Every Last Breath by Jessica Gaffney Read Free Book Online Page A

Santa?”
    “Of course they do. What fun would that be to send in an email?”
    “Well, take a look at his list, pick something from there.”
    “You are sneaky Claire Barker.”
    The girls were smiling, as a dark figure caught Maggie’s eye. She saw the same hooded figure pass by the coffee shop. She froze.
    Claire dropped her muffin. “What’s wrong?”
    She swallowed hard, and looked at her friend, then back to the window.
                  “I thought I saw Jack.”
              “Brush it off Maggie.”
                  She shook her head, her heart was racing.
                  “Maggie, look, it’s just your hyper vigilance. With everything you’ve been through, you are going to have days when this sneaks up on you.”
                  “I know.”
           “There are a lot of creeps out there. It still scares me to think that this could happen again.”
                  Maggie reached for her hand. She was well aware that her mind could be playing tricks on her. Doctor Gibbons had explained this to her numerous times, particularly when she questioned herself. Jack’s psychosis had worn off on her. She was not the one with a mental illness. What was happening had to do with shifts in her thinking as Jack’s thoughts stopped being her own. It was Jack who trained her to fear, to see things that were not there, who instilled terror and the opportunity for horror.
    Dr. Gibbons said it would take years for Maggie to think like a regular person, not that she knew what that was. She removed her coat, as her body heat rose. She sat back in her chair and rubbed her hands over her tired eyes.
    “Are you all right?”
    She exhaled and flattened her palms on the table.
    “Maggie, you’re relapsing. Breathe honey.”
    “He’s not dead. Jack’s not dead.”
    Claire twisted in her chair. “What do you mean he’s not dead?”
    She swallowed hard, “I mean, I led you to believe that he was, but I didn’t kill him. I only pretend he was, but it’s not true, though I wish it was.”
    Maggie’s jaw dropped opened. “Oh my God Maggie, do you think he found you?”
    She exhaled again. “I don’t know. I thought it was my imagination, and it could be.” Her mind raced to incident of Vala being sick and her staring out over the ridge yesterday. 
    “Maybe that’s what your nightmares are about. Maybe fate is trying to warn you.”
    Maggie straightened up. “It’s not fate. It’s God.” She let that settle inside her. “What do I do?”
    “You call that lawyer, and then you go to the cops.”
    “I have a restraining order back at home, but I need the state of Colorado to uphold that.”
    “Maggie, that piece of paper is not going to save your life. You need to call that lawyer. You need a National Protective Order.”
    She reached for her phone and reminded herself that Vala was her protection. As long as the dog stayed with her, Jack couldn’t touch her.
     
     
     
     
    Maggie parked outside the Denver law building. Wearing the only feminine blouse she owned, she buttoned up her coat and strode into the expansive lobby. The security guard waved her through and she took the elevator to the fourteenth floor. She called on a whim and spoke with the secretary. Collin was noted as the areas only reputable attorney with a background in criminal law. The secretary seated her in the expansive, ornate waiting area. She watched as a few paralegals or assistants buzzed about. Then the door opened and Collin came out to greet her.
    She walked past a few doors and finally into the conference room. Maggie tucked in her skirt before sitting down. “Ms. Burke, how are you?”
       “Not well, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
    “I understand.”
    Maggie looked around the room. She could tell from the oversized chairs and wall of windows that the firm was doing well. Collin flipped open a pad of paper and began to write. “Can you