Page 100 of Unbound

But Sybil gives me room to traverse the feelings I struggle with. She offers a safe space for me to sit with them until I’m ready to face the pain. I can’t expect her to be the only person I rely on for that though. It’s not fair of me to put the burden of my pain and sadness solely on her shoulders.

I need to call Bert.

Fuck that’s gonna suck.

“Earth to Walker.” A snap carries through the line. “Stop thinking about how cute those little maniacs would be for just a second and then you can get back to calculating ovulation schedules and fertile windows.”

My brows pinch. “What?”

“You’ll figure it out.” Heidi sighs. “I was calling to be the bearer of bad news. We finally had a team who could go check out Sybil’s townhome. You’re really not gonna like what they found.”

“I had a feeling.” I tip my head back, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Did they trash the place?”

“Majorly, but that’s not the worst part.”

Dread fills my gut. I’d already decided Sybil wasn’t going back there. Not only because she’ll never feel safe in the townhome again, but because I don’t want her to leave.

She needs to stay with me.

“We found some pictures.” Heidi’s explanation sounds benign enough.

I manage to breathe a little. “Pictures of what?”

“It’s probably easier if I just send them to you.” Heidi promises to touch base with me when they know more, then disconnects. A second later, my phone pings with the incoming images.

I open the text, and everything gets hazy.

I thought it might be pictures of my mom. Maybe her dad. Possibly a photograph of me.

So I guess I was partly right. There is a photograph of me. A few of them actually.

From yesterday.

The images aren’t perfect, but they’re decent. Good enough whoever was behind that camera could see I wasn’t the only one in my truck as it pulled out of the warehouse bay at nearly midnight. My tinted windows do a good job of hiding any identifying features on the woman riding in the passenger seat, but that doesn’t seem to have mattered. Whoever took these pictures already knew it was Sybil in that seat.

And wanted to be sure she knew they’d found her.

32

Sybil

“Are you sure you don’t just want me to do this on my own?” Heidi winces through the screen. “Because you might not like what we find.”

“I already don’t like what I’ve found.” I know what Heidi’s doing, and I do genuinely appreciate it. Finding out about Tom’s financial problems and infidelity sucked, but it’s a necessary evil. And it’s probably only the tip of the evil iceberg. “So I might as well keep going. And there’s no way I’m going to burden you with this shit.”

“It’s really not a burden.” Heidi’s voice softens. “You know I love what I do, because you feel the same about it. But I also want to do this because I’m your friend. So if you have even the tiniest concern that something we find is going to devastate you, go fuck your boyfriend or something. Give me ten minutes.”

“I’m offended that you think it only takes me ten minutes to fuck my boyfriend.” I tip my head. “I’m also not sure he’s my boyfriend.”

Walker and I are in this weird position where we cohabitate, sleep in the same bed, work together all day, and snuggle on the couch when he gets sick of me trying to work all night. I’m not exactly sure what you call that, but boyfriend just feels wrong.

“Fine. Your lover.” Heidi grins at me. “And don’t act like you can hold out some superlong time with a man who looks like he does. I’m the proud owner of one myself, and I practically nut the minute he touches me.”

I bust out laughing, cracking up over not only the visual of Heidi becoming a boneless mass the minute Shawn lays a finger on her, but also on her using the word nut. “I think there’s something wrong with you.”

“Probably. But it’s wrong with you too, so…” Heidi lifts her brows. “You might not want to get too high and mighty about it.”

I wipe at one eye, continuing to laugh. “Why can’t you live here?”