Page 159 of Capturing You

Leo Taggart had murdered his family.

Now, Forbes’s fingers were curled over his knees, the knuckles white. His head was bowed.

She settled on the chair beside him and slid her hand over his. “You okay?”

“I knew it.” He flipped his hand and gripped hers, holding it solidly as if pulling in strength. “I knew…I don’t know how I knew. Maybe I’d heard his voice before and seen him in uniform. But I knew the police were involved.” When Forbes looked up, she expected to see sadness or grief or even anger.

But it was steely determination.

“Get your things.” He stood and tugged her to her feet. “We’re leaving.”

“Wait. What? Where are?—?”

“You’re going to Jon’s. We’ll call whoever he says we should call. Someone at the state police, someone at the FBI. Both. I don’t care. But I’m getting you out of here.”

“Forbes, we need to stay together.”

“No.”

His cold, emotionless answer had her stepping back, wincing at the pain in her ankle.

“Sorry.” He squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, a flicker of worry creased the corners. “I can’t lose you too. I need to make sure you’re safe. Nothing else matters. Get your things, or I’ll get them.”

“I don’t have a choice?”

“No.”

She stared at him, trying to figure out what she could say to convince him to change his mind.

But…but all her reasons for staying in Shadow Cove seemed less than relevant now. The gallery. The photography contest. Old Home Days.

Was any of that worth risking her life?

It was time to face facts.

The chief of police was a murderer. And if he knew that she knew his secrets, he’d kill her.

The problem was, her gallery and the contest weren’t why she was still at Forbes’s house.Hewas why she was still here. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want to lose him.

“I think?—”

“This is not a debate, Brooklynn. We’re leaving, and that’s that.”

“I was going to say, I think you’re right. We should go. It’s time to turn it all over to the authorities. There’s no reason for either of us to risk our lives for this.”

His brows lowered. “It’s different. They were my family.”

“I know that. I also know your parents and Rosie wouldn’t want you to sacrifice yourself. I know they would want you to live a full and complete andlonglife. Let’s turn all this evidence over and let the professionals handle it.”

“I’m not…”

Her phone dinged with a text. She didn’t look, just gave him space to finish his sentence. But he didn’t.

After a moment, she checked the screen, then pressed the number Jon had texted, putting the call on speaker.

“What are you doing?” The old Forbes was back—demanding tone, suspicious nature. But now she knew the kindhearted man beneath. He didn’t scare her.

“I’m calling the police.”