Page 154 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

They could trust him. Maybe that realization, that divine course correction, was worth everything they had gone through?

Jules pulled her hand out from under his. “Would you mind if we made a quick stop?”

His skin suddenly cold where it had been touching hers, Dante returned his hand to the wheel. “Sure. What do you need?”

“I want to pick up a new phone. I have to get back into my group chat with Brie and Kelli and set up my social media accounts again. I can do it later if you don’t want to take the time, though.”

“No, it’s fine. There’s a mall coming up. We can pop in for a few minutes. Maybe treat ourselves to a milkshake or something to celebrate.”

“Sounds good.” The smile she flashed him made everythinghemight have gone through the last few days worth it.

A few exits later, Dante pulled off the highway and into a mall parking lot. After Jules had picked out her new phone, they grabbed milkshakes and giant, still-warm chocolate chip cookies and sat at a table in the food court. She took out the burner phone he had given her, called up her contact list, and deleted her friends’ and her mother’s numbers. Then she did the same with a text conversation that he would have given an awful lot of money to read, given how pink her cheeks were when she sent him a furtive look before erasing it.

When she finished, she slid the phone across the table to him.

Dante picked up the device, warm from her touch, and dropped it into his shirt pocket. Jules unpacked her new phone and programmed in her mother’s, Kelli’s, and Brie’s phone numbers before messaging her friends the good news.

Dante swiped cookie crumbs from his fingers and then held out his hand. “Here.” Jules handed over the phone, and he entered in his personal number. “In case you ever need a sketch artist to help you visualize anything. Or, you know, a friend.”

Her eyes probed his a moment before a smile crossed her lips. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They finished their celebratory snacks and then took their time wandering along the mall, laughing as they tried on hats and sunglasses and took advantage of the sketchy massage chairs in the wide hallway running between stores. Jules was practically giddy. Clearly, a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and Dante could barely tear his eyes from her.

Finally, they returned to the car and hit the road again, heading for the city. As there was no reason for her to go to the station now, Dante took her home. A wave of sadness hit him when he signaled and pulled his vehicle into her driveway. As happy as he was that her ordeal was over, it did mean that he had no more excuse to see her.

Her hand on the door latch, Jules turned a little to face him. “Thank you, Dante. For everything. I mean it.”

A bit numbly, he nodded. “I was happy to do it, Jules. Honestly. And hey”—summoning all his courage, he reached for her hand—“I mean it. Call me anytime if you need anything or for… any reason.”

Jules squeezed his fingers. “I will.” After a brief hesitation, she added, “Take care, Frat Boy.”

He snorted a laugh before letting her go. “You too.”

Jules shouldered open the door and climbed out. Although he tried not to, even though he knew her neighbor was likely watching him do it, Dante kept his gaze fixed on her as she made her way up the walk, unlocked her door, and disappeared inside without a backward glance.

Well, that’s that.The uneasiness in his gut, the one he’d wrestled with as she had walked out of the interrogation room the night of the murder, didn’t make any sense. The guy was in custody, which meant that she was safe. Right?

Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he backed out of the driveway and lifted a hand in the direction of the house across the street. Then he headed to the station to see the cold-blooded murderer for himself and ensure that he could keep his promise to Jules that the man would never again see the light of day.

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

Jules wasdesperate to get to the hospital. Every time she thought about that cold-blooded murderer being in her mother’s room, touching her even if his hands were gloved, Jules’ blood ran cold. Although she hadn’t heard otherwise from the hospital, she still needed to see for herself that her mom was okay.

The smell of chlorine drifted from her hair and skin, so she took a quick shower before changing into black dress pants and a pale green blouse that her mother had always told her brought out the color in her eyes.

Grabbing her bag, she stepped out onto the porch and, while sticking the key into the lock and turning it, made a mental note to stop at a hardware store to pick up a deadbolt. Even if this threat had been neutralized, it wouldn’t hurt to take precautions.

Although she tried desperately to rein them in as she walked to her car, her thoughts insisted on returning again and again to Dante. Absentmindedly, she slid behind the wheel and leaned forward to insert the key. Air whooshed through the vents, directed at the front windshield. Odd, since she usually turned off the fan before she left the vehicle. No doubt she’d been distracted the last time, with everything going on.

As she waited for the air to cool, Jules checked the messages on her phone. As expected, a litany of texts from Kelli and Brie. The car had started to feel comfortable, so before responding to their messages, she reached for the knob to turn down the fan. And let out a sharp cry. Inches from her eyes, words were scrawled in the condensation covering the windshield.

I am coming for you.

Shock jolting through her, Jules yanked on the knobs to turn off the noise and blasting air so she could think. Almost immediately, the letters disintegrated at the edges, fading rapidly until she was staring at clear glass.

He’s in jail. He’s in jail. He’s in jail. Despite the frantic reminder scrolling on repeat in her mind, her heart thumped a wild, unstable beat. Knuckles rapped against her window, and she jumped, only managing to avoid crying out again by clamping her lips together as she rolled it down. “Hey, Scott.”