Chapter Thirty
“I don’t want you to leave again,” Sophia whines, running her fingers along my arms.
“Neither do I. But until Stone gets back from leave, I have to. It sucks.” I pull her in tight, hugging her.
“Do you have your cooler?” she asks, peeking into my cruiser.
She’s been packing me meals for my shifts since she’s been home more often. There’s only so many romcoms a girl can watch, is what she told me when I told her that she didn’t have to make my lunches… and dinners… and breakfasts.
“I do. I’m excited to see what’s in it today.” Leaning down to capture her lips with mine, I push her back against the cruiser.
“This is dirty play, Officer Keaton,” she mumbles over our lips.
“Just making sure you’ll miss me.” I chuckle.
“There is a one hundred percent chance that will happen. You’re way more fun than anyone else. And you’re the only one who can give orgasms.” She pouts.
“Well, I can always give it a go. I mean, I might be pregnant, but Liam has taught me a thing or two,” Violet says walking up to us in the garage.
“No thank you. I’ll be the only one providing that service.” I glare at my sister-in-law.
“So possessive, Wy. I’m pretty sure I’m already attached.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m going inside. I need to pee.”
Violet’s belly has really started popping, and she rubs it on her way by us.
“I can’t wait for my niece or nephew to get here,” I say to Sophia once we’re alone again.
“Really? Have you… ever thought about having kids one day?”
“Yeah. I mean, I definitely think about having them with you.” My hands find her taut stomach under the tee she’s wearing, the one she stole from my closet. “One day, this belly will swell with our baby, and I’ll be the happiest fucker alive.”
Kissing the tip of her nose, I spin us around so I can climb in the driver’s seat. I never used to dread going to work, but since Sophia, there’s more to my life than just the job and stopping at the inn for food.
She has the biggest smile on her face when I turn to face her from the window. “Is that something you want one day, Goddess?”
“I think it might be.” Leaning on her tiptoes, she reaches in the window to kiss me goodbye.
Looking at the clock, the time makes me panic. “Okay, I’m going to be late, and I’ve never been late. I love you so much, Goddess.”
She steps back from the cruiser. “I love you, Officer Keaton. Stay safe out there.” Blowing me a kiss, her hand lands on the doorknob to go back inside.
I blow one back as I back out of the driveway. If only people could see me now, blowing kisses from my cruiser to a woman wearing my tee and living in my house. Not exactly the playboy rep they all expect from me, is it?
Sophia makes me want more. For the first time since Melissa, I can see my life with someone else. Only this time I want it. And not because it seems like the right thing to do. Because I actually can’t see myself living without her. I was a shell of a man before her.
Chief: Just got a call from Officer Stoll. Go straight to Hemlock Cove PD.
Me: You got it.
At least he won’t know I’m late now. I can blame it on traffic instead of kissing my girl.
Evander Stoll HCPD: Hey, meet me at Granger’s.
Me: Okay. On my way now.
Shit. I wonder if Kane knows what’s going on with his brother.
“Call Kane Pierson,” I tell my car.
The phone rings twice before he answers. “Hey, Bud. What’s going on?”
“I was just about to ask you that. Got a call from Evander, wants me to come meet him at your shop with Granger. Any ideas of what I’m walking into?” I turn onto the main highway, hoping to get there a little faster.
“Yeah, he texted me this morning. Someone’s been fucking with our traps. I didn’t think it was serious though. I’ll call him now.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be there soon enough. Don’t want Evander to think I’m gossiping. Just wondering if you knew.” Setting my cruise control, I’m happy that rush hour hasn’t started yet.
“Keep me posted. I’m sure it’s just some kids. They might be cautious right now considering everything else.”
“You’re right. I’ll let you know.”
We hang up, and I spend the rest of the drive listening to the radio and daydreaming about the future I want with Sophia.
When I finally pull into the Pierson Brothers Fishing parking lot, I see Granger running his hands through his hair, and the man looks like he’s lived seven lives this morning alone.
I can already tell this is more than just some kids messing with shit.
“Hey, boys,” I say, walking up to them on the dock.
“Officer Keaton, thanks for coming,” Evander says.
“Of course, what do you guys have for me?”
Granger and Evander walk over toward the boat, motioning for me to follow them.
“All the buoys are destroyed. Spray painted for marking. I pulled up all the traps immediately and found some packages inside.” Granger points to a pile of buoys, all marked with a hot pink X.
