Free Web NovelChapter 234: AN INFORMANT ON THE INSIDE
Abigail
Different voices were swimming around me. Soft, worried murmurs drifted through the darkness in the distance.
"...could have made her faint like that?" Annette’s voice reached my ears, tight with exhaustion and fear. "She’s been holding it together so well, but after everything..."
"I don’t know," River replied, sounding drained. "Maybe it’s the stress from the racetrack, seeing Devin, the constant threats... it was only a matter of time before something gave. She’s been so strong."
My mind felt heavy and foggy, like I was swimming through thick maple syrup. Confusion wrapped around me like a second skin. Where was I? What had happened? The last thing I remembered was the parking lot... my car... a box...
The memory slammed into me with brutal force. Oh shit! Owen’s severed head. I could remember it all now. His lifeless, glassy eyes staring up at me from inside the box.
My eyes flew open with a sharp gasp. I bolted upright in bed, chest heaving violently, heart hammering so hard it felt like it would crack my ribs open. The room tilted wildly for several seconds. I was in my bedroom at Finnegan’s house.
But none of that mattered.
"No... no, no, no," I whispered frantically, hands shaking as I clutched the sheets. My vision swam with black spots.
The image of Owen’s head kept flashing behind my eyes — the way it had rolled slightly when the box tipped, the metallic stench of blood, the horror frozen permanently on his face... God, it made my stomach clench in nausea.
Finnegan was right beside me in an instant. He had a damp towel in his hand and was gently pressing it against my neck and shoulders. The moment my eyes met his, pure relief flooded his face, so intense it made his eyes shine with emotion. free𝑤ebnovel.com
"Abigail," he breathed, dropping the towel and cupping my face in both his hands, warmth radiating steadily through his palms. "Thank God. You’re awake. You’re okay, baby. I’ve got you."
I stared at him, still disoriented, the horrific scene of what I had witnessed crashing over me again in waves. My breathing came in short, ragged gasps.
"The box..." My voice cracked, rising sharply. "There was a box on my car. It had Owen’s head. I saw it. His eyes were open and staring right at me. He’s dead, Finn. They killed him. They cut off his head and left it there for me to find!"
The room went silent immediately. Annette and River, who had been standing near the foot of the bed, moved closer, their faces drained pale with shock and horror.
"Abigail, slow down," Annette said carefully, settling herself on the edge of the bed and taking my hand in both of hers. "What box? What are you talking about?"
Finnegan’s thumbs stroked my cheeks gently. "Breathe, Abigail. You’re safe. There was no box there. The security team found you screaming in the parking lot. You fainted. They didn’t see any box on your car. Just you collapsed on the ground."
"No!" I shook my head frantically, pressing hard against his chest.
My vision kept swimming, black dots dancing violently at the edges. "I saw it! It was right there on the hood of my car! Owen’s head... there was blood everywhere and a note saying ’You’re next.’ I didn’t imagine it! I’m not crazy!"
I tried to scramble off the bed, panic clawing its way up my throat, making it impossible to breathe properly. Finnegan caught me firmly and pulled me back against his solid chest.
"Abigail, look at me," he murmured, concern etched deep into every line of his face. "You’re overwhelmed and terrified. That’s okay. But you’re safe right here with me. No one is going to hurt you. I won’t let them."
No, this wasn’t about being safe anymore. They killed Owen. A tortured sob wrenched itself free from my chest, I pushed and struggled against him as tears streamed freely down my face.
"They killed him because of me! First my parents... then Cole... now Owen. How many more people are they going to destroy just to bury what they did fifteen years ago? Gina and Devin... they’re devils! They’re fucking monsters!"
Finnegan didn’t let go. Instead, he wrapped his arms tighter around me, one hand moving slowly through my hair in long, soothing strokes while the other drew steady circles on my back.
His voice stayed calm and even as I cried and shook against him.
"Shhh, my love. Breathe with me. You’re not alone. I’m right here. I’ve got you, Abigail. None of this is your fault. You’re fighting for justice, for your parents. That’s brave. So incredibly brave of you, my heart."
Annette moved closer, squeezing my hand firmly. "We believe you saw something, Abby. We’ll figure out what happened to the box. Maybe someone removed it before security reached you."
River nodded from the side of the bed. "It would mean there’s a mole in the company. Someone working for Gina and Devin, covering their tracks. Because if they left the box there, that would hand the police an actual lead to investigate."
So they settled for trying to drive me out of my mind and make me look completely insane?
Low move, Gina. Low fucking move.
I pulled back slightly from Finnegan’s chest, wiping my tears away with trembling hands. "Yes. That makes sense. Gina tried to bribe me once to spy on Finnegan. Who knows how many others she’s turned since then? She probably has eyes planted all through the company." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Finnegan’s jaw tightened but he leaned down, his warm breath grazing my skin as he pressed soft kisses to my forehead, my temple, my wet cheeks. "Was that all? Did anything else happen to you?"
I shook my head, still turning everything over carefully in my mind, as I melted against him once more. His arm tightened around me as he rocked me slowly, whispering soft, tender words into my hair.
After what felt like forever, my breathing finally evened out. Exhaustion sat heavy on every bone in my body, like I had run a fucking marathon, but my head felt marginally clearer.
A mole in the company, someone working directly for Gina... Wait a minute.
"I think I know who it might be," I said suddenly, sitting up straighter, my voice still unsteady. "The mole. I think I know who it is."
