CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ALEC
Theroads of Fort Crow zipped by at a speed far above the limit, as Rosie and Idrove back to the house. Incoherent stutters left my lips while her terrifiedshock quickly escalated toward hysterics. The professional in me knew I shouldpull myself together, while the goodness in me wanted to stop the car, consoleher, and tell her we were safe and fine. But logic said that we never would be,not really. Not until her sister’s murderer was caught.
Ikilled the lights before turning ontoRick’s road. Itdidn’t appear that anyone was following us but for caution’s sake, I didn’twant it to be obvious where we were headed. Then, driving slowly, I pulled upto the house and turned the car off.
Weboth ran inside, slamming the door and locking it behind us, and then, my eyesfell on her. On the rapid rise and fall of her chest. The rosiness of hercheeks. The fearful glint in her dark eyes and the fluttering of the pulse inher neck, all reminding me of how alive we both still were. My brain shieldeditself from overthinking and fright as I rushed toward her, hands outstretchedand grappling, and took her face in my palms. Lips violently met lips,instantly bruising upon impact. Tongues intertwined and hearts clatteredagainst battered chests, as I pushed her against the wall beside the door.Needy whimpers erupted inside her mouth, and I answered, undoing my pants asshe undid hers and shoved them to the floor, not once breaking the feverish kiss.As if we had practiced the act countless times before, Rosie wrapped her legaround my waist with the fluidity of a dancer, and in perfect alignment, I slidinside, groaning from somewhere deep in my soul. It had been nearly a yearsince I’d known the touch of a woman, and if I never knew it again after thismoment, I knew I would’ve died a happy man.
Wefucked like there wasn’t a tomorrow. Hell, maybe there wasn’t, not for us. Andwith every heavy breath, grunt, and groan beside the door, I convinced myselfthat I was perfectly fine with that. Because right now, I had this gorgeouswoman in my arms, moaning my name into my ear, and not a damn thing matteredbut that.
“Oh,shite,” Rick gasped from behind me, scaring us away from the moment, and justlike that, the spell was broken.
“Sorry,”he added, while I pulled away from her, shielding her body with mine as shepulled her pants back on and I tucked myself away.
“Oh,God,” Rosie groaned, and not in a pleasurable sort of way, while she quicklyhurried to straighten her shirt.
Zippingmy pants and silently cursing my friend, I slowly turned to find him leavingthe room, with a new strip of bandage wrapped around his hand.
“Fuckin’hell,” I grumbled, wishing Iwasstill inside Rosieand not looking at the side of Rick’s bright red face as he disappeared intothe kitchen.
Rosieshook her head as she covered her face. “Oh, God,” she repeated, then droppingher hands, added, “I’m just going to …” She gestured up the stairs and Inodded, watching as she ran up to her room.
Witha begrudged sigh, I headed into the kitchen. Rick’s face hadn’t muted in colorby the time I entered, and he apologized once again. “I heard ye come in,” heexplained, “but Ididnaeexpect—”
“It’sfine.”
“No,Ishouldae—”
“Rick,”I said, narrowing my eyes and holding out a hand. “Really, it’s fine. I haveother things to worry about and thisisnaeone ofthem. So, don’t worry about it.”
Itwas a lie. I would worry about it. I would worry a lot. About whether Rosieregretted it and if I’d ever know her touch again. But now wasn’t the time, andRick didn’t need to know any of it.
“Whathappened?” he asked, furrowing his brow. “Other than,” he gestured upstairs,“the obvious.”
Istraightened the waistline of my jeans as I quickly moved to the table. Once Iwas sitting, where my pictures and notes were still laid out, I removed ringfrom my pocket. Rick came to my side and picked it up, turning it over in hisfingers curiously.
“Itwas Grace’s,” I explained. “Someone left it at the stone, along with a note.”
Itold him about the message, scrawled onto the stone in permanent marker, andwatched as his usually pale complexion blanched to a ghostly white.
“Ye’rein overyerhead, mate,” he uttered, as his shakinghand laid the ring back on the table. “Ye need to stop this. Go to Edinburgh.Tell them what’shappenin’ here. Yecannae—”
“It’sFinley,” I said, glowering at the ring. “It has to be. He’s the only one whowouldaeknown I’d go back there. He’s also the only oneI’ve spoken to about any of this. He’s—”
Iwas cut short by a photo of Grace, alive and well, and smiling in the brightsunlight. I pictured Finley, my partner and friend, luring her into his grasp.Abducting her. Raping her. Choking the life from her eyes. I imagined himcarrying her through the woods and leaving her on the stone to be found by someunsuspecting hiker days later. I doubted he could’ve predicted Angus and hisdog’s discovery of her foot, but Finley killed her. She was a careful woman andwould’ve trusted him for being a cop, and he took that trust and abused it.
Ina burst of rage, I picked up the first thing I could find—my mobile—and threwit at the wall.
“Fuckin’bastard!” I shouted in hateful fury, before slamming my fists down onto thetable.
“Yedon’t know for sure, man,” Rick insisted. “It might only seem that way. Maybehe—”
“Oh,do you have another explanation for this?” I asked, turning to sneer at myfriend. “He’s the only one, Rick. The only other person who knew any of thisshite. And he invited me for a drink today! Why do ye think that is?”
Rick’seyes slowly widened with immediate acknowledgment and fear. “Christ, Alec.”
“Right.”
