Page 71 of Wildling

The walls start to close in on me. “Which is?”

“There was no DNA present on your body at the time of the assault. The tests concluded your injuries appear consistent with self-inflicted wounds, but they cannot confirm or exclude that a sexual assault occurred. So as I said…inconclusive.” My world begins to crumble again.

Tears swarm my eyes. “You’re wrong. I know what I experienced.”

She shakes her head. “I wish I was; it would make this a whole lot easier for me.”

I start to sob uncontrollably and not at the fact I’ve clearly gone off the deep end, but at the possibility that I’ve lost him…again. How many times do I have to grieve the death of one man?

My teary eyes meet hers. “Is it possible to live off the grid?”

She looks at me with sympathy. “Anything is possible. I’ve learned not to rule anything out. But Layla, the evidence⁠—”

I slam my hands on the table. “Is. It. Possible?”

She bows her head. “Yes.”

“Then I’m going to hold onto hope.”

She’s quiet for a moment, watching me. “What did he mean to you?”

I suck in a breath which squeezes the air out of my lungs. “I loved him…I loved him before he went away. I loved him before he died.”

She hoods her eyes. “Did Beth know about him?”

I fold my arms. “No. She didn’t know about him. I only saw him a few times a year and we were careful. Beth wouldn’t have approved, which is why I was discreet.” I give her my most pleading look. “What are you going to do with this information?”

She swallows hard. “Absolutely nothing. There is no active investigation into Nick Cross. He’s dead, and he is not on my suspect list for the Constellation Killer, so technically I’m not withholding any information.”

She’s protecting him…

She pauses for a moment, a shadow crossing her face. “I’ll keep this to myself until I get what I need from him.”

My eyes flicker up at her. She’s speaking about him as if he’s alive, which means…she believes me.

She continues. “Keep your wits about you, kid. The signs are all pointing toward slaughter. If the pattern stays the same, someone will die before the end of the year. And given it’s early December, it will happen soon.” My heart leaps into my throat, and I open my mouth, only to snap it shut. The words are right there, on the tip of my tongue. Her expression remains unreadable, and she fixes me with an intense, serious gaze. “What is it you know? What aren’t you telling me?”

I glance once again at the camera, which is still off, then back to Sarah. “He has a message for you.”

Her shoulders stiffen, and her eyes flash before a smile hits her lips. “Do tell.”’

“He wants you to stay the hell out of his way.”

Her lips curl, her pearly whites baring beneath. “Does he now…”

I lower my head, away from her. “I’m done talking now. If I’m allowed to leave, then I want to go home.”

She scrapes the stool back and rises. “Regina will take you home, and as your doctor, she will keep an eye on your mental state. You are officially under extreme psychiatric watch. If you hurt someone else, it’s on her.”

I slump my shoulders. “Okay.”

Her shoulders tense up. “And if he hurts anyone, that’s on me.”

Chapter 30

Regina drives me home. We sit in silence as she heads through the dark woods toward town, not looking at me. When she reaches our house, she shuts the SUV off, sits back, presses the glasses up her nose, then stares at me, like I’m a lost cause. Or perhaps she doesn’t recognize what I’ve become.

More awkward silence.