She wouldn’t understand. No one did. The guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders. Maybe because, deep down, I knew something had been wrong that night. But I’d shrugged it off, placated him, and ultimately left him to die alone and scared.
I would never forgive myself.
“This is his son. It’s the only part of him I have left.”
“What if he was the one who sent the envelope? Don’t you think that’s creepy as fuck?”
I rolled my eyes and leaned back on the headrest. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done. You have all the info, just in case.”
“You know”—she bit into what sounded like an apple—“this is the perfect way to have some cheap D-list actor play you in one of those murder docs, right?”
A genuine smile spread across my face for the first time in weeks. If there was anyone I could count on to lighten the mood, it was Alexa. “As long as it’s you, I know you’ll do me justice.”
Her spirited laughter followed. “Yeah, well, too bad there’s no sizzling affair—oh…” Her voice trailed off, and she gasped. “Oh my God! What if he’s hot? What if this is some twisted love story—”
“Bye, Lex!” I stopped her mid-sentence and cut the engine, pushing open the car door.
As I walked toward the front entrance, I stuffed the phone into my bag. My heart was beating so wildly, it felt as if the force of it was swaying me back and forth.
Several calming breaths later, I was up the steps before a slate-gray metal door, gnawing nervously on my bottom lip. Surveillance cameras outfitted nearly every corner of the property, so I was sure he knew of my presence the moment I crossed the opened gate half a mile down the winding drive.
As I lifted a finger, intending to press on the doorbell, the door tore open, and a tall, burly man with a shaved head stood beneath the threshold.
Could this be Derek?
I cleared my throat.
“Hey. I know this might sound a little crazy, but I’m looking for someone,” I said as I searched for similarities between him and James. Flashing a wry grin, the man stepped forward, forcing me to inch one step back.
“Yeah? Well, I’m Kiernan, sweetheart.” His leering hazel eyes roamed my body, and he cocked a brow when they settled on the gun at my waist.
Everything about this man screamedsleazeball. Relief rushed through me at the realization that he wasn’t Derek.
“Oh, well, I’m actually looking for someone else.”
His stupid grin widened. “No worries, beautiful. I can be whoever you want me to be.”
And there it was. My instincts never failed.
Pursing my lips, I shifted my weight away from him. “No, thanks.”
“Oh, come on. What’s a pretty little thing like you doing all the way out here?” He grabbed my wrist, and my eyes dropped to the intrusive touch around the cuff of my leather jacket.
“Let go.” Instinctively, I reached for the handle of my gun.
“What do you think you’ll do with that, baby?”
The lust burning behind his eyes ignited a hidden part of me, the one lurking in the darkest recesses of who I was. Memories, sights, and sounds I kept tucked away threatened to resurface and pull me under. But I wasn’t that scared, naive girl anymore. And I never would be again.
“Get your fucking hands off me.”
The man chuckled wickedly and leaned in closer. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew what I could do to you with these—Fuck!”
A knee to the dick had also never failed.
He doubled over, grunting and cursing. “You little bitch,” he heaved. “Just wait until I—”
“Until you, what?”
