Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Light fadesto darkness as Lincoln and Lucy walk out of sight. It only makes me despise Gabe more. I whip around to face him, furious at the way he came in here to question me “off the record,” as he put it. His questions have all been nothing but a pathetic attempt to be the one who solves the Firefly Man serial murders.
Gabe is a traffic cop—and a bad one, at that. His arrogance constantly gets him into trouble. Lucky for him, there isn’t exactly competition in his profession, especially in a small town like this one, so he gets away with it.
“Come back into the office,” he demands. At least he has the decency to keep his voice low in front of my customers.
Thank goodness I’m not the only one working tonight. For a weekday, we’re surprisingly busy. Janessa is covering the bar while Armando handles the floor, so I’ve been available for Gabe’s interrogation.
“No,” I tell him firmly, facing him. “I need to get back to work, and you shouldn’t be talking to me like this. If you have questions for me, I’ll come to the station.”
“Why do you have to be so damn difficult, Evie? I’m just trying to do my job.”
The way this man enrages me. “You already have my timeline, my alibi, my fucking DNA. Investigate me all you want.”
Gabe lets out a frustrated sigh. “It’s not you I’m trying to investigate.” He looks around to make sure no one else is listening then glares at me. “You think it’s a coincidence that J.D. retires, Lincoln Reed moves to town, and suddenly there’s a homicide linked to the Firefly Man near Deep Creek? You know I don’t believe in coincidences.”
I shake my head. “I don’t really care what you believe. I’ve already told you everything.”
Gabe’s jaw clenches. “Yet, you won’t tell me the details of your relationship with the good doctor.”
Rolling my eyes, I try my best to hold onto my composure, but my temper is thinning by the second. “There are no details. He’s not my therapist, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
Gabe tilts his head in obvious disbelief. “C’mon, Evie. Do you think I’m not going to talk to Doreen?”
I groan. “I went for a free consultation. That’s it.”
His accusing stare only gains intensity. “I’ve seen him at this bar more than the drunk locals.”
Matching his stare, I raise my chin. “Maybe he’s thirsty.”
“His daughter just handed you an invitation to her birthday party.”
I nod, a small smile teasing my lips. “And I accepted.”
He heaves out a heavy, exasperated exhale. “So, there’s nothing suspicious about this guy to you? You don’t think the timing is at all weird?”
I grit my teeth and force myself to pause before responding to him. My anger is mounting too fast and too hot. “Not any more suspicious than my ex-boyfriend coming here to interrogate me ‘off the record’ about a man who has been nothing but kind to me.”
Gabe looks like he’s just been slapped. He reels, taking a step back, his eyes searching mine like he’s suddenly looking at a stranger. “Jesus, Evie. A man was just murdered nearby. That doesn’t burn you to the core after what we went through with Carley?”
My body begins to quiver. “What we went through? You weren’t the one who found her bludgeoned corpse.”
“No, but I saw her.” He scowls. “After you ran off.” He blows out an angry breath. “And I saw her guilty-as-sin brother holding her bloodied body. You think that shit didn’t fuck me up? Why do you think I became a cop?”
For the first time since Gabe got here, I empathize with him. He’s right about how Carley’s death affected us all. We’re broken by it as much as we are connected. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have compared your pain to mine. Of course what happened to that man tears me up inside. I haven’t stopped thinking about the murder, about Carley.” I swallow against the lump in my throat. “But I have nothing else to tell you that can help your investigation. I’m sorry.”
“What about where you went that night after you ran off?”
The accusation in his tone causes my breath to hitch sharply into my throat.
“W-what?”
His eyes narrow. “You know what I’m asking, Evie. I read all your interviews and watched your deposition about your side of the story. Something doesn’t add up.”
I shake my head, eyes squeezing shut. “Stop it, Gabe. I’m not going to do this.”
I can practically feel the anger rolling off him in waves. “You conveniently blacked out between the time you left Carley’s body until the police arrived,” he says. “An entire hour went by before you found someone to call the cops. Why’d it take you so damn long, Evie?”
Panic whips through my body and steals my breath. My hand flies to my chest as I try to calm myself. I can’t even begin to think of how to answer that question. “Stop,” I try to say, but this time, my word is barely a whisper.
I open my eyes to see his expression beginning to soften.
“I’m not accusing you of anything,” he says, his tone gentler than before. “But whatever you can remember will help me find whoever keeps doing this to keep him from doing it again.”
The way he uses the word “me” like he wants to be the one to crack this major case. It’s not even his case to solve—it’s been linked to the Firefly Man, and the FBI took over that case after Carley’s murder.
“I. Don’t. Remember.” I unclench my teeth and inhale deeply.
Finally, Gabe sighs. “Fine.” He takes a step away. “Thank you for your time, Evie. If you think of anything, please call the station.” His formal demeanor cracks as worry covers his features. “And please be careful with Lincoln.” Genuine concern beams from his eyes. “There’s something off about the guy, and it has nothing to do with you developing feelings for him even if it does drive me insane. Just… be careful.”
He doesn’t wait for me to agree. He doesn’t look for a reaction. Instead, he bows his head, lets out another sigh, and walks away.
Luckily, I choose that moment to grab my phone in the office, hoping for a quick distraction, because a message from Lincoln lights up my screen.
Lincoln: You made Lucy’s whole day. Thanks for saying yes.
My heart warms, and I can feel my deep frown smoothing into a smile.
