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“Fuck,” Elijah said. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. It is him. It is.”
I stood and went for my clothes, handing Elijah his.
“Do you know where his studio is?” I asked, pulling on my shorts.
“I do,” he answered as his head popped out of his shirt. His dark hair looked a shade lighter under the bright sunlight, a strand of it curling down across his forehead before he ran a hand through and set it all in place.
“Perfect. Text me the address.”
“Text you? I’m coming with you.”
I looked at a half-dressed Elijah with surprise. It took a second to process his absolutely ludicrous words. “Absolutely not. You’re staying here. I’m not letting Billie get anywhere near you.”
Elijah crossed his arms, and I instantly recognized that look of pit bull–like determination on his face. The fear appeared to be gone, replaced by a steely strength. “I could talk to him. I could get him to confess, Ry.”
“And so can I.” My mind was made up on this. I couldn’t risk putting Elijah in danger like that. “Billie’s gotten more and more unhinged, his threats getting worse with every one. And now he wants you to come over in the dead of night, after lying about performing a show? The Queen’s Throne is closed tonight, Jen told us. He’s planning something, Eli. I’m going to stop him, but I need you here. Safe.”
He shook his head. I thought he was going to argue with me, but thankfully, he saw reason. “Fine. I’ll text you his address.”
“Perfect, thank you.” I grabbed his hips and kissed him, holding him close to me. “This is all going to end today, all right? I’ve got you, baby. I always had.”
Elijah kissed me back, his hands coming up to hold my head, his kiss settling deep inside my heart. This was all I wanted. To be lost in a sea of kisses with the man I loved, knowing he was safe and sound, happy in my arms. I wasn’t about to let anyone take that away. Billie needed to be stopped, and I was going to be the one to stop him.
Once we got all our clothes on, I led Elijah back to the farm, not wanting to waste a single second. Billie had no idea we were onto him, and I wanted to keep it that way. Time was crucial. I left Elijah in my dad’s kitchen, promising him I’d be back soon, sealing that promise with another kiss.
“Be safe, okay?” Elijah said, green eyes catching me like the lure of a bonfire to a light-hungry moth.
“I will.” Another kiss. One more.
And one more.
“I love you,” I said, the words tasting sweeter than honey on my tongue.
“I love you, too.”
A final kiss and I was gone, heading out the door with determined speed, every step taking me closer to the end of this saga.
I couldn’t believe how much had happened in the past hour—from the best sex of my life to confessions of love to a case-cracking revelation. My head was left spinning as I got into my car, gunning it down my dad’s driveway, a storm of dirt and sand kicking up behind me. Billie’s studio wasn’t a far drive at all from my dad’s farm, which didn’t give me much time to prepare my questions. That was fine, though. The quicker this was over, the sooner I’d be able to tell Elijah he didn’t have to worry anymore.
Billie’s studio was located in a ritzy part of town, where the communities were located on gentle rolling hills and surrounded by ironclad gates, centered around a spacious swimming pool and tennis court. There were large homes with perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful views of the White Mountains cresting on the horizon. Elijah had explained to me that Billie had inherited the house after both his parents passed, which came with a studio apartment in the yard. He had converted that into a drag factory, where he sowed and crafted looks and styled new wigs on a daily basis.
Billie didn’t know I was coming, and I wasn’t too concerned about the element of surprise either. I pulled right into his driveway and got out of my car, taking in every corner of my surroundings. Bright green hedges lined a freshly mowed front lawn, a black-and-brown tabby cat lazily grooming itself on a decorative bench placed next to the door. The lawn might have been maintained, but the house could have used some extra love; paint was chipping, and the door looked like it needed to be replaced three winters ago. A wind chime jingled and jangled above me as I rang the doorbell, adding to the chorus. The cat raised its head and glared at me for interrupting its grooming session before going back to licking a leg raised straight to the sky.
