Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
COOPER
Istormed into the familiar kitschy office the next morning with fury spitting from my eyes. Maya was sitting behind her desk, jerking to attention when I made a beeline toward her.
She stood, her dark eyes widening, yet still maintaining her poise. “Officer. How can I help you this morning?”
“No bullshit, Maya.” I stopped in front of her desk and leaned forward on my hands. “Are you fucking with Abigail?”
Maya smirked as she smoothed out her long raven hair. “No. But I can see that you are.”
My fist slammed down on the desk, making her flinch. “Did you leave a dead bird on her doorstep yesterday?”
“You’re joking, right?” The smirk was followed by a bark of laughter. “Oh, lover. You think I’m capable of doing such a thing?”
“Stop it with the ridiculous pet names.”
“Touchy today.” She tapped a burgundy-tipped finger to her chin. “Apologies. I forgot you’ve already moved on to your next damsel in distress.”
I flew behind the desk, halting only inches from her face. I was in no mood for her games or manipulation tactics and only wanted answers. “Someone left a bird on Abby’s doorstep. There was a knife stabbed through its chest.”
“Charming.”
“Was it you?” I pressed. “You’re one of the only people with inside knowledge into her case.”
Maya fell silent—for dramatic effect, surely. Sighing, she lifted a hand to my shirt collar, but I caught her wrist before she made contact.
She smiled up at me. “I’d like to speak to my lawyer.”
Dropping her arm, I stepped back. “You’re a piece of work, you know that?”
More laughter spilled from her ruby lips. “Oh, Cooper. You flatter me,” she said. “You really think I’d leave a disgusting carcass on that woman’s front stoop? I fainted every time Izzy brought me a dead squirrel as a present.”
My shoulders sagged as my stance slackened. I scratched my jaw, closing my eyes, my instincts telling me that it wasn’t Maya.
“She misses you, by the way,” she said.
I tried not to let any emotion slip through, but I was positive the look in my eyes betrayed me.
Izzy had been our dog, a border collie mix.
Maya had taken the animal in the divorce settlement, knowing it would crush me.
I loved that damn dog so much, I’d even named my boat after her.
“How is she?” I asked, staring down at my shoes.
Maya’s gimmicks fell away for a beat as she softened. “Still bringing me squirrels every now and then.”
We stood there in silence, both reflecting on another life; a life I was grateful to be done with. I glanced back up at Maya, who was studying me with crossed arms and an arched brow. I wondered what I’d ever seen in her. She was beautiful, yes, but her heart was anything but.
“Tell Abigail to come see me again,” Maya muttered. “I miss our talks.”
That was my cue.
I stepped backward, my eyes narrowing with contempt. “Stay away from Abby. I mean it.”
Storming out of the office, I slammed the door behind me, severing whatever snippy comeback she’d planned to say.
As I made my way out to the parking lot, my phone buzzed from my back pocket. James’ name flashed across the screen as I pulled it out. “McAllister,” I answered.
“Hey. I went through those records,” James said on the other line. “And there’s something very interesting,”
My gait slowed. I came to a stop in the middle of the lot, my stomach pitching. “How interesting?”
“Withdrawals,” James replied. “Ten-thousand dollars taken out every single month like clockwork. Goes back pretty far.”
“Paper trail?”
“Cashier’s checks.”
Of course—nothing could ever be easy.
“Shit,” I muttered, flicking a hand through my hair and letting out a breath of frustration. “Anything else?”
“Nope. No other red flags that I saw.”
“Thanks, Walker. I’m on my way to the station now.”
James paused. “What’s your angle?”
I resumed my pace, opening my car door and hopping inside. “I don’t have a goddamn clue,” I admitted. “But I’ll take anything I can get right now.”
Abby
I raced to the front door later that evening when I heard the knock. My heart skipped upon seeing Cooper standing on the other side of the threshold. “You’re back,” I said, a smile beaming.
He’d texted me earlier while I was still asleep, telling me he’d needed to head into work and that he’d return after his shift.
Officer Kravitz had been parked out front all day, watching over me.
I was grateful for the extra pair of eyes while there was a creep out there leaving me morbid gift baskets, but it wasn’t quite the same as when Cooper McAllister kept watch.
“Miss me?” he greeted, eyes sparkling.
His smile matched my own, and I felt a twinge of heat swell in my belly and travel south. I gulped and stepped aside, allowing him entry. “Cupcake missed you the most, it seems.”
