Save Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

attention back to me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that. Evan needs a little reminder every now and again.”
    Evan pokes her in the side and kisses her on the cheek. I know things have been hard for him, especially knowing that his brother was set to marry his girl, but it’s all worked out and Evan and Nate are on the path to becoming best friends again.
    “I should’ve asked more questions, but I didn’t know. I had lost Evan, the only man I had ever loved, and was pregnant with his son. I was about to lose the house we had bought together because his checks stopped and I wasn’t entitled to the death benefit, his mother made sure of that. I had his life insurance, but that was only going to last so long. I’m sorry, Tucker. I wish I had done more.”
    Reaching over, Ryley places her hand on top of mine. I fight back the tears, knowing that Penny felt unsafe while I was gone and feel solidly that she didn’t leave me. My wife is running from someone or something. I just have to find her before whatever it is does.
    “When we were on the beach after we got back, Frannie said she remembers a moving truck. Did you see a moving truck near our house?”
    Ryley’s eyes drift off as if she’s trying to remember. It’s only a matter of seconds until she’s shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember a truck. Living off base kept me a bit secluded from on base activity.”
    “I hate saying this, but we all know some shit went down that they don’t want us to know about. I bet there are cameras everywhere on base, monitoring everything. Someone knows why Penny left in such a hurry. We just need to figure who that person is and get them to start talking,” Evan says, adding more theories to an already large conspiracy.
    “Who?’ I ask, shrugging.
    “I don’t know,” Evan states matter-of-factly.

EVERYTHING RYLEY IS TELLING me is a lot to process. More importantly, I feel like an ass for asking her to relive this nightmare, but she’s the only one who has some of the answers I need. These are questions I should’ve asked when we first came back; however, she wasn’t in any shape to answer them. Dealing with Evan’s return was enough of a blow and they had their own things to work out.
    “The day we were at the beach, Frannie had a lot to say.”
    “Yeah, she was everywhere once we got the news. She was my rock. Frannie acted like our leader, much like River was yours. Only now that I think about it, it was so she could get information on us.” It pains me to hear this about a woman we know had a hand in this conspiracy.
    “You mentioned Penny wasn’t at the funeral, but I recall Frannie saying Penny left shortly after. Do you think you can remember exactly?”
    I feel like a fucking therapist asking a victim to remember her attacker or what was going on around her. A quick glance at Evan assures me that he’s okay with my line of questioning. If he weren’t, he’d tell me to cool it for the night. He is, without a doubt, protective of Ryley and isn’t afraid to assert himself where she’s concerned. I feel the same way about Penny and I know I’d be acting the same as Evan, especially since there’s already been an attempt on Ryley’s life.
    “I’ll be right back,” she says as she stands and walks out of the room, leaving Evan and I.
    “Where’s she going?”
    “Dunno, bathroom maybe?” Evan says with a shrug.
    There’s an awkward silence between us, but it has nothing to do with a lack of conversation. The shit we’ve been discussing tonight is hard and weighs heavily on us. We’ve been through hell and back, lived to tell people who care to listen about it, but have nothing to show for it except our lives … which in the grand scheme of things is better than nothing.
    Ryley returns with a shoebox and sits down in the same spot. “There are things I remember and there are some things I think happened. Like I said, I was in a fog. My life, as I knew it, was