Page 9 of My Modern Viking Stalker

“Well, for one, you seemed terrified when I left. I mean David can be an asshole, and I felt really bad for leaving, but when I came back, the shop was closed so I figured you already left for home.”

Oh! She meant David.

“Hey,” I say, dropping the rag and turning to face her. “I don’t want you to feel bad about anything. Nothing happened between David and me. Look, you were right to leave. I would have been worried if you’d stayed behind. I can take care of myself, okay?”

She nods, but I can tell she is not convinced. Before I can assure her further, her eyes skip to a spot over my shoulder and widen in surprise.

I turn back to see two cops walking in. My first thought is David. That son of a bitch just had to go to the cops after he tried assaulting me. Maybe I should have let Maddox rough him up a little more so he had something to report.

I paste on a smile as they move closer and wait until they stop in front of me to speak, “Hello, Officers, here for some donuts?”

The taller one of the two chuckles, and I take comfort in that. He wouldn’t laugh at my lame joke if they were here to arrest me.

“Unfortunately, not, although those look really good,” the taller of the two says, pointing at the display.

“They are delicious, too, Bella here made them,” I say pointing at my blushing co-worker. With the way the cop checks out my company, I can tell he likes her just as much her donuts, if not more.

“We’ll see about that, but for now, we need your help with something, ladies. I am Officer Norton, and this is my colleague, Officer Winston,” The cop says, taking out his phone and showing us a picture of David on his cell phone. “Have any of you heard from this guy?”

Bella and I turn to look at each other before looking back at the cops. “I saw him last night, but I left him to lock up. Bella left before us,” I say looking up at the cops with a puzzled look on my face. “Why do you ask?”

“His family has reported him missing. No one can find him anywhere, and his cell phone is turned off.”

A cold shiver of fear runs down my back as I try to make sense of the words that are coming out of his mouth.

“Are you saying David is missing?”

“Yes,” the shorter cop, Officer Winston, says, his eyes narrowed on me. “According to the security footage we got, you were the last person who interacted with him. You and another individual we are yet to identify.”

Wait! My eyes widen in shock and then fear before settling for anger. “Are you saying that I have something to do with it?”

“We are yet to determine that.”

My blood boils even as a tremor snakes through my body. They think I had something to do with it. Does that mean I am a suspect?

Telling them what the man in question did last night will have them suspicious of me even more.

“There is nothing to determine. April wouldn’t harm a fly.”

The deep voice takes us all by surprise. I look up just as the cops turn to face Maddox. Today he is dressed in all black. A black shirt and black pants that make him look even scarier than he usually does. My eyes trail to his neat, freshly trimmed beard.

My sex clenches at the memory of his lips on me last night, and the beard burn on my skin sends heat rising up my throat and to my face. Suddenly, I can’t look him in the eye, or at the others.

“And you are?” asks Officer Winston, his voice laced with disgust at the interruption.Seriously,what’s his deal?

“The individual you are yet to identify,” Maddox’s voice drips with so much sarcasm that I see the short cop visibly tense.

The other cop must sense the tension, because he steps in. “We are just running a check on the shop’s manager. How well do you know him?”

“I don’t.”

I almost roll my eyes. Really, Maddox, annoy the two people who we need to NOT suspect us of foul play. Why not punch one of them while he’s at it?

I hurry around the counter and grab Maddox’s arm, pushing him back and stepping in front of him. “I am sorry, Officers, but there seems to be a misunderstanding. Mad picked me up last night, and we left David to lock up. Bella has a spare key, and it was locked when we came in. If you check the security footage, I am sure you’ll see that I am telling the truth.”

The taller, and calmer, officer lets out a sigh, “Yes, we watched him leave not long after you did. We just needed to know if he has contacted any of you anytime between last night and this afternoon.”

I shake my head.

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