t move.
“Who was that?” The Chloroform Killer sounded ready to snap. “It doesn’t matter. I’m coming for you. No one makes a fool out of me.”
The line went dead.
Chapter 9
LIAM WAS SO MAD he had to fold his arms to contain the urge to do something he shouldn’t. “When I tell you to give me the phone, you give me the phone.”
Caisey stepped between them. They’d made it back to Andrea’s apartment, but only because it was closest to where they’d been when the call came in. “Let her be.”
Liam didn’t need to be told she was having a rough time. It was plain on Andrea’s face that she was about to bolt somewhere she could lose it in private. “What
Her voice broke. She turned from her dad to Liam, who had crossed the room. He didn’t say anything, just put a hand on the small of her back and led her out while she struggled to breathe. Her face itched and when she scratched at it, she was crying.
In the hall, Andrea bent forward with her hands on her thighs and sucked in air. Liam rubbed up and down her back, but she didn’t think anything would cut through the chill of the fact that she was alone.
Her parents were too wrapped up in themselves to worry about growing their relationship as a family. Kiera might have been self-destructive and generally a wreck, but Andrea had needed her sister almost as much as Kiera needed her.
And now Sunny was gone.
A tissue was pressed into her hand. Andrea wiped her face and straightened. Both Liam and Caisey stood in front of her, but it was Liam who motioned to the front door. “Let’s get some air.”
“We should just leave.” Andrea took a breath. “I’ve said what I came here to say. It’s done now.”
His eyes softened, where Caisey looked like she wanted to punch someone. They made a good pair, opposites working together and balancing each other out.
Andrea wondered if they’d ever been more than partners, but figured if they had there was no way it would have ended without completely destroying their working relationship. They were both way too strong-willed to part amicably.
When she was settled in the back of the car, Caisey looked back from the front seat. She’d argued, wanting Andrea to sit up there. But being by Liam would be a bad idea when her emotions were this close to the surface.
Caisey’s eyes were soft. “You need anything?”
Andrea thought for a moment. Was it too early to ask?
“Just say it.” Caisey smiled. “How bad could it be?”
“I need the key. Kiera’s key. It would have been on a gold chain around her neck.”
Caisey’s face flashed with surprise. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Andrea turned to the window. She stared at the sidewalk and the trees as they blurred past, but all she saw was Kiera’s face. Pale. Lifeless.
Emotion burst from her throat again. Andrea leaned forward and put her forehead on her knees. She needed Kiera’s key. She needed to see her sister happy again, even if it was only in the pictures she kept in storage. Otherwise all she would ever remember is what Sunny did to herself and the part Andrea had played in her sister’s death.
Her phone rang, but she left it in her briefcase. The real world could wait until later. This place was a whole lot more scary and exhausting, a place where she needed constant protection from FBI agents, but at least she didn’t feel like the robot she usually was.
It rang again.
Andrea pulled it out to look at the screen. The number was blocked. Who would bother to restrict their number? Unless they didn’t want to be found.
She swiped the screen. “Hello?”
“Think you’re so smart, don’t you. Well, you’re not.” His voice sounded like pure evil, and nothing else. Nothing at all. “I can hear you laughing from here.”
Andrea’s body jerked. Liam slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the street. “Give me the phone.”
She looked up at Liam, but didn’t move.
“Who was that?” The Chloroform Killer sounded ready to snap. “It doesn’t matter. I’m coming for you. No one makes a fool out of me.”
The line went dead.
Chapter 9
LIAM WAS SO MAD he had to fold his arms to contain the urge to do something he shouldn’t. “When I tell you to give me the phone, you give me the phone.”
Caisey stepped between them. They’d made it back to Andrea’s apartment, but only because it was closest to where they’d been when the call came in. “Let her be.”
Liam didn’t need to be told she was having a rough time. It was plain on Andrea’s face that she was about to bolt somewhere she could lose it in private. “What
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