You Know I Need You (You Are Mine #4) - Willow Winters Page 0,54
as he closes the distance between us.
I take a few steps forward as a couple of kids run behind me and into the store. Meeting him halfway, I answer him, “Detective Bradshaw, nice to see you again.” Not fucking really.
He huffs a laugh like he heard my thought and says, “I’m glad I found you here.”
“A bit odd that we just happened to run into each other.” Holding his gaze, I let him know that I know he must’ve been following me. “Not my usual hangout.”
“Yeah, I noticed. Your schedule’s a bit different now?”
“A bit.”
“For the best, I hope?” he asks and a prickle runs down my neck. I don’t like it.
“Yeah,” I answer, and my word comes out hard. My back’s stiff and my muscles are wound tight. “You taking me in?”
I wait as he assesses me, enjoying the suspense.
“Should I?”
“I can’t think of any reason off the top of my head.” He doesn’t think my answer’s funny in the least. My lips quirk up into a smirk at his hard-assed expression. “I’m good to go then?”
“You got any new information for me?” he asks, getting to the point of this meeting.
“I got nothing to say.”
“Why are you doing this to yourself? Protecting someone who wants to issue harassment charges?” he asks me, and I can’t help that my forehead creases with both confusion and anger.
“Oh,” Detective Bradshaw says, finally showing a little joy. “You didn’t hear?” He rocks on his feet like he’s happy to deliver the news. “James Lapour wants us to keep you away from him. He filed for a restraining order and all.”
“That’s why you’re here?” I ask, not sure what to make of James’s move. He went to the cops and maybe I grew up different, but that’s something you just don’t do when you’re neck-deep in criminal shit.
“He said you were snooping around, making him uncomfortable and issuing threats.”
“Threats?” I echo, getting more pissed off by the second.
“Nothing solid we could work with, so I thought I’d give you a shadow.”
“Ah, and thus this wonderful meeting.” I don’t talk to cops. Never have, never will. Half the city’s cops are in someone’s back pocket. Someone’s like Mason and James; the rich someone’s. Not someone’s like me and the kids I grew up with.
“I’m sorry to say I couldn’t really give two shits about James Lapour so if you want me to stay away, I’m happy to keep my distance.”
Detective Bradshaw’s less than pleased with my statement. “Just thought you’d like to know.”
“Thanks, Detective, am I good to go now?”
“Have a good day,” he mutters as he walks past me, brushing my shoulder as he goes.
I finally bring my hands out of my pocket and open my clenched fist only to see the scrap of paper balled up. My breathing comes in shorter and my blood heats.
This shit has to stop. Right fucking now.
Diary Entry Two
Dear Pops,
I’m ashamed. I feel like I’ve lost complete control and I know it’s hurt Kat.
Help me to be a better husband and take the nightmares away. Please. Just get them out of my head.
It’s just getting worse every night, and it’s scaring my wife.
What kind of a man am I? Dreams are tearing my life apart.
I can’t sleep without seeing you. Don’t get me wrong, I love and miss you so damn much, but you always die in my dreams. You’re gone. All of the memories of our life together are changing. I don’t want them to, but I don’t know how to stop it.
I have them with Kat too, and it’s killing me.
I yelled in my sleep last night, and it woke me up. Kat was crying next to me, Pops. She said she’d been trying to wake me up and that’s when I started screaming.
She’s worried, and I feel like less of a man and husband because I can’t stop it.
Please, Pops, if you’re there and you’re able to, please help me.
I miss you. I can’t stand this.
Please just take it all back.
Chapter 25
Kat
At what point did this become my life?
I’ve been asking myself that question all morning. I’ve showered, I’ve eaten and cleaned most of the townhouse. But my mind is fuzzy with disbelief.
A sigh leaves me at the thought as I hail a taxi just outside our townhouse. The winter weather has lightened up some, and I almost feel like I could wear a light jacket and not this heavy wool coat. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to the cold.