Page 69 of Fortune's Control
My throat closed up. “Oh.” I anticipated returning to the garage apartment, but now I wasn’t so sure.
“I heard from the sheriff.”
His tone worried me. I sat on the bed in case my legs gave out. “What’s wrong?”
“Atlanta PD confirmed Wilson Skane’s ankle monitor and location inside his parents’ home.”
“It wasn’t him?”
“I didn’t say that.”
But he did. Either Wilson Skane did it, or I imagined his face, and someone else wanted to kill me? Two horrible options, and I disliked both of them.
“I’ll bet you never imagined this outcome at the Gator Tale that night. A bit of attraction, and several favors later, you’re dealing with my mess of a life.”
“I enjoy your mess, Lilah.” Shane grabbed my arm and locked me against him. I let my head rest beside his heart as my eyes sank closed. His deep rumble traveled through him and echoed against my ear. “It’s time for you to relax, so why don’t you let me carry all that fear hiding inside you?”
His powerful arms encased me as I listened to his heart’s steady thump. A tired energy thrummed through me, not from any physical activity, but from emotional exhaustion. Histouch steadied and excited me.
“Shane.”
He must have heard something in the way I said his name. “Let’s go to bed.”
*****
Heaven was Shane’s bare skin against mine. I lay on my side, with my back curled into his chest. His hard cock lay between us, so I squirmed against him as contentment filled me.
“Careful, or we’ll skip right to the end. And where is the fun in that?” Shane’s hips thrust forward despite his question.
We both knew how the night ended and could afford to wait for its arrival.
Shane moved my hair back to kiss my neck, and goosebumps snaked down my arm. I twisted, seeking more of his touch, and the prickly hair on his jaw rubbed against mine. It tickled, causing me to giggle and cover my mouth from embarrassment.
“Shane?”
He hummed an acknowledgement.
“I think my mother told Wilson Skane. I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s the only explanation that makes sense. Emma didn’t tell him, and she lives with her parents. I pictured him breaking into my apartment and finding a map or another clue, but that’s silly. The police wouldn’t tell a witness’s whereabouts to a suspect, right? That leaves my mother. She knew I was here in Fortune’s Creek, but didn’t know where.” His silence stretched, and I realized he had already drawn that conclusion. I bet he figured it out while I went poking around for other explanations. “You already guessed that? Did the deputy tell you?”
Sophie and I gave the deputy a shared report,and Shane spoke with him afterward. I figured it was because of safety concerns and didn’t bother asking.
“No, we only have confirmation that the sedan was stolen early this morning. I asked him to update us if the sheriff’s department learned more,” he said, dashing my foolish hope.
“It was her then.” Gloom settled over me, not only at my admission, but at his easy agreement. “I spoke to her this morning, and she didn’t say a word, which means it wasn’t today. She knew I was a witness; she knew everything. Why is that?” I didn’t wait for a response. “Because she didn’t care enough to tell me.”
“Do you want to call her? I can be here with you, or I could do it.”
An image of him yelling over the phone popped into my head. Shane would intimidate her into a confession. “Not right now. Maybe tomorrow, or even later. Later is good. If a strange man came to her house to ask about her daughter, I want to believe she’d refuse to tell him. I know my childhood doesn’t match that of other people, but she’s still my family. Sarah Jane moved from job to job to ensure there was money to live on.”
“Lilah, are you familiar with the concept of damning with faint praise?”
I ground my teeth. “I guess I’m saying that she kept boundaries between her social life and me. She worked as a waitress, a bank teller, and held several other jobs. You’ve never met her, not in person. Sarah Jane is…” There’s no way to explain it until you’re in her presence. “She charms people and easily makes friends. She also says whatever works to her advantage. That’s why she didn’t tell me.” It’s why Shane believed she lied about my grandmother.
“You’re right, I haven’t met her, but you’ve told me about your childhood, and I spoke to her on the phone. What you’ve described isn’t charm, Lilah, it’s manipulation.” Shane nuzzled my neck with his chin’s shadow to lessen the hurt from his words.
“If that’s true, it means she manipulates me.”
Understanding my sensitivity, Shane backed off rather than pushing forward. “Tell me about your positive childhood experiences.”
