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“The smell of gas was undeniable. And our team has confirmed it. It was as if whoever started that fire wanted us to know it was deliberately lit.”
In and out. I steady my breaths, sitting tall. “Who would do such a thing?”
“I was hoping you could tell me,” he counters.
Raising my shoulders, I state evenly, “I have no idea.”
“There was no one you knew who held a grudge against you?”
“No, Detective.” The perspiration gathers at the small of my back, but I keep my poker face in play.
I’m certain he doesn’t believe me, and just when I’m about to buckle, he stands. “You’re free to leave. I have everything I need for now.”
I can’t get out of this room fast enough, but I rise slowly. “Thank you.”
I’m expecting there to be a catch, but when he opens the door, I can’t believe I got away with…I refrain from thinking such a thought, especially when Detective Parks stops me in my tracks. “You know, Ms. Lane. You didn’t look awfully surprised that it was arson.”
And there it is. Proof he doesn’t believe a word I’ve just said.
“It’s all a little hard to process right now, Detective Parks.” We are feet apart, and this close to him, he is sure to see through my lies.
“Of course.” He steps aside, allowing me to pass. Just as I brush past him, he adds, “I will get down to the bottom of this. I will find out who set that fire, but most importantly, why.”
Locking gazes, I swallow but keep it together. “I’m glad to hear it. Goodbye, Detective.”
Before he has a chance to spring anything else on me, I quickly exit the room, sighing in relief when I march down the corridor. But I can feel the detective’s eyes on me. I know this isn’t the last I’ve seen of him.
I’m escorted to a lounge to wait for Cayden. Thankfully, I don’t have to wait long.
When he enters the room, I stop myself from launching into his arms. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
We leave the building, ensuring we play it cool because we both know Detective Parks is watching. When I get into the truck, I fumble with the seat belt, on the verge of tears. Cayden wastes no time putting the truck into gear and speeding away from the station.
After a couple of minutes, I let out a shaky breath and run a hand down my exhausted face. “He knows I’m lying,” I say from behind my palm.
Cayden is silent.
But I need to fill in the static. “He is going to dig until he finds out the truth. He will know what we did. We should just tell him the truth.”
Cayden’s fingers tighten on the wheel.
I know how he feels about that suggestion, but I would rather we tell Detective Parks what happened than him probing and eventually finding it out himself.
“We can tell him, but without a body and the fact that my dad just disappeared, it doesn’t look good for us. We don’t have any proof he’s back, but if we confess to what we did, there will be serious consequences for our actions.” His eyes are focused straight ahead as he continues.
“But if you want to tell him, I have one condition.”
A wave of terror overcomes me. “What is it?”
“You let me take the fall.”
I blink once. “What?”
“I won’t allow my father to ruin both our lives. I will take the blame. All of it. We don’t tell anyone you were there.”
“Cayden, no,” I protest, my tone labored.
But he won’t listen. “Yes, it has to be this way. I can’t expect Lacey to look after Ellie on her own. She will need help. I don’t want Hazel to be the only one Lacey can talk to about my daughter.”
The more he speaks, the bleaker things become. “How can you ask this of me? I’m more to blame than you are. For you to do this…it’ll ruin your life. I can’t do that. I won’t.”
The truck swerves violently as he pulls over to the side of the road and drags me over the middle console and onto his lap. I go willingly with tears in my eyes. “You must,” he pushes out between a deep exhalation. “Please don’t fight me on this. I won’t allow him to hurt you ever again.”
“I won’t stand by while you get persecuted for something I did.”
His body trembles against mine as he threads his fingers through my hair. “These are my terms,” he stubbornly argues, pinning me with a dogged stare. “You’re right. It’s better we tell the truth. Well, a twisted truth. But I won’t ruin your life.”
“But you expect me to ruin yours?” I whisper, defeated.
“Without a body, they won’t have much to go on. But my confession will most definitely have me doing time. But he will be less likely to come out of hiding if I’m behind bars for his murder. Which means you’ll all be safe. It’s a sacrifice I’ll happily make.”
A tear slips down my cheek, but I have no right to cry. I’m not the one sacrificing my freedom. “I won’t lose you again.”
“Then what do you suggest we do?”
Sighing, I press my forehead to his, reveling in his scent. “Okay…we do it your way.”
A hiss leaves him. “My way?”
He knows what I’m proposing, but he needs me to say it, just in case. “We”—I take a breath because what I’m about to say is immoral—“we talk to Benny. But…we avoid any violence if we can. Surely there is another way.”
I know there isn’t, but how can I sacrifice one man’s life to save another? Regardless of what Cayden’s father has done, doing this weighs heavily on my soul. And Cayden can sense my dilemma.
“I’ll organize it all. You won’t have to be involved. You won’t know what I do.”
“Cayden—”
“No, let me do this,” he interrupts, his breath coating my cheeks. “It’s my job to protect you. I want you to finally live the life you deserve.”
I don’t have time to protest because he slams his lips against mine, robbing me of breath. I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body to his, kissing him with a fierce need. I don’t know why, but this kiss is heavy with desperation.
With salty tears on my lips, I kiss Cayden without apology because at this moment, I know that I love him. I always have. It seems so strange that such a strong emotion can exist after knowing him for such a short time, but I’m leading with my heart, and it feels good.
We kiss for minutes, knowing that once we stop, everything changes forever. But if Cayden thinks I will allow him to go into this alone, he’s got another thing coming. This Peyton Lane will fight for what is hers, and Cayden Coachman is mine…he always has been, and I protect what’s mine.
