Page 113 of Mistletoe and Malice
She escorted the men to the front door, where several security personnel were already filing outside to a caravan of black SUVs she hadn’t even known had shown up. No sign of Colton, which meant he’d probably already left.
She took a deep breath to squelch the pain in her chest. He certainly appeared to be going out of his way to avoid her.
With another smile she hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt, she shook the officers’ hands on their way out the door.
John stopped in front of her. “I mean it, Ri. We’ll get him. Even if he doesn’t show at the ball, we’ll find him.”
“I have faith you will. Say hi to Avery tonight when you go to dinner.”
“Will do. I know the girls miss having you with them.”
“I miss it too. But with everything going on, my friends are safer not being around me so much in public.”
“Those three would walk through fire with you.”
“And I for them. Oh, before I forget. I found that page Colton referred to from the initial interview with the florist. It was in the file. The defense just missed it. Another stellar job they did.”
John shook his head. “Shane should ask for his money back.”
“Right? If we can’t prove Warren killed Cait, I’m falling back on ineffective counsel in our appeal.”
“Whatever you need to do. We’ll see you later, Ri.”
“Bye, Detective.”
He walked out to one of the three unmarked police cars the officers had arrived in, and she waved from the doorway as they pulled around the large fountain in the center of the circular, flagstone drive.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
She started at the sound of Colton’s voice behind her, a split second before the door was slammed closed.
“Uh … I was just?—”
“Don’t stand in an open doorway, Riley.” Those icy blue eyes glared down at her. “Haven’t you learned anything from all this?”
She finally recovered from her shock at seeing him for the first time since their visit with Shane and tilted her chin. “I doubt seriously the creep is standing somewhere with a high-powered rifle pointed over the brick wall on the off-chance I might come to the door. Besides, I didn’t think watching out for me was your job any longer.”
Emotions she couldn’t define swirled in those eyes that could pierce right through her. “You’re still my responsibility. I haven’t lost anybody yet, and I won’t start with you.”
“How special I feel.” She hoped her saccharine smile would mask her heart crumbling in her chest. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do.”
She started to walk away, but he pulled her around by the hand. “I’m sorry I scared you. I don’t like you being where there’s nobody around you.”
Gooseflesh erupted all the way up her arm. “Because you had my guys tied up.” Although she wanted with everything she was to hold onto him for as long as she could, she pulled her hand free. “If there’s nothing more …”
He shook his head, and she walked up the stairs, willing back the despised tears she’d given in to much too often lately. She’d wanted to see him so many times the past week, but none of the pictures in her mind had included cold blue eyes and harsh words. It was as if they were back to Day One of their relationship, when he could stare daggers into her with that penetrating, icy gaze and raise her hackles with a simple look.
Once in her study, she closed the door and sagged against it, her pulse racing and stomach roiling. Had they lost everything?
Chapter Forty-Seven
Colton stood in his darkened kitchen and swallowed two over-the-counter sleep aids. He’d used them before to combat jet lag. Hopefully, they could drown out the sound of Riley’s voice when she’d stared up at him that afternoon, the shock in her eyes turning to pleasure for a split second before the hurt pushed it away.
Then the ire.How special I feel.
Shewasspecial. But his gut-level reaction to her standing in an open doorway had made her feel anything but. Again, something else he’d broken he had no idea how to fix, especially from the distance he needed to keep. For her own good.
The clock on the microwave told him it was well past eleven. These days, it seemed he left in the dark and came home in the dark. But even as the case against Everett strengthened, his whereabouts remained unknown.
