Truth be told, she’d applied for several jobs in remote areas. This had been the first offer. In addition, she figured he’d never suspect she’d run to his state. It was contrary to all logic, which was exactly why she’d done it. Plus, she’d visited Knife’s Edge once as a kid and loved it. Her father had been a grand adventurer, and they’d traveled a lot. This place had stayed with her, a bright pin on the map of her memory, and she thought she’d be safe here. “Honestly, I didn’t think you’d look in Alaska.”
He chuckled. “That’s fair. I didn’t. Though you really didn’t have to run away. If you didn’t want to date me, you could’ve just said so.”
A chill shook her. “Right. Last time I said so, you tried to break my arm.” He’d grabbed her hard enough she’d been concerned.
“You’re so silly. That never happened. You’re not still taking that medication that made you so goofy, are you?” He glanced at his shiny silver wristwatch. Nice, but not too flashy. Of course.
She would never be gaslit again. Yes, she had taken meds for panic attacks for a while when she’d sought counseling, and she had no problem with that. Now she controlled her anxiety with meditation and exercise, although she’d easily seek help again if she needed it. “Do you have a medical emergency or not? If not, I have another patient waiting.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Oh yeah. Speaking of him, is he your newest?”
“My newest?”
“We both know what a little slut you were before we got together.”
What a complete dick. “Senator, you obviously don’t have a medical problem. Your other ones need to be dealt with by somebody else.” She moved toward the door. The linoleum felt slick beneath her shoes and her pulse ticked loudly in her head.
He grabbed her arm and jerked her back. “I’m not finished.”
Pain burst through her biceps. She looked down at his hand banded around her arm. His grip was tight but not harsh enough to bruise. She looked back up, meeting his gaze evenly, refusing to blink. “Release me, or I will have you arrested.” Just imagining the headline steadied her breathing. U.S. Senator Gets Arrested in Podunk Town. That would be something.
“Yeah, about that,” he said, leaning in. “Rumor has it you’ve got a sheriff here.”
She blinked once. “We do.” Ah, crap.
“Alaska towns don’t have sheriffs.” His words came out clipped and controlled.
“We do,” she retorted. The town had been quirky back when it was settled, and they’d elected a sheriff. No one else in the state had one, but Alaska had let the idiosyncrasy slide. Ace’s brother Brock was the sheriff, and even though he complained a lot, he loved the job. The town needed him.
Kyle leaned toward her. “I could change that, you know.”
“Is that a threat?” she spat.
“Oh yeah. I could take care of that problem in a second.” His grip tightened just a fraction. “How about you and I have lunch tomorrow and really discuss this. I mean, sneaking off in the middle of the night was a pretty cowardly thing to do.”
It had been a smart thing for her to do. “Let go of my arm, or I’ll scream, and the mountain man in the waiting room will come in here and beat the absolute shit out of you.” She knew the second the words were out she shouldn’t have said that. Every instinct she had screamed it was the wrong thing to say.
Even so, Kyle released her. “The mountain man? Fascinating. We’ll just have to see what to do about that.” He slid off the examination table and straightened, smoothing his suit like this had all been perfectly civilized.
She took several steps back, her heart hammering. The room felt smaller now, and the air too tight.
“Now May,” he said patiently. “I know all about you murdering a man this past spring, and I seriously doubt the crime was truly investigated. I could change that fact quickly.”
Bile splashed in her stomach. “It was self-defense,” she said, which was true. She’d been attacked and had fought back, accidentally killing her attacker. While she’d been arrested initially, the assistant district attorney had decided it was self-defense and hadn’t charged her. So it was over.
That had also sent her back into counseling, via Zoom with an expert in Anchorage, and she was doing much better now. The nightmares had finally gone away. “Do your worst, Kyle.”
He sighed. “Fine. Have dinner with me tonight. We can talk all about it.”
Not in a million eons. “No.”
“You’ll change your mind.” He turned and headed toward the door, opening it and walking out into the hallway.
Her hands shook. She stayed where she was, took several deep breaths, and forced her shoulders to steel. Then she followed him out.
When she walked into the waiting room, she wasn’t surprised to see Kyle and Ace standing and pretty much facing off. The contrast between them was almost absurd. Kyle looked polished and composed, while Ace appeared solid, bleeding, and entirely unimpressed.
“We didn’t get introduced. I’m Kyle Mercer.” Kyle held out his left hand.
