like a fool.”
Derrick rubbed his chin. “I’m sorry. I guess you’re right.” He walked toward her and she stepped backward, away from him. “I was worried you’d leave without me having a chance to explain.”
“What’s to explain, Derrick? I always knew you loved Kristina, even if you denied it. You’ve been spellbound by her for years. I figured it would happen when she got old enough, when you finally saw her as the beautiful woman she is.” The corners of her lips turned up, and a semblance of a smile dawned on her face that he hadn’t expected in the middle of her rant. “She is beautiful, by the way. I still hate her, mind you, but I can see the attraction. I guess being half-human makes you boys want a weak shell of a woman—”
“Not me, Vic,” Michael burst into the conversation. Derrick was surprised he’d kept his mouth shut as long as he had. An unusual occurrence for his brother. “I love a tough woman.”
She laughed, and for a minute, Derrick wondered if they could be the trio they’d been all these years.
“That’s the problem, Michael. You’ll love just about anything with legs,” Victoria teased.
Michael’s bravado dropped, looking as if she’d slapped him. “That’s not true. You’ve just been too busy to notice what I do.”
Victoria waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m just messing with you, Mike. Chill. You know you’ll always be my number one guy.”
His brother smiled, but Derrick could see he hadn’t been placated. Not wanting to embarrass him, Derrick decided to drop the subject. He’d revisit it later. “I hate to interrupt you two, but let’s get back to the purpose of our little soiree here. Neither of you paid Kristina and me a visit last night at her apartment?”
They shook their heads in unison.
Michael rolled his eyes. “Last I saw, you two were playing kissy-face in the park. I actually met up with Ry after we talked and went clubbing.”
“What time was that?” Derrick asked.
Michael looked toward the roof of the barn as if the answer would be dangling from the rafters. “Hmm… I went to dinner. Had a few glasses of wine for St. Paddy’s Day. You know we have an Irish heritage by way of Mom, right?”
“Michael…” Derrick chided. His brother could be so juvenile sometimes.
“Oh, right. I don’t know. Ry called me. Asked if I wanted to hang out.”
Derrick rubbed his fingers across his eyebrow. “So… six, seven, eight?” he prompted.
“Honestly, I don’t remember. I guess I had a few too many glasses.” Michael laughed, but Derrick didn’t find it funny. A rogue creatus was stalking Boston, and Michael was out getting drunk after chastising him about his choices. “Wait? What are you thinking, Derrick? You don’t think Ry—”
Victoria huffed. “That’s just rich… Who’re you going to blame next, Derrick? Your father? We all went to school together for God’s sake. He even stayed with us after his brother left.”
Derrick paced the room. “All I know is someone was hanging outside Kristina’s window last night. By the time I caught a glimpse, they were on the next building. No human can move that fast. So, yeah, I’m perturbed, to say the least. I’d be happier if it was one of you and not the rogue.” They both shook their heads again instead of appeasing his concerns.
Michael hopped up from his desk where he’d been perched. “I’ll make sure I take the section near your apartment. And I don’t know if you’re up for it, but I was thinking…” he trailed off, his dark eyes lighting a shade in his apparent excitement. Derrick didn’t like when his brother got that gleam in his eyes. It’d gotten them into plenty of trouble as teenagers. Even though they were five years apart, they’d always gotten along. “If the rogue is interested…”
“Don’t even think about it, Michael. No way will I allow you to use Kristina as bait.”
“I’m just saying—”
“No!”
“Man, you’re awfully testy. I thought you were supposed to be all lovey-dovey after falling.” He laughed. “Oh… I get it. It’s because you haven’t consummated your relationship.”
Victoria jumped up. “What? You fell without—”
Derrick sighed, cutting her off. “Honestly, you two are like a couple of college kids. Can we get return to the point here? Kristina’s not bait, and we still have the other issue I’m dealing with. I managed to delete all the messages on Kristina’s phone, but he’s not giving up. What do you think he has?” He peered at Michael for an answer.
“The detective doesn’t know what he has. He’s actually worried about her believe it or not. You won’t believe who he is…” Michael trailed off as if Derrick could actually guess. “Give up?”
Derrick resisted rolling his eyes at his immature brother, and instead, just stared at him as he sat down. His brother had been alive for forty-four years, but acted as if he was twelve sometimes. The problem with aging slowly was that most of his kind also matured slower.
Michael pulled up a chair in front of Derrick and straddled it, leaning over the backrest. “You’re going to flip. He’s the uniformed cop who was first on the scene of Kris’ mother’s death, but now he’s a homicide detective.”
Derrick whipped his head up. “You’re kidding?”
“What are the chances, huh? Small town. Evidently he got the ‘jumper’ call. He ran her tags, since her car was left on the bridge, and realized who she was.” Michael shook his head. “You should have called me sooner. We could have avoided all of this if I’d moved her car immediately.” He smiled. “But I understand you weren’t thinking clearly. I jacked it from the impound yard, pulled all the records as you’d requested. So far, they haven’t even figured out it’s missing. But Murphy, that’s his name by the way, Murphy O’Brian, doesn’t seem to want to throw in the towel. He wants to make certain if she’s dead or alive. I think your best bet is to have her speak with him, and maybe he’ll back off.”
Chapter Thirteen
Kris gathered the coat Sabrina had given her tighter to her chest as she watched Derrick shove the canoe off the shoreline of the lake and jump in gracefully. He was amazingly lithe for such a large man. She’d always imagined a man of his size to move like an oaf, but his movements, as well as his actions, were always smooth and methodical. Her insides warmed as she imagined some of those movements. Though he’d been nothing but a gentleman, she found herself imagining all sorts of future actions where she could test his physical abilities.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked as he paddled. With every stroke, they moved the length as if he’d dipped the paddle in the water ten times instead of just once. And yet, as with everything, there was barely a ripple in the water, smooth as silk he was.
“You,” she admitted, a warm rush of blood filling her cheeks.
“What about me?”
Kris shrugged. “Still wondering if I need to pinch myself.”
He laughed. “You’re incorrigible.”
Derrick stopped paddling, and Kris scanned her surroundings to see they were already in the middle of the lake. The tree line bordering the water’s edge emphasized Harvard’s rolling hills, pleasing the eye with a subtle rise and fall instead of a straight line. The sun had begun to make its final descent, casting an orange glow at the center of the horizon with swirled hues of peach and pink adding to the remarkable sunset. The image reflected onto the pond, encompassing their canoe with a picturesque setting for a nighttime boat ride.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. The lake was so peaceful that it felt as if even the vibration of her voice would cause the glass-like surface of the water to ripple in response.
“It is. I’ve been coming here since I was a boy.” Derrick glanced around at the vast lake that even had small wooded islands in the middle. “It’s one of the largest lakes in this part of the state, and in the summer, you’d think you were at Spring Break in Florida with the amount of beachgoers. But what I enjoy are the peaceful evenings this time of the year and the privacy of being off land, away from prying ears.”
“I guess you would. With your family’s ability to hear you from several blocks away, you can’t say anything aloud you want to keep private.”
