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They had some serious things to talk about tonight. Namely—where she had spent the last three nights in a row. Since Miguel had been ambushed.
Haldyn had spent each night wrapped up in his arms. He’d held the nightmares away—she wasn’t lost to that at all.
The only one who knew Haldyn was sleeping with Jarrod was Powell. Powell wasn’t saying anything either.
Just…everything had changed after what had happened to Miguel. Reminded her that life was too fleeting to not take risks.
Jarrod felt like the biggest risk of all.
But they had been so busy since the ambush that, other than sleeping wrapped up close in each other, they hadn’t really been in a good place to have that kind of talk they needed to have.
They needed to have it. She was the kind of person who needed the reassurance a plan would bring.
After they went back to the Barratts’, they planned to eat dinner and spend the rest of the evening together in his suite. She was going to see to it they finally discussed what was happening. But the idea of that talk scared her. Down to her toes.
Powell was at a business association fund raiser tonight—she’d had to drag Gunnar along as her escort. Normally, one of her brothers or cousins would have accompanied her, although Powell had a lot to say about why a woman was expected to have a male escort to those kinds of things, but since Gunnar was with her—she was trying to make that man bored enough to leave her alone. So far, it just hadn’t happened.
Powell was still concerning her. Her friend would be just fine one minute, and then turn green in an instant. And look all confused about why. She would be questioning Powell tomorrow. And taking her to a doctor on Monday. Or hunting down Zoey’s sister-in-law Nikkie Jean and asking some questions.
But tonight—was for Haldyn and Jarrod.
The night after the ambush had changed everything between them. There was no going back now. And she didn’t want to.
Haldyn walked down the rear hallway between the vault and the back entrance. She had to stock the third evidence van before her evening shift arrived in one hour. That was it. Normally that was something their extra tech did, but…Wichita Falls had hit the lab’s budget hard. She was already having to trim her regulars’ hours back, even with Charlotte in Wyoming at the moment.
If they cut any more, Hope might be up on the block completely. Haldyn was just seriously hoping there was some sort of political pull with Hope being related to the governor. Maybe that was wrong of her, but if it meant the lab had what it needed—then so be it. She would use what she had to, to keep her lab running the way it needed.
Besides, she’d trade Hope for two of her lower performing techs in a heartbeat. And she was prepared to have that talk with Elliot Marshall if it was needed.
She didn’t know how much longer they could run the lab efficiently. Especially with Charlotte’s erratic schedule and Hope in a cast for another five weeks, minimum. Haldyn was trying to think of a solution when she heard someone just ahead of her in the corridor leading to the back parking lot.
Voices. Arguing.
One was very angry. Older. Gruff. Familiar.
There was another. Deeper. More asinine.
She tried to turn around quietly. But they looked at her. Right at her. As if they hadn’t heard her coming down the hall, even in her low heels.
Detective Kimball cursed. Stepped toward her. “Hallie, get back inside. Right now.”
“Shit. Did she hear?” Detective Bell asked. He was already coming at her. Right at her face. Haldyn flinched. As she remembered.
He’d come at her before. Before.
He had been one of the men. The deeper voiced one. Who’d talked about his friend altering the drug. She screamed.
Detective Bell’s hand covered her mouth. He yanked her closer. “Well, little Haldyn. Second chance to finish what we started? My lucky night. Now I can play, too.”
“What the fuck do you think you are doing? Get your paws off her. Ain’t no fucking sense in that,” Kimball said.
Ain’t no fucking sense in that.
Kimball had said that.
He had said that before—in the van. She knew. Her eyes met his. Detective Kimball’s. There was so much anger there, so much hurt. She knew.
“Get your hands off her.” He tried to yank her away. But Detective Bell had her tight. Haldyn fought, kicked. It didn’t do any good.
