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“If he’s there,” Landon continues, “I was thinking you should go with Vincent. Just in case things turn…weird.”
Slatten isn’t in the best area. It’s most famous for churning out meth labs and high school dropouts.
No one goes there unless necessary. The population is less than a thousand, and people audibly groan when the town is mentioned.
There’s no reason to own any land out there.
“In case things turn weird,” I repeat. “Why can’t you go, and I’ll question the dealer?”
Landon rolls his eyes. “Because Ben and the officers want me. They don’t trust you won’t go off the rails.”
I look down at the table. I’m sure I scared the shit out of Ben the other week, and I’m still sporting some yellow bruising on my face.
“Honestly, you look awful,” Landon adds. “I’m sure you’ll blend in at Slatten.”
I scoff. “Fuck off,” I mutter, but without any real malice behind it. “I hate that asshole.”
“You’ve made that perfectly clear,” he replies. “But Vincent’s in this with us. He’s not leaving. And frankly, the more competent people we have on these cases, the better.”
I scowl and clench my fist under the table, digging my nails into my palm. “How can you forgive him after everything?” I ask. “After what he did. After he left.”
Landon is quiet as he places his cup down on the table. He’s silent long enough that I look up at him, expecting some smug expression on his face and a lecture about people changing. “I don’t,” he admits. “And I’m not sure I ever will. But I don’t let it consume me. I don’t let it decide my actions or dictate the way I interact with him.”
I scoff. “Yeah. Well, you and I are pretty different. I don’t walk around with a stick up my ass all the time.”
“At least I don’t let my negative emotions control everything I do.”
I chuckle humorlessly. “Sure,” I say, hating how accurate he is.
“You and I have the same goal,” Landon continues. “We want Skylar safe and back at home. We want her with us, in whatever strange duo pack we have. Since we made a sort of truce.”
I nod. “Yeah, I know.”
“Then I’m asking you, as part of this truce, to work with Vincent. He has a hunch, and every one he’s had before has proved correct.”
Landon’s right. As much as I can’t stand him, Vincent was the best investigator I ever worked with. His gut instincts were on point. He closed almost every case he was assigned.
And if he’s right about this…
“Alright, give me the addresses,” I mutter, before shoving half the bagel in my mouth.
I’m so fucking stupid.
As I pull up to the Isleton address, I see Vincent leaning against his car parked on the street, his hands in his pockets, looking as sure as always, like the old days.
It hits me.
He wants Skylar.
Of course he fucking wants her, even after he was an asshole to her.
That’s why he’s doing this.
He didn’t have a change of heart about working.
He wants Skylar, just like I want her. Just like Landon wants her.
I debate turning around and ramming my car into him, but logic wins. It’s not my place to decide if, after all of this, Skylar wants him.
