Chapter 6
I left Sarah's house with a heavy heart and a plan.
First, I needed to get Lila to listen. Second, I needed more evidence. Third, I needed to make sure Carter couldn't hurt anyone else.
I called Marcus.
"I need you to do something for me," I said. "Carter's on base right now?"
"Running drills," Marcus confirmed. "He's exhausted. Pissed off. But he's on base."
"Good," I said. "I need you to make sure he stays there for the next twenty-four hours. Invent something. A special assignment. An emergency readiness check. Anything. I need time."
"Consider it done," Marcus said. "Elena, be careful. He's already on edge. If he finds out what you're doing..."
"He won't," I said. "Not yet."
---
I went back to my parents' house.
I didn't knock this time. I used the key I'd kept hidden for seventeen years—the one I'd taped to the back of the old birdhouse in the backyard. It still worked.
The house was quiet. Lila was in the living room, sitting on the couch, staring at her engagement ring. She looked up when I walked in.
Her eyes were red. She'd been crying.
"I told you to leave," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.
"I brought someone who wants to talk to you," I said.
Sarah stepped through the door behind me.
Lila stood up, confused. "Who are you?"
"My name is Sarah," Sarah said gently. "I used to date Jake. For a year and a half."
Lila's face hardened. "I don't want to hear this. Jake told me about you. He said you were crazy. That you made things up because he broke up with you."
Sarah didn't flinch. She just pulled up her sleeve, revealing the faint bruise on her arm.
"Did he tell you about this?" she asked. "Did he tell you how he grabbed me so hard I had bruises for two weeks? Did he tell you about the time he hit me because I was ten minutes late from work? Did he tell you about how he showed up at my job and threatened me when I tried to report him?"
Lila stared at the bruise. Her face went white.
"He... he said you fell," she whispered.
"I didn't fall," Sarah said. She pulled out her phone and showed Lila photos. Photos of bruises. Of a black eye. Of a split lip. "These are from the last three months of our relationship. Every time I questioned him. Every time I tried to leave. He'd apologize afterward. Say he was stressed. Say he'd never do it again. But he always did."
Lila sank back onto the couch. Her hands were shaking.
"No," she whispered. "Jake would never... he's so good to me. He opens doors. He brings me flowers. He..."
"He's good at making you believe what he wants you to believe," Sarah said, sitting down beside her. "I know. I believed it too. For a year and a half, I believed him. I thought I was the problem. That if I was just better, if I didn't make him angry, he'd stop. But it's not you. It's him. He's the problem."
Lila looked at me. Tears streaming down her face.
"Is it true?" she asked. "What you said about the airport?"
I nodded slowly. "He slammed me against a counter, Lila. Because I talked back to him. Because I didn't respect his authority. Imagine what he'll do when you're married. When he thinks he owns you."
She broke down crying. Sarah put her arm around her. I sat on the other side, and for the first time since I'd come home, my sister let me hold her.
"I'm so stupid," she sobbed. "How could I not see it?"
"You're not stupid," I said. "He's a predator. He knows exactly what to say. Exactly how to act. That's not your fault."
Lila pulled away, wiping her eyes. She looked at me, and there was something new in her eyes. Fear, yes. But also determination.
"What do I do?" she asked.
"First," I said. "You're not going to be alone with him again. Not for one second. Second, we're going to gather every bit of evidence we can. Sarah's testimony. The other women. The airport incident. And third, we're going to make sure he never hurts anyone ever again."
Lila nodded. Then she froze.
"My phone," she said. "Jake... he has access to my location. He put an app on it. Said it was for safety. But he checks it all the time. If he sees I'm here... if he sees Sarah's here..."
I held out my hand. "Give it to me."
She handed me her phone. I turned it off, removed the battery, and put it in a drawer.
"He can't track you now," I said. "Lila, is there anything else? Any evidence? Texts? Voicemails? Anything that shows his temper?"
She hesitated. Then she stood up and went to the bedroom. She came back with a small box.
"I kept these," she said, opening it. Inside were printed screenshots of text messages. Angry messages. Threatening messages. "We had a fight a month ago. I went out with my friends. He texted me all night. Said I was a whore. Said he'd make me sorry. Then the next morning he apologized. Said he was just worried. Said he loved me."
I looked at the messages. My blood ran cold.
This was exactly what Sarah had described. The cycle. The anger. The apology. The promise to change.
"This is good," I said. "This is evidence. Lila, I need you to be strong. I need you to stay away from him. Can you do that?"
She nodded, but her hands were still shaking. "I'm scared, Elena. What if he comes here? What if he tries to..."
"He won't get near you," I said, and I meant it. "I promise you. As long as I'm here, no one is going to hurt you. Not Jake Carter. Not anyone."
Just then, there was a loud knock on the door.
May you like
Lila jumped. Her face went white.
"Elena," she whispered. "That's him. That's Jake."
