Page 12 of In His Veins

“I have an acquaintance who works as a paramedic. I’ll see if he can tell me the location of the most recent OD calls. Maybe that will give us a place to start.” Nodding, I don’t respond, and he leans up on his arms.

“How’s Ava?” My heart thrums in my chest, but I keep a bored expression.

“She’s fine. You’re right, she really just works and goes home.” Chase chuckles, leaning back on the couch.

“She used to do that all the time before she met Paige. You’ve gotta watch out for that one.” Fighting a smile, I think about Ava’s new tattoo and nearly laugh out loud at how Chase will react.

7

THE STALKER

He sits in his SUV and watches. Once, he nearly gets to the cafe door before returning to his car. Later, Callum stands on the poorly-lit sidewalk, and still watches.

My patience is finally rewarded as a beautiful, petite woman flees from him in the parking lot. But still he doesn't make a move, then gets back in his car.

She drives home and Callum follows her. I am not far behind.

8

CALLUM

I wake up desperate for Ava. Early morning light filters through my blinds; the same light that illuminates Ava’s sleeping form in her bedroom. I make my breakfast and watch her morning routine. She braids her hair today, mesmerizing me with her nimble hands. Every little thing she does draws me in more, and I know I won’t be able to do any work today if I’m not near her.

Grabbing my laptop and my keys, I arrive at the cafe a few minutes after they open. From my seat in a corner booth, a bright laugh can be heard from the kitchen. I would never have imagined Ava to be a morning person, but that sound couldn’t belong to anyone else. It fits her honey eyes and the sensual mouth that always seems on the verge of a smile.

Little strands of hair have already escaped her braid as she exits the kitchen and catches sight of me, smiling as if she’s known me her entire life.

“Hi, welcome to The Sable House. My name’s Ava. Getting an early start this morning?” My returning smile is immediate.

“A bit of a late start, actually. I’m just hoping I’ll be able to concentrate better here.”

“Well, what can I get for you?” She leans against the other side of the booth and props her pen above her notepad. I can’t help but look her up and down. When my eyes return to her face, her eyebrows are slightly raised. She still has a small smile and seems pleased by the attention.

“Just a black coffee for now.” She closes her notepad without writing anything.

“I’ll be right back with that.” Her cheeks are flushed as she walks from my table.

Knowing that Ava is so close by, I feel like I can finally focus on my actual work and connect to my VPN to do some research on a few more suspects. Kenny Preston’s admission eliminated a few, but I feel no closer to finding this guy than before. Chase texts me during the day with locations of the most recent 9-1-1 OD calls: two at the university, one at a club called Rafters, one in a nice residential area, and one in the warehouse district.

Ava refills my coffee as I work, but doesn’t have much time to talk with me as people fill up the cafe. I hear her laugh in other areas of the room and the sound soothes me when frustration grows as my research yields fruitless results. The next time Ava comes near my table, I lean a little towards her to get her attention. Her automatic smile is breathtaking and she returns swiftly with my check.

She’s given me free refills all day and I leave her an obscene tip before gathering my belongings. Even with the knowledge she’ll be off work soon, it’s hard to leave the cafe. By the time I return home, I’ve received an email from Chase with the official police reports from each overdose case.

A couple of hours pass before I notice the time. My heart thrums as realization hits that Ava should be getting home. I plan to pull up the video feed and let it play in the background while I work through these reports, until I see Paige following Ava through her front door.

Ava throws her dirty apron on the floor, and I see her lips move. The reports no longer hold my attention as I turn up the volume.

“I’m not like you, Paige. I can’t just go up to a guy like that. How do you even do that? I mean, how does that even come up in conversation?” Paige laughs as she sinks into Ava’s couch, shrugging off her sweater before leaning back.

“Well first of all, when I see someone I want to hook up with, I’m not exactly trying to engage them in a stimulating conversation. You ask some basic questions to get to know them and then make it known that you’re attracted to them. It usually works out from there.” Ava shakes her head and sits at the other end. Paige immediately puts her feet in Ava’s lap and leans her head against the arm of the couch.

“I don’t think I have it in me.”

“When was the last time you got laid?” Paige raises an eyebrow at her, and I’m transfixed as I wait for her answer.

“Too long,” She sighs, fidgeting with the frayed fabric covering her sofa. I feel my shoulders relax at the answer. Paige gasps and sits upright.

“I have a brilliant idea. You should come to the club with me.” Ava lets out a startled laugh.

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