Page 52 of Traitor
Chapter Twenty
Ford
The next morning,Hadley confirms what I already knew to be true. “Your brake lines were cut. It’s a miracle the two of you survived.”
I’d been prepared for the news. I hadn’t slept a wink next to Peyton all night, my mind racing with scenario after scenario. You couldn’t live life as I had and not be prepared for any eventuality. She’d slept peacefully next to me, only rousing long enough for me to make love to her, then falling asleep again. I’d memorized her face as she dreamed and wondered if I’d have to watch her die, too. “Tell me you believe her now. The person who has been in her house moving things around is the same one who tried to kill us yesterday, and the one she saw on the lake.”
“All I can go by is the evidence I’ve got in front of me. According to the techs, yes, someone did cut your lines. Is there anyone who has a grudge against you? Anyone who’d want to hurt you?”
“Plenty of people, c’mon Hadley, you’re not new in town. You know I’m not Mr. Popular around here.”
Hadley frowns. “Anyone here recently?”
“The only person who I’ve had confrontations with recently are some dude my sister was seeing a couple weeks back. We had a little dustup when he put his hands on her. And Lola. She was upset I wouldn’t kick out other guests for her to host her meeting.”
“Lola’s out of town right now at a conference, but I’ll give her a call. Do you know the name of the guy you tussled with?”
I think back, but it doesn’t come to me right away. “Not that I can recall, but I can get ahold of my sister and get it from her and get back to you.”
“About these clothes we were talking about earlier,” he begins, turning to Peyton, who’d been sitting on the porch rocker, drinking a cup of coffee. “You said you came home and they were wet again?”
She nods, pushing the rocker with one foot on the porch and the other tucked up underneath her. She’s wearing a pair of jeans and a light sweater. Her hair is still damp and her cheeks are vaguely pink from the shower where I’d fucked her against the wall. She meets my eyes before she answers, and I have to lock my knees to keep from staggering backward. She’s steady. Steady like I haven’t seen her since she got here. Her world’s been knocked off its axis, but this time, she’s not running. I think I fall a little bit in love at her warrior attitude.
She squares her shoulders and looks Hadley directly in the eye. “That’s right. The door, I can’t remember if it was locked or not when I left home. I was dead tired after a long day at work and my mind is fuzzy about that. I normally triple-check because of what happened to my parents. But it was open when I got back. I looked through the whole house, but no one was there. The only thing disturbed were my clothes.”
“Why didn’t you report the break-in the day it happened?” he asked.
“C’mon, Hadley,” I interrupt. “She was scared. You didn’t exactly lay out the welcome mat the first time, making her think she was seeing things. Jesus Christ.”
“It’s okay. It’s a valid question.” She lifts a shoulder and takes another sip of coffee. “At the time I wasn’t sure itwasn’tme being forgetful. You’re not wrong to assume I’ve had a troubled past, and I was mentally and emotionally unstable for a while after my parents’ deaths, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong about this. I’m as sane as either of you. I know what I saw that night, and I know someone is trying to spook me, or worse, because of it. Now what are you going to do about it?”
“I have to say,that spine of yours is a hell of a turn-on,” I say to Peyton, as I drive her into town to drop her off for work.
“There has to be something I’m missing. Something I saw that night that someone thinks will lead me to them. I wish I knew what it was so this could be over. You may think I’m being strong, but it doesn’t feel that way.”
I glance over at her in the passenger seat. Since my Jeep would be out of commission for the foreseeable future, she’s letting me borrow her snazzy little car to get back to the lodge and check on Lexie. “It could be. Even if you didn’t, when they learned there was a witness, they wouldn’t want to risk it. Are you sure you don’t want to call in and stay with me at the lodge for the next couple days? I’m sure Alice would understand.”
“I would, but I need to keep busy now more than ever or I really will go crazy.”
“You’ll call me if anything happens. I’ll keep my phone on me. If I don’t answer, you call Bradley or the sheriff. Even if you don’t think it’s a big deal. I don’t want you to take any chances.”
Her smile lights up my morning. “I promise I won’t.” She starts to get out of the car, then stops and leans in to give me a kiss. When she’s done and begins to pull away, I tangle my hands in her hair and kiss her longer.
“Let me know when you get off and I’ll come pick you up.”
“I can have Uncle Bradley drive me back,” she offers.
“I know you can, but I’ll feel better if I come and pick you up.”
She rolls her eyes and says, “Okay, if you insist. If Hadley gives you any updates—”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything. Take it easy today.”
“I will.” She pauses for a second, her eyes meeting mine, then darting away. Waving a little, she backs up, then turns and disappears inside the store.
I pull into the lodge and find Lexie and Nell huddled together behind the front counter. They both giggle when they see me walk through the front door.
“What?” I ask.