Chapter 42
Mace
T he noise of tools clanking rings in my ears. I step away from the truck I’ve been working on to grab a rag from the bench and wipe my hands.
Behind me, Rob and Jason are training the new hire while Isaac is out for the day.
An exasperated sigh bursts out of me. I hope to get back to painting soon. I prefer the sound of music blasting my eardrums.
My attention is drawn across the garage’s workshop by a familiar female laugh that warms my heart.
I drop the rag and look through the glass at Em, leaning against the counter as she talks to the customer whose paint job I finished yesterday. She’s still shadowing Tatum, but she quit her job at the diner and will take over sales full time next month.
A genuine smile curls the corner of my mouth. I haven’t had a blackout in weeks, and I have a feeling they’re gone for good.
She really does keep my demons at bay .
My eyes flick toward the TV mounted on the wall across from me. They’re showing a follow-up on the strangler case.
My smile falls. My chest clenches.
Em told the cops everything about Ash, from him breaking into her apartment to his confession of killing Vince and strangling the girls before attempting to do the same to her.
They were able to match his DNA to the samples found under the two victims’ nails, and the case was officially closed without any further investigation into me…
…the only other guy with the same DNA.
If I have to guess, the police were happy to put an end to it to save face in front of the media after being criticized for their competence from the get-go.
I feel another twinge when the news channel pulls up the pictures of the females. I recognize their faces. I knew them both.
The cops never questioned Emily’s statement…
My head snaps around. The door to the shop swings open, and she strolls in with the customer in tow.
The muscles in my body relax as my eyes rivet to my baby girl.
My beacon. She never asked me why I happened to drop in that night.
Maybe she doesn’t want to know. The truth is, I have no answer for that.
Her helmet was strapped to my bike, but I don’t remember the ride to her place in the storm at all.
My mind pulled out of the darkness the moment I heard her scream through the open window. Then I saw the Impala out front.
I hand the customer the keys to his bike, then show him out through the garage. When I come back, Em’s arms are crossed in front of her chest, a hand clasping her throat as she stares up at the news report.
I know she’s thinking about him. Thinking about how easily she could’ve ended up on that news report.
The channel’s footage switches in my periphery as I stare at her.
I catch the anchor’s voice mentioning a familiar name.
“The body of Alex Bates, a missing local man, was fished out of the lake this morning. Cause of death: a gunshot to the head,” the female chimes without an inkling of empathy.
“He is presumed to be a victim of the ongoing turf war between the leaders of Castle’s underground syndicate.
Bates was believed to have gone into hiding after agreeing to testify against Luca DeMarco, one of the ruthless leaders rumored to be running the city’s illegal businesses.
The FBI has been hunting him for years without gathering enough evidence to charge him. ”
My spine stiffens a little. I expect Emily to react to DeMarco’s name after Ash’s confession, but she doesn’t. Her eyes swing around to me, and her lips twist as she changes the topic. “Are you still okay with going tomorrow?”
We’re driving back to her hometown for her birthday. She wants me to meet her family.
“I’m looking forward to it,” I assure her, although I haven’t decided what to tell them about myself.
Ash’s last comment rings on in my mind. Yes, I’d been willing to give her to my brother to reel her in, but I knew she’d be mine in the end.
“I bet you’re wondering if I’ll still let you choke me now,” she says, the words chased by a light laugh .
I step into her. Winding my arms around her waist to pull her close, I drop my forehead on hers.
“I will, though.” She stares up at me through her lashes, her hands warm on my chest. “I trust you, Mason. You know when to stop.”
I press a kiss to her cheek and sink fully into our embrace. It took some practice, but I nailed it with her. Emily is the one who came back to me. She saved me in more ways than she knows.