Page 171 of Girl Between

Jake lifted her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, relief swimming in his eyes. “You told me how.”

“You saw my SOS.”

He nodded.

“I never told anyone that story. Only you would’ve known it was me.”

“Like it or not, Gray, I know you. And I’m not going to stop. You need me. You just don’t know it yet.”

“I know it,” she whispered. “I was coming to meet you.”

“I know,” he said. “But Monroe got to you first.”

Dana fought an involuntary shudder at the terrifying memory that rolled through her.

Jake squeezed his eyes shut. “I should’ve been there.”

Dana shook her head. “I should’ve stayed in D.C.”

Jake’s eyes gleamed with unshed emotion. “Maybe we should just leave the past where it belongs and focus on the future for a change.”

“Our future?”

“Is that what you want?”

She laughed. “It took nearly having my organs removed, but yeah, Jake. A future with you in it is all I want.”

Jake gently pulled Dana into his arms and kissed her breathless. His eyes blazed with renewed hope when he pulled back to gaze at her. “Promise me,” he begged, his voice barely a whisper. “Promise me you’ll stay.”

She smirked. “Since when do you make promises?”

“Since you came into my world and shattered everything I thought I knew.”

Dana reached up to cup his cheek, relishing the roughness of his unshaven face. “It was you,” she said, grinning through her tears. “I kept hearing a voice, telling me to stay, to fight. It was you.”

Jake's gaze softened, the storm in his eyes subsiding as he brushed a thumb over her knuckles. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it, nodding. “I thought I’d lost you.”

She shook her head. “Never. You were my anchor. You gave me something safe to hold onto in the dark.”

Jake’s gaze bore into hers, his voice equal parts passion and promise. “Always.”

As the weight of their shared experiences settled between them, Dana knew that their bond was unbreakable. The trauma and loss they had endured only made their connection stronger. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Dana dared to hope for a brighter future. One she wouldn’t face alone.

154

Dischargedfrom the hospital and finally feeling strong enough to put the case behind her, Dana had one thing left to do. She’d already been through the folder George had left for her detailing the findings in the case, but she’d yet to listen to the voice files.

Taking a deep breath, Dana hit play.

The following isfrom a recorded interview with the District Attorney and Levi Monroe:

DA:Please state your name for the record.

Monroe: Levi Monroe.

DA: And you’re claiming responsibility for the Casquette Girl killings and the Harvest Girls abduction?

Monroe: If you say so.