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He sighed, yet gave Alexander’s shoulder a squeeze and sadness filled his eyes. When he looked at me again, I didn’t even recognize him—softness rested in his features. Not the Dane I had known. “What you thought and believed wasn’t true. I didn’t come to trick you to solve Alexander’s murder. I came to force you to stay away.”
My mouth dropped open, but he continued, “The kiss at the airport was to create the hatred you have for me and to give me time to solve Alexander’s murder before you arrived.”
I picked up my mouth off the floor. “You were an ass to me on purpose?” At his nod, I gawked at him. “You’re not really an asshole?”
His mouth curved. “I try not to be on most occasions.” The twinkle in his eyes vanished as he glanced at every face in the room, even to the spot where Kipp stood. “When you went looking for Kipp after he vanished, I found him at your condo after I’d picked your lock.”
My eyes went huge at the horror he’d actually done that. First thing I would do when I got home was put in a better deadbolt. But I kept that thought to myself as Dane went on, “I didn’t know if he heard me or agreed when I told him he needed to go away, but clearly he did, since he left.”
Turning my head to the side, I glimpsed at Kipp and he nodded, crossing his arms. “He’s telling the truth.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around this, but now realized what Kipp had meant—Dane was the one. Dane had been the reason Kipp had left. Clearly, though, not for the reasons I suspected. I might have questioned this more. That was, if Kipp hadn’t confirmed it. I trusted Kipp wholeheartedly.
Turning to Dane, I stared at him as he rested on the edge of the bed, closer to me than he had been in some time. “Why would you do that?”
“Because the day after Alexander took notice of you, he was murdered.” He stood from the bed and now paced the room as Alexander had done—maybe he learned the move from his father-in-law. “The more I’ve thought over this, the more I believe it has something to do with you. It can’t be a coincidence.”
Pity reached Alexander’s face. Pity for me. Oh God, this couldn’t be true. “Are you suggesting someone killed him because of me?”
“Impossible,” Gretchen interjected. “Why would anyone kill him because of Tess? No one had even met her.”
Normally, Dane would’ve offered a scowl and a snide remark at someone doubting him, but only gentleness reached his features. “Why someone didn’t want you to come to White Castle is beyond me, but I figure it has something to do with your gifts.”
“Why?” Was that seriously the only thing that could come from my mouth? Apparently so, since I would’ve repeated the same line if he didn’t answer me.
Luckily, he did. “Truth is, I suspect whoever didn’t want you here thought Alexander’s death would be the end of it. But I took matters into my own hands.”
Once again, he resumed his pacing, looking at the floor. “When I came to you at first, it was under total secrecy. I wanted you and Kipp to stay away because I thought it was safer for the both of you.”
He lifted his head and looked at Alexander. “While these are only suspicions, I truly don’t know w
hy someone killed you.” There, in his eyes, was a world of love and pain when he closed in on Alexander. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop them.”
Alexander cupped Dane’s shoulder. “What’s done is done.” He smiled, dropping his hand and taking a step back to come closer toward me. “The plan is to make this right.”
“Okay, wait,” I blurted, unable to hold back. The world did flip-flops around me. Kipp’s expression was stony, telling me none of this was new to him, only confirming Dane had told him this story already.
Focusing back on Dane, I rubbed my temples. “I’m so confused.” I doubted the throb in my head was from my trip to the Netherworld, but from this crazy shit I couldn’t process. “If you knew I was in danger and that this might be about me, which by the way is so unbelievable, why wouldn’t you tell me to stay away?”
“Because when I first came to Memphis, it was all suspicions.” He took a step toward me, giving me a knowing look. “What would I say, ‘My father-in-law has been murdered and it might have something to do with your gifts, but I don’t know that for sure yet or have any proof.’”
I understood his point—I would have thought he was insane and told Max to make him go home. I remained silent, taking all this insanity in, as he continued, “But it concerned me enough to ensure you didn’t come anywhere near here.” He ran his hands over his face, then he frowned. “Which apparently, also didn’t work.”
While some of his motivation made sense, another part didn’t. “Why didn’t you avoid Memphis? If you didn’t want me to know about you and come here, and if I had never met you, things would’ve been fine.”
“Our community is small,” Alexander interjected, “and Max was quite eager to get your help. I suspect whoever is behind this would have found you anyway because Max would’ve continued asking for help.”
Dane agreed, and with a nod, turned toward me. “At first, my intention was to simply give you the help that Alexander planned to offer you and I would have left without a single worry, but then the demon incident happened.” His eyes darkened, clearly at the memory of that evil. “I had no choice but to introduce you to Gretchen since she held the magic to banish the demon. But I knew by that introduction, she would bring you to the Animus to help save Kipp.”
A cold horror washed over my skin because this sounded so accurate, it seriously scared me now. If Alexander had been killed for some reason that had to do with my gifts, did that mean…
I wanted you and Kipp to stay away because I thought it safer for the both of you.
Remembering Dane’s statement made my heart race and my stomach clench. I shut my eyes trying to avoid all of this. “Oh, God, I feel sick.”
“You’re safe now.” An icy swipe of air brushed up my arm and Kipp murmured, “Everyone here will ensure nothing happens to you.”
I shivered at not only his touch, but at the reality now upon me. When I opened my eyes to Kipp, he stared at me with a troubled gaze, not terrified as I felt, but fighting to somehow protect me in this mess.
