“Jessica?”
I look up, my brows pulling together when I see the familiar figure. “Hey.” I brush away the tears with the back of my hand. “What are you?—”
A piercing pain spreads through my head, making me sway from the impact as blackness dances in front of my eyes.
What the hell?—
A strong arm wraps around my middle, pulling me against a firm chest. Warm breath tickles my earlobe. “I told you he wasn’t worth it.”
I try to struggle out of the hold, but it’s iron tight.
No, this can’t be?—
Then something sweet presses against my mouth, and I’m swallowed by the darkness.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
MATTHEW
Because I love you.
I love you…
Love you…
My knees buckle and I stumble back, leaning against the railing as Jessica’s words ring in my head on repeat. Her face is etched in my mind, that mix of determination and stubbornness shining from every beautiful curve that I’ve memorized from watching her sleep next to me. Then there were her eyes. Love and anger reflected in them as she glared at me, her chin held high as she ripped me a new one, even as tears glimmered in her eyelids. She tried so hard to keep them at bay, but I could see them glisten under the light.
I love you.
I run my hand over my face, then let it fall to my side. My fingers grip the bottle of Jack tighter.
“You fucked this up royally, you know that?”
My head snaps up at the sound of Nico’s voice. He closes the door, leaning against it as he crosses his arms over his chest and just stares at me for a moment.
“You look like crap.”
“I don’t remember asking you for an opinion,” I mutter dryly.
Empty.
I’m completely and utterly empty, and I don’t have it in me one bit to care.
“Maybe not, but considering we’re partners, I figured it’s up to me to tell you that.”
“Partners,” I snort. “Yeah, right. I wouldn’t rely on that. Jenkins will dump my ass as soon as he gets a chance. We both know it. What do you want, Rivera?”
“I got an interesting call just now.”
My brow quirks up. “And why should I give a fuck about that?”
“Because it’s about Andrea Porter.”
The hair at my nape stands at attention at his words. The serious expression on his face sobers me up immediately. “So? I’ve been suspended, in case you forgot. If I were you, I’d be careful so Jenkins doesn’t find out you’re sharing sensitive info with me.”
Nico pushes off the door and slides up next to me, completely ignoring my comment. “The call was from Archer Ward. He works for a local PD up in Colorado. He had a case a couple of years ago; it was his rookie year, and it was never solved, so every so often he checks the system, see if anything stands out. That’s how he found our missing person report.”
“The girl’s dead,” I point out, unsure of where he’s going with this.
