“Coffee would be good,” Gigi said. Her voice was so weak, it was barely audible. Her face was pale as a ghost. I knew, even though she was here in the room, her mind was out there on the dark streets of Salem.
“Okay. Coffee, coming right up.” Coulter looked at Cade. “Conference room?”
Cade nodded, then steered Georgia toward the female detective with a hand at the small of her back. “Detective Aguilar is going to bring you and Declan into the conference room to start going over everything that happened tonight. I’ll be in shortly to help explain what our next steps are.”
Gigi went with Aguilar without a word, docile as a lamb. She had no fight left in her, but I knew she’d find it again soon. She was strong. She’d get through this.
For Rory.
My eyes dropped down to Declan’s. He was looking worriedly after his mother. I squeezed his hand. “It’s going to be okay, Dec.”
His eyes flickered up to mine. The emotion in them was so stark, so hopeless, I nearly burst into tears.
“No,” he whispered, breath hitching with a suppressed sob. “It’s not.”
Then, he dropped my hand and followed his mom to the conference room. I stared after them, feeling like I’d been socked in the stomach. I’d had no time to recover when Cade materialized in front of me. His expression was darker than a storm cloud.
“We need to talk,” he clipped. “Now.”
I swallowed hard.
This did not bode well for me.
His hand landed on my hip and he corralled me in the opposite direction. I didn’t resist, though all my internal alarm bells were warning me to run for the hills. The last time I’d stepped foot in a police station…
This isn’t like last time,I told myself.This isn’t Baltimore.
My heart was a cavalry charge in my chest. The blood was roaring between my ears. I took shallow breaths, trying to stay calm as he led me through a set of doors, into a dark room. When he flipped on the overhead fluorescents, I saw it was full of filing cabinets, a copy machine, recycling bins, an industrial shredder, and other random office supplies.
The door closed with an ominous click.
I turned to see Cade leaned back against it, effectively blocking me from any misguided attempts at escape. His expression was somehow even stormier than before. So much so, it took all my effort not to shy away.
“You want to explain what the fuck you’re doing here?”
The breath halted in my lungs. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, Imogen. What are you doing here?” His eyes flashed with fury. “You’re supposed to be home in bed, where I left you. Safe. Not putting yourself smack in the center of harm’s way again, hitching your wagon to one that’s headed over a cliff.”
My mouth dropped open.
“Christ!” He cursed, running a hand through his hair. “How did you even know about this shit?”
“Gigi called me,” I said, trying very hard to remain calm. Irritation was sparking to life inside me, quickly overtaking anxiety and apprehension as my primary emotion. “She was out looking for Rory, driving around. I texted her your address, she picked me up, and I convinced her to come in.”
His eyes were working with thoughts — none of which he volunteered.
“What is this about, Cade? I figured you’d be happy I got her to come here, seeing as her alternate plan was storming into The Banshee.”
“Her being here is not what I have a problem with.”
“But you don’t wantmehere.” I shook my head, equal parts pissed and confused. “Why?”
He didn’t answer. His head tipped down to study his boots and he took a deep breath that made his whole chest broaden.
“Cade—”
He cut me off. “You’ve known this woman four days.”