“You’re almost there. Listen, if that ever happens again, and you don’t have Mason to walk you to your car, I want you to call me. No matter what time it is.” Bently nodded and left the room.
Belle walked Charli through every step of the exam. She wanted to make this process as gentle as possible. Unfortunately, she’d had plenty of practice in her few years of nursing—sexual assault on women was so prevalent.
“Bently is going to catch him,” Charli said, staring at the wounds on her hands. “He always comes through on his promises.”
Belle nodded. “He seems to really care about you.”
Charli took a sip of water. “We’ve been friends since high school. He stood up for me when I came to class in rags. A lot of the other girls wanted his attention, but he zeroed in on me. Because of him, high school was tolerable. He was like the big brother I always wanted and never had. Then he introduced me to my husband, Finn.”
“Sounds like a good guy,” Belle said, and for the first time, she meant it. Apparently, she hadn’t worked through her anger as much as she thought. Maybe she’d let her experiences with men taint her opinion.
Guilt blanketed her shoulders. She was woman enough to admit when she was wrong. She’d judged him before she got to know him. Why did she react so viscerally to him of all people?
Because I’m scared I could fall for him and he’d leave me rejected and alone.
She’d already ruined any chance they could be friends. The distance between them was evidence of that. The usual smoldering energy felt more like the churning sea in a storm now. Everything seemed off and unsettled.
Maybe it was for the best. They could both go on with their lives and stay out of each other’s way.
If only she could believe that.
Chapter 9
Bently
Scrolling through the news article, Bently sighed and shook his head. Another police shooting of an unarmed Black man. Video had surfaced, and it was obvious that there was no excuse for the officer to use deadly force. The man was on the ground, complying with the officer’s demands, and he was still shot in the back.
Bently raked a hand over his face. This was a problem—there was no doubt about it. But things like that didn’t happen in his small town. These were good people, his fellow officers were servants of the law and for the people.
“Knock, knock,” Vargas said as she opened the door.
“Kind of defeats the point if you don’t actually knock and let yourself in anyways.” He set his phone facedown on the table.
Vargas chuckled and sat across from him in the empty chair, sliding a folder onto his desk. “It’s not like you’re up to anything in here. You forget I’ve already seen you naked,” she teased.
He chuckled. “I’ve changed a lot since we were fifteen and skinny-dipping.”
She popped her gum. “Seeing you, Dre, and Mikel streaking your bare asses down the beach was one of the funniest things I ever laid eyes on.”
“Good thing we didn’t have camera phones back in those days.”
Vargas tapped her forehead. “It’s forever burned in my memory.”
Bently chuckled. “Enough about my sexy body. What did you bring me?” He flipped open the file. Joe Canoby’s mug shot was paper-clipped to the top, along with several photos of his lifeless body and crime scene photos. The scene was still so fresh in his mind, he could smell the tang of blood in the air.
Rushing through Remy’s back door with Mikel hot on his heels, hoping with every fiber he wasn’t too late to save his niece and her mama. Charging in, gun drawn, searching the rooms for any sign of life. Joe Canoby staggering back from Remy’s seemingly lifeless, bloody body. The glint of a knife as the man surged forward as if to strike Remy again.
A millisecond of time elapsed between identifying the threat and pulling the trigger. One shot.
Bang!
Bently jumped in his seat.
Vargas eyed him warily. “You okay?”
“What did you find?” he asked, avoiding the question.
“We know Canoby was a low-level dealer and loan shark. What we don’t know is who he was working for. We’ve spoken to June Simpson, as you know. She mentioned a name that she’d heard once—Carelli.”
“Carelli, as in the mob boss?” Bently clarified.
Vargas nodded and popped her gum again. “The trail stops there.”
“The FBI are going to want in on this. This crosses state lines if he’s involved.”
She raised her hands as she sighed. “My other leads here have all but dried up.”
Bently nodded. “Thanks for giving me the update. Go ahead and call our friends at the Bureau.”
“Yes, sir.” Vargas got up and collected the file before leaving his office.
He glanced at the clock. Quitting time. Bently organized his desk before heading out. Betsy was already gone for the day. Officer Rife Owens was at his desk.
“How you doing, Owens?”
The officer sat up a little straighter. “Just fine, Sheriff.”
“You settling in here nicely? It’s been what, three months since you finished the academy?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re doing a good job so far.”
Owens smiled. “Thank you, sir.”
“I’m heading out for the day. I’ll have my phone on me if you need anything at all. Parsons will be in shortly.” Bently pulled his keys out of his pocket.
“Have a good evening, sir.”
“You too.”
***
Bently pulled his truck into the gravel parking lot in front of The Lighthouse Inn. Warm pride filled his chest as he took in the large house. Fresh white paint decorated the old building making it seem much younger than it was. His sister had finally made her dream come true.
He walked to the front door, not bothering to knock as he entered the foyer. A rich, savory smell wafted from deeper within the house. He continued along the dark gray-stained wood floors, past the cameras that he’d installed himself so that Jasmine would be alerted on her phone of movement. Couldn’t be too careful when it came to two of the most
