Page 6 of Unlocking Hope

“Are you blackmailing me into going to eat with you?”

“No. I want to help you.”

“Why?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Earlier, I could’ve called it a day and started to work on the house, but my gut told me you need help, so I followed you. Once again, my gut was right.”

Zoey was surprised by his honesty. She’d really expected him to make up some reason, but he’d had every chance so far to turn her in to the police. Hell, he said he was friends with the man in charge of the crime scene. “You listen to your gut a lot?”

“Yes, now do you want to leave and grab food or give Officer Anders your statement?”

She shook her head, walked over to her bag, and grabbed the only possessions she had left.

The man watched her every step as she walked back toward him. He nodded to the police officer. “Let’s go eat. How does steak sound?” he asked while he held out his hand for her bag.

Instead of handing it over, she held it closer to her body.

Without saying anything, he dropped his arm and walked toward his shiny Range Rover parked a few spots down.

“How about you go grab me some fast food, and I wait here?”

He studied her with a calculating look in his eye. “It’s been a long day for both of us. How does a shower sound? And then we can go eat wherever you want.”

Zoey nibbled on her lip.A shower…She hadn’t let her guard down and taken a shower in sixty-four days. It had been her last, because when she came out, half of her things had been stolen. Right then, she’d sworn she wouldn’t let anyone do that to her again.

When she didn’t answer him, he asked, “Would you feel safer if I gave you my phone and you could call anyone you wanted or 911?”

“Where can I take a shower?”

“My house, and before you say no, I promise not to kill you.”

Zoey couldn’t help but smile. “Isn’t that something a serial killer might say?”

“Maybe. I could let you talk to my good friend.” He let out a sigh. “I just want to help.”

“Let’s go.”I’ll probably regret those words later, when I’m lying in a bathtub of ice with a missing organ.

“Cole!” The officer’s voice rang out from down the alley. “Hold up for a second.”

“What’s up, man?” Cole asked, stepping to her side and facing his friend.

The officer looked at Zoey. “I thought you might want to know they took your friend to University Hospital.”

“Thank you.”

“Any time. I’m sorry for your other friend. Don’t forget you both owe me a statement tomorrow.” The officer said before turning back to the crime scene.

“Your name is Cole?”

They both turned and started toward the SUV. Over the last few months, she’d learned to ignore the looks of disgust from others, but it was harder today.Is he judging me like everyone else?

“Yep, are you going to tell me your real name, or do you want me to keep calling you Kate?”

“Zoey.”

Cole opened the passenger side door of the SUV. “Zoey fits you so much better than Kate.”

She shrugged. “Kate was the first name that popped into my mind, and I wasn’t about to tell some stranger my real name.” Zoey sank into the black leather seats.

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