Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
dani
“Here you go.” Hallie handed me the coffee. “You didn’t come in this morning.”
“I had to go to work early.” I handed her my debit card with a tired smile. “How are you?”
It was lunchtime, and since I didn’t leave the office until ten last night, I planned on spending at least the next two hours outside of the dreary police station.
It wasn’t like I would miss anything. Other than what Riggs found in the woods yesterday morning, we hadn’t gotten any more information.
Which only left us with more questions. Harry was trying to find out if anyone was missing.
Even with this town being so small, we still hadn’t gotten a head count.
“I’m good,” Hallie replied brightly. “My days are much better since…” she trailed off, her cheeks pinkening slightly. “I shouldn’t have said that. I mean, he’s dead—”
“He is,” I interrupted gently, not even bothering to say Lucas’s name. “You didn’t kill him. Don’t feel guilty for someone who was a monster to you.”
She nodded quickly, her eyes darting to the door when the chime dinged.
I followed her gaze, seeing Adella stroll in.
She pulled her beanie off, running fingers through her curls as she smiled in greeting.
Suspicion raced down my spine as she glanced at the table near the window where I’d put my purse before shrugging out of her jacket.
“Just a black coffee?” Hallie asked her.
Adella pulled out her debit card from her jeans pocket. “Do I ever get anything else?”
I wandered back to the narrow counter, taking a seat and staring out the window.
After two days of constant gloom and gray, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
The thick snow sparkled in the sunlight, and while it was frigidly cold, the natural beauty stole my breath.
I hadn’t been in nature like this in over three years, and even with everything happening in this town, I would never tire of this view.
“Want company?” Adella plopped into the seat across from my table without waiting for an answer.
I studied her, the question leaving my lips a moment later. “Are you following me?”
Instead of looking shocked, her eyes gleamed with amusement. “Why would you ask that?”
“You were at the grocery store this morning when I went in to grab a box of breakfast bars.” I watched her demeanor as I spoke. “Then I noticed you on the sidewalk behind me when I was heading to the station. And now you’re here. What’s going on?”
“You only noticed me following you?”
My pulse quickened as I stared at her. “What does that mean?”
“You think it was a coincidence that Kole was lingering outside when you got off work last night?” She cocked her head. “Or how he was up this morning to walk you to work for the second time in as many days?”
One quick glance at Hallie proved she was trying to listen to our conversation. I made sure to keep my voice low. “He wasn’t following me…he was walking with me.”
“Aren’t you curious why he’s doing that?” When my cheeks heated, she let out a laugh. “It’s not just because you two slept together. Kole didn’t say anything—it’s obvious.”
“Are you going to tell me?” I snapped, irritation shooting through me. I detested being in the dark about things, and from Adella’s knowing grin, I was missing something.
Setting her coffee down, she leaned closer. “Kole doesn’t want you to know.”
Ice chilled my veins. “Know what?”
“You know what Riggs found in the woods?”
“Yes.” We all knew what Riggs found. I talked to him for two hours yesterday about it. From how he acted, I truly believed he had nothing to do with it.
“Kole and I found footsteps in the snow,” Adella informed me in a hushed tone. “Bloody ones. We followed them.”
I frowned, my chest growing tight. “Why didn’t either of you tell anyone at the station?”
She drummed her fingers on the table. “They stopped right outside your bedroom window, Dani. It looked like someone was watching you.”
The doorbell chimed again, but it sounded far away as my pulse thudded in my ears. A cold dread climbed down my limbs, keeping me frozen. Watching me? Hallie’s voice filtered through the air as she took another order. The shock wore off, and a quickly growing rage took its place.
Everything in this town was fucking with me. I refused to let anyone ruin me. If someone was stalking me, I’d find them and get rid of the problem.
“Kole is worried about you,” she continued, her gaze softening. “Not that he’d admit that to anyone, but I can tell. I don’t think he wants to scare you.”
“Scare me,” I repeated flatly, anger still simmering through my veins. “I think I have a right to know if someone is watching me. Does Harry know?”
She shook her head. “Only Kole and me. Harry wouldn’t do shit about it anyway.”
