She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Left Me With Walls, Wheels, and Wounds 271

Chapter 271 That's Daylight Robbery!

Freya had just shut down her laptop and was about to freshen up when her phone buzzed to life.

She glanced at the screen-Lawrence. With a sigh, she answered, “Hello.”

Her voice caught Lawrence off guard for a beat.

To him, the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"K?" he asked, as he always did.

"It's me," Freya replied flatly.

"I got the email you sent." Lawrence didn't bother with pleasantries. He cut straight to the chase. "Meeting's fine. You pick the time and place. But I need a favor first-hope it's not too much trouble."

From what Lawrence knew of K, she was never the type to sugarcoat things.

She didn't play games, didn't lure anyone into traps, which was why he didn't hold back.

In the past, Freya would've agreed without a second thought.

But knowing Kristian had a deal with Lawrence, she simply said, "Go ahead."

"There's a guy here-he's got a bullet lodged near his heart and a raging fever. Doctors are hesitant to operate,* Lawrence said briskly. "Can you reach out to the doctor Jacob Prescott and ask for his help? Of course, you can

name your price." Lawrence tacked on.

Freya froze. A gunshot? A fever?

At once, Kristian's face flashed through her mind.

Her thoughts flew back-leaping off the cliff, their rushed parting, Brendan's gun raised and firing.

She'd been boarding the yacht, and when the shot rang out, Kristian had seemed to stumble toward her. She hadn't thought much of it then-just assumed the yacht had rocked beneath them.

Looking back now, that must have been him reacting to the bullet Brendan fired. The memory looped relentlessly in her mind.

When she'd asked if he was alright, he had casually steered the conversation away-and borrowed a coat from

Lawrence.

Kristian, of all people, borrowing a coat? He was too particular for that. Unless- he'd wanted to hide something.

And suddenly, all those overlooked moments surged back with clarity.

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wonder she'd thought he looked paler on the yacht than he had on the cliff. She'd brushed it off as a trick

only silence, and tried again, "K? You still

evenly. "When I ask

hesitated. What was this now? Was K playing games

didn't push. She wanted Kristian safe more than

that guarantee first. Without it, even if Kristian recovered,

Lawrence said after a pause. "As long as you

believed K wouldn't trick

"Address."

to you. You've got twelve hours

Freya ended the call.

saw that the address was in Alerith, she grabbed her keys and headed

her name, Jacob picked up with a lazy, half-asleep drawl,

"Alerith."

"Help me save someone."

"Alright."

That was all.

Freya sent him the address and sped off

kept the windows down during

her skin, keeping her focused, reminding her how easily composure could

crisis.

have known something

she'd missed it

he'd kept pushing her to leave, insisting

her feelings-guilt,

why he'd done it, why he'd hidden it from her. But to her, none of it had been worth his

She'd already forgiven him.

in her chest, she pressed harder on the

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location Lawrence had

was striking in his own way-or more

and a sideways glance, he asked,

Freya didn't bother hiding

momentarily thrown

Kristian Shaw?

memory until the name clicked. "Your

"Yes."

"Standard fee-he pays."

Haynes pays," Freya

calls earlier, connected the dots and

"Fine."