Open Wounds (Harbour Bay #2)(54)

“Wouldn’t you be? After twelve years, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten.”

She sat down on the top step and opened the box. Darryl moved to sit beside her. The heat from his body seeped into her own and she almost moaned aloud at the deliciousness of it. Despite the boiling hot shower, she still felt cold. Would she ever be warm again?

Kellie lifted a plastic evidence bag from the box and held the heavy weapon in her hand. Darryl’s eyes widened. “Is that the—”

“The twenty-two he used to shoot me? Yes, it is, with my dried blood on the barrel. It was found tossed into a dumpster two blocks over from where I was shot. Wiped clean, of course.”

She found the small plastic container with the discharged bullet they’d retrieved from the concrete behind her head where it lodged itself after gliding along her temple. The bullet rattled inside the container.

Darryl clenched his jaw. “We’re going to get this guy, Kellie, I promise you that.”

Tears spilled down her cheek. The tenderness and utter conviction in his voice was her undoing. She couldn’t swallow back the sob that escaped and instead of being horrified over the emotional scene, Darryl simply pulled her closer to him and pushed her head against his shoulder. He wrapped comforting arms around her and held her tight.

Kellie felt raw. For twelve years she had battled her past alone. Had dealt with her nightmares and debilitating aftermath. Had managed to secure a position in the NSW Police Force despite her fear of guns and her inability to touch one. Now Darryl offered to fight her battles alongside her. He’d been her rock since the start of this case. What would she do without him?

She melted into him and allowed him to hold her while the storm of emotions played out. When the sobs subsided, she pulled back just far enough to look into his caring eyes and her stomach fluttered. She touched his stubble roughened cheek with the palm of her hand and caressed him before leaning in to kiss him lightly on his soft and sensual lips.

“Thank you,” she said.





Chapter 27



Amelia sat at her desk looking down at the sketch of Wayne Burton. She tried to remember if she’d ever seen the man before, on the street, hanging around Coleani’s establishments or even downstairs getting fingerprinted.

He was no stranger to the building, having been brought here ten times over the past twenty years for a variety of crimes. Surprisingly enough, not one of them had been rape. She didn’t doubt Kellie’s memory and the sketch only confirmed her ID.

She couldn’t imagine the emotions that must be going through her friend at the present moment. Amelia recalled seeing her in the hospital bed. Her head had been bandaged, her blonde hair matted with blood. She’d looked so small and delicate covered with the thin blanket, her body hooked up to an array of beeping machines.

Her whole life she’d never needed to cry, but she’d wanted to, and had done so for Kellie when she’d gone home. She knew Kellie wouldn’t have allowed her to do so in her presence—just as she wouldn’t have if their roles had been reversed—so she’d bottled up her volatile feelings for later.

Never would she’d have guessed it would be more than a decade later before they’d be let loose.

***





Twelve Years Ago





Harbour Bay Base Hospital



Amelia stepped forward, toward the hospital bed. Her heart pounded in her chest and tears threatened to escape down her cheeks as she imagined the pain her friend went through, and continued to go though. From the moment she and Kellie had first met at school, they’d never been separated.

Until now.

Why had she left Kellie alone? Why hadn’t she walked her home? All these questions filled her head only to have no answers. She should’ve been with her, knew that now, and allowed the blame to fall squarely on her shoulders.

Amelia shivered as she took in the sterile room. Clean and empty. There were no flowers or get well soon cards bar the Canna lilies—Kellie’s favourite—that she was holding.

She moved closer to the bed and reached out to touch Kellie’s hand.

“Don’t touch me,” she screeched as her eyes opened wide, sensing a disturbance in the surrounding air. Her body shook and the heart rate monitor beeped rapidly as her blood pressure shot up.

Amelia stepped back, afraid to set her off. Dark circles marred the soft skin of her face, light purple discolouration dotting her arms, neck, and face.

“Are you in pain?” she asked as she placed the flowers down on the table beside the bed.

“Not anymore. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see you. I wanted to make sure you’re going to be all right.” She stopped, her throat closing and she fought not to cry. Her friend was broken and in pain. Kellie had always been so full of life, until last night, when she had fought for that life almost to the last minute.

“I don’t want to see anybody,” Kellie informed her, her voice barely audible.

“Except me right, Kel, your best friend? We share everything, why would you think we wouldn’t share this too?”

“This is something that can’t be shared and I’d rather be alone when I go through it if you don’t mind. I don’t want anyone to know the details of last night.”