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“My shit is perfectly together,” Van said with a frown. “That’s what sucks. I have this great revelation and then Hale’s punching me in the face.”
Hale stayed back in the cell as though he didn’t want to come out.
“What did he say?” She moved toward him, softening her expression. She wasn’t the only one who’d had a hell of a day. He wasn’t the type of man to get into a barroom brawl. If he was angry enough to lose his cool, then there was a reason. “Was it about me?”
Van huffed and was suddenly beside his best friend. “Shit. What did he say about Elisa? That’s the only reason he would have lost it like that. He doesn’t care what anyone says about him.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Hale looked to Nate. “You didn’t even get his name?”
Nate sat back on the corner of one of the desks. “I didn’t realize there was another party. By the time we got there I saw Max trying to pull Hale off Van.”
“If you knew I was innocent, why the hell did you arrest me?” Max had made it to the door, following after Gemma.
“Because it’s been a while, old friend. I missed your face,” Nate said with a smirk.
Max shot him the finger and made his exit.
“I’m sorry I didn’t understand what was going on.” Nate was back to being entirely professional. “I know you two have had some trouble lately and that even the best of partnerships can explode at times. I know Zane and I had some doozy fights when we were younger.”
“It was him.” Hale said the words with grim resolve. “It was the guy from the lobby cam footage. I realized it when I saw him walking to the bathroom, and I followed him. I would bet he’s back at the lodge now. He’s a guest there. Van and I saved him from breaking a leg earlier today.”
“Shit. It was the same guy?” Van asked. “I didn’t see him at Trio, but the guy we met at the lodge today did have the same body type.”
If he was right, then he’d taken a dangerous risk. “Hale, why would you confront him? Why not call in the sheriff? You confronted the man you suspect of trying to kill you? What did you say to him?”
Hale shrugged. “I asked him why he was trying to kill me.”
Van groaned. “Not the way I would have gone.”
Elisa turned to Cam. “Can you call the lodge and see if we can figure out who this man is?”
Cam grabbed his coat. “I’ll do one better. I’ll go up there myself. Hopefully we can find him and his sedan, too. We’re trying to clear up the footage we have from the traffic cameras. We’ve got a blue sedan that came down around the right time, but the weather was crappy so I don’t know that we’re going to get the plate number. I’ll look around the lot.”
“Thanks, Cam.” He was supposed to be home with his wife and partner and kid.
Nate grabbed his coat. “I’m going to go with him. I don’t like this one bit. You two are free to go. No charges.” He stopped as he started to walk by her, leaning in, his voice going low. “Go easy on Hale. He figured out how serious this is and he’s scared, and I don’t think he’s scared for himself. If I was a betting man, I would say you’re the first woman he’s fallen in love with, and he’s not sure how to handle it.”
She nodded, grateful for the advice. Nate and Cam left, and they were alone. “Do you want to go home and talk this out?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Hale said slowly.
“Where else are we going to go?” Van asked.
Van didn’t understand. “He’s not saying he doesn’t want to go home. He’s saying he doesn’t want me to come with him.”
“That is not what he’s saying,” Van corrected, his gaze going between the two of them. “Because that would be ridiculous.”
“Why?” Hale asked. “I think the more ridiculous thing would be for me to put her in the line of fire. Look, this is actually what I was talking to Max about when all of this happened, and I know it doesn’t seem fair but damn it, I love her and I don’t want her to get hurt.”
She knew she should rail against him pushing her away, but he’d said he loved her. “I love you, too.”
Hale’s eyes softened. “Then respect the fact that I need some time to sort this out. I think Van and I should go to Dallas in the morning. We can meet with his brother’s friends. This is the kind of thing they handle all the time.”
“You’re going to Dallas? For how long?” Were they both going to leave her?
