He nods just as the back door swings open again and Gabriella peeks outside, her long hair blowing wildly with a gust of icy wind. She looks confused.
“Boss, there’s a bunch of cops here to see you?”
Sebastian nods, his hand falling protectively on my shoulder as he guides me inside. I stiffen but allow the contact this time. I know it’s meant to be comforting, and when his warmth mingles with mine, I start to relax.
We spend the next hour talking to the police. A VPD officer named Theo with dreadlocks and warm brown eyes takes my statement. I tell him everything that’s happened between me and Dennis since my mom died, including the fact that I came here because he was stalking me in the States.
Sebastian sits in a chair by my side, and I feel his eyes shift to me. This is all new information to him, obviously. When I glance over, he meets my gaze, his lips pulling into a deep frown.
“Do you have a photo of Dennis?” Officer Theo asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’ve never taken a photo with him.”
Theo gives me an odd look, and I realize thatit isweird that my family never took pictures. But we weren’t normal. We didn’t pose with Santa or celebrate birthdays. My mother and stepfather didn’t come to any of my graduations or take me on family vacations. My childhood was a fucking joke.
“Is there anything else I should know for this report?”
“He knew things he shouldn’t.” My voice shakes.
“What do you mean?”
A chill sweeps through my body. “Like, he knew I was meeting my friend Charlie for lunch today.”
Theo nods, scribbling something on his notepad, then he looks up and gives me a kind smile. “Well, based on the nature of this situation, I need to pass it along to one of our detectives. They’ll be in touch.” He glances at Sebastian. “You said you emailed the security footage?”
Seb nods, and Theo places his hands on his thighs and stands, his gun belt creaking as he straightens up.
Sebastian and I stand with him. “Despite the fact that Dennis was spooked, I would be cautious. Do you and your boyfriend have a place where you can lay low for a bit? Maybe take a little vacation? It should be somewhere Dennis may not expect you to go.”
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” I say quickly at the same time Seb says, “We’re just friends.”
We glance at each other, and Sebastian smirks.
“Sorry,” Theo says awkwardly. “I shouldn’t have assumed?—”
“No, it’s fine,” I cut him off with a confident smile. “I have somewhere I can go.”
Theo nods, then walks from the office, and I turn to stare at Seb.
“So.” He gives me a pointed look. “Where are we going?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
SEBASTIAN
“Fiona, be reasonable. You can’t just go off to some remote cabin in the woods by yourself.”
We’re back at my place by mid-morning, and I’m standing in the doorway to Marcus’s room while Fi tosses clothes into a bag. Ithinkshe’s freaking out. She masks it well, but I’ve been watching the way she clenches her fists until her knuckles whiten.
Fi glares at me, then storms into the bathroom. I hear her rummaging through her toiletries while she says, “Sebastian,youcan’t just drop everything and come with me. We hardly know each other, and you have a life here.” She steps out of the bathroom carrying a small silver bag, her brow furrowing in frustration while she fights to zip it closed.
I step forward and stretch out my hand with a questioning look. Her eyes narrow, but she hands it to me, and I pull a makeup brush free from the zipper teeth, then ease the bag closed. Our hands graze when I pass it back to her, and I almost jerk away. I’m not used to being so affected by someone else’s proximity, but that casual skim of her skin feels like an honest-to-God electric current.
“Thank you,” Fi says quietly.
She turns, tosses the small bag into the larger one, then hefts it onto her shoulder and walks past me. I follow her into the kitchen where she drops the bag with a thud, pulls out one of the island chairs, sits, and places her face in her hands with a muffled groan.
I walk to the chair across from her, sitting back down at my open laptop. My eyes feel dry, and I rub them wearily. I had to be at the pub way too early this morning for a delivery, and my brain has felt foggy ever since, despite the very strong fourth cup of coffee currently sitting next to my computer.
