Chapter 12 #3
“But what would I tell Haley?” I ask weakly. “I don’t want to tell her about this. She’ll be so scared. What if she never feels safe here again?”
“You could tell her there’s a plumbing issue,” Ronan says. “A sewer leak in the basement. That could take days to clean up.” In a lower tone, he adds, “I know you’re mad at me, Angel. But I can keep you safe. You and Haley. That’s a promise.”
My heart wants to say yes. But my brain isn’t as sure. “I don’t know…”
“You could stay in one of the client cabins on the GMG property,” Enzo offers. “They’re all vacant right now.”
Ronan shoots a dirty look at Enzo. “Or she could stay at my place. Where Haley’s already visited.”
Enzo shrugs. “I’m just offering another option.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea staying somewhere else for a few days, at least,” Sage interjects.
I look at Ronan. There’s a silent plea in his eyes. “I let you down before. Let me make it up to you.” For the first time since I met him, he looks vulnerable. “I’ll support you no matter what,” he adds quietly. “But if you stay with me, I swear, I’ll do anything to keep you and Haley safe.”
I believe him.
Which is why I say, “Okay. We’ll stay with you.”
He visibly sags with relief. “Okay.” He pats my leg. “It’s going to be alright, Angel. I promise.”
Sage gives a crisp nod. “So it sounds like it’s settled. Angel, I’ll walk around with you to pack up a few things. Once we’ve gone through the house, you can come back to get more.”
“And I’ve got a few more questions to ask these guys,” Patrick adds. “But I know it’s late. We’ll try to wrap things up—”
“Officer Quillian.” From the hallway, another officer—Doug Kennis, I think—appears. He gestures at Patrick and says, “I need you to see something.”
There’s something in his tone that makes my heart lurch.
Did he find a clue to the identity of the intruder? Or… I didn’t even ask. Is my house damaged? What about theft?
Patrick turns to face him. “I’ll be right there.”
“No.” Ronan stands. “If you found something pertaining to the break-in, I want to know. We want to know.”
“It’s police business,” Officer Kennis says from the hallway. “You don’t need to involve yourself in this.”
Max draws himself up to his full height. “They’re already involved.”
Ronan glowers at Officer Kennis. “I absolutely do need to involve myself in this. Considering we were the first to respond. The first to clear the scene. If you found something…” His lips thin. “We’ll find out what it is anyway. You know we will.”
The air in the room thickens with tension.
There’s a silent standoff, with Enzo, Ronan, and Max on one side, and the three officers on the other.
Then Patrick says, “Fine.” He gestures for Ronan to follow him into the hallway. “But you didn’t hear it from us. Got it?”
“Fine.” Ronan squeezes my hand and gives me a reassuring smile. “I’ll be right back.”
But in his absence, the fear creeps back in. So does the worry.
Questions swirl madly in my head; some I haven’t even had the chance to consider until now.
What if it was Justin, but they can’t find proof of it?
What if they can’t figure out who did it at all?
Will I have to move? Can I even afford to move, if I wanted to?
The house is paid for, but I had to take out a home equity loan to help pay my mom’s medical bills and funeral expenses.
Would I have enough left over for a down payment? Would I—
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ronan’s raised voice makes me jump. “You’ve got to be kidding me. How dare you insinuate—”
My pulse rockets to triple speed.
“No one is insinuating,” Sage replies calmly. “You said you wanted to know. Now you do.”
I hurry to the bedroom door and peer down the hallway. Ronan’s face is red. Angry. Sage and Patrick appear calm. The other officer looks smug. “Just because you don’t like what we found,” Officer Kennis says, “doesn’t make it any less real.”
But what could they have found? Something implicating Justin? Phil? Or something completely different?
“Angel would never,” Ronan growls. “And especially not with Haley in the house.”
What?
I can’t think of what they’d be talking about. What would I never do with Haley in the house?
So I scurry down the hall towards them. Ronan spots me first. “Angel,” he starts. “Just go back in the bedroom. I’ll figure this out.”
“Figure what out?” As the three officers turn to face me, I press, “ What wouldn’t I do with Haley here? What did you find?”
Sage and Patrick’s expressions are carefully neutral. But the third officer—Doug Kennis, I’m almost sure of it—looks at me with clear suspicion. “Drugs,” he tells me. “From the looks of it, at least a half-ounce of cocaine. At least, that’s what we’ve found so far.”
For a second, his words don’t compute.
Drugs? Cocaine? In my house?
I’ve never done any illegal drugs. Ever. And even if I did, I’d never allow them around Haley.
“What?” I ask in a breathless whisper. “Drugs? Here?”
Ronan hurries over to me. His arm comes around my waist, holding me steady. “Obviously they’re not yours,” he states in a tone that brooks no argument. “Whoever broke in must have dropped them. Didn’t you say Justin used to use? And Phil… everyone knows about his issues.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Sage says. “We’re not assuming anything yet.”
“The burglar dropped a bag of cocaine in her bedroom?” Officer Kennis asks with obvious skepticism.
Ronan snarls at him, “Yes. That could happen. A sick, strung-out criminal could absolutely go into her bedroom. Look around. Drop something.”
I shudder. “Someone left drugs in my bedroom?” Tears prick at my eyes. “Do you think… did they touch my things?” Then a new and terrifying thought strikes me. “Am I in trouble? Am I going to be arrested on drug charges?”
“No,” Patrick answers quickly. “We have no evidence to support that. We’ll fingerprint the bag, and maybe we’ll find something useful.”
“I didn’t touch it,” I blurt. “It’s not mine. I’ve never… I wouldn’t…”
But everything slams into me at once, and I burst into tears.
Ronan turns me into his chest as I cry. His hand splays across my back, rubbing in circles. “Shh,” he murmurs. “No one thinks you did. You’re not in trouble. And you’re not going to jail.”
Through broken sobs, I manage, “But… What if… Haley… I can’t…”
“It’s going to be alright.” Ronan cups my cheek as he looks down at me. “I’ve got you. We’ve all got you. Okay?”
Behind him, Enzo, Max, and Knox stand silently. But their expressions are fierce. “We’ve got your six,” Enzo says. “That means we’ve got your back. For as long as you need us.”
Tears well up again.
I want to thank them.
But when I open my mouth, all that comes out is another broken sob.
“It’s okay,” Ronan soothes. He kisses the top of my head. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”