Chapter 36
Briana
I shot a State Police officer. No matter how justified, the FBI can’t ignore it.
In a Burlington interrogation room, a silver fox unbuttons his suit jacket before extending his right hand. “Special Agent Axel Wulf.”
“Briana Gainsborough. Nice to meet you.” As I return his firm grip, kind, intelligent eyes size me up.
Inner-Herman pipes in. Don’t underestimate him.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
After we settle into stiff plastic chairs that scream budget cuts, the attractive Fed hits record. Then, he rattles off the time, our names, and a bunch of other official stuff.
Finished, he leans back, all casual charm. “So, wanna walk me through this?”
Beside me, John Ito frowns. “How about you ask—she answers?”
“We can do it your way, but it’ll take all day.” Annoyed how the G-man’s gaze stays glued to my face, I flash him a saccharine smile.
Trust no one. That’s my new motto. “My calendar’s completely free. Fire away.”
“Alright, Miss Gainsborough. We’ll do it your way. Why Vermont?”
Fair question.
Given a quick nod from my lawyer, I begin. “The Long Trail’s been on my bucket list forever. When I got laid off, I figured—why not?”
A spider spins a web in the corner above the door. Is Wulf doing the same? Luring me in, thread by thread?
He asks about my homelessness, the USAID layoff, my Navy stint—hell, even high school.
Seriously? What’s next, my favorite Girl Scout cookie?
“Now, about Andrea Bratner.” He flips through a pile of papers. “Were you two close?”
“I thought so.” A pang tugs at my chest. Even if she wasn’t truly a friend, the loss still stings.
“Did you fight the night Brett Johnson was killed?” His pace quickens, so I slow mine down.
No way am I letting him trip me up. “Let me be clear. We argued. That’s it. I left before dawn.”
“Was Brett there?” he rapid fires.
Undaunted, I meet his steely gaze. “If he was, I didn’t see him.”
“What was the fight about?”
At last, we arrive at the meal’s main course. One slow, steady breath clears my head. Eyes shut, the night replays. “Andrea told me she was sleeping with my then-boyfriend. Claimed I was… cold in bed.”
Heat floods my face. “Later, when I thought about it, the insult made no sense. Brett had been calling so often, I blocked him. When I confronted her, she admitted everything. Brett was in the woods because she invited him. She was supposed to sing his praises. Convince me to give him another chance. Instead, she sabotaged him—told me about their affair. She was the one in love with him. Not me.”
“What happened the next morning?”
“Woke up. Packed up. Moved on.” What if I’d stayed? Had it out with Andrea. Would Brett be alive?
Wulf’s questions drag on forever. Losing my gear. Hiding for days, eating freakin’ grubs. The dart. Kade.
All at once, my chest tightens, too small for my beating heart.
A movie on fast forward, the sheriff flickers through my mind—the bear who saved me, the way he held me, how he stood tall in a parking lot full of armed cops.
If—when—the charges are dropped… will he still want me?
Wulf catches the glaze in my eyes. Rising, he pauses the recording.
My hope surges. Does this mean we can all go home— pick this up in the morning. “Are we done?”
His head shakes back and forth. “Sorry. Taking a break. We still need to discuss Griffin’s death.”
I’m about to spit out how my shot saved a girl’s life when Ito’s elbow digs into my ribs.
“He said break time. Let’s take a moment.” Not sure how, but his whole body says, “Don’t say anything unless asked.”
Damn, he’s amazing.
Frowning now, Wulf points down the hall. “Bathroom’s on the right. Burgers on the way.”
The moment I step out of the restroom, Kade grabs me, spinning me into the wall. One hand grips my ass. The other tangles in my hair as his hungry commanding mouth crashes onto mine.
When we come up for air, his expression softens. “How you holding up, Flygirl?”
Trying not to worry him, I force a smile. “Fine. Just tired… I thought you’d be home by now. What’re you doing here?”
“Writing up my statement in the conference room. Not my fault Wulf left your interrogation video feed running.”
While I shake my head, half-laughing, he tucks an errant lock of hair behind my ear. “Full disclosure? I’m here to support the woman I am falling for.”
My throat tightens. Tears threaten. “Shit timing, Marine.”
His eyes gleam. “I agree. The worst.”
I rest my forehead against his. “You want to know if I feel the same?”
He studies me. “Yeah. Depends. Maybe.”
“God help me… I do. With all my heart. I lo—”
The hallway door bangs open.
Wulf strides in, expression flat. “Not supposed to tamper with my witness.”
Not even slightly cowed, Kade keeps his eyes on me and says loud enough for Wulf to hear, “Gonna tamper plenty the minute I get her home.”
My face still burns as I’m led back into the room.
When I sit, John Ito glances up. “You look feverish. You okay?”
Other than damp panties? A raging hunger for a certain sheriff? “Couldn’t be better. Let’s go.”
Fueled by fresh energy, I dive in. I describe how Andrea inserted herself at the diner. How she lied to me and to Brett. And how, in the end, she died. Her only crime was wanting him all to herself. Wrong place, wrong time.
“Carmine made it clear what would happen if I didn’t follow his commands.”
“What made you stop at the border station?”
The memory slams into me, tears sliding down before I can stop them. I swipe them away, forcing a smirk.
“As I pulled out of the lot, I heard a bang. Thought he shot the sheriff…” I give it a beat. “…but he did not shoot the deputy.”
The joke’s for Kade, listening in. Still, I half-expect Wulf to crack a smile.
No such luck.
“Anyway, I prayed for an ambulance. If it got there in time, maybe Kade would make it, but honestly? I didn’t hold out much hope.”
Grabbing a tissue, I blow my nose, then wipe my eyes. “I also knew Kelly would call you guys. Hopefully, before he killed me, too.”
After that, there isn’t much more to tell. He asks a lot of questions about the teenage hikers, but it happened so fast—I don’t remember many details. Mostly, I acted on instinct. I couldn’t let Griffin murder the kid because of me.
The next few hours pass in a blur, but it helps knowing Kade is close by, watching.
Then, having climbed Mt. Everest—both emotionally and physically—my heavy head drops into my folded arms and I sleep.