Perfect Night (Mason Creek #4) - Terri E. Laine Page 0,55

to take back. Apparently, she’d seen the humor.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. He’s a psychopath. If I were you, I’d leave town. He’s obsessed with you.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” I asked.

“I would.”

“Is that all?” At this point, I wanted her to leave.

She narrowed her eyes in the face of my sarcasm. “Not exactly. Did Aiden tell you I come over once a week and we spend time together, eating pizza.”

I lifted my shoulders and let them fall like I didn’t have a care in the world. “Aiden doesn’t have to check in with me. I trust him.”

“Pretend not to care all you want. I’m tired of living in your shadow and I’m not giving up Aiden without a fight,” she said.

“I’m not fighting you over a guy. Besides, I would kick your ass. But if you haven’t gotten the memo, Aiden chose me.”

She got up from her seat and tossed the ring Evan had given me on the counter. She’d taken it. “For now. He’ll get bored with you and come back to me. He always does. He never stays away for long. So enjoy yourself while you can.”

I will not hate her. I will not hate her, I repeated in my head. I hated her.

The drinking rush was worse later. It felt like everyone in town wanted an escape. Down two people, I couldn’t leave early. I was stuck until closing time. It was late when I arrived at Aiden’s. I used the key he left me. He’d texted me that he’d left it in the same place.

He wasn’t downstairs, so I went upstairs. He was on the bed with one arm folded behind his head and his eyes glued to the TV. I dropped my bag in the chair in the corner. Then, I proceeded to remove my clothes.

Once done, I stood in the lacy bodysuit I’d paid good money for at Queen’s Unmentionables. His eyes had tracked me the entire time.

“Your hair looks nice,” he said, his smile half-cocked.

“That’s what you noticed?” I shifted on my feet feeling more confident than I had all my life.

“I notice everything about you when you walk into a room.”

“Do you now?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m just waiting for you to come closer.”

“Yeah,” I said, moving forward.

He snagged my wrist and I giggled as he tumbled me onto the bed.

“I take it, waiting is over,” he said.

My answer was ruined by the sound of his phone ringing. He exhaled. “I have to get that.”

He was a cop and was never truly off duty especially in a small town like this.

I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation. What I did get was a lot of grunts until he said, “I’m on my way.” Then he turned to me. “I’m sorry Emma. I have to go.”

He rolled me onto my back and kissed me before jumping out of bed. He rushed to get dressed. It didn’t escape my attention when he strapped on a bulletproof vest and a shoulder hostler before leaving.

“Be safe,” I said as he left.

Was this what all spouses and partners felt when their significant other left for duty? I talked myself out of worry because we didn’t live in LA. This was Mason Creek. Nothing ever happened here, except my dad. Aiden would be okay. He had to be.

Chapter 26

Aiden

As much as I wanted to stay with Emma, Sam had called for backup. He pulled over a vehicle because of a busted tail light. There was something in the hole that made it suspicious outside of the normal repair that needed to be made. He followed procedure and was waiting for back up before he approached.

Based on his account of what was happening, I didn't like the sound of things either. It worried me that Sam was alone on a two-lane road on the outskirts of town. I didn't waste time and put on my issued bulletproof vest and holster before jogging down the stairs. Once I was in my vehicle, I tore down the highway like Sam's life depended on it because it may very well be.

I pulled behind Sam’s service vehicle. I radioed over to him that I would approach the vehicle. Because it was after hours, county dispatch was on the line and not Bess.

My hand was on the butt of my weapon as I approached the vehicle Sam had pulled over. I signaled to him to watch my back as I did so, though he was trained to do just that. Wyatt was en route,