“What? No way.”
“I can’t put my family in danger. I can’t put you in danger.”
“You’re not making sense,” I say softly, because he’s excited and nervous and so frigging sweet I’m in danger of climbing him and fusing our mouths together for the rest of the day, when I need answers. “Why do you want to go back?”
“I need… to do something.” Cagey look, eye flick.
He doesn’t want to lie to me, so he’s being vague.
“Merc… you know who the murderer was, don’t you?”
He nods, caginess giving way to bleakness. “I think so.”
“Is that why you’re going? What are you going to do, face the murderer?”
“No.” His gaze goes distant. “I’m going to try and make sure I got this right, that I’m not about to accuse a person because my dream told me so. Because I hate him so.”
“Who?”
He just shakes his head. “I can’t tell you. Not unless I’m sure.”
Fair enough. “If you’re not facing the murderer, there’s no reason I shouldn’t come with you, is there?”
He grimaces, but it ends in another smile. “God, I love you, Cos.”
I wonder if it will ever get old, hearing those words from him.
I decide there’s no way.
“Let me change and brush my teeth,” I say in my sexy voice just to hear him laugh, “and I’m good to go.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Merc
‘Phil Construction’ the sign right inside the fence says, and behind it scaffolds and half-built walls of what will eventually be a store.
Probably.
Asking around Destiny where Ross works got us lots of weird, squinty looks. Folks here don’t care much for Ross the Bully turned Part-Time Drunk and Disorderly.
Shocker.
Cos tugs on my hand, until we’re at the gate, looking inside the construction site. She points Ross out to me, and I nod.
He’s easy to pick out from the other workers, standing tall and apart as they take their cigarette break. It’s fucking weird to see him in a yellow helmet and grimy overalls, his work boots caked with mud.
I push the gate open and prepare to slip inside, when he notices us and starts toward us, face pulling into a tight scowl.
“You again?” he calls as he draws nearer. He puts a hand on the gate, blocking our way. “Whatcha doing here?”
There’s no easy way to say this, is there? “The police found her, Ross. I’m sorry.”
He leans heavily on the gate. “What are you talking about? It was only yesterday you came up with this crazy-ass story.”
“They dug up that place by the river, under the trees. They found a skeleton, and the pendant you described.”
He swears viciously under his breath. “Don’t fuck with me, Merc, don’t—”