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“Just until we clear this up,” Hale promised.
There was one problem with that scenario. “But that could be a while, and what is the definition of clearing things up? What if this guy isn’t the right one? Do you intend to stay away until this guy is caught? What if that takes years?”
Hale’s jaw firmed to a stubborn line. “It won’t.”
“You can’t know that.” A case like this could last a long time. They still didn’t know the guy’s name.
“I know that he’ll come after you,” Hale insisted. “He said as much tonight.”
“So that was what set you off.” She wished he would tell her what the asshole said.
Hale shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.” She needed to make a few things plain. “I’m working this case whether you go to Dallas or not, so I’m going to be involved.”
Hale seemed to think about that for a moment. “And I’m going to ask Nate to move you off it. It can be a favor to the guy who’s renovating his house for half what anyone else would charge.”
“Then I’ll quit and become a private investigator and work the case anyway,” she said with resolve. “You don’t get to dictate what I do in life, Hale. We might be in love, but you don’t own me. You don’t get to change who I am because it would be more comfortable for you.”
“He hates me.” Hale shook his head, his gaze going inward. “I don’t know why, but that man hates me, and he’s not going to stop until I’m gone.”
“And you expect me to stay out of his way? Maybe you shouldn’t say you love me because you obviously have no idea who I am.” She understood why he was doing this, but she couldn’t step away and let it happen.
“I know who I am, and I’m not the man who can watch you get hurt,” Hale said.
“Awesome. So she’ll get hurt and you won’t be watching?” Van asked, sarcasm dripping. “Because why do you think this guy will back away from her? You think he’ll be like oh, that dude I want to wreck went to Dallas. He must not love that woman he nearly killed me over. I’ll leave her alone. Or he could say thank god that dude went to Dallas and left her all alone. Time to play.”
Van was thinking straight. “He’s right. I’m in this, and there’s no way around it at this point.”
“There has to be a way.” Hale seemed to be trying to outthink the problem. “You could go home. You could go back to North Carolina.”
She rolled her eyes. It was obvious he needed some space. Fighting about this wasn’t going to solve the problem. “I am home, and I’m not letting some asshole push me out. And don’t even think about asking me to stay in the bunker. I’m going home. Are you coming with me or should I arrange another ride for you?”
“Maybe I should talk to your dad,” Hale said, his tone turning challenging.
“Go do it.” She could handle her father.
Van stepped in between them. “Hale, stop being an asshole. You know she can take care of herself.”
“She shouldn’t have to.” Hale didn’t seem to be backing down. “She should have someone who loves her enough to know when he’s bad for her. Maybe you were right. Maybe we aren’t enough for her and she can’t see it. Hell, I don’t even know how to be in a relationship. You’re leaving and you’re right to do it. We’re going to bring her nothing but pain.”
It took everything she had not to groan. Eeyore was back. This was the way Hale saw the world at times, and she couldn’t blame the man since up until recently his world had kind of been a black pit of despair.
He wanted to leave her.
Van was going to leave her. He’d already said it. Here they were at their first real hurdle, and they were both going to dump her and walk away. Shouldn’t she have known…
Nope. She wasn’t going there. She was playing catch and release with her demons today. Maybe later there would be time for her to wallow, but it obviously wasn’t going to be today.
“But I just decided to stay.” Van moved to her side. “I figured out that I was ashamed I couldn’t give her what my brother gave Serena, although when I really think about it Serena had all the money in the beginning, so maybe I am following in his footsteps.”
“There’s not a lot of money here, babe. It’s like thirty K and a decent investment portfolio,” she admitted, that darkness she seemed to always have inside her pushed away by Van’s words. He was going to stay? “We’re still pretty blue collar.”
“Well, I’m going to be an accountant, so I’ll make sure we’re smart with our money.” Van turned her way, his hands going to her hips. He stared down at her, his gaze turning hot. “I’ll be very smart when it comes to you. I’m going to stay right by your side and when the bad guys come, I’ll heroically step out of the way and let you shoot them.”
