Page 30 of Ink and Ashes

Holland

T he dread I felt all through dinner continues to bubble in the air as Colson drives down Grove Street in the direction of The Scarlet.

He took me to Marydale’s Diner and bought me a meal, and though we didn’t talk much while we ate, the silence sizzled with tension—a mix of the obvious attraction we feel for each other and the weight of the target on my back.

When I was waiting to be picked up from Jimmy’s Garage, the fact that today is day fifteen dawned on me.

I’d been reminding myself of that through my research all day, waiting to hear about the next fire.

But it wasn’t until I was alone and had a moment to think that I realized that was fire number ten.

Clearly, that fact was enough to convince Colson too. Coupled with the new email I got, I think we both finally realized how serious this is.

I appreciated that he didn’t push me to talk while we ate.

The severity of everything is hitting me hard, and though I know I’ll need to fill him in on everything soon, I’m not ready to do it quite yet.

His belief in my investigation is brand new, and while I do think he has good intentions now, it’s going to take me a minute to trust him back.

A few minutes later, he pulls into the parking lot of the inn and shifts his truck to park. He keeps his eyes trained on the red-roofed building, his shoulders tight.

I break the silence first.

“So, uh, thanks. For picking me up and buying me dinner. I guess…I’ll see you later?”

He turns to look at me, the question hanging between us.

Colson’s lips don’t move. He stiffly jerks his head, then I exit the vehicle. I round the front of his truck, not sparing a glance back at him—no matter how bad I may want to.

As I make it to the front door of the inn, a door slamming shut sounds behind me, followed by Colson’s rough voice calling my name.

“Holland, wait up.”

I spin around to find him jogging to catch up to me on the stairs.

My shoulders fall. “Look, Colson, can we not do this right now? I’m exhausted?—”

“You aren’t safe here,” he interrupts.

My brows furrow. “What are you?—”

“You have a target on you, and I don’t trust that whoever’s behind all this isn’t going to come after you again.” Colson walks the three steps up to where I stand, forcing me to crane my neck to meet his gaze.

Then he says four words that shock me to my core.

“Come home with me.”

My jaw falls open as I stare up at the big, surly man—the one who has spent the past five weeks denying my opinion at every turn—in absolute disbelief.

Did he seriously just ask me to come home with him?

“I beg your pardon?” I say, eyes wide. Surely I didn’t hear him right, because there’s no way in hell I’m going home with this guy.

No matter how attracted to him I may be, he’s reminded me plenty that I still don’t know him, and in the state of vulnerability I’m in, nothing good would come from that.

“I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone,” he says, and I continue to stare.

“I don’t feel comfortable going home with someone who essentially amounts to a stranger. I can take care of myself.” I cross my arms over my chest. “And I’m not alone. Mary and Emmett are here.”

“Believe me, I know you can,” he mutters, running a hand through his short, tousled hair. “What about when they go back to their place tonight, though? I know they’re right next door, but?—”

I shake my head, cutting him off. “It’s not happening.

First of all, I barely know you. You say you believe me now, but for the past few weeks you’ve been nothing but an ass to me.

I appreciate that you’re putting effort in now, but I can’t just flip a switch and trust that.

And I’m pretty sure your girlfriend wouldn’t be too happy about another woman under your roo?—”

“What girlfriend?” he cuts me off to ask.

My brows pull together. “The picture on your bedside table at the station. I figured she was your girlfriend.”

His eyes flash with an emotion I can’t place before his features harden again. “She’s not.”

“Sorry. I just assumed.” I swallow, waiting for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. So I continue, “Either way, I’m still not going home with you. I’ve been alone for a long time, taking care of myself. If you’re really that concerned, you can book a room here. But I’m not leaving.”

Colson’s brows furrow as a low growl rumbles from his chest. “Fine.”

With that, he turns and walks back to his truck. I stand there frozen, watching as he pulls out of the lot without a single glance back at me.

What the hell was that?

I watch him drive off before forcing my feet to move, carrying me up the rest of the stairs and through the front door.

Mary is waiting at the desk, a look of worry filling her features the moment she sees me. “Oh, Holland. Cassidy called us a while ago and let us know what happened. Are you okay?”

I gulp, trying to keep the tears at bay.

I’ve been involved in plenty of dangerous cases—usually people involved in politics who have money to buy others off. I’ve received my fair share of threats throughout my years on the job, but something about all this makes me feel so much more…exposed. Unprotected. Endangered.

And the idea of being caught in a fire scares the absolute daylights out of me.

“I’m fine,” I rasp. “Just shaken up. I wasn’t nearby when it happened, so I’m just a little freaked, knowing someone intentionally tampered with my car.”

