Chapter 13
Claire
I locked my cabin, and I was heading toward my car when I noticed Asher walking down the path to his. Perfect timing. There was no pretending I didn’t see him, with our gazes locked and his jaw twitching. His eyes swept over me once.
His shoulders squared almost instantly. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
I kept walking toward him anyway.
“Where are you headed?” he asked.
His voice was calm but firm. The same tone he used with seasonal workers when something wasn’t safe.
I crossed my arms instinctively. “Out.”
His gaze dropped briefly to the black jeans I was wearing and the black tank top before looking up at my hair. I had dolled myself up on purpose, which may not have been a smart move, but I knew Nico was a couple of years older than me, and I knew I had curves that could drive a man crazy.
“Out where?” Asher asked with concern.
“That’s not really your business,” I said, as if he wasn’t aware.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice instead of raising it. “It is if you’re walking off my property at night dressed like that,” he said. “So let’s try again.”
I hesitated, but the look on his face said he wasn’t backing down, so I gave in. “I’m going into town.”
“For?” he continued. Damn, he was stubborn.
I exhaled. “To see Nico.”
His expression hardened instantly. “That’s a terrible idea,” he said quietly.
“It’s just a conversation, Asher. It’ll be fine,” I assured.
“It won’t be,” he replied.
“You don’t know that,” I snapped, a little annoyed.
“I do,” he replied calmly.
He moved closer, not crowding me, just making sure I understood he was serious.
“Nico isn’t some guy who owns a bar,” he said. “He doesn’t meet women at night to have friendly chats.”
“I can handle myself.” I straightened my shoulders.
“I don’t doubt that,” he answered immediately. “But this isn’t about whether you’re capable. It’s about whether it’s smart.”
“I need answers,” I said softly.
His jaw tightened. “I get that,” he said. “I really do. But you walking in there alone? That’s not the way.”
“You can’t come with me,” I pointed out. “If you’re there, he won’t talk.”
He paused. “I could wait outside.”
“Look, I appreciate the concern, but a guy like that will know if I have someone waiting on me outside. I have a plan. You don’t need to worry,” I said.
“Be careful and text me when you get back,” he exhaled.
I looked at him for a second longer. I almost smiled. “Okay, Dad.”
This time his mouth twitched slightly.
“Very funny,” he said. Then his expression sobered again. “If anything feels off, you walk out. I don’t care if you don’t get answers.”
I nodded.
His eyes searched mine like he was trying to decide if he trusted me. “I mean it,” he said.
“I know.”
For a second, neither of us spoke, as his gaze raked over me. For some reason the dark look in his eyes felt dangerous. Like he liked what he saw.
“You look...” He stopped himself.
“What?” I swallowed. I almost threw myself at him the night before. Being this close to him was risky. I had never felt so attracted to someone before.
He shook his head once. “You look like you’re walking into something you shouldn’t have to.”
That wasn’t what I expected.
“I’ll be careful,” I promised again.
He stepped aside but didn’t move away completely.
“I’ll keep my phone on,” he said.
I walked past him, aware of the way his presence lingered behind me.
The drive into town unsettled me now. He was right.
This wasn’t smart. But it was necessary.
I parked a block from the snooker bar Kammy mentioned.
Checked my reflection in the mirror. The curls softened my face.
The black tank made me look more confident than I felt.
You can do this. Walk in. Order a drink. Ask for Nico. Stay calm.
If he doesn’t talk, I leave. If something feels wrong, I leave. I had a plan in place.
The bar was dim and loud enough to swallow nerves. I walked to the counter like I belonged there.
“Vodka soda,” I said.
The bartender gave me a quick look before pouring it. I took one sip and leaned slightly against the bar.
“Is Nico here?” I asked casually.
Before the bartender could answer, a voice behind me did. “I prefer when people ask me directly.”
My pulse tripped. I turned slowly. And there he was.
Nico Mercier, only he wasn’t what I was expecting.
I had seen him before. The night Sophie left and never returned.
He was there at the meeting point. I didn’t know his name that night.
He was tall, with dark hair and green eyes.
He was attractive, even if there was something dangerous about him.
Harmony said she had dated him, and I could see why.
