Deadly Heat (Deadly #2)(93)

He’d started to turn away but froze at her words.

“Bob Kyle did have family in the area. Cousins. An aunt. They’ll be coming for the body.” Her eyes held his. “And, by the way, they’ll be needing an apology, from you.”

She shoved open the door. The sun hit her, too bright, and Monica realized she’d been in the PD far too long. I lost the whole night.

No wonder her knees were trembling. When was the last time she’d eaten?

“Agent Davenport!”

Great.

“You can ignore him,” Luke said. “The car’s right there.”

Ah, but that wasn’t her style. She stopped and spun slowly back toward the PD and saw Malone running toward her.

Her spine stiffened. If he wanted to push her, he’d be drawing that hand back with some frostbite.

He’d deserved his interrogation. So his pride was hurt. Big damn deal. Pride could recover. And if it hadn’t been for his interrogation, well, the pieces might not have clicked for her.

“You know who it is, don’t you?” Malone said, stopping close and squinting against the sun.

She gazed back at him.

“I saw your face, when you were questioning me—something—something happened.” His eyes scanned her face now. “You know who it is.”

If only.

“I want in on this. I’m cleared, and I want back in on this. These are my people, my city. I sat there for hours and let you go at me. Shit, I deserve to be back on this team. I—”

He did. “You didn’t break.”

Malone blinked.

All those hours and he hadn’t let the anger take over. Hadn’t lost control. Impressive.

Or dangerous. She wasn’t sure which. Not yet.

“Get some sleep.” Ramirez was right. If they didn’t get rest, they’d all be screwed. “Then come back. We’ll put you on the task force.”

“You know.”

Not yet, but—God willing—soon. “When you come back, we’ll have a list of suspects ready.” They’d need help narrowing down that list, and she’d see what Malone could do.

Because she knew that list would include the names of his friends. Malone was tight with the firefighters in the area, and, most likely, with the killer.


Lora glanced at the bedside clock. Oh, hell. “Is that really the time?” Two-thirteen P.M. She’d slept most of the day away. “I’ve got to get dressed. Garrison will be here at three.” She jumped from the bed and let the sheet drop. “We’re going to the hospital to check on Wade—”

“You’re trying to act like it never happened.” His voice stopped her. “It happened, Lora. I’m not gonna play nice and act like I never told you—”

Her breath caught. “Kent…”

“That I love you.”

Her knees did a fast tremble.

Kenton rolled from the bed and pushed to his feet. Then he stalked toward her. Naked, tall, strong. “Maybe you don’t want to hear it, but too damn bad.”

Lora wanted to retreat, but she didn’t move. Not an inch.

He brushed against her. “I didn’t plan this. I planned for sex. Hot. Wild. And so good we’d both go crazy. Because I knew it would be like that the first time I kissed you.”

She turned fully toward him and didn’t know what to say. But, yeah, she’d planned for that. She’d wanted that hard rush of release that she knew would banish her ghosts and the pleasure that would force her out of the past and show her the present.

“One time. Just once and I was hooked.”

Wait, was that good? Or bad? Sounded bad.

But she understood the feeling. She’d been the same way. Hooked. On his touch. His kiss.

“Then I started to fall for you,” he said. “Or, hell, maybe I started that first night.” His lips curved, again, and her gut tightened at the sight of his dimples. “That first night—when you knocked me on my ass.”

“Y-you wouldn’t get out.” Her voice softened a bit. “I didn’t want to—”

“Doesn’t really matter when, though.” His eyes narrowed at the corners. “Just know that now, when I breathe, I taste you.”

She gulped.

“When I wake up, the first thought I have is of you.”

Even when he wasn’t in her bed, he was her first thought, too.

“I’m not the jealous type, Lora.” A shake of his head. “But I almost punched that cop because he’d had you.”

Ah, Pete? He was talking about Pete now?

“I don’t want to think of you with anyone else, before or after me. Sure as hell not after, because I don’t want us to end when this case is over.”

Neither did she. Her feelings—yeah, they scared her. Because when you cared so much, you opened yourself up to a world of hurt. She didn’t want to hurt again.

No, she hadn’t planned for him.

Wild sex was what she’d wanted.

But she’d found much more.

Enough to risk her heart again? “Kent…”

He kissed her. He brushed his mouth over hers. Not in a hard, demanding kiss. Instead…

Caressing.

He lifted his head while she still wanted his mouth. “We’ll finish this case. You’ll get your justice for Carter.”