“It’s the only answer.”
“You were never a good liar. By the way… how does it feel to have your aunt back home safe and sound? How many lies have you had to tell so far? When she holds you and tells you she loves you, do you feel guilty? Or do you feel like a hero for all the sacrifices you made?”
“What I sacrificed, you can’t even begin to understand or measure. You’d have to have a heart for that.”
“I may not have a heart, but if I were you, I’d be afraid of what beats in its place.”
I couldn’t help myself. I had to get my hands on her again, so I did. I gripped her hips and pulled her into me.
“Try something like this again,” I growled low and tightened my hold on her, “and one night I will crawl through your window and make you disappear. I won’t need to kill your aunt. I won’t need to hurt your best friend, and I won’t need to use your buddy, Jesse. Do you think they would survive not seeing you again?”
“I’m over you threatening to kill me.”
I couldn’t resist stealing a kiss from her lips, and without pulling away, I whispered, “It wasn’t a threat, and I have no intentions of ever killing you.” I stole another kiss. “I’m much too selfish for that.” I lifted my head to look her in the eye. “Stay out of my way, Monroe. I’m trying to protect you.”
“From you?”
“And from them. But yeah… mostly me.”
“And what if I just want to make you pay?”
“Then I’d say you were playing a very dangerous game.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lake
School couldn’t end soon enough. It didn’t help that I had a test in all of my classes today, including gym class. The stress of the confrontation with Keiran earlier was weighing down on me as I walked into the precinct. I stormed up to both Detective Daniel and Wilson’s desks with purpose.
“I have information.”
The detectives looked up from their coffee seemingly startled as their faces furrowed with confusion. “Lake, what are you doing here? What information?”
“Information that will help you bring Keiran in. He cannot continue to walk free.” Instead of looking grateful or relieved, the detectives shared a nervous glance. “What?”
“We aren’t pursuing Keiran Masters any longer.”
My stomach lurched before plummeting down to rest at my feet. “What do you mean? How could you not pursue him?”
“Masters also came to us this morning with valuable information.”
“Well, apparently, he didn’t turn himself in because I just saw him at school, so what could he have possibly told you that would make you drop the case against him?”
“It hasn’t been entirely dropped. It’s been temporarily suspended.”
“Then wha—”
“I’m sorry, Lake, but we can’t discuss it. It’s high profile and if we blow this, it would mean not only our jobs but many lives, as well.”
“After you convinced me to turn him in and testify, putting my own life at risk, you just decide to back out?”
“You don’t understand what’s at stake.”
“Then make me understand! It’s the least you could do, don’t you think?”
The detectives did their silent communication thing I was starting to hate. “We have the chance to catch a much bigger fish. We have the chance to bring down the most notorious child slavery ring in history.”
“And so now I’m just inconsequential?”
“Lake, we will continue to protect you. If Masters hadn’t provided us with suitable proof Trevor and Anya’s deaths were connected, then we wouldn’t consider it. However, as of now, we don’t believe he is a great threat to you or anyone else.”
“You don’t know him, Detective Daniels. He is calculating and manipulative. He’s using you to get what he wants, and I am a part of that equation.”
“We are on it, Lake. Trust us. If Masters tries anything, we will lock him up and throw away the key.”