I run a hand through my hair. “Leyla’s been restless. Jumpy. I thought it was just... everything catching up to her. I-I haven’t been good lately either, Z. I nearly lost my shit yesterday, had a whole ass panic attack in the diner parking lot.”
“Now you know why.”
“Shit, that fucking motherfucker,” I mutter, running my hand through my already mussed hair. Silence stretches between us, thick with all the things we can’t say out loud.
“You need to be smart, C,” Zack adds. “Don’t get paranoid. Don’t do anything that gives her an excuse to close in. She’s obviously waiting for you two to make a mistake.” Zack’s tone sends me for a loop. I know he’s seen some shit, but for a second there, I almost thought I heard a hint of emotion.
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “We’ll handle it.”
“You’d better. Because if Alex is watching, it’s not because she’s fucking bored. I’m pretty sure it’s because she’s onto something. That woman just doesn’t fucking know when to stop. I’ve been keeping tabs on her since you asked me to. She’d been quiet for a bit. Looked you up once or twice.”
A cold shutter hits me as a dark realization dawns on me. “Z, could you see that her search history about me… or about my dad?”
“I’m almost insulted, kid. Of course I can. What exactly are you looking for? Any key words?” Zack’s voice is just as monotone and unmoving as ever, I don’t know how I ever got so lucky, but he is the closest thing to an actual brother I’ve ever had.
“One, I’m not a kid, I’m only four years younger than you.” I hear a snort on the other line, the only break in the man’s shut downfacade. “Two, anything about my dad? Alex mentioned him, well she asked how my family was.”
The memory of the way the woman’s eyes burrowed into my psyche sends another whole-body shiver through me.
“Give me a second.” I hear a clattering of keys and clicks, a sharp inhale of his breath. “She looked up Michael about two weeks ago, the obituary website being the site she clicked on and stayed on the longest.”
A soft hand startles me; I had been so focused on Zack’s call I didn’t even hear Leyla sneak up on me. She sits down on the bed next to me.
“What’s going on?” she whispers, her brows furrowed in concern as she pulls me to a sitting position on the bed.
“Hey, Hack,” Leyla says sweetly as she grabs the phone from my hand, putting the phone on speaker.
“Hey, Slice.” Zack’s voice softens just slightly when he speaks to my Leyla. I turn my attention to her and run my hands through my hair again.
“Alexandra is having us followed.”
The words slip out of my mouth before I have a chance to think about what to tell her. All of this is getting too fucking real now, and it’s all coming crumbling down around me and I can’t take this anymore.
Leyla sighs, “Well, what does she know, Hack? Is this something that we have to be super worried about? I’ve never been involved in something like this before, and I don’t know what to do about any of this. This is all new to me.” Leyla’s voiceis so steady and certain that this pillar of a woman, who was so broken, is suddenly the one taking care of me in this.
Zack lets out a mirthful chuckle, “Well, I recommend y’all take a break for a bit. Keep things low key. Don’t do what y’all do. Go on a vacation. Lover’s trip or some shit like that. Just be– normal.”
“Thanks, Z. Talk soon.”
I cut the phone call short, my emotions are already running rampant. I barely know what’s happening anymore but it all hits me, that Detective Alexandra could be the death of, well not just me anymore, the death of us. We won’t survive this if she keeps this up.
“What if we killed her?” My voice sounds gravelly as I look at Leyla, who’s looking at me like I’ve finally lost it; it’s the first time she’s ever looked at me that way.
“Cammy, are you really sure that’s the best idea right now?” Her voice, her face are all terrified, but for the first time in weeks I finally have this sort of clarity that had been avoiding me for so long.
My eyes connect with the woman who I fucking love so much; she has made my life complete. Maybe Zack is right, maybe we should take a trip away just the two of us.
Leyla pulls me close to her, she pulls me close to everything that I know of safety and she kisses me. “I’m so sorry, Cameron.”
I pull back almost shocked; I don’t honestly know in what world she thought that she would ever need to apologize.
“I’m gonna call Hazel, just to let her know we’re going on a little vacation, okay?” Leyla pulls me close to her again. Kissing my cheek, she hops up and pulls her phone out calling Hazel.
Chapter 38
Kiss on a Rose
The Whispering Killer
