Only You (Stevens Book 12)

Chapter 4

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have Uncle Bryce here when the police take your statement?" Wyatt, Mave's brother-in-law, asked as he looked out the large window of her room.

There was a media circus outside. When the word had gotten out that Mave had been abducted and held hostage, the reporters had descended with a vengeance.

"Yes. It would be too hard for Uncle Bryce to handle because he still sees me as the little girl I used to be. I don't even want to talk to the police and re-live it. I only want to forget that it happened." Mave sank under her covers, ensuring that as much of her was covered as possible. The last thing she wanted was for her scars to be visible.

"The police must be consulted, but my worry is a leak." Wyatt turned away from the crowd below.  "A lot of the larger papers are offering a lot of money for all the details, and I think it might be too tempting for some to resist."

Mave shrugged. "All we can do is talk to as few people as possible for control and threaten to sue if it is leaked." She had been in the game long enough to know that her privacy was an illusion. Her worry was that if the press found out the details, her family would as well, and she didn't want any of them to be more upset than they already were—especially her parents.

"I must say that I didn't expect you to be so calm and together about this entire thing. I expected you to be a quivering mess, knowing that they haven't caught your kidnapper yet." Wyatt sat on a chair and assessed Mave, who was well on the way to physical recovery.

"I think it's part denial and exhaustion, but the drugs they have me on are keeping me relaxed." Mave rested her head against her pillow. She knew she would have to give up the drugs eventually and deal with the horror that had happened, but she wanted to be in a safe place when that happened, and there was only one place she could think where that could happen.

"They're going to want a sketch of your kidnapper. Do you want one of their artists to do that, or would you prefer Aunt Norah?"

"Aunt Norah, please. Can we do it soon?" Mave closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath.

"Yes. I thought it might be your preference, so she's on her way here now. She'll be here this evening." Wyatt turned toward the door as it opened.

"Knock, knock, can I come in?" Beth asked, carrying a tray of coffee.

"Bless you!" Mave said, reaching for a cup. "I haven't had a decent cup since..." her heart skipped as she finished the thought silently. Beth and Wyatt ignored the slip.

"I came to catch you up on the Alistair-Katherine front." Beth sat at the end of Mave's bed, making herself comfortable as if it was the most natural thing to do with a sister who was recovering from kidnap and torture, and Mave welcomed it.

"Do tell," Mave begged as she took a long sip of the delicious brew that Beth had provided.

"Alistair told Aunt Grace that Katherine thinks she's not worthy of our family or Alistair, so Grace has decided that an intervention is called for as soon as possible. Uncle Bryce had agreed to let that haunted television show that Katherine hosts film at the house in Kent so Alistair and Katherine can work out their problems with our family surrounding them. There's even talk of Uncle Mason co-hosting." Beth grinned at the excitement of it all.

Beth had fallen in love with Wyatt when she was in college, but he was so much older than her that it had taken Wyatt five years and a chance meeting to do anything about it. Now, ten years later they had two daughters and were living happily ever after. Now Alistair was about to live happily ever after, and it made Mave jealous. She was suddenly realizing how many stupid mistakes she had made, and she hoped it wasn't too late for her happily ever after.