He shakes his head. “It’s not safe.”
“Please, Flynn.” I push myself up so I can see him properly. “You can follow me about as much as you want. Hell, put a tracker on me but please, let me help.”
“Hazel—”
“I can talk to that woman,” I say, cutting him off. “If she has evidence against him maybe she’ll give it to me.” I place a hand on his chest. “Please let me help. I won’t go near the senator again, I promise.”
Flynn works his jaw and spears his fingers through his hair.
I bite my lip as I wait for him to decide and eventually, he sighs, acquiescence in his eyes. “I hope you’re prepared for me to take you up on that tracker offer. Especially when you leave yourphone at home to sneak off to a gala you had no business being at.” He pinches my ass, but I just smile.
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a maybe. But the second I think you’re in any danger, you’re done. No arguments.”
I nod. “Okay, agreed.”
I sink back into the bed and rest my head against Flynn’s chest. His heart beats in my ear, a steady thud that calms my soul. I may have been angry tonight, but I was never going to run away. And I never really wanted Flynn to let me go. A hundred feelings flutter behind my ribs and I swallow hard. I start making a list in my head.
Love Lessons 101: Howto fall for a serial killer.
22
AIDING AND ABETTING LIKE A PRO
Hazel
The engine cutsout as Flynn stops the bike, but I continue clinging to him like a koala bear. He takes off his helmet and runs a hand down my thigh.
“You can let go now, Lilac.”
“Uh huh,” I say, fully intending to do just that except for one slight problem: my body won’t move. “Just give me like two seconds for the heart attack to pass.”
Flynn chuckles and the sound rumbles through his leather jacket and over my skin. That feeling alone is enough to make up for the terror of riding a motorbike for the first time and my arms relax enough to stop clinging to Flynn like a spider-monkey.
He turns around and takes my helmet off, a soft smirk on his lips. “You know this is like the least dangerous part of what we’re doing today?”
I shake my head, helmet hair frizzing in front of my eyes. “Not true. Do you know how many calls we get each day because of motorbike accidents?”
“Never crashed my bike, Lilac and I don’t plan to.”
I jab a numb finger into his chest. “That’s an insane sentence.”
“What did one motorbike say to the other?”
I give him a droll look, which of course does nothing to deter him.
“Nice to CC you.”
My lips twitch but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of laughing.
Yes, your honor, technically I did aid and abet a serial killer but, in my defense, he’s very good at awful jokes. Plus, he gave me out of this world orgasms.
Yeah, somehow I don’t think that would fly in court. I’m committed now though, so I take Flynn’s hand and climb off the bike.
We turn to look down the suburban street and Flynn points out a house three down from where we’ve parked. “Ana Zhang’s house, the one with the flower beds out front.”
The sun shines on the plants bordering the flattop driveway and I get this pit in my stomach. Ana is just living her life and I’m about to go in there and start poking around, asking questions about what is probably the worst thing that’s ever happened to her. It feels wrong. But letting Claren get away feels more wrong.
