Mine to Hold

Chapter 3

Rumor glanced out the window. It had been a while since the man and woman had been fighting in the parking lot. She’d tried not to look at them as she scurried from her car to the front door. After all these years, she knew better than to insert herself into other people’s business.

She let out a sigh and leaned back, lifting her book. She needed to get the fuck out of this part of town. The one thing she was tired of was living in hellholes.

And she needed to be careful with her suitcase full of cash. She knew it was stupid. And some of that money she’d earned.

But the majority of it was stolen.

From a drug dealer.

Knock. Knock.

Rumor jerked at the sound. She checked the time. It was only eight, so not late, but who the hell would be paying her a visit?

She jumped off the sofa and raced to the door, looking through the peephole.

A fucking cop?

What the hell?

Her heart hammered in her chest. For the last fifteen years, she’d managed to stay clear of all law enforcement. She’d never gotten a ticket of any kind. She’d kept herself out of trouble at all costs.

Tentatively, she opened the door. “Um, hello,” she said, noticing two police cars, a fire truck, the medical examiner’s vehicle, and an ambulance in front of the motel across the street.

She had to get out of this neighborhood.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am. I’m Deputy Chris Manzo with the Lighthouse Cove Police Department. I’m checking with all the neighbors in the area to find out if they heard or saw anything disturbing across the street in the last couple of hours.”

The last thing Rumor wanted to do was get involved in a police investigation of any kind. But she didn’t want to lie either. That would get her in hot water in a different way.

“I wouldn’t say it was disturbing, but I did see a woman and a man fighting in the parking lot when I came home. I didn’t pay too much attention to it because it didn’t look troubling.”

“Can you give me a description of the woman?”

“She had long dark hair, pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing shorts and T-shirt. But that’s all I remember about her,” Rumor said, gripping the door.

The deputy glanced over his shoulder. “Could you please come with me and give a statement of what you saw with our detective?”

Shit. God, she wanted to say no. Being a witness to anything would be a bad idea. But what could she do? “Sure. Can I go get my shoes?”

“Why don’t you wait right here and I’ll send Detective Kirby over.”

Fucking wonderful. One of the Kirby brothers. Just what she needed.

“Okay,” she said.

She watched as Deputy Manzo strolled across the street while she stepped out onto the small porch. She suspected that if Lighthouse Cove had a bad section of town, this would be it.

When she’d booked the short-term rental, she’d found the listing had been shut down on Airbnb and the reviews had made her leery, but she reminded herself that it was temporary, and she’d lived in worse.

The other police officer—the detective—turned.

Her breath flew from her lungs like an eagle taking flight.

Emmerson. With two M’s.

Hot. Sexy. Made her loose in the lips.

Emmerson.

At least it was a familiar face. Not that his brothers weren’t, but she had a better sense of who Emmerson was and how he might treat her, or at least she hoped.

Emmerson glanced both ways before crossing the street. He waved and gave her a half smile. “Hey.” He jogged up the steps. “My deputy tells me you saw a man and a woman arguing in the parking lot?”

She nodded.

“Unfortunately, the description you gave of the woman matches that of the girl who was found murdered in one of the rooms,” he said.

She gasped, covering her mouth and stumbling backward.

Tony… murder… dead body… police… the past she’d run from? The past she’d done her best to bury had reached out, grabbed her ankle, and now she was face down on the floorboards.

In a flash, Lighthouse Cove had lost its allure.

Emmerson inched closer. He rested his strong hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I should have been more tactful in how I said that. I don’t mean to scare you.”

“No. It’s okay. I’m just in shock. I mean, I didn’t think too much about people having a heated discussion in a parking lot. It happens and it’s not my business.”

“I know this is difficult, but can you tell me what you saw? What you heard?”

“I didn’t really hear anything. Just raised voices.”

“All right.” Emmerson looped his fingers into his belt and took a cop stance, making her want to run. And run fast. “Did either one seem more aggressive than the other? Were you concerned for your safety? Or either of theirs?”

“I honestly didn’t stand around and watch,” Rumor said. “I got out of my car and heard a man’s voice, so I looked across the street. He was kind of in her face, and she waved her hands frantically. I scurried up the steps, shut my door, and took a shower. I didn’t hear or see anything else.”

“What did this man look like? What was he wearing?” Emmerson jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Did you notice any other vehicles in the parking lot other than the ones there now?”

She blew out a puff of air. “Um. He was youngish. Maybe thirty something. Blond hair, cut short. I think he was wearing jeans and a dark shirt, but I can’t be sure and I have no idea about the cars.”

“Nothing else?”

She shook her head. “Not that I can think of. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. You’ve been incredibly helpful.” He smiled, waving his hand over her pathetic folding chair. “Why don’t you take a seat and hang tight for a few minutes. I need to go talk to Chris and handle a few things, and then I’ll be back.”

