Page 25 of Dead and a Best Friend
"What's going on over there?" I nodded toward City Hall.
"It's a zoo with all the reporters." Pen glanced toward the town square, where camera crews were setting up. "I don't want to watch. Do you mind if I go and lie down upstairs?"
"Of course I don't mind. You know better than to ask." I smiled and gave her a hug. "I'm here if you need me."
She snorted. "I should be saying that after what happened to you yesterday." Her eyes roved over my bruised face. It didn't hurt too badly, thanks to the concoction of pain pills I’d taken.
"I'm fine." I gave her a brief hug. "I'm going to head outside. I want Aiden and Jane to see me watching them get carted off to jail."
"Be careful, or Detective Levi Riley will step in." She raised her eyebrows because I'd told her about Levi.
"That isn't funny," I grumbled.
"Oh, yes, it is." She went into the back hallway while I grabbed a jacket and went out front.
Was this the best thing to do? I had no idea. I just knew I had to see them taken out to the secure transport. I hadn't told Pen, but I needed to make sure that my best friend was safe from her deranged soon-to-be ex-husband and that they were out of town.
As though in sync, a hush fell over the reporters. I glanced up at the entrance to City Hall. Oliver stood in his full uniform. I pushed my way to the front and saw that only Angel and Aiden were being led forward. Where was Jane? My eyes scanned the area, and I caught sight of Carlisle and the woman getting into his SUV in my periphery. That bastard!
"Tallulah?"Riley—Levi—spoke directly into my head."I'm sorry. I tried to keep Jane in jail. She took a deal and told the DA everything she knew about Aiden's enterprise."
"She belongs in prison."
"I agree."
Behind Oliver, two officers were leading Aiden. Lane and Riley were on either side of Angel. It was difficult to think of Detective Riley as Levi. I would get there if we stayed in touch. I hoped we would, because he was the only one who could truly understand what it felt like to have a conversation with someone else in your mind. I had plenty of experience talking to myself.
Suddenly, I sensed someone nearby with the thought of death hanging over them. I clutched my chest, feeling lightheaded. What the heck was going on? I glanced up and met Levi's concerned gaze. I knew what it meant. I started running toward him and shouted in my mind,"Levi, get down! Gun aimed at you!"He froze, and a second later, I tackled him to the ground as the sound of a rifle shot echoed through the air.
People screamed and ran. Levi rolled me off him, got to his feet, and tugged me up with him. "Stay down," he said. He shoved me behind a news van and peered around the corner.
I glanced back and saw Angel lying on the ground, blood pooling around his head. I felt queasy. That had been meant for Levi. I knew it had.
Police radios started squawking, and I heard that they had found where the shot had been fired from. However, the shooter had escaped.
Levi turned to me and offered his hand. I took it, and he pulled me straight into his arms. I rested against him. I could feel his heart pounding under my ear."Are you hurt?"
"No, you?"
"No, but Angel's dead and Aiden's gone."
"What?!"
I pulled away from him and looked around. I spotted Oliver right away, and he looked furious.
"Oh God, Pen!" I turned and ran toward the café.
"Where is she?"
“In my apartment above the café.”
Heavy footsteps followed, and then Levi caught up with me. I'm a fast runner, though, so I managed to keep up with him and his long legs. He opened the door, and I ran past him into the back. My fingers trembled as I entered the code. "Pen?" I shouted as soon as the door opened.
It was quiet upstairs, but my heavy breathing from running through the town square made it hard to hear anything else. "Pen?!" I shouted again. I headed to the bedroom she uses when she stays over, but there was no sign of her. There was an indentation on the pillow, though.
"I think she's in the tub. I heard water."
Levi was about to burst into the bathroom when I caught his arm."If she's in the tub, she's probably naked."I gave him apointed stare, and he had the good grace to blush and step aside."I need to stop talking to you in my head. It's making me lazy,"I thought as I pushed open the bathroom door.
