Page 13 of The Sole Suspect
“There’s a larger plan at work here,” he said, his posture relaxing as though releasing a heavy burden. “Even with Holloway gone, there are people who see Millcrest as nothing more than a potential goldmine. The election between Adelaide and Blake? It’s just the surface. Holloway’s associates want to tear downthe Historical District, replace it with high-end shops and luxury apartments. The others have the same scheme in mind, but with different players.”
My heart raced. “And your company? Are they part of this plan?”
Dominic hesitated, and in that moment, I knew he was still holding back. “It’s not that simple, Leo. I’m trying to work from the inside, like Jake did with Holloway. I need to find a way to preserve what matters without?—”
“Without what?” I cut him off, frustration boiling over. “Without sacrificing your precious profits? Without having to choose between Blake, or me, and what’s right? Without having to pick a side?”
“Without putting you in danger!” Dominic snapped, flashing his sharp, white canines at me. “Do you think these people will stop at vandalism? At threats? They’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want, and if they knew how much you mean to me?—”
He stopped abruptly. I felt my breath catch, my omega instincts responding to his words despite my anger and distrust.
“How much I mean to you?” I repeated, letting out a harsh laugh. “You have a funny way of showing it. Standing beside Blake today while he threatens our district’s future, watching him pressure shop owners to sell?—”
“I’m gathering evidence,” he growled. “Every meeting, every threat, every piece of paper that crosses my desk. But I can’t protect you if?—”
“I don’t need your protection!” The words burst out before I could stop them. “I need the truth. You say what happened between us meant something to you, but I’m not so sure. Ican’t help but think I was just... convenient. A way to get inside information about the district or just a cheap thrill.”
He stepped closer. “Leo, baby, I?—”
“No,” I cut him off, holding up a hand. “I can’t do this right now. Not after everything. Not with you still admitting to holding back information.”
I grabbed my cell and hastily fired off a text:
Leo
Username: LeonerdTheCobbler
Password: Chesapeake1963
“There. I sent you my username and password. Let me know when you’re done and I’ll reset it. Now I need you to leave.”
Dominic’s cell buzzed with the notification. He fished it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. The corner of his mouth quirked upward like he was fighting against a grin. “Leo?—”
“Leave, Dominic,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremor in my hands. “I need time to think, to process all of this. Just... go, please.”
For a moment, I thought he might argue. But then his shoulders slumped, defeat written across his features. He moved towards the door, pausing with his hand on the knob.
“I meant what I said,” he said softly. “You do mean something to me. More than you know. And I will find a way to make this right—to protect you and the district both. Even if you hate me for it.”
Then he was gone, disappearing into the rainy night. I sagged against the counter, my legs suddenly weak. The shop felt too quiet, too empty without his presence. The scent of hispheromones lingered in the air, mixing with the leather and polish that usually comforted me.
I looked down at my hands, realizing they were still shaking. With a deep breath, I straightened up, moving to lock the door. As I turned the key, a flash of movement across the street caught my eye.
A figure in a dark hooded raincoat stood in the shadows, watching my shop. My heart raced as I squinted through the rain, trying to make out their features. But as quickly as I’d spotted them, they melted back into the darkness.
I yanked the shop curtains shut, my fingers trembling as I gripped the fabric. My skin prickled with unease. I rationalized it must be some local or visitor seeking shelter from the rain, but the sinking feeling in my gut warned me otherwise.
Dominic’s words echoed in my mind: “You could be in danger.”
The worst part? I believed him. But I couldn’t tell if he was really trying to protect me—or if he was part of what I needed protection from.
CHAPTER FIVE
The brass bell jingled as I stepped out into the late afternoon sun and locked up Cobblers’ Corner for my belated lunch break. My head still spun from yesterday’s confrontation at HDC… and at my shop.
My footsteps echoed off the cobblestones as I headed toward Minnie’s Bakery. The late autumn breeze ruffled my hair and nipped at my bare arms.
The cheerful jingle of Minnie’s door sounded at the same moment that the intoxicating aroma of butter, sugar, and freshly baked bread enveloped me. The afternoon lull left the bakery empty except for Minnie herself, her tall frame bent over the display case as she arranged a tray of glazed pastries. Her severe bun of graying red hair bobbed as she looked up, the overhead lights catching the silver strands woven through the red.