Chapter 8 #2
I go still. "What did you hear?" I already know, but it’s best to hear it from her own perspective.
"Oh, just that horrible man was at the diner yesterday, fishing for information.
Wanted to know where she lived, whether her boyfriend was real.
" Lottie sniffs. "I told Riley, you know, the new girl in town who moved here last month, anyway, that’s not important.
But I told her not to tell him a damn thing, of course. We take care of our own in this town."
"Thank you, Lottie," I say. "That helps more than you know."
"Well, you're the one protecting her." She pats my arm. "We're just backing you up. That's what our community does."
After she leaves—with a promise to "let you two get back to whatever you were doing" that makes Steph's face turn red—I lock the door and turn back to face her.
"Where were we?" I ask.
She crosses her arms, and I can see her pulling back, second-guessing. "Kevin, maybe we should—"
My phone rings again.
This time it's the chief.
"Dawes, I need you to come in," he says without preamble. "Elliott's lawyer is here, and he's making noise about a lawsuit. Claims you used excessive force during the arrest."
Of course he is.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes," I say.
When I hang up, Steph is watching me with worried eyes.
"You have to go?"
"Yeah." I grab my jacket. "But I'm not leaving you here alone. You're coming with me."
"Kevin—"
"Non-negotiable," I say firmly. "Elliott's out there asking questions, and I'm not taking chances. You're staying where I can see you."
She opens her mouth to argue, but closes it and nods. "Okay."
***
The police station is as tense as I expected.
Elliott's lawyer—some slick guy in a suit that costs more than my truck—is already in the chief's office making his case. Through the window, I can see Elliott sitting in a chair, looking smug.
My hands curl into fists.
"Easy," Troy murmurs from beside me. He showed up five minutes after I texted him, standing as backup and to get Steph out of here if need be. "Don't give him ammunition."
"He grabbed her," I say through gritted teeth. "I witnessed it. There's nothing excessive about what I did."
"I know that. You know that. The chief knows that." Troy claps me on the shoulder. "Let the lawyer blow hot air. Your report is solid."
The chief calls me in, and I spend the next hour walking through every detail of the arrest. The lawyer tries to poke holes—suggests I was off duty and had no authority, implies my "relationship" with Steph compromised my judgment, argues that Elliott barely touched her and I overreacted.
I stay calm. Professional. Recite the facts with the precision I learned in the military.
When I walk out, Elliott's smirk has faded.
"This isn't over," the lawyer says as they leave. "My client has resources. Connections."
"So do I," I say quietly. "And mine actually give a damn about justice."
Elliott's eyes narrow. "You think you can protect her forever? You think a fake relationship is going to keep me away?"
Every muscle in my body goes tight.
"It's not fake," I say, my voice deadly calm. "And you're going to learn real fast what happens to men who touch what's mine."
"Is that a threat, Officer?"
"It's a promise." I step closer, lowering my voice so only he can hear.
"You violated the restraining order by asking about her around town.
You're harassing her. And I will make sure you pay for every single second of fear you've caused her.
Your money doesn't scare me. Your connections don't scare me.
Because I'm not backing down. Not now. Not ever. "
His face goes pale.
Good.
"Let's go," his lawyer says, pulling him toward the door.
When they're gone, I let out a breath and lean against the wall.
Troy appears beside me. "That was either really smart or really stupid."
"Probably both."
"He's scared now, though. You saw it."
"Yeah." But scared men are dangerous. Unpredictable.
Steph’s in the break room. I asked her to wait there for me so she wouldn’t get close to Elliot, and the worry in her eyes when she sees me makes my chest tight.
"How did it go?" she asks.
"Fine. The lawyer's full of hot air." I reach for her hand without thinking. "Let's get out of here."
In the truck, she's quiet for a long time as I drive back to her place.
"What are you thinking?" I ask.
"That Elliott's not going to stop," she says quietly. "Not until he gets what he wants or someone makes him."
"I'm going to make him."
She looks at me. "How?"
"However I have to." I glance over at her. "I meant what I said back there, Steph. You're mine to protect. And I'm not letting him hurt you again."
"Kevin—"
"I know it started as fake," I interrupt. "I know you said it because you were scared and needed an out. But it's not fake anymore. Not for me. And not for you. We already cleared that up.”
She's quiet for so long I think maybe I've pushed too hard.
Then she says, "You're right. It's not fake." She turns to face me. "I'm falling for you, Kevin. I've been falling for you for months. And that terrifies me more than Elliott ever could."
I pull the truck over to the side of the road and turn to face her.
"Say that again," I say roughly.
"I'm falling for you."
I reach for her, cupping her face in both hands. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that."
"Kevin—"
I kiss her.
Months of waiting and wanting and holding myself back, I kiss her.
It's gentle at first—careful, asking permission. But then she makes a small sound in the back of her throat, and her hands fist in my shirt, and careful goes out the window.
I angle her head and deepen the kiss, tasting her, learning her, pouring months of wanting into the way my mouth moves against hers. She kisses me back like she's drowning and I'm air, and when we break apart, we're both breathing hard.
"That," I say, "was real."
"Yeah," she whispers. "It was."
I rest my forehead against hers, trying to get my racing heart under control.
"We should get home," she says after a moment.
Home. Not my home. But home. As in ours.
"Yeah," I say. "We should."
But I kiss her again first, because now that I've started, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stop.
And from the way she kisses me back, I don't think she wants me to.