Carina rapidly tapped her foot beneath the table as she watched the door of The Grind. It was taking everything in her not to look at Flynn. He sat in the far corner of the coffee shop, while Aidan sat behind her, with his back to her. Both were listening. The shop was busy, so with any luck, Greg wouldn’t see either of the guys.
Callum was also sitting in a room in the back, watching through a video surveillance camera. He’d be watching the guy’s face as he spoke. Looking for signs of a lie.
Nerves trickled up her spine. Greg wasn’t a murderer, and she was certain he wasn’t part of any of this. There was no way he’d hurt kids. She just needed him to confirm that today so the guys could hear and rule him out.
Her gaze dropped to her phone. One o’clock on the dot. Greg was always on time, so he’d be here any second.
Before her attention went back to the door, almost involuntarily, she looked at Flynn. The second they made eye contact, he winked. There was also a slight tilt of his lips.
Some of the crippling anxiety that had been churning away in her gut all morning eased. Everything would be okay. She’d ask Greg her questions, confirm he had nothing to do with anything, then they’d part ways, and all would be fine.
Ha. She almost laughed at that. When did anything in her life work out that easy?
She’d just started strumming her fingers against the table when the door to the shop opened and Greg walked in. She almost sagged in relief when he didn’t look across the room in Flynn’s direction. The smile on his face was wide when he spotted her. He headed straight to the table.
Okay. Keep calm, Carina. You’ve got this.
“Good morning.” He bent down, pressing a kiss to her cheek before lowering onto the seat opposite her. “I was so glad to read your text. How are you?”
She forced a smile to her lips. “I’m okay.”
Before Greg could respond, Courtney stopped at their table. “Hey, guys. Coffees?”
Carina turned to look at the other woman. “Yes, please. One sugar.”
When Courtney’s gaze switched to Greg and her eyes narrowed. It was only slight, so slight she was sure Greg wouldn’t notice, but Carina did. Courtney didn’t like the guy. But that was probably because she and Jason were so close to Flynn, and, well…Greg wasn’t Flynn.
As it was, Greg didn’t look at her anyway. “I’ll have the same.”
When Courtney left the table, Greg tilted his head to the side. “What happened to your forehead?”
Okay, stay calm, Carina. You know what to say. She absently fiddled with a thread on her pants beneath the table. “Not a happy story, I’m afraid. I was at Flynn’s house the other night and there was a break-in.”
Greg’s jaw clenched. Whether it was because she’d said she was at Flynn’s house or because someone had broken in, she wasn’t sure. “Are you okay?”
“A bit shaken, but, yes, I’m okay now.”
Greg leaned across the table and closed his hand over hers. She itched to tug her arm away. She just stopped herself.
“I’m sorry.” Real concern shone from Greg’s eyes. And that right there was why she felt he couldn’t be involved in the twins’ murders. There was no part of her that thought this man could hurt anyone. He was a doctor. A healer.
“Thank you. I’m glad I came out of it with just a scratch.” Thanks to Flynn.
“What happened to the guy who broke in?”
“He got away.”
“I can protect you,” he said quickly. “You know how safe my penthouse apartment in Michigan is. It has great security and a doorman. Nothing like that would ever happen again if you came home with me.”
He almost sounded like he was referring to his home as their home. Sure, she’d stayed there for a couple of months, but even when she’d been living there, it had never felt like home.
“I have actually been considering leaving Cradle Mountain.” Lie. Big. Fat. Lie. “After the break-in…and what happened to the Brown twins. Did you hear about the boys?”
She watched his face closely, knowing Callum would be doing the same.
Greg sighed. “Yes, I heard. Terrible. And I completely agree, this town is too unsafe.”
“I can’t believe something like that could happen here. Who would do such a thing?”
Greg shook his head. “Those boys were rotten. It could have been anyone. I only met them once and I knew that. Imagine how many other people they pissed off.”
Dang it. She’d been hoping he’d say he didn’t know who did it, or something similar, and the guys would be able to hear and see whether it was the truth or a lie.
“Do you think I could actually know the person?” she asked quietly.
He lifted a shoulder. “It’s a small town. And there are a lot of trained killers here.”
She tried not to flinch at his words. Flynn and his team. He was talking about Flynn and his team. She shook off his comment. She couldn’t allow herself to become distracted.
Greg wasn’t getting nervous or sweating at her questions. That meant he was likely innocent, right?
Courtney returned to the table, setting the coffees in front of them. “Here you go.”
Carina smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Greg thanked her too, but again, only had eyes for Carina. Courtney left the table, and Carina wrapped her hands around the mug. “I, uh…actually shot the guy who broke into Flynn’s house.” She shook her head, lifting her gaze and watching Greg once again. “It was awful. I’ve never shot another person before. Have you?”
The second the words left her lips, she regretted them. Was she being too obvious?
This time, he paused. “Have I shot a person before?”
Crap. Definitely too obvious. “Sorry, that was a… I shouldn’t have asked that.”
Another moment of silence from him. Then his jaw tensed, and he straightened in his chair.