And that if I don’t stop, chances are good I’m next . But I don’t say that out loud.

She rounds the desk, taking my hand in hers. “Understandable. Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Thank you, Mary. Me too.” I swallow roughly. “Jimmy doesn’t know if the fire was started on purpose, but with everything going on lately…” I trail off, letting her fill in the rest.

“It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“I think so.”

She hums. “They haven’t caught the person responsible?”

I shake my head.

“I hope they catch the bugger soon, whoever they are.”

I smile, but it’s fake. Me too.

“Come on in, let me make you some tea,” she says, gesturing toward the dining room.

But I shake my head. “I’m okay, really. I kind of just want to go lie down.”

Mary tilts her head down. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” I tell her. “Thank you, Mary. I’ll see you for breakfast in the morning?”

“Of course, Holland.”

Then I turn and head inside my room, finally letting the tears fall.

I’ve only been back at the inn for half an hour before I hear that raspy voice I’ve come to recognize so well—the same one that causes a chill to rush up my spine and goosebumps to rise on my flesh.

How is it that his voice alone has this effect on me? He’s been nothing but a dick to me since I arrived, yet at the first sign of kindness from him, my traitorous body changes its tune. I’ve never denied my attraction to him, but my hatred toward him has always outweighed that. At least it did.

But today, I saw a side of Colson I haven’t been privy to so far.

A side that was soft, kind, and protective.

A side that literally asked me to move in with him, even though he doesn’t know anything about me—even though we don’t know much at all about each other.

And I’m not too sure what to do with that information.

I have a feeling he didn’t mean it. He probably just feels guilty for being such an ass since I arrived, even though with each day that passes it’s looking more and more like I’m right.

I’m sure his offer to have me stay with him was his way of apologizing for not believing me until I was put in a dangerous situation—one involving fire, no less.

We all know he has a hard-on for anything involving a blaze.

Confused as to what he’s doing back here, I place my laptop on the bed beside me and stand, making my way to the door. Pressing my ear to it, I try my damnedest to hear what he’s saying, but it’s muffled, as if he’s speaking lower than usual.

Quietly, I crack the door open to let the voices filter in.

“—in case anything else happens,” are the first words I hear him say.

“Emmett and I are going to stay here tonight, so she won’t be alone,” Mary’s soft voice returns. My heart cracks knowing they’re planning to stay so they’re nearby in case something happens.

“Great. We can all be close then,” Colson argues, and my brows pull together .

Mary hums softly, and even though I can’t see them, I’m certain she’s assessing him. She must approve of whatever she finds though, because a moment later she says, “Okay, Colson. Room two is yours. Don’t make me regret this.”

My eyes widen and I gasp—louder than I intended to.

Hold your breath. With any luck, he didn’t hear ? —

“You eavesdropping on me, Rhodes?” comes trickling in from the lobby, and I let my forehead fall against the door.

Damn it .

Giving up the safety of my room, I open it wider, revealing myself. Colson smirks back at me with a duffel bag hung over his shoulder. But the thing that really stands out is the way his eyes scan my body.

I’d changed into a pair of emerald green— just like his eyes —silk pajama shorts and matching button-up top when I got back, and I’d completely forgotten just how little I was wearing until just now. Not that the outfit is revealing, but under Colson’s watchful gaze, I feel stripped bare.

I cross my arms over my chest. “What are you doing back?”

He takes a few slow steps in my direction. “Booking a room.”

My jaw falls slack, and Colson chuckles.

“Imagine that. Holland Rhodes, speechless.”

I close my mouth, pouting. “I don’t…” I trail off, confused as all hell. “Why are you booking a room?”

Colson shrugs, standing less than a foot away from me. His scent invades me, that pine and smoky mixture clouding every one of my senses. “You told me to.”

I shake my head. “What? No, I—” I cut myself off when I remember what I told him when he dropped me off, after he tried to get me to go to his place.

If you’re really that concerned, book a room here.

That smirk grows as he watches understanding dawn on me.

“I didn’t mean that.”

Colson shrugs. “Too bad. I did it anyway.”

My confusion around this man only grows. “But…why?”

“I told you earlier—I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone. Now you won’t be.”

My jaw hangs open in utter disbelief. I want to argue with him about this, tell him it’s unnecessary, but every word I’ve ever known escapes me as we stand in the hallway staring at each other.

What the hell is happening?

Colson smirks at me before he takes another step closer, his voice low as he says, “Have a good night, Rhodes.” He turns toward the door directly across the hall from mine and pushes it open before looking back to me. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”

The door clicks shut behind him.