“Yeah, this conversation is over,” Officer Knight shakes his head, sweeping up his coffee in a rush as he shoves himself back from the table. “Maybe you should’ve told your brother the brig would’ve been the better choice.”
“You fucked him up,” I counter, my voice shaking as the six-foot-something Marine goes to walk away. “Youreallyfucked him up.”
Ben freezes, turning back to me. He meets my gaze with a coldness nearly too intense to hold. “Have a good day, Miss Kellan. Best of luck to you.”
Fuck you.
My chest tightens as the last ounce of hope drains from me. I just flew here all the way from Texas, all for a freaking five-minute conversation.
I pull my phone from my pocket, my mother’s text mocking me.
Mom: Any luck?
I want to scream at the screen.
No. Nothing. Not a fucking thing.
I snap my eyes to the window. Knight is already stomping to his truck, slamming the door as if he’s locking me out of every hope I had.
Don’t let him walk away like that.
I’m on my feet before I even think it through, bolting out of the coffee shop, my Vans pounding the pavement in the warm SoCal breeze. “Wait!” I shout breathlessly, as I slam my hand against the hood of his black truck.
He hits the brakes so hard the tires squeal, and then slings his door open. “What the fuck are you doing? Do you justwantto get run over?”
“You told me you’d talk to me if I showed up here,” I exasperate, as my heart beats so hard I start to feel lightheaded. “Well, here I am, I flew over a thousand miles to get here. I have run through all my savings on private investigators, my mom is worried sick, and if I can’t find him, it’s going to break her in two.”
Ben stares at me, his expression completely devoid of any emotion. “You’re barking up the wrong tree.” He hesitates and then finally lets out a sigh, running a hand over his face. “You’re not gonna find him here.”
“But… This…” My voice trails off, desperate to understand. “This is where he’s stationed. This is where he should be.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” he scoffs. “But he isn’t here. So, do yourself a favor, and fly back to Texas, where you belong. You’re way outside of your capabilities.”
I shake my head. “Iwillfind him.”
He takes an intimidating step toward me, his size nearly swallowing my five-foot-two self. “And then what will you do, hmm? Take him home to Mommy? Because you and I both know what kind of man your brother is.”
I swallow the fear constricting my throat. “And what is that?”
He glares at me, his jaw twitching. “The kind thatbelongslost.”
“No, you all have made him into a monster,” I argue, suppressing the emotion threatening to silence my voice. “He’s not some fucking villain. He’s just…misunderstood.”
Ben’s eyebrows raise. “Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night? Because let’s not forget that your brother was facing multiple capital murder charges. And Iknowhis history, Miss Kellan. I didn’t make him the way he is.”
“You—”
“Go home,” he cuts me off, his tone unnerving. “Before you end up lost, too.”
My eyes widen, and I take a step back. He lets out a dry chuckle, and then climbs right back into his truck. He slams the door, and then backs out, taking off controlled and slow.
The complete opposite of how he acts.
My shoulders slump as I return to the coffee shop, heading back to my seat, where my laptop sits, unopened. I plop back down, forcing myself to take a sip of coffee.
Where are you, Cade? Why did you run?
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to steady myself. My phone buzzes in my lap, but I ignore it. There’s no information to pass along at this point, and honestly, maybe Ben is right.
