Page 13 of Blood (A Killer’s Love #4)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Kaleb

I walk out without looking back at Samantha. If I don’t, I’m not sure I can walk away without fucking her again.

The sight of her filled to the brim is forever burned into my brain.

My shirt feels foreign beneath my palm as I rub my chest. I feel different, calmer. Something deep inside me settled the minute I entered her body.

I feel weird. Happy.

Giving a breathy laugh, I reach up for the key and open Shelby’s door.

My smile fades as I remember the way Sam had cried. It’s just new. She’ll get used to it. Used to us.

The spare bedroom is dark and empty.

At least one of the girls can take direction. I roll my eyes.

“Shelby, it’s Kaleb,” I call through the bathroom door.

Raising my hand, I go to knock, but the door flings open, and the petite brunette barrels into my chest. I groan in pain as she clings to me.

Hearing me, she loosens her hold and pulls back enough to look up at me with watery blue eyes.

“Everything’s okay. You’re safe.” I smile, stroking the back of her hair. Pulling her into my chest, I hug her close. Poor girl looks terrified. Remembering her earlier words, I drop a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re okay,” I repeat firmly.

Shelby sniffles. “Are you?” Her hands run over my back as if she’s looking for something. “Are you injured?”

“Nothing a shower and antiseptic won’t cure.”

“What’s going on here?”

At Sam’s sharp words, I spin with Shelby still in my arms. My girl is standing in the doorway, and she looks mad.

Something else settles in my stomach besides my earlier contentment. Samantha’s jealous . . . and I fucking love it.

“Hi, baby.” She flinches at the endearment. “We’re just cuddling. Come join,” I explain, holding my arm out wide.

Sam shakes her head, looking back and forth between her friend and me.

“Come on, Sammy.” Shelby motions with her right hand for Samantha to join us.

Hesitant, slow steps bring her to us, and the three of us stand hugging in the middle of the room.

“We should call the police,” Sam mumbles, her eyes not meeting mine.

“Already did.” Shelby smiles, lifting her left arm and shaking something.

My hand clamps down sharply on her wrist.

“When the fuck did you do that?”

Shelby shrugs, frowning when I glare at her lack of answer.

“Umm, I don’t know. I mean, I was scared. I waited in the bathroom, but I wanted to know what was happening, so I snuck in here to get my phone. I went straight back to the bathroom,” she rushes to tell me, her thumb pointing back to where she had been.

“And then you called the police,” I finish for her.

“No.” She shakes her head. “I text Sam to check that she was okay, but she didn’t answer. I would have called, but I didn’t want to give away her hiding spot,” she rambles.

“And then you called?” I ask.

“And then I called.” She nods. “I’m sorry,” Shelby whispers, confused at my annoyance.

“It’s okay.” I sigh, pulling her back into my chest.

And it is. She was just trying to help. But now I don’t know how long I have to stage a scene, which means I have no time. Someone suspecting I moved things around is one thing, but getting caught is another.

The work I did earlier will have to do.

I use the excuse of comforting Shelby to hug Sam close too. The three of us stand there for a few more seconds before I hear movement downstairs.

I don’t move. Instead, I up the reassurance, making it obvious that I’m here to comfort the girls. After all, I did just save us all from intruders.

“You’re both okay.”

The local sheriff and several officers from Cromwell’s Police Department enter with guns drawn. Seeing us huddled in the middle of the room, they lower their weapons.

“What’s going on, son?” Sheriff McCallister asks, his voice shaking. “We got a call about a home invasion, but downstairs is, is . . .” He struggles for words.

“A fucking massacre,” one of the officers whispers.

I don’t know if it’s his words, the realization of what could have happened, or emotions from what we did in my bedroom, but Sam breaks at his words. Gut-wrenching sobs shake her body.

I pull her so that her face is buried in my chest and kiss the top of her head. Shelby rubs her back before stepping away.

“Where are you going?” Before she can answer, I crouch and order them both, “Arms around my neck and hold on tight.”

Neither lady does as they were told until I wrap an arm around each of them at the top of their thighs and lift them by their legs.

Shelby gives a short scream and flails for a second, then latches on to my neck. Sam grips the back of my shirt and hides her wet face in my neck.

“I’m going to need a medic,” I tell the sheriff.

Sam makes a distressed sound that’s muffled by my skin.

“My feet need the glass removed,” I explain to the cops, but my words are for my girl.

“I need to take you in,” McCallister starts.

“For what?” I raise a brow. “For defending myself and two young women?”

The older man takes his hat off and runs a hand through the graying hair. “They were unarmed, Kaleb. We already looked.”

“They were the weapons,” I snap. “They didn’t break in here to make themselves dinner. They both attacked, and one tried to get upstairs to these.” I motion to the women in my arms.

