Page 43 of Hart of Darkness
14
Maggie
Istood on Dillon’s front porch in an upscale neighborhood with manicured lawns, nice, shiny cars parked in driveways, and two- and three-story homes that seemed cozy and lived-in by the looks of the curtains and soft lights in the windows. This was a major step up from where the shelter was located.
Damn, the man had done well for himself.
My knuckles were primed to knock, when my phone trilled. Ted’s name came across the screen. I’d called him about twenty minutes after I’d spoken to Dillon. I’d wanted to give Ted enough time to wrap up his business with Dillon. Since then, Ted and I had been playing phone tag for one reason or another.
I’d never intended for Dillon to lie for me, and I hated that he had. Ted wasn’t going to be happy when he found out either, which would strain any chance of him trusting Dillon, especially when Ted had arrested Denim.
Aside from that, when I’d learned from Deidre’s news segment that Nadine’s body had been found a mile from the shelter, I’d almost fallen off my desk chair. I wanted to believe that she and I weren’t followed that night, but how else would anyone have known where to find Nadine unless she’d contacted someone before she left the shelter. I didn’t remember if she’d had a phone on her, but the shelter had landlines.
“Hey,” I said into the phone.
“I need you to come down to the precinct,” Ted said coldly.
Icy chills zipped down my spine. “Why?” Usually when Ted wanted to chat, we always met at the coffee house down from the precinct. “Too many ears,” Ted would say.
I had a feeling I was in trouble. Maybe Dillon had told Ted the truth after we’d hung up. Also if Ted wanted to share any information with the press, he would’ve said that.
“Just get down here. I have another call coming in.” Then the line went dead.
I dropped my head back and sighed. If I didn’t get my butt down to the police station, then Ted would put out a search party for me. But I was at Dillon’s already. I had to at least tell him that I couldn’t go with him to the Crow.
I was primed to knock again, when the door opened, and I lost my breath.
“I thought I heard something out here,” Dillon said with a predatory grin as he casually held the edge of the doorjamb.
My stomach did a flip or two as I perused his tall body.
His hair was wet. Tattered jeans hugged his toned legs. His button-up shirt was open, showing parts of his winged tattoo. As if the god-like sight of him wasn’t enough to send my body into a frenzy, I caught a whiff of his cologne, fresh and clean, on the light breeze, and I almost whimpered.
He opened his arm to wave me inside.
I shouldn’t go in. Danger signals were flashing—seductive danger signals.Tell him you have to leave.The problem was my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth.
“You’re letting out the cold air,” he rasped.
His voice was igniting my body, and if that weren’t enough to send me into overdrive, his gaze sure was as it did one of those roaming patterns, just like he’d done when I’d been standing in his basement. Then and now, my body quivered, and I swore I had a hundred and ten degree temperature.
I needed water desperately. I also needed to take a cold shower, but as the chilly air filtered out and over me, my legs moved until I was standing in his house, which felt like an icebox.
The door closed. The lock clicked.
I flinched.
Then Dillon’s hands were on my shoulders as his breath tickled the back of my neck. He gently removed my heavy bag from my body. “Relax.”
I giggled nervously. I considered myself a confident woman. I didn’t mince words. I never melted into a pool of water when a handsome man touched me or was near me or even spoke. I was seeing a side of myself that was new territory—scary and amazing all at the same time.
As soon as I was free of the weight of the bag, I waltzed down the hall along the staircase, passing a living room and a bathroom before I entered the kitchen. Water, ice-cold, was on my mind, not how clean and nice his house was.
The sink was deep, and the faucet had one of those spray nozzles that would work to wash the sweat from my face and lower my body temperature.
Dillon’s bare feet thudded until he was again near me at the sink.
“Water,” I said.
