Page 20 of Silverstorm

Susan made a noise and Jude looked up sharply. “And if Brady has any problem with that, he can talk to me.”

Susan raised her hands in the air, but Aria caught her worried frown. Was Jude making an enemy of Brady because of her? And more to the point, should she let him? Maybe she could go back in there for another hour, that wouldn’t be so hard, would it? And then a sudden wave of nausea made her clutch at her belly and double over.

“Are you okay?” Jude was off his chair and kneeling beside her in a flash.

She started to say she was fine, but another wave of nausea rolled through her and she knew she wasn’t. Shaking her head, she said, “I’d really like to go home.” She hated this weakness, how her voice wobbled, and how she sounded like a gutless woman afraid to face up to her responsibilities. Even if it was the baby hormones making her feel this way.

Gentle hands helped her to her feet, and Jude gripped her elbow to lead her out of the office. “I’ll take her,” he said to Susan. “I’ll be back in half an hour.” His tone said that he’d brook no argument, and Susan nodded, giving him a tight smile.

Jude took her out the back door. Aria could only assume it was so they could avoid seeing Brady on the way out. As soon as she took a few deep breaths of the cleansing mountain air, she felt revived. Perhaps all she needed was to get out of that sheriff’s office. He led her to his private car, a little four-door sedan, which was parked in the rear lot.

“Are you going to get into trouble?” she asked, buckling her seat belt.

“Nope. You’re not under arrest, you’re giving these statements of your own free will. He has no right to hold you, or make you stay any longer than you want. Okay?”

“Okay,” she replied. But she still wondered if he was stretching the boundaries of the law. He probably was, in Brady’s eyes at least.

They sat in silence for a few moments, but there were things Aria needed to ask, and she had no idea when she’d next see Jude.

“That young police officer told me that I can’t organize a funeral for my dad until the coroner releases his body. But I’m not sure what that means,” she said, turning to stare at his profile as he drove through the back streets of town. She studied the outline of his full lips, the curve of his ear, the way his hair curled just slightly on top, his strong neck beneath the collar of his jacket, and square jawline. So familiar, but how could that be? She’d only known him a few days.

Jude gave her a sympathetic look. “They still need to finalize the cause of death. An autopsy has already taken place, but we don’t know the results yet. We’re waiting on toxicology reports, that sort of thing. Depending on the findings, the coroner may not release the body for another week or more, until they’re absolutely certain.”

“Oh.” Crap, that didn’t sound promising. “I thought you said it was obvious he was murdered, I thought…” She assumed that meant he’d been shot, or—God forbid—stabbed, or had some other sort of physical wound that was proof of how he’d died. Jude had refused to tell her of his injuries, saying they were distressing and all she needed to know for now was that he’d most likely died quickly.

“I was going to ask Iliana to come and help me with Tango’s stuff. I guess we need to clear the house out at some stage. But I mean, I wouldn’t even know where to start. And now that she’s missing…” Aria couldn’t finish the thought. She had no idea where to begin with the property, with wrapping up Tango’s life. What were you even supposed to do when someone died? Did he even have a final will and testament? She had no idea. But she guessed the first thing to do was to search the house, to see what legal papers he may have left behind, if any. But now, everything felt like it was hanging in limbo. She couldn’t even plan a funeral. Not that she wanted to. And with Iliana missing, it was too much to think about.

“Do you have any other relatives who could come and help? Any friends that might come and stay with you?” Jude asked helpfully.

Aria shook head. “No other family that I know of. I’ve probably got aunts and cousins and stuff in Greece. But I’ve never met them. Mom never took us to visit her family. I’m not sure why.” Dimitra had always dismissed any talk if Aria ever brought up her mother’s side of the family. Aria would’ve liked to know if she had Greek grandparents somewhere, but it seemed her mother had been disowned by them for some reason. Some sort of family scandal had caused a rift. Maybe she’d decided to marry Tango against their wishes? But she guessed she might never find out.

“Tango has family down in Colorado somewhere. He has an older brother, I believe. I guess that’d make him my uncle. Mom said he and my dad were close for a while. We even lived in the same town. But then something happened, I don’t know what. That must’ve been before we moved up here. Before…whatever happened to make Tango so scared.”

Jude shot her a sympathetic glance. “No grandparents on your father’s side? No other cousins?” Jude queried.

“Nope,” she replied. “I think my grandparents died before I was born.” She gave a shrug and stared out the window. That was all she knew. Aria had never thought it strange growing up that they hadn’t been surrounded by family. Yes, she noticed other families congregating together at Christmas and other holidays. She’d just taken it for granted that was how other families worked, but hers was a little different. It was all she knew; she’d grown up with just the four of them, never seeming to need anyone else. She probably did have cousins down in Colorado she knew nothing about. But that wasn’t going to help now.

“Tango’s house is still a crime scene at the moment, but I can’t see why Brady shouldn’t release it soon. When the time comes, and you want to take a look inside your family home, just let me know, and I’ll come with you.”

“Thank you.” Those two simple words seemed inadequate for what he’d just offered. She could hardly believe how much he was prepared to do for her. It felt…kind of right, there was a connection between them that couldn’t be denied. And she would’ve done the same for him had their situations been reversed. So, perhaps she needed to stop second-guessing herself and just let him help her.

Sooner than she expected, Jude pulled into his driveway. Without comment, Jude came around the car and opened the door for her, then waited until she got out, before shutting it again. It was such a show of old-fashioned manners, something that was rare to find in a man nowadays, and something Jude did without even thinking, probably drummed into him by his mother. Some women were determined to be treated as equals, and frowned upon anything they saw as being condescending. But Aria liked it. It felt respectful somehow. Caring. One more thing that she liked about him.

They walked down the driveway and around the side of the house to the cottage. He waited as she unlocked the door and then made her stand outside, while he went in first to check everything was as it should be.

She could hear him rattling the window in her bedroom, checking everything was secure and locked up tight while she remained standing just inside the doorway.

Returning from his perusal of her bedroom, he said, “Sorry, I can’t stay with you at the moment. I’ll make sure I’m home by seven tonight.” He didn’t say it, but she knew he was worried about leaving her alone, especially after dark. She wondered how he was going to make that happen, when he’d only been telling her last night that they’d all be pulling extra shifts over the next few days. “You have my number, if you need anything.” He stopped on his way through the front door and bent at the knees so he could look her directly in the eye. “I mean it, Aria. If you feel at all unsafe, I want you to call me. I don’t care if you feel stupid or if it turns out to be nothing.”

She froze. He was so close, dominating the small space, and she was suddenly hyper-aware of him, of his male physicality. Hyper-aware of how his lips had felt on hers when they’d kissed the other day. And her stupid brain wouldn’t stop wondering if he was about to do it again.

“Okay,” she whispered, unable to turn her gaze away from his golden eyes.

“And make sure you lock your door after I leave.” He regained his full height, a worried frown marring his perfect features, and she sucked in a wobbly breath. No kissing, then.

“I will.” She stood a little awkwardly in the doorway, watching him walk up the driveway. “I’ll make dinner, if you like,” she blurted before she could pull her words back. It was the least she could do to repay him for his kindness, but she was suddenly wondering if it was a good idea to spend more time confined with him in the cottage.

Jude turned. “That’d be nice, thank you. As long as you’re up to it?”

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