“I have to disagree. I’ve seen the way this town has treated you and that was all Logan. Luke had nothing to do with it.”
“He had everything to do with it.” She couldn’t help but yell. People refused to see the truth, and she was growing tired of them believing Luke was some little saint.
“You claim Luke raped you.”
She covered her ears and screamed at the unfairness of it all. Hunter didn’t stop her as she screamed again and again until her voice was hoarse.
Hunter had stopped on the side of the road, and she stared out as the tears wrecked her entire body. She couldn’t stop sobbing.
Everything had been so fucked up.
She sniffled. “It’s fine. The only person who believed me back then was my dad. He knew I wasn’t a liar.”
Each word came out on a croak.
“That’s a lot of work to cover up,” Hunter said. “There’s no rape kit.”
“Because I was told I wouldn’t need one. My parents were assured they had everything they needed.” She laughed. “Wow, at every turn I was taken for a fucking idiot.” She looked toward him. “How did you know that?”
“Logan has me looking at possible leads that would in any way indicate Luke was a rapist.”
“Wow,” she said. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I never reported Logan. We … what we did with each other was consensual. I liked him a lot. I didn’t report him. I don’t know how he ended up taking the fall for Luke.” She sniffled. “I guess Luke’s parents had a way of manipulating the sheriff.”
“What did you say?”
“Luke’s parents were one of the richest in town. I think I heard something a while back that the fortune had been taken due to bad debts, not paying taxes, that kind of thing.”
“No, the part about the parents and the sheriff.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe his parents blackmailed the sheriff. I don’t know what they could have on him. He’s been sheriff for as long as I can remember. It’s his job. It’s who he is.” She looked toward Hunter to see him frowning. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You have something going on. What is it?”
“We’re not besties, Ava. Not even close.”
She growled in frustration. “I’m so over male ego. I’m serious right now. Have you seen the way the town is treating me? Have you seen what they painted on my door? What they’ve called my parents?” She shook her head. “I don’t even know why I’m hoping you’d care. You’d have to have actual feelings, which you clearly do not.”
“I’ve seen.”
“Then you know I can’t even drive to the store for groceries. My car ran out of gas yesterday. They won’t let me fill it up, refused to let me even try.” She wiped away the tears, not wanting to show even more weakness. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.”
“I don’t know why you need to either, but you are.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be.”
“I’m being shoved out of this town. I didn’t do anything wrong. Luke hurt me because he wanted to get to Logan.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t want Logan to have a … first. Once he’d taken it there was no way of him ever being able to claim that part of me.”
“Your virginity?”
She sniffled and nodded her head.
Hunter sighed. “I’m not on your side. I will never be on your side. I’m working for Logan. He’s the only one I care about.”
“Okay.”
“If, and this is a big fucking if, there’s something in the Sheriff’s past linked to Luke’s parents, I’ll find it. I’m not working for you. I’m merely doing a job for my boss.”
****
Logan sat behind his desk as Ava walked into the office. Hunter held her arm, not that she had any real reason to escape from him. She had come to him after all, not the other way around.
“Now this is intriguing,” he said. “That will be all, Hunter.”
Ava stood, arms folded, waiting.
“Aren’t you going to beg me?” he asked.
“This is what you wanted, right? Me at your mercy. You’ve got it. I can’t even leave town. No one will help me unless I walk right on out of here, and I can’t do that.”
“I did warn you.”
“I know.” She didn’t say anything more.
He stared at her. Her eyes were puffy, bloodshot, and her face looked a mess as well. Devoid of makeup but she looked deep in despair.
“You didn’t have to come to me for help, you do know that.”
“I know what I do and don’t have to do, Logan. I’m not stupid.”
“Now you have some fire in your gut. You think you can call the shots here, is that it?”
“I don’t think anything. I’m just trying to get through all of this. What is it you want?” she asked.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at her.