Page 10 of The Sole Suspect
“So,” Penny ventured, “what do you think? Is Blake behind the vandalism?”
I frowned, considering. “I don’t know. He’s definitely hiding something, but...”
“But?”
“But I’m not sure it’s as simple as him being the bad guy,” I admitted. “And then there’s Dominic...”
We started walking, no particular destination in mind. The late midday sun cast long shadows across the street, the air heavy with the promise of an approaching storm.
The memory of Blake gripping Dominic’s shoulder flashed through my mind, his fingers digging in with unmistakablepossession. The image burned into my memory. My stomach twisted into knots. Alpha-alpha couples weren’t exactly rare these days. Penny had two alpha moms who’d been happily married for decades. Hell, I was descended from two alpha brothers who’d elected to share their omega.
Oh God, Had I... had I slept with someone else’s man?
A car horn blared outside, jolting me from my spiral of guilt. There’d been no ring, no indication he belonged to someone else. But still... the acid taste of uncertainty coated my tongue.
Penny nudged me gently. “Want to talk about it?”
I sighed, the weight of everything pressing down on me. “I just... I don’t know what to think anymore. Every time I think I have Dominic figured out, he surprises me. And not always in a good way.”
“You still have feelings for him,” Penny said softly. It wasn’t a question.
I nodded, unable to deny it. “But I can’t trust him. And now, with him working with Blake...”
“It complicates things,” Penny finished for me.
“Exactly.” We walked in silence for a moment before I continued, “And then there’s this whole mess with the vandalism and the threats. It feels like it’s all connected somehow, but I can’t see the full picture.”
Penny hummed thoughtfully. “Well, we know more now than we did this morning. That’s progress, right?”
I managed a small smile. “I suppose so. Thanks for coming with me today. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He grinned, linking his arm through mine. “Crash and burn, obviously. Now, what’s our next move, Sherlock?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
I truly didn’t know anymore.
CHAPTER FOUR
It was early in the evening, but darkness descended on Millcrest’s Historical District as I approached Cobblers’ Corner. Storm clouds gathered above, dark and brooding like my thoughts. The day’s events churned in my mind, a whirlwind of suspicions and unanswered questions. The scent of wet pavement drifted on the breeze, promising rain.
Dinner with Penny at Vintage Vogue had done little to settle my nerves. His attempts to interrogate me about my night with Dominic two months ago only stirred up memories I’d fought hard to suppress. The pad thai had gone cold while we talked, forgotten among the scattered take-out containers between his collection of antique dress forms.
“Come on, Leo.” Penny had pressed as he scooted forward in his chair, his pink hair catching the glow of the vintage chandelier above. “Spill the juicy details. Was he as good as he looks?”
My chopsticks clattered against the plate. The image of Blake’s hand on Dominic’s shoulder flashed through my mind, possessive and intimate. My stomach twisted. “It shouldn’t have happened. Not with everything going on, and especially not if…”
If he and Blake were together. The words stuck in my throat.
“I need to forget it ever happened.”
But even as I’d spoken, my traitorous body remembered—the heat of Dominic’s skin against mine, the intensity of his silver gaze as he’d pressed me against my kitchen counter, the way he’d made me feel cherished and desired. The truth was far more complicated than a simple mistake. I’d given myself to an alpha who might be playing both sides—and to make matters even worse, he might belong to someone else.
I shook my head, willing the thoughts away as I approached my shop. The key slid into the lock with a familiar click, the sound echoing in the quiet street. The Historical District had closed up for the night, leaving only the soft glow of streetlamps to illuminate the cobblestone sidewalks.
As I pushed open the door, the pleasant scent of leather and polish enveloped me. I flicked on the lights, casting a warm glow over the shelves lined with shoes waiting to be repaired or sold. My gaze fell on the front window. Its pristine surface bore no trace of that night two months ago when a brick had shattered more than just glass.
The threatening note, with its jagged red letters, still burned in my memory. How did it connect to the vandalized campaign posters? To Blake Harrington’s sudden interest in Millcrest politics? To Dominic’s disappearance and then reappearance in my life?