Page 106 of Crave Me
The first call I make is to Curran. “What’s wrong?” he asks, answering right away.
I hate the way my voice shakes, but I hate what I have to say even more. “I need to talk to you and Declan.”
His pause lets me know he’s already pissed. “What the fuck happened? Did Bryant—”
“I can’t tell you on the phone,” I tell him, muttering a curse when my voice trembles more. “Meet me at his office, okay?”
“You sound like hell,” he says. “Where’s Evan?”
“He’s not around,” I answer quietly.
“What do you mean he’s not around?”
“He didn’t come last night.”
My tone reflects everything I’m feeling: worry, exhaustion, and most likely my fear. It hurts to admit that Evan never came home.
“Wren,” he says, his voice careful. “Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.”
“I’m okay,” I say, lying through my teeth. “I’ll see you at Declan’s office.”
He doesn’t believe I’m all right, but for once doesn’t argue with me. “All right. I’ll be there,” he says.
I cut a hard left when he disconnects, stomping on the gas to make the next light. The D.A.’s office isn’t only fifteen minutes away, but I can’t seem to get there fast enough. It’s like if I don’t get there, and tell Curran and Declan what I need to say, I’ll run out of courage.
“Alfred, call Evan,” I say, my voice trembling so sporadically, I’m not sure he’ll understand the command.
But then Alfred’s the best on the market for a reason. “Calling Evan, Wren.”
The line rings. And rings. And rings. Each tone longer and more painful than the last. “Evan is unavailable, Wren. Leave message?”
In not answering every worst case scenario plays out in my head: he’s avoiding me, he’s pushing me away, and he hates me. But it’s the thought that he hates me that punctures my heart like a knife.
“Wren, Evan is unavailable. Leave message?” Alfred presses.
“Yes,” I reply, my voice going eerily still as my truck rolls through the first city block.
“Recording,” Alfred answers.
The beep that follows is like a death signal of sorts. That doesn’t stop me from spilling my soul and letting death take me. “Hey. It’s me,” I begin, speaking each word carefully. “Look, I know what happened yesterday was two kinds of fucked up, and I’m sorry. I never knew that was out there. If I had I would’ve . . . I would’ve done something.”
I want to mean as much, but remembering how bad Bryant made me look . . . Christ. How did this happen to me?
“I’m on my way to the D.A.’s office to meet with Curran and Declan,” I say, ignoring the humiliation wrapping around my throat like a noose. “As much I don’t want anyone to know what he did to me, I can’t let him get away with it.” I belt out a curse when I roll through an intersection and completely miss the stop sign. “I don’t want anyone to know about me,” I say again. “I don’t want anyone to see me like that. But I want this to end and I don’t know any other way.”
My eyes burn when the courthouse come into view. “I love you,” I say. “No matter what, I love you, Evan.”
I hit the “send” icon on the screen before Alfred can ask and pull into the underground parking deck closest to the D.A.’s office. I cross the street, forcing my legs to keep moving.
I’m not sure what to expect when I arrive, and I’ve never visited Declan at work. I find the right floor and step into the reception area, ready to ask the woman with black hair and streaks of gray if I can see Declan.
Tess appears behind her before I can spit out a single word out, her belly pressing against the light blue maternity dress she’s wearing. Her blond hair is pulled up in a clip and her black framed glasses magnify her large eyes. But it’s the concern behind them that keeps me in place. “Buzz her in please, Louise,” she says, hurrying to the other side.
The door clicks open and she’s suddenly there. At least six people are waiting to get in, but she tucks the legal folder in her grasp under her arm and leads me forward. “Curran called, he told me you were coming.”
She releases my hand as soon as we step inside the large office. “Is he here?” I ask, hurrying along beside her.
She knows I mean Curran and shakes her head. “No, but he’s on his way in and asked me to meet you. Declan just finished a meeting.” She grounds to a halt near a corner and shoots her hand out, keeping me in place. Two men in suits, along with four sheriff’s officers surround a guy in county jail orange and shackles. I’ve seen felons on T.V. before, hell, I grew up around plenty, but the crazy glazing this guy’s eyes gives me pause. Maybe because I recognize the look from Bryant.