“I’m tired. I need to get up early.”

“I won’t be too long.” He squeezed her shoulder before turning and racing off across the street.

Wonderful.

She fell back in the rusted old chair with a grunt. She watched as Emmerson chatted with the other cop before turning his attention to the medical examiner who exited the motel room with the gurney.

She swallowed the thick lump in her throat.

The first and last time she saw a dead body was fifteen years ago. A memory that would forever be etched into her psyche, but she wished she could forget. It haunted her daily existence and visited her in her nightmares.

No matter where in the world she ended up, that damn dead body found her.

God, she wished this chair had been a rocker. She crossed and uncrossed her legs a dozen times while she watched Emmerson do cop-like things.

Whatever they were.

The ambulance pulled out of the parking lot, followed the medical examiner, and finally, the fire truck.

All that remained were the two cops.

Emmerson and Deputy Manzo stood in front of the motel for what seemed like a half hour. But since Rumor timed it, she knew it was only eleven minutes. Emmerson pointed to a few things before Manzo ducked under the crime scene tape and disappeared into one of the rooms.

She stood and leaned against the half-rotted railing. On the outside, she knew she appeared calm, but on the inside, she shook like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

He raked his hand across the top of his head. “I had no idea you were staying on this side of town.”

“It was all that was available.”

“What about the bed and breakfast in town?”

“Too expensive,” she said. “My funds are limited.” While she was a proud woman, she had no problem not only being frugal, but admitting that she needed to be. Based on the way his mother lived, she wondered if he could even understand that concept.

“Yeah. I get it. Melinda’s rates can be pricey. Especially this time of year.” He glanced over his shoulder. “In general, most places in Lighthouse Cove are safe, but this area lately has been nothing but trouble. I can’t get into all of it, but my mom is concerned about a drug ring that’s been working the East Coast from Miami all the way to Maryland. I’m wondering if this murder has anything to do with it since we did have a bust here a week ago.” He let out a long breath. “I don’t like you staying here alone.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m used to taking care of myself.” Her first stop in Tennessee had been Memphis. The one thing she’d remembered about her parents had been they were big Elvis fans. They loved music of all kinds, but Elvis was one of their favorites. Visiting Graceland had been one of those things she had to do. The little girl in her hoped she’d run into her parents on the streets of Memphis. The adult knew that was a fantasy. Yet she felt compelled to visit. However, it had to be one of the most dangerous cities she ever set foot in. She stayed in a dumpy motel for three nights. That had been enough. She toured Graceland and moved on to Nashville where she stayed for a couple months and eventually Knoxville.

Now that had been a great place to live.

“Well, I won’t sleep well if you’re staying here tonight. Not when I have a perfectly good pool house waiting for you to rent in a nice neighborhood,” he said. “Besides, I’m sure we can come to an agreement on rent. Why don’t you pack a few things and we can get the rest tomorrow.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “No offense, but I doubt whoever did this will be coming back.”

He tilted his head. “I’ve been a cop for twenty years and one of the biggest things I’ve learned is the perp always comes back to the scene of the crime. They can’t help themselves.” He planted his hands on his hips. “Look. Generally, this is a sleepy little town and murders don’t happen every day. It’s my job to keep people safe.”

“Are you going to ask everyone who lives on this street to come stay at your house?”

“No.” He scratched the back of his head. “But you’ve got another, safer option. In the last two weeks we’ve had a wave of drugs coming through town that has baffled us and now this. Just take what I’m offering. I’ll feel better and you won’t have to deal with this run-down rental anymore.” He held up his hand. “The owner isn’t even supposed to be leasing any rooms in this house. We’ve shut him down twice and come tomorrow, now that I know he’s done it again, you’ll be asked to leave anyway.”

“What? I answered a flyer hanging in?—”

“My point exactly. It wasn’t in the app.” He arched a brow. “This house has code violations with the town that haven’t been fixed. He doesn’t have fire escapes or fire alarms. I’m sure he never fixed the back window and there’s still cardboard covering it.”

She nodded. No point in lying.

“I could go on, listing all the issues, but the owner has been warned numerous times that this house has to be brought up to code before anyone can live in it and he certainly can’t rent it.”

“So, you’re going to strong-arm me into leaving.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact.

“Yes,” he said. “But I’m not doing it because I’m being a dick. I wouldn’t have said anything until tomorrow, except you’re fighting me on this, so I’m driving the point home.”

“No, you’re pushing the weight of your badge in my face and I don’t appreciate it.” She turned on her heel and gripped the door handle. “I’ll need fifteen minutes to collect what I need.”

“I’ll wait.”

