Page 46 of Caught in the Crossfire

Anger burned in his gut. “I haven’t done anything, and I would never hurt Nicole, even if I was furious with her. I love her and need her more than I need to breathe.”

A sour smile curved Esposito’s mouth. “You know what they say about love and hate. A fine line separates the two. You can hate someone with the same passion as you once loved them.”

That would never be the case with them. He knew it in his gut. Mason shook his head. “I have no life without her.”

“A sweet sentiment, Mason, but we need facts to keep you out of the pokey.”

“I’ll find them.” Whatever it took. He refused to go back to prison for crimes he didn’t commit.

She scowled. “That’s not a good idea. Law enforcement frowns on suspects chasing down leads, intimidating witnesses, and contaminating evidence.”

“I’m not going to intimidate anyone or contaminate evidence. If your freedom was on the line, would you sit on the sidelines and let someone else do the work, especially if the person you planned to marry had a target on his back?”

“We don’t know if the person who attacked Ms. Copeland is the same one framing you. For now, we have to assume these are two separate investigations. The police won’t be happy if you interfere. You could find yourself in jail again.”

The idea made him want to hurl, but what choice did he have? “I’ll be careful.”

“Not what I wanted to hear.” Esposito sighed. “You have my number. Call me if there are further developments. If I can’t shake free to get here, I’ll have Maddox send one of the other lawyers on staff. Be careful, Mason. I’d hate to see your future plans derailed. I’d hate even more to learn you’re dead.”

“I’m not fond of either alternative myself.”

With a few more instructions, the lawyer hurried to her car, and headed back to the airport in Knoxville where the Fortress jet waited to fly her back to Nashville.

Mason breathed in the fresh air for a minute and settled himself down before climbing into his truck. After sending a text to Brian about his approximate arrival time, he drove to Pet Palace. Nicole had asked him to stop by before heading to work. Truthfully, he needed a minute with her after the two-hour ordeal in an interrogation room with two cops at the top of their game. Both Ethan and Rod had hammered him relentlessly about timelines, details, and witnesses. Even though he counted the two men as friends, Mason wasn’t sure whether they believed his story or not.

When he parked in front of the salon and walked inside, Nicole glanced up from the computer screen, phone pressed between her shoulder and ear. Relief shone in her eyes when she saw him. Man, every time she looked at him with just that expression on her face, he fell more in love with her.

After she finished booking a grooming appointment and ended the call, Nicole came around the desk and pressed her lips to his in a hard, heated kiss. When she eased back, she gripped his biceps. “You’re okay?”

Not hardly. “Ethan and Rod don’t use torture to obtain answers.”

“The lawyer arrived?”

“Andrea Esposito is everything Maddox said she was. The lady is a ruthless shark and frustrated my interrogators from the first question asked.”

Satisfaction filled Nicole’s face. “Excellent. I owe Maddox a favor. I don’t know how I’ll repay him, but I’ll find a way. What do we do if Ethan drags you back in for another grilling session?”

An accurate assessment of how he felt at the moment. Grilled evenly on every side. “I’m to answer no questions without one of the Fortress lawyers present.”

“What’s the likelihood of you going back into the interrogation room?”

He tucked her against his chest and breathed in the familiar scent of her shampoo. “The way things are going, a near certainty.” Did someone hate him that much? If Fitzgerald lived in Otter Creek, Mason would point the police his direction. He and his family were the only ones that had a reason to come after him.

He frowned. Was it possible one of the other members of the Fitzgerald family was in town and carrying out a campaign to put Mason back in jail? Maybe Zane could help him figure out if the Fitzgerald family members were still in Liberty.

Much as he would like to go home to see his father, that wasn’t an option, especially now that he was suspected of committing various crimes around Otter Creek. He’d been warned by Ethan not to leave town.

“We’ll figure this out and move forward from here.” Nicole held him tighter. “No one is going to take you away from me. Sorry, Mr. Kincaid, but I can’t live without you now. I need you.”

“I feel the same about you, Ms. Copeland.” He dropped a quick kiss on her mouth before stepping back. “I need to go. We have an inspector coming to the Oakdale site in a few minutes. Who’s keeping watch?”

“Alex Morgan. He went to the back to help Dawn with an Irish Wolfhound. That big, sweet girl isn’t cooperating. She’s not a fan of baths. Alex is in the grooming room, two seconds away if there’s trouble.”

The door opened and Durango’s sniper walked into the reception area. “Daisy is all set but she’s not happy about it.” He squeezed Mason’s shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

“I’ve been better.” Understatement of the year.

“You can trust Ethan and Rod to find the right culprit.” His lips edged up at the corners. “You can trust us to help them find the answers faster. You’re not alone this time, Mason. You have many friends in this town who believe in you.”

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