by Kishan Paul
Her brown hair was cut short and her blue eyes were kind. When she hugged him, he liked her instantly.
“Lauren told me you might show up. It’s great to meet you.”
He raised his brows. How’d she know that?
She navigated him to an empty table. “Come have a seat. This song just started, it’ll be awhile before she’s done. Let me get you some apple juice.”
He positioned his chair for a better view of the dance floor and caught sight of a very relaxed Jack. His head lay plopped on the lap of a woman who reminded him of his middle school librarian. She rubbed his neck like it was some magic lamp.
Lauren glowed in the dim lights. She and her dance partner sang along to the chorus as they moved. Every so often she’d pull the man’s wandering hands back up to her waist as she belted out the country song.
“She’s one of a kind.” Mrs. Rourke handed him a paper cup.
Unable to tear his eyes off of her, he nodded. “Yes, she is.”
When Gabe took a sip, the liquid burned his throat. He coughed and took a sniff of the drink before putting it on the table. “Apple juice?”
“The best.” She winked at him. “Don’t let the blindness fool you. Lauren’s the toughest person I know.”
He chuckled. “I’m starting to see that.”
Mrs. Rourke rested her hand on his. “She needs someone like you in her life.”
His face warmed. Gabe took another sip of his “juice” before answering. “We’re friends, nothing more.”
“Friends don’t look at other friends the way you’re staring at her.”
He didn’t respond. It wasn’t something he could deny.
“You’d better get to her before Willie leaves bruises all over her ass.”
“Good idea.” He swallowed the rest of the drink and shifted out of his seat.
Gabe cut in, grabbing her waist and pulling her close before Willie had a chance to argue.
“Hi, you,” she said as she wrapped her hands around his neck. “I told you I didn’t need a ride.”
He whispered in her ear. “I know, but a friend of yours asked me to save you.”
Lauren laughed. “How’d she do that?”
“She bribed me with brandy with a touch of apple juice.”
Lauren rested her cheek against his shoulder and sighed. “Remind me to thank her. These people are all lushes.”
He pressed his face against her hair and savored how their bodies fit. Her warmth soothed him. Even if he was walking away, he would give himself this moment. Gabe inhaled her scent and held her close. “I have no complaints.”
They moved silently as the music played. He held her tight, pushed away his reality, and fantasized for as long as possible.
“I heard you packing up earlier. Are you leaving?”
He cringed. “Yeah.”
She stiffened at his response. “When?”
He cleared his throat. “Tonight.”
“Why?”
“It’s the right thing to do.”
Lauren fell silent. Some of her hair had come loose from the knot she’d made. He released the stick holding it in place and smoothed down the strands. Their dance continued long after the music stopped playing.
“The right thing for me or you?” she asked, so quiet he barely heard the question.
His gut twisted. “Both.”
She pulled away. “Are you worried I’ll get hurt or that you’ll change your mind about the long term thing?”
“Both,” he said again.
Mrs. Rourke was upon them before their conversation got any more complicated, and he walked away, allowing them time for their goodbye.
A few minutes later, he strolled back to his truck with Lauren and Jack. The entire ride home was spent in silence. Which suited him fine. Goodbyes were hard enough.
Once they parked in her driveway, Lauren gulped some air and blew it out. “I know I told you this morning I regretted what we did, but I want you to know I don’t.”
He raised his brows at her confession. “What changed your mind?”
“You.” She didn’t look at him. Just stared straight ahead. “I was at a low place. You made me feel attractive. And although I wish I had found other ways to get the same effect, nothing I could have done would have been as powerful as what you’ve done for me. And I don’t mean the sex, either. I mean tonight, the things you’ve said, all of it. Thank you.”
His chest tightened. Even if there was no future for them, maybe he could at least help her see reality. “Can I give you some honest advice?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t ever think you’re less than anyone because you’re blind. The truth is, when people are around you, they’re the ones who feel less. You make them want to be someone they’re not. Someone better than they ever considered being.” When she sniffled, he clenched the steering wheel. “There’s a guy out there for you. Never settle until you find him. Okay?”
“And you?”
“What about me?”
“Who’s out there for you?”
He didn’t respond. Again, silence filled their space.
“You’re so secretive. You’re not an undercover spy for the government or something, are you?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Nothing so sexy.”
She opened the door and let Jack jump out. “Gabe?”
“Yeah?”
“If your top secret life problem ever changes, will you call me?”
He stared at her. Wished he could kiss her one last time, but didn’t. “I will.” Seconds later, she shut the door.
From his truck, he watched them walk to her house. Waited until she was inside before resting his head on the seat and closing his eyes. A cement block sat on his chest as he wished again, for the millionth time in the past two days, his life was different. He considered going in there and telling her the truth. Even played out the different scenarios. None of them ended well.
As he sat there contemplating ways to make her understand, the front door opened. Lauren stepped onto the entry, her hand shielding her eyes from his headlights. With a deep breath, he put the car in reverse and pulled away. She’d never understand.
