Page 72 of Dead Man's Alibi

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Jake jumped, hand flying to his weapon.He cursed himself for being so caught up in his thoughts he hadn’t heard someone approach.Especially when that someone was Cal fucking Bennet.

Jake had to think fast.He arranged his expression carefully before turning toward Cal’s voice.He kept his hand on his weapon because why not?It wasn’t a crime.

He looked Cal up and down dispassionately, sure he was completely hiding the unsteady beat of his heart.“I came to talk to you.”

*

Cal studied Jakewith some suspicion.He’d clearly caught Jake off guard, but the fact he still had his hand on his weapon was a dick move.

Cal didn’t think Jake was stupid enough to lurk around Honor’s Edge hoping for another go at Sam, but he was still both pissed off and a little weirded out Jake had cornered her at her house.

It wasn’t good police work.It wasn’t smart, and it put anothertickin the column ofhey, maybe Jake is more behind all this bullshit than I want to believe.

“Talk to me about what?”Cal asked when Jake didn’t speak.

“The weather, Bennet.What do you think?”

Cal sneered at the sarcastic response.“Detectives aren’t known for making themselves available to the defense attorney in a murder case.”

“It’s more a… friendly warning.”

Cal made a considering noise.“Like you stopping by Sam’s house?”

Jake’s expression didn’t change, but his hand tightened on the gun briefly before he dropped it.

“This is starting to get creepy, Hayes.I might have to have a conversation with your superior.”

“Go ahead,” Jake replied, seemingly unbothered.But his expression hardened and he leaned in.“Sam’s unreasonable.This is a friendly warning.She’s going off the deep end.Keep her in check so she doesn’t get herself into trouble.”

“I would love to see you say that to her face.”

“You really want her in jail for attacking a police officer?Because I won’t have any qualms arresting her.Or, should she get really bold, taking her down.”

“Sounds like a threat.”One he’d really like to see.

Sam was tiny, but man, with all the fury she was feeling, Cal wouldn’t be surprised if she took Jake out.

“Take it like you want, Bennet,” Jake said, then turned on a heel and walked away.

Cal watched Jake stride off.His car was parked a ways down the road on the other side of the street.Why?There were spots in the back.Even spots out front.Why had he parked all the way down there if he’d stopped by to offer Cal some half-assed warning about keeping Sam in check?

And why had he been loitering in the front when he knew Sam was closed, and to get tohimhe’d have to go around the back?

Something didn’t add up.Something was fishy as hell.

Cal pulled out his phone.Clicked Sam’s contact information.

Her phone rang.Repeatedly.When she finally picked up, she answered on a slur.“Yeah?”

“Hey, sleepyhead.Can you look at your security footage from up at the ranch or would you need to come down to the offices?”

She muttered something indistinguishable.“Offices,” she finally muttered.“The Wi-Fi here sucks.”

“Then come on down.Soon as you can.We need to look at something.”

Chapter Twenty-Four