Chapter Thirteen
By the time they pulled up at Cal’s cabin, Alena felt wrung out. Mud streaked her jeans and scratches stung along her arms where the branches had clawed her skin.
Cal didn’t look much better. They’d chased through the woods until their legs burned, but it hadn’t mattered. Dexter had a huge head start, and by the time they’d made it to the other side of the creek, he was long gone.
She shoved open the SUV door and stepped out, breathing in the heavy air. “We should’ve had him.” The words slipped out sharper than she intended, but the frustration had her raw.
Cal locked the vehicle and came around to her side. “Yeah. But he knew those woods, and we were already behind.”
She dragged a hand over her hair, trying to tamp down the mix of anger and exhaustion. “I just hope Raines gets something out of Arneson. If he was helping Dexter, he needs to go down for it.”
“Possibly aiding and abetting,” Cal muttered.
“Possibly,” she echoed. Her gut twisted. “But unless Raines can prove it, he’ll have to let Arneson walk.”
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. Dexter was out there, and the one man who might’ve been helping him could end up free again.
Alena looked down at the mud caked on her jeans and shirt. “I’m heading to the shower before this dries like concrete.”
Cal gave a quick nod. “I’ll make a couple of calls to Isla and Noah, then I’ll grab a shower, too.”
She started to turn away, but their gazes locked. His eyes held so much—frustration, anger at losing Dexter again—but there was something else simmering there, heat that reached her across the space between them. Heat for her.
Her chest tightened, her pulse picking up.
For one reckless second she almost invited him to join her, to forget the mess they were in and just take the comfort they both wanted.
But reason clawed its way back. That was a distraction they couldn’t afford.
Not with Dexter out there, likely plotting his next move. A move that could get them killed.
Alena swallowed hard, breaking the connection first. “I won’t be long.”
She trudged her way up the hall and to the guest bathroom, closing the door behind her and dropping her go-bag on the counter. She unzipped it, digging through the contents until her fingers closed around her last clean outfit.
Great.
That meant she either had to head home or do laundry. Laundry won. Going home wasn’t an option, not with Dexter still out there. And it wasn’t because she wanted to stay close to Cal.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
The truth was, staying here made the investigation easier.
She set the clothes aside, turned on the water, and stepped into the shower. Hot water sluiced over her, washing away mud, sweat, and some of the tension that had coiled tight in her muscles. By the time she dried off and dressed, she felt halfway human again.
Before she could head out of the bathroom, her phone buzzed on the counter. And she saw Isla’s name on the screen.
Alena answered, pressing the phone to her ear. “What’s up?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll put this in an official memo for Cal and the sheriff, but I wanted to give you the sneak peek,” Isla said, her words clipped fast like she’d mainlined another double shot of espresso.
“It’s a no-go on the financials. No big money transfers from Kara, Melissa, or Arneson.
Not from their main accounts, anyway. And before you sigh and say some bad curse words, yes, I checked twice, and no, my magical hacker wand didn’t suddenly fail. ”
Alena let out a small breath. “So no leads?”
“Not yet,” Isla admitted, though her tone carried that stubborn edge Alena knew too well. “There could be hidden accounts. I’m sniffing around those right now. Think offshore, shell games, or somebody playing Russian nesting dolls with their cash. I’ll let you know if I crack something.”
“Keep at it,” Alena said. “We need this.”
“Oh, I’m on it,” Isla promised. “And just so you know, I paused my playlist of 90s breakup ballads for this call, so you’d better appreciate the sacrifice.”
Despite everything, Alena felt the corner of her mouth lift. “I do.”
Alena ended the call with Isla, irritation buzzing under her skin. Nothing. No big transfers, no proof, nothing they could use to tighten the net around Dexter or anyone helping him. She shoved the phone into her palm and left the bathroom.
And almost collided with Cal in the hall.