A few minutes into the drive, his cell went off. He didn’t recognize the number, but answered anyway. By the time he hung up, his heart was racing and he was en route to Texas.
Chapter Thirteen
His Alibi
A pang of guilt shot through Ben as he exited the interstate. This was his weekend with Chloe. Had the captain’s call been about anyone else, he wouldn’t have left his baby girl with his parents and made the one-hour commute into town. But this wasn’t anyone else.
When he put in his request yesterday to stop patrolling Lauren’s neighborhood, the man asked him why. He had no choice but to tell his boss about his fucked-up past, his ex and where she lived.
Fortunately, their conversation was still fresh on the captain’s mind when the Harris County PD contacted him asking for help on a missing persons’ case. Since Lauren’s name was dragged into the mess, he called Ben. Now, a couple hours later, Ben was tagging along on the investigation with direct orders: “Keep your mouth shut and let the detectives do their job.”
Questions ran through his head. What was going on between the neighbor and her? From the way the man followed her around the jogging trail the other day, one thing was for sure, Gabriel Briggs was clearly interested in her. But was it mutual? He had a sickening suspicion it might be. Which meant the dumbass conveniently forgot to share some important details about his life to her. If he was in any way involved with the missing woman down in Houston, he was a dangerous man.
Ben gripped the steering wheel and clenched his jaw. He would do whatever it took to protect her from the piece of shit.
Traffic made him
later than planned. The clock on the dashboard flashed eight thirty-five by the time he parked behind the blue sedan sitting idle outside her house. He ran his hand through his short brown hair and jogged over to the passenger side of the vehicle.
Case sat with his elbow propped on the open window while his counterpart was behind the wheel. Both were on their cells texting. At six foot six, the young African American detective looked every bit like the former high school football linebacker he once was.
“Hey, Ben,” Case said without looking up.
“Morning. Sorry I kept you two waiting.”
“Not a problem.” The detective’s fingers flew across the keyboard.
“Hey, Ben. Question,” Mike said from the driver’s seat.
Ben looked over at who was probably the palest man he’d ever seen. Mike was about average height and had taken advantage of one too many of the free meals given away by local diners during his fifteen years on the force.
“Which is?”
“Why exactly did the captain ask us to let you tag along?”
Ben chewed on the answer a bit before responding. These two were the best detectives on the force, but also famous for rubbing salt into any wound they found. He shrugged and went with the shortest explanation possible. “She’s my ex-wife. He thought it might help if I was here.”
“You’re shitting me.” Case tucked his phone into his shirt pocket. “Mikey, would you have wanted to be there if we were questioning your ex?”
The older detective grinned. “Yup.”
“Really?” Case stared at Mike in disbelief.
“Oh, yeah. Especially if it ended with having her ass thrown into jail. Shit. I’d videotape the whole thing.”
Ben’s eye twitched. He tried to keep his voice calm. “There’s no ill will between us, so don’t give her shit, okay? Ask your questions and leave her alone.” Having heard enough, he stepped away from the car.
Case climbed out. He adjusted his pants, tucked in his dress shirt, and put on his sports coat. “No shit to give. We’re going to visit the lovely Lauren Baxter and confirm an alibi. Having you around as eye candy will make it less likely she’ll attack me with a frying pan.”
Mike snickered and followed them to the edge of the driveway. “Says the man who’s never been married.” He patted his navy jacket and the holster concealed beneath it. “Should I double check my Taser to make sure it’s working?”
Ben stopped in his tracks and raised his brows at the man. “You even consider flashing it at her and I’ll kick your ass.”
Mike laughed while Case shook his head and put his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Relax, man, he’s playing with you. Have I ever told you my camping trip story?”
“Shut up, Case,” Mike mumbled as they started up the driveway.
“No, he needs to hear this. When I was a kid, my dad took me camping. He kept preaching this whole live like the cavemen shit. So when I took a dump, I wiped my ass like the cavemen. Well, turned out the leaves I used were poison ivy. Old Mike here is a lot like the rash I got.”
“What the fuck are you saying?” Mike asked while he scanned the property.
This was what made them such a great team. Case could talk a man into donating his balls while Mike could tell by looking at him when and where the man took his last leak.
“No, I’m serious,” Case continued. “He’s annoying and a pain in the ass but if you ignore him, the pain will go away a lot faster.”
By the time they were halfway up the drive, all but Ben were snickering. Even if he thought they were funny, the idea of being around Lauren made it hard to breathe, much less laugh.
Jack began his restless yodeling from inside the residence before they even rang the bell. He tried to ignore the fire building in his stomach.
“Of course she’s got a fucking dog,” Mike hissed.
“The woman’s blind, what the hell did you think she’d have? A parrot?” Case shot back.
