“So, what are you saying Cade?”, Kresley asked. “Gertie and I were drugged by the same person? That Drake happened to come along and see something he shouldn’t have or got in the way somehow?”
“Yes baby. That’s what I’m saying. I’ve spoken to many people over the past week about Drake and his life. I was able to rule out different ones as potential suspects, including his fiancé and soon to be father in law. His own family was also ruled out. I do believe Drake was coming to the warehouse to talk to you, maybe ask you out on a date. I don’t know what his intentions were towards you, but I know he had told his fiancé earlier that day that he didn’t want to marry her any longer. Claudia had asked him to think about things before making a final decision. According to her, he stated his decision was final. His brother Braxton also said he had a similar conversation with him and he tried to talk his brother out of doing something stupid. Then before anyone else talked to him, he was at your alley, with a banana pudding milkshake for you and a couple of condoms in his wallet. The condoms may have been just his regular MO, but still. What I don’t know is if Drake came upon something in your alley that made him a target or he was targeted because he was there to see you specifically? Regardless, he’s now dead, you’ve been drugged and I still have no clue who this asshole is and what their plans are next. But I promise you this, I will figure this out. I swear to you baby, I will free you and Gertie from worrying about someone trying to hurt you again. And I’ll protect Grace and your other sisters the same.”
“I have no doubt about that last statement, honey. I trust you. And I know the girls trust you, too.” Kresley wrapped her arms around Cade’s neck and hugged him tight, kissing his jaw softly, hoping to ease his anger a little bit. “So, what do we do now? Use me as bait? I’ll do it if you want me to. Just tell me when and where.”
Cade looked at Kresley like she had grown three additional heads. “Bait? What the hell woman? Are you freakin’ crazy? I’m not going to use you for bait!”, Cade said, yelling that last bit rather loudly. “You listen to me, and you listen to me real good, Kresley James Anderson. In no way, shape or form are you to do anything dangerous. You hear me? Bait, my ass. God help me with stubborn as hell women.”
“Well hello there, Mr. Asshole, glad to see you again. I thought you had disappeared forever”, Kresley sweetly stated, looking up at Cade’s face. Her fingernails digging into his neck the only sign that she was not feeling very sweet at the moment.
“Claws in, woman. I’m not falling for your asshole comments and getting sucked in to a debate with you on how you think I’m being an asshole while I think I’m just showing you my protective side. I have bigger things to talk about.” Cade glared down at Kresley’s freckled face, losing himself in her green eyes. Damn the woman. Stubborn streak a mile wide.
“Look, it sounds idiotic to use me as bait. But what if it will draw out whoever is trying to hurt me or others I care about? Do you honestly think I’m going to sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop? That would be a hell no.”
Cade signed loud and long. “No, I don’t expect you to do that. But let me do my job, Kres. My job! I’m good at it. I promise. And now that I have new theories, I can begin looking into those and hopefully finding more evidence. In the meantime, you and your tribe will be under the watchful eye of me and some other protective people I know.”
Cade didn’t elaborate on who he was talking about, but Kresley simply nodded, choosing to appease him and filing away the idea of baiting herself to lure whoever was wanting to hurt her into the open. “Okay, you said your peace. And I agree with you. I promise not to do something stupid or rash and won’t choose to act upon anything without talking to you first. Trust goes both way and I want you to trust me.”
Kresley squealed as Cade hugged her against his chest tight, so tightly that she thought he may have popped a rib. She slid her
