Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Grey
A sharp trill peels my eyes open. It sounds again as I try to make sense of the sound. My camera? What the hell time is it? I was exhausted after today. Hiding how much pain I’ve been in was a damn chore.
Worth it.
That kiss. Hell yeah. Damn, that kiss.
A smile spreads on my face.
My phone goes off again. What the hell? It’s almost midnight.
Alyssa?
I sit up, a little too fast. “Dammit, my fucking knee.” I grab my phone and click my ring cam.
A cop?
My sister. Shit! I get up faster than I should, grabbing my cane from my bedside. My mind is foggy. I took some painkillers before passing out. I wonder if Felix is still awake. I hope the camera didn’t wake him.
I don’t see him on the couch as I hobble to the door with my cane. Pain steals the breath from my lungs with every step. Everything is dark, but I hear shuffling coming from the other hallway and see Felix step into the living room rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Fuck me, he looks adorable. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a cop at the door.”
His eyes widen. “No! Don’t open it.”
“What?” Through the dark, I see Felix’s eyes brighten with fear.
“Don’t answer it, Greyson.” The desperation lacing his words snags my attention.
“What’s wrong?” He just shakes his head nervously, glancing about as another round of rings goes off.
It hits me now. Fuck. “Stay in the hall. Don’t come out here.”
“No, Grey!”
“Trust me.” I wait a moment as we stand locked in a stare down. He concedes, and I want to believe it’s because he trusts me. Once he’s hiding around the corner, I slowly I open the door.
A cop stands on my front doorstep. He’s shorter than I am by a good five or six inches, his paunchy build evident in the uniform about one size too small. He’s standing with the confidence of a man who thinks he’s more important than he probably is. “Is my sister okay?”
Now I know that’s not why he’s here, I breathe easier. “What?” He looks confused.
“Is my sister okay, or my niece?”
“Oh. Sorry.” My eyes flick to the gun at his side and then his badge.
Cherrish County Trooper. The fuck is he doing all the way out here?
Even as I think it, I know why. “Your family’s okay.
I’m sorry to frighten you. I’m here because we’re looking into a missing persons case.
I was wondering if you’ve seen anything out of the ordinary. ”
I fight the urge to slide my eyes to Felix. I feel his shadow lurking to my left. “It’s almost midnight. I live out in the middle of nowhere.”
“I understand that. I’m sorry. Unfortunately, this man is in danger. We have word that he’s been seen around town. We’re checking leads.”
“At midnight?”
“Police work doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, especially when someone might be in danger.” He looks at me again. “Do I know you?”
“Unless you watch hockey, probably not.”
“More of a football man myself.” My eyes flick briefly to my left. He’s cowering in the hall. I won’t let this man inside, but I wish he was in his room. It’s dark where Felix is standing, but I see his face when I glance over. I don’t like what I see. I’ve seen it a hundred times before.
On my mother.
Hell, I saw it on Andre when his father surprised our team with a visit.
It wasn’t much of a shock when the truth came out about Tripp.
I saw the full-body way he reacted when he came to visit him.
I know Tripp was Oli’s idol growing up, but I never liked him when he played.
I don’t know why. Call it instinct, but I always thought that man was dead behind the eyes.
It used to freak me out. “Can you just answer a couple of questions, then we’ll be on our way? ”
“We?” I look out, but I only see him. Who goes searching for a missing man alone in the middle of the night?
“My partner’s in the car.” Lie. He reaches into his pocket, and I stiffen before he pulls out a phone.
“Have you seen this man?”
Even though I expect it, my blood runs cold.
A photo of Felix appears on this man’s phone. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t meet his eyes. They look tired. Drained. “Is he dangerous?” I know he’s not, but I don’t want to say much. “Should I be worried? He’s not some axe murderer or something?”
“No.” He chuckles with a condescending lilt. No. The danger is right in front of me. “His husband filed a missing persons report a week ago. We had some witnesses saying they may have seen someone who looks like him in the area.”
“I’m all alone up here. I don’t get out much.”
“Would it be alright if I come in? Ask some questions?”
In my periphery I see Felix shake his head. “It’s late. Unless you have a warrant, I’m going back to sleep.”
His jaw ticks. Someone doesn’t like being told no. “Right, well, if you see anything . . .” He reaches into his pocket. “Here’s my card.”
“No problem. I’ll ring if I see something.”
The officer stands in the doorway, looking down. I’m unsure what he’s looking at until I see Felix’s sneakers off to the side, half in the shadows. Are they new? Shit. Does he know they’re his? “They’re a little small for you, no?”
