Chapter Fifteen
By the time they pulled up at Cal’s cabin, the sky had gone black. It was pushing eight, and the weight of the day dragged at every muscle in Alena’s body.
She could still see Kara’s face, lifeless and pale, the ski mask twisted around her head. The image twisted something in her chest, but she shoved it down. At least David was safe. Safe for now.
Kara had fired so close to Cedar Ridge. She’d risked David’s life. Risked the lives of every person who called that place home.
Inside, the quiet wrapped around her, thick and heavy.
Cal shut the door behind them and, without saying a word, pulled her into his arms. She let herself sink against him, her forehead pressing into his chest. The steady beat of his heart under her cheek loosened the knot inside her, just a little.
Then his phone buzzed, the shrill sound shattering the moment. Cal pulled back, checked the screen, and cursed under his breath.
“It’s Raines,” he said, thumbing the answer button.
Cal hit the speaker button, and Raines’s voice filled the cabin.
“We might finally have some answers about Kara. The CSIs combed through her place and her electronics. From what they pieced together, Kara and Dexter staged their breakup. Made it look like he dumped her so she wouldn’t be the top suspect when he escaped. ”
Alena’s stomach turned. So Kara had been deeper in it than they thought.
“Did she help with the escape?” Cal asked, his voice tight.
“Yes,” Raines said without hesitation. “She arranged the vehicle Dexter switched to after ditching the prison car. She gave him a burner phone, new IDs, and cash. She had it all ready.”
A shiver was working through Alena. Dexter could vanish with that setup. Disappear into another name, another life. Her gut clenched at the thought, but then she shook her head. No. That wasn’t him.
“Maybe he’ll use one of those IDs to run,” she muttered. But even as she said it, doubt twisted in. Dexter wasn’t finished. Not with Cal. Not with David. Not with her.
And maybe not with Melissa either.
The thought settled like ice in her veins.
Alena leaned closer to the phone, her voice steady but edged. “Any proof Kara paid Keller and that second man to take Melissa?”
Raines let out a breath. “Nothing so far. Doesn’t mean she didn’t hire them, but there’s no paper trail, no transfers, no cash withdrawals we can tie to it. Would’ve been nice to wrap that part up with a bow.”
Alena rubbed her temple, frustration throbbing. Another loose thread, another answer that only led to more questions.
“What about Arneson?” Cal asked, his tone clipped. “Anything in Kara’s files to suggest he was helping Dexter?”
There was a pause on the line, and then Raines sighed. “No. Everything we’ve uncovered points to Kara acting alone. There’s nothing tying Arneson directly to Dexter.”
If that was true, then Arneson was still an enigma. And Dexter… Dexter was still out there, with help they hadn’t found yet.
“Isla’s pulling together a list of all Kara’s properties and any other places Dexter might be using,” Raines let them know. “It’s a good angle, and she’s already digging in.”
It was a good angle. If Arneson wasn’t hiding his brother, then Dexter might still be leaning on Kara’s resources. The thought made her skin crawl. Even dead, Kara could still be helping him.
“I’m hoping Isla comes through,” Alena murmured.
“We all are,” Raines replied. “But for now, there’s still no sign of Dexter. And Noah’s decided not to take chances. He’s got three guards at Cedar Ridge now.”
Alena’s chest loosened a fraction. David. Safe. At least for now. She met Cal’s eyes, and she saw the same relief flicker there.
“Tell Noah we appreciate it,” Cal said.
Alena didn’t say it out loud, but she silently added her own prayer of thanks. With Dexter still free, every layer of protection mattered.
Cal ended the call and set the phone on the counter. His gaze shifted to her, steady and searching. “You want a drink? Or maybe a hot soak in the tub?”
They were still close, so close she could feel the heat of him. Both options sounded good, but neither would do a thing to dull the worry grinding at her chest. David was safe for the moment, but she knew how fast that could change with Dexter still out there.
Before she could answer, Cal slid an arm around her and pulled her back against him. The hug was strong, solid, the kind that promised she wasn’t alone.
She leaned into him, letting herself sink into that comfort. His scent, his warmth, the quiet strength in the way he held her. Her chest tightened, her pulse quickened, and before she realized it, the hug shifted.
His mouth brushed hers. Soft at first, meant to soothe. Then deeper, hungrier.
