Page 47 of Every Sunset

I pressed my face against the front of Logan’s shoulder and pulled my body against him as tightly as I could.

I knew it made me a coward to hide behind the men I loved, but I was scared.

No. Scared wasn’t the right word. I was petrified and I didn’t have it in me to try and be brave.

After the things that monster had done to me, the idea of him even being close to me had me breaking apart at every seam.

“Max?” I managed to force out.

“He’s safe at school, Anna. As soon as we handle things here I’ll call the principal to check on him, okay?” Logan told me as we moved through their house. Logan was moving at pace, and I realized why when it became clear Madd hadn’t followed us inside.

“Where’s Maddox?” I asked as I forced myself to lift my head and meet his eyes.

“Checking the perimeter of the house. I need to get out there with him. We don’t know what we’re dealing with and he’s alone…”

“Go, Logan. I...I’m okay,” I cut in as I unwrapped my legs from his waist and dropped my feet. They didn’t reach the ground. Logan was too tall.

“Anna…”

“Put me down and go, Logan, please! I d-don’t want Madd getting hurt. I don’t want anyone hurt. Just go! I’m good!” I cried desperately, and completely breathlessly.

“Go to my room and lock yourself in my bathroom for me, okay? Don’t open that bathroom door until you hear me or Madd,” he told me as he set me down, but didn’t relinquish his hold on me.

“Logan,” I whispered when he just stood frozen, staring at me, clearly torn about whether to leave me.

“You have to go. I’ll go to your room. I’ll be okay.

Just get out there!” I ordered. I pressed my hands against his shoulders to try and shove him a little.

If Callum was out there, I didn’t want either of my guys out there with him but I definitely didn’t want either of them to be alone with that monster.

“Promise me you’ll be safe,” he almost pleaded as he gripped my arms even tighter.

“I promise. You too, okay?” A single nod, and a kiss on the top of my head were what I got, then he was gone and the huge house around me and it’s silence suddenly felt terrifying.

It made me think straight enough to get me moving up the stairs.

I ran right to Logan’s room and almost had the door closed behind me, when I heard Madd’s voice call through the house.

“Anna? It’s safe, baby. I need you to come down here.”

Even though I knew it was Madd’s voice I was still vigilant as I walked back out of the room and stepped cautiously into the hallway.

My fear was too great and it couldn’t be easily quashed.

I tiptoed to the banister that over looked the hallway and looked down.

My hart was still racing and I couldn’t remember ever feeling as cold as I did in that moment.

I didn’t even know if I was shivering, or if adrenaline was causing me to tremble.

When I looked down I saw Maddox stood at the bottom and Logan was even closer, halfway back up the stairs towards me.

“Logan?” I uttered shakily as tears filled my eyes.

“It’s gonna be okay. It was just some people at the gates.

Everything’s okay,” he assured me as he quickened his leaps up the stairs to me.

I ran along the hallway and met him at the top of the stairs, throwing myself into his arms. Relief flooded me when he picked me up just as he’d held me before, and I instantly wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I fought to get myself together now he held me. “I was j-just so scared.”

“I’ve got you. It’s gonna be just fine, sweetheart, but I need you to listen to me now, okay?” Logan whispered close to my ear as he held me. There was something in his tone that had me looking up into his face, and what I saw there didn’t settle me. He looked worried.

“What?” I questioned.

“It’s the FBI. They’re investigating some murders and they’ve been looking for you. We think they’re searching for Callum, but they probably don’t know that yet,” he told me in a whisper.

“Murders?” I gasped.

“Anna, listen to me. You have to tell them what happened, but don’t tell them about you trying to get rid of Callum, okay? Tell them Max hit him, saved you, and you both ran. When you went back to your place Callum was just gone, okay? You understand, sweetheart?”

“Max…” I whimpered.

“He didn’t do anything wrong. He was just defending you. Tell them what I told you to, okay? Max will say the same. Madd will tell him,” Logan assured me.

