Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
My brows shoot up at the similarities from the dream. “It’s not a crime scene, is it?”
“Hell no,” he scoffs. “I managed to track down a very important witness who might give us some valuable information.”
I frown, thinking about another thought I had in the nightmare. “That’s properly vague. Why?”
His brows dip and he stares at me. “Why do you sound so suspicious? You used to like it when I surprised you with important case information.” He laughs. “Now that you got that big rock on your finger, us plebs no longer amuse you?”
“Plebs?” I bark out a laugh. “What in the hell does that mean?”
“It means that you’re about to be Mrs. Billionaire and suddenly you’re suspicious.” His lips pinch together as we weave through traffic. “You don’t trust me now?”
I could let it go, but now is as good a time as any to clear the air. “It’s not that I don’t trust you I mean geez, you’re my partner. it’s because you’ve been acting weird lately.”
“How so?”
“Well, you run off at the most inopportune times, like when Laurel Kinney was at the precinct. You haven’t seen Cassandra in weeks, and I just think something’s going on. That’s all.”
“Hang on, now. I’m entitled to my secrets.”
“You are,” I agree. “Of course you are, but if you’re sick or dying, I don’t want to find out after you’re already dead. I can’t deal with that shit again, Jay.”
He’s quiet for a long time before he lays one of his hands on top of mine. “I’d never do that to you, Frankie. Not in a million years.”
“Good.” We finish the ride in silence before pulling up to what looks like a seaside college town. “Serenity House. Why are we here?”
“Because while you were busy living out your fairy tale life, I was doing actual work.” His eyes are full of amusement, which is the only thing that stops me from giving him a smart-ass comment. “While you were busy tracking down the other boys in those photos, I figured I might look into more of the girls, see what they remember.”
I shake my head. “I knew you were chasing down leads without me.”
He shrugs off my annoyance. “You were busy doing your thing and you know, dealing with your entire life burning to the fucking ground. Figured you wouldn’t want the case to go the same route.”
He’s right. “Okay, and who’s are we seeing here?”
He blinks rapidly and slowly his expression shifts to shock. “Seriously?”
My brows tug down. “Should I know? Laurel says she lives in Santa Monica, so I know it’s not her. Who lives here?”
“Olivia Jane Wolfe. Your soon to be sister-in-law.” The weight of his stare should piss me off, but I’m embarrassed because I’m marrying Damien, and I don’t know where his sister lives.
Because he didn’t tell me. “Right.”
“You didn’t know?” There’s no judgment in his tone, which only makes it worse.
“No. I didn’t know. I haven’t met her yet.”
“Yeah well,” he says and pushes the driver’s side door open and steps out with an exaggerated grunt. “Things with you and Damien have moved pretty fast.”
“You think I’m making a mistake?” I step out of the car and stare at him over the roof. “Everyone else has an opinion yet I haven’t heard yours.”
His shoulders rise and fall, his expression is thoughtfully bland. “Anything I say gonna change your mind?”
“Probably not, but when have you ever held your tongue?”
“Lots of times,” he jokes as we head to the entrance. “That’s why you still love me.”
“Funny. So?”
He stops right before the massive wooden doors that look as if they lead to a castle rather than an ocean side rehabilitation facility for the ultra-wealthy. “So, do you love this guy? I mean do you really fucking love him or is this infatuation with his good looks and money?”
I give myself a moment to consider his question, but I don’t need much time. “I love him. He’s not intimidated by my job or overly interested in it. He doesn’t think that because I handle murders every day at work that he shouldn’t treat me like a woman. He cares about me and my work. I love him.”
“Then I’m happy for you, kid. That’s all I ever wanted for you and if Richie Rich is what makes you happy, I’m on board. But they’ll never find his body if he hurts you.”
His words help release the tension in my body and warmth spreads throughout. “Thanks, Jay.”
“Of course. But make sure you give him hell about me introducing you to his sister before he did.”
My lips pull into the semblance of a grin that I don’t feel because I should’ve met his sister by now, shouldn’t I? She’s going to be family, sure, but more than that Damien has to know that we’d eventually find her in the course of our investigation. “I will,” I answer, and then we step inside.