I look at the man. His face is covered with blood. His nose is crooked. But I recognize him, just the same.
My jaw drops.“Greg?”
His face twists into a scowl. “How dare you come back here after what you did?”
“What?” I can’t form more words than that.
“You killed her,” Greg accuses. “You killed Jenna. Somehow, you convinced the police you’re innocent. But I know the truth. You killed her. And now you have the nerve to come back here? To the scene?—”
Indy kicks him. “Shut. Up.”
“I didn’t.” My body goes hot and cold at once. “I would never. I didn’t. I swear.”
“You did!” Greg bellows. “Your fingerprints were on the knife!”
From behind me, Derek says, “I can watch him. If you trust me.”
Indy stares at Derek for a long second. Then he nods. “Don’t let him move a muscle. The police are on their way.”
Derek steps into position. He looks nothing like the man I met in his therapy sessions. Now he looks like the warrior I know he once was.
Indy trades places with him, coming to my side. Then he pulls me into his arms and buries his face in my hair. “Shit. Shit.” He strokes my hair with a shaking hand. “Ah, shit, Bea.”
“Derek told me you had Greg tied up,” I say. “I didn’t leave the car until after that.”
“Shit. He could have hit you,” Indy says. His heart thunders against my chest.
“But he didn’t. You saved me. Again.”
“I shouldn’t have had to. You should have been safe. Greg—” Indy mutters an unintelligible curse. “He was clean. We checked. We watched him.”
“You killed Jenna!” Greg howls. “I want—” His voice cracks. “I want?—”
“I didn’t.” Pulling free of Indy, I walk over to Greg, stopping a few feet away. Then I look at him, really look at him, and say, “Jenna was my friend. I cared about her a lot. I know you miss her. I do, too. But I didn’t hurt her. Someone named MannyDavis did. Because she saw something he didn’t want her to. I found Jenna after, and?—”
The rest of the words stick in my throat. Swallowing hard, I add, “I didn’t hurt her, Greg. And I miss her every day.”
Indy comes to my side. His arm comes around me. “Icaught Jenna’s killer. He confessed. It’s horrible, and I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. But the man who took Jenna from you is in jail.”
Greg stares at Indy. “But.”
“I’m fucking furious at you,” Indy continues in that carefully calm voice he gets when he’s trying hard not to lose his temper. “And if you try anything, if you even think about going after Bea again, I’ll kill you and not lose a second of sleep over it. But I can tell you this. The man who killed Jenna? He’s going to be punished. Iwillmake sure of it.”
There’s another part to it. An unspoken part that Indy hasn’t admitted to, but I still know to be true.
If Manny or Mack somehow get off, Indy and his friends will take care of them.
And I’m okay with it.
Sirens approach, and Indy pulls away from Greg, who’s now crying.
And though he just tried to kill us, I can’t help feeling sorry for him.
“Bea,” Indy says gently. His gaze sweeps across my face. He thumbs a tear from my cheek. “I’m so sorry. I wish?—”
“I love you.”
He blinks. “What?”
