Page 97 of Be With Me (Adair Family 4)

I’d fallen intensely in love with Arran Adair. But I knew now it would never have changed me and Kia. I would’ve given anything for Kia to be alive, to watch her find her own Arran.

But that was an impossible dream, and I had to make do with knowing she was in Heaven with Granny, relieved I’d found love and security. Joyful that I was on the road to finding peace.

Blinking back tears of sadness and joy, I tried to let go of the sadness and think of Arran. I thought of him coming home to me tonight and having my way with him again. Apparently, I was insatiable.

He told me yesterday his house was almost finished. When I got excited for him, he grew quiet, observing me as if he wanted to say something.

I had a feeling he wanted to ask me to move in with him but didn’t want to push.

And I didn’t broach the subject in the off chance I was wrong and I freaked him out because … I might love my little lodge, but I’d love even more to live with Arran in that beautiful house near his family.

Our family.

So lost in my thoughts, I wasn’t really paying attention when I pulled up to the lodge ten minutes later.

That was the reason I didn’t see the gift on my porch until I was practically on top of it.

For a second, it didn’t register.

I thought the gift might be from Arran, and it was only as I lowered to open the box that I thought how weird it was for him to do this, considering the scare I’d gotten from Maranda’s harassment.

My blood turned ice-cold as I opened the box and saw the photo of Kia and Ezra taped to the inside. Items had been piled inside: a necklace with a gold K, lipstick.

Was that a …

Bile rose, and I gagged as I launched to my feet and backed away.

A lock of hair.

Kia’s?

Footsteps sounded over the rushing blood in my ears, and my head jerked toward the sound. Fear suspended me as Ezra Jefferson appeared around the side of the house.

Although he’d lost some of his dark hair since I saw him last, I recognized his face. Once upon a time, I might have thought him handsome. But evil had made him ugly.

He wore a polo shirt and slacks. His posture was relaxed as he slid his hands into his pockets and grinned as if he’d never been happier to see anyone. “Kia,” he called to me. “My love, it’s been too long.”

I bolted for the house as I heard his feet kick up to give chase. My fingers shook around my keys as I got them into the lock and fell into the small foyer. I slammed the door shut in his face and flipped the lock just as he crashed against the exterior. I screamed in fright.

The door began to give, so I turned frantically to the security panel on the wall, yanked down the cover, and hit the red panic button Lachlan had installed. A light next to it blinked to let me know the alarm had been sent.

Which meant an alarm was now sounding on Mac’s and Lachlan’s phones.

The door was seconds from crashing in against Ezra’s rage-filled battering.

Blood rushing in my ears, body trembling, I tried to get hold of my fear. The sound of my cell blaring from my purse on the porch grounded me. It would be one of the men checking to see if I was okay, and they’d come here when I didn’t answer. Plus, Lachlan could patch into my CCTV.

They’d definitely come for me.

I just had to hold Ezra off until they arrived.

Racing into the kitchen, I grabbed a butcher knife out of the block and then hid the block in the oven so Ezra wouldn’t have easy access.

Upon a shattering noise, I stood and whipped around. The door had collapsed inward, and Ezra walked through, his forehead glistening as he brushed invisible lint off his polo shirt. He glowered at me as I backed up to put the island between us.

“I have to tell you, my feelings are hurt, Kia. I’d thought after all this time, you’d be happy to see me.”

Kia.

“You made it so difficult to find you. How did you get out of the country with a false name? I know you didn’t make it legal because I couldn’t find your new name in the system. Nothing new under Kia Washington anywhere in the system.”

Oh my God. He really was goddamn deranged. “I’m not Kia. You killed my sister. Remember that?”

Ezra blinked, stupefied. “Why would you say such a thing? You’re right here. In front of me. And I’ve been looking for you for a very long time, Kia.”

Stall him, I heard my sister’s voice in my head. Keep him talking. You know the asshole loves to talk.

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