“D—Dead.”
She’s right. Manny is dead, and I can’t change that. If he were alive, he’d be dead now.
I can’t offer her empty platitudes.
“I need you to breathe with me, Blake.”
She nods.
“In.” I take a dramatic inhale, and I feel her shoulders lift as she copies me. “Out.” We exhale together.
I repeat the method with her three more times before Blake calms.
Sometime during our breathing, everyone arrived. Tessa and Ridge have taped off the crime scene and begun collecting evidence.
I move Blake inside the house and into the living room, sit us down on the couch, and place her on my lap. Blake relaxes into me, and my heart warms.
Levi and Santiago follow Blake and me, offering her comfort. Levi runs his hands through her hair as Santiago rubs her back.
In minutes, Blake starts taking long, deep breaths, and her body unwinds the last fraction.
Levi keeps his voice hushed. “She’s asleep.”
“Good,” Santiago says in the same tone.
“She’s had a long day,” I add.
“If you want to take her up to bed, I’ll stay down here until Tessa and Ridge are done,” Santiago volunteers.
I shake my head, refusing his offer. “I need to figure something out.” Shifting, I indicate that I want Santiago to sit down next to me. After he does, I move Blake to him and stand.
Manny didn’t survive long enough to watch the barn burn.
Which means someone else was here.
“If Manny started the fire, then who killed Manny?”
CHAPTER 35
LEVI
After always being with someone over the last few days, the quiet in the clinic feels off. Northfork Veterinary Clinic has been the place where I spend most of my time for years.
Now the stainless-steel tables, antiseptic smell, and fluorescent lights almost feel unfamiliar.
Blake is in the clinic, but she’s passed out on the couch in the kitchen down the hall. Bear naps with her, curled up on Blake’s legs.
Yesterday would be too much for anyone to handle. She fell asleep in Walker’s arms last night, but she tossed and turned most of the night.
This morning, Walker announced that he needed to go to the station. Neither Santiago nor I wanted to leave Blake, so we did a quick round of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who would go with Walker.
Santiago lost.
Which means I got to lie in bed with Blake in my arms for another hour.
It was difficult to make the decision to wake her up. I could’ve stayed in bed with her all day, but work won’t get done itself.
In a stupor, Blake ate breakfast and got dressed. I practically had to carry her to the car, then into the clinic.
