If Victor thought Daniel killed his dog, would that have been a strong enough motive for him to hire someone to take him out? It seemed farfetched, but then again, if his dog had made him a lot of money, it might not be that unbelievable.
I planned on calling Detective Marlow back in a bit, but right now, I wanted to call Troy and let him know how the interview went.
He answered after the first ring. “How did it go?”
“Wonderful.” I walked out the door and headed in the direction of the parking lot. “They hired me!”
He inhaled a breath. “That’s awesome! Congratulations.”
“Thank you. It still seems surreal.” I told him the details of the interview and how they also wanted to hire Tyler Grant.
“I’m excited for you. This show will open up a lot of doors for you.”
“It absolutely will.” I pushed the phone up closer to my ear and walked a little slower as I continued in the direction of my vehicle. “Just think… Kayla Keller, a reality TV host. Can you believe it?”
“Yes, I can. You’re a very talented woman.”
“Aww… It means a lot coming from you.” I rounded a corner and seeing my car a few feet away, picked up the pace.
“Let’s celebrate,” Troy said. “Can I take you out for dinner tonight?”
“Yes. Can’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”
He chuckled. “I saw you two days ago. How much can you a miss a person after two days?”
“Apparently a lot. You’re starting to become one of those habits I can’t break.”
He laughed at that. “Am I a good habit or a bad one?”
“Definitely a good one.” I wiggled my eyebrows in a teasing gesture even though he wasn’t there to see it. I was at my car now and was about to hit the key fob to open the door when Troy’s next statement stopped me dead in my tracks.
“If I’m really lucky, you’ll make me a lifelong habit.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “What are you saying?”
There was a long pause, but I didn’t move a muscle. Just held still so I’d hear what he had to say.
“It’s too soon to propose, but let’s just say I see a future for us.” When I didn’t say anything, he cleared his throat. “Did I scare you off?”
“No, not at all. I’m just surprised. Pleasantly surprised. But I like the sound of that because I can see a future with you too.”
“Good. We can talk about it more this evening. Head back to your parents and I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Sounds perfect. I can’t wait.” We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call.
Someone cleared his throat, and I jumped at the sound. It came from the other side of a white van parked next to my car. I turned right as Robert rounded the van, his eyes flashing with anger as he walked over to me.
Oh, no. This was bad. Very, very bad.
Chapter 18
Kayla
Robert had been hiding behind that van, being a creeper and listening to my phone conversation. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a dark green long-sleeved t-shirt that hugged his slim physique and made him appear almost emaciated. Had he not been eating properly?
His expression was like lightning crashing through the sky. Or maybe thunder. He was not happy at all.
A shiver went through me at the realization that I’d put too much trust in him all these years. I couldn’t look at him now without thinking how misguided I had been.
“Was that Troy you were talking to?” he asked.
I stared at him open-mouthed. He’d caught me completely off guard, and I didn’t know what to say. “Robert… How did you know I was here?”
“Answer the question. Were you just telling Troy you see a future with him?” There was venom in his voice, and it was like pure rage. He’d never spoken to me in that tone before. Ever. I hadn’t seen him this angry, especially at me. The hairs on my arms stood up and fear shot through me.
He wasn’t right in the head. That was the impression I had at the moment, and it was a strong one. A gut instinct. Still, I was so tired of allowing fear to rule my life that I stiffened my back and refused to give in to the emotion. He had no justification for being angry since I’d communicated where we stood, and I’d hidden nothing as far as my relationship with Troy. He knew we were dating, and he’d told me he was fine with it. Straightening, I rounded my shoulders and lifted my chin. “Yes, that was him, and we did talk about the future.”
“I’m very disappointed.”
That was an understatement considering the full-blown storm in his eyes right now. When I didn’t say anything in response, he continued. “I’ve proven myself over and over to you, and this is what I get. After Daniel died, who was there for you?” He bared his teeth in a way that was almost rat-like in nature. “I was.” He puffed out his chest in a false sense of pride. “Who wiped your tears and made sure you felt safe?” He pointed to himself, his hand shaking. “Me.”
“Robert—”
“Don’t interrupt.” He paused for effect, allowing several moments to go by before speaking again. “Who called you every single day to find out if you were okay?”
“You did, but—”
“You don’t get to discard me in a matter of seconds because some young punk enters your life.”
I pressed my lips together as frustration pushed its way up my throat. “You make
