Kara had fired so close to Cedar Ridge. She’d risked David’s life. Risked the lives of every person who called that place home.
Inside, the quiet wrapped around her, thick and heavy. Cal shut the door behind them and, without saying a word, pulled her into his arms. She let herself sink against him, her forehead pressing into his chest. The steady beat of his heart under her cheek loosened the knot inside her, just a little.
Then his phone buzzed, the shrill sound shattering the moment. Cal pulled back, checked the screen, and cursed under his breath.
“It’s Raines,” he said, thumbing the answer button.
Cal hit the speaker button, and Raines’s voice filled the cabin. “We might finally have some answers about Kara. The CSIs combed through her place and her electronics. From what they pieced together, Kara and Dexter staged their breakup. Made it look like he dumped her so she wouldn’t be the top suspect when he escaped.”
Alena’s stomach turned. So Kara had been deeper in it than they thought.
“Did she help with the escape?” Cal asked, his voice tight.
“Yes,” Raines said without hesitation. “She arranged the vehicle Dexter switched to after ditching the prison car. She gave him a burner phone, new IDs, and cash. She had it all ready.”
A shiver was working through Alena. Dexter could vanish with that setup. Disappear into another name, another life. Her gut clenched at the thought, but then she shook her head. No. That wasn’t him.
“Maybe he’ll use one of those IDs to run,” she muttered. But even as she said it, doubt twisted in. Dexter wasn’t finished. Not with Cal. Not with David. Not with her.
And maybe not with Melissa either.
The thought settled like ice in her veins.
Alena leaned closer to the phone, her voice steady but edged. “Any proof Kara paid Keller and that second man to take Melissa?”
Raines let out a breath. “Nothing so far. Doesn’t mean she didn’t hire them, but there’s no paper trail, no transfers, no cash withdrawals we can tie to it. Would’ve been nice to wrap that part up with a bow.”
Alena rubbed her temple, frustration throbbing. Another loose thread, another answer that only led to more questions.
“What about Arneson?” Cal asked, his tone clipped. “Anything in Kara’s files to suggest he was helping Dexter?”
There was a pause on the line, and then Raines sighed. “No. Everything we’ve uncovered points to Kara acting alone. There’s nothing tying Arneson directly to Dexter.”
If that was true, then Arneson was still an enigma. And Dexter… Dexter was still out there, with help they hadn’t found yet.
“Isla’s pulling together a list of all Kara’s properties and any other places Dexter might be using,” Raines let them know. “It’s a good angle, and she’s already digging in.”
It was a good angle. If Arneson wasn’t hiding his brother, then Dexter might still be leaning on Kara’s resources. The thought made her skin crawl. Even dead, Kara could still be helping him.
“I’m hoping Isla comes through,” Alena murmured.
“We all are,” Raines replied. “But for now, there’s still no sign of Dexter. And Noah’s decided not to take chances. He’s got three guards at Cedar Ridge now.”
Alena’s chest loosened a fraction. David. Safe. At least for now. She met Cal’s eyes, and she saw the same relief flicker there.
“Tell Noah we appreciate it,” Cal said.
Alena didn’t say it out loud, but she silently added her own prayer of thanks. With Dexter still free, every layer of protection mattered.
Cal ended the call and set the phone on the counter. His gaze shifted to her, steady and searching. “You want a drink? Or maybe a hot soak in the tub?”
They were still close, so close she could feel the heat of him. Both options sounded good, but neither would do a thing to dull the worry grinding at her chest. David was safe for the moment, but she knew how fast that could change with Dexter still out there.
Before she could answer, Cal slid an arm around her and pulled her back against him. The hug was strong, solid, the kind that promised she wasn’t alone.
She leaned into him, letting herself sink into that comfort. His scent, his warmth, the quiet strength in the way he held her. Her chest tightened, her pulse quickened, and before she realized it, the hug shifted.
His mouth brushed hers. Soft at first, meant to soothe. Then deeper, hungrier.
