AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The lights in the garage flicked on then off, then on again. “Your sister really wants us to come inside,” Sasha said, a sad smile forming on her lips.
He only grunted in acknowledgment. The truth of her words had sliced through him, and he couldn’t say much more. What was there left to say? She was right—this thing between them was tangled and messy, doomed from the start because of situations beyond their control. If there was anyone worth risking his career over it was her, but that didn’t solve the problem of her not wanting to be involved with someone. If she couldn’t overcome her fear of loss, he could move heaven and earth and it wouldn’t matter.
They both unbuckled their seatbelts and went inside. The house was filled with the scents of melted cheese and hints of garlic, and his stomach gave an empty pang in response. When was the last time he’d eaten? Jules was chopping some tomatoes and adding them to a big green salad, and she cast them a wide grin. He and Jules went out of their way to do caring things for one another, like make a meal or do the dishes when the other was busy. They hadn’t had much nurturing during their childhood, so they put in the effort to be a team. There was a vise around his heart, squeezing with the realization that he could picture Sasha as part of their little family.
“You have no idea how excited I am to meet you—I mean, I know we met in the hospital, but we didn’t get to talk much with the boys lurking.” Jules sliced a cucumber, arranging it just so around the tomatoes and lettuce.
“Can I, ah, help with anything?” The way Sasha wrung her hands together didn’t get past him. Maybe she’d shared meals with a friend, her agent, but Jules had set the table with a homey feel. A family dinner was something she probably hadn’t experienced in quite some time and her discomfort was palpable. He wanted to be the one who coaxed her away from the fear of losing someone she loved. There wasn’t a GPS to tell him what road he’d go down in life, but he could enjoy a hell of a ride until the end of the trip.
“Yes, sit and relax. You’ve been through too much in the last twenty-four hours for me to put you to work.” Jules set salad in the middle of the table, and he pulled out a chair for Sasha. “But next time, I will take you up on that offer.”
A low growl emanated from down the hall, accompanied by the click of nails. Jules tossed down the kitchen towel she was holding and started to round the center island. “Oh, shoot. I thought he went to bed for the night,” she muttered. “I’ll grab him.” Before she could move, Gilligan came charging into the room, snarling, and slid across the tile floor.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind dogs.” Sasha reached her hand down and held it there.
“Easy,” Gus warned the five-pound menace. He was crouched and ready to grab the dog if he tried to attack. The old dog was usually out for blood on the off-chance someone visited them. Gilligan looked at Sasha with charcoal eyes, and the guttural growl died in his throat.
“Holy smokes.” Jules’s laugh echoed through the kitchen. “He’s wagging his tail.”
Gilligan sniffed Sasha’s hand, then pranced around the chair legs to lay on top of her feet. It should really come as no surprise to him that the grumpy dog readily approved of Sasha. Gus was more jaded, more short-tempered than the average human, and he’d been drawn to Sasha in a magnetic way, too.
They sat around the table, enjoying the lasagna and salad. Jules elicited a few chuckles from Sasha, and pride swelled in his chest at how welcoming and warm his sister was. He’d thank her later for making Sasha feel at home. They were just taking their dishes to the sink when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and stepped into the living room to answer.
“Lieutenant,” he answered and paced over to the window.
“Just checking in. Take the time you need to heal before you return.” The soft tick of the lieutenant’s office clock pulsed over the receiver.
“I plan to be in tomorrow.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone. Both women would give him hell for going back in so soon, but he’d just sustained surface wounds.
“I’m starting to think you were correct in saying that the abduction was just the start. Everything seems to tie back to Frost.” The frustration in his superior’s voice was unmistakable.
Gus ignored the hardening of his stomach. Sasha didn’t kill anyone, but she was connected, and that alone had fear spiraling through his chest. “I need to interview the former owner of Jefferson and Sons as soon as possible, and those close to Frost.”
“You won’t get far with Herb Fletcher.” The lieutenant sighed. “Passed away of natural causes in a nursing home a month prior to his granddaughter’s disappearance.”
A curse was on the tip of his tongue. “I’d bet those natural causes are questionable.” He kneaded at the cluster of tension at the nape of his neck. If the man had been elderly and there was nothing amiss, an autopsy most likely wouldn’t have been performed.
“Guy was nearly ninety years old and under the care of the nursing home’s medical team, so no autopsy,” the lieutenant said as though reading Gus’s thoughts.
“Doesn’t mean he wasn’t helped along,” Gus said, voice grim. “We need to get a subpoena.” And he needed to make sure Sasha understood just how serious this situation was. If this all revolved around her and someone’s delusional form of getting justice for her family, she might be next. Who knew what the killer was thinking or if they thought Sasha should’ve died in the fire along with her family. Now that he’d found her, he wasn’t going to take any chances.
Chapter Thirteen
Sasha held the Chihuahua in her lap, its soft, fawn-colored fur beneath her fingers, and relaxed against the chair. Julie’s airy voice floated through the kitchen, sharing stories of her brother, college, and anything else that came to mind while Gus took a call. Sasha had been wound tight when Gus left the room. That professional armor he wore sobered his features the moment he looked at the screen or his phone, but his sister distracted her, and the dog helped, too. She glanced over Julie’s shoulder, and Gus was standing with his hip cocked against the door frame. The unexpected warmth caressing his features stripped her lungs bare. He really was striking, and when his expression softened just for her, she melted.
“And that’s my cue to say goodnight.” Julie popped up from her seat and rounded the table. When the girl’s arms came around her, Sasha automatically stiffened, then relaxed. Julie didn’t seem offended in the least. “It was really nice talking to you.” She smiled and shuffled out of the room in stocking feet.
“Your sister is an angel,” she whispered when feet creaked up the stairs and a door closed on the upper floor. “You should be proud. I know in many ways you raised her.”
“She’s always been a great kid,” he said, crossing the room to pull out the chair beside her. “I just spoke with my lieutenant and mentioned interviewing the owner of Jefferson and Sons. Seems he passed away a month prior to Melissa’s abduction.”
“Do I have more interviews in my future?” An ache pulsed at her temples. How long was it going to take to crawl out of this nightmare?
“Maybe. Maybe not. He was elderly and under the care of nursing professionals. Appears to be deceased of natural causes.” He shrugged, but his lips were pressed into a thin line.
“That’s not what you think, though.” How exhausting it must be to make a career out of worst-case scenarios. Her fingers itched to knead those tight shoulders and strong back. Gus was a protector, a problem-solver, but who protected him? Who was the sounding board when he had a bad day, or reminded him to stop and breathe when a case began to consume every quadrant of space in his mind? He had Julie, but he’d never let the kind of evil he faced touch her. Not after what had happened to their parents.
“No, I don’t. I’m going to talk to the nursing home about the circumstances of his death, then, if necessary, get a subpoena to exhume the body.” He massaged the back of his neck, face tight. It was silly to be jealous of his own hands, but he wanted to remain professional with her—well, as much as he could given the circumstances.
