“Dude.Nice talking and all, but you should spill less about me.Especially my qualities ’cause it’s considered a spoiler alert,” Elodie grumbles.
“Expect Murray to show up, and don’t open the door for anyone else.I’ll also give him your number.He will message before knocking on your door,” Seamus rattles and taps the screen to end the call.
He takes out his satellite phone and punches numbers before he brings it to his ear.“Murray.I’m cashing in the favor you owe me....Yes, now....I don’t give a flying fuck.I’m going to message you an address, get your ass there as soon as possible.Elodie is Jaxie’s friend.She was supposed to move in with her at the cabin in less than two weeks....No, someone killed her horse.The sheriff advised...yeah.Okay....Fuck, no.How would I know?Keep your cock in your pants, asshole.”
Seamus ends the call and hands me his phone.“This is Murray’s number.Message him Elodie’s address and number.”
I take the phone and Seamus guides the vehicle back onto the road.Making sure Murray has Elodie’s information, I quickly send him a message through Seamus’s phone.The line Seamus told him before he ended the call is also something I add before I hit send.
Somehow it feels like throwing oil on the fire.I find myself smiling at the thought.Weird due to the circumstances, and my heart aches for Elodie.She owned the horse for as long as he lived, which was twenty years.
“What’s the smile for?”Seamus asks.
I hand him his phone back.“I m-might have repeated your w-warning.”
Seamus chuckles.“Good.Murray is a horndog.”
“W-were you one?”The question tumbles from my lips before I can swallow the words down.
“Were.”Seamus bobs his head.“If my life didn’t take a turn, I’d still be one.”
I bob my head and whisper, “Sorry.”
He throws a glance my way, but I turn my head and stare out the side window.Time passes where we both seem to be lost in thought until finally I get to dig out the remote to open the gate for the house I grew up in.
I loved living here...until my father died.Seamus parks in front of the porch and when I step out, I mentally brace myself.The first thing I will see once I open this door is the stairway where I found my father’s body.
“Breathe, Jaxie,” Seamus says, and places a hand on my lower back.
I take a deep breath and slowly let it flow out.Taking the keys from my purse, I raise my arm while my hand starts to shake.Seamus’s large, calloused hand covers mine and he takes the keys from me.He opens the door and then his hand is on my lower back again to urge me forward.
Once I step inside the place feels different.My hands are numb, my legs are shaky, and it makes me lean against Seamus to seek his strength.Gah, why did I want to come back here?
My steps falter when I notice the open door of my father’s office.It’s never open.
“What’s wrong?”Seamus questions.
I swallow hard due to the tightness in my throat.“T-the d-door.His office.It’s...it’s o-open.”
Seamus’s voice goes hard.“Stay here,” he rumbles and reaches for his gun.
I watch how he moves, one arm leaning on his cane, the other aiming his gun in the direction of my father’s office.My gaze strays to the bottom of the stairs and my eyes start to burn.
“Jaxie, eyes on me,” Seamus snaps.
Without thinking I turn my head in his direction.
“Good girl.Now, tell me why you wanted to come here so we can grab it and go.”His voice sounds harsh.
Blinking a few times, I try and shake the memories and know why I came here.“The d-discussion you and M-murray had.I r-remembered a file I s-saw on my f-father’s d-desk and I wanted to l-look for it.”
Seamus winces.“Yeah, you’re not going in there.”
I frown at his weird response.“Why not?”I try to step around him.“It’s my o-own damn h-house.”
He steps in front of me to block my path.“It’s trashed, Jaxie.Whatever was in there they took it.”
“Let.Me.See,” I grit word for word with a load of anger.
