AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m fine. You’re the one who hit your injured shoulder.”
I wrap my good arm around her shoulders. She wasn’t fine before, and she definitely isn’t now.
The door opens, and Tracy comes in carrying two ceramic mugs on a tray. She hands one to Simone and the other to me.
“Hazelnut hot chocolate with whipped cream,” Zara explains. “I figured after what you two just went through, you need something. Unfortunately, that’s the hardest-hitting stuff I can offer.”
Simone takes a sip of her drink.
“I can’t believe someone lost control of their vehicle and couldn’t be bothered to stop to make sure you two were okay,” Zara says.
“I don’t think it was an accident.” My gaze flicks to Simone to gauge how she’s taking the news. She’s still pale, but the trembling has lessened. “Someone left a note on my windshield while I was meeting with Blake.” I tell them what it said and how no one was waiting for me when I checked the alley.
“Do you think it was a setup?” Simone asks.
I shrug, then flinch at the ache in my shoulder. “Could be. Or whoever was going to meet me was scared off. For all I know, they witnessed what happened and disappeared before I showed up.”
Simone’s face pales, and I mentally curse myself. She’s scared enough by what happened, she doesn’t need me telling her anything else that might send her over the edge.
“You should get your shoulder checked out.” Her soft tone pleads with so much concern, if I didn’t know better, I would think I was bleeding out.
I kiss her temple. For her benefit and mine. After what happened, I need to touch her, to make sure she’s still alive. “My shoulder will be fine. But if you want to massage it tonight, I won’t complain.” I flash her a teasing smile, mostly to distract her from what happened with the truck.
Zara groans.
“How did your meeting with Blake go?” Simone asks.
“His investigator hasn’t discovered much that we don’t already know. Other than Sebastian has been involved in some shady dealings in the past. But nothing that would link him to the narcotics found in my house. And nothing that puts him on the law enforcement’s radar.”
Simone exhales a long hard breath that does little to deflate the tension in her muscles. “I wouldn’t mind getting some good news for once.”
“Me too,” Zara says. “Garrett hasn’t gotten anywhere with his FBI connections either.”
The staff room door opens again. This time a cop enters. Zara excuses herself, and we’re left to deal with the man.
Simone and I tell him everything that happened this afternoon when it came to the note and the near miss outside the café.
He bags the note for evidence. “Why do you think it was intentional?”
“Unlike when the driver hit Simone’s grandmother and left the scene, the angle of the sun wasn’t an issue. So unless the driver had a medical episode or was on their phone, there was nothing to cause them to end up on the sidewalk. And my gut says it was neither of those.” My tone is steady, untrusting. This guy is fresh from the academy. Unlike most new cops who want to make a mark early in their career, he looks ready to go off shift. Not because he’s had a hard day. Just the opposite.
He’s bored. Our near hit-and-run isn’t exciting enough for him.
Sorry to disappoint. Maybe next time you would prefer to be the one in front of the speeding vehicle.
40
Simone
Monday morning, Lucas’s phone rings on the nightstand. If it had rung five minutes ago, it would have interrupted us doing more than just lying in bed, catching our breath.
Lucas answers it, and I tug the bedding over my chest, even though the person on the other end of the call can’t see me. Sunlight spills through the window onto the bed, casting faintly striped shadows.
“Where was he last spotted?” Lucas rips the covers off him and swings his feet onto the floor. “All right, I’m leaving now. My ETA is about an hour.”
He ends the call and gives me a quick kiss. “Sorry, I have to leave. An eleven-year-old boy went missing while hiking with his family in the mountains.” He steps into the walk-in closet and reemerges in his Maple Ridge Search and Rescue gear. “Troy and Garrett have also been called up. If you need anything, Kellan is still around.”
“Any idea how long you’ll be gone?”
