Callum rocked on the back legs of his chair.She probably needed him to be calm and patient, and those weren’t his best qualities.
When she gave him nothing, he set all four chair legs on the ground and tried a more direct approach.“Why don’t we start at the grocery store?You saw your ex-husband and then what?”
She turned the water bottle over and over in her hands before shaking her head.“I saw his car.Sleek black Mercedes sedan that looked like a million bucks sitting in the Shop ’n’ Save parking lot.That car probably cost more than their inventory of fresh produce.”
“You saw his license plate, or…?”
“I don’t know his plate.Why would I know his plates?”Irritation edged into her voice.“I just know it was him.No, no, do not look at me like I’m an idiot.”
He lifted his hands like a white flag, not wanting to lose the small amount of trust that he’d garnered.“It was him.Marino was in a black Mercedes sedan.Got it.It was him, and,” his eyebrows arched, “you ran?”
Bottom lip between her teeth, she nodded.“Out the back door.”
“Just like the police report said.”She’d ditched her car in a quiet small town in Maryland and ended up in this library.He wanted to know how she got here.Alicia could have picked her up.She could have access to another surreptitiously registered car.Hell, Grace could have taken an Uber.“How’d you get here?”
“Alicia.”
“Why’d you come here?”
“It’s a safe place.Alicia has helped me on and off for years.”
Hecould have been the one to help her.Why didn’t Grace reach out to him?“Why does your ex want to see you?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“I can’t if you don’t talk to me.Maybe he wanted to set eyes on you, confirm that you were alive?”That would be top of his list if he had a hint that Grace had faked her death.“Maybe—”
“He didn’t want to see me.He wants to take me.”
That had his attention.“Take you?”
“Probably to New York City or Las Vegas.”
“Has he been in contact with you?”Marino’s lawyer had emphatically said no, but Callum trusted them as much as he trusted Marino.
Dean’s report included a summary of their divorce proceedings.At the very least, Dominic had psychologically abused her.The details weren’t explicit, but reading between the lines wasn’t hard.There hadn’t been a restraining order issued while Marino had been in prison.No need until now—though how could a legally dead person file a restraining order?They couldn’t.“Has he threatened you?”
“No.”She pressed her water bottle between her hands and focused on its cap.“You don’t get it.”
“I might if you give me a chance.”
“You won’t.You can’t.”
“Grace, try me.”
“I already am.And you don’t get it.I can see your face.You’re not thinking about Dominic.You’re trying to figure out why I did what I did, and how you could have fixed things and made everything better.”
He snorted.“Sorta have me pegged there.”
“Hayden was the same way.”Her gaze flashed to his for a heartbeat.“Don’t be mad at him for doing what I asked.”
Callum wouldn’t agree to that.“Then explain it to me like I’m a five-year-old.”
Grace uncapped her water and stared at it for a long moment before taking a quick sip in that same way to buy time.Carefully, she recapped the bottle and studied the way the water swished against the sides as she turned it.She liked to hide her face behind it.
“This is going to take forever if you say nothing.”
“Dominic wasn’t a sicko who liked to hurt me.He doesn’twantme the way a husband wants his wife.He’s not in love.Not pining for me.”She hazarded a quick glance up.“That’s what you need to get.I am apossessionhe lost.And he wants me back.He doesn’t care that I faked my death.If anything, I made this more fun.”
