Read Set Me Free for Free Online

words reached me from the past. Don't let him win. Live for me, love.
    "Running has always kept me safe, Zach." I swallowed, pressing my tear stained cheek against his. "But the past few weeks I just haven't been able to get your words out of my head. I've always been too afraid to ever consider justice. Running was the only defense I had, but it took me meeting you to realize what a coward I've been." I pulled back so I could look into his eyes. I could barely see them in the dark, but I felt his soft breath on my skin. "My parents were murdered for doing nothing wrong and I've let their killer roam free and then murder two more people who meant the world to me." Tears bubbled over my lashes as I sucked in a shaky breath. "I've let fear own me, Zach. It's made me forget about justice. It's made me fail my family."
    "You haven't failed anyone." He pulled back, brushing my cheek with his fingertips."
    "By doing nothing, I've let him win and kill two more people. I can't let him kill you too."
    My tears turned into sobs, wrenching through my body and making me shake. Zach rolled onto his back and pulled my head against his shoulder, shushing me softly as I released the pent up emotion.
    Saying I was a failure may have sounded harsh and I understood why Zach didn't agree with me, but the idea had been sleeping within me for years. Nothing could have stopped my parents' death, I know that, but if I'd fought a little harder for justice, Marlin and Shorty might have still been alive. Running had only served myself.
    It was time to stop running. It was time to fight back.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
    ZACH
     

     

     
    Lucy's sobs tore at Zach's heart, but he refused to let her go. She obviously needed to let it all out and he understood why. Lying still and listening to her story of Marlin and Shorty had made his skin prickle with sadness. His heart had wrenched at the image of her holding a blood-soaked man as he died in her arms. It had taken everything in his power not to roll over and stop her, just so she didn't have to live through it again.
    It wasn't until she started blaming herself for everything that he couldn't take it anymore. She had not killed those men. That asshole police officer had. Anger burned through his veins as he thought about how terrifying it must have been for Lucy to meet him face to face. She had suffered way too much trauma and he wasn't sure he wanted to put her through anymore, but she'd never, ever, be able to move on until they ended this. The fact she had told him the truth, and even admitted what she thought was her failure was actually a good sign.
    Maybe she was ready.
    As her loud cries ebbed to soft sniffles, Zach squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay. It's all gonna be okay."
    "How? We don't even know who the guy is. Even if I did have the courage to track him down, how would I? Shorty got killed for trying find him. After Marlin was taken, he asked around town about him and ended up leading the guy straight to our door." She shivered against Zach and he rubbed her back to ease her tremors.
    "Maybe you should go back to the beginning then."
    "What do you mean?" She turned on his shoulder to look up at him.
    Zach pressed his lips together before taking in a deep breath. "Please don't be mad, but I asked my uncle to look into who you might be. I gave him the vague details you'd told me and he did some research."
    "What kind of research?" Lucy pressed her hand to Zach's chest and sat up.
    "He found me some newspaper articles and murders in L.A. around the time you mentioned. He um, gave me a few files." Zach sat up slowly, nervous of her reaction. He watched her shadow in the dark as she turned her back to him and drew her knees to her chest.
    "Were any of them on me?" She finally whispered.
    "Yeah," Zach replied softly. "Yeah, there's a Lucy Tate file there. Do you want to see it?"
    She drew in a full breath then slowly released it. "Yes."
    He flicked on the light before she changed her mind and