Hold My Hand (Sequel to Saved: Adopted by Brendon Urie)

Chapter 33

At the police station, Brendon stared at a photograph of an old storage unit.

"That's it."

The detective looked up.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Unit 214?"

Brendon nodded.

The detective slid another photograph across the table.

A still image from the storage facility's exterior.

"There's something else."

Brendon looked.

"Someone accessed the unit three weeks ago."

His stomach dropped.

"Who?"

"We're checking."

"I haven't."

"We know."

Brendon stared at the photograph.

Someone had opened the unit.

Someone had gone looking for something.

Before Abby was kidnapped.

Before the SUV.

Before anyone knew the police would be involved.

This hadn't started when Abby disappeared.

It had started earlier.

Much earlier.

Brendon's hand went to his mouth.

He stared at the photograph, but he wasn't seeing the storage facility anymore.

He was seeing Abby.

Thirteen years old.

Walking out of the National Gallery.

Looking for Bonnie.

Trusting a stranger who had known exactly who she was.

His daughter hadn't been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Someone had chosen her.

Someone had watched her.

Someone had planned this.

And somehow, the thing they wanted was connected to him.

"Oh God."

The words came out barely above a whisper.

The detective looked at him.

Brendon pushed back from the table so quickly that the chair scraped hard against the floor.

"No."

He stood there, breathing too fast.

"No, no, no."

"Brendon—"

"They took her because of me."

His voice cracked.

"They didn't just find her. They knew who she was."

He looked at the detective, his eyes suddenly wet.

"They knew she was mine."

The detective stood.

"We don't know that yet."

"Yes, we do."

Brendon pointed at the photograph with a shaking hand.

"They knew about the storage unit. They knew about the case. They knew where Abby would be. They knew enough about me to use her."