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Officer Martino led me out to the front yard. Four police cars and an ambulance lit the
neighborhood street. People stood across the street watching me. I scanned the faces looking for
Brandon. Before I could find him, strong arms engulfed me in a tight hug.
 Oh my God, Babe, I was so worried about you!
 I m okay, I said as he leaned down and kissed me.  What happened?
 Spencer, my name is Jaime Brooks and I am the Victim Advocate assigned to your case. I will
be with you during the interview at the station. Once you get checked out by the paramedics, we will
go to the station.
 Okay, can Brandon come with me?
 Yes, but he will not be able to speak. He can only be there for emotional support.
 That s fine, I said, leaning into Brandon s chest.  Who s here with you? I asked, looking up
at Brandon.
 Ryan, Becca, Jason, Max and Acyn.
 Acyn? I questioned, feeling like my eyes were bulging out of my head.
 He s the one who realized you were missing.
 Oh  so you know?
 Yes, Brandon said, smiling.
 Are you mad?
 How can I be mad at you after everything you just went through?
 It wasn t that bad.
 Babe, he said as he stopped walking and turned me towards him using my shoulders.  You
were fucking kidnapped and held hostage. I was so scared. There was a gun pointed at your head.
 I know, but I am okay.
I really was okay  physically. Everything happened so fast and my head was still spinning from
everything that Michael had told me. Jaime and Brandon led me over to the ambulance to get cleared
by a medic. I scanned the crowd for my friends and spotted them. Once the medic cleared me, I really
wanted to go see my friends.
 Can I go see my other friends? I asked Jaime.
 Yes, but only for a minute. We need to get you to the station now that the paramedics have
cleared you.
 Okay, I said, taking Brandon s hand and walked over to my friends.
When Ryan and Becca saw us walking towards them, they dashed around the police officer who
was standing in front of them.
 It s okay, Officer Hunter-Cogan, Officer Martino said, letting my friends pass.
Once again, my friends were embracing me after a tragic event. It felt just like when Christy had
tried to kill me.
 I swear to God, Spencer, I am buying handcuffs and you are to not be alone ever again! Ryan
said, hugging me to the point that I couldn t breathe.
 I m fine, Ry.
 If Acyn wouldn t have noticed you were gone for a while after his little performance, I m not
sure what we would have done, Becca said, hugging me, too.
I turned to Acyn and mouthed,  Thank you. He nodded in confirmation with his hands in his
pockets. I knew he wanted to hug me and I wanted to hug him to express my gratitude  but I couldn t.
After everyone else had hugged me and made sure that I was okay, Jaime walked Brandon and
me over to a police car and rode with us to the station.  Where are we? I asked.
 We are in San Jose, Babe.
 They took me all the way to San Jose?
 Yes, that s why I didn t get to you sooner.
 Brandon, I m sorry. I know you want to tell her everything, but you can t. Not yet, Jaime said,
turning around in the front seat to us.
Exhaustion finally kicked in, so during the short ride over, I slept on Brandon s shoulder as he
held me close. In the past year, my life had been put in danger twice because of Brandon, but there
was still nowhere I would rather be than at his side.
During the interview, Brandon clenched my hand as I recounted the evening. I told them
everything from the first time I saw Michael in Vegas when he told me his name was Trevor to him
telling me that he was one of the accomplices who was with Christy when she tried to kill me five
months prior.
After I gave my interview, I sat with Brandon as he told the detectives how he knew Michael.
Everything that Michael told me was true except that Brandon didn t know he was buying Michael s
gym. Although he knew Michael s real name, he had never put two and two together. Michael Smith
was such a common name and it had been twelve years since the last time he saw Michael.
The sun was starting to rise as we finally left the police station a little before six. I left my car at
the Westin and we arranged for Jason or Becca to pick it up for me. I wanted nothing more than to just
go home and crawl in my bed and sleep.
 How did the cops know? How were you there? I asked Brandon as we drove up Highway 101
towards San Francisco.
 Babe, just get some sleep. We can talk about this later, he said, bringing my hand to his lips.
 I can t sleep, please just tell me.
 Okay  Becca called me around ten o clock last night saying that you went out for ice and never
came back. They searched everywhere. They even went down to the valet and were told that you
didn t leave with your car. I used the app Find Friends and saw that you were in San Jose. We all
panicked.
 I ruined Ryan s Bachelorette party, I said as the tears finally started to fall.
 Babe, you did nothing wrong.
 I know, but she had to cut her party short.
 Ryan is happy you are alive. You know she isn t mad at you, right? Brandon reached over and
wiped a tear from my cheek.
 Yeah, I mumbled.  Keep going.
 So we all knew something was wrong. We all kept trying to call you, but you wouldn t answer.
Jason, Max and I jumped in my car and we drove here and told Becca and Ryan to call us when they
were close to San Jose so we could meet up. Just as we were almost to downtown, I got the video
from Michael. Luckily, Jason drove because I wanted to keep trying to call you. If I'd been driving
when we got the video, I think I would have wrecked when I saw a gun being held to your head.
 I m okay, I said, needing to reassure both him and myself.
 I called 911 as soon as I was done watching the video. They said they would send a patrol car
over to check it out. Just as we pulled up to the house you were at, the cops pulled up, too. I showed
them the video and they called for back-up. Jason and Max had to physically hold me back from going
in the house to get you. If the cops weren t already there, I would have. I would have killed him with
my bare hands.
I reached over and rubbed Brandon s leg.  I m glad the cops were there and did their job, he
had a gun.
 I still want to kill the Mother Fucker.
 Me too, Babe, me too. I didn t hear any gun shots or anything, though, when I was in the
bathroom. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]