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Lark craned to see around Oliver.Tilting to the left, she was able to get a glimpse of Nate.
He rubbed his red eyes.“I don’t think my hit landed on you.Can you charge me if it didn’t land?”
Jase pulled out the chair next to Nate.“When did you get into town, Mr.Quest?”
Nate just rubbed his eyes harder.
“I can ask the concierge,” Oliver snapped.“We can get the truth from him.Just thought you might want to tell us yourself first.You know, thought you might want tocooperate.”
Nate’s hand dropped from his eyes.“Yesterday.I-I arrived yesterday.”He blinked.“No…day before.After I got the call…one telling me that you were going to help her.I left as fast as I could after that.”His voice hardened.“You can’t let him out.”
Oliver stalked forward to tower over Nate.“Who called you?”
“Don’t know…Didn’t recognize the number.”Nate started to look at Lark.
Only to catch himself.His gaze shot back to Oliver.
“Where were you last night?”Oliver demanded to know.
“Uh, boss?”Jase rose.“Can we step outside?”
Oliver didn’t look like he intended to step anywhere.
“Out drinking,” Nate mumbled.“Wandering the city.Trying to retrace Casey’s steps.”His shoulders slumped.“I should have gone after her that night.So stupid…it was such a dumb fight.My ex texted me.I-I sent her a quick note back.Casey got jealous.I told her it wasnothing.I was marrying her.Her.That was why I was in Vegas.I didn’t have cold feet.Wasn’t thinking about someone else.”His eyes squeezed closed.“She saw my phone.Freaked out.Said if I was gonna have a last fling, she was, too.”A rough shake of his head.“There was no last fling for me.I loved her.”His eyes opened.“I loved her.”
Lark wrapped her arms around her body.
“I still see her…cold and too pale on that stupid metal table.The bruises around her throat…” Nate’s hand rose to touch his own throat.“She must have been so scared.It wouldn’t have been instantaneous.She would have struggled.Fought.My Casey would have known that she was dying.And he—he probably looked right into her eyes when he killed her.”
Nate’s pain seemed to fill the room.
“I miss her every single day.She’s everywhere and nowhere.Everywhere and nowhere.”His hand flew away from his throat and fisted right before it slammed into the table.His head jerked toward Lark.“Why do you get to live?”he suddenly bellowed as he jumped to his feet.His chair tipped over and fell onto the floor.“You will die, too!”
He lunged for her.
But Jase caught him.Jase grabbed Nate’s arms, twisted, and slammed Nate’s upper body down onto the table.“Get her out of here, boss,” he huffed.“Out.”
Oliver reached for Lark.He pushed her toward the door.
She glanced back.Lark expected to see Nate struggling in Jase’s hold, but instead…
He’d slumped forward and started crying.
***
“You think it was him.”Lark stood outside of the hotel and watched the guests come and go in a blur.“You think Nate was the one who waited in my car and attacked me.”
“I think Nate Quest is wrecked by grief.I think rage burns through him all the time.And I think when he looks at you?”A muscle flexed along Oliver’s hard jaw.“I think he sees an outlet for his rage.He said the same fucking words.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion.“What?”
“‘You will die, too,’” he repeated.“Those were the words spray-painted on the wall of your apartment.Am I supposed to buy that it’s some massive coincidence that the guy just spouted that same BS?Even if he wasn’t the one in your car—and he damn well could have been—I think he was in your home.One hundred percent, I believe that.He broke inside.He left that message for you.”Oliver moved in closer to her.So close their bodies almost brushed as he stared down at her with an expression gone tight with his own fury.“He wants to hurt you, Lark.That’s not going to happen.”Oliver shook his head.“I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
“Y-you wanted to see his reaction to me.”Damn that stutter.But she was feeling more than a bit nervous.More like completely shaken.So it was no surprise it had slipped out.
“I saw it, all right.Now I never want him near you again.”He blew out a rough breath.“Where the hell is he?”
“Who?Nate?”He was inside with Jase.They’d just left him—
