Page 106 of Angels & Whiskey

I didn’t know if I should feel relieved Rich was dead or sad. Even though I hated him for what he did and said to me over the years, I’d never wish for someone to die.

I walked out of the tiny room and into the hall after the detective asked me every question under the sun. I didn’t think I was a suspect, but he told me not to leave town. If they didn’t find anything on the footage they retrieved from the saved feed, then I was sure they’d have more questions for me since I had motive.

“You okay, angel?” Gabe asked as soon as he saw me round the corner.

I gave a weak smile and nodded. “Yeah. I just want to go home … Your home,” I clarified. “They said they’d let me know when I could go back inside my house.”

‘Of course.”

“So they told you?” I asked as soon as we shut the doors to his Yukon.

“About Rich?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

He sighed. “They did.”

“Paul didn’t have anything to do with it, right?”

He scrunched his eyebrows. “Um … no.”

“I know we didn’t have anything to do with it since we were together,” I motioned between us, “but Paul left and you said he was on a date.”

“He was.”

I stared into his green eyes before he turned to look back at the road as he drove. “Sorry.” I sighed. “Everything’s running through my head.”

“I get it, but I know for sure that Paul had nothing to do with it.”

“What if he did and you just don’t know?”

“Because we’re soldiers. If he killed Major Dick, it would have been by a gunshot.”

I let out a long breath and stared out the passenger side window. “Right.”

“You sure you’re doing okay?” Gabe reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers and then brought it to his mouth to kiss the back of my hand.

I answered, not able to look at him. “As good as I can be knowing my husband’s dead.”

“Okay. If you need to let it out, you know I won’t care right?”

I turned my gaze to his. “Don’t think it’s hit me yet. I’m still trying to process how this happened.”

“Let the cops do their job, it’s not for you to worry about, angel.”

Gabe was right, but my brain wouldn’t shut up. We drove not speaking again with Ed Sheeran serenading us. By Gabe’s last question, he probably thought I’d be a bubbling mess. After everything that had gone on, I was surprised I wasn’t. Knowing I’d never see Rich again was almost bittersweet. He could never hurt me again. I didn’t have to hide anymore. I was free. Unless …

“What if he’s not really dead?”

Gabe grunted. “What?”

“What if he paid those cops to say he was dead so we put our guards down and then he attacks?”

“I know last night we were watching a rerun of Law and Order, but that’s just TV.”

“But we didn’t see his body.”

“They said they’re running a tox screen. They’ll contact you when it’s time to bury him.”