Derek shook his head. “Yeah, I could. But you don’t—”
“Great! So, I could wear a wire and get him to say what he’s done. You and Eric could be close by, so when he does confess, Eric can come in and arrest him. The police would be off your back, and Caleb would go to jail. We wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.”
When a few seconds passed and she didn’t say anything more, Derek asked, “Are you finished?”
“Yeah.” She nodded her head. “I’m finished. So...what do you think?”
He reached over and grabbed the hand closest to him. “I think the fact that you’re willin’ to put yourself in harm’s way to protect me is one of the most unselfish acts I’ve ever known, and I love you even more for it.”
“I love you, too, Derek. That’s why I want to do this. For you. For us.”
“I know.” He gave her a small smile. “But, darlin’, there’s somethin’ I have to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Derek glanced down at their joined hands, the skin on his forehead bunching together as he hesitated to say whatever it is he was thinking.
“Derek? What’s wrong? You’re starting to scare me.”
“It’s about last night.”
Her brow furrowed. “What about it?”
“I didn’t actually go to—”
The doorbell rang, interrupting what he was about to say.
Derek cursed under his breath. “You expectin’ company?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s one of the team.”
“Maybe. Stay here, just in case.”
Derek pulled his gun from his waistband. It was something she was getting more and more used to seeing.
She watched as he looked through the door’s peephole. His spine stiffened.
“Who is it?”
Derek turned to her, the look on his face grim. “The female detective I saw coming out of the room you were in the other night.”
“Detective York?”
Derek nodded. “And she has two uniformed officers with her.”
Charlie shot from her chair and went to him. “Something else must have happened.”
A funny look crossed his face as he cleared his throat. “Listen, Charlie. I—”
Someone pounded on the door. “This is Detective York with the Dallas Police Department. I know you’re in there, West. Open the door.”
“They’re here for you?” She looked up at him. “Why? You haven’t done anything.”
“She probably just wants to question me about the fire.”
With an odd expression she couldn’t quite place, Derek disengaged the deadbolt and opened the door.
“Derek West.” Detective York held up a folded paper. “I have a warrant for your arrest.”
