They both nodded in agreement. Sheppard never did anything without thorough consideration, which meant thathe’d been considering bringing the DA up to speed for a while. This was just the final straw.
Together, they heaved up Bishop’s dead body and brought it outside, placing it between the cabin and the outhouse. Sheppard explained that he’d show the DA the phone call as proof of Jeffrey Dugan’s involvement, and let him decide how to proceed with Bishop’s case. He’d offer to show him the shifted body.
It went unspoken that they had the leverage in this situation, if he decided to turn on them. The DA couldn’t really accuse Finn of murder, seeing as there was no human body. He didn’t have much of a choice but to believe them.
They decided against cleaning up the cabin for now. As odd and unbelievable as the situation was, they didn’t want to give the impression that they were covering anything up. Yes, Finn had killed Bishop, but it was in defense of his mate. The real problems would come from the Salt Creek pack if they decided to avenge Bishop, but Sheppard speculated that they would be too busy dealing with Jeffrey Dugan’s arrest to worry too much about a low-ranking rogue.
Rounding the side of the cabin, they saw Sam and Jaime in another teary embrace, having emerged from the truck. They parted when the three wolves approached them, and when Jaime looked up at Finn he saw there was pain in his eyes, yes, but also a clarity and peace that hadn’t been there before.
“We’re getting ready to head back to Silver Rapids. Are you ready to go?” Finn asked gently.
Jaime nodded. “Let me use the bathroom first, then I’ll be ready.”
Sam said the same, giving Silas an unreadable look.
“Sam has a stalker.”
Finn whipped his head toward Jaime. They’d just pulled out onto the highway, having discussed Sheppard’s plan to tell DA Rivera everything when they got back into town on the long, bumpy track from the cabin to the main road.
“A stalker? Since when?”
Jaime heaved a sigh. “Sam earns money online, somehow. He’s never told me all the details. He said the stalker has popped up every now and then for years, but in the last year it got worse. They send threats that they know who Sam is in real life, know where he lives, that he has a younger brother.”
Jaime paused, voice turning rough. “They’ve threatened to hurt Sam. To hurt me. He says it’s why he pulled away. The stalker would send him pictures of his apartment, of us coming and going. He panicked, and thought the stalker would leave him alone if he just didn’t leave the house very often. But he didn’t want them to only see me, either.”
Finn’s heart ached. “So he pulled away from you.”
Jaime nodded, eyes welling up again. Finn reached across the console, taking his hand. “I’m sorry, baby. Did he say why he didn’t talk to you about this before now?”
Jaime huffed, and Finn could tell that question was still a sore spot between the two brothers. “He says he didn’t want to burden me anymore than I already was. That I was already going through it with Bishop and Vera’s murder, and he didn’t want me to worry anymore.Hethought he was a burden onme.”
Jaime shook his head. He whispered, “I told him that’s how I’ve felt for the last year. Like he didn’t want anything to do with me, so he just threw money at me, instead.”
Finn squeezed his hand again. “How do you feel?”
Jaime was quiet for a bit. “Better, I think. I understand more, now. Or, well, I have a better idea of what was happening. I don’t understand why he didn’t share that with me. I thought we were always a team. But… I’m better. I think we will be better, too, in the future. If we try.”
Finn nodded. “Sometimes we do things out of love that don’t make sense. But…”
Finn stopped, unsure if Jaime wanted his input.
Jaime looked over at him. “But?”
Slowly, he continued, “But, to me, it seems that he cares about you very much. It seems like the attempts to help you that felt overbearing and judgmental were just his need to do something, to make up for what he thought he wasn’t able to do in other areas.”
A small smile appeared on Jaime’s face. “That’s what he said.”
“Do you believe him?”
Jaime glanced out the car window. “I don’t think he’s lying to me. I think he’s telling the truth. But believing that is going to take a while yet, I think.”
Therapy would help. Slowly mending what had broken between them would help. And Finn would help too, however and whenever he could.
He squeezed Jaime’s hand again. “So, not to change the subject, but…” Jaime looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. “I think there might be something going on between Silas and Sam.”
Jaime’s mouth dropped open. “Oh myGod,really? Tell me everything.”
And so the rest of their trip passed quickly, a lightness shared between them as they chatted about Sam and Silas, and how Sheppard had called the DAGabriel.Jaime called his lawyer tolet her know that he was headed back into town, and that the DA would have updates for her soon, and then Sheppard called to tell them to head straight to the security firm’s office in Silver Rapids where DA Rivera had agreed to meet with them.