Oh no.
“You think I had something to do with the death of those kids, don’t you?”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she spoke. “Greg, I—”
“You asked me here, but the only thing you want to talk about are the missing boys, shooting someone, and the break-in at Flynn’s house. Do you think I was responsible for that, too?” He looked over her head, scanning the tables beyond her, then stopped on what she was sure was the back of Aidan’s head. The veins in his neck stood out.
When he looked over his shoulder, he shook his head and rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I can’t believe this.”
Yep. She was screwed.
He looked back at her—and his eyes were steely. “I’m leaving, Carina. And I don’t just mean this coffee shop. I’m leaving town.”
“Greg—”
He stood. “I came here for you. Because I care about you. Because I love you, and I honestly thought we could have had a future together. Instead, you want him, a man who can’t even keep you safe in his own home.”
Behind Greg, she could see Flynn was already on his feet and moving toward the table.
Greg’s voice lowered. “I hope you don’t come to regret your choice.”
When he turned, he almost walked straight into Flynn. Everything about the man looked hard and tense. He wasn’t happy. Neither was Greg.
“Say it to me,” Flynn said quietly. “Tell me you didn’t murder those kids or send that man to my house.”
Carina hurried out of the booth. Aidan rose behind her. Flynn had told her he wasn’t supposed to get involved in the investigation. She was pretty sure asking a guy directly if he killed the twins classified as getting involved.
“I don’t have to tell you anything. Get out of my way.”
Flynn’s muscles bunched. “You don’t have to, but it would clear your name. Unless you have something to hide?”
Greg took a small step forward, not looking intimidated by Flynn’s size at all. “I don’t have to ‘clear my name’. I’m not a suspect. You, on the other hand, had cause, right? Didn’t you threaten those boys?”
“And how would you know that?”
Greg ignored his question. “I’m right. So maybe you coming here isn’t so much about keeping Carina safe, but to try to pin a crime you committed on another man. What was the plan here? Tell Carina I was lying when I said I didn’t do it, just so she’d think I killed them?”
Flynn’s hands fisted, his chest moving up and down with his harsh breaths.
Carina took a half step forward, but Aidan touched her arm, halting her. Then Callum was there, stepping beside Flynn and touching his shoulder.
Greg shook his head before moving to the door. He opened it, then glanced back over his shoulder and looked directly at her. “Be careful, Carina. People are rarely who you think they are.”
Flynn stepped into the kitchen. The scent of Indian spices and sauteed onion permeated the space.
He and Carina hadn’t spoken much since returning home from The Grind. In fact, the woman had barely looked at him. Now it was evening, and he was done with the quiet.
He stopped behind her. “Do you believe him?”
The muscles in her back visibly tensed. Then she turned, her eyes guarded. “Which part?”
She knew. But she wanted him to say it. He inched closer. “The part where he said I might have killed the teenagers. I might have somehow instigated the guy hurting you.”
The last part, in particular, was ridiculous. But who the hell knew what she was thinking? He sure didn’t.
Her eyes softened, and this time she stepped forward, running her hands over his chest. “No. I know you would never hurt me or any kids. That’s ridiculous.”
He watched her eyes as she said it. Listened to her heartbeat. It sounded like the truth. “Then why have you been so quiet?”
“Because you were quiet, and I thought you wanted space.”
He slid his arms around her before lifting her, turning, and setting her on the counter. Then he stepped between her thighs, holding her hips. “I did. But I’ve since decided I hate the quiet when I’m with you.” He wanted to hear that soft voice of hers. The one that soothed the loud voices in his head. The voices that reminded him of how close she’d been to dying the other night with the intruder. That there were genetically enhanced soldiers out there who meant her or him harm.
Her lips tilted up. “Okay. The next time you get quiet, I’ll get loud.”
“Thank God.” He dipped his head and pressed his mouth into her hair. “I need to ask you something. It’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while.”
“Ask me anything.”
He straightened. “After the attack, we never spoke about us. I just moved you in here for your safety, and we shifted back together.” She remained silent, her expression unchanging. “I want us to be together, and for me to be more than your protector.”
When she didn’t respond straight away, his gut clenched. Had she not seen them as permanent? Would she say no?
His phone rang but he ignored it. This was too important to miss.
“If you don’t want that—”
She touched a finger to his lips, silencing him. “I want you too. I want the kisses and the hand holding and the waking up in each other’s arms.” She paused. “And I want the love.”
This time, his gut didn’t just clench, it twisted and tugged. Did she mean—
“I love you,” she said quietly. “I know it’s fast and our relationship has hardly been smooth sailing, but I can’t picture a tomorrow without you in it.”
God, those words… they were everything.
His head lowered, and he kissed her, needing to hold her. Feel her.
When he finally stopped, he touched his temple to hers and said in a quiet voice, “I love you too. I’ve made so many mistakes already, and you’ve forgiven me every time. I promise you, no more mistakes. I will protect us as fiercely as I protect you.”
Her smile was watery. “I know you will.”
