Sweet Jayne (20 page)

“Help her what?” I’m growing impatient with his talking in circles.

He shakes his head and gapes at me in astonishment. “She must think he can help her find Kasey. It’s the only logical explanation—the only reason I’ve been keeping my distance. And my patience with the entire situation is wearing incredibly thin. So are you going to help me or not?”

I mean, I still plan on pulling any answers I can glean from Nadia, but I’m not really interested in destroying her any longer.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

I lean back on the leather sofa and stare up at the ceiling. It irritates me that Nadia has been hunting for my sister all of these years. The glowing burn of hatred has begun to flicker and die out. Without that fueling me, I’m lost.

Why does she think Logan can help her? How?

“Thought you had to work on that wall or some shit, Ghost,” Rhodes says as he sips his Heineken. Mine remains untouched on his coffee table. I’m not in the mood to drink at the moment. I want my head clear so I can figure this shit out.

“Logan said he was taking Nadia to dinner or something and to come back tomorrow after work.” I’d been annoyed when he popped into my office to mention it earlier this afternoon long after I’d been to see Donovan. I didn’t miss the way Logan’s eyes didn’t meet mine when he’d told me the change in plans. He just didn’t fucking want me there for some reason.

“I still don’t understand what she sees in Chief. The guy can be…”

“A prick?” I quip.

He chuckles. “You said it. Not me.”

Ashley comes waddling into the living room carrying a big purse and interrupts our exchange. “Babe, I’m going to go pick up Ames. Her flight will arrive within the hour.”

“I can leave,” I state as I stand.

She waves me off and grins. “No, stay. Jason hovers too much as it is with this pregnancy. It’ll do him good to have some time to relax. Besides,” she tells me with a mischievous grin, “Ames and I have to gossip, which is never much fun when your husband is around.”

Jason grunts and saunters over to her. She squeals when he pulls her into a tight embrace and sucks on her neck.

“Be careful, beautiful. And tell Ames she’s not allowed to hit on my friend.”

She giggles. “I won’t let her go for Kasper anyway. He’s too…”

“I’m right here. I can hear you,” I groan with faux annoyance. “I’m too what? Too much of an asshole?”

Ashley walks over and swats at my shoulder. “No, punk. You’re too serious and she’s too…bubbly. You’ll just break her with your broody, grumpy self. Amethyst loves a project. And you, my friend, are a broken project she’ll want to fix.”

I frown but nod. “I’m not going to hit on your sister.”

She bends down and kisses the top of my head. “You can hit on her. Just don’t sleep with her. She’s better than a weekend fling.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I lean back against the sofa. “Sure, Ash. But I can’t promise I won’t look after her. If she’s your family, then she’s my family too.”

Ashley beams at me and I can’t help but crack a smile when Rhodes kisses her belly before she leaves.

“Have you thought of names yet?”

“Aiden for a boy,” he says as he sits back down, “and Arden for a girl.”

We chat and a couple of beers later, I’m relaxed after a stressful as fuck day.

“Another cold one?” he asks as he stands to toss out our empty ones.

“Nah, I’m about to head out here in a second. But, hey, does your dad ever do any commercial plumbing projects?” I ask and pull out my phone.

“On occasion, why? Are you going to take on a bigger project?”

I shake my head and locate the picture of the pipe from Logan’s. “Do you know why this size pipe would be in a residential home?”

He inspects the picture for a moment. “No, but if you’ll text it to me, I’ll send it to Dad and ask him about it. Why you want to know?”

“Between us,” I say carefully. “This was behind the wall at Logan’s. I’m curious to know why.”

His eyes narrow at me. “And you didn’t just ask Chief?”

Clenching my jaw, I shake my head. “He and I aren’t exactly best buds at the moment. Ever since his engagement became known, he’s been acting strange. I’d rather just find this out on my own. It’s weird and I want to know why he’d have a pipe that size in his home.”

“Whatever, man. I’m not getting in the middle of anything between you and our boss but I’ll ask Dad. Did you ever—”

My phone rings and, speak of the devil, it’s Logan calling. I have a good mind not to answer it but he is still my boss.

“Yep,” I bark out in a gruff tone while Rhodes saunters off to fetch another beer.

“Kasper,” Logan bites out with equal annoyance, “I need you out on highway 82 at the Owl Creek Road exit. Now.”

