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“I’d never want you to cover for me.” Malcolm stared down at his hands. “I thought I was past this.”
Borden said nothing, not that Malcolm expected him to.
“How’s your sister?” Malcolm asked.
“She’s good. Better.” Borden sighed. “The video you gave us is a shit show. Your girl has had a tough time of it.”
“She’s not my girl.” Malcolm wondered if Jami would even speak to him again.
“Ms. Reece didn’t seem angry with you. Just overwhelmed.” The detective clapped him on the arm. “I sent the video to the prosecutor. Mentioned mitigating circumstances, but we’ll see.”
“I deserve the worst,” Malcolm said. He still couldn’t get the picture out of his head of what the past decade or so had been like for Jami. Balling his hands into fists made his knuckles ache. If Raneer were in front of him, he worried he’d continue to pound on him.
“Work that off somehow,” Borden warned, catching his eye. “Ms. Reece doesn’t need anyone in her life without their shit together.”
Malcolm nodded. Detective Borden turned away to push through the nearby exit.
Blake approached. He nudged his shoulder. “Come on, killer.”
“That’s not funny,” Malcolm snapped.
“Do you see me laughing?” Blake asked. His jaw had clenched, and his expression looked tense under the fluorescent lights.
Malcolm swallowed his comeback and followed his friend to his truck. Blake’s was more of a work truck than his own, but the front seats were always clear of tools.
Malcolm stared down at his hands in his lap as Blake drove. He remembered the bloody mess he’d made of Raneer’s face. “I didn’t kill him,” he reminded himself. He’d really wanted to.
Blake shook his head. “Nah, but he’ll be less pretty.”
“Jesus, Blake,” Malcolm muttered, but some of the tension in his stomach released.
Blake’s smile wasn’t there. “So I heard he grabbed Jami. Did you get there in time?”
“Yeah. I did.” He remembered the moment when he thought his anger had settled. Then the damn man had to keep talking.
“At least there’s that,” Blake said, pulling into a driveway.
It wasn’t Malcolm’s driveway. Malcolm didn’t open the door. “Why here?”
Blake slipped out of the truck. He moved around to the passenger side, opening the door for Malcolm. “Because we’re your friends. You don’t get to sit at home and brood, especially not with Jami gone.”
The front door to Celia and Trenton’s house opened, and Trenton stood as a shadow against the light inside.
“Besides, Celia’s on bed rest. Not fair to make her track you down.” Blake smacked his arm.
Malcolm slid out of the truck and followed his friend up the walk.
Trenton’s hand came down on Malcolm’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Celia’s in the living room.”
“Hey,” Celia said from the couch. A blanket covered her stomach and legs.
Malcolm sank down beside her, closing his eyes. “I made a mess, didn’t I?”
Celia didn’t deny it, but she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Jami finally responded to my texts. She’s going to see her sister.”
Malcolm wondered what her sister had said to her when she’d called. His stomach squeezed as he realized Jami had run off to another city. Far enough to get away from him.
“That’s good,” Blake said, letting out a breath as he flopped into the chair across from them. “Can’t blame her for being a little freaked. I mean, shit, Malcolm, you put the asshole in the hospital. We all know you can be like that, but Jami’s only seen your softer side.”
