Abducted (Amber Alert Series Book 2) Read Free Page A

pictures or get anyone to talk about them; it was like it never happened, but everyone would tell me how happy they were together. It was easy enough to see just by the smiles on their faces and the sparkle in their eyes when they talked about each other. They truly loved each other, but I didn't think that love was passed onto me. They hated that I didn't follow the rules; they were too over protective and overbearing when it came to me. 
    What had I done wrong? Nothing. So why were they punishing me by preventing me from being with friends and having a boyfriend like a normal teenager? It wasn't my fault. It wasn't any of our faults; it was Anna Cowles' fault, but my mom was right. If Anna hadn't been the one to escape, then someone else would have been taken, and eventually one of them might have escaped. The rules would have been made either way, one day, or Steve Bennett would still be out there. That thought sent a shiver down my spine.
    I realized how wrong I was. I was acting out against the laws because they were unfair to teens, but it wasn't Anna's fault. She was just the push for it that people used so the laws could pass. She was a front, not the reason.
    "Fine, I'll just apologize, and everything will be okay again. Then I can go back to hating these stupid laws and Anna Cowles," I said to myself as I forced myself out of bed.
    I glanced at Kate's closed bedroom door and sighed. I did need to be a better example, but once she grew up she would realize why I was acting like this and probably react the same way. The laws were unfair, overbearing, and insane! They didn't make any sense as to how they would protect me. Most didn’t seem to connect to the string of kidnappings, they were just another excuse to box teens in. They should have known that strict laws make for sneaky kids.
    I was careful to avoid any of the squeaking stairs as I made my way back downstairs, just in case they had fallen asleep after they took Kate to bed. I lightly curled my toes into the carpet and let a small smile tug on the corners of my lips. I loved the carpet, it was warm and soft, unlike the tile or hardwood flooring that covered my friends’ houses. My mother was always adamant about not having hardwood floors, I'm not sure why, but at this moment I didn't care. The carpet was welcoming as I took a deep breath to gather my courage.
    I was about to step out to see my parents when I heard my father talking. “We can't tell her what happened. It won't change her mind about the laws, and it will only change her perspective on us. Anna Cowles has been the fall guy for years, and used to push for these laws. Even our daughter blames her for the laws that others claimed would help, but they haven’t. These laws don’t make any sense, but if we tell her that, she will think it’s okay to keep getting arrested. She will continue to put herself in danger, and that will cause something bad to happen."
    "I didn't support those laws though, Garrett," my mother responded. There was an edge in her voice that made me cringe, she was about to cry again.
    "I know you didn't, but your recovery was the push point. My name doesn't come up nearly as much because of how long I was gone. You were the one that told the story, so subsequently, you are the one that is well known for it."
    "You should have told it," my mom said with a sad sigh.
    "I was only a witness, you were the main individual that was needed to put Steve behind bars."
    I poked my head around the corner to see him holding my mother. The mention of the Steve Bennett case increased my curiosity. They were talking as if they had been there for it, but they had always told me they didn’t live in Virginia, and they didn’t know Anna Cowles either.
    "I'm glad you were there through it all. I couldn't have done it without you. I love you, Garrett."
    "I love you too, Anna, but I think you could have done it if I hadn't made it through the beating. You were stronger from the experience,