Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(81)

She started shaking. “I’m fine. You, ah . . . you look like my brother.”

He looked over his shoulder, and she saw the memory in vivid color. He’d put on twenty pounds, his eyes weren’t wild.

“How old is your brother?”

Avery opened her mouth and nothing came out. He doesn’t recognize me.

“Twenty-six,” Liam said for her.

“How old are you?” Avery found her voice.

“Twenty-four. I came here eleven months ago. I’ll be getting my one-year pin next month.”

Avery didn’t know if she wanted to hear this. The man, the kid who haunted her while he was sobering up, was talking to her without an ounce of recollection in his face.

“What made you walk in the door?”

Liam’s hand was in hers. She wasn’t sure who was holding on tighter.

“I hit bottom. My parents reached their limit with my addiction, lies, and stealing. Because I had been a good customer for so long, and my dealer didn’t think my parents would completely cut me off, he offered a line of credit.”

Krueger.

“Only his drugs weren’t cut the same. Or maybe my body simply rebelled. My high was shorter and life in between was longer. I was on these streets, walking past clubs I used to go in and buy the rounds. I had been reduced to standing by the back door, hoping to see an old friend who could hook me up.”

“That was your rock bottom?” Liam asked. “Living on the street and begging for handouts?”

“I wish.” Cedrick shook his head. “My dealer was tired of waiting for money and told me I could earn everything if I did a job for him.”

Avery’s skin tensed, her breath shallow. “What job?” Her voice was tight.

“I don’t know. He gave me a hit when we met up. Some crazy shit I had never had before. I remember walking with him, feeling surprised I was standing up. It was like I was on the outside of my body, looking down, saying, ‘Dude, you should be facedown in a ditch. And not in a high, party way, but just die already and get it over with.’”

He doesn’t remember anything. His tone, his manners . . . none of it was what she was prepared to see.

“The next day I woke up in an alley with someone else’s clothes on my back. I have no idea what happened that night. I learned later that week that my dealer overdosed on his own shit. I knew that could have been me, that I was next. I stopped using for three days, easy to do when you don’t have money and your dealer is dead. I went to the emergency room and told them I wanted to kill myself. I didn’t. But I knew it would give me three days of medical care, food, and a bed. When I left, I went to my parents’ house and begged them to check me in here.”

“You don’t remember anything? Nothing at all?”

“No. It haunts me sometimes. Like I should. In here I realized that I only had a few nights without any memories. Some of these guys have forgotten years. But I’m doing much better now. I’m six months from finishing my bachelor’s degree and starting my master’s in psychology, specializing in addiction. I was given this path, and I need to help others get out. I have to give back and make up for everyone I’ve hurt.”

Avery closed her eyes and tilted her head to the sky.

“What do you want to do?” Liam asked her.

She opened her eyes to find Liam poised and ready for whatever she needed. Beyond him, Sasha stood beside Cooper.

Cedrick sat with his fingers crossed in his lap. Forcing him to remember would do what? It wouldn’t bring back her year, wouldn’t erase the past.

She slowly let her lungs fill with fresh air.

Avery smiled at Liam, touched the side of his face, and shook her head.

She stood, her legs a little less than stable.

Liam kept an arm on her elbow.

“You’ve been very helpful, Mr. Palmer.”

He stood with them and smiled.

Avery’s hand moved out slowly.

He took it without hesitation.

His gaze fell to the tattoo on her arm. “What does that say?”

She lifted her chin and brought her arm up.

“Warrior. Nice. I like the spider.” And without a thought, he rolled up his sleeve to show her his tattoo. There it was, the image of her nightmares. “I need to touch this up. The eyes freak even me out.”

“That would give anyone bad dreams,” Liam said.

Cedrick smiled. “Why warrior?” he asked Avery.

She looked her past in the eye and let it go. “Because it was better than survivor.”

Something flashed in his eyes for a moment, then was gone.

“Congratulations on your one-year pin, Mr. Palmer.”

“Thank you.”

Avery walked out of Tranquility Springs flanked by security and in a cloud of peace.

Liam took the back seat with her.

“What are we doing?” Cooper asked.

Sasha looked over her shoulder.

“You knew he was in there all the time, didn’t you?”

Sasha sighed. “No. Palmer’s name came up in Van’s tattoo parlor’s database with a description of the spider. The profile was exactly as you said. A young man with money who hadn’t been in since the tattoo was put on his arm. Palmer wasn’t on the police radar. No criminal activity. He did turn up on the dean’s list at his current college. There was a link to a term paper on drug addiction and recovery. Without a current address, it was safe to say he was still residing in a private rehabilitation facility. By two o’clock this morning our team narrowed it down to this facility or another one across town. This being the most likely.”