Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
As the man came closer, I noticed his eyes were the most intense hazel-green color.
I rested my forearms on the rather high bartop, and I cleared my throat. “What can I do for you, sir?”
He eyed the customers around us, then leaned a little closer. “I’m a friend of River and Reese Tenley. Any way we can talk in private?”
Oh my God—shit. Um, okay. I got instantly nervous—and didn’t even know why—and I nodded hesitantly, racking my brain. Talk about limited options. Either we went up to my place, or I…ugh. Yeah, no, I wasn’t bringing him upstairs.
“Sure, um, follow me,” I said, gesturing to the short end of the bar where he could join my side.
I had no choice but to walk through the back till we got to the alley where we threw away our garbage. It was narrow as hell, and we shared it with two restaurants.
The cold helped. When it was warm, this alley should be called Stink Alley.
“Is everything okay with River and Reese?” I asked. “I just saw Reese last night.”
He inclined his head and stuck his hands down into the pockets of his jeans. “Yeah, they’re fine. Reese called me after you came to see him, and we decided it was best to talk to you about something.”
I folded my arms over my chest and shuddered at the cold—but I didn’t wanna get my jacket. If anything, it helped me keep my nerves at bay.
“Do you remember talking to Kit about the fire out in Mclean a few months ago?” the man asked.
Crap, should I ask his name—wait. What? The fire?
I squinted. “Um.”
“He made a joke about someone having enemies…?”
Oh hell. My stomach dropped a little, though the lingering confusion had a tighter grip on me, preventing me from falling down a hole of worries concerning Caleb.
“I-I remember,” I said. “The fire marshal said it was faulty electrics and something about the insulation, right?”
There was no way Caleb had actually started the fire, was there? It’d be a new low, even for him. He always stuck to harassing me online under fake aliases.
I’d done my best to put the fire behind me. The house had been rebuilt and looked better than ever.
“Yes,” the man confirmed. He gave me a brief once-over, then glanced at the door behind me. “Your reaction to Kit’s joke made him worried, though. He told Colt and Reese about it, and I was asked to look into things—mostly as a precaution.”
Precaution about what?
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
He tilted his head at me, a pinch of concern flashing in his eyes. “Reese worried you might be in trouble—and knowing him, he made this decision both as someone protective of his community and his members.”
So what, this man had investigated me or something?
“May I ask who you are?” I couldn’t stop shivering.
“Right—my bad. Of course. My name is Santiago Jones.” He extended a hand. “Or Joshua, but everyone calls me Santiago. I used to be a detective with the MPD.”
Jesus, this was quickly becoming a lot to take in. I shook his hand, his grip firm and a lot warmer than mine was.
“Okay. I’m not hiding anything,” I felt the need to say. Were they gonna kick me out?
“We know you’re not, Gael,” he murmured. “And we didn’t dig around for long. I didn’t have to—because the history with your ex-boyfriend came up right away.”
God-fucking-dammit. I swallowed hard and looked down, and mortification flooded my cheeks.
“I would have preferred that stayed private,” I muttered. I hoped it was okay to be annoyed, because what gave them the right?
“I bet. And I’m sorry about that,” he replied. “Just…not sorry enough.”
I frowned and looked up at him again.
“We put this little investigation behind us last year,” he went on. “We moved on. But then when Reese called me yesterday, I got curious. Call it a work hazard. I looked up your ex again, and did you know he came here right before the holidays?”
Oh no.
No, no, no, no, no, but— “Caleb hates the East Coast,” I blurted out. My breaths came out quicker, and my pulse skyrocketed. “That’s why I moved here—he would never—he says it’s too gray and cold.”
Santiago furrowed his brow and eyed my shoulders. “He might be right about the cold—can we head inside? You’re freezing.”
I shook my head stubbornly. “No, thank you. The cold is keeping me from freaking out. He’s not here right now, is he?”
It wouldn’t be difficult to track me down—if he didn’t already know my exact address. I didn’t remember how that part worked, but he sort of had to know, right? Because it was part of Caleb’s stay-away order. He wasn’t allowed to move closer than fifty yards from my home and place of work.
The judge had determined he wasn’t violent, so maybe Caleb had all the information he needed.