composure. They had driven out here in Shannon’s car, which meant that Shannon had the final say.
Calder watched Ricki closely, obviously waiting for her to rise to the bait, but she merely snapped, “Fine.” Then she stormed out of the front door, leaving Calder and Shannon to trail behind her.
A few moments later, Finn and I were alone in the house.
With a sigh, I headed toward the stairs. “Well, I guess I should pack a few things. Should I follow you to the safe house in my car?” I asked.
“No need. One of Conner’s employees came out with Asher and drove it back to your loft.”
I stopped, one foot hovering over a stair. “What?” I turned and stared down at him, unsure if I’d heard him correctly.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Finn replied, “Your car is at your loft. You’ll ride back to Dallas with me.”
I mirrored his position, feeling irritation building in my belly. “Don’t you think that you should have, I don’t know, asked my permission?” My voice was tight because I was struggling not to yell at him.
He shook his head. “No. You would have argued with me about it, then, after a nasty little spat, I still would have had Conner’s man come out here and pick up your vehicle whether you liked it or not.”
Oh, hell no. “Now, wait just a damned minute…” I began. Somewhere in the kitchen I heard my phone ring. Concerned it might be important, I darted down the stairs, but not before pointing a finger at Finn and saying, “Don’t think this is over, buster.”
He merely bared his teeth at me in a poor semblance of a smile. “It’s over and done. Anything you have to say won’t change that.”
I almost zapped him as I passed by, but somehow managed to control the childish impulse. “We’ll see about that,” I muttered.
I found my phone on the counter next to the coffee pot and answered.
“Hello?”
“Kerry! Thank the Goddess.” It was Sally Abrams, Saundra’s sister. She sounded extremely upset. She began speaking, her words slurring and disjointed to the point that I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Sally. I can’t understand you.”
Then one word in the jumble became very clear. “….DEAD!”
“What?” I whispered.
With a choked sob, Sally finally spoke clearly. “Saundra is dead!”
Chapter Twelve
I don’t remember much of what happened after Sally’s call, only that Finn removed the phone from my numb hand.
It seemed only seconds had passed when Finn squatted in front of me, worry in his eyes. I glanced around and wondered how I ended up sitting on the couch. I didn’t remember walking over to it, much less collapsing on the cushions.
“Kerry, we need to leave.”
I blinked at him, feeling as though I were underwater. I could hear and see, but it was garbled.
His hand cupped my knee. “Kerry.”
“Okay.”
Finn helped me stand, his arms taking most of my weight. He practically carried me out to the car, settling me in the passenger seat, and even buckling my seat belt for me. We didn’t speak on the drive back, but Finn cradled my hand in his the entire time.
I finally woke from my stupor about fifteen minutes from the city. “I need to speak to Sally.”
Finn stared at me, his expression empty of emotion. “No.”
“I need to know what happened, Finn,” I insisted. Saundra’s body had been found at my store and, though I didn’t yet know the specifics, I was almost certain that her death had something to do with me.
He turned his eyes back to the road, still so calm and collected that I wanted to kick him. “You will, but not right now. I need to get you somewhere safe. Then, I’ll tell you what happened. When the time is right, I’ll allow you to call Sally.”
If I had hackles, they would have been standing on end at his words. “Allow?” I asked, my tone dangerous. If I was angry then I didn’t have to feel this horrendous grief.
Finn growled. “Bloody fucking hell, Kerry! I
Calder watched Ricki closely, obviously waiting for her to rise to the bait, but she merely snapped, “Fine.” Then she stormed out of the front door, leaving Calder and Shannon to trail behind her.
A few moments later, Finn and I were alone in the house.
With a sigh, I headed toward the stairs. “Well, I guess I should pack a few things. Should I follow you to the safe house in my car?” I asked.
“No need. One of Conner’s employees came out with Asher and drove it back to your loft.”
I stopped, one foot hovering over a stair. “What?” I turned and stared down at him, unsure if I’d heard him correctly.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Finn replied, “Your car is at your loft. You’ll ride back to Dallas with me.”
I mirrored his position, feeling irritation building in my belly. “Don’t you think that you should have, I don’t know, asked my permission?” My voice was tight because I was struggling not to yell at him.
He shook his head. “No. You would have argued with me about it, then, after a nasty little spat, I still would have had Conner’s man come out here and pick up your vehicle whether you liked it or not.”
Oh, hell no. “Now, wait just a damned minute…” I began. Somewhere in the kitchen I heard my phone ring. Concerned it might be important, I darted down the stairs, but not before pointing a finger at Finn and saying, “Don’t think this is over, buster.”
He merely bared his teeth at me in a poor semblance of a smile. “It’s over and done. Anything you have to say won’t change that.”
I almost zapped him as I passed by, but somehow managed to control the childish impulse. “We’ll see about that,” I muttered.
I found my phone on the counter next to the coffee pot and answered.
“Hello?”
“Kerry! Thank the Goddess.” It was Sally Abrams, Saundra’s sister. She sounded extremely upset. She began speaking, her words slurring and disjointed to the point that I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Sally. I can’t understand you.”
Then one word in the jumble became very clear. “….DEAD!”
“What?” I whispered.
With a choked sob, Sally finally spoke clearly. “Saundra is dead!”
Chapter Twelve
I don’t remember much of what happened after Sally’s call, only that Finn removed the phone from my numb hand.
It seemed only seconds had passed when Finn squatted in front of me, worry in his eyes. I glanced around and wondered how I ended up sitting on the couch. I didn’t remember walking over to it, much less collapsing on the cushions.
“Kerry, we need to leave.”
I blinked at him, feeling as though I were underwater. I could hear and see, but it was garbled.
His hand cupped my knee. “Kerry.”
“Okay.”
Finn helped me stand, his arms taking most of my weight. He practically carried me out to the car, settling me in the passenger seat, and even buckling my seat belt for me. We didn’t speak on the drive back, but Finn cradled my hand in his the entire time.
I finally woke from my stupor about fifteen minutes from the city. “I need to speak to Sally.”
Finn stared at me, his expression empty of emotion. “No.”
“I need to know what happened, Finn,” I insisted. Saundra’s body had been found at my store and, though I didn’t yet know the specifics, I was almost certain that her death had something to do with me.
He turned his eyes back to the road, still so calm and collected that I wanted to kick him. “You will, but not right now. I need to get you somewhere safe. Then, I’ll tell you what happened. When the time is right, I’ll allow you to call Sally.”
If I had hackles, they would have been standing on end at his words. “Allow?” I asked, my tone dangerous. If I was angry then I didn’t have to feel this horrendous grief.
Finn growled. “Bloody fucking hell, Kerry! I
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