Read Online Her Mother's Killer by Melissa Schroeder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa Schroeder
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chilled, her heart froze. “No. No way, Duncan.”
“He’ll kill me if he finds out I knew and didn’t tell him.”
“No. Think about it. He will go off half-cocked. You know he gets too personally involved in cases, and this one would push him over the edge.” She pushed back from the table and stood, backing away from it and trying to put some distance between them. “I came here to put it all to rest.”
He bolted out of the chair with a speed that amazed her. He grabbed her by the upper arms, his fingers biting into her flesh. Leaning down, he growled, “You will do no such thing, Thea. I see what you’re thinking, and I can’t let you do it.”
“I can do what I want, but I wasn’t planning on doing it alone. I wanted to tell you but I wanted to be sure.”
“Be sure? Of what?”
She wiggled out of his grasp and stood up. She needed space, needed to be able to think straight and she couldn’t at the moment. Not with him so close she could feel his heat. It made her want to do stupid things, like lean closer for comfort. That would lead to problems she didn’t have the capacity to deal with.
“I wanted to be sure it wasn’t all in my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
She drew in a deep breath. “You don’t know how bad it was before my accident. It was bad. With my problems, there were moments when I thought I might have been doing it myself. I was the only one who knew about the letters.”
“Let me guess. The ex liked to play head games.”
She laughed but there was little humor in it. “He was a world-class champion.” She shoved a hand through her hair. “And I promise, I was planning on telling you.”
He didn’t look like he believed her. “Do you know what your mother’s letters said?”
She nodded. “Actually, I can give them to you.”
Everything in him seemed to still. “You have them?”
“Yes. I didn’t know it at first. They were tucked away at the bottom of a chest. I had no idea I had them until I started moving out of my house.”
“You mean you had them in the house you and your ex shared?”
She nodded.
“You know I can’t let you do this.”
She studied him for a moment trying to decide how much he figured out. Thea decided to play stupid. “Do what?”
He let loose an exasperated sigh. “Don’t try to bullshit me. You’ve made yourself a target.”
“I’m not any more of a target than I was before I came here.”
“Okay. That’s true.” He looked up at the ceiling, then around the room. “We have a problem.”
“And what would that be?”
“I can’t let you stay here by yourself.”
Trepidation danced down her spine. “I can’t move back to Gwen’s. That would put her in danger.”
He nodded as he raised his gaze to hers. “I know that. But I can’t leave you here alone.”
She frowned trying to reason through his thinking and then it hit her. “I don’t want protection. I don’t know who I can trust. Besides, you don’t have the manpower, and putting a cop out in front of my house will just draw attention to me. I’ll have every weirdo in the county bothering me.”
“I was thinking more of protecting from the inside.”
Thea narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
He leaned against the counter, crossed his arms, and offered her an evil smile. “I figured it was time the two of us became roommates.”
Chapter Seven
Duncan shoved a hand through his hair and tried to focus on the report in front of him. He’d been trying to work for damn near thirty minutes, but his mind just refused to cooperate. This morning’s conversation with Thea had him so angry, he couldn’t think straight.
He blew out a long breath and leaned back in his chair. He’d chewed out both Richard and Gina. Richard deserved it for his insubordination. That was nothing new and something Duncan figured he’d have to deal with after he was through with Thea’s mess. Gina, well, that had been a mistake.
“He’ll kill me if he finds out I knew and didn’t tell him.”
“No. Think about it. He will go off half-cocked. You know he gets too personally involved in cases, and this one would push him over the edge.” She pushed back from the table and stood, backing away from it and trying to put some distance between them. “I came here to put it all to rest.”
He bolted out of the chair with a speed that amazed her. He grabbed her by the upper arms, his fingers biting into her flesh. Leaning down, he growled, “You will do no such thing, Thea. I see what you’re thinking, and I can’t let you do it.”
“I can do what I want, but I wasn’t planning on doing it alone. I wanted to tell you but I wanted to be sure.”
“Be sure? Of what?”
She wiggled out of his grasp and stood up. She needed space, needed to be able to think straight and she couldn’t at the moment. Not with him so close she could feel his heat. It made her want to do stupid things, like lean closer for comfort. That would lead to problems she didn’t have the capacity to deal with.
“I wanted to be sure it wasn’t all in my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
She drew in a deep breath. “You don’t know how bad it was before my accident. It was bad. With my problems, there were moments when I thought I might have been doing it myself. I was the only one who knew about the letters.”
“Let me guess. The ex liked to play head games.”
She laughed but there was little humor in it. “He was a world-class champion.” She shoved a hand through her hair. “And I promise, I was planning on telling you.”
He didn’t look like he believed her. “Do you know what your mother’s letters said?”
She nodded. “Actually, I can give them to you.”
Everything in him seemed to still. “You have them?”
“Yes. I didn’t know it at first. They were tucked away at the bottom of a chest. I had no idea I had them until I started moving out of my house.”
“You mean you had them in the house you and your ex shared?”
She nodded.
“You know I can’t let you do this.”
She studied him for a moment trying to decide how much he figured out. Thea decided to play stupid. “Do what?”
He let loose an exasperated sigh. “Don’t try to bullshit me. You’ve made yourself a target.”
“I’m not any more of a target than I was before I came here.”
“Okay. That’s true.” He looked up at the ceiling, then around the room. “We have a problem.”
“And what would that be?”
“I can’t let you stay here by yourself.”
Trepidation danced down her spine. “I can’t move back to Gwen’s. That would put her in danger.”
He nodded as he raised his gaze to hers. “I know that. But I can’t leave you here alone.”
She frowned trying to reason through his thinking and then it hit her. “I don’t want protection. I don’t know who I can trust. Besides, you don’t have the manpower, and putting a cop out in front of my house will just draw attention to me. I’ll have every weirdo in the county bothering me.”
“I was thinking more of protecting from the inside.”
Thea narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
He leaned against the counter, crossed his arms, and offered her an evil smile. “I figured it was time the two of us became roommates.”
Chapter Seven
Duncan shoved a hand through his hair and tried to focus on the report in front of him. He’d been trying to work for damn near thirty minutes, but his mind just refused to cooperate. This morning’s conversation with Thea had him so angry, he couldn’t think straight.
He blew out a long breath and leaned back in his chair. He’d chewed out both Richard and Gina. Richard deserved it for his insubordination. That was nothing new and something Duncan figured he’d have to deal with after he was through with Thea’s mess. Gina, well, that had been a mistake.
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