Page 113 of Kiss of Deceit

I shook my head. “Not my call. I just tell them what’s happening in town.”

“You’re a snitch,” she stated, meeting my gaze. “If the locals find out…it wouldn’t end well for you. Some might be here for a fresh start. But others? They’ve been in the life so long, they wouldn’t be able to ignore it.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You sure know a lot about how criminals and prison works.”

“It was what I went to school for.” She nodded toward the photos on the wall. “Were you asked to investigate on your own?”

She straightened up when I crossed the room, halting right in front of her. She lifted her chin, her stare turning hard when I leaned down, resting my palms on the armrests of the chair.

“I’m investigating on my own,” I informed her, “because the bastard is coming after you.”

Her eyes widened slightly at my admission. “So many words, Kole. But I still don’t know if I can believe it all.”

“I’ll give you my password. Search the laptop all you want. Look at my notes. My emails to Sean and the team. It’s all there.”

“And you trust me to keep this to myself?”

“Yes, I’m trusting you.” I cocked my head. “Just like I’m trusting you to not attack me again when I know you slipped outof my belt five minutes ago.” A spark of amusement hit her eye, making me grin. She kept my stare, bringing her arms in front of her and rubbing her wrists. I straightened back up, giving her space to stand. “I have one more thing to show you.”

I walked to the back of the small room, stepping on one specific tile. It popped slightly, and I crouched down. The trap door had a small latch, and I grabbed it, pulling it open.

“If you think I’m following you down there, you’re insane,” she said from behind me.

“It’s a gym. Small, but has everything you need.” I turned to face her. “Use it whenever you want.”

“Just because you bested me doesn’t mean I can’t fight.” Her tone was defensive, and she crossed her arms.

“You told me about your training, but I was right. You’re out of practice. The killer isn’t finished, and I want you to be ready in case he comes after you again. How long since you’ve trained?”

“A few years.”

“A few years,” I repeated, studying her. “That seems to be your answer for everything. Since you’ve had your favorite ice cream. Since you’ve had sex. What happened a few years ago, Dani?”

Her face turned to stone, and I realized I’d pushed my luck too far. Before she could respond, there was a small ringing. She jolted, her head whipping toward the desk to the house phone.

“It’s the same line as the one upstairs,” I told her as I moved to answer it. “Can’t miss calls if I’m in here.”

I answered by hitting the speakerphone button to let her listen. “Yeah?”

“Kole,” Harry’s frantic voice came over the phone. “Why the hell aren’t you at the bar? You need to get over here now. Bring Dani. Fuck this is bad?—”

My heart stilled. “What happened.”

“Two bodies were just found. Stabbed like the others. The killer left another message.”

I raised my eyes to meet Dani’s. “Where?”

“Right in front of the café. Hallie is beside herself. She was staying late to stock and found the scene when she left to go home.”

Dani whirled around, rushing out of the room. I hung up on Harry, following her. Even with everything going on, I couldn’t help but notice one thing. She had her back to me as she grabbed her jacket from the barstool. It was a sliver of trust.

I needed to trust her not to spill my secret. Because she was right earlier. If certain people found out what I was really doing here, they’d take pleasure in making sure I suffered. I wasn’t a regular local, but I didn’t have protection. Sean might care for me, but his friends? The ones running this—they didn’t. To them, I was nothing but a felon working off my debt to society, even if I was helping.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

dani

“It was horrible.All the blood. I thought I was next,” Hallie sobbed, clutching me so tightly I was having trouble taking a deep breath. I patted her back as she cried into the crook of my shoulder. My eyes swept over the growing crowd as Harry and Susan stood next to the bodies, having a quiet conversation.