Page 72 of Gunner

“Are you leaving?” Ben asked.

“Yeah. I’m beat. Doubt there will be a round two tonight, so I might as well head back to the clubhouse.”

“Oh. Yeah. There’s no other reason to stay, then.”

Was he pissed? His tone was back to being waspish like when he was annoyed at me.

“Is there?” I asked over my shoulder.

“I told you something personal you forced out of me, and then you’re ready to leave. I think that says everything.” Ben got out of bed and yanked on his shirt. His shorts quickly followed.

“And where are you going?” I asked when he headed to the door.

“It would be impolite of me not to walk you to the door.”

“I can let myself out just like I let myself in.”

Ben rounded on me. “That’s another thing. Don’t sneak into my house again whether I’m home or not. Knock or use the doorbell like normal people do.”

“I’m always gonna do whatever the hell I please, Ben.” I crossed my arms and glared at him and his kiss-swollen lips, which were begging for more. “Besides, I didn’t plan on showing up here tonight. It just sort of happened.”

“You expect me to believe you sort of landed on my bed while I was taking a shower?”

“Believe what you will, but I had no intention of seeking you out after Riverton.”

“What happened in Riverton was one hundred percent your fault.”

“You know what? Fuck you, Witter. I had nothing to do with Paddy’s death, and if you don’t believe that, it makes even more sense for me to go.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Ben grabbed my shoulder. Yeah, he was strong as fuck, and I liked it. “I meant you leaving without hearing the full story.”

“What full story?”

“I believed you. I don’t think you had anything to do with Paddy’s death.”

Surprised, I laid my hand over his. “You don’t? Because it seemed like you sided with Millwood.”

“You’re wrong. In fact, I told him…”

He averted his gaze and tried to pull away, but I held on to him. “You told him what?”

“I told him you couldn’t have done it because you were with me the whole night.”

I exhaled slowly. “But…I wasn’t with you the whole night.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“You mean you lied?”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. I already knew you weren’t responsible, and I needed you to help me with this case.”

“How can you be so sure I didn’t kill him?”

“Because you’re many things, but I don’t think you’re a liar. If you’d killed Paddy, you would have come out and said so.”

All the excuses in the world wouldn’t cover the only part of that story I could fixate on. Ben Witter, Cop of the Century, Mr. Boy Scout, had lied to a high-ranking police officer for me. Maybe I wasn’t the only one with all these crazy mixed feelings about us after all.

“I’ve changed my mind,” I said, unable to take my eyes off him.

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