“Out by the airport? What’s happened?”

“There’s been a fatality,” he says in a grim tone. “And I’m sorry but I think it was Dale’s truck. Your mom is still at The Lounge. I double checked before I called you.”

I don’t normally handle traffic accidents but this one involves my stepfather and I’m grateful for Logan calling me to it.

“I’ll be right there.”

My stepfather dying would be a blessing. Mom could be free of that prick once and for all. I don’t even feel like an asshole when I send up a quick prayer wishing that he suffered a little before he died.

As soon as I climb out of my car at the scene, my stomach flops. Dale’s beat up truck is barely damaged. But the silver Honda is completely smashed in the front. If that motherfucker hurt someone else, there’ll be hell to pay.

“Ghost,” Logan calls out and waves me over to his Tahoe. “We’ve got a big fucking problem.”

I frown and stalk over to him. “What is it?”

He shakes his head and waves at his vehicle in disgust. I can see Dale’s glazed over eyes in the backseat.

“The woman he had in the truck with him was dead on arrival. Apparently he was going the wrong way on the exit ramp when he collided head on with the other vehicle. His headlights weren’t on, which could have prevented the collision if they had been on. An officer already made note of that when processing the scene.”

“The woman with him wasn’t Mom?” I know he said she was still at the bar, but my stomach remains twisted up.

“No. She’s fine. But,” he murmurs and slams his fist on the hood of his Tahoe. “It’s the other vehicle that is the issue.”

“Why?” I croak.

His brows furrow and I can tell it pains him to say it. “It was Ashley Rhodes.”

I double over and suck in a deep breath of air. “Is she okay? Has she been sent to the hospital? She’s fucking pregnant, Chief!”

He scowls and nods. “I know. They rushed her off in an ambulance right before you got here. I’m not going to sugar coat it, Kasper. She was in bad shape. The paramedic wouldn’t say but I think her neck might’ve been broken.”

“Shit! What about Rhodes? Why didn’t you tell me who it was? I was at his house.”

He lets out a sigh. “I sent a uni to his house to take him to the hospital. I needed you here because it was Dale who caused the accident and I wanted someone else to make sure he was okay, besides you.”

Red rage blinds me and I shoulder past Logan to get to the backseat of his Tahoe. I ignore his bellows ordering me to stop. Instead, I drag Dale’s wormy ass out by his throat and tackle him to the pavement. I’ve managed to smash my fist into his nose at least six brutal times before Logan and another officer wrangle me off him.

“I’ll kill you!” I scream at him. “I will kill you!”

Logan grips my bicep painfully. “He’ll get his justice. Slam dunk case. But get your shit together. Get to the hospital to be with your friend.”

I run my fingers through my hair and curse at the sky. When I’ve calmed, marginally so, I turn to him. “Was Ashley the only victim in the car? She was on her way to get her sister. Was there another woman in the vehicle?”

He shakes his head. “No, there wasn’t. The vehicle was headed westbound, toward the airport. Guess you better go get her and take her on your way.”

I’m already stalking back to my car before he even gets the words out.

A
fter dinner, Logan got called out on an emergency. He’s been gone for an hour but thankfully took my call when I reminded him to do what needed to be done. Now that I’ve bought myself another hour, I’ve been aimlessly pacing the hallway. Sometimes he doesn’t set his stupid timer on his phone. Those days, I can breathe easier and my muscles don’t stay knotted up. But I think he knows, deep down, that he’s the most vulnerable when he doesn’t set it. One of these days, it’ll be the right time when he forgets and I’ll strike.

I let out a sigh and tenderly touch the bruise on my face. Today was a frustrating day. My body ached from his abuse the day before but I couldn’t seem to shut off my mind. It kept wanting to flit
there
. Of course, my mind is one of the parts of me I have control over. I was able to shut it off and focus on housework. Logan was extra needy throughout the day, calling me often to check up on me. He even came home for lunch and gave me a quickie over the back of the living room sofa. Everything about him today is different. It puts me on edge. Logan is never nice or caring. He’s never the adoring one. So when this afternoon I received red roses from him, I nearly had a panic attack.

Either, he’s on to me and is playing games.

Or I’ve managed to crack him and I’m one step closer to the end.