AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hadn’t moved an inch and planned to remain that way. “Excuse me?” I called out after them.
Kipp glanced over his shoulder. “Yes.”
Zach continued walking. He laughed quietly, but his body shook from the force of suppressing it. My anger doubled. “What part of I’m not going there don’t you get?”
Kipp sighed and came over to me. The air around me dropped a few degrees and my breath shortened. He bowed his head down toward mine and gazed at me with a soft expression. “Now, Tess, I’m going to tell you two ways of how this is going to go.” He raised one finger. “One, you are going to get in the truck and willingly come to the station with us.” He held up another finger. “Two, you and I will stand here and argue. You’ll try to prove your point and I’ll listen because, frankly, I enjoy the sound of your voice. But in the end, you’re going to end up with that sexy ass of yours in the truck.”
I narrowed my eyes.
He grinned. “You tell me, which one seems like a better choice for you?”
I pondered, long and hard. The idea of arguing with Kipp actually appealed to me. I liked squabbling with him and enjoyed seeing the amusement pass through his eyes when he made steam come out of my ears. Deep down, I took pleasure in the knowledge that he enjoyed me.
With such awareness came the flashing indicator I needed to go against my better judgment and do the exact opposite. If I acted on instinct, I’d only land myself in heaps of trouble when it came to Kipp. My resolve about him hung on by a fine line, and if I didn’t change my ways soon, the thread would break.
Something I couldn’t allow.
“Fine. But let me just point out again, you owe me.” I glared the deadliest look I could muster. “If you get to heaven, you better put in some good words for me with the big guy. After all this, I deserve to be named a damn saint.”
Kipp arched an eyebrow. “Now that will not be a problem.”
* * * * *
The drive to the station should have been longer. Maybe then I would’ve found some resolve. I stood outside the interview room, feeling hesitant, apprehensive and more than irritated. I didn’t want to go into the room and suffer such humiliation all over again. “Must I do this?”
“I have to bring you into the case so I can work with Kipp.” Zach’s firm expression didn’t waver. “And I need the okay from the sergeant. Plus, we need to bring Max up to speed on what Kipp’s discovered.”
“But Hannah said she would locate Percy,” I countered. “Let’s just go find her.”
Zach shook his head. “She won’t find him.”
“We haven’t been able to locate the suspect, even though we’ve talked with Hannah,” Kipp said. “She knows nothing of him and everything he told her was a lie. She’ll be running around in circles.”
“But, but, but.” I searched for a way out. “They think I’m nuts.”
“Yes, they do.” Zach said and winked. “Don’t worry, we’ll change their minds.”
“Besides, it’s either you go in or I use my persuasion techniques to get you to agree. Would you like me to replay the night in the bar?”
“God no!” I exclaimed.
Even I heard the doubt flow off my words and Kipp’s wicked grin said he heard it too.
My stomach fluttered with butterflies, but I tightened my abs and bit the inside of my cheek to focus elsewhere. What’s wrong with you? He was a ghost, not some guy I could roll around in the sheets with or have a future with. I needed to stop feeling these little inklings of interest toward him.
Now!
“All right.” Zach closed his hand around the door handle. “Are you ready?”
“No,” I replied, adamantly.
He laughed, said nothing more and opened the door. I groaned, loud enough for all to hear, as I eyed Max and Eddie seated, both with looks of pure amusement shining on their faces. Even so, I saw the exhaustion through their caffeine-laced expressions. Being nearly ten at night, everyone had already had one hell of a long day, including me.
“Thanks for coming back,” Zach said to Max as he pushed me forward to take a seat at the head of the table.
Max lowered the coffee cup from his mouth. “Not a problem.”
&nbs
