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Back When She Returned Save as PDF
Chapters (48)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The van slammed to a stop, sending me flying to the other side of the vehicle. I smacked my head against the metal. Waves of panic shot up my spine. There was wetness between my legs, like I’d peed myself. Did I pee? I tried to scream, but it wouldn’t come out. Tears trickled out of the corners of my eyes. The van lurched forward again. Then stalled. Dizziness washed over me. Tires squealed. Stopped.

“Freeze! Police!” A man’s voice shattered the air.

Wailing up front. Like an animal. Was that Mom? Did he hurt her? I scooted over and threw myself at the back wall, beating my bound feet against it.

“Stay away from her!” I tried to scream, but the words were trapped behind the tape covering my mouth. I kicked the wall a final time before scooting back to the corner. The police wouldn’t hurt her, would they?

More screaming. So many screams. A gunshot rang out. My insides froze; I was too scared to breathe. The door clicked, then was flung open. Dean plunged into the van. He knelt in front of me, carefully taking the tape from my mouth. “Are you okay?” I wanted to talk, but all the sounds stayed stuck inside me. “Are you hurt?” he asked again, peering at me within inches of my face. He didn’t wait for a response. He quickly untied me before scooping me up and lifting me off the floor like I weighed nothing.

I clung to him and buried my face in his chest. He carried me through the van, stepping over the blankets spread out on the floor, and outside into the commotion. Flashing lights were everywhere. The helicopter above us roared in my ears. My eyes searched for Mom’s.

“Close your eyes,” Dean shouted. “Just close your eyes and hold on to me.”

Too late. A body lay covered with a blanket in the center of the road.

“Is that . . .”

I couldn’t finish.

“It’s not your mom,” Dean said.

I closed my eyes, shaking with sobs as he carried me. I didn’t open them until we were in the ambulance. Medical personnel swirled around me. There were so many lights. Why were there so many lights? They were too bright. I felt like I was going to throw up. Too late. Just that quickly the liquid was gone, swiped off my face.

“Abbi?” A woman’s face in mine. “You’re safe now. Your parents will meet you at the hospital. Okay? Do you understand?”

I turned my head away, the movement sending shooting pain down my neck. The scene moved in front of me, liquid and warm.

Mom? Where was she?

I closed my eyes again so the world would stop spinning.

FORTY-TWO

FORTY-TWO

MEREDITH

NOW