I nodded. “Fine with me.”
“We would also speak to the people who were scheduled to work that morning, but, for now, it would be great if none of them goes to the building site until we are done with our investigations,” Detective Jones added.
“Alright,” I replied.
“You should also be careful, Miss McBride,” Detective Murray said. “If someone would do this to one of your building sites, we’re not sure what we have on our hands.”
“I will be careful,” I said to the detective. His cautionary statement alarmed me even more than I already was.
Ward helped me out of my chair, taking my hand in his as we walked out of the police station. I racked my brain, trying to think of who would do this, and it all kept coming back to one person.
Chapter Fourteen
Ward
It was past 11 p.m. when Mira and I came back to my house. She wanted to spend the night sitting by Joe’s bedside, but she would only stress herself and make herself sick if she didn’t rest. So I drove her to her apartment to pack an overnight bag, and we stopped at a local restaurant to have dinner. She was exhausted and yet still going strong.
"About Rebecca..." I started.
"I don't want to talk about her," she interjected. "Are you still seeing her, or do you have feelings for her?"
"No, none," I replied.
"That's all I need to know," she said. "Ward, no more secrets. You could have told me about your past relationship with her when her name first came up. That would have squashed all of this."
"I just got on your good side, Mira. Do you know how hard that is?”
She laughed. “I know, but still no more secrets," she replied.
“You have my word, baby.”
She smiled. “Thank you. That’s all I want,” Mira said and began to yawn.
“Come on. Let’s get in bed,” I said, taking her hand.
“Don’t hold your breath. I’ll stay in the guestroom,” she countered.
“Mira, you’re sleeping in my bed. I’m going to hold you and comfort you tonight, and that’s not negotiable, baby.” I tried not to sound desperate for her, but the thought of her being under the same roof, yet inaccessible to me, had me on edge.
“Ward, I have had a long day. I can’t add any more emotions to it.” She smiled wearily. “All I want to do right now is sleep.”
“You’ll get the best night’s sleep ever. I promise you that,” I said, biting down on my bottom lip.
“In the guest bedroom,” she asserted.
After a few more minutes of going back and forth with her about where she would sleep, I digressed. I carried her bag into the guestroom, and she followed close behind me. I pulled her into an embrace once we were at the edge of the bed.
“Do you need me to get you anything so that you will be comfortable?” I asked.
"No, all I need is the bed and a pillow, and I’ll be out like a light in no time," she said with a smile.
“Well, I guess it’s goodnight,” I said, laying a feather kiss on her soft lips. I breathed in her scent and felt her warm skin against mine.
“Goodnight Ward.” She watched as I backed away from her, leaving the room even though I wanted her in my arms.
I took a shower and went to bed, naked. I didn
’t like wearing pajamas, and since Mira was in the guestroom, there was no reason to wear anything to bed. It took me a while to get to sleep. I was picturing her face and wondering if she was alright. Her being under the same roof, yet so far away from me, made me realize I cared about her very much, and it would hurt me to lose her. This feeling was foreign to me, and the thought of something happening to her was enough to drive me crazy. I didn’t slowly fall for Mira. I freefell into love, and I didn’t feel suffocated by it.