Chapter 51
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
kole
Adella crossed her arms. “We still don’t know whose blood it was?”
I glanced at the bar. It had taken forever to clean up the bloody mess. My bar hadn’t been open since. “No. I’m guessing it was someone from the factory, just like the blood Riggs found.”
It had been five days since Dani and I were attacked in our home.
I hadn’t let her out of my sight since. There had been chatter all over town about the interns leaving.
A handful left on the helicopter yesterday, and somehow, Dani managed to stay.
But it didn’t last long. Susan had told Dani that she was scheduled to leave tomorrow.
I was fucking torn about it. Did I want Dani to leave? No. But I also knew she wasn’t safe here. If it kept her alive, then she needed to leave.
“You gonna be okay tomorrow?” Adella muttered under her breath. “You’ve become obsessed with the intern.”
Adella was at the station earlier this morning when Dani found out she would be leaving. I gritted my teeth, tearing my eyes from the bar to meet her stare.
“She should go,” I grumbled. “She’ll be safer.”
“I’m not leaving,” Dani announced from across the bar as she absentmindedly organized the liquor bottles. “I’m going to talk to Susan tonight.”
“And say what?” I asked, tilting my head. “You tried that earlier and got nowhere.”
A scowl was on her lips when she turned to look at me. “I don’t care what I have to do, I’m staying here.”
There was a knock on the door before it was pulled open. Riggs entered, ignoring my glare while greeting Dani and Adella.
“Did you miss the closed sign?” I gritted out. “The place isn’t open—won’t be for a while.”
Adella patted my arm. “He’s here for me. I need to get home and really don’t feel like becoming the next victim.”
Dani’s small smile fell when Monty sauntered in after Riggs. His confidence faltered when he met my gaze. His eyes slid to Dani, and I took a step forward, straightening my spine.
“I saw Riggs coming in. I thought maybe you were open,” Monty said, his voice thick with challenge.
“Even if my bar was open, you wouldn’t be in it,” I growled, my patience already nonexistent. “Get the fuck out.”
Monty ignored my words, lingering near the door. “I want to talk to her.”
“Not happening.”
“Fine.”
Dani answered at the same time as I did, and my gaze cut to her, a frown tipping my lips. She lifted her chin, defiance brewing in her eyes.
“No,” I gritted out. “He should be thanking me that he’s still breathing after what he did.”
“She’s the one who did something,” Monty hissed, his calm demeanor long gone. “She killed my friends. I know she’s leaving tomorrow. I want answers before she skips town.”
“Gossip still flies even with a curfew,” Adella said, attempting to lighten the mood.
“Turn around before you regret it,” I ordered, letting threat enter my voice.
“Protecting her?” Monty sneered. “She’s not one of us.”
“Careful,” Riggs warned, sliding his hands in his pockets. “It’s obvious to everyone that she’s his girl. We don’t need to be cleaning up more blood.”
Monty clenched his hands into fists, but he didn’t move a muscle.
I waited to see the choice he’d make. If he thought he would be going anywhere near Dani, he was very fucking mistaken.
As if knowing what I was thinking, he relaxed his stance, though anger was still gleaming in his eyes as he turned his attention back to Dani.
“He won’t always be there to protect you.” He scrambled back when I advanced closer, his glare remaining on Dani. “When I leave this fucking place, you better watch your back.”
“Leave?” Adella whispered as Monty fled from my bar. “We should talk to Susan and make sure she doesn’t put him on her green list.”
With everything going on in Winterlake, I highly doubted Susan had time to keep up with her usual work of determining who to let back into society.
But Adella was right. Once this was all over, I’d make sure Monty didn’t leave this town.
I wouldn’t risk him trying to find Dani when she went back to her normal life.
“You ready?” Riggs asked Adella, checking his watch. “It’s nearly dark.”
“Let’s go,” Adella sang out cheerfully, only to halt in her tracks when I snagged her arm.
“You trust him?” I asked in a low voice.
Riggs glowered at me. “Are you serious?”
I scoffed. “Can’t blame me. Nearly everyone in this town could be a suspect.”
“I asked him to walk me home,” Adella spoke up before Riggs could. “You’ve been so busy with everyone at the police station, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You really think I’m the fucking murderer?” Riggs clipped out, annoyance in his voice.
I held his stare. “I don’t know that you’re not.”
“Okay, it’s time to go,” Adella mumbled, rolling her eyes.
