Page 4 of Allie

“I know he wasn’t well liked, but who would kill him?” I couldn’t imagine what would drive someone to murder. What Doyle did to deserve it.

“I don’t know. Sure, he was a grade A asshole, but no one hated him that much.” Roan tensed as a detective made his way to us.

The detective’s sharp gaze settled on me as he closed the distance. "Miss Everton?"

"Call me Allie," I corrected quickly.

"Did you see or hear anything unusual last night, Allie?" he asked, pen poised over paper.

At the sound of the detective’s voice, Nat appeared next to me, glancing at Roan then to me, before focusing on the detective. “Nothing, but our apartments are soundproof, as is Doyle’s, so it’s unlikely anyone heard anything.”

Roan made a noise in his throat that might have been a growl. “Allie and her sister were in their apartment all night.”

The detective glared at Roan. “How would you know?”

A cocky grin tugged at Roan’s mouth and his wolf flashed in his eyes. “I’d know if Allie left the apartment.”

I jerked a gaze to Roan. How would he know? I kept my mouth shut and figured I’d ask him about it later.

Roan’s whole body tensed, and he moved closer to me, his jaw clenched. I felt a strange comfort in his closeness, even with the air thickening around us.

"Actually," a man that lived in the apartment next to Doyle’s said, "Allie was the last one seen with Doyle alive."

Um, I don’t think so.

A chill skated down my spine at the words, but before the weight of suspicion could settle upon me, Roan leaned forward, his tone authoritative yet laced with a hint of impatience. “I doubt that.”

The man, a witch, straightened his spine. “She was arguing with Doyle outside the gym yesterday evening.”

Roan released another growl. "She wasn't alone. I was with her during that run-in at the gym. Doyle walked away, very much alive, I assure you."

The detective's gaze shifted between us, calculating. "Stay available, Miss Everton. Don't leave town."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied, meeting his stare with a resolve I didn't feel. My mind was whirring, thoughts racing faster than my pulse. The reality that I had become a person of interest in Doyle's death clung to me, cold and unsettling.

The whole situation made me physically ill, and the beginnings of a migraine were knocking on my brain.

Roan's hand found the small of my back as if he sensed my mood souring. The gesture was simple, but his touch seared through the fabric of my shirt, grounding me. “We’ll call if we think of anything.”

The detective nodded and left to interview the other tenants. I smiled up at Roan and said, “Thanks. I’m going to lie down.”

He hesitated before he gave me a single nod and went back to his apartment. I sighed as I watched him disappear inside.

Once in my own apartment, Nat grinned at me. “He likes you.”

My belly fluttered at the idea. Roan was sexy and sin and the idea of him liking me turned my insides to mush. However, I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. I’ve been let down and stood up too many times. I learned to be happy being single. “He was just being nice.”

“If you say so,” Nat said as she gathered her bag. “I’ll be at the boutique if you need me.”

I waved as she left and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of chamomile tea, hoping to relax so my headache would go away on its own. I hated taking human meds.

* * *

It wasa few minutes before noon before I woke from my nap. My head wasn’t much better. I pressed a cool, wet washcloth to my forehead to ease the migraine that had taken up residence behind my eyes. The encounter with the detective, Doyle's sudden death, and the fact that I was a suspect in the eyes of some of my new neighbors caused unwanted tension.

A faint rustling sound near the window broke the silence of my apartment. I blinked away the throbbing in my head long enough to focus on a white kitten. She, or he, slipped through the gap in the window, her pink nose twitching curiously as she surveyed her new surroundings.

"Hey there," I whispered, not wanting to startle the baby. She tilted her head, considering me, then gave a dainty mew before sauntering over. I couldn't help but smile as she nuzzled against my hand, her purring vibrating softly through the quiet room. It was as if she sensed the turmoil inside me and offered some sort of feline solace.