Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
DALLAS
I threw a file folder on the desk and plunked down in the chair across from Cole. Running a hand through my hair, I sighed.
“Well, I think we got as much as we could for now,” I said.
Cole nodded. “Agreed. This guy’s not ready to fold yet, but we’ll get there. Right now, he's busy trying to keep himself out of trouble. You planning on staying through until tomorrow?”
I eyed him, considering his question. The easy answer would be yes.
Yet, I was oddly distracted. The only time I hadn't been distracted was when I was in the interview room. Then my attention was laser focused. At all other times, Audrey kept dancing along the edges of my thoughts. I’d missed her like hell last night.
Staring down into another night without her made me so uncomfortable, I shied away from thinking about it. I looked over at Cole.
“Dunno. Do you think it's necessary?”
Cole looked across at me, his dark gaze assessing. Cole knew me well. We’d worked together for years. I sensed he noticed something was off with me, but he stayed quiet.
“I don't think it's necessary. I'd say you probably still need that vacation,” he finally replied.
“Why do you say that?” I asked, feeling slightly defensive.
I rolled my head from side to side, attempting to ease the tension bundled in my neck and shoulders.
“You seem a little off that's all. Everybody needs a break, so let yourself have one.”
I nodded and stood, quickly striding to the corner in his office where there was a coffee pot. I poured myself a cup and took a sip. I spun back to look at him, holding the paper cup aloft. “I see you're still an expert at shitty coffee.”
Cole flashed a grin and leaned back in his chair with a chuckle. “Gets the job done, and that’s all that matters.”
“That it does. All right, I'm gonna check on a few things in my office. I'll let you know later if I'm staying or going.”
He nodded, his eyes already on his laptop on his desk.
I returned to my office, quickly rifling through the stack of mail and files my receptionist had left on my desk.
She'd been gone for the day before I’d gotten here.
I'd arrived in Boston by six-thirty in the evening yesterday and worked until past midnight. It was now going on nine o’clock the following night.
I glanced at the clock on the wall, considering what time I would arrive in Haven’s Bay if I were to leave now—around one in the morning.
I made a quick decision I would stay the night and head north in the morning.
I wasn't comfortable with how much I wanted to climb in my SUV, drive through the dark, cold night to curl up beside Audrey and sleep. As I was sitting at my desk going through a few more things, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Thea.
I answered quickly. “Hey Thea, what's up?”
“Not much. I was just checking in. How are things up in Maine?” she asked.
“They were fine when I left yesterday afternoon. I'm in Boston right now,” I explained.
Thea’s heavy sigh echoed through the speaker on my phone. “Seriously Dallas? You need a vacation.”
“I know. I'm going back up tomorrow. We had a big arrest on a case, and I came down for the interview.”
“You'll always be able to find a reason to go back to work, but it doesn't change the fact that you need a life outside of work.”
Some variation of this conversation had happened with Thea many times. She worried about me. Most of the time I brushed it off. Just now, all it made me think of was Audrey.
“I know, I know. I promise I’ll be back in Haven’s Bay by tomorrow, and I promise I'll stay the rest of the month.”
I could practically feel her eyes rolling through the phone when she spoke. “Yet, you promised you were going to stay for the month before, and you're already in Boston. It hasn't even been a week.”
“Thea, cut me some slack, okay?”
“Fine,” she muttered. “Anyway, how is Audrey? I'm worried about her.”
“I think she's okay,” I offered. “She says it's for the best.”
Thea was quiet for a beat. “Yeah, I'm relieved it’s over. I told her after the fact I suspected something was up. I wish I'd known what he was doing. I should’ve said something.”
“Thea, what would you have told her?”
“I dunno, nothing I suppose. I didn’t know anything until she found out,” she said with a sigh.
“Thea, you didn’t have anything to tell her. Stop feeling bad about it.”
“I was trying to be supportive, but all along I didn't think he was the right guy for her. He just wasn't… I don't know. I didn’t think he was good enough for her,” she finally said.
I wholeheartedly agreed, but I wasn't about to get into all the reasons why with my little sister.
If she knew what I'd been doing with Audrey the last two nights, she’d run me up one side and down the other.
She was fiercely protective of her friends and Audrey was her best friend.
My heart clenched, emotion tightening my throat.
What the fuck was I doing? I needed to think about what was smart right now. I forced my attention to my call.
“I’ll be back in Haven’s Bay tomorrow. What are you plans for Christmas?” I asked, shifting gears away from Audrey.
“I don't know. I called Noah and told him we should all go up and meet you in Haven’s Bay. We could go to the house,” she offered.
The holidays had been a loaded, rather depressing time for my family the last few years.
With our mom passed away and our father in jail, it was just the four of us.
While everyone understood why our father was sitting in jail, there were definitely some feelings about how it had all played out.
Our family had splintered. Ian had been furious at me at first because he had a hard time believing our father had done what he did.
When everything came out publicly, he’d accepted it, but he’d been pissed I hadn’t shared more to begin with.
He didn’t quite grasp that I couldn’t go around spilling investigation details like that.
He’d argued that since I’d been taken off the case once I knew our father was involved, I should’ve told them more. It had been awkward to say the least.
Thea and I were the closest, probably because I was the quintessential overprotective older brother, and I had no problem admitting it.
Noah had followed me into the FBI, so while he’d been no less devastated by our father’s actions, he’d had a better understanding of why I had to stay quiet.
Ian was busy trying to rebuild our family fortune again.
I didn’t give a damn about money. Money didn't make anybody happy.
That much I knew. It made people greedy though.
Once they had it, they often wanted more.
That's exactly what had happened with our father.
“Dallas?” Thea asked.
I realized I’d been silent too long. “If you want to come up to Haven’s Bay, that would be nice. Audrey would love it,” I offered.
“Oh, is she staying through the holidays?”
“I'm not sure, but it sounds like she might. Can't say I blame her. I spoke to Warren. I think he’d love for her to come down there, but I’m guessing she’d rather not spend too much time dwelling on her canceled wedding.”
Thea sighed again.
“You’re about to set a record for sighing today,” I said with a chuckle.
She sighed more dramatically this time. “Maybe I am. I just feel bad for what happened.”
“Well, I think we’d all feel a lot worse if she ended up marrying that idiot.”
My desk phone rang, so I wrapped up our call.
Thea said she’d be in touch with our brothers and let me know their plans.
After our call, I glanced around my office.
It was quieter here at night, but there was still a low hum of activity.
The FBI never closed. I gave myself a mental shake and tried to focus.
I took care of a few things and then drove home to my apartment, letting myself into the quiet space.
This was my usual routine—work, work, work, come home, sleep, work out in the morning and go back to work.
Tonight, my place felt lonely, if only because I missed Audrey.
I fell asleep wondering if I'd been flat insane to let her know I missed her and contemplating just how it was she had such a powerful hold on me.
I kept telling myself it didn't make sense I could feel this much in this short of a time.
Yet, it wasn't as if I didn't know her. I'd known her forever.
I tried to chalk it up to lust, but it was becoming more apparent it wasn't simply that.