Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
They’re not joking like they do in the break room. No, I’m being drilled with questions from two hard-assed cops. I tell them everything from the issues Lenny and Rhiannon had, to Trevor getting mixed up with a bad drug-using crowd, to Kaden staying with me because of it, to the altercation from this morning, to the point we’re at now. By the time I finish, another man shows up, crisp and out of place in an expensive suit.
“Officer Thurman,” Tanaka says, voice icy cold. “Detectives, I’ll take over from here with Thurman.”
My two colleagues give him a firm nod and then move on to do their jobs. Tanaka’s eyes narrow, resembling a hawk before it swoops down to snatch up a field mouse.
Am I done?
The look in his gaze says I am.
What if this was all some setup to get me into trouble? Tanaka knows I’m onto his corruption. This could be a way to silence me, right? Have my sister’s lowlife boyfriend murdered and put me right in the middle of it. I’m forced to retell the entire thing to the man I’ve been secretly investigating.
“Am I in trouble?” I ask, voice shaking when I finish.
“Not if you continue to cooperate,” Tanaka says smoothly. “You were just worried about your nephew, right?”
My stomach sinks. “He didn’t do it if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Tanaka’s black eyebrow arches up, reminding me of an evil villain. “He ran from the scene of a homicide, Thurman. It’s not a good look.”
They’ll haul him in, though, and interrogate him like I tried to. Trevor is innocent. They’ll come to that conclusion too. In the meantime, a real killer is out there.
What if Rhiannon had been here? Or Lucy or Kaden?
“I’m going to follow you back to the station,” Tanaka says, gesturing for the door. “We’ll continue this talk while the detectives work the scene.”
Great.
Being brought in for questioning at my own workplace has to be a new low for me. It’s humiliating and infuriating. But if I want to move past this, I have to go through the thick of it first. I concede with a nod and head out the door. There’s one thought that replays in my mind.
Thank God Dempsey wasn’t here with me.
The last thing I need is to pull him deeper into my shit.
Dempsey
Come on, Sloane. Where are you?
I pace her front porch as I wait for her to come back home. I’m still reeling from her text from earlier.
Sloane: Someone killed Lenny. Trevor found his body and called me. He ran off after, so it looks really bad for him. I’m on my way to the station now with Tanaka to finish giving my statement. Can you keep an eye on Kaden until I get back?
Of course, after receiving that text, I’d blasted her with questions, none of which were answered. I slipped out of the house and came right over, not bothering to follow Dad’s stupid rule about taking Gemma with me.
I wasn’t sure if Sloane wanted me to tell Kaden, so I stayed tightlipped and told him I’d come over to hang out for a bit. We played video games while I checked my phone every three minutes. Eventually, I made spaghetti and we watched a movie. He fell asleep on the sofa, but I’ve been unable to sit still, my mind racing with worry.
Sloane was already having a terrible day after the run-in with Lenny when she took her sister away, but for it to end like this? My chest aches. I just need her in my arms so I can hold my girl back together. Something tells me she’s going to need it.
Will she let me?
I think so.
Yes, she sort of freaked out after we had sex and clearly needed some space, but I didn’t think she’d let it go on forever. Knowing I was the person she reached out to with the information of Lenny’s death and needing help with Kaden proves that I’m still her man.
Headlights bounce as a vehicle comes up the road. I stop pacing to strain my eyes, searching for any sign that it’s her car.
“Thank fuck,” I mutter when she pulls into the driveway.
She shuts off the car, climbs out, and then softly closes the door. Her entire body trembles. I’ve never seen her look so lost or broken.
Snapping into action, I stalk across the lawn over to her. When she sees me, she surprisingly flings herself into my arms. Grabbing her ass, I lift her up and she wraps her legs around me. Her grip on me is fierce, like she’s afraid I’ll vanish into thin air.
I’m not going anywhere.
“I’m here, babe. I’ve got you.”
She makes a choked, pained sound that kills me. I hate that she’s hurting.
“Kaden’s asleep on the sofa,” I murmur. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”