He’d obviously just showered, damp hair curling at his temples, a clean T-shirt clinging to his chest. The warm scent of soap and something purely him wrapped around her. Her eyes betrayed her, sweeping over his face, his mouth, the steady blue of his eyes.
He lifted his phone at the same time as she did. They spoke together. “Any updates?”
For a moment, they both just stared, then she gave a short laugh that didn’t quite hide the tension under her skin. “Isla says no big money from Kara, Melissa, or Arneson. She’s digging deeper, but right now, it’s a dead end.”
Cal nodded, motioning toward the kitchen. “Come on.”
She followed, watching as he opened a container of queso, put it in the microwave and grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry.
His movements were simple, efficient, but she found herself tracking every one of them.
The flex of his shoulders, the easy strength in his arms, the quiet focus that had always pulled her in.
Even now, when everything was a mess, she couldn’t look away.
After the microwave beeped, Cal took out the queso and set it and the chips on the table, then reached into the fridge for two Cokes. He popped the tops, slid one to her, and took a long pull from his own.
They didn’t touch the food yet. Alena sipped her Coke, the cold fizz snapping against her tongue while she waited for him to speak.
“I got an update from Noah before I showered,” Cal said. “The drone lost sight of Dexter while we were still in the woods, but it picked up a truck coming out of a trail near the creek. The image isn’t great, but Noah thinks it’s the one Arneson reported missing.”
Alena’s pulse gave a hard knock. The Jeep. She leaned forward, eyes locked on his. “What about the Jeep at the cabin? Why didn’t Arneson mention he owned that, too?”
Cal set his Coke down and rubbed his jaw. “He told Raines it’s one he keeps at his construction business. Said he forgot to mention it.”
Her brow pulled tight. “Forgot?”
“Yeah.” Cal’s tone carried the same doubt she felt. “We’re not sure we believe him.”
The Coke fizz lingered in Alena’s throat, but her mind was already racing. Pieces that didn’t fit. Lies slipping in where truth should have been.
Alena took another sip of her Coke and set the can down with a thump. “What about Melissa?”
“Raines has her in interview right now,” Cal said.
Alena groaned, dragging her hands over her face. “Like she’s really going to confess to hiring two thugs to kidnap her. We’ll be lucky if we get anything useful out of her.”
Cal’s gaze lingered on her, steady, unreadable for a long beat. Then he stood, came around the table, and pulled her gently to her feet.
She blinked at him. “What are you doing?”
“Thought you could use a distraction,” he said, his mouth curving as he positioned her hand against his shoulder and rested his lightly at her waist. “Remember our first dance? God, we were terrible. You kept stepping on my boots, and I nearly dropped you when I tried that spin.”
Alena huffed out a laugh, her frustration easing despite herself. “Are you sure this isn’t just an excuse to get me in your arms?”
His smile deepened, slow and warm, and he didn’t deny it. Instead, he bent his head and kissed her.
The moment his mouth touched hers, everything inside her unraveled. What started as a tease, a kiss meant to be light, turned molten fast. His hand slid lower at her back, pulling her closer until they were pressed tight, body to body, breath to breath.
Mercy, she wanted him.
Her fingers curled into his shirt, clutching him, dragging him closer still. His mouth moved over hers with a hunger that lit her blood, made her knees weak and her pulse race. The kiss turned hotter, deeper, stealing every bit of her self-control.
For one desperate moment she let herself have it, let herself drown in the taste and feel of him, in the strength of his body against hers. And then she forced herself to break away, gasping for breath as she pressed her forehead against his chest.
Alena opened her mouth to say she was sorry, but he beat her to it, his voice low and rough against her ear. “Don’t apologize for that. It was real, honest heat.”
She closed her eyes. He was right. She couldn’t dispute that. Real and honest were breaking down the walls she’d built. She wanted to just give in, let herself have him again, but she couldn’t. Not with the threat still out there, circling them like a wolf.
Her phone rang, the sharp sound slicing through the air. Relief rushed through her at the interruption. She needed it. She needed something to focus on other than the ache Cal had stirred up inside her.
