Chapter 23
Kinsley
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I came back to Coldwater because of my mother.” Thomas crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the kitchen counter.
I took a breath and forced my gaze away from his naked upper body, focusing on the five other people beside Connor. I didn’t want to miss any of their reactions. Kevin, as he already knew about this, wasn’t surprised, instead he looked like he was trying to figure out the rest of Thomas’s story before he told it. On the other hand, Aaliyah, Cora, and Braxton looked confused, but what got my attention was Samantha’s eyes flickering over Thomas’s face, as if she was doing the same thing I was with them. Studying. I furrowed my brows and was about to step closer to her when someone elbowed me.
“What?” I asked Connor, lifting a brow at him as he stopped next to me.
“You zoned out,” he answered.
I shrugged, turning my attention back to what Thomas was saying.
“This is the second threat we’ve gotten since we came back to town.” He lifted the picture I left on the kitchen island earlier. The guys leaned closer, and Thomas sighed, taking a step back.
“Have you talked to the cops?” Braxton asked.
Connor let out a short laugh next to me. “Don’t get him started on that.”
“I think I’m with Thomas on this,” Kevin chipped in, brushing over his hair. “Don’t get this back to my dad, but cops are gossipy—especially in this town.”
“You remember that case about Jessica Abbot?” Aaliyah asked, turning to Kevin. “She set a small fire in school, and her dad donated a large amount to someone to keep it under water,” she explained to us. “Next day, the whole town knew about it.” Kevin made a face.
“Gary, one of my father’s officers, talked about it too loudly in the café and a few people overheard him,” he explained. “Jessica’s father took back the donation.” I sneered.
What a dick.
For a moment, everyone went silent.
“Do you have any leads on the letter?” a raspy voice asked, and we all turned our eyes toward Samantha with surprise. Her cheeks slightly flushed as all the attention turned toward her, and she readjusted her gray jeans that she had pulled over her black swimsuit.
“No,” Thomas answered from next to me. “I tried to follow it back but there is no sender or delivery company on it.”
Braxton cleared his throat. “You said you barely found any information in your mom’s file.” Thomas nodded, studying Braxton. “That’s strange since Chief Miller came by our house at least a hundred times to talk with my mom.” Thomas froze, and even Connor lifted his head curiously. “He asked all kinds of questions from her, and one time, I think some of it even made the paper,” he added, and Thomas tapped on the counter’s surface.
“Why did he ask questions from her?” His body tensed, and we all waited for Braxton’s answer.
“Because my mom was the last known person to see yours before—” He furrowed his brows. “You know about it, right?” he added, but it was too late; Thomas pushed himself away from the counter, and with two big steps, he was in front of Braxton.
“What?” Connor straightened too.
“What the fuck, Lee?” Thomas’s rasped as he stared eye to eye with Braxton.
“I thought you knew.” He held his hands up. “You didn’t know?” He sounded confused. “I really thought—” He cut himself off, taking a deep breath.
I squirmed, feeling uncomfortable.
“As I said, I think some of it even made the paper.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I really thought you knew, man.”
“Can you show it to me?” Thomas asked after a moment, loosening his fist.
“I don’t think we have it. It was twelve years ago, and my mom doesn’t store this kind of stuff.”
Thomas exhaled sharply before turning around, thinking. His posture was tense, the veins on his arm bulging out.
“I know where we can find it,” Cora chimed in from where she was sitting at the kitchen counter, and we all turned to her.