Sloan shook his head. “Not tonight.”
James nodded. “Good. Then I’ll go.” He started to leave, and her stomach knotted. She hated that he was going back to that apartment, all alone.
“James, wait,” Sloan said.
“Yes?”
“I’ll walk you out.”
Sloan felt awkward. Unsure of what to say. He cleared his throat.
“The cameras are a good idea to catch this guy,” he said as they walked outside.
“If he’s not using a service to drop them off. Want me to set something up?”
“I figure you probably know someone who can do it discreetly.” James’s place was well secured.
“I do. I’ll get on it tonight.”
“About your offer to stay here when I can’t—”
“It’s all right, you don’t have to explain why you don’t want me here. I get it.”
“Really?” Sloan drawled. “You get it, huh?”
“Yes,” James said with some irritation. He opened his car door.
Sloan pushed it shut.
James turned to him. “What?”
“I really hate when other people assume they know what I’m thinking.”
“What are you talking about?”
“James, we haven’t spoken in a long time. There’s shit we still haven’t really worked out. I still don’t know exactly how I feel about everything, Except that I’m still angry.”
“Because I killed Sarah.”
“No, damn you.” Sloan slammed his fist on the hood of the car.
“You know that’s a hundred-and-twenty-thousand-dollar car, right?”
“Jesus. Like you care.” But Sloan ran his hand over the spot on the car where he’d hit it. “I’m not angry about that. I mean, I am, but not for the reason you’re assuming. You didn’t kill her.”
“I upset her so badly she rolled her car and died.”
“It was late at night, the conditions weren’t good, and she was speeding. And she was likely hurrying to meet her lover.” He’d deal with that later. Mostly what he felt was sadness. Had it all been a lie?
“James, you were closer to me than my own brothers. Than anyone else. I’m mad because you didn’t fight me. Because you didn’t come after me and make me listen.” He held up a hand as James started to speak. “But mostly I’m mad because I didn’t give you a chance to explain.”
“You were upset and hurting.”
“You were still my brother. I should have stayed. Seems to be a bad habit of mine. To leave without talking shit out. I hate talking shit out.”
“Yet you’re so good at it,” James joked
Sloan sighed. “James, I think we’ve—I’ve wasted enough time being mad. There’s no one I’d trust more to watch Kinley than you. Because I know you care about her.”