Page 166 of Kiss of Deceit

Silence fell over the room as I kept her stare. We’d danced around this topic so many times, and it always ended like this. She had suspicions that my victim list was far longer than three people—and she was right. Something I wouldneveradmit. Those other murder cases were still open, and if I was ever tied to them, I’d never see the light of day again.

She sighed. “The point I’m making is…I didn’t think you were capable of such deep feelings, like the ones you clearly have for Kole. You spend every moment with him you can. You two seem genuinely happy to do anything as long as you’re together.”

My stomach knotted as I kept a pleasant look on my face. Leo’s words echoed in my head for the first time in weeks. He hadn’t believed I was capable of love either. He was wrong. I was nothing like him. Though, I couldn’t blame Susan for speculating. If I were in her shoes, I would most likely do the same.

“I’m reevaluating your case at the end of the month,” she informed me. “In my statement, I will be giving my professional opinion that you arenota danger to society. It doesn’t mean you can leave Winterlake anytime soon, but I do not think you’ll be here for the ten years that was first agreed upon.”

My pulse thrashed as I listened to her. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I need you to tell me that you think I’m making the right decision.”

She wasn’t doing this because she was second-guessing her choice. She wanted to gauge my reaction—and my words—face to face. She believed she could tell when I was lying.

“I’m happy,” I told her quietly. “If I leave Winterlake, I plan to continue this kind of work.”

“What do you want out of life, Dani?”

I thought about it for a few long seconds before answering. “I already have it. I love the work I do. And Kole? He’s my everything. I don’t care what happens in life as long as I have him.”

“That is the one thing that worries me.” She clasped her hands together. “What happens if you two don’t stay together?”

I frowned, not liking where she was taking the conversation. “We will.”

“But what if you don’t?” she pressed. “Would you be able to handle life without him?”

“I can handle anything,” I replied, kicking myself when I realized how curt my answer was. She was studying my behavior, and if I failed, then her statement about my future could change. I blew out a steadying breath. “What Kole and I have is a forever thing. It doesn’t matter where we’re living or what we’re doing. We’ll always be together. But if something happened with us, then I would learn how to cope. I’d be fine.”

Would I be fine? I wasn’t sure. In the last two years, I’d fallen so fucking deeply in love with Kole, I couldn’t imagine life without him. Would I spiral without him? Go back to my old ways? I didn’t know. I was living life for right now, and I was happy.

Susan continued to stare at me, her face unreadable. I reached for my coffee on the small table, and took the last sip, waiting for her to speak.

“I think you will do well when you go back to society,” she finally said, picking her notepad back up. “I can also help you get interviews for jobs when that time comes.”

“Thank you,” I told her, and sincerely meant it. This was a conversation I never thought I’d have with her. When I first started seeing her after everything happened, I was sure she would never trust me. Maybe I had changed more than I realized.

“I’ll see you next week,” she said, checking her watch. “Have a good weekend.”

“You too.” I stood up, tossing my empty coffee cup in the trash before leaving the small room. It was in the back of the clinic, and I entered the main hall, getting greeted by the few who were working today. My mind was still racing with what Susan had said as I pushed open the door.

I sucked in a breath of the fresh winter air, zipping up my jacket. Fresh snow still covered the sidewalk, and I took one step before Kole’s voice cut through the wind.

“Leaving without me?”

I spun around to see him leaning against the brick wall, his lips quirking up when I met his eyes.

I couldn’t help but smile back. This man always made me happy. Just being around him comforted me in a way I couldn’t explain. “What are you doing up so early? I was going to bring you coffee.”

“The bed was lonely without you.”

I giggled. “How long have you been waiting out here? It’s freezing.”

“I need a reason to meet you?” He pushed off the wall, wrapping his arms around me and giving me a kiss. “I missed you.”

My stomach fluttered. “Want to get coffee?”

He nodded. “Then I’m just going to stop at the bar when it opens. Want to come?”

“I thought you had the day off?”