That interview…Erica’s interview. I was still holding on to the paper. I looked down at it. What had Kian said in it? What had I avoided that I could’ve been prepared for by now?
Kian took the paper from me and threw it on the couch. He pointed at it, his jaw clenched tightly. “What I said signified nothing. They’re reaching for a crapshoot.”
“They have a witness. They’ve talked to someone who’s backing up the new investigation.”
“They have nothing. If they do, it’s someone from high school who has an agenda and wants to be famous. That’s it. The witness will be discredited. It’s only a matter of time before that happens, and, no, they won’t find Jo. I’ve made sure of that.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” A buzzing started between my ears. I shook my head, trying to clear it, but it only grew louder.
Snark ignored me, his voice rose. “Your team is behind this.”
“Not my team. I’ve instructed them to leave Jordan alone.”
“So, they did try to go after her?”
“They asked in the beginning, but I made it clear that I wouldn’t ruin Jordan’s life. This is my life. I killed Edmund, and she had nothing to do with it. If they’re going to try to blame her, they will fail.”
Snark started to argue, “An eyewitness—”
“Stop!” My hands clamped over my ears. That buzzing sound was too much. My headache was pulsating against my temples now. “Stop, you guys.”
Kian moved to me, taking one of my hands in his. He pulled me to him, wrapping his other arm around my back. He began rubbing at my temple, easing the headache away, and I should’ve pulled away. This was weird—or it should’ve been weird, but it wasn’t. That was the weird part of it. It felt so right to be in his arms, to have him pull me to his chest, to have him soothe out my pain. Like in the nightclub closet, I didn’t want to pull away. I wanted to burrow closer against him.
Kian is going to protect me. My insides were blaring this message to me. I wanted to believe it. I really did.
As if sensing my struggle, he held me tighter.
I relaxed into him, tuning out everything, as his hand continued to rub in a circle over my temple. Slowly, so slowly, the headache began to dissipate. My chest loosened, and I clung to his side as he talked to Snark.
His voice reverberated through him as my ear was pressed to his chest while he said, “I didn’t say anything in that interview to incriminate her. Trust me, no one knows she’s here. No one. Not my team, not my family. The only one who knows, besides those in this room, is my private investigator, and no one knows about him either.”
“Your father never got to him?”
For the first time since we’d arrived, Kian relaxed. He was amused. “My father is the last person who would help me.”
I frowned and pulled back. “What do you mean?”
He frowned back at me, rubbing my arm.
Snark distracted us. “If you’re saying the truth, why are you here?”
Kian glanced down at me. He looked torn.
I pulled all the way back, stepping away, so he couldn’t touch me. Folding my arms over my chest, I said, “Answer him, Kian.”
“Staying in this hotel wasn’t thought-out. I needed the best security, and my father’s hotel has it, but you’re right. I’ll check out and go somewhere else tonight.”
Snark pointed at me. “You need all the footage of her wiped from this place.”
“You came in the back way?”
“Like you instructed.”
So, they had talked, at least before we’d arrived today. I wanted to know what else had been spoken between them.
Kian raked a hand over his hair and moved to the phone. “The only footage would’ve been the back elevator and parking ramp. I’ll have my investigator sweep the footage. Any direct order from me will be suspicious. He’ll have to sneak in to do it.”
“Can he get it done?”
“He can.” Kian was grave as he dialed the front desk. “Yes, I’ll be checking out within the hour. I’ll need transportation arranged. No. I’ll instruct them from the vehicle. Thank you.” He studied me. “You need a hat.”
He started to leave the room.
Snark stopped him. “No.” He shrugged off his jacket and gave it to me. “Put that on, and pull the hood up. When we leave, you keep your head down.”
I nodded. Fuck. The more we talked, the more this was getting really real.
The boulders were back in my stomach. Snark started for the door, and I followed, but Kian caught my arm. Before opening the door, Snark looked back and paused.
Kian asked him, “Mind if we have a moment?”
Snark’s eyes went flat, but he said, “Fine. One minute, and then she’s leaving with me.”
As soon as the door shut behind him, I whirled to Kian. “What did you say in that interview?”
He hesitated. “You haven’t read it, I take it?”
“No, I avoid everything with the news. Since you got released, that’s all I’ve been doing. I stick my head in the sand, and I walk.”
A flicker of a smile appeared, but it disappeared as he grabbed the paper and pushed it back into my hand. “Read it on the way to wherever you’re going with him. Call me, if you want.”
“Kian?”
“Read it. Then, call.” He paused and added, “If you want.”
“You’re acting weird. What could you have possibly said in there to get the DA to want to find me, to get Snark acting like a bee had stung him on the ass, and to have you acting almost…” Self-conscious. “Never mind.” I swallowed over a knot in my throat. “Read it. Got it. I’ll call.”
“Are you okay?”
“I have no idea how I am.” That was the truth, but I was mostly scared, terrified even. “I’ll be fine.”
“They don’t know where you are. And whatever they’re saying on the news isn’t true. No warrant has been issued for you. They just want to talk to you. That’s all. They want to ask questions, but if they can’t find you, they can’t ruin your life.” He visibly grimaced. “I’m sorry this is happening.”
Again.
