Atone (Recovered Innocence #2)(65)

“I want to believe it. You don’t know how much.”

“Do I need to do it again?” I drop to one knee, still holding on to her hand. She doesn’t pull away this time. I tug her toward me until she’s right up against me and put my hands on her waist. I have to crane my neck to see her beautiful face. “Vera, Gwendolyn, whoever you are, whoever you want to be, will you marry me?”

The door behind her opens. Her attorney, Mr. Nash, and Agent Carter jam together in the doorway at the sight of Vera and me. If Vera notices she shows no sign of it. Her gaze roams my face. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but I hope to God she finds whatever she needs to answer me with a yes. Her lashes flutter, blinking away tears, and she puts a hand over her mouth. She’s so alive for me in this moment, so vital and necessary. I draw her a little closer. I won’t beg. If she tells me no again, I’ll have to take it and walk away forever.

But I don’t think it’s going to be a no. I think she’s going to say yes. She wants to say yes. It’s that too-impossible-to-believe feeling you get when something you’ve wanted suddenly becomes something you can have. I know exactly how she feels. So many emotions cross over her face. I see the moment when she decides for certain, no going back.

“Yes,” she sobs behind her hand, nodding. “I’ll marry you.”

I get to my feet and pick her up in a hug, swinging her around as applause breaks out in the doorway. She wraps her legs around my waist and catches my face for a kiss. If we didn’t have an audience, I’d want to take things further. I set her down and we turn to face the crowd in the doorway.

“I see you made the most of your time,” Mr. Nash says. “Are you sure about what this means?”

I glance at Vera. “Very sure.”

She smiles up at me. “Me too.”

“We’ll have to arrange—” Whispering in his ear, another agent interrupts Agent Carter. Carter pushes Mr. Nash and Vera’s lawyer into the room. “Lock the door. Don’t move from this room until I come back for you.” He closes the door after him.

“What’s going on?” the lawyer asks.

“Something’s happened,” Mr. Nash says, turning the lock on the door. “From the little I overheard, it’s something about a breach in security.”

Vera’s brows draw together with concern. I squeeze her hand, trying to be of some comfort. I can’t help worrying myself. All I want is for her to be safe and happy. I pull out a chair and sit, drawing her down onto my lap, where I can put my arms around her. I need her near me. Vera introduces me to her lawyer, Shay, as the other two join us at the table. We sit in silence for more than an hour before Agent Carter knocks on the door and Mr. Nash lets him in. Carter’s gaze goes immediately to Vera.

She stiffens in my embrace. “What is it?”

“There’s no easy way to put this,” he starts.

“It’s Marie, isn’t it?”

“A young woman’s body was dumped in the driveway of the building near the parking gate.”

Vera sucks in a sharp breath. I tighten my arms around her.

“We believe it’s your sister, Marie,” Carter continues. “I’m going to need you to look at a couple of photos. I’ve cropped them as best I can, but I want you to be prepared. There’s a lot of blood.”

Her body’s stiff and tense against mine, her fingers digging into my forearms. I close my eyes and silently chant, Please don’t let it be Marie. Vera can’t take any more blows. She’s already been through so much, too much.

“Can I look at them?” I ask. “I know what Marie looks like.”

“I need the next of kin to identify her. I’m sorry.” Agent Carter taps his phone, then turns it toward us. “Is this your sister?”

The shot is tight, from the chin up. Marie’s eyes are open, staring at nothing. The blood on her face and in her hair is wet and shiny…fresh. Her mouth hangs open mid-scream. The noise Vera makes causes all of the hair on the back of my neck to rise. She struggles against my hold, but I don’t dare let her go. She beats at my arms. Her legs kick mine. I hold on to her tighter. It feels like she’s breaking from the inside out, that if I let her go she’d fly apart into a million little pieces.

Shay and Mr. Nash come to look at the photo. Shay’s hand goes to her mouth. Mr. Nash’s lips press into a grim line. I gather Vera to me as tightly as I can, cradling her in my lap. Turning her face to my chest, she fists my shirt and sobs. I failed her. I didn’t save Marie.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her over and over.

Agent Carter pockets his phone. “I’m sorry for your loss. We’re going over the surveillance we have of what happened. The men wore dark masks and clothing. The car didn’t have any plates. They pulled her out of the car and killed her, leaving her body where it would be easily found. It appears she was sexually assaulted.”

“Let me guess,” Vera says, tears streaming, her voice unexpectedly strong. “Her throat was cut.”

“Yes.”

“He likes the kind of knife with a hook at the end that curves back in the opposite direction. It has a heavy black handle with a notched grip for his fingers. He held her by the hair and did it in one slow swipe. Right to left, because he’s left-handed. She’s a message for me just like Cherry was.”