Page 103 of Love Me in the Dark

Bracing his forearms on the desk, Derek leaned forward and looked me right in the eye. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

“That can be arranged.” Quite easily actually.

I could shoot him right here and dump his body off the cliffs, and no one would bat an eye. That was the difference between him and I. Honor brought pain, fear brought obedience.

“Go ahead.” He dared me. “Riley will never agree to this.”

“Oh, I think she will.”

“She can’t be bought.”

“Maybe not, but she can be broken.” As he well knew. “You see, I’ve done my research on your daughter. She’s a real chip off the old block. I’m willing to bet that she’ll do just about anything to protect the people she cares about.”

He shook his head. “It’ll never work.”

“You underestimate me, Derek. I got you to sell me your only daughter, didn’t I?”

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Derek lunged over the desk and I didn’t flinch. I knew Marco was quicker. His foot flew through the air, kicking the sheriff in the side and knocking him away from me.

Derek landed on the floor with a loud thud, and a cough. Almost immediately his eyes landed on the closed door. He probably thought one of his men would come busting in and back him up. But I owned every cop out there. We would have no interruptions.

I waved at Marco, “Get him up here.”

A second later Marco had the sheriff’s cheek slammed against the desk.

Derek huffed out a snicker. “If you kill me you won’t have anyone left to threaten Riley with.”

Oh, how wrong he was.

“Does the name Chase Mathers mean anything to you?”

“Good luck getting to Chase.” He snorted.

“Oh, I don’t need to get to Chase. I just need to let his brother know he’s alive.” I tilted my head down so I could look him in the eyes. “He killed your sister didn’t he? I wonder what he’d do to your daughter?”

I could hear his teeth grind when he hissed, “what makes you think I won’t tell Chase about your little plan?”

That would be a fair question for anyone who didn’t know how the sheriff felt about his brother in-law.

“Because Derek, you’ve considered contacting Cory Mathers yourself.”

I was willing to bet my distinguished reputation that Riley didn’t know about that. I was fairly sure that she had no idea who Chase was before he came to Ashen Springs. I don’t think she even knew he was her uncle. Derek cut all contact when his sister married Chase.

I didn’t judge him for his need for revenge. In fact I was waiting for him to do it. One call and all of Derek Adam’s precious morals would be gone. Chase had nothing to do with his sister’s death. From everything I’d found out I’d say he genuinely loved her. But he was just as guilty in Derek’s eyes.

“I won’t help you.”

Stubborn bastard wasn’t getting it. “Maybe not willingly Derek, but you will help.”

I sat back and tipped my head at a picture on his desk that had fallen over. It was of his daughter and another girl. A blonde that looked very familiar.

My breath hitched the instant I picked up the photograph. I’d recognize that smile anywhere. It was like I was staring into the past. Aside from the eye color, this girl was the spitting image of the one I met years ago.

“Who is this?” I asked Derek while pointing at the blonde.

“Go fuck yourself.”

Marco answered him a hard punch in the gut. “Answer the question.”