Recognition flickered across his face. “I don’t forget a pretty face,” he said smoothly.
My stomach dropped. He remembered me. Which meant he remembered that night. I forced myself to hold his gaze.
“It’s been years,” I said carefully. “I was hoping you’d remember my best friend.”
And suddenly this didn’t feel like the plan anymore. Nico held my gaze for a moment longer before nodding toward the back.
“Come,” he said. “We’ll talk somewhere quieter.”
My stomach tightened. The bar suddenly felt safer than wherever he was leading me. He must have seen it on my face because his mouth curved slightly.
“I don’t bite,” he said. “Despite what people think.”
That didn’t make me feel any better. But I followed him anyway. The hallway was narrow and dim. My heels sounded too loud against the floor. He opened a door and stepped aside. Inside was a small back room. A large round table with many chairs and no windows.
He took the seat facing the door.
“Sit,” he said firmly but not completely domineering either.
I hesitated only a second before lowering myself into the chair across from him. He leaned back slightly, studying me.
“You’re nervous,” he stated.
“I’m not used to being in a backroom with a guy I don’t know,” I admitted.
He gave a short exhale that almost sounded amused.
“Despite the rumors, I’m not a bad guy,” he said. “I have a mother. A sister. I respect women.”
That caught me off guard. I forced myself to focus.
“Sophie was my best friend,” I began. “She was—”
Nico inhaled sharply. It sounded like a hiss. Regret flashed across his face. “We never helped people that young across before. We also never agreed to take a Canadian. She was the only one. You saw the group that night.”
My chest tightened. I nodded. I saw. They were mostly illegal immigrants who were older.
“I told my boss it was a bad idea,” he said, not mentioning the name Marcel Bellerose. “He had a soft spot for the mom,” Nico continued. “Said he needed to help her escape a bad man.”
The irony sent something cold through me. My throat felt dry.
“I’m working on my master’s degree in criminology,” I said, because suddenly I needed to ground myself in something solid.
His eyes flicked over me again. “Beautiful and smart,” he murmured.
I ignored that.
“What happened to her?” I asked. “To Sophie.”
He leaned forward slightly. “Some things,” he said quietly, “are better not to have answers to.”
“I disagree,” I answered, holding my ground. He had the answers I needed. Did he murder her? He didn’t seem like a killer. His comment about his mom and sister seemed sincere, or maybe he was a convincing liar.
His jaw tightened. “You don’t understand what you’re digging into.”
“I understand more than you think,” I said. “Her father finally caught up to her mom.”
Nico went still.
“He killed her,” I stated.
Something changed in his face. His fingers curled slightly on the table.
“I know what that can be like,” he said after a beat. “My dad wasn’t a good man. My mom kicked him out.” He looked away briefly. “That’s how I got into this line of work. To make sure my mom and sister never had to rely on anyone like him.”
For a second, he didn’t look like a crime boss. He looked like someone who had survived something dark. It made me think of all the criminals I studied. Were they just good people put into bad circumstances?
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
He didn’t answer.
“My life’s been on hold,” I continued. “I need to know what happened to her. I need to give her justice.”
Something flickered across his face. He straightened abruptly. “You should leave.”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“You shouldn’t come looking for me again,” he said, shutting down.
“I’m not done—”
“Yes, you are.” He raised his voice just enough to make me jump. “I’m serious,” he said. “Go home.”
The sudden sharpness startled me. My chair scraped loudly as I stood. He didn’t move to stop me. He just watched. And for the first time since I walked in, I felt truly scared. I didn’t look back as I left the room and walked straight out of the bar to my car. Everything inside me was shaking.
The rain started as a drizzle while I drove.
By the time I reached the outskirts of Maple Valley, it was pouring.
Thunder cracked across the sky so loudly it made me flinch.
Lightning split the clouds in violent flashes.
My hands shook on the steering wheel. We never helped people that young across before.
The words replayed over and over. Nico saw it as helping, so did his boss.
Would they help only to murder her? If it wasn’t either of them, then who was it?
There was an old, creepy-looking guy. There were the other people trying to make it across.
Why would one of them decide to murder someone along the way?
It must have been easy to hide a body out there.