Page 79 of Night Prey
Her eyes closed for a moment. She opened them and looked at him for the longest time, her lips pressed together and her eyes darkening. His answer disappointed her. He hated that look. Hated to disappoint her in any way. She was too special, and she’d had a million disappointments in her life already. She didn’t need the rejection. He’d kissed her. He’d led her on. But better he let her down now than later, when they were deep into a relationship that wouldn’t work.
“I should get back to the family,” she said.
“Before you go, I need to tell you that was Londyn on the phone. Our computer techs found the pictures that were sent to you in the package on Olivo’s computer and an email and payment to the PI he hired to take them.”
“That’s proof he was behind it, so I can go home.”
He nodded.
“Perfect,” she said. “I’ll go right after dinner’s over.”
She gave him a long look, maybe waiting for him to restate his feelings and tell her he’d changed his mind about a platonic relationship, but when he said nothing, she strode across the room.
He needed a minute to ready his mind before joining the family again. He’d noticed Peggy watching him with Malone from where she was standing behind the oldest of three children they were fostering. Her hands were on Willow’s shoulders, but Peggy looked over the child at Ian. She kissed Willow’s head and marched across the room toward Ian.
Uh-oh.Looked like he was going to be on the end of something he would rather avoid, but he wouldn’t run. She meant well, and she had raised six incredible children, so maybe he could benefit from whatever she was going to say.
“You and Malone don’t look too happy with each other,” she said, her gaze locked on him. “Not like you’re mad, but not happy either.”
“I was telling her we have proof that Olivo delivered the picture to her, and she can safely go home now.”
“And she doesn’t want to go?”
“No, she does.”
“You’re not going to tell me what’s going on, are you?”
He took a breath and let it out. “It’s kind of personal.”
“Regarding why you don’t want to be with Malone, right?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to be with her. It’s that…I can’t.”
“Are you married? In love with another woman?”
“No. Nothing like that.” For some reason he couldn’t even begin to fathom, he told her about his parents. “I want to believe I’m not destined to be like them, but I’m afraid I am, and I don’t want to hurt her by leading her on. Or worse, be with her and then turn out to be like my parents and hurt her even more.”
“Just because you had bad role models doesn’t condemn you to be a bad father or husband.”
He shook his head. “If you met my parents, you might change your mind.”
She rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll tell you what I’d tell one of my sons if they were having this problem. Your argument is very logical. Right up here.”
She tapped her brain and studied him. “But this isn’t some abstract situation. This is you. Your future. Your potential wife and family. This is about the connection you’ll share with them. There’s nothing logical about it. Nothing.”
She paused and took a breath. “It’s like your faith in God. That’s not logical, and yet you believe. Believe in yourself, Ian. Believe God is with you. Believe your past doesn’t make you who you are today and that you deserve a future. Then, you will be the man who God made you to be. Only then.”
Malone had watched the miles pass by while riding in the Nighthawk SUV with Aiden and Erik until they finally turned onto her street. She was nearly home. She called it that, but did it really feel like home? Like it had felt when she was a child? That was something she needed to do some thinking about.
The whole situation with Junior’s death, her arrest, and most importantly, her time with Ian had taught her so much about herself and revealed what she wanted. She needed to consider that too.
For now, she was free to go back to her normal life. The Byrd brothers could stop camping out on her doorstep and planning her every move outside of her home. And Ian? She would still talk to him, but he didn’t want more than a professional relationship.
She’d seen Peggy go to him, and right after that, he’d shared with the family the information about the pictures on Olivo’s hard drive. Ian had done so in a sensitive way so the children wouldn’t pick up on what he was saying, and then he’d departed. Quickly, like whatever Peggy had said to him was the final straw, and he had to flee.
Aiden pulled into her driveway. Itdidfeel good to see her own car and know she could go wherever she wanted on her own and be safe.
She leaned forward. “Thank you guys for everything. I owe you all even more than I do when I call you in the middle of the night for one of my clients.”
