LITMIR.BIZ

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continued to wait in silence.

      Finally Liam said, “I got a call from Dad today.”

      Riley felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach.

      She couldn’t help remembering that terrible day when she’d rushed over to Liam’s house to save him from being badly beaten by his father.

      She knew she shouldn’t be surprised. But she didn’t know what to say.

      Liam said, “He says he’s sorry about everything. He says he misses me.”

      Riley’s worry deepened. She had no legal custody over Liam. Right now, she was acting as a sort of impromptu foster parent, and she had no idea exactly what her future role in his life would be.

      “Does he want you to come back home?” Riley asked.

      Liam nodded.

      Riley couldn’t bring herself to ask the obvious question…

      “What do you want?”

      What would she do – what could she do – if Liam said he wanted to go back?

      Riley knew that Liam was a gentle, forgiving boy. Like many abuse victims, he was also prone to deep denial.

      Riley sat down beside him.

      She asked, “Have you been happy here?”

      Liam made a small choking sound. For the first time, Riley realized that he was near tears.

      “Oh, yes,” he said. “This has been… I’ve just been… so happy.”

      Riley felt her own throat catch a little. She wanted to tell him he could stay here for as long as he wished. But what could she do if his father demanded that he come back? She’d be powerless to stop it from happening.

      A tear trickled down Liam’s cheek.

      “It’s just that… since Mom went away… I’m all Dad’s got. Or at least I was until I left. Now he’s all alone. He says he’s stopped drinking. He says he won’t hurt me anymore.”

      Riley almost blurted out…

      “Don’t believe him. Don’t ever believe him when he says that.”

      Instead, she said, “Liam, you must know that your dad is very ill.”

      “I know,” Liam said.

      “It’s up to him to get the help he needs. But until he does… well, it’s going to be very hard for him to change.”

      Riley fell silent for a moment.

      Then she added, “Just always remember that it’s not your fault. You know that, don’t you?”

      Liam gulped down a sob and nodded.

      “Have you ever gone back to see him?” Riley asked.

      Liam shook his head silently.

      Riley patted his hand.

      “I just want you to promise me one thing. If you do go to see him, don’t go by yourself. I want to be there with you. Do you promise?”

      “I promise,” Liam said.

      Riley reached for a nearby box of tissues and offered one to Liam, who wiped his eyes and blew his nose. Then the two of them sat in silence for a few long moments.

      Finally Riley said, “Do you need me for anything else?”

      “No. I’m OK now. Thank you for… well, you know.”

      He smiled at her weakly.

      “Pretty much everything,” he added.

      “You’re very welcome,” Riley said, returning his smile.

      She left the family room, walked to the living room, and sat alone on the couch.

      Suddenly, a sob rose up in her own throat, and she started to cry. She was startled to realize how shaken she’d been by her conversation with Liam.

      But when she thought about it, it was easy enough to understand why.

      I’m so out of my depth, she thought.

      After all, she was still trying to get Jilly’s adoption settled. She’d rescued the poor girl from her own share of horrors. When Riley had found her, Jilly had been trying to sell her body out of sheer desperation.

      So what did Riley think she was doing, bringing another teenager into the house?

      She suddenly wished Blaine was still here to talk to.

      Blaine always seemed to know what to say.

      She had enjoyed the lull between cases for a while, but little by little, worries had started to creep in – worries especially about her family, and today about Bill.

      It hardly felt like any kind of vacation.

      Riley couldn’t help but wonder…

      Is something wrong with me?

      Was she somehow just incapable of enjoying a quiet life?

      Anyway, she knew she could be sure of one thing.

      This lull wouldn’t last. Somewhere, some monster was committing some heinous deed – and it would be up to her to stop him.

      Chapter Four

      Riley was awakened early the next morning by the sound of her phone buzzing.

      She groaned aloud as she shook herself awake.

      The lull is over, she thought.

      She looked at her phone and saw that she was right. It was a text message from her team chief at the BAU, Brent Meredith. It was a call to meet with him, and it was written in his typical terse style…

      BAU 8:00

      She looked at the time and realized she’d have to hurry to make it to the hastily planned appointment. Quantico was only a half-hour drive from home, but she needed to get out of here fast.

      It took Riley just minutes to brush her teeth, comb her hair, get dressed, and rush downstairs.

      Gabriela was already making breakfast in the kitchen.

      “Is coffee ready?” Riley asked her.

      “Sí,” Gabriela said, and poured her a hot cup.

      Riley sipped the coffee eagerly.

      “You must leave without breakfast?” Gabriela asked her.

      “I’m afraid so.”

      Gabriela handed her a bagel.

      “Then take this with you. You must have something in your stomach.”

      Riley thanked Gabriela, gulped down some more of the coffee, and rushed out to her car.

      During the short drive to Quantico, a peculiar feeling came over her.

      She actually began to feel better than she had during the last few days, even slightly euphoric.

      It was partly an adrenaline boost, of course, as her mind and body prepared to embark upon a new case.

      But it was also something rather unsettling – a feeling that things were somehow getting back to normal.

      Riley sighed at the realization.

      She wondered – what did it mean that hunting monsters felt more normal to her than spending time with people she loved?

      It can’t be… well, normal, she thought.

      Worse, it reminded her of something that her father, a brutal and bitter retired Marine officer, had told her before he died.

      “You’re a hunter. What folks call normal – it would kill you if you tried living it too long.”

      Riley wanted with all her heart for it not to be true.

      But at times like now, she couldn’t help but worry – were the roles of wife, mother, and friend impossible for her to

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