“They’re my brother-in-law’s. He and my sister help me out.” I lift the cane. “I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”
His gaze locks on those sneakers before he nods with a weak smile. “Well, you have a good night, Mr. Tremblay. Sorry to bother you.” The name scrapes down my spine. Did I even tell him my name? I take a breath and plaster on the fakest fucking smile I can muster.
“If I see anything, I’ll holler.” I hold his card up. “Have a good night.” Get fucked. I shut the door and lock every single lock on it, and then I set my alarm. “Fuck,” I breathe, then I look at Felix who comes out of the hallway.
“I’m so sorry, I—”
I hold my hand up. “Hold on.” Sleep is out of the question right now. I know my door’s locked but I’m uneasy.
“Sit.” He helps me to my couch. “Do you want a new ice pack? Coffee?”
“No coffee. I just need to sit. I moved too fast. Ice pack, maybe.” Felix rushes off to the kitchen while I sit with my thoughts.
I hope that’s the end of it, but I know cops.
They don’t stop. They keep going until a problem is solved.
He definitely recognized those shoes. They’re just generic white ones, but still, I know his wheels are turning.
I guess it explains why Felix was so jumpy in town.
Was that man following us? I don’t believe for a moment anyone else was with him.
Felix walks in a few moments later, hands shaking as he gives me the ice pack. “Here um, do you mind if I make myself a cup of coffee?”
“Anything in that kitchen is yours.” I set up the grocery app on his phone so he can add whatever he wants instead of having to ask. He still asks, but I hope he’ll be comfortable enough soon. He disappears to make himself a cup.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Still, even as I think it, I know there is zero way that man will get his hands on him here. Felix comes back into the living room with a cup. His fingers tremble around it, sloshing the liquid inside as he brings it to his lips.
He sets his mug down, squeezing his fingers into fists before grabbing the mug again and taking another sip. “I’m so sorry.” Unable to take a sip, he sets it back down.
I grab his hands in mine. “Take a breath.”
He shuts his eyes. “I hate this.” The whisper breaks my heart.
I let his hands go. “I told you. Don’t apologize. Just explain.” His knee bounces in the plaid pajamas he’s wearing. The black shirt he has on fits his frame well. He’s skinny, tall, and so damn awkward. It radiates off him, but why does that make me smile.
He’s practically shaking out of his skin. I prefer the stubborn version of him, telling me I need to rest, making empty threats when I test my limits. “I’m not going to judge you. Just tell me what you can.” Everything is starting to make sense.
“I’m not—” He swallows. “That man he—”
“Is your husband?” Felix is young. I don’t know exactly how old that man is, but I know he’s at least a decade older than him. Felix looks down, nodding. “How long?”
His brown eyes meet mine. “We were together for eight years. Married for five.”
“And how old is he?” Sure as fuck isn’t twenty-seven. If I have to guess, he’s almost a decade older than me. My confirmation comes when his eyes drop to his lap. “How old Felix?”
“Forty-two. He’s forty-two.” Felix shakes his head. “The age difference never bothered me.” He looks into my eyes.
We’re about to see if it bothers me. “Talk to me? Help me understand.”
Felix takes his glasses off, pressing his palms to his eyes, and I shift on the couch, my knee throbbing. He looks down at it. “Only if I can help you to your room and get you to elevate that with an ice pack.”
“Are you blackmailing me?”
“Bribing.” He smiles sadly. “I’m bribing you.”
If it gets him to open up, I’ll do whatever he says. I stand with his help, limping down to my room. Inside he grabs the pillows on the other side of my bed, puffing them up and helping me lie back. “Lift your leg a little.”
I let him fold a pillow in half and stick it under my knee. “I’ll be right back, okay?” He disappears down the hall, returning a moment later with my big ice pack that’s flexible and a washcloth.
He places it gently on my knee. “It’s not as bad as earlier, but tomorrow you should rest. We did a lot today.” He gets onto the bed next to me, sitting next to my knee. With a delicate touch, he smooths his hand under my knee then cups my calf, massaging gently. “What do you want to know?”
“As much as you’re willing to tell me.” He hands me the cup he brought, liquid steaming from the top.
“It’s just tea. It’ll help with some of the inflammation.” I thank him, waiting for him to gain the courage to talk to me. I don’t want to push him, but I need to know how serious this is. “I didn’t mean to lie to your sister. I just saw an opportunity. I took it. I had to.”
His gaze drops to his lap.
“Hey, don’t be afraid. Just tell me.”