Page 40 of Into the Night

Did Henry tell him I’m Kali’s mate, and he should come here in person to break the news?

Maisy pretends not to listen, but suddenly, now is the time to start tidying up the coat rack and hall table.

Ben shakes his head, and I don’t know how to feel. Happy there’s no bad news, I’m still gutted that she hasn’t appeared, safe and well.

“Can we talk outside for a minute?” Ben’s expression is serious, and I swallow hard, wondering if now is the time I get my ass kicked.

Ben doesn’t seem like a man who’s just here to talk about search tactics. His body language is tense, and his jaw is clenched tightly as he pushes the front door open and then steps out onto the covered porch.

The silence is oppressive as I step out behind him, and I prepare myself for what’s going to come next.

Hands thrust deep into his pockets, Ben turns, studying me carefully. “You seem to know this area pretty well already. Henry tells me you weren’t due to start until Monday.”

I don’t reply, not sure whether that’s an accusation or merely an observation.

“You knew John?” he asks, mouth turned down as he stares out into the woods on the far side of the road.

“I did. He was the one who convinced me to join the rangers. Brought me up here to hike lots of times. I thought I was coming out here to shadow him for a while, not replace him. I’m so sorry.”

Ben nods, and I can see the pieces of the puzzle sliding into place in his mind as I fill in some of the blanks for him. Scrubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw, he narrows his eyes. “You were friends. I saw lots of notes in his journal about you coming. He seemed excited to get you here.”

Hopefully John liking me extends me some grace around here.

“He was a good man. He helped me a lot,” is all I reply, because I don’t know what else to say.

John was excited to get me here, not necessarily because we were best friends, but because he felt like until I got here, I was a danger to myself and others. Now I understand why he was so eager. He knew I’d meet more of my kind and learn all about who and what I am.

“We appreciate you helping us look for Kali,” Ben says. “These last few months have been… a lot. And Kali… she’s had a hard life already. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

Ben’s brown eyes lock with mine, and I force myself to stay calm. He’s not fishing, and he’s not suggesting it’s my fault. Ben’s just a concerned relative who’s tired and worried.

Guilt gnaws at my insides. I could tell him that Kali is my mate, and that I believe she’s alive, but I have no proof. And she didn’t want me near her, so she might not appreciate coming back to half the town expecting us to live happily ever after.

“Anyway, I wanted to stop by and say the ranger cabin is ready. Holly moved the last of John’s personal belongings out. There was some damage from the storm, but it’s going to be fixed over the next few days.” Extending a hand, he drops a set of keys into mine. “It’s all yours.”

I look at the keychain as I wrap my fingers around them. A soaring mountain top is surrounded by dense forest, and the ranger logo is stamped on the front. Tucking them away in my pocket, I wait, because Ben didn’t come all the way down here just to give me some keys and to thank me for joining the search.

“Officer Kenny said he saw you at her cabin. That you were acting shifty and were overly interested in her bedroom.”

Here we go.

“And Henry just got a call from the local PD in your hometown, asking if it was true you’d moved up here to start a new job. They mentioned something about an assault they want to speak to you about. Any idea what that could be about?”

Shit. That’s the last thing I need cropping up right now. I decide changing the subject is the best way to distract Ben from this line of questioning.

“Some guy called Jed was out at the cabin giving Kali shit the other night.”

Ben reels back, shocked; his features quickly darken as his eyes turn pitch black. Friendly, easy-going Ben is gone. This version looks like he’s ready to kill.

“I went to Zora to have a chat with him. Couldn’t find him, and Joy at the diner swore he was there when Kali went missing, for whatever that’s worth. But could this curse nonsense be the reason someone would want her?”

Ben doesn’t answer my question. Instead, he concentrates on his breathing until the madness has faded from his eyes.

“I can’t believe he had the nerve to come to Sutton. He must have known that we were distracted,” he muses. “Did he hurt her?”

It’s obvious Ben cares for Kali deeply. He looks upset that he didn’t know.

“No, he was giving her some shit, but that’s all. But this prophecy thing. Do people really take this seriously? Would anyone be stupid enough to act on it?”

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