Page 19 of Severed By Vengeance

Lex was in her car.

“Tell me everything! How hot? On a scale of one to fuck him ten ways to Sunday.”

“Eat off his abs type hot. Six foot three or four, a mountain of muscle hot.”

“Oh, hell. What else?”

“Kissable lips and tattoos covering every inch of him—except his face, of course.”

She snorted a laugh. “Hot. And Franco is going to die! But keep going.”

“And those too-long lashes men aren’t supposed to have. But his eyes, Lex. So bright blue, I swear they look like diamonds.”

“And based on where he lives, he’s loaded. Damn, Derek sounds like a cocky son of a bitch.”

“I won’t deny that he knows he’s good-looking. But his confidence only enhances his sex appeal that much more. There’s more to him, Lex. There’s justsomethingthere that draws me in.”

It was clear Derek’s past was still very much a part of him. There was a vortex of emotions and experiences reflected in those arctic eyes. Secrets. Mystery. And maybe a little darkness.

That last thought sent a chill up my spine. My years of reading people made me aware of the edge he carried like a second skin. I wanted to delve deeper into his world, past, and everything that made him tick. I was fascinated because, despite my anger and disillusion from the information I learned, my love for James remained unchanged. And Derek was all I had left of him.

Maybe Alexa was right. Maybe meeting him was fate. Was I foolish enough to believe such a thing existed? Especially with the heartaches, trauma, and losses I’d endured?

Probably.

Lex’s interrogation lasted another fifteen minutes until the end of her lunch break. She reluctantly hung up, and I remained sprawled over the couch, staring at my white, vaulted ceiling.

As the adrenaline of the day’s events wound down, I felt the fog of heavy sleep on my eyelids and made a mental note to text Sam later to call off the fingerprint investigation.

I closed my eyes and exhaled a weary breath, finally coming down from the high of meeting Derek. It was easier to think with my brain now and not my lady parts.

But with rational thought came new concerns. There was one thing I was sure of: James had led a double life all these years, one where he was involved with some of our city’s most ruthless criminals. It shook my core to even venture a thought into what all that entailed. How deep were the connections? How dirty were his hands? And how much did my father know? I wasn’t naive enough to think that because Derek hadn’t found anything, it meant his past was clean.

Maybe I was partly to blame for turning a blind eye to my father’s lies and inconsistencies, but perhaps it was time I dug a little deeper. The question was, what would I do with the information if I found it?

I must have unknowingly dozed off on the couch because I was jolted awake by a loud pounding on my front door, coupled with the frantic ringing of the doorbell. Sunlight no longer poured in through the windows.

What the hell?

Adrenaline surged as I jumped to my feet and pulled up the doorbell app on my phone.

Fiery red hair shot out of the hood of a black sweatshirt, her face obscured.

Rayne.

The girl’s hair was unmistakable.

My hurried footfalls nearly fell in sync with the rhythm of her wild fists on my door. I ripped it open, and the girl tumbled inside, dropping on hands and knees.

“No… no… no!” she stammered breathlessly, dragging herself across the hardwood.

“Rayne!” She took off running down the long entryway and turned a corner before I could catch up.

My voice was soft as I called out for her again, searching the dark living room for wherever she could have hidden.

At twenty-one years old, Rayne had seen and experienced more things than anyone her age should. She’d been my informant for the last four months, initially arrested for drugs and prostitution. I’d gained her trust, and she’d been a big help in capturing a notorious pimp who’d strangled and murdered five girls over the last two years.

The toes of her white, dirty combat boots stuck out from beside a sofa. Rayne had her knees pulled to her chest, arms around her calves, and her head buried between her legs. Quiet sobs shook her shoulders, and I gave her a moment, rubbing circles on her arm. I suddenly felt like shit. Having been so caught up with personal problems, I’d abandoned her. Didn’t even know she was missing until this morning. I should have kept in touch and watched out for her like I’d promised.