Page 22 of Blood and Sand

I walked up to her and wrapped her in my arms. “I’m not relenting on this one, sweetheart. You’re mine to protect, and I can’t do that with you here. You’re coming home with me, and that’s final.”

With a deep sigh, she finally gave in. I didn’t know if it was the fear she saw in my eyes, but when she agreed, I relaxed and let out a breath of relief. I wanted control over this situation. As of right now, whoever the killer was had been in control of my every move, including pulling Dana into this. Hopefully, with her under my roof, I could protect her from whatever the killer had planned.

“There’s no chance I’ll be seeing Chanel there?”

“What the hell is it with you and her?” I asked as I grabbed her suitcases and escorted her out of the hotel room.

“Just answer the damn question, Rey. I do not want to see that woman anywhere near the house while I’m staying there.”

When we stepped onto the elevator, I set her suitcases down and pushed the button for the lobby. I took in a deep breath and exhaled. No one on this earth was more important than Dana, and I hated that she couldn’t see that. Chanel was a warm body. A warm body I used to relieve stress and forget about her. Chanel was one of many.

I reached out and caressed her face, feeling her smooth, velvety skin against my fingertips. It was one thing I missed, just being able to touch her. Her eyes fluttered.

“DeeDee, for the last time, there is nothing serious going on between Chanel and me. She’s nothing more than a piece of ass. No, you will not be seeing her.”

She released a breath and nodded.

Why couldn’t she see that she was the only one for me?

Chapter seven

Detective Rey LaCroix

HavingDanabackhomewas strange but welcomed. She hadn’t been here since the night she’d left, and I felt a little self-conscious about her being here even though I’d given her no other choice but to come home.

While I hadn’t changed a single thing in the place, including our wedding photos still proudly on display, she didn’t mention it as she walked through, nor did she mention the photo of us on our first trip together sitting on the nightstand beside our bed, the same place it had been since we’d taken it.

When I offered the master bed for her to sleep in, of course, she fought tooth and nail, but I didn’t feel right having her in the same bed I fucked Chanel in. I regretted even tainting that room with Chanel’s presence. But, when I finally became exhausted from arguing, I asked if she would rather sleep in the actual bed I fucked her in or the one no other woman had been in except her.

That shut up her protest quick.

“Where are you going to sleep?” she asked as she slid under the covers of our bed while I plugged my phone into the charger beside the bed.

As soon as we’d arrived and got the arguing out of the way, she’d jumped in the shower in the master suite, and I’d used the one in the guest bedroom. Now, all my senses were on high alert. She still used cocoa butter on her lush skin and the same sweet-smelling shampoo.

A mischievous grin touched my face. It had been a long day and night, and now, it was after three in the morning. A couple more homicides added to the ever-growing list of deaths in the parish, and now with the threats against her, I wanted nothing more than to see her smile and have her in my arms.

“Where do you think I’m going to sleep, DeeDee? Inourbed.”

“Rey, this isn’tourbed. This isyourbed that you’ve kindly allowed me to use while I stay here, and I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean, why not?”

“You scared you can’t keep your hands to yourself?”

A beautiful flush stained her cheeks. She giggled and shook her head. The sound was like music to my ears. I would rather us banter back and forth to keep her mind off the dire situation we were in and the target that had been placed squarely on her back.

“There’s that smile. Listen, sweetheart, I just want to hold you in my arms. This shit has my nerves rattled and yours. We were friends before we were lovers, DeeDee. Right now, we both need each other. I need to know my friend is safe. I need to know I’m keeping her safe.”

Although her look was skeptical, she agreed. So, I started to remove my t-shirt, then reached for my boxers.

“Wait!” She held her hands up. “Rey, what are you doing?”

I looked at her, confused. She knew I didn’t sleep with clothes on, even before we’d married. I loved the feeling of the cold sheets against my skin. It calmed me after long days or nights at the station, and tonight, I needed fucking calm.

“I’m getting ready to go to sleep.”

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