The cat was spiraling around each ankle as soon as his feet hit the welcome mat. Cooper chuckled. “Such a warm welcome.”
I flashed back to the night before when I’d fallen asleep against his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I’d awoken at sunrise to find Cooper still lying beside me, his arm partially draped over my hip.
Instinct had me inching my way toward him, cocooning myself in his arms. He’d stirred, but only to tighten his grip around my waist. The memory sent tingles through me.
I’d been disappointed to wake up a few hours later to his absence, but had been elated to see that he’d be returning later.
Cooper walked inside, his attention panning back to me. “Do I smell food?”
“Yep. I made enchiladas. Hopefully, you like Mexican food.”
He paused to study me beneath my brand-new light fixture, and a fleeting look skated across his face. “You didn’t have to cook for me. I would have been happy raiding your pantry for munchies later.”
I grinned. “You still can. I was thinking another marathon of ‘The Office?’”
“Wait, dinner and a show? Are you trying to seduce me?”
I had a witty comeback on the tip of my tongue right before that tongue tied into knots.
Stupid tongue. Then I started thinking about Cooper’s tongue.
Specifically, his tongue doing things to my tongue.
My cheeks heated. “Is it working?” I squeaked out.
It was supposed to be a joke, but it sure as hell sounded like a come-on.
Cooper leaned in ever so slightly. His hazel eyes flickered with greens and golds, his lips curling into a half-smile. “Think so.”
The blush in my cheeks shot all the way down to my toes.
Why were all the lights in my house suddenly blazing with hellfire?
What was the damn wattage of the bulbs?
I brought a hand to my chest to hide the pink splotches I was certain were dappling my skin like a sudden rash. “Wine,” I blurted out. “I have wine. Do you want wine?” I decided not to wait for his response and bolted into the kitchen.
He slid up behind me as I reached for the bottle. “I probably shouldn’t.”
Popping out the cork, I turned to face him. “In case the creepy bird killer shows up?”
That was understandable.
“Yeah. That, and…” Cooper trailed off, his eyes hooded as they held with mine. “I don’t exactly trust myself around you when I’m drinking.”
My balance teetered.
I parked a hip against the counter, my hand squeezing the corkscrew like it was the holy grail.
“Enchiladas, huh? Smells amazing.” Cooper changed the subject, an attempt to ease the tension.
Unfortunately, the throbbing tension between my thighs did not ease.
I spun back around, breaking eye contact, and pulled plates out of the kitchen cabinet. Then I rummaged through my silverware drawer for forks and busied myself with mundane tasks until my body temperature decreased and my heart rate slowed.
Cooper settled in at the kitchen table, leaning back in the chair and watching as I distributed the enchiladas onto our respective plates. “I haven’t had any authentic Abigail Stone cooking yet,” he noted with a smile.
I carried the plates to the table and took a seat across from him. “My grandmother and I would cook all the time. Monday nights were Mexican night.”
“It sounds like you two were really close.”
Nodding, I dug my fork into the mole-doused tortillas. “She was all I had for a long time. Nana was fiercely protective of me, but she also taught me how to be independent. She knew she couldn’t be with me forever. I owe her a lot.”
Cooper maintained eye contact as he took a bite. A grin swelled. “Damn. That’s good.”
“Thanks,” I replied through my own smile, ducking my head. “I think it’s the entire reason Daphne offered me a place to stay. She knew I’d do most of the cooking.”
“She’s smarter than I give her credit for.”
Giggling, I took another bite. “Can I get you anything?”
Water? Napkins? A kiss?
He shook his head, his gaze still fixed on me. The look in his eyes had me shoveling more food into my mouth to keep it from spouting off embarrassing demands involving kissing.
He’d been wearing that same look all night, ever since he’d walked through my front door.
Whew.
After we finished eating, I poured myself a glass of wine and we ventured into the living room to relax.
I turned on the television, proud that I’d managed to use the remote correctly, considering I could hardly concentrate on pushing proper buttons when Cooper was sitting so close that our arms were touching.
I swallowed. “Are you staying the night again?”
Cooper glanced at me, pulling his foot up onto his opposite knee. “If you want me to, yeah.”
I pressed closer to him, my body having little regard for what my mind was telling me. Though, to be fair, my mind had basically gone numb the moment his thigh had smashed up against my own. I’d even turned on a foreign movie with subtitles by mistake.
Oops.
Mayday, mayday!