“Of course you will.” She stormed into the house and raced up the stairs. She could pack everything she owned in a matter of minutes. She didn’t collect things. All she had was two suitcases that housed her clothes and a backpack for her electronics.

And because this little rental wasn’t a place she planned on calling home for any length of time, she had literally been living out of her suitcases, not bothering to unpack.

She quickly snagged the few things she had in the bathroom, tossing them into her bag.

“Hey, do you need a hand?” Emmerson called.

“If you want to pack the few food items I have in the kitchen, feel free.”

“I think I can handle that.”

As quickly as she could, she finished in the bedroom. She hoisted her backpack over her shoulder and lifted the suitcase with her money and carried it down the steps. “I’ve got one more bag upstairs.”

“Let’s put all this stuff in your car, and then I’ll go get it.” Emmerson stood in the family room holding two bags. “Is there anything else in here that’s yours?”

“Nope. But I’m supposed to clean this place, strip the bed, and take out the trash before I leave, or I’ll get dinged with a cleaning fee.”

“No, you won’t,” he said. “And I’ll make sure you get your rent back. What did you pay for this place?”

“Two fifty for the week.” She followed Emmerson out the door.

He mumbled something under his breath.

“This is me.” She pulled out her key fob and unlocked her vehicle.

“All right. Stay right here. I’ll go get your other bag, and then you can follow me back to my place. We’ll hammer out the lease agreement tomorrow after work.”

“Um, are you good with a three-month rental?”

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine.” He nodded. “Hang tight.”

He raced off down the sidewalk.

She cocked her head. Damn, he had a sexy swagger, even when he was being a total controlling asshole.

But he was right. That house was a shithole. Nothing worked right. The toaster nearly electrocuted her the first time she tried to use it. There was no hot water and when she complained, the asshole who owned the place told her she probably wasn’t turning the knob the right way.

Worse, the water that came out of the faucet was this weird light-brown color. She wasn’t about to drink that shit, so she had to buy bottled.

The air conditioning barely worked, so she’d sweat like crazy at night. Half the time she slept on the sofa downstairs. Emmerson offering to let her go to his place should be seen as a godsend.

But it wasn’t.

Not anymore.

Now she was a potential witness in a murder investigation.

The same exact fucking thing she’d been running from for fifteen years.

Emmerson checked his rearview mirror. Rumor was right on his tail. He tapped his cell, calling his mother. He put the phone on speaker and set it on the cradle on the dash.

This conversation wasn’t going to go well.

“Hey, Emmerson. Is the CSI unit there?” his mother asked. “I’ll be heading out there in twenty.”

“They weren’t there when I left,” he said. “I was told they would be there shortly. Chris is managing things.”

“Why did you leave?”

“That’s an interesting story.” He stopped at the red light in the center of town and flipped on his blinker, heading toward the bridge.

“I’m all ears.”

“Rumor, the girl you hired to work the party, the one you were all hot to fix me up with, well, she was renting the Crawly house.”

“Fuck. That man is going to end up in jail now. How many times is he going to pull this shit? That house is seconds from being condemned,” his mom said. “But what does that have to do with this murder?”

“She witnessed an argument in the parking lot with the victim and a man. But whoever called this in, specifically said the victim was in a screaming match with a woman. There is a slight time difference in this when I put it all together.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rumor came home from your party and saw a man with the victim approximately thirty minutes before the anonymous call came in. Our victim could have had two different fights.”

“That’s certainly possible,” his mother said. “Did she get a good look at this man?”

“Not really, but tomorrow I’ll get a sketch artist to come out and talk with Rumor. I’ve already put a call into the county for that.”

“Okay. Good. But that still doesn’t explain why you left a rookie at the scene to deal with CSI.”

He punched the gas when the arrow turned green. Thankfully, the bridge was down. He drove over the Intracoastal Waterway and made a right turn. His neighborhood was only five minutes away. It was right near the inlet and he had a great view of the boats coming and going to the ocean. “Well, I couldn’t let her stay at Crawly’s. I’ll deal with him as well tomorrow. But for now, Rumor will be renting my pool house.”

“Jesus, Emmerson. She’s a fucking witness now. Are you crazy?”

“I had already offered it to her anyway.”

“So? You could have found something else for her, especially considering she’s now involved in this case.”

Emmerson rolled his eyes. “She saw two people having a disagreement. I’ll get her settled, and then I’m headed back to the motel. I’ll see you there shortly.”

“You haven’t even done a proper background check on this girl.”

He laughed. “Ma, I love you. I’m on it and I’ll talk to you soon.” He tapped the red button and pulled into his driveway, opening the garage. He stepped from the vehicle. “You can park under the carport.” He motioned to the side of the garage.

