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“Come on, I’m taking you home.” He starts to grab my elbow and pull me towards the door.
“No, you’re not.” I try to push my heels into the ground, but this asshole won’t give up.
“Yes, I am; it’s past your bedtime.”
“Excuse me. I am not a five-year-old. I can stay up as long as I want.” He pulls me outside. The street lights and bars were the only thing lighting up his face.
“Well, you’re going to be having a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
“No. I am off.” I finally am able to push off of him. “I should go back in to check on him.”
“He’s fine. I saw someone helping him up. Now, let’s get you home.” He starts to walk the way to my apartment.
“Okay, Archer, one, how the hell do you know where I live. And two, I do not need any help getting home. I am more than capable.” I pick up speed and walk away from him. Luckily, he stays behind me. I quickly send Cor a text.
Me: I’m going home. Are you going to be all right?
Cor Bear: Yeah, Julia is here x
I walk all the way to my apartment with my stalker behind me. “Have a good night,” he tells me as he turns around and walks back the way he came. I watch as he turns the corner to, I suppose, his place. He does look good in jeans and a simple shirt. But I will say I’m greedy with wanting him to be in a suit at all times.
What the hell just happened. Why am I thinking about what he looks good in? I walk up the stairs to my apartment door and unlock it. As I’m taking off my heels, knowing that I’ll have blisters in the morning, all I can think is, did he actually know where I live, or did I just show him?
Chapter Three
Daphne
I'm staring straight into the eyeless face of the man that I was dancing with last night. I am at a total loss for words. I never imagined that I would be called to work for a guy that I know. Well knew. What the hell did Archer do to him?
I look at the document that I'm holding. His name was Rory, not anything that I falsely remembered. At least I got the first letter right. I wonder what he's doing here; I usually only get to see the bones. Not flesh. For once, I am stunned, speechless. The door opens, and I see my boss, Nisa. She's been working here for as long as I can remember; she's the director of this place. She moved here when she was young from Yemen. She makes the best food ever. I love her for it. She is a softie at heart, but no one doubts that she is a badass in the field.
"Now I know what you're thinking," she says as she closes my door.
"You have no idea what I'm thinking."
"Really, so you're not thinking of why this body is in here with flesh on his bones?" She looks at me with the look of 'be serious.'
"Okay, fine. I was thinking that, but I was just with this guy last night."
"I know, and that's why I need you on this case. Two agents picked up Archer. They think he did it. I need you to prove him innocent."
"But what if he's not? You didn't see him the way that I did. He was so angry. I mean, he knocked the guy completely out."
"Well, you better pull the evidence that says he's innocent, or we will never see him again. You will use all your energy to clear Archer's name. The skull that's shattered will have to stay like that for the time being." She walks out the door, and I'm left with the body. Looking down at him, I'm left with a sense of despair.
Archer
I’ve been in an interrogation room for four hours now. Just
waiting. I know their methods; I'm usually on the other side of the mirror. I know they'll wait as long as possible to see if I'll crack and give them something to use. But I am innocent this time. I went home last night and passed out. But I guess if I were on this case, I would hold myself, too. Especially after I knocked that guy out cold.
I'm so stupid. I should've never gotten involved. But if I didn't, would Daphne be next to that guy? Did someone attack him as soon as he left the bar? Would they have done something worse to Daphne? I mean, I didn't see the guy, but since he's in this building, he must look horrible.
I'm still in my pajamas and more pissed off than anything. There's a coffee cup in front of me, but I know their tricks. They don't even need my DNA; it's already in the database. Daphne will no doubt swab his face and find it all over wherever I punched him. Well, if he still has a face left. I mean, Daphne usually only sees bones.
The door finally opens, and Detective Grey Carson walks in. Great, they have this clown doing the interrogation. I'm definitely going to jail. If only to do it to spite me. He will throw me in himself.
He looks at me with that ugly scar on his face that I accidentally gave to him at the academy. Oops, it seems only fair that he's the one questioning me. They know he gets under my skin. He looks at me under his blonde curls.