A metal chain slid. The deadbolt turned. When the door opened, Lauren appeared in jeans and a yellow tee. His throat tightened as he took her in. Her brown hair hung loose, the way he liked it. She didn’t have a drop of makeup on her skin, and she didn’t need any. As he tried to get his brain to work, Case did what he did best.
“Lauren Baxter?”
“Yes?”
“I’m Detective Casey Johnson. This is my partner, Detective Michael Hopkins, and I’m sure you remember Officer Benjamin Dawson. I’m sorry to bother you this early in the morning, but we’re with the Denver PD and we’re here on behalf of the Harris County Police Department.”
She leaned her head against the partially open door. Her deep green eyes ringed with blue scanned them, stopping at Ben. A strand of her brown hair fell across her cheek. His fingers twitched to tuck it behind her ear. Instead, he shoved his hand in his pocket and grabbed the roll of antacids.
What if she didn’t let him in?
The burning embers in his gut had turned into a raging forest fire. He popped a chalky tablet into his mouth before his insides turned to ash.
“Harris County?” she asked.
“It’s in Houston, ma’am.”
“Oh, is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid so. We need to talk to you about a missing person.”
Lauren’s eyes widened. She stepped back, opening the door further.
Jack pushed past her and jumped on Ben. In a matter of seconds, the dog had licked clean every inch of his face. He ignored the detectives’ chuckles and rubbed the dog’s neck.
“Jack’s happy to see you,” she said.
Are you? “Morning, Lauren. The detectives let me tag along. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, it’s fine. Come in.”
Jack stayed by his side as they entered. Like the detectives in front of him, Ben looked around while they made their way to the living room. Unlike them, he wasn’t assessing for danger. His thought was a bit more pathetic. Would this have been their home if he hadn’t screwed things up?
“Can I get you some coffee?”
Ben kept his mouth shut and let Case talk. “Yes, please.”
While he and the younger detective followed her into the kitchen, Mike stayed behind in the living room to answer his cell. Jack sat in the corner of the room watching all of them.
After she poured water into the machine to brew, she focused on Case. “Who’s missing?”
“Her name’s Autumn Briggs. She disappeared two days ago on her way home from work.”
“It doesn’t ring a bell. What’s my connection to her?” She popped a pod of coffee grinds into the top and grabbed three mugs from the cabinet.
“You know her husband, Gabriel Briggs.”
Her face paled. Ben managed to catch the cup Lauren dropped before it hit the tile.
“Her what?” she asked while Case grabbed the other two from her hand and shot a glance at Ben.
They were on the same page. The asshole hadn’t told her he was married.
“Gabriel Briggs is Autumn’s husband.”
She didn’t respond. Instead, she leaned against the island and hugged her waist.
“He listed you as his alibi for the evening of Thursday May fourth, when she went missing. Was he with you?”
Her face flushed. Before she could answer, Mike entered the kitchen. “Sorry about that. I got off the phone with the Harris County PD. They found Autumn Briggs’s body an hour ago in a creek near her house.”
“Oh my God,” Lauren whispered, gripping the counter for support.
Ben grabbed her elbow. “Why don’t we have a seat?” he asked and guided her to the breakfast table. He wanted to put his arm around her and pull her close. Instead, he sat beside her while Case sat across and Mike took over pouring the coffee.
“Was Gabriel Briggs with you Thursday night
?”
“Yes.”
Jack rested his head in her lap and she rubbed him as she answered.
“From approximately when to when?”
“I went for my jog around five p.m. and he showed up at the trail. We ran together, had dinner, and…” She fidgeted in her seat and her cheeks colored.
“And?”
“He stayed over until the morning.”
Ben’s neck muscles tightened as anger crawled up his throat.
Son of a fucking bitch.
“Was he with you the entire time?”
“For the most part. He was gone for fifteen minutes to pick up dinner and again later for about an hour. But he was next door, I heard the water running.”
“Did he say anything to you regarding his wife?”
Her fingers trailed the same path over and over along Jack’s neck as she spoke. It was obvious the movement soothed her more than it did the dog.
“No, he didn’t tell me he was married.”
“Well, he is, and when she didn’t show up to pick up their seven-year-old son from school, his teachers called the police,” Ben added.
Her eyes slammed shut and she shook her head. “He has a wife and a son?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Case added while he shot Ben a shut the hell up glance.
Shutting up was the last thing on his mind. “Until we figure out what happened to his wife, you need to stay away from him.”
“Gabe may be a liar, but he’s not a killer.”
She was by far the most stubborn and naïve woman he’d ever met.
The two detectives rose from their seats. “Thank you for your time…”
His ass still glued to his chair, Ben interrupted Case’s closing. “How the hell can you know that?”
Lauren pushed her seat back and stood. “I just do.”
“If he could lie to you about his family and cheat on his wife with you, how can you be sure about the rest?”
She tipped her head down at him. “Just because a man has an affair doesn’t make him capable of murder. If it does, you’re as much a suspect.”
His mouth dropped open. The man had his wife killed. How the hell can she compare what I did to him?