Rumor nodded and eased her car around the side of the house, popping her trunk.

He pulled out the two suitcases. “Follow me.”

“I’m not sure what I expected, but this is beautiful. How long have you lived here?”

“Two years,” Emmerson said as he strolled around the side of the house. As soon as he passed the main bushes, the lights flicked on. He pushed open the gate to the pool. “All my brothers were either married with kids or getting married and buying places on the water. I guess I got a little jealous and decided to join them. Jameson lives five houses down the street. Nathan and Seth across the water. Rhett lives up the river. By boat it’s about thirty minutes. By car, maybe ten minutes. Emmett and his wife live up the Intracoastal about ten minutes away. Miles is the only one not living on the water. But he’s got the bug.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out the pool house keys. “I’m sorry I can’t show you around, but I do have to get back to the motel.”

“I’ll be fine.”

He pushed open the door. “When I bought this place, the pool house was nothing but a storage room. I finished renovating it a couple of weeks ago.” He turned on the main light. “It’s not much, but like I said, you can use the pool anytime you want. Tomorrow, I’ll help you download the app for the hot tub. I also have a couple of kayaks and paddleboards. Feel free to use those as well.”

“Seriously?”

“There are four of them, and I only need one. However, sometimes Miles comes over and we go out together. And I will warn you that occasionally my brothers and their kids come over.”

“It’s your house.”

He pushed the suitcases to the side. “The television is loaded with all the streaming services.” He pointed to the remote on the coffee table in front of the small white leather sofa that his mom had given him when she’d replaced her sitting room furniture. “The stove is brand new. So is the fridge and microwave.”

“This place is amazing,” she said softly, running her fingers over the side of the couch. “I honestly don’t think I can afford it.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He closed the gap between them but resisted the urge to wrap his arms around Rumor and pull her close. Trust didn’t come easily to Emmerson. Not when it came to women, and Rumor had secrets. He could see that when he looked deep into her eyes. He believed everything she had told him about what she’d seen earlier tonight. He had no doubt about that.

But it triggered something that had caused her to recoil. He sensed a distance that wasn’t there before. While she’d been reserved at his mother’s house, only giving him surface level information, he could understand why. They were just getting to know one another and she was a wanderer. A person who didn’t make lasting connections.

He could relate to that.

The only deep connections he had with anyone were with his family and a few close friends whom he’d known since childhood.

Thanks to Edwina and fucking Tessa, opening his heart to a woman had become impossible.

And yet he wanted Rumor like he hadn’t wanted another woman in years.

However, there was a black shadow that clung to her like thick fog on a stormy night, daring the ships to try to pass.

She was hiding something and he was desperate to know that secret and why she was so compelled to keep it tucked away in a vault.

“I have to be concerned about that because you could get four grand a month for this place just because it’s on the water. I could only swing a grand. That math doesn’t add up.”

“I’ll accept a thousand dollars a month.” He smiled.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Not for me. Not when it’s a three-month lease and I’m doing it as a trial run to see if I even want to continue renting the place. Hell, we can go month to month or even week to week. If you don’t like it here, you can move.”

“Why are you helping me?” she asked, holding his gaze with questioning and untrusting eyes.

He had to ask himself, would he trust the situation? Would he look at himself the same way?

What were his motivations?

He couldn’t honestly answer those questions without looking like an asshole.

The reality was, he wanted her close. He didn’t know why. It was about the craziest thing he’d ever done, outside of moving in with Tessa.

That had been one hell of a mistake.

But Rumor wasn’t Tessa. Rumor was a girl with a shitty past.

Fuck, and a chick with a secret.

He sure knew how to pick them.

“Because I want to and because I can,” he said. “Let me show you how this bed works, and then I really have to go.” He turned and reached for the Murphy bed over the desk. “It’s really simple. All you have to do is pull on the handle and it folds down. The sheets are clean and the pillows are in the drawers in the coffee table.”

“That’s convenient.”

“Here are the keys.” He dangled them in his hands. “Call or text if you need anything or have any questions. I have no idea if I’ll be back before you have to leave for work. If I don’t see you before that, I’ll stop by at the diner,” he said. “Oh, and I do need you to make an official statement and talk to a sketch artist. We’ll set that up tomorrow.”

“Ugh. Do I have to?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Whoever that man was that you saw, we have no idea who he is or where he is. If he killed that girl, he’s still out there, and he’s dangerous. Lock the doors behind me. I have security cameras outside. I’ll be alerted if there is movement.”

“So, you’ll see me coming and going?”

“I’m not going to spy on you.” He arched a brow. “And there are no cameras inside here, so you don’t have to worry about that.” He curled his fingers around her biceps. “You’ll be safe here.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She didn’t jerk away.

But she did tense up.

Damn.