Roped In (Armed & Dangerous #2)(45)

Growling, I pounded a hand on the table and stood. “Everything points to that,” I shouted. “They weren’t where they were supposed to be and they ended up dead. If your people can’t figure this shit out, I’ll do it myself.” Storming to the door, I slammed it open and walked out, only to run right into Felicity and Nick.

Felicity’s eyes went wide and she gasped. “Blake?” she cried.

Nick tensed, recognition flaring in his gaze. I was the one who took Hadley from him, and now she was gone forever. All that was left of her was the crystal I had fisted in my hand.

“I know you cared about her,” Byron called, “but there’s nothing you can do. She’s gone. Killing yourself over this case will only make it worse.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “I don’t care. Something’s not right and I’m going to figure it out. I’m not letting this go.” Without another word, I turned and headed for the exit. But I wasn’t alone. Nick’s footsteps pounded heavily behind me.

“Hey,” he ordered. I ignored him and walked out into the parking lot to the black SUV I’d rented. “Hey, I’m talking to you,” he shouted angrily.

Stopping at the car, I jerked around, fists clenched at my sides. “And I’m telling you to leave me the f*ck alone.”

He held his hands up. “I’m not trying to start shit. I just want to know what’s going on. They haven’t told me anything because I’m not family.”

I scoffed. “What’s there to say? Hadley’s dead. She’s f*cking gone!”

His eyes blazed. “Don’t you think I know that? She might’ve chosen you, but I’ve known her a whole hell of a lot longer. That’s why I want to help.”

“You, help me? That’s a joke, right?”

“Call it whatever you want, but you said it yourself, something’s not right. I can feel it in my bones. She was supposed to go to the hotel, not head north. Why the f*ck was she heading out of the city?”

I threw my hands in the air. “Fuck if I know, but I’m going to find out.”

“And I’m going to help you,” he offered.

“No, you’re not,” I snapped, getting into the car. “I work alone. What I do is dangerous. It’s not like the figure skating bullshit you do on the ice.” I didn’t even hear his retort because I slammed the door in his face and tore out of the parking lot. I wasn’t going to rest until I found out what happened to Hadley.





Blake

“Are you doing okay?” Logan asked. “Robert told me everything. I can’t believe this shit.”

I gripped the steering wheel so hard, my knuckles turned white. “It’s like a f*cking nightmare I can’t get out of. I had to get wasted just to get through the night.”

“I understand, brother. Hadley was an amazing woman. Where are you headed now?”

“Burnsville. I’m going to see what I can find. I just want to know what happened, and the f*cknuts here seem to be satisfied with calling this an accident.” I was only ten miles away and the closer I got, the more I felt the weight of her loss.

“Is there anything I can do? Your resources are probably limited, being away from home.”

“I brought my laptop, but I was too drunk last night to do anything. Do you mind tapping into the satellite feeds and see if you can find any kind of video of what happened? I need to see the accident.”

He typed away on his computer. “On it. I’ll give you a call back.”

“Thanks.”

We hung up and I concentrated on the road. Burnsville was a small, Sleepy Hollow type of town. It was so miniscule, no one had ever heard of it. The crash site was easy to spot with all the flowers, charred ground, and yellow tape. I didn’t want to imagine Hadley’s life ending there, but it was staring at me, right in the f*cking face. There was no goodbye, or one last touch. She was simply . . . gone.

As soon as I got out of the car, all I could do was stand there. My feet wouldn’t take me any closer. I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. Dropping to my knees, I punched the blackened ground, over and over. The throbbing ache in my chest was almost too much for me to take.

Placing my hands on the ground, I closed my eyes and squeezed them tight, trying to hold back the tears. “I’m sorry, Hadley. I’m so f*cking sorry.”

A car door slammed and the sadness turned to rage. Why couldn’t I have one f*cking minute to think without someone interrupting me? Getting to my feet, I swiped at my eyes and turned around. “What are you doing here?” I growled, glaring at the inconsiderate cocksucker headed my way.

Nick sighed and approached cautiously. “I followed you. I told you I wanted to help. Plus, I think there’s some things you need to know.” His gaze landed on the charred ground and he froze. “I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to come here.” Tears flooded his eyes and he cleared his throat, looking away.

I snapped my fingers in front of his face, drawing him back. “Focus! What do I need to know?”

“I was at the station this morning and Mr. Rivers was there. I overheard him on the phone saying he was leaving for a couple of days but he’d be back for the funeral. Why would he be leaving when his daughter was just killed?”