He held that word back, but I knew what he meant. I heard it anyway. A media frenzy was coming my way. Whether I announced myself or not, they’d find me.
Kian took the paper from me and threw it on the couch. He pointed at it, his jaw clenched tightly. “What I said signified nothing. They’re reaching for a crapshoot.”
“They have a witness. They’ve talked to someone who’s backing up the new investigation.”
“They have nothing. If they do, it’s someone from high school who has an agenda and wants to be famous. That’s it. The witness will be discredited. It’s only a matter of time before that happens, and, no, they won’t find Jo. I’ve made sure of that.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” A buzzing started between my ears. I shook my head, trying to clear it, but it only grew louder.
Snark ignored me, his voice rose. “Your team is behind this.”
“Not my team. I’ve instructed them to leave Jordan alone.”
“So, they did try to go after her?”
“They asked in the beginning, but I made it clear that I wouldn’t ruin Jordan’s life. This is my life. I killed Edmund, and she had nothing to do with it. If they’re going to try to blame her, they will fail.”
Snark started to argue, “An eyewitness—”
“Stop!” My hands clamped over my ears. That buzzing sound was too much. My headache was pulsating against my temples now. “Stop, you guys.”
Kian moved to me, taking one of my hands in his. He pulled me to him, wrapping his other arm around my back. He began rubbing at my temple, easing the headache away, and I should’ve pulled away. This was weird—or it should’ve been weird, but it wasn’t. That was the weird part of it. It felt so right to be in his arms, to have him pull me to his chest, to have him soothe out my pain. Like in the nightclub closet, I didn’t want to pull away. I wanted to burrow closer against him.
Kian is going to protect me. My insides were blaring this message to me. I wanted to believe it. I really did.
As if sensing my struggle, he held me tighter.
I relaxed into him, tuning out everything, as his hand continued to rub in a circle over my temple. Slowly, so slowly, the headache began to dissipate. My chest loosened, and I clung to his side as he talked to Snark.
His voice reverberated through him as my ear was pressed to his chest while he said, “I didn’t say anything in that interview to incriminate her. Trust me, no one knows she’s here. No one. Not my team, not my family. The only one who knows, besides those in this room, is my private investigator, and no one knows about him either.”
“Your father never got to him?”
For the first time since we’d arrived, Kian relaxed. He was amused. “My father is the last person who would help me.”
I frowned and pulled back. “What do you mean?”
He frowned back at me, rubbing my arm.
Snark distracted us. “If you’re saying the truth, why are you here?”
Kian glanced down at me. He looked torn.
I pulled all the way back, stepping away, so he couldn’t touch me. Folding my arms over my chest, I said, “Answer him, Kian.”
“Staying in this hotel wasn’t thought-out. I needed the best security, and my father’s hotel has it, but you’re right. I’ll check out and go somewhere else tonight.”
Snark pointed at me. “You need all the footage of her wiped from this place.”
“You came in the back way?”
“Like you instructed.”
So, they had talked, at least before we’d arrived today. I wanted to know what else had been spoken between them.
Kian raked a hand over his hair and moved to the phone. “The only footage would’ve been the back elevator and parking ramp. I’ll have my investigator sweep the footage. Any direct order from me will be suspicious. He’ll have to sneak in to do it.”
“Can he get it done?”
“He can.” Kian was grave as he dialed the front desk. “Yes, I’ll be checking out within the hour. I’ll need transportation arranged. No. I’ll instruct them from the vehicle. Thank you.” He studied me. “You need a hat.”
He started to leave the room.
Snark stopped him. “No.” He shrugged off his jacket and gave it to me. “Put that on, and pull the hood up. When we leave, you keep your head down.”
I nodded. Fuck. The more we talked, the more this was getting really real.
The boulders were back in my stomach. Snark started for the door, and I followed, but Kian caught my arm. Before opening the door, Snark looked back and paused.
Kian asked him, “Mind if we have a moment?”
Snark’s eyes went flat, but he said, “Fine. One minute, and then she’s leaving with me.”
As soon as the door shut behind him, I whirled to Kian. “What did you say in that interview?”
He hesitated. “You haven’t read it, I take it?”
“No, I avoid everything with the news. Since you got released, that’s all I’ve been doing. I stick my head in the sand, and I walk.”
A flicker of a smile appeared, but it disappeared as he grabbed the paper and pushed it back into my hand. “Read it on the way to wherever you’re going with him. Call me, if you want.”
“Kian?”
“Read it. Then, call.” He paused and added, “If you want.”
“You’re acting weird. What could you have possibly said in there to get the DA to want to find me, to get Snark acting like a bee had stung him on the ass, and to have you acting almost…” Self-conscious. “Never mind.” I swallowed over a knot in my throat. “Read it. Got it. I’ll call.”
“Are you okay?”
“I have no idea how I am.” That was the truth, but I was mostly scared, terrified even. “I’ll be fine.”
“They don’t know where you are. And whatever they’re saying on the news isn’t true. No warrant has been issued for you. They just want to talk to you. That’s all. They want to ask questions, but if they can’t find you, they can’t ruin your life.” He visibly grimaced. “I’m sorry this is happening.”
Again.
He held that word back, but I knew what he meant. I heard it anyway. A media frenzy was coming my way. Whether I announced myself or not, they’d find me.