“You don’t like him because he showed an interest in Dani.
We all know Riggs most likely isn’t the killer.
And if he is, I guess we’ll know tomorrow morning if he kills me.
” She flashed me a wide grin. “Call me if there are any new updates.”
She followed Riggs to the door, both of them saying goodbye to Dani, who was leaning against the bar.
She smiled at them, but it was obvious her mind was occupied with something else.
Once we were alone, I closed the space between us, stopping right in front of her.
She slowly raised her gaze to meet mine.
“You really think Riggs is part of the killings?” she asked, doubt in her voice.
“Do you? You’re the town expert, Dani.”
“No.” She blew out a breath. “But I’m not sure I trust my instincts anymore.” She paused. “Monty though? He’s capable of murder. Did you see it in his eyes? He wants to hurt me for what I did to his friends.”
“What he thinks you did,” I corrected her. “He has no proof.”
“But I did,” she whispered. “I killed them.”
“To protect yourself. You did what you needed.”
“He went to prison for second-degree murder.”
I frowned, not understanding where she was going with this. “I know. It’s in the files I let you read.”
“He’s already killed.” Her monotone voice made the back of my neck prickle. “I don’t think he can be rehabilitated. He would do it again. This town will do nothing for him.”
She might have been looking at me, but her mind was clearly somewhere else entirely. I searched her face, wishing I could get just a peek at her true thoughts.
“I’m sure Susan will come to the same decision. He won’t go back into society.”
She nodded, though still didn’t look convinced. I stayed still when she ducked under my arm and went behind the bar.
“Is there any ice cream in the pantry?” she asked, making her way toward the back hall. “I don’t have time to grab food from home before I have to go back to the station.”
“Before we go to the station,” I muttered, chasing after her. “There should be a box in the deep freezer.”
She disappeared through the doorway, and I halted, leaning against the doorframe. “What’s going through your head right now?”
She glanced over her shoulder, her hand on the freezer lid. “What?”
“Something is bothering you.”
With a laugh, she turned to face me, resting her palms on the freezer behind her. “There are killers in this town that know about my past. Who I can’t fucking catch. So yes, something is bothering me.”
I tsked. “I think you’re lying to me.”
Her eyes brightened with challenge, and my heart panged. There was the spark she’d been missing the last few days. Ever since Susan had told her the interns were leaving town, she’d been pulling away from me.
“I don’t think I’ve been in here since the night we met. The first and only time I let a stranger between my legs.” Her words were light and teasing. I’d known her long enough to quickly realize she was trying to distract me. Whatever was on her mind was something she didn’t want to share.
I strode into the pantry, kicking the door shut behind me. “I can’t come in this room without thinking about you.” My eyes drifted down her sweater and jeans. “Who knew the quiet little intern would flip my life upside down in the best fucking way?”
Her cheeks flushed, and I caught a speck of hesitation as I crossed the small space. I grabbed her hips, and lifted her, setting her on top of the freezer. She spread her legs, letting me stand between her thighs.
“Still upset about leaving tomorrow?” I asked in a low voice.
She frowned. “It’s not like I have a choice.”
I leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “Believe me, I don’t want you to leave me. But at least you’ll be safe. And once this town is back to normal, I’ll leave.” I paused. “If you want to be with me in the normal world too.”
This time, her warm smile was genuine, but I didn’t miss a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I want to be with you no matter where we are.”
My heart pattered in a way that only seemed to happen when I was with her. I was falling for this woman. I swallowed thickly. It was more than that. I was already in love with her.
“Why so serious, Kole?” Her question tore me from my thoughts. “If I’m going to leave tomorrow, then give me a night to remember.”
With a gruff chuckle, I rested my knuckles under her chin, tilting her face up. “This isn’t a goodbye.”
Instead of answering me, she smashed her lips to mine, opening her mouth, and letting me control the kiss.
Something I didn’t miss, since she always loved to be in control.
Her tongue clashed with mine as I deepened the kiss.
I let out a groan, savoring every fucking second of this.
Raising my arm, I gripped her hair, pulling her head back to kiss her throat.
Her quiet moan had my dick going rock hard.
“Are you going to miss me?” she panted as I tore my lips from her just long enough to yank off her sweater.
“Is that even a question?” I lowered my head, letting my lips trail over her collarbone.
“I still have secrets.”
“I’m aware.” I raised my gaze to meet hers. “I’ll wait as long as you need until you can trust me with them.”