That relief shattered when she looked at the screen. Cedar Ridge Sanctuary.
Her stomach dropped. Fear slammed through her, and she answered on speaker, blurting out, “Is something wrong? Is David all right?”
“This is Nurse Collins,” the woman said, her voice calm but edged with concern. Alena knew her. Trusted her.
“What happened?” Alena demanded.
“David got a call that really upset him.”
Alena’s heart kicked hard against her ribs, and she heard Cal curse under his breath. “Who called him?” she asked.
“It came from an unknown number. The person told him you and Cal have been lying to him. That you’re no longer together and that the reason you broke up was because of what happened to him.”
Alena’s breath caught, sharp and furious.
The nurse added softly, “He’s pretty upset.”
“We’re on our way,” Alena said at once. She ended the call, her pulse still hammering.
Cal swore under his breath, his jaw tight with fury. “Son of a bitch. Someone’s screwing with him on purpose.”
They grabbed their things and hurried out the door. Alena hit redial, and when Nurse Collins answered again, Alena said, “Can I talk to David?”
The nurse didn’t hesitate. “Of course.” A few seconds later, David’s voice came on, shaky and agitated.
“They said… they said the attack in the warehouse was my fault,” David blurted, his words tumbling over each other. “That I’m the reason you and Cal aren’t together.”
Alena’s heart squeezed hard. “No, David. None of that’s true. It wasn’t your fault. It was Dexter Westbrook’s. He did that. Not you.”
David groaned. “But I can’t remember. Why’d the caller say that if it’s not true?”
Alena closed her eyes, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”
Cal shot her a look, his face still set in stone, and she knew he was already thinking of a dozen ways to track the bastard down.
“The caller probably used a burner,” Alena went on, her voice firm for David’s sake. “But maybe Isla can dig into it, find out who made that call. What matters right now is that you know the truth. You didn’t do this. Dexter did.”
Cal leaned closer to the phone. “David, was the caller a man or a woman?”
David’s breath rasped through the speaker. “I don’t know. It was hard to tell. They were whispering.”
Alena’s stomach tightened. Whispering meant it could be anyone. Kara. Arneson. Even Dexter. But maybe not Melissa—at least not if she was still with Raines.
Keeping David on speaker, she snatched up Cal’s phone and typed out a quick message to Raines. Is Melissa still there with you?
The reply came almost right away. No. She left about 10 minutes ago. She was pissed I was questioning her about hiring those two men.
Alena’s fingers clenched around the phone. So much for ruling Melissa out.
David’s voice came soft and uncertain. “Cal… is it true? Did you and Alena break up?”
Cal let out a long sigh, his hand tightening on the wheel. “I kissed Alena just a few minutes ago. So that’s my answer.”
Alena glanced at him, her heart giving a quick, hard thump.
“That’s… okay,” David muttered, and his tone eased a little. But then he asked, “How long before you get here?”
“About fifteen minutes,” Cal said.
“I’ll wait for you,” David promised. The sound of the phone shifting followed, and then Nurse Collins came back on.
Alena spoke quickly. “Just keep him calm, and we’ll be there soon.”
“I will,” the nurse said.
Alena ended the call and let the phone drop into her lap, her chest tight with both relief and fury. Whoever had called David had wanted to stir the pot. And they had.
The road narrowed as they took the final turn toward Cedar Ridge. Towering oaks and pecans pressed in close, their branches arching overhead so the morning light came in broken strips across the SUV.
Alena’s eyes tracked the shadows on either side. Too many places to hide. Too many angles where someone could wait and watch.
“The gate’s just ahead,” Cal said, his grip tightening on the wheel.
Alena nodded, but her gut was already knotting. She reached for her gun, settling it on her thigh, finger brushing the trigger guard.
The pop of gunfire cracked through the quiet.
The windshield spiderwebbed, and metal pinged as bullets tore into the SUV.