AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re sure of that?”
“Yes. There’s no reason for them to keep it a secret—especially from me. They’d have been too excited to keep it to themselves. Look, what is this all about? Why are you so interested in a guy who’s dead? And why am I here?”
Alex stepped toward him, liking the sound of the male’s heartbeat kicking up. “You sound certain that he’s no longer of this world.”
Something close to bitterness flashed in Calvin’s eyes as he glared at Alex. “Call it a twin’s instinct.”
“What, you believe you felt it when he died?” asked Alex, letting derision color his tone.
Calvin’s lips thinned. “No. I just don’t feel him anymore.”
“I see.” Alex dangled the necklace in front of him. “Recognize this?”
Calvin’s expression didn’t alter in the slightest. “Should I?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Calvin’s jaw hardened. “No, I don’t recognize it.”
“It’s a replica of a necklace that Paxton supposedly gifted to Bree. Well, your mother claimed it was a gift from him. Bree believes Bernadette gave it to her to comfort her after he first left. Your mother claimed that Paxton possessed the other half of the pendant, but Bree thinks Bernadette kept it.”
“Sounds like something my mother would do.”
“Bree tossed her half away years ago. The other half recently made a reappearance. Someone hand-posted it to her. She dumped it in the trash can. But it reappeared again. So, once more, she threw it away. Then she came home today to find a pile of these on her kitchen counter.” Alex swung the necklace slightly from side to side. “How did you sneak past her guards?”
Calvin’s eyes bulged. “You think I did it?”
“Was it the first time you broke into her house? You get off on that shit?”
“Wait a goddamn minute, I have never broken into her home. And I certainly wouldn’t leave necklaces for her to find. I mean, seriously, what possible reason could I have to do that?”
“You tell us,” said Alex, stepping closer to him. “Even better, tell us why your scent was in her kitchen just now.”
Calvin shot to his feet. “I had nothing to do with this!”
“Sit down,” Alex snapped.
Calvin reluctantly obeyed. “I’m telling you, I did not do this. Hell, I didn’t even leave my apartment today.”
“Is there anyone who can corroborate that?”
“No, I was alone.” Calvin looked at his Alpha. “I swear to God, Vinnie, I didn’t do any of this. I wouldn’t.”
“Then why was your scent in her kitchen?” Alex challenged.
“I don’t know! It wasn’t me! It …” Calvin trailed off, and his face went slack. “Paxton. He has the same scent.”
“You said he’s dead.”
Calvin licked his lips. “Well, obviously I can’t be sure he’s dead.”
“You sounded sure. You said you couldn’t feel him anymore. A twin’s instinct, right?”
“Well, unless you can think of another reason why the scent that he and I share was in Bree’s house earlier, it had to be him because it was not me. I wouldn’t do anything to upset Bree. I care about her.”
As his beast lunged for the male and swiped out a paw, wanting to knock the cat off his chair, Alex leaned over and put himself eye-level with Calvin. “Well, she doesn’t feel the same way about you,” he said, his voice as quiet as it was deadly. “Bree is mine, so you can imagine just how much I’ll enjoy bashing your skull against the goddamn wall for trying to fuck with her head.”
“It wasn’t me!” Calvin again looked to Vinnie, his eyes a little wild. “It wasn’t, Vin, I swear to God.”
The Alpha gave Alex an almost imperceptible nod. It was time to get Bree.
Alex returned to the living room only to find Elle sitting on the sofa with Bree.
Noticing him, Bree looked up and asked, “What did he say?”
“Exactly what we thought he’d say,” replied Alex. “He claims he didn’t do it and that it could be Paxton. You want to take a shot at getting Calvin to talk?”
She slowly stood, her eyes going hard. “Damn right I do.”
“Then let’s go.” Alex waited for her to cross to him and then led her to the room in which Calvin was being held.
“Ah, Bree,” said Vinnie as she entered. “Glad you could join us.”
Calvin shook his head at her. “Bree, you have to know I didn’t do this. Does it even make any sense to you that I would?”
“No, it doesn’t,” she replied. “But your scent was in my kitchen.”
“Then it has to have been Paxton. Playing mind games … that’s what he does. He messes with people. He stirs the pot. I’m telling you, Bree, it wasn’t me. Which means you need to be careful, because there’s no knowing what he’ll do next.”
“You don’t think it’s low to blame a dead man?” asked Alex.
Calvin’s nostrils flared. “It. Wasn’t. Me.”
She pursed her lips. “I can help you prove your innocence, if you’re up for it.”
