Cassie didn’t move.Didn’t speak.Just sat there watching him.
She might not be happy that he’d shown up uninvited and unannounced, but he wasn’t leaving until he knew for sure she was okay.
He crossed through to the kitchen, took the chair across the table from her, and sat.“You all right?”
She started to nod automatically.Then stopped.“I’m not sure, to be honest.”
Surprised but ecstatic that she was dropping her guard a little, he waited.Biting back the urge to demand why she hadn’t reached out to him or responded to his message.The truth was, Ryder and the sheriff had helped her way more than he could have.
But something twinged in his chest at the sight of her like this, slouched over in her chair, elbow on the table, head in her hand.
Fragile.Almost looking...defeated.
He couldn’t stand it.Had to help her.“Cass, talk to me.”
She shook her head, looking up at him in bewilderment.“I don’t understand any of this.”He felt the impact of that silver gaze right through him.“They have to be connected, right?This and the ambush.I don’t know how.They’re so wildly different.But they must be.”
He nodded.“I agree.”
“The sheriff got the department to hold off on bringing charges for now, but I’m still waiting to hear whether they’re going to officially charge me.I’ve been back and forth with the CPS legal team all afternoon, and so far, they’re saying the cops can’t charge me since an anonymous tip isn’t probable cause and doesn’t justify him searching my vehicle.My best hope is that a security camera caught the person planting the drugs.Otherwise, I could be in a whole hell of a lot of trouble.”
“Not happening.CPS has a strong legal team.And you haven’t done anything wrong.”
She nodded, still looking deflated.“It’s a lot of shit to deal with all at once, you know?”
He nodded, aching to hold her.To ease her pain and worry.Find out who was behind all this and hunt them down.“I’m here for you, no matter what happens.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes, but her wistful smile threatened to break his heart.“Why are you so good to me?”
His chest hitched at the note of uncertainty in the question.As if she couldn’t fathom why someone would treat her well.“Because I care about you.”He didn’t dare tell her just how deeply.
A long, loaded pause followed while she seemed to measure him.He held her gaze, refusing to look away.Letting her see his resolve.He’d meant what he said.He would stick by her no matter what.
But her uncertainty of him was triggering.His whole life he’d made a point of keeping his feelings under wraps.Of being the calm, contained twin.But his feelings ran deep.Deeper than most people realized.And Cassie constantly forced them all to the surface.
Her phone rang, breaking the silence.She glanced at it, picked up.“Hi, Sheriff Buchanan.”She listened to whatever he said, closed her eyes and sighed in what seemed like relief.“That’s great news.Will I need to come back in tomorrow morning?”A pause.“All right.Thanks for letting me know.I appreciate it.Have a good night.”She ended the call and met his gaze.
“What did he say?”
“He spoke to the prosecutor.They’re dropping the charges because they don’t have a real case.I have no criminal record.I’ve passed recent background and security checks by CPS, the anonymous call came from a burner phone, and my vehicle was parked in a public place where anyone could have seen someone breaking into my trunk.And, lucky for me, cameras across the street show someone picking the lock and planting the drugs.”
Son of a bitch.“Do they have an ID?”
“Not yet, except that it’s a twenty or thirty-something male.He was wearing a hat and most of his face was shadowed.”She expelled a hard breath, leaned her head back and put a hand to the back of her neck, closing her eyes.“But someone’s trying to screw with me.That could have been a felony.”She would have done prison time.
Yeah.It filled him with a deep, burning rage that someone had done this to her.“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?”
She opened her eyes and looked at him.A shadow moved in her gaze.And she hesitated a fraction of a second too long before responding.“No.”
She’d thought of someone but was holding it back.Why?He struggled to find his patience, something he normally had a large supply of.
Then Cassie’s stomach let out a vicious growl.
“Have you eaten anything?”he asked, seeing an opportunity.
“No.Not since the piece of pie earlier with Bristol, before we stopped at the grocery store.”
He stood.“Come on.We’re going into town.”He headed for the door without waiting for a response.This time he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
