Chapter 718

"Kara, Kara..." I got out of the car and held her, calling out to her urgently. She didn't respond, so I turned her face toward me. When I saw her condition, I was struck dumb. Her face was a swollen, bruised mess. Her eyes were swollen shut, and there was a deep cut on her cheek. Her bloody lips were so swollen they were almost unrecognizable. I wasn't stupid, I knew what had happened. Brandon was right—I was too late. "I'm calling the cops." All my pain and rage boiled down to this single statement. "No, don't..." Kara stopped me. I stared at her, bewildered. Her smile, cracked and painful on her bruised face, shattered my heart into a million pieces. "Why?" A lump formed in my throat. "Because... I still need to gather more evidence against them." Kara's words left me speechless. I could see why she was so terrified of returning but still took the risk of joining the House of Griffins through a referral. She didn't want to be a coward and hide in fear. She was just as de