Ripper (Hunter #1)(70)

“Kelsey, I do,” he said with only the slightest bit of condescension. I forgave him because he was a big bad Texas Ranger and I was a twenty-six-year-old PI who’d had her license for less than eight months. “But I don’t see how going to a cemetery is going to help. I seriously doubt he’s burying these girls. He probably puts the bodies somewhere and waits for them to decay.”

“Joanne’s only been dead for a week,” I pointed out. “It’s entirely possible she isn’t gone yet.”

He sighed and turned where the bossy GPS voice told him to. “Possible, but not likely. I think you’re trying to put off the inevitable. I told you I would handle Helen Taylor.”

Now I wasn’t so forgiving. “She’s my client. I’ll handle her. If you think this is such a wild goose chase then take me a few miles back and I’ll get my car and do it on my own.”

I needed to pick it up anyway, but I’d put it off since I was going to the vampire club that night.

His hands tightened around the steering wheel. “That’s not going to happen, Kelsey. Look, your part of the case is over, sweetheart. You were hired to find out what happened to Joanne Taylor and you did. Case closed. There’s absolutely no reason for you to do this.”

My heart clenched a little. Why was he pushing me aside?

Last night and the night before, he’d been all about us solving the case together. He’d told me how much he needed me. He’d said he couldn’t solve the case without me.

Today, I was supposed to go my merry way? I thought briefly about how casual he’d been at breakfast, like a man completely satisfied with the outcome of the night before. I’d thought he’d been happy because he had me right where he wanted me, madly in love with him.

Maybe, I allowed for the first time, he’d just been satisfied he’d seduced me and could move on. It wouldn’t be the first time a man had lied to a woman to get into her pants. It might be the most elaborate lie, but not the first.

“I thought you needed my help.” My voice sounded even. That was good because I kind of wanted to go straight to screaming harpy.

He sighed. “You did a good job. You got me new info. Now I need to handle the case on my own. I’m trained to do this, Kelsey. I have all the resources I need to get the job done.”

“You can’t get into the vampire club.”

“I’ll deal with that problem when I have to.”

What kind of plan was that? “And I’m supposed to do what? Go back home and forget this ever happened? Go back to pulling police reports for lazy liability adjusters?”

He turned his deep blue eyes to me. His mouth firmed and he was ready for a fight. “Yes, that’s what you get paid to do. If you don’t get back to it, you’re going to lose your business and then what will you do? You worked hard for it.”

Then what would I do? This was coming from a man who told me he was marrying me and would treat me like a princess. He had more money than god, but I needed to worry about my business?

And he was wrong. I hadn’t worked hard. I’d spent most of the time playing solitaire or napping or chatting in the weird little café across the parking lot. Now that I was on a case that meant something, I realized how hollow my job had been before. I’d been drifting like I always had. Now I saw something I could be really good at. I could make a difference. Marcus had said last night that my work was important. I liked the sound of that.

“Look, sweetheart. There’s no reason for us to fight.” Gray’s voice went all kinds of smooth. He reached out to play with my knee as he took the last turn. “I have a lot of work to do on this case and you need to get back to your work. I talked to Jamie this morning. He’s going to stay with you for a while so you can get back to your office. I’ll see you on the weekends, okay? Once this case is finished, we can sit down and really talk about the future.”

He was dumping me on my brother. My entire body went cold. I hadn’t seen it coming. All my instincts went haywire around this man. It shouldn’t be so shocking that he was the one who ripped me apart.

“Sure, Gray. That’ll be fine. Why don’t you turn around and drop me off at home.” I had to turn off my emotions or I would lose it in front of him, and my dignity was all I had left. I could call Liv and she would help me get my car. Once I was mobile, I could continue on my own. I had that Zack guy’s number. I would call him ASAP and he’d put me in touch with Marcus Vorenus so he’d know where to pick me up tonight. I had my little black dress and it would have to do. Maybe Liv could talk me through the whole hair thing over the phone.

I thought about anything other than the fact that Gray was dumping me after one night.

“Sweetheart?”

I turned to him, perfectly clear eyed. “Yes, Gray?”

I wouldn’t take the sweetheart thing personally anymore. He probably called all of his conquests sweetheart. He probably forgot their names.

He pulled into the cemetery parking lot. He calmly put the car in park and twisted his big body around to look at me. “I don’t like the look in your eyes.”

“Well, you don’t have to put up with my looks if you take me home.”

He tried to pull my hand into his, but I tugged it away. “Baby, I’m trying to protect you. Your part of the case is over. You can get out.”