A Merciful Death (Mercy Kilpatrick #1)(49)

But she still felt its stain.

Especially at work when her coworkers searched for a killer.

She was a killer.

Bile burned in the back of her throat. She climbed out of her vehicle, putting all thoughts of that night out of her head, and strode toward the cheery building. She hoped Levi was covering the shop and not Kaylie. If he wasn’t alone, she’d order a coffee and leave. She’d managed to talk to Rose and Pearl; she could handle Levi.

She entered, not surprised to find the coffee shop empty in the middle of the afternoon. Mornings were the time for refueling.

Levi stepped out of the back room at the sound of her footsteps and froze as he spotted her.

“Are we alone?” she asked before he could tell her to get lost.

“No.” Levi looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Owen?”

Mercy wanted to dash back out the door. She’d been mentally prepared for one brother, not two.

Owen appeared in the doorway, his eyebrows raised in question. “Yeah, Levi . . .” His voice trailed off as he focused on Mercy.

Her oldest brother looked like her old recollections of her dad. Lean, but ready to explode with power when provoked. She met his gaze, startled to see her own eyes in someone else’s face. Even though she’d lived with him for most of her childhood, today it felt brand new.

“Crap,” her oldest brother said. He looked from her to Levi. “You two look like you have something to talk about. I don’t want any part of it.” He ducked back through the doorway and then reappeared with his hat in his hand. He strode around the counter, his attention focused on the front door, his boot steps ringing with determination.

“Owen,” Mercy started.

“Don’t talk to me, Mercy. You nearly ripped this family apart. I hope you’re not back to finish the job.” He shoved his hat on his head without a glance in her direction. The door slammed behind him.

She wanted to melt into the floor. She looked at Levi, prepared to see condemnation. Instead there was sympathy.

“Ignore him.”

She grasped the thin olive branch. “I don’t have a choice.”

“I mean don’t let his words and actions affect you.”

“Easier said than done,” she whispered. “Was what I did that bad? Seriously? After fifteen years, no one is ready to forgive me for making a personal choice?”

Levi didn’t answer. He picked up a cloth and started to wipe down the espresso machine, averting his eyes. “It’s water under the bridge. For me.”

“Then why wouldn’t you talk to me on Monday? You acted like you’d never met me.”

His hand halted midwipe and his gaze flew to hers. “I was following your lead. You didn’t say a word when I appeared. I didn’t know who you were with or what he knew about you. When you didn’t acknowledge me, I figured it was for a good reason.”

Mercy pressed a hand against her forehead. “Oh shit. I was following your lead. I assumed you didn’t want Kaylie to know who I was. Plus I was floored to find you in here. We only stopped because we wanted coffee.”

Levi snorted. “I guess we both screwed up.”

She blew out a huge breath and summoned her courage. “Can we start over? Levi, I’m so happy to see you.” She stared at him, leaving the ball in his court, her heart in his hands. Will he shoot me down?

He tossed the cloth on the counter and came out from behind the coffee bar. Before she could move, he’d wrapped both his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, spinning in a circle. “Baby Mercy, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

“Don’t call me baby,” she choked out. Her heart felt like the Grinch’s as it expanded to three times its size and relief shot through her.

In a way, reconnecting with Levi was better than with her sisters. Part of her had always known her sisters would take her back. But men were a different story.

He set her down and his eyes glistened.

“What about Owen?” she whispered.

“Fuck him. If he wants to hold a grudge the rest of his life, let him. He can grow old and sour like Dad.” He paused. “It’s the only way he knows how to behave.”

She knew that. Owen had always been a follower, unable to make his own decisions. He was more comfortable doing what other people dictated, and apparently nothing had changed.

“We need to talk about that night,” she said in a low voice.

He took a half step back and looked her in the eye. “Why? It’s in the past. It’s over.”

She bit her lip as she wondered how much to share with him. “He’s dead, right?”

Levi stared at her. “Why are you asking that now?”

“Because something’s come up that’s made me question it.”

“He’s dead.”

“How do you know?”

He seemed to shrink in front of her eyes. “Because I’ve checked,” he said quietly. “Three times I’ve gone back to see if he’d been found. No one has disturbed him.”

“Where is he?”

His face drained. “I think it’s best only I know that information. You need to take my word for it. I found a good place to stash the body. It’s just bones now.”

Some of her stress drained away, and she swayed slightly in her boots.