Where You Fear by Rylie Dark

Author:Rylie Dark [Dark, Rylie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Kelly's fists clenched on the steering wheel, her knuckles white under pale streetlights as she drove slowly through the outskirts of Dallas.

Warren Gardner was dead. She could hardly believe it; Alice's kidnapper had been a fixture in her life for fourteen years. He'd been a more permanent part of her routine than any boyfriend or employer. She had hated him, of course, but there was a part of her that had also relied on him — relied on him to be the villain, the evil force against which she could define herself. Now, with his sudden death, she felt unmoored.

Unmoored, and guilt-ridden. It was her fault, what Shane had done. She had told him about Gardner and Alice, given him the truth that had led to Gardner's murder.

Now Shane would spent his entire life in a cell, and it was all for nothing -- nothing but useless revenge. She wondered if Shane felt as empty as she did in the aftermath of the killing. If he knew what a colossal mistake he had made.

The headlights cast an eerie glow on the empty, run-down buildings lining the street. There were faint traces of past prosperity here; faded signs, boarded up windows, and empty parking lots whispered tales of better times long gone. She turned at an intersection, her car's tires crunching on some crumbling asphalt.

Shane's mistake went beyond just Gardner. Gardner wasn't just a link to Alice's disappearance; he was a keystone in the city's underworld, a prominent figure in the delicate balance of organized crime. His death would send shockwaves through the gangs of Dallas that would inevitably lead to consequences far beyond those Shane or Kelly could have ever imagined.

Shane didn't understand this – how could he? He'd only seen Gardner as first a means for his safety in prison, and then Alice's kidnapper, the man who had destroyed their family.

Now, Shane was less safe in prison than ever before. He was the man who had killed Warren Gardner. Gardner was beyond dangerous; he had accomplices both inside the prison and out. If Shane didn't remain in protective custody, he was as good as dead.

The rain-slicked street reflected the blinking red traffic light as Kelly slowed to a stop. She throttled down and glanced at the dashboard clock - half past midnight. Her mind was populated with the ghosts of everything she'd lost in pursuit of justice.

Kelly's foot eased off the brake, and she glided into another turn. She didn't bother switching on the radio; the pattering rain on the car roof was company enough, its rhythm a soothing counterpoint to the throbbing in her temples. Her own thoughts echoed louder than any music could ever be.

Reluctantly, she drove back in the direction of Jenson's apartment. The last thing she wanted was to see Jenson, face his stare. Perhaps she had made as much of a mistake as Shane had; if Jenson decided to pursue charges after all, she might find herself in a world of trouble, unable to continue her investigation.

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