“I’m scared, Logan,” I admitted.

“We won’t let anything happen to either of you,” Logan promised, but I still found myself clinging to him even harder when he started to descend the stairs. “How do they even know? Did he go to the cops? Callum?”

“They’re investigating a series of murders. I’m guessing they linked the victims to Callum. It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. Just tell them what I said to, okay?”

“Yeah…okay,” I nodded.

I was a ball of tension and nerves by the time we reached the living room where Madd now sat in an armchair, directly opposite two strangers who were side by side on the sofa.

I paused in the doorway and just stared at the strangers, too afraid to walk in there and make things any worse than they already were.

It wasn’t just the cops, it was the FBI.

What if I messed up and said something to get Max into trouble?

“Deep breaths, Anna,” Logan prompted quietly, then he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me further into the living room. I could feel my whole body shaking and my heart was pounding so hard it was making me feel lightheaded.

Logan led me to sit on the other sofa, opposite the agents, and I almost cried in relief when Madd stood and instantly took the seat at my free side. I found myself squeezed in between them, the both of their bodies making contact with my own at every possible point.

“Miss Hart?” One of the agents asked the second we were all settled across from them.

There was a male and female agent. It was the woman who had spoken.

She looked around my age, slim, with short dark hair, wide rimmed plastic glasses and dressed neatly in a fitted navy suit, with a paler blue shirt beneath.

The lanyard hanging from an ID around her neck identified her as FBI.

Her partner had the same ID around his neck, but he also wore a thin jacket with the letters emblazoned across the back.

Underneath he wore slacks and a white shirt.

He was older than the woman by some years, his grey hair thinning slightly at the front.

They both looked friendly, but it didn’t matter when I was so worked up.

“Yep,” I replied with a single nod, even that one word quivering as it came out. Madd took my hand in his and clutched it tightly.

“We need to keep this short. Anna underwent transplant surgery last year, so we can’t risk her making herself ill with this,” Madd said firmly, looking to the two agents.

“I…I’m okay, Madd.”

“We’ll try to keep it short,” the male agent agreed as the female looked to me with sympathy, which I hated. Yes I was shaken up, and likely looked a state, but I didn’t need her damned sympathy.

“This is about Callum, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Callum?” the male agent questioned.

“The man who I…who h-hurt me,” I admitted.

“Is that the name he used to message you? Callum?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “Callum Smith. He…he t-told me he was a teacher.”

“We’re here about a string of murders, miss Hart.

The oldest one dates back four years and the most recent was two weeks ago.

There have been six in total, all in different states.

The connection was made between them all after a murder in San Diego three months ago, and since they took place across state borders, we have taken over the case,” the female agent explained.

“A-and you think…Callum? You think he killed those people?” I uttered as horror filled me at just the thought of being at that monster’s mercy.

“Women, Miss Hart. They were all women, around your age, and with very similar looks to you too. We made the link to a dating site recently, and we were able to link messages to what appears to be the same man, with each of the victims. They each spoke to someone with a different name, and all of the accounts were deleted after the murders, but our tech team were able to recover enough information to prove the messages all came from one person on the same computer. We’ve been unable to recover any images of him, but we did find messages to and from you to this man. We’ve been searching for you since.”

“I…I went on a date with him. He drugged me and I….he held me for several days. Tortured me. He enjoyed causing p-pain,” I stuttered emotionally.

“Easy, baby. Just take your time. You’re here with us, safe,” Madd whispered to me as he used my hand to pull me closer into his side and wrapped his arm around me. I went easily, pressing my face into his arm as I fought not to fall apart.

“We can take a break if you need to?” the male agent offered, but I shook my head.

I just wanted it all over and done with.

I took one deep breath, then lifted my head from Madd so I could look to the agents, but my body remained firmly pressed against him.

Logan was right beside me too, and running his hand up and down my back soothingly.

“Thanks, butt I…I’d rather just finish up now,” I told the agents.

“Can you tell us how you escaped?” the female agent asked.