“What?” Blake gapes at him.
“Butterfly,” I rest my hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t a punishment.”
“But—” she starts.
I keep my voice low and calm. “We’re going to worry, and then we won’t be able to do our jobs.”
“I work for the police department just like you guys.” Her eyes dart to the side. She knows her argument is weak.
Santiago’s expression turns inscrutable. “You’re a volunteer.”
Blake’s brows furrow. “Volunteers are people too.”
“Then you’re fired,” Walker clips as he wraps her cut with gauze.
“You can’t fire me,” Blake argues. “Jo said only she can do that.”
“Jo’s delusional,” Walker quips.
Blake’s face softens. “You guys can’t keep me in bubble wrap forever.”
“Mírame,”Watch me.
Blake’s eyes meet mine. I silently plead with her to understand.
I would do anything, sacrifice anything, if it meant she never had to know pain again. Just the thought of her being hurt, even by accident, racks me with torment.
She lets out a sigh, and her gaze drops to her hand. “I don’t like it, but after what happened in the woods…” Her lips turn downward. “I’m willing to try.”
The three of us let out audible breaths. It’s like someone just took a portion of the stress off our plates and threw it out the window.
“I’ll take you back to Falling Sky,” Santiago offers.
We escort Blake back to the truck, but on the way, a small brown object in the snow stands out. I let them continue, and I crouch down to get a closer look.
It’s a cigarette butt.
Aclovecigarette butt.
My heartbeat kicks hard against my ribs as I stare at the evidence that we could have easily missed.
It wasn’t just the woods.
Whoever followed Blake before is still following her.
CHAPTER 46
WALKER
Sweat drips down my neck as I check the level of the floating shelf for the third time.
It’s level.
It was level the first two times as well.
Doesn’t stop me from checking again.
After the weekend I had, trying to light a fire under the asses of the people at the crime lab in Cheyenne, I was ready to hit something—or someone.