Evie: And what would I have done instead? Break a little girl’s heart? I think not.
Lincoln: Nah, Lucy’s resilient. She would have been okay. The only heart you would have broken was mine.
Biting back a laugh, I type my response.
Evie: You put her up to that, didn’t you?
Lincoln: No way. That was all Lucy. Well, I might have suggested dropping it off tonight, but she thought to invite you.
Evie: Impressive.
Lincoln: Which part?
Evie: All the parts.
He doesn’t write back again for a few minutes, so I make my way out to the bar area to check on things before settling into a cozy chair near the main window.
Lincoln: Looked like we interrupted something when we walked in earlier. Sorry about that.
My frown returns, and the heaviness that weighed down my heart during my altercation with Gabe returns like a slow drip into my veins.
Evie: Gabe was questioning me about my whereabouts the other day.
Lincoln: You okay? I didn’t like leaving you there with him.
Evie: I’m okay. Gabe means well. He just gets on these power trips sometimes.
Lincoln: Sounds like you know him pretty well.
There’s a pang in my chest—I sense Lincoln’s jealousy.
Evie: We’ve known each other since we were kids. He’s always been protective over me.
I nibble on my bottom lip, wondering if I should divulge additional details. Maybe then he’ll understand why the two of us have a deeper connection than we should, considering we’ve been broken up for months.
Evie: Gabe was there the night of Carley’s death. Carley’s the reason he became a cop. He wants to protect the town from tragedies like that. This recent killing hit him pretty hard.
When no reply comes until well into closing down the bar and locking the doors, I begin to worry that I’ve made too many excuses for Gabe. That might not sit well with Lincoln, considering the two of them don’t get along. Finally, my phone lights up when I’m alone in the empty bar.
Lincoln: Sorry, had to feed Lucy and then help Francine put together the new dresser she bought. Lucy just went to sleep. I’m sorry if I was being insensitive about Gabe.
I rush to type a reply.
Evie: You weren’t. It’s okay.
Lincoln: Well, now that I feel like a jackass…
Evie: Please don’t feel like that. You’re not a jackass. You just didn’t know.
A few beats of silence go by before I try again.
Evie: See you Saturday?
This time, I don’t have to wait long for a response.
Lincoln: How about now?
There’s a light rapping at the entrance to Firefly, causing my heart to leap into my throat. I rush to the door and pull down the blinds to see Lincoln standing there, rain coating his dark hair and glistening from his beard. Under the neon lights of the Firefly sign, his eyes appear a brighter tone of green than normal, and they affect my core like he’s just undressed me with them.
Pulling open the door, I take a step back, allowing him room to walk through. “Hi.” It’s all I’m able to say. I’m too shocked. Too curious. Too… happy.
“Hi,” he says, giving nothing away in his expression. Instead, he closes the door behind him then focuses back on me. “I hope it’s okay that I’m here. Lucy slept in the guesthouse with Gammy, and I wanted to see you.”
I smile at Lucy’s nickname for her grandmother and at his admission. “That’s twice in one day, Doctor Reed. I might start getting the wrong idea.”
His gaze darkens, and he takes another step, closing the gap between us. “You really need to stop calling me that.”
I bite down on the inside of my cheek in an attempt to keep my composure. “What if I like it too much?”
“Then you’ll need to ask permission.” He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer, nuzzling into my hair. “I think permission could be granted—on one condition.”
Heat flames in my cheeks. I can only imagine what this condition might be. “I’m listening.”
Lincoln’s strong fingers slide through my hair before he grips the back of my neck. “You see,” he says softly as his mouth closes in, “there’s something I’ve been desperate for. Something only you can give me.”
A thrill runs through me. “Is that so?”
He nods and his lips brush mine. “Mm-hmm.”
My eyes flutter closed, ready for the kiss we’ve both been yearning for. So far, my imagination has set it all up for nothing but failure considering how intensely the possibilities play out in my mind.
“Well,” I say, my head buzzing from the electricity between us. “What are you waiting for?”
A smile curls his mouth briefly before his lips press to mine—his warm, firm, commanding lips—eliciting a moan from me. My heart beats firmly at the sensation, a steady acceleration in my chest.
All these weeks, so many electric moments, a handful of whispered teases, a million secret wishes. So much anticipation. It has all been building to this lip-lock that trumps every single dream of what kissing him could have, should have, would have felt like.
Holy fuck, only our lips are touching, but my entire body is quivering, aching, desperate for more. He feels it too. I can tell in the way he presses against me, his arm tightening around my waist and securing me to him.
My back arches and my arms slip around his neck so I can hold on for dear life. It’s the only way to survive this kiss, which is everything I hoped it would be and so much more. As if by magic, the song “Lovely” by my favorite band, Fly By Midnight, begins playing through the bar’s sound system—a perfect soundtrack for a perfect moment.
He pulls my bottom lip between his, his teeth scraping me gently as I moan into his mouth. Then he kisses me again, righting me so that I’m standing straight as his palms smooth against my back. I’m completely drawn in, my senses on fire with overstimulation. This is the only heaven I want to know.
“Damn,” he murmurs against my lips. “Permission granted, I suppose.”
I feel a slow smile spread across my face as I pull back to look at him with an evil glimmer of my own. “Good. Because I think that kiss was just what the doctor prescribed.”
His mock glower sends shivers up my spine before he leans back into me, his mouth so close. “Damn straight he did.” His lips curl before they meet mine again. “With infinite refills.”