Chapter 25 #2
My annoyance flared when his grip tightened to the point where I knew I’d have marks even through my thick jacket.
I usually had more control of my emotions, but right now I couldn’t be bothered to play nice.
Maybe it was from lack of sleep. Or the fact that a murderer was running around this town, and it could very well be the man in front of me.
“If you don’t fucking speak, you’re going to regret it,” he warned, anger growing thick in his voice. “What did you do to Lucas?”
“Get your hands off me,” I ordered coldly, my patience snapping. “Or you’ll regret it.”
“Gonna go running to Kole?” he sneered, ignoring my words. “He can’t always save you. You never should have come to this town.”
I locked eyes with him, giving him one more second to release me. When he didn’t, I raised my knee, slamming it into his groin. His eyes bulged as he staggered back, holding himself.
“Fuck,” he groaned out in pain. “You bitch.”
I pushed off the wall, resituating my jacket as he dropped to his knees. “I don’t need Kole to save me. I have no answers to give you about your friend. Leave me alone.”
“Bold of you to touch her in broad fucking daylight after last time.”
My head snapped up to see Kole striding closer. His murderous glare was focused on Tristin, who scrambled to his feet as fear flooded his face.
“I—I didn’t do anything,” he stuttered, shuffling back. “I was just talking to her.”
“And that’s why she just kneed you in the balls?” Kole questioned, only stopping when I got in his way, putting my hands on his chest.
“He’s fine,” I said quietly. “I can handle him, Kole.”
He dropped his head, his lips grazing my ear, causing a shiver to run through me. “I know you can. But…maybe I like saving you.”
The way his tone softened considerably when he spoke to me compared to Tristin hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Fuck me.
I was starting to fall.
Hard.
Tristin raced away, limping slightly and cursing under his breath. Kole watched him, looking like he wanted to go after him.
“He didn’t hurt me. I wouldn’t give him another chance,” I said as I checked my watch. “I’m going to be late for work.”
“He had his hands on you,” he said darkly. “I told him what would happen if he did that again.”
“You’re not my husband,” I reminded him. “Or my boyfriend. You have no responsibility to do anything.”
He fell into step with me as I headed toward the police station. He didn’t respond, seemingly content to walk with me in silence.
“Doesn’t the bar open soon?” I asked, glancing at him.
“I own the bar, Dani. I can open it whenever I want.”
I scoffed. “What are you doing?”
“What does that mean?”
“Every time I turn around, there you are. Why?”
He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “It’s a small town. Running into someone all the time is normal.”
A small ball of dread formed in my stomach, only growing larger when I met his eyes. Adella had told me the real reason he was following me—meaning Kole was lying. It didn’t bother me that he was trying to protect me by hiding the truth.
What terrified me was that I couldn’t fucking tell he was lying.
I couldn’t pick up on one tell as I stared at him. No change to his voice. No shifting. He didn’t avert his eyes when he answered.
He cocked his head slightly, curiosity filling his gaze, and I realized I’d stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I ran a hand down my face, taking a moment to collect myself. He didn’t move as if waiting for me to start walking first.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “It’s been a long couple of days. I feel like I’m running on fumes.”
“Go home and sleep. Let Natalie handle the work today.”
“She’s at the clinic today…” I trailed off, my pulse thudding. “I think Harry wants to talk to Adella again.”
My lie didn’t seem to catch his attention. All he did was slide his hands into his pockets as he continued to look at me. There wasn’t a crack in his expression, making my stomach flip.
“Makes sense,” he mused. “I followed Riggs into the woods too. Are you going to call me back to the station, Dani?” A dirty smirk lifted his lips. “You want to be alone with me in the interrogation room? How about we skip that, and I just take you to bed now?”
If I wasn’t obsessively observing his behavior, his light teasing would have completely disarmed me. The playful side he rarely revealed always made my stomach flutter. I cleared my throat, reminding myself to stay on topic. My heart dipped. The way this man distracted me was not a good thing.
“I don’t know why Harry wants to talk to Adella again,” I replied, keeping my voice light. “You both already told us everything. Unless either of you might have forgotten something?”
“Blood,” he stated calmly. “Tons of blood smeared and puddled in snow. There isn’t anything else to forget.”
Ice traveled through my veins. I couldn’t tell. There wasn’t any hint that he was lying. Absolutely nothing. He was an exceptional liar.
I bit my tongue, and I broke our stare to start walking again, forcing out a chuckle. “Then I guess I’ll be wasting my time today by talking to Adella.”
My mind was racing with all our past conversations. Did he lie to me about anything else? Fingers snagged the sleeve of my thick jacket before I was spun around. The humor was now absent from Kole’s face as he met my gaze.
“We did find more,” he admitted roughly. “You knew I was lying just now. I can’t get anything past you, can I?”
My heart pounded against my ribs as I searched his face. If Adella hadn’t told me the truth, I would have believed his words. His grip on my arm tightened as he pulled me closer.
“We followed bloody footprints,” he continued, keeping his voice low. “They stopped right behind my condo—facing your bedroom window. I didn’t want you to worry for no reason.”
“No reason?” I echoed, acting surprised as if this was the first time I was hearing this. “I think it’s important to know if someone is watching me.”
I tensed when he released my sleeve, only to wrap his arm around me, crushing my chest to his. I tipped my face up, swallowing thickly at the determination swimming in his eyes.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he clarified, his voice laced with dark promise. “No one will touch you. I’ll make sure of it. If someone tries breaking in to get to you, I’ll kill them.”
My eyes widened, not even trying to hide my shock. After seeing him threaten Tristin, I was well aware he could be violent. But murder? I should probably be more suspicious of him and everyone else in this weird town.
Afterall, I was a killer, and no one would ever guess it by looking at me.
“You’d kill for me?” I asked, keeping my voice teasing. “Didn’t we agree that this was just sex? Getting soft on me, Kole?”
He leaned down until his lips hovered an inch from mine. “Sure, Dani. It’s just sex. But there is nothing to worry about when you’re sharing my bed.”
“I don’t need protection. I’ve learned to take care of myself.”
He chuckled. “That’s obvious. But you don’t need to do everything alone.”
“Letting people in is how you get hurt,” I whispered, regretting the honest words as soon as I spoke them.
He grasped my chin, rubbing his thumb over my lips. “Then just let me in. If I hurt you, I give you full permission to use those hidden knives on me.”
My chest tightened, a pain slicing through me that I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in years.
I’d isolated myself after my attack. My therapy was the reason I was able to function in society again.
But my trust? I didn’t believe that would ever come back.
I swore I would never let anyone get close to me.
Kole was making me rethink that. Even after how effortlessly he lied to me.
Which was far more alarming than someone possibly watching my window. I was letting this man in. I’d told him about my past. Slept in his bed. Revealed much more about myself than I had to anyone else.
He was clouding my judgment.
Yet, I didn’t want to push him away.
And that was a terrifying realization.