The Girl From the Woods
34
I stood outside the police station, my nerves on high. My stomach was knotted, and I was shaking. I closed my eyes and took a breath, trying to calm myself.
The door opened, and a man stepped out. He was wearing a crisp business suit, but not the person I needed to see. He looked at me with a hard gaze, as if figuring out who I was.
He knew. Everyone knew. And I knew him too.
I stepped back.
"I know you," the man hissed, his eyes wide and face pale. Then his expression hardened. "You're that son of a bitch who killed my daughter."
He grabbed me around the collar of my jacket and swung my body, slamming it into the wall of the building. I gasped, the impact knocking the air from my lungs.
"I should kill you," he snarled, brown eyes full of rare. "You deserve that. You don't deserve to be walking around in this fucking town after what you did."
When Mr. Saunders lifted his hand to hit me, I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut. But the blow never came. Instead, he was pulled away from me, and there was a new voice.
"What is going on here?"
I knew that voice.
I blinked into the sunlight and saw Detective Brandt staring at me. Mr. Saunders stood several feet away, his body trembling from the anger he felt.
"Go home, Rob," Brandt told him quietly. Then he glanced at me. "I need to speak with Mr. Mathers." He put a hand on my shoulder. "Come with me, Quinn. We have things to discuss."
The door opened, and a man stepped out. He was wearing a crisp business suit, but not the person I needed to see. He looked at me with a hard gaze, as if figuring out who I was.
He knew. Everyone knew. And I knew him too.
I stepped back.
"I know you," the man hissed, his eyes wide and face pale. Then his expression hardened. "You're that son of a bitch who killed my daughter."
He grabbed me around the collar of my jacket and swung my body, slamming it into the wall of the building. I gasped, the impact knocking the air from my lungs.
"I should kill you," he snarled, brown eyes full of rare. "You deserve that. You don't deserve to be walking around in this fucking town after what you did."
When Mr. Saunders lifted his hand to hit me, I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut. But the blow never came. Instead, he was pulled away from me, and there was a new voice.
"What is going on here?"
I knew that voice.
I blinked into the sunlight and saw Detective Brandt staring at me. Mr. Saunders stood several feet away, his body trembling from the anger he felt.
"Go home, Rob," Brandt told him quietly. Then he glanced at me. "I need to speak with Mr. Mathers." He put a hand on my shoulder. "Come with me, Quinn. We have things to discuss."