Chapter 10
The hooded figure bolted down the street, his legs pumping as I raced after him. Why would he run?
“Dane!” I screamed when I didn’t see him beside me.
My coat flapped in the wind as my feet hit the pavement. Dane caught up quickly until he was right beside me.
“Go. Move faster,” I panted out between steps. My lungs were already beginning to hurt, but we weren’t going to lose this guy.
We tore down Meeting Street, weaving through the stunned tourists out on a late-night walk. The hooded suspect clipped a trash can. He grabbed the edge and sent it spinning in our direction.
Who was this person?
The trash can hit the street and rolled across it before we passed it.
Dane’s stride put him a few steps ahead of me. “Who is this dude?”
“Run faster!” I pumped my arms harder trying to keep up with him.
He glanced back at me and grinned. Was he enjoying this?
What kind of madman enjoyed a street chase?
We passed Broad Street. The traffic grew sparse but not dead. Our hooded guy darted across the street, ignoring the green light. A horn blared as Dane used the back of a car to leap between them. I went through like a regular person by running between the cars.
“Sorry,” I yelled as I made it past the drivers’ doors.
Dane and the suspect were pulling ahead, but I refused to give in. I kept going, my breath ragged and slamming like a drum against my chest. I’d be the next dead body in Charleston if we didn’t stop soon.
The man cut to the left, into an alley near the Old Exchange. Moments later, we burst out onto East Bay. The harbor breeze sent humidity blowing across the street. It hit me in the face as I ran but provided no relief.
A quick, “Oh,” came from me as they pulled further ahead and I slowed to see the pretty house on my right.
Rainbow Row.
I’d seen pictures of the homes online, but they were even prettier in person, even in the growing night. Dane ran right past the iconic painted homes without even a glance. How did he miss the pinks, greens, and blues splashed across the buildings?
The hooded person tilted a little to the left. He scanned the road to the side. Oh no. I knew his next move.
“He’s turning!” I yelled for Dane.
I was helpful like that.
Dane pushed himself harder, catching up to the hooded figure. He grabbed the hood of the sweatshirt and yanked.
I reached them in seconds. Right as Dane flipped the runner over, we got our first view of his face.
What?
I stared at the person who’d been following me around during the tour. The mastermind who sent me a threatening note and broke into my room.
“Do you recognize him?” Dane asked, breathing hard.
The man was barely a man. More like an older teenager. Who was he?
“No.”
It wasn’t anyone on the tours, but he was barely winded even after that run. Ghost?
“Who are you?” Dane asked as he helped the kid stand up.
He jerked away from Dane, but didn’t run. “Who are you, bro?”
“How do you know William Drake?” I asked, getting closer to him. The top of his head barely hit my jawline.
The kid adjusted his sweatshirt. “Who?”
“Wait, princess,” Dane stepped between us. “He’s too short. The video made him taller.”
“Hey,” the kid said, sounding the most offended. “I’m almost five and a half feet, and waiting for my next growth spurt.”
Damn it. Why was he right?
“How’d you run so fast?”
“Cross country.” He pushed back another step. “Why were you chasing me, twin?”
“Huh?” I moved toward Dane. How would we explain this if he called the cops on us?
Dane held his hand out and pushed it toward the kid without touching him. “Just go.”
“Hey! You can’t just let him go,” I yelled as the kid took off. “He’s my prime suspect.”
“No, he’s not, princess.” Dane placed his hand on my shoulder. “He’s just a kid.”
I walked forward, heading down the street closer to the water. “You never support me.”
The wind blew in from the water, and I lifted my head toward it. Rainbow Row was far behind us, and ahead lay the Battery. We had no reason to visit for our investigation into William’s death, but since we were so close I kept walking.
“I’m here. Aren’t I?” Dane asked as he kept pace.
His breath had already returned to normal, but my lungs were burning. “Yeah, because you’re being paid.”
Dane stopped walking. “It’s a lot more than that, princess, and you know it.”
Did I?
I stared out at the gigantic oaks in the Battery. The Spanish moss hanging from their branches swayed with the breeze coming in off the water. City lights glimmered in the distance.
“Princess?” Dane asked as he stood beside me. “You know it.”
He cupped my face as he pulled me close. Our gazes met. Mine was wide, worried, and in wonder. Was he going to do it?
His lips met mine in a slow, electric kiss that had my toes curling again. It deepened with every heartbeat. Dane tasted of saltwater, heat, and months of tension finally breaking for real. My fingers curled into his shirt as he leaned in, pulling me even closer. Not an inch of space separated us.
Around us, the city hummed with history, ghosts, and heat, but we held the street, the moment, and the rest of our lives together.
I lost myself in the feelings until a reminder of who we were and where hit me like a bullet. I pulled away with a gasp but kept my fingers entwined in his shirt.
“Delaney?” he asked, his voice rocky.
I shook my head. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”
We weren’t allowed to kiss coworkers. It was in my contract agreement. And I’d promised myself I wouldn’t fall in love with the SEAL. So why did it feel like I already had?
He chuckled. “You’re solving a murder.”
“Am I?” I turned, staring out at the water. “How am I supposed to do that?”
The moon’s surface reflected against the ocean water. It highlighted the waves as they gently crashed against the man-made seawall.
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” He pointed at the first sign of a star out over the water. “Together.”
His words hit me hard in the chest. I turned toward him. “Really?”
“Really.”
I lifted onto my tiptoes, wanting another kiss from Dane. We’d have to figure this out later, but then another idea hit me. My eyes widened, and I lowered before Dane could kiss me again. “I have an idea.”
“That’s terrifying.”