Page 99 of Claiming Ours
His wide frame blocked me from seeing who was on the other side of the now-open door, but as soon as the voice hit my ears, the hair on my arms stood on end. As if sensing my nervousness,Elvis stood up from where he lounged in front of the fireplace and came to sit at my feet, Hank doing the same.
“Yeah, come on in,” Liam said, tension clear in his tone. “What is this all about?”
My heart hammered as the sheriff, Oliver, Brandon, and Carl filed into the cabin. Their expressions ranged from resigned to suspicious, the latter on the sheriff’s tight features.
Brandon and Carl moved to flank Liam. I looked at Memphis, who grabbed my hand and jerked me back down onto the couch, tucking me against his side.
“Where were you yesterday afternoon?” Sheriff Johnson demanded, looking at Liam, puffing up his chest.
Liam, to his credit, didn’t react to the accusing tone or fake bravado from the sheriff. Instead, he looked at Oliver and arched a brow.
Oliver sighed and placed a hand on his father’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “Let me handle this, Dad,” he offered.
“It’s Sheriff Johnson,” he snapped, flabby cheeks going red. “We need to know exactly where he was yesterday afternoon to rule him out.”
“Rule him out?” I whispered to Memphis, not taking my eyes off the five men. “For what?”
“I was here yesterday with Baylee,” Liam said, rubbing his jaw as if attempting to ease the tension. “And Memphis. Langston was here for a little while too.” He crossed his thick arms over his chest and glared down at the short, overweight man. “Why do you want to know?”
Oliver and his dad exchanged a look before the sheriff waved at Oliver to explain.
“Jasper Cain didn’t show up for last night’s shift at Sips, which was normal for him, but Paul still called us to do a wellness check like he always does. I figured I’d find Jasperpassed out on his floor like I have many times before, but last night was different.”
“How so?” Brandon asked, clearly not knowing what this was all about either.
“I found him at his cabin—you know, the one about thirty minutes outside town. But he wasn’t passed out or even drinking or playing those fucking video games he loves.” Oliver looked at Brandon, Liam, and Carl before sliding his concerned gaze to where Memphis and I sat on the couch. A small smile curled his lips when he saw Hank at my side, but then it slipped as he sighed. “I found Jasper Cain dead in the middle of his living room.”
“What?” we all exclaimed in unison. I jumped from the couch, but Memphis tugged me back down. I landed next to him with a huff.
“What happened to him?” Carl questioned.
“At first it looked like a suicide, and the note we found beside him supported that. It said he was sorry, that he took the blame for all the missing women over the last few months, and that they were all dead.”
“What the fuck?” Liam said, disbelief in his voice.
“But you don’t believe it,” I cut in, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Oliver shook his head and locked his intense gaze on me. “No. Based on the evidence I recovered and the scene itself, I think it was staged.”
“So, you’re saying….” Brandon trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Oliver nodded, agreeing with Brandon’s suspicions.
“Jasper Cain was murdered.”
Keep reading for the conclusion to Baylee, Memphis and Liam’s story!
Want to know what happens next in Anchor Bay? Find out more in Book 3, Only Theirs, coming this winter! Throuple reveal this fall!
EPILOGUE
BAYLEE
My fingertips brushed along the smooth, stainless steel appliance as I padded around the kitchen of our new cabin. A slight ache burned in my cheeks from how long I’d held my wide smile. The guys had told me to meet them here after work and ended up being done early because of a cancelled appointment. Both would be here soon, but I intended to savor the few moments alone to revel in the beauty and hard work we had all put in over the last several months.
A content sigh passed my lips as I leaned against the granite countertop facing the empty space. Soon it would be filled with a large, leather couch, side tables, rugs, lamps, and Liam’s favorite chair. My cheeks heated, remembering all the fun we’d had in that chair. Of course it would make the move, we had too many more memories to make in it.
Along the row of windows that looked out over the back part of the property was where we’d put the dining table—it was big enough for just us three or could grow to fit as many of our friends who wanted to savor Memphis’s cooking. Our dining room and kitchen now were filled nightly with several of our friends eager to try whatever Memphis created.
