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“Ivan Sokolov.He’s on my list.He stole my dog.I got him back.”
Everyone looked at a quiet Henry.He stood at attention near Naomi.
“That is a one gorgeous dog,” the female cop said as she reached out a hand toward him.“I bet he’d like a big old pet?—”
“No.”The sharp reprimand came from Eb’s new buddy, the ever-so-helpful-firefighter who’d introduced himself as Jeffrey Lee before he went to check the smoke detectors.His mustache twitched in annoyance as the bright lights from the emergency vehicles swirled around them.“Don’t you know better than to interfere with a working service dog?”
Eb did a double take.“Service dog?”Naomi had never mentioned a word about Henry being a service dog.But he’d never seen a dog stay so quiet and focused like Henry.The dog had been Naomi’s shadow since they’d taken him from the bar.
“Can we get back to my hate list?”Naomi inquired crisply.“Ah, yes, we should also add Hudson’s only living family—his cousin Jaxon.Jaxon is getting me tied up in legal knots and refusing to honor the will.Because, you know, he thinks I’m a horrible villain.And, it would be remiss of me not to mention, there’s Eb.”Her head ducked toward him.“The new, ah, boyfriend?”
Wait…
Hold the hell up.
Had she just listed his name?
His head jerked toward her.
“I think you hate me, too,” she said, and Naomi seemed sad.
He didn’t speak.
“No denial.”A nod from her.“But while you may hate me, you aren’t trying to kill me.You’re saving me.Have I thanked you for that?”
Eb’s lips parted.
“Wait just a damn minute!”Clark exploded.He pointed his right index finger at Eb.“How do we know that he didn’t set the fire?He was in the house.Close proximity.And he could have taken the batteries out of the smoke detectors!Maybe he’s guilty as sin, and he’s trying to throw suspicion off himself.”
That dick could not be serious.“I just toldyouabout the batteries.I got heroutof the house.If I wanted her dead, why do that?Why not just let her burn?”
“Because where is the fun in that?”Clark asked, voice dropping to a low and considering tone.“Because there is getting your revenge on someone…and then there is making sure the person suffers.A quick death is too easy.Far better to rip someone’s world apart, don’t you think?”
Naomi barely appeared to be breathing.She’d gone statue-still, with one hand reaching out to touch her dog’s head.That hand had frozen mid-air.Henry moved, stretching up, and his head pumped into her palm.
Eb’s gaze flickered to the watchful detective.“You’re dark, man.Dark.You get that, don’t you?”
Clark hummed.“I just understand how vengeance can twist you up.Eat you from the inside out.Your partner is dead.Did you come to town in order to get some payback?Fucking and hating at the same time?Now,that’sdark.”
Eb’s focus shifted back to Naomi.
She shook her head, and she took her hand away from Henry.Only to then press that hand to Eb’s side.“He’s here for justice.”Clear.Flat.“Eb came to town because we’re working together and we’re going to find Hudson’s killer.As in, the real killer.Not me.Because I told you—over and over—the murderer wasn’t me.I didn’t kill Hudson.Eb believes me.He’s not here to hurt me.Not here to rip apart my world.”She smiled at Eb.The kind of smile that hit a man with the same impact as a punch to the gut.“He’s here to give me my life back.”
“There’s one bed.”
Eb had just crossed the threshold into the guesthouse when Naomi made that announcement.He shut the door behind him.Okay, fine, he slammed it.Slammed it way harder than he should have.He dropped their bags and flipped the lock in place.
She spun toward him.“I’mnotasking you to share the bed with me.Just stating a simple fact.There is only one bed in this guesthouse.”She waved toward a small hallway.“Bedroom is in there.With a queen-size bed.”
“Your marriage bed.”He bit off the words.
Naomi’s little pink tongue swiped over her lower lip.“I didn’t fuck him on my wedding night.So, no, not technically my marriage bed.”
What?He was pretty sure his jaw hit the floor.
“It’s not the same mattress from that night, either.Just FYI.That mattress was evidence.It was also covered in blood, so not like I wanted to keep it around.New bed.New mattress.New sheets.New everything.”She shoved back a lock of hair that had tumbled over her cheek.“There is also a perfectly good sofa right here.”A dip of her hand toward the mini-den area.“You can crash on it.Or you can go get a hotel room.There is no reason why you have to stay here with me.”
Eb rested against the wood of the door.“Plenty of reasons.Reason one is that someone tried to killustonight.”