24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ethan

I've been driving for hours, only stopping twice to take a piss and get a coffee. I left in the morning and it's dark outside now, yet the GPS says I still have an hour to go before I reach Carl Oberman's fishing cabin. A whole hour. He's had Cynthia for over 24 hours now, and I don't want to imagine what horrors the poor girl has been through. All because of me.

"Fuck!" I slam my fist into my steering wheel. My over-caffeinated, jittery brain keeps blathering that I'm a useless piece of shit and that I fuck up everything I touch. I couldn't help Mia all those years ago, and now my negligence caused a little girl to end up in literal hell.

My phone dings with an alert, and I frown at the screen. The app I installed on Kayla's phone is letting me know she's making a phone call.

She's made several throughout the day, most of them work-related, and I've listened in on every single one of them. The sound of her voice has kept me from losing my mind completely, even if all she did was discuss the school attendance of foster children with a rather unpleasant headmaster's assistant or arrange food bank donations for a single mother with a few-weeks-old baby. Even the trivial conversations helped soothe my mind a little, just because it was my precious bunny talking.

Listening in also gave me a new appreciation for the work she and everyone in her department do. It's incredible how many legal and procedural hoops they have to jump through to arrange something as simple as food for a struggling family.

But it's Friday night, and this call is unlikely to be work-related. I really hope she's only calling a cab or checking on her friend Amy, who, infuriatingly, still grieves over the abusive bastard I killed. People, right?

A glance at the screen of my phone has my blood freezing in my veins. Kayla's calling a tow service. Did she have an accident? Is she hurt? Fuck! I leave her alone for a single day and she gets herself in trouble.

The phone rings twice before a female voice answers, "Billy's Highway Heroes, Elisabeth speaking. How can we help you today?"

"Oh, hi. This is Kayla Reynolds."

I heave a relieved sigh at hearing Kayla's voice. She sounds a little shaken, but not like she's in pain.

"I need someone to tow my car. It has been vandalized. The windows are broken, and the tires slashed. I'm currently in the parking lot on Schiller Street, near the Rusty Bucket. Can you send someone over this late?"

Vandalized? What the fuck?

"Of course," Elisabeth replies. "I'm sending a tow truck to your location straight away. In cases like this, we also recommend contacting the police to document evidence."

"Oh yes, they're here," Kayla says bitterly. "Documenting. They should be done soon. It was them who recommended your company. They said you also repair cars."

"We do. Don't worry, we'll have your vehicle up and running in no time. We can even offer you a replacement car while yours is being repaired."

Kayla considers it for a moment, then says, "Maybe you could arrange one for Monday? I'll just take an Uber tonight. But…do you also do deep cleaning? Like, really deep? There's…" She sighs, her voice trembling a little as she finishes, "There's a dead cat bleeding all over the front seat."

"Oh." Elisabeth is at a loss for words but recovers quickly. "Yes, of course. We provide that service as well. Don't worry, Ms. Reynolds. Your car will be like new. Our driver will have the basic form for you to sign. On Monday, please stop by our office, and we'll discuss the services more thoroughly."

"I will. Thank you."

As Kayla hangs up, I immediately activate her phone's microphone, wanting to hear who she talks to next.

I'm sorely tempted to turn the car around and rush back to her, but the memory of Cynthia's smile won't let me. Kayla is a grown woman who can handle herself for a day or two. Cynthia is a little girl at the mercy of a monster. I can't turn my back on her, especially since it's my fault she's in this situation in the first place. If I hadn't been slacking off, I would have taken Carl Oberman out days ago.

To avoid getting stuck in the loop of guilty thoughts again, I focus on Kayla's situation. Her car, vandalized? If it was just the tires and the windows, I'd say it was a flock of drunken teenagers. But a dead animal inside? That's a threat.

Suddenly, I remember the sound I heard this morning while leaving her house. The feeling of being watched. It must have been the same person as the one who wrecked her car. But why? Why would anyone hate my precious little bunny? She's done nothing but good ever since coming here.

