Page 57 of Death Raiser

“Fine.” He stepped away and took his warmth with him. I immediately wanted him back.

“We’ll continue this part of the conversation later,” Connor continued. “Getting back to Spiral…we got the footage, but we wanted to go farther back to see if we could identify the necromancer responsible. But that’s not the point. The point is while Jacobs was there, he saw you dancing with Estelle on the security feed.”

Unlike Connor, I couldn’t compartmentalize and switch gears as well nor as quickly. My body still thrummed with need, and I swallowed, trying to ignore the heat pooling low in my belly. I went over what Connor said about Jacobs spotting me on the security feed and it helped like a bucket of ice water over the head.

“Wow,” I finally managed. “Jacobs must have eagle eyes because the place was packed last night.”

“Lark…” Connor pressed his lips together.

Gentle wind rolled off the ocean and brushed my hair across my face. I tucked the errant strands behind my ear and kept my attention on Connor. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“He spotted you because all the security cameras were trained on you.”

A shiver went up my spine and clamped to the back of my neck. Any lingering heat from Connor’s earlier teasing fled. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

I sighed. “Look, I wasn’t trying to be belligerent or defiant. I agreed with you that going to Spiral was dangerous and ill-advised. I was with Estelle, though. She’s a fucking badass and she brought two vampire guards with her. She also had her heart set on going and I couldn’t think of a good excuse to refuse without providing details of your open investigation. I figured I’d be safe as long as I stayed close to Estelle.”

Connor sighed and leaned down to pet the pitty. The dog looked up at him adoringly, his wide mouth open and his long tongue lolling to the side.

“I get it,” he said. “I just don’t like that this guy seems infatuated with you.”

“Maybe he was watching me because he knows I work with you. This might not be what it seems.”

He studied me for a few tense seconds, a flurry of emotions flashing in his gaze before he looked away again. He seemed to do that a lot around me—as if he feared I’d see something he wasn’t prepared to share yet.

“Are you planning to march over to the club and threaten Grant like you threatened your coworkers over the dancing video?”

Connor scoffed. “I didn’t threaten them.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Okay, maybe a little. Shaw’s terrified of me now.”

So Jacobs had lied to me. That was why Shaw had given me that strange look earlier. “I think everyone is terrified of you except Jacobs.”

“And you,” he said. He watched me intently again, as if my response really mattered, even though he should already know the answer. “I don’t intimidate you at all.”

“Nope,” I agreed. “I’ve never been scared of you.”

We continued to walk along the path at a relaxed pace, comfortable silence settling over us. The wind ruffled my hair and the seagulls’ loud chatter filled my ears.

“Why don’t you have a dog of your own?” I finally asked.

He pondered my question for a few steps, looking down at the pitty. “I don’t live a life that lends itself well to having a dog. It’s not fair to them.”

“So, you go to the shelter and walk these guys.” Look at me go. I’d make detective in no time if they actually let me join the force.

“As often as I can,” he said.

“You like dogs that much?”

He hesitated before answering. “These animals have a way of taking away all the stress of my job. Maybe it’s how they live in the moment. Maybe it’s their unconditional affection and trust. I don’t know. But this is how I unwind. This is how I get my mind to reset. It’s not just the dogs. It’s the whole thing—walking, fresh air, listening to nature…”

“This is your happy place,” I finished.

He scrunched up his face. He wasn’t the type of person to use that term willingly. “I guess you could say that.”

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