His Reverie (Reverie #1)(68)

She moves to stand beside me and leans her head against my arm. “I wonder why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe something happened between him and…” I don’t need to finish what I was going to say. Reverie takes right over.

“Do you think he has something to do with Krista’s not showing up here tonight?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug, unease making me twitchy. I don’t like this. It doesn’t look good. Where are those paramedics with their gurney? Who are they picking up? What happened? Not like I can bust out there and ask them questions. They’d all tell me to f**k off. Krista’s dad would probably point an accusatory finger at me and make up some lie. He’s just as bad as his daughter. That’s where she learned all her best tricks.

The paramedics come back out pushing the gurney and there’s someone on it.

In a f**king black body bag. As in, the person is dead.

I hear Reverie gasp at the same exact time I mumble a curse. I can only imagine what’s going on, who that could be in the body bag. Without thought I move away from the window and go to my dresser, yanking out a pair of basketball shorts and putting them on. Reverie’s asking me what I’m doing but I don’t answer her.

I need to get out there and question them. I gotta know what happened. Because I can feel it in my bones it’s not good. I know it.

“Where are you going?” Reverie asks for what feels like the hundredth time as I make my way to the front door. She trails me the entire way.

“I need to get out there and ask what’s going on before they leave.” The red and blue lights have stopped. No need to keep them going if there’s no one to rescue. A dead body doesn’t merit a wailing siren and the flashing lights, right? Hell, I have no idea.

“Nick. No.” She grabs my hand, stopping me from reaching for the door. I turn to stare at her, looking sexy and tousled and only wearing my T-shirt. The panic on her face is unmistakable though. “You can’t go out there. We’ll find out what’s going on in due time. You run out there and make a scene…you don’t want them to suspect you.”

“You think they would?” I ask incredulously. “Why, because I’ve been in jail before? So now I’m always a suspect when something happens around here?”

“No, of course not! If…if that’s Krista in that body bag or whatever, then you’re connected to her and they’ll want to talk to you. She’s your ex-girlfriend. An old friend. You make an appearance as they’re arresting her father or whatever, and they’ll take you away too.” She grabs hold of me, hugging me to her like she’s never going to let me go. “I’ll be so scared if they take you away. Please don’t leave me.”

I’m torn. I don’t want to leave her. But I want to know what happened to Krista. Despite everything, how angry I’d been with her, how much I loathed her in that moment out at the stables when she was trying her best to blackmail me and I caved like an idiot, I still care. I can’t help it. I’m scared she’s dead and I feel guilty about it.

She was supposed to meet me tonight. If that had happened, would she have been safe? Or is the reason she didn’t come over at midnight that she was already hurt? Or…dead?

“Please, Nick,” Reverie whispers, her voice pleading. “Stay with me. I’m begging you.”

“Okay,” I agree, nodding once. “I won’t go out there.”

Her relief is obvious. “Thank you.” She sags against me, her hold tight. “I love you. No matter what just happened, we’ll get through this.”

My suspicions were true. We went back to bed but I couldn’t really sleep. I tossed and turned, pulled Reverie close to me and held her tight. She slept fitfully and I woke her with kisses all over her body. I needed the distraction and only she could make me forget.

But it wasn’t enough. I fell asleep afterward and dreamed of death. Of finding Krista on my kitchen floor, her eyes open wide and full of fear, blood everywhere. I woke with a jolt, sitting straight up and panting hard, my body coated with sweat. Reverie was right there next to me, murmuring soothing words, her arms around me, her lips on my skin.

When we finally got out of bed so I could get ready for work, Reverie went to the living room and turned on the local news. The lead breaking story was the suspicious strangling death of a teenage girl and her father being brought in for questioning. She was found on her front doorstep by a neighbor, who called the cops. They didn’t name names but they didn’t have to. Footage from earlier in the complex parking lot was shown during the news report.

It was Krista. And she was dead.

Gone.

Guilt washes over me, and settles like a heavy cloud. My heart hurts. My head hurts. I hated what she did to me, hated what the two of us had become to each other these last few months, but I sure as hell never once wished death on her. Not even in my darkest moments when I was so pissed at Krista I couldn’t see straight.

“I’m so sorry,” Reverie says, rubbing my arm as if that could soothe me. I can hardly feel her touch. I’m numb. In shock. “I-I didn’t really like her or approve of what she did to you but no one should have to die at such a young age.”

I have no answer for Reverie because what she said is true. No one should have to die at such a young age. But Krista did. She was freaking murdered. Someone strangled her.