The thought dawns on me a minute later. Fuck, my brain is sluggish. I should have figured it out straight away. There's only one person in Bluebell Springs who hates Kayla Reynolds. Benjamin fucking Adams.

I grip the wheel tighter. I should go back. If Adams is crazy enough to trash Kayla's car and butcher an animal to send her a message, there's no telling what he'll do next. I should be there, protecting her.

But what about Cynthia? I'm so close!

"Fuck!"

There's a rustle from Kayla's phone as she puts it into her purse or pocket. The murmur of the conversation in the background wanes, but I can still hear her when she addresses someone. "Looks like I won't be giving you a ride home tonight."

"Oh, please," a woman responds. Despite the crackly sound, I identify her as Michelle, one of the CPS social workers. I don't know her personally, but I know she's a good soul. "Roger will come pick us both up. You're sleeping at our place tonight."

Yes, I nod to myself, grateful for Michelle's suggestion. It's a brilliant idea. Kayla will be safe. Adams won't dare to come anywhere near her while she's staying with Michelle's family.

"I don't want to bother you," my bunny replies.

"Bother me? Girl, you're coming with me whether you want it or not. If you go home alone, I won't be able to sleep tonight. This is serious. Did you see that cat?"

Kayla grunts. "Of course I did! The poor thing's blood was everywhere. But I refuse to cower in fear. I have a pretty good idea who did this, and if he thinks this will intimidate me, he's got another thing coming."

A thought hits me, one I don't like in the slightest. Does Kayla think it was me?

I've been in her life for two weeks now, invading every bit of her privacy, and she's well aware of it. I've been in her house, her bed, touched her clothes. She considers me a slightly deranged stalker—and she's not wrong—and she's certain I'm going to escalate my obsessive behavior eventually. Again, not wrong.

But would she really believe that I'd go and trash her car? After spending hours and hours tidying up her house? That would be disappointing.

"You think it was—"

"Adams," Kayla says decisively. "Who else?"

Despite the terrible situation, my mouth twitches with a tiny smile. My bunny doesn't suspect me. She's smart enough to figure out the truth and, hopefully, trusts me enough to know I would never do such a thing. She's so perfect it makes my chest constrict around my frantically beating heart.

"I guess you're right," Michelle says. "Did you tell that to the police?"

"Of course. They said it was unlikely, but they'll look into it." I can't see Kayla, but it sounds like she's rolling her eyes. "Another polite ‘fuck off' from the local heroes in blue. Seriously, I wonder how there is no crime in this town when the police force are incompetent assholes."

There's no crime in this town because I don't allow any fucking crime here, but no one needs to know about that.

Michelle sighs. "Well, there's not much they can do in this case. But I bet they told you to stay with someone for a couple of days?"

Kayla grumbles a yes.

"Staying with a friend for a night or two isn't cowering in fear, it's common sense," Michelle says. "Please, Kayla."

"Yes, please, Kayla," I echo, even though neither of them can hear me. I need Kayla to be safe, at least for tonight. I'll deal with Oberman, rescue Cindy, and drive back tomorrow to keep an eye on her, but I'm too far away to return tonight.

Fortunately, my precious bunny caves in to Michelle's begging. "Fine. But just for tonight. I'm going back home tomorrow. If Adams shows up, he's getting a face full of mace and a knee in the balls."

I can't help but grin. My bunny's got sass. I have to be careful when I finally approach her in person. I'd hate to have my crown jewels kneed.

Michelle laughs as well. "You're crazy, girl. I think the tow truck is here."

I keep the listening program on, letting Kayla's voice fill the uneasy silence in my car as I approach Oberman's fishing cabin.

The police are looking for Cindy around her hometown, but that's a hundred miles from here. They'll never find her. I could have tipped them anonymously, told them about the cabin, but then they would have arrested Oberman, and I couldn't get to him anymore. He'd get a few years in jail, tops. With a good lawyer, he could even avoid prison and spend a few pleasant years in a nice mental hospital. I won't let that happen.