My fists are so clenched so tight that I can feel my nails digging crescent marks into the fleshy parts of my palms. Nolan’s chair creaks as he leans forward, looking from the picture of Gerard to Jerome.
“The prints we found at the florist were a match for Gerard,” the detective says quietly. “And the blood sample we collected was a match for any DNA we have on file.”
There’s a stilted pause before Nolan leans forward with a growl. “Tell me you know where he is.”
“We’re working on it,” Nick mutters. “It looks like Gerard was running out of money to fund his drug habit, and decided to target the businesses in Sterling Creek. What we don’t know is how involved the sister is, especially considering her place of work wasn’t touched.”
“Nick,” Jerome snaps. “Enough.” He looks back at me. “We’re doing everything we can to find Gerard, but his sister believes he skipped town. After he attacked you at the florist, he went back to her place and packed every valuable thing he could find that wasn’t nailed down.”
“Is she okay?”
Three sets of eyes land on me with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “Trust you, Gracie,” Nolan grunts. “You were the one attacked with a knife.”
I slide a look his way. “And I know enough about addicts that being blood-related isn’t any form of protection.”I frown. “If anything, it usually makes you more of a target.”
“Halsey’s working with us to try to find her brother,” Jerome says as he gathers the photos. “We’ll make sure she’s safe.”
I watch him, not feeling any better than when we first came in, especially knowing this guy is just walking around free. “What happens now?” If I hadn’t gotten away from him that night, there’s a good chance I would be dead right now, and it seems like Gerard is a man with nothing to lose.
Jerome pins an understanding look on me. “You try to get back to normal,” he says quietly. “We’re doing everything in our power to make sure that Gerard is apprehended, but there is nothing in his previous behavior that makes us think he’ll come after you.”
Nolanand I leave ten minutes later, walking quietly alongside each other as we step out into the early afternoon sunshine. Nolan looks at me with quiet intensity, his voice concerned as he asks, “You okay?”
“It feels surreal,” I mumble, tucking my trembling hands into the oversized hoodie I’m wearing. “Like none of this can actually be happening. People don’t get attacked with knives in real life.”
“That’s not even remotely true, and you know it.” Nolan looks away, and I know he’s thinking of his own family and the crimes his father committed. “All sorts of bad shit happens, but we’re just really good at believing it will never happen to us.”
“Right,” I murmur, looking to the side and catching sight of Braxton’s truck parked outside the fire station. “Areyouokay?”
Nolan runs a hand through his dark blond hair,scowling down at the ground. “My mother called.Again.” He looks up at me, reluctance and irritation crawling through his brown eyes. “I can’t keep hiding from my life anymore.”
“You’re going back,” I guess. It’s not exactly a surprise. Nolan’s been on his phone more and more often this week, and he told me that even his sister, Darcy, has started in on him about coming home. We both knew he wouldn’t be here forever, but I’ve gotten used to having him underfoot.
“You don’t need me anymore, kid,” he says easily. “You’re well taken care of now.”
I snort. “Just with a healing knife wound on my back.”
Nolan smirks, shaking his head. “Your family is here, Gracie. And not the bloodsuckers back home, but yourrealfamily.” He blows out a heavy breath. “And now it’s time for me to go back to mine.” He tilts his head back, staring up at the sky. “There’s someone I need closure with too.”
I give a startled blink because it’s the first time he has mentioned anyone. His jaw is clenched tightly, his teeth gritted, but his eyes are hard when they drop back to mine.
“Am I allowed to ask?”
Nolan’s lip curls into a smirk. “You can ask, but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
“Who is she?”
He lets out a rough sound of amusement. “No one you know. I think you were already here when I met her.” He tilts his head to the side. I can almost see the shutters coming down, and I know he’s not going to tell me anything else. “This wasn’t one-sided between us, you know?”
I furrow my brows. “What does that mean?”
Nolan shrugs. “You were so sure you were using me to feel better…Which I didn’t have a problem with, by the way,” he adds. “But did you ever consider if I was using you too?”
“No,” I answer honestly. “I just thought you wanted orgasms.”
His expression saysduh. “Show me one person who doesn’t.”
I look back at the fire station, debating whether I should go find Braxton. He might be responsible for the breakdown of our relationship, but there were cracks forming before the crash andher, and some of that lies on my shoulders.
