Page 9 of Endure the Pain

The door opened and first to walk in was Stefan, followed by Adam, then the detectives.

Stefan’s eyes locked with mine as he made his way over to me. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“I’m sore, but I just took my meds,” I replied.

Stefan positioned himself next to my bed and Adam stood next to him. Jamie had made his way to stand on the other side of the bed. Dean and Asher stood silently by the couch. Detectives Cameron and Brooks strolled through my room to stand at the foot of my bed. Them being here felt like a major invasion of my personal space.

Cameron and Brooks eyed the men around the room. “Is the crowd really necessary?” Cameron asked. “We’re only here to ask her a few more questions.”

“Harass her, you mean,” Jamie quipped.

Adam sighed. “Detective, I think you should get on with the questions you came here for.”

This sucks,I thought and shifted my tangled braid off my shoulder, which reminded me that I was in desperate need of a shower. My hair was visibly dirty. It was why I had braided it this morning with the intent of taking a shower later.

“Do you know a Christina Barker?” Cameron questioned.

Well, shit.I knew where this was going. “Tina’s a friend from college. Why?”

He ignored my question“When was the last time you spoke toTina?”

I pretended to really think about it. “A month and a half ago. We had lunch to catch up.”

Cameron made a note in his little notebook. “Did you know she and Tom were having an affair?”

I reeled back, feigning shock. “What are you talking about?”

“Answer the question, Miss Quinn,” Cameron ordered firmly.

“No. I did not.”

“Tina was reported missing around the same time Tom went missing. That’s a pretty big coincidence, don’t you think?” he asked, but I knew it was rhetorical.

“What exactly are you implying, Detective?” I asked, knowing he was tiptoeing around why he was really here.

His eyes filled with disdain. “I don’t think Tom Morris and Christina Barker are missing. I’m pretty sure they’re dead.”

This time I didn’t put forth the effort in pretending to be shocked. What was the point? I tilted my head slightly, my eyes narrowing. “Let me guess, you think I killed them?” I’d underestimated Detective Cameron. A mistake I’d never make again.

Cameron closed his notebook and stuffed it in his pocket. “I think you’re a very smart woman despite what you’ve portrayed so far.”

I was sensing abutcoming.

“But I think you’re as good of a liar as your father and everything you’ve told us up until now is bullshit. You knew Tom and Tina were having an affair and either you killed them or you had Daddy whack them for you, then burned down your townhouse to cover it up.” His eyes flicked to Jamie, then Stefan, both of whom held blank masks.

Adam stepped closer. He was a short man with a balding head who didn’t look at all intimidating, but according to Jamie, Adam was a badass lawyer. “That’s clearly speculation, Detective. You wouldn’t be using the words ‘I think’if you had any actual evidence to back those accusations.”

Cameron’s expression hardened and he and Adam began arguing, throwing threats and legal jargon that I didn’t understand at each other.

I glanced at Detective Brooks, who had been quiet the entire time, letting Cameron take the lead. His eyes were roaming around my room as if he were absorbing every little detail.Strange.Sensing me staring, his gaze shot to me. I saw the small flicker of surprise in his eyes before he drew them away to give his full attention to his partner and Adam. I could tell he was straining not to look back at me and it wasn’t long before he suggested that they leave. Cameron agreed and Adam and Stefan escorted them out the door.

Taking a seat next to me, Jamie cupped the back of my neck and softly pressed his lips to my forehead. “You okay?”

Dean and Asher took that as their cue to leave and they darted for the door.

I shrugged. “He’s a good cop. It’s annoying.”

The corner of Jamie’s mouth lifted. “He’s a pain in the ass, but he won’t find anything to pin on you.”