“Figured,” Leonard goes on. “Or you’d know that Lana is the one who killed the Boston serial killer known as the Boogeyman.”
Kyle’s smirk vanishes, and he studies us, probably searching for a lie.
“With his own knife,” I add, holding a smile that relays a darkness I’m not used to feeling.
“After he attacked her,” Leonard goes on. “He was twice her size and had raped and murdered several women. She beat the shit out of him and stabbed him, ended his life when he came for her.”
With that, Leonard walks out, and I force myself to do the same. Yeah, he exaggerated the story, but Kyle wasn’t smirking when I turned back around.
“He won’t touch her now,” Leonard says quietly.
“I should get her the fuck out of this town,” I say in a tone just barely above a whisper as we get into the vehicle, not looking back.
With all the driving, it’s already getting late now. The sun isn’t far from setting, and all I want to do is hold Lana against me and feel her safe.
“Kyle Davenport may or may not have been our serial killer back then, but I guarantee you he’s going to be one soon, if he’s not already,” Leonard says as we drive back toward the cabins.
“And he just threatened my girlfriend.”
“Like I said, he won’t do anything. Telling him she’s not some weak girl he can dominate didn’t settle well with him.”
“And if he perceives it as a challenge?” I point out.
“He’s not interested in a challenge. He wants easy,” he says on a sigh. “Lana is safer with us than alone somewhere else right now.”
I shift in my seat, driving faster through the town. “My job keeps putting her at risk.”
“Occupational hazard,” he says grimly. “She can handle it, Logan. She may be one of the few who can.”
“But how selfish is it of me to ask her to handle it?”
He doesn’t get to answer, because we’re pulling up at the cabin where the sheriff and Johnson are standing outside and waiting on me. Lana is guarding the door, her hip cocked as she smirks at them when we get out.
“Sheriff, you can say all you want, but you’re not getting by me without putting your hands on me. If you do that, I’ll press charges for assault. I don’t care if it’s your cabin. There’s a little thing called the law that you can’t search this place when it’s occupied by guests, unless said guests give you permission. I can pull it up on my phone for you, if you’d like.”
She’s poised, staring them down, and Johnson’s jaw is tight.
“You have no right to—”
“What the hell is going on here?” I demand, stepping up on the porch.
Lana wags her finger at the sheriff when he tries to barge by her. Somehow, she manages to block his path, despite his size.
“Don’t want to touch me sheriff. My phone is recording every bit of this, and I’ll make it go live.”
He looks around, and she smiles. “I’m not stupid enough to leave it in plain sight.”
“I said what the hell is going on!”
I step in front of the sheriff, shielding Lana. “You crossed a line today,” the sheriff growls. “And I got a call that you were seen buying drugs off Lenny Tolls, the local dealer. So I’m here to search your room. When I find something, I’ll be shipping your ass back to your superiors to deal with.”
“You’re fucking kidding me with this, right?” Leonard snaps.
Unbelievable. They’re getting desperate and overreaching now that I’ve talked to his son.
“I already told them that if they let Elise and them search their guys, they could come in and look,” Lana states with a sweet smile but daring eyes.
The sheriff glares at her, and my hand goes to her hip, trying to tug her back. I don’t want him viewing her as a target, damn it.