Blaze: A Small Town, Nerdy Girl, Opposites Attract, Protector Romance (Ghost Ops Book 1)

Chapter 40

“I don’t understand.”

Emma stared at Blaze, at the intensity in his sky-blue eyes, and tried to make sense of what he’d said. When he’d called and said he needed to speak to her about something important as soon as she had a free moment, she’d told him to come at lunchtime. He’d shown up with pulled pork sandwiches from the Gas-n-Go and a serious look on his face. She’d known then that they weren’t going to have a peaceful lunch.

“Simon, whoever he is, isn’t really Simon. He stole Simon Marsh’s identity. The real Simon Marsh died three years ago. His body was found a couple of months ago but only recently identified.”

“Murdered?”

Blaze’s hand on hers tightened. “Yes. The back of his skull was smashed in. His body was buried on private property in northern Kentucky. It was sold about a year ago and developers moved in to build houses. They found the remains while clearing the land.”

Emma felt sick. She managed to swallow her nausea as she squeezed Blaze’s hand. “Who is he?”

“We don’t know yet. The police are actively looking for him now that he’s been tied to a murder. The pressure on him is getting hotter, whether he knows it or not.”

“He’s the murderer.”

“I think he probably is. The real Simon Marsh disappeared, and this guy took over his identity. Seems deliberate.”

“He did it.” Emma was trembling. She’d never been so certain of anything in her life. Simon—whatever his name was—had been so charming and perfect until he wasn’t. He slipped in and out of personalities like other people slipped in and out of clothes.

“I’m sorry, Emma.”

She shuddered. “I should have known. I should have never gotten involved with him.”

Blaze put an arm around her and tugged her in close. They were sitting on the couch in his apartment. Sassy was bouncing around like all was right in the world; cars were moving along the street outside; patients were coming and going from the office; Theo was cooking in the kitchen at the Dawg; Rory was probably wiping down the bar; and everything was just so normal.

Except for her. How could everything be normal when Simon was a killer and she’d spent three months with him, never realizing the depths of his evil?

“How could you know?” His breath ruffled her hair where he’d rested his chin atop her head. “Do you blame women for being victims just because a man was charming before he raped or murdered them? Do you blame kids for being molested? Or abused?”

“Of course not.” The whisper was forced out of her tight throat. He was right, but it still bothered her that she’d fallen for Simon’s act without seeing through it. There’d been glimpses after they’d started dating, but she’d dismissed them all as him being stressed over work or having a bad day.

“Then don’t blame yourself, Sunshine. He pursued you like a normal guy, you went out with him, liked him, and kept seeing him until he showed his true colors. You got out as soon as you could.”

“How did he get away with being Simon Marsh for so long? Didn’t anyone miss the real Simon?”

“The real Simon had no roots. He’d been a software engineer in his old life, but he’d left that behind. He worked in construction jobs, moving around where the jobs were. When he didn’t turn up to work, people thought he’d moved on again. His boss called the police, but he never filed a missing person’s report. Simon had a cousin, and while she was accustomed to him being gone and out of touch for long stretches of time, when she didn’t hear from him after a year, she filed a report in Oregon where he was from. The body was IDed through the database.”

“His poor cousin.”

“Yeah. She’ll have been told by now.”

Emma thought the real Simon’s cousin must want justice. Emma did too. She wanted fake Simon caught and put away forever. She wanted him gone and then she never wanted to think about him again. She rubbed her palms along her thighs, soothing herself with the movement.

“I still don’t understand how he could have killed someone, stolen their identity, and made up an entire life in Chicago. He had an apartment. A BMW. He worked on websites. I saw them.”

“The real Simon Marsh was a software engineer before he worked construction. Fake Simon probably accessed his bank accounts and drained them, then set himself up in Chicago. His apartment lease was up a couple of months ago and there’s no evidence he owned a car. Whoever lives in the apartment now is the one whose car is in the designated parking spot. As for the web work, did you ever actually see him coding or did he just show you the sites?”

She could feel her cheeks heating. “He showed me the sites. He even pointed out features and talked about why he’d designed it that way. Oh my God, the whole thing was a con. He wasn’t working on the gym’s website either. He just pretended he was. The car—he only drove it once. We took mine or taxis if we were going to dinner. He said parking was too difficult and he preferred to use the car for trips out of the city.”