A kiss that didn’t just offer comfort. Instead, it stirred everything she’d tried to bury.
The kiss deepened, pulling her under in a rush of heat and memory. His mouth claimed hers, and every brush of his lips told her she wasn’t alone, that he was here, that he always would be.
She pressed herself closer, needing more, needing all of him. But even with their bodies tight, it still wasn’t enough. She slid her arms around his neck, holding on as if she could anchor herself in him and block out the chaos of the world beyond these walls.
Cal’s lips trailed to her neck, slow, deliberate, each kiss sparking fire beneath her skin. She gasped softly, her eyes fluttering shut as his hand slid down, lingering at her breast, his touch reverent and steady.
Her heart pounded, her body lit with a need she hadn’t felt in years. This wasn’t just comfort anymore. It was everything they’d lost, everything they still wanted, surging back to life.
And for the first time in so long, Alena didn’t fight it. She let herself feel.
The kiss deepened until she felt breathless, lost in the heat of him, in the way his hands mapped her body like he already knew every secret. The world outside faded, leaving only this pull between them, fierce and undeniable.
Cal eased back just enough to look into her eyes, his breath ragged. “You sure about this?”
Her answer came without hesitation, her voice low but steady. “I’m sure.”
Something flickered in his eyes—relief, hunger, need—all tangled together. Then his mouth was on hers again, hard and certain, and he swept her up into his arms. She clung to him, kissing him back, her heart pounding with the force of it.
The familiar creak of his bedroom door reached her ears just before he laid her gently on the bed, his lips never leaving hers. His weight pressed close, grounding her, but instead of fear, only warmth rushed through her.
The memories came, but not the ones that haunted her nights.
These were different. Softer. They were flashes of the times they’d been tangled together before, when love and passion had been enough to block out the rest of the world.
Those moments wrapped around her now, blending seamlessly with the present, until it felt like no time had passed at all.
Cal’s hands were steady as he slid her holster aside, setting it within reach but away from them. His touch lingered on her as he eased off her top, his lips never breaking from hers for long. When he finally pulled back, it was only to press soft, searing kisses down her bare skin.
Her breath caught when he slipped her bra away, his mouth trailing lower until he kissed her stomach. The tenderness unraveled her, mixing with the heat that was already burning high.
Her body ached for more, for all of him. But she didn’t want to just be undone by him—she wanted him the same way. She reached for his holster, tugging it free, and then her hands found his shirt. She pushed it up, needing to feel him, to touch him the way he was touching her.
When his shirt came off, she kissed him with the same hunger he’d given her, pouring years of longing and loss into it. The heat between them spiked, raw and unstoppable, and every kiss, every touch, was a promise they still weren’t finished.
The heat spun out of control, a rush that neither of them could slow. Their hands tangled, fumbling as they worked at buttons and zippers, urgency pulling them faster and faster. It turned into a battle, both of them desperate to strip away the last barriers between them.
Clothes fell in a scattered trail across the floor until there was nothing left between their bodies.
The first shock of skin against skin sent a shiver through Alena, stealing her breath.
She pulled him close, needing the press of him, needing to know this was real and not another dream that would slip away.
And then, almost as if he sensed it, Cal slowed. His mouth claimed hers in long, deep kisses that curled through her like fire and steadied her at the same time. The urgency shifted into something richer, heavier, a kind of intimacy that was more than just need.
Her eyes stung, her heart squeezing tight. This wasn’t just sex. Not with Cal. He was doing what he always did—making her feel safe, wanted, cherished. Making love to her as if she were the only thing that mattered in his world.
Then he was with her, pushing deep, and the world fell away.
Alena clung to him, her breath breaking as each stroke built her higher and higher.
It wasn’t just the physical pleasure, though that was overwhelming.
It was the way he looked at her, the way every move said he knew her, wanted her, loved her.
The fire inside her spiraled until she shattered, her cry muffled against his shoulder as her body gave in. Cal held her through it, his own rhythm faltering as he followed her over the edge. His groan vibrated against her skin, raw and deep, and she felt the shudder of his release.
After, he didn’t pull away. He stayed close, his weight solid and grounding, his arms tight around her as if he couldn’t let go. And she didn’t want him to.
Not tonight.
Maybe not ever.