Page 46 of Caught in the Axe
But she was so much younger than me. Then there was Cole. And my life in Boston. And her grad school plans.
In moments like these, I really disliked my brother. How could he have found a woman as spectacular as Lila and managed to fuck it up? Not that I was complaining that she was single.
My mind spun, but I did my best to keep my expression neutral, desperate to mask the gut feeling that had swept over me. Despite all the supposed barriers between us, it felt simple. I liked her and she liked me. The pull I felt was natural and completely terrifying at the same time.
I ached to touch her, kiss her, hold her. Was it crazy to think that she could feel the same way?
As I paid for our meal, after I’d declined to let her repay me, reminding her that it was a business expense, I made up my mind. I’d put myself out there tonight. See if this was something worth trying. There were millions of reasons not to get involved with Lila, but when I put my arm around her as we stepped out into the parking lot, none of them mattered.
Being with Lila made me feel brave. I had to at least try.
We were about an hour from home when my phone buzzed on the console. A glance at it told me it was an alert from our security cameras.
I pulled onto the shoulder so I could open the app and monitor the feeds.
Lila shifted to face me. “Everything okay?”
With a nod, I unlocked the screen. “Probably an animal. The damn moose is always creeping around. But as late as it is, it wouldn’t hurt to check.” We’d thought the thefts would slow down eventually. After my dad was arrested, there were a few disgruntled employees looking to take advantage of the chaos. But break-ins, missing equipment, and vandalism persisted. And, of course, the police hadn’t been much help.
My stomach sank this time, though, as I zoomed in. Because the figure on the screen was clearly a person. I was kicking myself for not investing in better lighting when the cameras went up, because like this, the image was too darkand grainy. It was clear enough, though, to make it obvious that they were trying to break into the equipment shop.
Dammit. The last thing we needed was more criminal shit to deal with. Pulse pounding in my ears, I pulled up Gus’s contact and got back on the highway.
“Already saw it,” he said in way of greeting. “I’m driving there now.”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” I cautioned. “Call the police.”
“It could be nothing.”
“Given Dad’s criminal associations, we can’t afford to make that assumption. Just call the police.”
I held my breath, certain he’d argue, but he agreed quickly and disconnected the call. Even with his reassurance, as I sped along the highway, I was worried sick that he’d try to be a hero and get himself hurt in the process. There had been way too much violence in Lovewell recently, and although we didn’t always see eye to eye, I’d rather die than see anything happen to him.
I broke many laws getting back there as quickly as I could. Lila didn’t complain. She sat quietly beside me, watching the camera feed on my phone. The angles were off, so all she could see were headlights and shadows of other people who’d arrived. God, if anything happened to my brother, there was no way I could live with myself.
When the police cars came into view, I let out a sigh of relief.
I pulled in next to Gus’s truck, which was parked haphazardly by the front door, and hopped out. With my heart still lodged in my throat, I ran toward the back buildings, where I could see Chief Souza. He was headed my way,along with a couple of deputies. As we got closer to one another, I could make out their faces, as well as the face of the man they were leading out in handcuffs.
Cole.
My stomach dropped. “What’s going on?” I demanded, just as Lila caught up to me.
The chief’s lip curled as he assessed me. Not only was he suddenly not a fan of the Heberts, he was distrustful of outsiders, and I’d been gone long enough to be considered one, I supposed.
“Your brother here decided to engage in a little vandalism tonight,” he said, nodding toward Cole and the deputy holding his arm.
“What the fuck?” I yelled, stepping up close to my little brother.
Cole was thinner than he’d been since high school, and his eyes were sunken. He reeked of weed and booze, and his T-shirt was torn.
His only response was a silent glare.
“Chief,” Gus begged. “Is this necessary? An arrest?”
“We caught him damaging heavy equipment, spray painting the building, and slashing truck tires. We’ve got to take him in and book him.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I shouted. Confusion washed through me as pain lanced my chest. Cole was a fuckup, but he wasn’t a criminal.
