“Unbiased, my ass.”
“And,” Michelle pauses dramatically, “she’s having an affair with her broker.”
A slow smile blooms on my face. “You’ve just turned my day around.”
Bubbles of excitement fizz in my stomach.
“You know who to send this to. I want this info trickled out slowly over the next couple of weeks.”
I grip the railing with both hands and take a long breath.
Apparently, I can still pull some strings from the middle of nowhere.
That makes me feel a bit… better. Normal.
The clear sky is mirrored in the placid lake, and everything is still, except the rustling trees, swaying lightly in the crisp fresh air, and the occasional bird diving for food.
Which is why Carter’s voice carries clearly from the front door.
He’s talking to somebody, and I assume it’s the sheriff until the other person responds.
It’s a voice I know all too well.
One I could recognize in my sleep. Mainly because I’ve been dreaming about him with worrying frequency since we last saw each other.
Hecan’tbe here.
Chapter Nine
ADAM
Driving back into Silver Lake Falls, my heart rate picks up. Last year, I first came up here to check on Carter. Now I’m pulled back by an equal need to make sure he doesn’t burn himself out. Obsessing over the case.
And then there’s Jackie.
They got into her fucking home. The leaked images sent me into a spiral. Imagining what might have happened if she were home. I kept seeing it, over and over, until my chest felt like someone had knotted wire around it. I’ve barely been able to focus on work.
I don’t even remember packing my bags and materializing on Carter’s doorstep.
“Surprise,” I sigh as the door swings open.
Carter’s brows shoot up as he looks between me and the two frowning guards flanking me. Luckily for my continued bodily integrity, I’m on the short list of people cleared on all Rawlings properties.
Carter blinks slowly at me, clearly processing the unexpected visit. “You know I have a phone. And satellite Internet, if you want to video call me.” Then he squints at me. “Why are you here?”
“I missed your pretty face,” I reply with a tired smile. “You’re here all of the time now. It’s like you abandoned me.”
“I live here,” Carter deadpans. “With my future wife.” He crosses his arms and gives methatlook. God, it annoys me so much. It’s such a dad stare-down. His poor future children.
We’re locked in a wordless game of chicken. The silence he uses like a weapon is pounding against my temples. Finally, I have to admit defeat. I’m too worn out to stand here all day.
“Look, I need a break,” I finally tell him, a half-truth. “I’ll deny everything if you mention it to anyone, but…you were right. I’ve been stretching myself too thin. And you offered…”
Carter exhales loudly, dismissing the guards with a nod. He shakes his head in amusement, waving me inside. “What changed?”
He’s relentless when he wants answers. I want to get it all out in the open before Eliza walks in. I’m already ashamed of what happened. I couldn’t bear the look of worry if she found out.
“I crossed a line,” I say quietly. “It scared the hell out of me. It’s not funny anymore. And I don’t want to put my parents through what it would mean if…”
