Page 124 of Love Me Dangerous

I close my eyes. “That’s where they met. That’s why…” I can’t finish the rest and I don’t want to.

The sheriff scratches his chin with his thumbnail. “Cellmates, maybe. That’d be easy to check.”

They’ve been connected since, I’m betting. Maybe they even hatched plans together while in prison, staked out territory. An ache tightens my chest.

“Dustin hasn’t made any calls to Alaska, has he?” I ask.

The sheriff’s eyes soften. “Got some news for you there. Wouldn’t matter if he did. Kristov’s being charged with murder, assault of an officer, arson, and a few related charges.”

My heart thumps hard into my throat. “What?” I croak.

The sheriff grunts. “Him and the fuckwit he got arrested with a few days ago are connected with organized crime. Running girls and selling stolen U.S. military weapons.”

This hits me like a slug to the sternum. “They got him?”

“Yeah. Looks like it’s going to stick, too.”

I swipe my cheeks and blink at the ceiling. Is this for real? I can finally get my life back?

Too many feelings hit me at once. Relief. Hope. Freedom. Grief. Love. Gratitude.

I suck in a sob and try to hold it all.

Could this really be happening?

“So while Dustin has us chasing our tails at The Limelight tonight,” Sheriff Olson says, watching me carefully, like he’s trying to be gentle about drawing me back to the conversation, “he’s bringing in a load of product for some big payoff.”

“Right.” I rub my chest to contain the emotions wanting to break loose so I can refocus on helping the sheriff. “He was meeting Kai. He works in the bike shop on the ranch. That’s how they’ve been getting stuff in. Dustin meets up with him when he’s out riding. He gives him a daypack loaded with product.”

“Did you see Kai out there?”

I shake my head but it makes my brain swim, so I inhale a breath and let it out slowly. “I caught a flash of his mountain bike coming down through the trees. It didn’t make sense to me then, and we were focusing on finding Linnea. But I’m sure it’s him.”

Sheriff Olson writes down KAI and underlines it.

“We had a girl OD at a party inside the ranch last night,” he says, frowning at his notes. “Maybe this Kai is the supplier.”

Jesse’s girlfriend, if I have my facts right. Which, in a roundabout way, put these events in motion. I sigh at the ceiling, suddenly feeling very tired. “No doubt he’s panicking right now, if he’s even still in town.”

Sheriff Olson taps the tip of his pen on the pad and stands. “We’ll find him.”

My thoughts snag on a detail, and I lock eyes with the sheriff. “Kristov’s arrest. You said murder.” The word hardens on my lips.

The sheriff raises an eyebrow. “Now might be a good time to share what you know about that.”

Relief sinks through me. Finally, it’s safe to talk about how Kristov lured a troubled girl to work for him, and when she tried to escape, he killed her.

I clench my fists. Fuck, it’s been a long haul, but soon it’ll be all worth it.

Finally, I can do right by Terrilynn.

“Come see me tomorrow.” The sheriff places his big hand on my shoulder. “You did good, Zach.”

He shuffles from the room. I close my eyes as it all sinks in.

Kristov’s been caught, and the police are pursuing a case—or several—against him. The sheriff is right. It’s time for me to speak out.

Kristov will never hurt me again.

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