Ignoring him, Dakota stepped into her home, his gaze cemented on Providence. “Tell me what happened.”
“What do you mean, what happened?” Jimbo asked.
“It doesn’t concern you,” Dakota replied.
Jimbo’s eyes grew large. “I know who you are. You’re that guy suspected of killing his employee.” He regarded Providence. “You can’t be hanging out with a murderer.”
“Goodbye, Jimbo,” Providence said. “You said what you needed to say.”
“But…but, we had a marriage. I think we should at least—”
“I accepted your apology,” she said. “Please leave, and don’t come back.”
On a huff, Jimbo pushed past Dakota, shoving him in the shoulder.
Providence shut and locked the door. And then, she threw her arms around Dakota. “Thank you for getting here so fast. Does Miranda have Sammy?”
He kissed her forehead. “Yes, she does.” He clasped her by the hand and brought her into the living room. “Tell me what happened.”
* * *
All Dakota cared about was Providence’s safety. When she finished explaining, Dakota asked her to walk him through her place.
“And you’re sure you put your spare Glock in here?” He peered inside her night table drawer.
“Of course.” Her shoulders drooped. “I’m sick to my stomach over this. You’ve got so much going on right now, you don’t need this hassle.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m glad you called me. Did you and your ex live here?”
“Yes. How did you know he was my ex?”
“I read your profile.”
“So, you know…everything.”
“I do, and I’m sorry.” He held her in his arms and caressed her back. Her heart was pounding so hard, he could feel it beating against his chest.
Her sad smile tore at him. “Thank you.”
“You want to talk about your daughter?”
“Maybe another time. Right now, I want to get the hell out of here.”
“Let’s circle back to Jim. When did he get here?”
“Right after I’d checked the apartment.”
“Did you know he was stopping by?”
“No. I ran into him last week. He’s going through a twelve-step program and wanted to make amends.”
“I didn’t see cameras in the hallway.” He glanced around. “Do you have surveillance?”
“No.”
“I’m gonna check your lock. Can I borrow your key?” He returned to her front door and slid the key into the lock. “It’s been picked.” Dakota glanced up and down her quiet hallway. “Do you know your neighbors?”
“A few of them, why?”
