No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(49)

“Yes. You wouldn’t know who, would you?” Since he’d already guessed what she believed, she couldn’t help lifting her eyebrows in challenge.

A muscle moved in his cheek. “How would I know?”

“Whoever it was knocked on the side of the house, then came around back. I saw him, for a second, before he ran away.”

“What’d he look like?” Sly angled his head toward Dawson. “This guy right here?”

Sadie felt the tension between the two men edge up a notch, but, to Dawson’s credit, he didn’t take the bait. “Like a man dressed in black. He was wearing a hoodie that covered his face, so I couldn’t see it.”

Once again, Sly indicated Dawson. “And then this guy shows up right away? You don’t find that suspicious?”

Sadie was no longer cold. She was beginning to sweat. But she was still shaking. She knew how her response would sound to Sly, how he’d interpret it. “No, because he didn’t ‘show up.’ I called him.”

“You called him,” Sly repeated.

“I was scared,” she explained.

He pulled out his phone. “I don’t see where you tried to reach me.”

“Because I didn’t. Why would I? We’re divorced, Sly.”

“Not yet. And I’m still Jayden’s father, and a police officer. A police officer would make sense to most people. But not you, I guess. You’re so stupid you call a suspected murderer.”

Dawson seemed to have reached his breaking point. “Your son’s sitting here,” he growled, his voice a warning.

Hoping to save Dawson from Sly’s reaction, Sadie jumped out of the truck. “Look, why don’t we go somewhere we can talk privately?” She took his arm and tried to lead him away, but he shook her off, his gaze riveted on Dawson’s coat.

“Where the hell did you get that?” he growled.

“Does it matter?” she asked. “Please! I’ve been through enough tonight. Let’s not fight. Dawson doesn’t want to fight with you, either. We’re merely trying to cope with what’s happened.”

“By cozying up together.”

“Cozying up? Don’t you care that someone set fire to my house, Sly? That we could’ve burned to death in our sleep? You’d think you’d be more concerned about the fact that there’s an arsonist running around than whether or not I’m wearing another man’s coat!”

He shoved her back toward the truck. “Get Jayden.”

Sadie wasn’t about to do that, not with an argument brewing. “No. We’re both exhausted and upset. We might’ve lost the only belongings we have left, and we were barely scraping by to begin with.”

“We’ll talk about that later. Get Jayden. I’m taking you home.”

“Home?”

“To the house we bought together. That’s still home, Sadie. Where else are you going to go?”

Holy shit! This was exactly what he wanted. He thought she’d come back to him; he thought, without her rental house, she’d have no choice. “Oh my God,” she whispered.

“What?” he snapped.

“You did it! You burned my house down so I’d have nowhere to live, so that I’d have no resources and would have to come back to you.”

“Now you’re talking crazy,” he growled. “I’m a police officer. Be careful who you accuse of arson!”

“Who else would do such a thing to me?”

“It could be anyone! I told you not to hang around a murderer. For all we know, it was him—the very man you called!”

“It wasn’t him,” she insisted. “If he wanted to hurt me, he’s had plenty of chances. You’re the only one who’s ever made my life miserable.”

“What have I done to you?” he cried. “You’re such a baby. But we’ll talk about all of this later. Get Jayden.”

He had no conscience. He’d do anything to retain control of her. He’d said as much—and tonight he’d proved it. “What about the collateral damage, Sly? Do you realize what you’ve done to Maude and Vern? They didn’t deserve this.”

“If you won’t get Jayden, I will.”

He started to go around her, but she grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare! I won’t drag him out of that truck just because you can’t stand to see me in the company of another man. Dawson’s my boss, Sly. And...and a friend. He doesn’t like me in the way you think. He’s made that clear.”

The sudden fury she’d expected when she accused him appeared now. “He has, has he? You’ve talked about it? The two of you?”

“Don’t twist what I say!”

“I’m not going to let this no-good bastard come between us, Sadie.”

“He’s not trying to come between us!” Their voices were so loud she guessed Dawson could hear bits and pieces, if not everything. “He’s being a nice guy, helping me out.”

He shoved her again, hard enough to make her stumble back. “He’s a murderer!”

The driver’s-side door opened, and Dawson got out. “Get back in the truck, Sadie.” He spoke in a cordial tone as he came toward them, but Sadie could tell he’d had all he could take. She wanted to do as he said, to escape Sly as soon as possible, but she couldn’t. She had to remain between them. She was afraid of what might happen if she didn’t.