She felt stupid. So, so stupid. “I went to his apartment a couple of times, but it was sparsely furnished. He claimed to be a minimalist. By the time he hit me, he was staying with me most nights.”

Her chest tightened as the edges of her vision started to blacken. He’d lied about everything. He wasn’t Simon. He didn’t have a car or an apartment. He didn’t code websites.

And he’d murdered someone. The ugliest, most brutal thing imaginable. How had she not known?

“You need to breathe, Emma.”

She focused on Blaze’s voice in the sucking blackness. It didn’t surprise her he could tell.

“I’m trying.” She sucked in air and let it out rhythmically. The last thing she wanted or needed was a panic attack. Not now. She had to get back to work. Her dad was depending on her.

She needed to work so she didn’t sit around in a darkened apartment and think about what Simon, who wasn’t Simon, had done.

“You’ve got this, babe. There’s no reason to panic. I’m here. I’ve got you. My friends have got you too. We’re on your side.”

She felt the cold prickle of panic start to recede as she worked to push it away. As she focused on Blaze.

It could come roaring back, but this was a victory. She hauled in a deep breath and squeezed Blaze’s hand.

“I know. I just feel like such a blind idiot. Maybe I couldn’t have known he was a murderer, but when he started controlling me, why didn’t I get out? Why did I let it happen?”

Blaze lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of hers. “Because he didn’t do it all at once, babe. He targeted you, took his time, and tried to break you. But you didn’t break, Emma. He didn’t succeed.”

Tears pricked her eyes. She squeezed his hand. “I should get back to work. I have a patient in fifteen minutes.”

She didn’t want to return to the office, but she couldn’t cancel on her patients. Not when she was still trying to win their trust and prove she was worthy of being their doctor.

“Okay, babe. I know you want to be busy.”

She nodded. He stood and pulled her up. She went into his arms without hesitation. She loved being close to him, loved how safe he made her feel. Blaze wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“I need to put Sassy in the bathroom,” she said.

“I know. I made a vet appointment for her by the way.”

“Dr. Lamott?”

“Yes. Tomorrow afternoon at one. I’ll come get her and take her over there.”

“I’ll try to go, too. You shouldn’t have to pay for her vet check when you gave her to me.”

He tipped her chin up. “Told you before, I take care of my girls. That’s you and Sassy by the way.”

Emma’s insides were jumpy and twisty today, but not all of it was bad. The parts that had to do with Blaze were good. “I’m glad we’re your girls. I like it.”

“I like it too.”

His head moved toward hers, she closed her eyes, and then he was kissing her, every bit of it perfection.

She could love him. So easily. Her heart thumped hard.

He’d said he couldn’t give her anything more than this, and she’d said she didn’t want more.

She’d lied. She wanted so much more. She wanted everything.

With him.

“Gotta stop,” he muttered as he set her back a step. “Or we’ll both be late getting back.”

Her throat ached as she looked up at him and smiled.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentling as he took in her expression. His finger skimmed along her jaw, and she shivered at the soft touch. “You okay, Sunshine?”

She nodded. “I will be. It’s been a lot to take in. I’m overwhelmed, quite honestly.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll protect you until he’s caught, you have my word. I don’t want you to worry about that, okay?”

“Okay.”

He kissed her forehead and bent to scoop up Sassy, who’d started climbing his leg. When he kissed the top of Sassy’s head, Emma thought she’d melt right there.

“Let me put this pocket tiger away and I’ll walk you down. You wanna kiss her?”

“Of course.”

Emma kissed the little black and white head, and Blaze carried Sassy into his room and put her in the bathroom. Once she was a few weeks older, she could stay out, but for now she needed to be confined for her own safety.

Blaze returned with a smile, her big strong warrior man who kissed kittens and made her body sing with a touch. He made her tingle, and he wasn’t even touching her.

“Ready?”

“Yep.”

He took her hand and led her downstairs, pressing her against the wall beside the door to the practice for a long minute as he framed her face in his hands and kissed her again, his tongue delving into her mouth and making her ache.

“I’ll be back around four, and then I’m gonna take you upstairs, strip you naked, and make you scream my name at least three times before I take you to dinner. Sound good?”

Anticipation snaked down her spine and sizzled into her core. “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither.”