Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

A very watched as her father, Riana and Cian left the penthouse. She was left alone with Knight and Rian.

“How is Delaney?” Avery asked, looking between Knight and Rian.

“She will be ok. Donovan has reached out to a friend of his who is a damn good psychologist. She says she wasn’t raped, which is why she was beaten the way she was. She fought them when they tried. So, there is that.” Knight sighed deeply as he pulled Avery into his arms.

“Yeah. She had on the same clothes she was kidnapped in when I arrived. We’ll get her through this.” Avery adamantly said, looking up at Knight.

“Yes, we will.” Knight smiled down at her before kissing her forehead. “Especially if Rian has his way.”

“Oh. And what is my newly found brother’s intentions with my bestie?” Avery asked, staring Rian down.

“Calm down Mata Hari. He’s in love with her. She loves him too. This is only a setback for them.” Knight pulled Avery to his other side.

“Wait, if you’re in love with her, why was she on the dating app?” Avery asked in confusion.

“She technically wasn’t. She was doing research because a friend of hers went missing after dating a guy off the dating app two years ago. Once Adeline had dated the guy a couple of months, she disappeared. We don’t know if the friend went into hiding or if something happened to her.”

“Oh God! Are you still looking into it?” Avery asked Rian, looking between Knight and her brother.

“Yes. Knight and I now think it’s connected to the Mackey situation since we found out that Mackey was trying to also build his organization in Boston as well.”

“We’ll find her. I know Adeline was looking for her sister and niece at the time she started dating the asshole. I did find out that the sister’s ex-boyfriend was involved with Mackey and his organization. He treated the sister and niece like shit.”

“Oh wow. Do you know what the sister and niece’s names are to help with the search?”

“Emiline O’Donnell. The niece’s name is Emile. He birth mother died in a car accident when Emile was just a baby. Emiline had took her in.”

Avery startled at the information that Rian just gave her. No way, it couldn’t be.

“D-do you have a picture of the three? The best friend, and her sister and niece I mean.”

When Rian pulled out his phone and pulled up the photo of the women he was referring to, she nearly passed out. Holy shit.

“I-I know them. The third one I’ve never seen before.” Avery admitted looking up at Rian and Knight in shock.

“What? Where?” Rian asked, standing straight up.

“That woman there, she’s Emma Mitchell. She’s a waitress at one of the local diner here. She’s the one I talked to Donovan about her earlier. Her niece is at a local hospital having surgery to remove her leg after a fire they were in. The leg never truly healed after the initial injury. They are being forced to take it now. We did a fundraiser Saturday for them. The niece goes by Amelia now. Donovan wanted their information so that he could pay for the surgery that Amelia needs to remove the leg, the skin grafts and the prosthetics they were wanting to fit her with.”

“Shit! Thank you, Avery. She will be under our protection now. I know once Delaney finds out about those two, she will have hope on finding Adeline alive too.”

“Adeline Mitchell. She’s a deputy here at Bryson River Sheriff’s Department. She’s a single mom of a little girl that’s a little over a year old. I’ve met her a couple of times. How long was Delaney on the app?” Avery asked in confusion.

“A year now. She’d tried finding her other ways but failed. She decided to try the app one last time to see if the guy was back on there or not.”

“Wait, you said she’s a deputy here in Bryson River County. Why hasn’t she reached out to let Delaney know she’s alive?” Knight asked, confusion etched on his face.

“If the relationship Adeline had been in was abusive, he could have threatened Delaney’s life if she had talked. When she finally managed to escape, to keep Delaney safe, she broke all contact with her. Especially if what I know about Emma’s life is true.”

“I need to let Delaney know. I’m going to go up and talk to her. Thank you, Avery. I look forward to getting to know you.”

Avery had to remember that hugging was ok now and that these people were obviously huggers. She’d never had a hug until she met Mia and even then, that was few and far between.

“You good there, babe?”

Avery looked up at Knight. She was.

She was finally learning what real love was. Unconditional love. The love her mother denied her all these years.

She had a man who loved her. His family cared for her. A father who accepted her sight unseen and came for her. A stepmother who did the same thing and didn’t accept the word ‘step’ in the wording.

Everything was finally coming full circle for her. For once, despite the horror she’s faced the last forty-eight hours, she truly was okay.

“Yeah. I’m good. I love you! My own personal life-size Chucky!”

THE END………for now!!!