Shelby’s eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. All the color leaves her face.

I almost feel bad.

“You know what? You should arrest me.” I nod.

“I’d love to see how that plays out in this town.

I took care of the two little pricks terrorizing the town, only to get charged for it.

” I chuckle and move to go past him. “We’ll be at my parents’ cabin if you need anything else, but I suggest you make it sooner rather than later as these two will be going back to bed shortly. ”

He’s full of shit, and he knows it.

Two of the officers at the door scramble out of my way, but the third blocks the doorway, “A man has the right to protect his family.” Stepping aside, he meets my gaze. “They got what they deserved.”

“Officer Kelly, that is enough,” McCallister reprimands.

And it is enough. It proves my point. This town would rally behind me.

I leave them to it and move down the hall. I need to get out of here, settle the girls, and call my parents.

I really am going to be the child who gives my dad a heart attack.

Nearing the top of the stairs, I whisper, “Close your eyes, both of you.” I watch Shelby close hers and feel Sam’s lashes brush my neck. “Good girls. Don’t open them until I tell you.”

The officer at the bottom of the stairs watches as I carry both women down, stepping over the body like it’s just some laundry to be moved later.

“Hand me the car keys please?” I ask another officer, motioning with my chin to where they lay on the coffee table.

The female cop looks behind me, and after a second, she retrieves the keys.

“Hold your right hand out and take the keys. Keep your eyes closed,” I say, my right hand squeezing Shelby’s thigh.

Blindly, she reaches out, taking the keys. I turn to give the sheriff one last look, then leave.

My bare feet sting. The coldness of the concrete feels good, almost soothing. Neighbors are out in their gardens trying to get a good look at what is happening. It’s not every day we have police cars and lights flashing in the middle of the night.

Seeing me, my neighbor Aaron rushes over.

“What happened?”

Ignoring him, I speak to Shelby, “Open your eyes and unlock the car, sweetheart.” Then I nod to the car door. “Open that, please,” I ask Aaron.

Ducking, I gently place Shelby into the car. “Hand me the keys and scooch over,” I urge her, placing Sam on the seat when there’s room.

Climbing into the driver’s seat, I finally answer my neighbor.

“A home invasion. They attacked. I wasn’t supposed to be home.

The girls were supposed to be here house-sitting, alone,” I lie, stressing the last word.

“I don’t know what they were looking for, but they didn’t get it.

” I glance back at the girls, hoping that he would follow my train of thought.

He does.

His eyes widen, and horror and guilt fill his face. “I didn’t hear anything.”

I wouldn’t expect him to. It’s one of the reasons I bought a house on this street. All of the houses are far enough away from each other so that you get privacy. As much as you’re going to get in a small town, anyway.

“It’s not your fault. Besides, I took care of it. They won’t be bothering anyone else.”

Aaron nods, looking back at Shelby and Sam. “Good, that’s good.”

“Listen, I need to get to my parents’ cabin and have my injuries looked at. You take care of yourself and lock your house up tight. This town’s not as safe as it used to be,” I mutter, looking back at my house.

Aaron follows my gaze and harrumphs when he sees the sheriff. “I’ll say.”

I give a wave and pull off, hissing when I press the gas pedal. My feet really do fucking hurt.

“Which one of you is helping me clean and wrap my feet?” I ask.

When I get no answer, I look back through the rearview mirror.

Sam looks away quickly while Shelby’s wide eyes lock with mine.

Denial and shock.

Not having the energy to deal with both right now, I choose shock.

“You heard what I said to Aaron?” I ask Shelby, and the young woman nods. “We stick with that,” I tell her sternly.

“Why?” she whispers.

“Because I don’t feel like going to prison for killing two people.”

Her cheeks flush at my words.

“But you saved us.”

“They were unarmed,” I say, repeating Sheriff McCallister’s words.

“They attacked you?” Shelby argues, but her tone makes it sound like a question.

“They did.” I nod. “And they were coming upstairs. I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen, and I didn’t.”

Shelby’s bottom lip disappears between her teeth, her bright eyes shining with unshed tears. The car stays quiet until I pull up in front of the dark cabin.

“We were house-sitting for you.” Shelby nods.

Good girl.

“I came home early, and we’re lucky I did. Samantha?”

“We were house-sitting,” she agrees, never turning away from the side window.

My chest expands with a heavy sigh. “Both of you stay there. I’ll carry you out.”

“We can walk,” Sam argues.

“You’re both barefoot.”

“So are you.”

Fed up, I turn in my seat. “Samantha, I’m tired and exhausted. Just stay in the car.” My tone is sharp enough that her eyes snap to mine. She quickly looks away.

Fuck.

I climb out of the car and brush off her attitude. It doesn’t matter how bratty she gets. It won’t take back what we did. Grinning, I open the back door.