He exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for too long, but before he could respond, she squeezed his arm and left the kitchen.
How was it possible that she was gone, and he could still feel her fingers on his arm?
Shit, he was screwed.
He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, then downed half before heading back out.
Stetson had started a cooldown. Good. They were almost finished.
As he walked around the room, he heard it. A laugh. Soft and lyrical. He turned his head, and it was a fucking mistake.
Bonnie. She was crouched next to the boy playing with Legos. Her head was back, and if he’d thought she was beautiful standing in that kitchen frowning at him, that was nothing compared to the sight of her now. Her lips were curved, her eyes scrunched—like her world lit up.
For a single fleeting second, he wondered if it would be so selfish to kiss her again. To say to hell with caution and just chase what he wanted.
But then two people passed the gym outside. Guys who looked about his age. They didn’t stop or point, but the way they looked at her…like they hated her when they probably didn’t even know her.
When she saw them, the corners of her lips froze, and something passed through her eyes. Something dark and heavy. Something that made her shoulders sag.
He was a step away from walking out there and asking the jerks what the hell they wanted, but they were already walking away.
Bonnie’s smile didn’t return.
And that right there was why he couldn’t start anything with her. Because she was already trying to regain this town’s trust. Trying to convince them she wasn’t the villain they thought she was.
So what would happen if the town learnedhishistory? If he became the villain, and she was tied to him?
She’d go down with him.
CHAPTER 8
Zane sat in his car outside a newer multistory apartment building. According to Ethan, Abe left every morning at eight a.m. It was ten past.
Where are you, Abe?
Was he expecting Zane? Or did he think he was safe?
To assume he was safe after the threat he’d sent Zane’s way would be a huge fucking mistake. You don’t poke a bear without expecting retaliation.
Zane strummed his fingers along the door. How had the reporter gotten his information? Had he dug up local news reports from Billings? Spoken to locals? Law enforcement?
The door to the building opened, and Zane’s eyes narrowed on Abe stepping out.
Gotcha.
Zane pulled on his cap and climbed out of his car. Keeping his head down, he followed Abe toward the tenant parking lot.
Slowly, he closed the distance between them. Abe didn’t even look back. But as he rounded the building, Zane saw him start to reach into his bag.
He saw the pepper spray before Abe had a chance to lift the can. He grabbed Abe’s wrist, easily taking it from his grasp and throwing it to the ground.
Abe gasped and stumbled back. “What do you want?”
“You should know the answer to that, Abe.” He stood close enough to emphasize their size difference. To instill just a bit of fear in the reporter.
Abe swallowed, straightened the strap of the bag on his shoulder.
“I want to talk about that article you’re thinking about writing,” Zane said, inching closer.