“I cut one open, and it popped for heroin immediately on the strip.” He shows me the strip. “I had one of my officers come grab the packages so they could get them tested at the lab for sure.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Do you have any idea who it could be?” I ask.
“We have a few. There’s been a lot of illegal trapping out here as well,” Evander starts. “We’ve been following—”
He gets cut off by my phone ringing. “Sorry, it’s my chief.”
“Hey, Chief,” I say as I take the call.
“Keaton. We have a problem here.”
“What happened?” My immediate concern is something with Sophia.
“I’m sending you a picture now. It was just done. I can’t figure out who or how, but Kane is on his way.”
A photo comes through, showing the sign in front of our police department.
You can’t stop me. You can’t hide her. I will make the dead rise again, only to make them fall for good.
“Shit. Who’s on the way to my house? That’s a direct threat.”
Granger and Evander give me questioning looks as I start to pace the dock.
“You. I don’t trust anyone in the building right now, because I don’t know how this happened. I’m waiting for Kane. I need you back here ASAP.”
“Okay. On my way.” I hang up without waiting for a response. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. Keep me posted on what you find.”
Running to my cruiser, I hop back in and throw on the lights and siren until I make it to the highway. Then I drop the siren but leave my lights on. I will not be leaving Sophia for an hour or more on her own with Violet and Liam.
Me: Sign at the PD was hacked threatening Sophia. How is everything at the house?
Liam: Seems fine to me. I’ll go out and drive around on the four wheeler now to check.
Me: Thanks man, I’m on my way back now. And please don’t tell Sophia. I’ll tell her when I get home.
Liam: You got it. I’ll let you know what I find.
Me: Call Pops. Have him come stay so Violet can leave. I don’t want the girls there anymore. Especially one carrying my niece or nephew.
Liam: Already planned on it.
I approach my exit in half the time, ready to get home. From there, I throw on the sirens again to make it home faster but shut everything off when I get close so that I don’t scare Sophia.
Leaving my cruiser haphazardly in the driveway, I meet Liam by the garage.
“Did you find anything?” I ask him.
“Nope. All quiet here. Kane called too. None of the sensors have been going off, so if he’s here, he’s not here-here.”
“I guess that’s good. Did he say anything else?” I pull out my phone, getting ready to call Chief.
“Just to give him a call when you can. He’s still at the station.”
Nodding, I dial Chief’s number.
“Keaton. Are you home?” he answers gruffly.
“Just got here. Liam said there’s been nothing going on here. What did you and Kane find out?”
“That he’s remoting into the system from somewhere. I don’t know how or from where though. So we can’t rule out that he’s here in Balsam Cliffs.”
Running my hand through my hair and pacing back and forth isn’t helping to settle my nerves.
“I’m going to go in and check on Sophia. What’s our plan?” I ask.
“Kane is going to keep trying to find where he’s coming in from and hoping that it’s not near here. But we have to be careful. He very well could be operating from one of the old hunting cabins near your property. I think we should check those out. I’ll call Old Man Robinson to get permission.”
“Sounds good. Let me know, and I’ll be here to go with you.
Do you think we should bring someone else in?
I don’t really trust Adam yet to bring him into this.
” I’d never thought about it until now, but Adam transferred into the department right before Sophia showed up, and he has had an uncanny infatuation with me and the systems we use to keep the town running.
If you add to that his dating Tiff? Nope, don’t trust it.
“Now that I think about it, it’s suspicious that he got transferred here around the same time, Chief.”
“Let’s call in Stoll. For all we know, the drugs and Hugh Chiave are connected.”
I nod my head before realizing he can’t see me processing the situation. “Yeah, sounds good. I’ll be here when you two are ready.”
“Yup. I’ll let ya know.”
Clicking my phone off, I slip it back into my pocket and head inside to find Sophia sitting on the couch with Dad, looking at old photo albums and giggling.
“Hey, son.”
“Hey, Pops. Thanks for coming by.” I hug him when he stands and comes over to me.
“Of course. Call me when you need me. I’m going out to talk to Liam.” He slips on his shoes and goes out the door.
“What are you doing back already?” Sophia looks up at me from her spot on the couch.
“We need to talk.” Slipping off my boots, I sit next to her and pull her into my lap.
“He did something else didn’t he?” Her face drops. “He’s the reason Violet had to leave because he’s close.”
None of that is a question from her. Just her life continued.
“We don’t know where he is. We sent Violet home out of precaution. But he hacked into the department’s signage.”
She breathes in a heavy sigh. “What did he say this time?”