I leaned back in my seat, taking a deep breath to slow my racing heart. The night I saw those three masked men outside my window popped into my head, and I wondered if it was related. Adella took a sip of her coffee, watching me curiously.
“I knew you could handle it,” she finally said, shooting me a grin. “You might be quiet, but you’re not weak.”
I scoffed. “Are locals talking badly about me?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Gossip spreads like wildfire around here. After Kole punched Tristin for messing with you, I don’t think anyone will breathe a bad word about you.
Everyone likes Kole, and it’s clear that he likes you.
No one will bother you.” She paused, her features turning serious.
“Except maybe the person watching you from your window.”
“I’m careful,” I said quietly. “No one will hurt me.”
Her concerned stare nearly had me squirming in my seat.
I wasn’t used to anyone worrying about me.
Especially someone I barely knew. I took a large sip of my coffee, turning my eyes back toward the large window.
The road was still covered with deep snow, but the sidewalks were already shoveled.
I spied one set of tire tracks in the white abyss that I’d missed earlier.
Since living here, I’d only seen two vehicles.
One red, rusty old pickup truck that Harry drove because he detested walking everywhere.
The second was a slightly newer truck that people seemed to share to go out hunting.
“Why does no one drive here?” I mumbled, my eyes cutting back to Adella as I asked her the same question that Harry always danced around when I brought it up.
She shrugged, her gaze darting to the street outside the window. “Everything we need is on one street. We all live within a couple blocks. Why waste money on buying and maintaining a car?”
“What about the ones who work at the factory?” I pressed, my patience slipping. “Does anyone ever leave? Travel or go on vacation?”
“Your bagel is done,” Hallie called, getting Adella’s attention.
“That’s my cue.” Adella’s smile was tighter than usual as she stood up. “See you later, Dani. Be careful.”
She snagged the small bag from Hallie before striding outside with her jacket draped over her arm.
Hallie disappeared in the backroom before I had a chance to say anything.
I pursed my lips, suspicion flushing through me.
Adella didn’t order any food, so what was that whole thing about?
A pit formed in my stomach. Did they purposefully cut the conversation short?
I breathed out a laugh. How fucking paranoid was I?
The events happening in this town were messing with my head.
Standing up, I slipped into my jacket before grabbing my coffee.
I still had time for a walk before heading back to the station.
Since I expected to stay late tonight, it would be good to move before I was stuck inside again.
Hallie didn’t reappear before I pushed the door open, the cold air hitting me in the face. Wrapping both hands around my coffee, I wandered down the sidewalk, my boots crunching the thin layer of snow that fell after it was shoveled.
My gaze fell on the white capped mountains, and a peace washed over me. If there wasn’t a murderer on the loose, it would be easy to be happy here. The beauty and quiet life was something I could get used to.
“First time I’ve ever seen you smile.”
I barely had a chance to put the voice to a face before I was shoved into the brick wall of the small grocery store, making my coffee fall from my grip.
It splashed on the snow as my palms slapped onto the rough surface before my face did.
I whipped around, coming face to face with Tristin.
I cursed myself, wondering how the hell I let him sneak up on me.
He snatched my upper arms, gripping them hard enough to bruise. On instinct, I got ready to play my scared little girl act. Excitement strummed through my veins as I met his narrowed eyes. After what he did to me in front of Kole, no one would believe anything he said about me. Why hide anymore?
“You’ve been avoiding me,” I murmured, letting curiosity enter my voice. “Are you that scared of Kole?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he spat out, slamming me against the brick again, keeping his hold on my arms. “Just because I don’t talk to you doesn’t mean I’m not watching. I still think you had something to do with Lucas’s death. Just admit it. You killed him, didn’t you?”
“Your friend walked off a cliff. Stop trying to blame me.”
I stiffened when he leaned closer, putting his face an inch from mine. “Tell me the truth,” he growled, shaking me a bit. His breath smelled like stale cigarettes, making my stomach twist nauseously.
“Or what?” I asked, letting threat creep into my voice. “Are you trying to scare me, Tristin?”
He frowned, searching my face. “If you think I won’t hurt you just because you’re a woman, think again. I want fucking answers.”