Page 75 of Ultimate Justice

“Don’t shoot!” Something fell to the ground. The man’s voice was familiar.

Blue continued growling, keeping the guy cornered.

“Walk toward me.” Still aiming at the man’s chest, Evan backed up. “Into the light.”

“Evan, it’s Eduardo!”

It was his neighbor. Evan sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly while he reined in the hefty dose of adrenaline gushing through his veins. He holstered his Glock. “What are you doing back here? Do you know how close I came to shooting you?”

“I came to get Beulah’s Frisbee.” He pointed behind him to the back of the waterfall. “We were playing with it today, and it went over the fence.”

“So you decided to come get it in the middle of the night?” He couldn’t shake the feeling his neighbor was feeding him a line of shit.

Yesterday, Noah had been staring at Eduardo, who’d been wearing a red shirt at the time and generally looked similar to John.

There was barely enough light to see, but there on the ground, behind the waterfall, was a yellow Frisbee. He picked it up and handed it to Eduardo.

“Hey, I’m sorry, man.” Eduardo reeked of pot. “Most of your lights were off, so I figured you weren’t home, and I could just slip in and grab the Frisbee without bothering you.”

Christ, he really had come close to shooting his neighbor. “Give Beulah my regards.”

Eduardo hustled to the property line, glancing over his shoulder as he went, like he thought Evan might drill him in the back. Finally, he hopped the fence.

Had he really just been getting the Frisbee? Or was he here for another reason?

Evan stood outside a moment longer, letting the cold air soothe the anger still simmering inside him. Blue took care of business on a ball of tumbleweed that had blown into the yard. He could just make out Marlie watching from the living room. He waited for Eduardo’s back door to slam shut before going inside.

“What happened out there?” she asked, her expression worried.

“Nothing,” he lied. “Everything’s fine. It was just my neighbor getting his dog’s Frisbee.” He left out the part about nearly blasting Eduardo full of lead.

He grabbed the bottle of bourbon from a shelf, poured two fingers and tossed it back. He sat heavily on the sofa. As if sensing the tension, Blue rested his head on Evan’s leg. He sifted his fingers through the thick hair, allowing his dog’s healing properties to work in tandem with the whiskey.

“Care to share?” Marlie sat beside him. “I really don’t like being kept in the dark.”

Yeah, well…she had no idea just how much he was keeping her in the dark. “It’s better if you don’t know all the details.” Definitely better for him. If she knew all those missing kids weren’t the only driving force behind this case, she’d think he was only doing it for personal reasons. In a sense, she’d be right.

“Let me help you. You’re wound too tight. Whatever’s happening with this case is dragging you down with it. Please. Talk to me.”

“I can’t.” As much as he wanted to. He appreciated her kindness, her gentleness, but he had nothing permanent to offer her. Spilling his guts again would only imply that he did. What she needed and deserved were things like love and stability, but his life was anything but stable at the moment. The way things were going, that wasn’t about to change.

The closer he got to the truth of what had happened to Gracie, the more he felt like a powder keg ready to explode. Tonight, he nearly had. If he didn’t find a way to defuse the ticking bomb in his head, it might very well go off.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Listening to Deck and Tori exchange their vows, seeing the looks on their faces, left Evan wondering if he would ever know that kind of love. The feeling he’d had right after they’d said “I do” was envy. He’d never thought much about it before, but now he did. He wanted what they had. Someday. As quickly as that realization struck him upside the head, it vanished with the knowledge that day would never come.

The reception hall inside The View, a primo event location nestled on a Lakewood hillside facing Denver, was packed with over two hundred guests. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. White linens covered the round tables, with flowers and candles for centerpieces. Knowing Tori’s efficiency and attention to detail, the pink napkins matching the color of her bridesmaids’ dresses was no accident.

A live band did an admirable version of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” the second slow dance he’d made it through with the bridesmaid he’d been paired with for the wedding—Amy. She was nice enough, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Marlie.

The guy she was dancing with was, in his opinion, too goddamn good-looking and had his hand way too fucking far down her bare back. He gnashed his teeth. He didn’t know whether to thank Tori for loaning Marlie that dress or burn it in the fireplace the second they got home. Light from the chandeliers reflected off the purple gemstone pendant around her neck, shimmering like a beacon.

The sleeves, if one could call them that, slung low on her upper arms, leaving her shoulders completely bare. The neckline was nonexistent, swooping down and barely covering her breasts. And the back, for shit’s sake, exposed acres of smooth skin all the way to her waist. Exactly where that big gorilla had his beefy hand.

Ape-man twirled Marlie close enough for him to breathe in her rose scent. “Will you excuse me?” he said to Amy. “I promised a dance to my friend before we sit down for the rest of the speeches.”

“Of course.” She patted his chest, dipping her head and doing her best to look up at him with a seriously come-hither look. “But as soon as the speeches are over, you’re mine again.”