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He shook his head, pacing the length of the room. "And what if Lexi needed me? What if Mandy—"
"You couldn't have done anything in the state you were in," I cut in, standing to face him. "You needed to be sharp, for Lexi, for the case. For me."
But he wasn't having it. "I should've been there. I shouldn't have listened to you."
I reached out, trying to offer some comfort, some reassurance, but he shrugged me off, the warmth of last night a distant memory.
"I have to go," he said, grabbing his jacket.
"Jake, let me help—"
"No," he snapped, his voice cold. "I can't do this right now. I can't."
And then he was gone, the door slamming behind him with a finality that left me standing alone, a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I should have been used to this—the ups and downs of our work, the constant tension. But this felt different, personal. I wrapped my arms around myself, hugging the storm of emotions that raged within me.
I'd pushed him to rest and take care of himself, and now he was alone, thinking I'd held him back. The guilt was a sharp pang in my chest. I needed to make this right, but first, I needed to know what had happened.
I went to my laptop, my hands trembling slightly as I opened it. Whatever was waiting for us out there, I had a feeling it would only get worse.
I couldn't just sit and wallow in hurt feelings. There was work to be done, even if Jake didn't want my help right now. So, I turned to the task at hand, diving back into the mystery of Officer Kilkenny.
My fingers flew over the keyboard, chasing down leads, pulling on the digital threads that might unravel this case. The dull ache in my head, a leftover from the attack, was a constant reminder of the stakes we were playing for. Then, something clicked—a series of photos hidden deep in the bowels of social media, including one from a school function where families were invited. There he was, Kilkenny, all smiles next to a younger man who bore a striking resemblance to him.
"Jude," I muttered, zooming in on the younger man's face. Different last name, but the resemblance was uncanny. Could it be? Could Jude be Kilkenny's son? It was a long shot, but in this case, long shots seemed the only kind we had.
I tried to access family records to find a birth certificate, a marriage license, or anything that would confirm the connection. But Kilkenny's records were sealed tight, locked behind bureaucratic red tape that would require a formal request to cut through. A request that would take time we didn't have.
"Damn it," I cursed under my breath, the frustration boiling over. I needed access now, not weeks from now. But there was no way around it, so I filled out the request forms, each keystroke a begrudging acceptance of the waiting game I'd been forced to play.
Submitting the request felt like dropping a message in a bottle into a digital ocean. It was out of my hands now. I could only wait and hope it would wash up on the right virtual shore in time to make a difference.
The room's silence closed in on me, and I pushed back from the desk, my eyes burning from hours of staring at the screen. Jake's absence was like a cold draft, chilling the space where warmth used to be. I wrapped my arms around myself, the trust I'd placed in him feeling like a gift that had been carelessly dropped and cracked.
Once, I'd believed we had something that could last, but that had been before he'd broken my heart, before I'd built walls to protect myself from just this kind of pain. And now, I was tearing those walls down for him, for Lexi, for a case proving to be more personal than I ever imagined.
When six rolled around, I stood up, restless energy coursing through me. I couldn't just sit here, not when there was a predator out there, one that had slipped through our fingers more than once. My gaze fell on my badge and gun, resting on the small table by the door. It was a silent call to action, and I found myself striding toward it, the badge in my hand grounding me.
I clipped the badge to my belt, the familiar weight a reminder of who I was, of the oath I'd taken. I wouldn't let fear or bureaucracy stop me from protecting those I cared about. I wouldn't let Jake face this darkness alone, even if he thought that's what he wanted.
With my gun secured at my side, I headed out the door, a plan forming in my mind. I might not have access to Kilkenny's sealed records, but there were other ways to get information. It was time to shake the tree and see what fell out.
The drive to the station was automatic, the route so familiar I could have navigated it blindfolded. But solitude pressed down on me as I parked the car and stepped out. This was usually something I did with Jake, not in spite of him.
I pushed through the doors, my resolve hardening with each step. I would find the truth, with or without Jake's blessing. Because this was about more than just a case now; it was about justice, about keeping the promise I'd made to myself and those who counted on me, and about upholding the sanctity of law enforcement by bringing a dirty cop to justice.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
JAKE
Pounding the steering wheel, I gunned the engine, cursing under my breath. Kayla’s place was fading in the rearview, and my phone was buzzing like a goddamn beehive. Lexi's voice, usually so composed, was tinged with a tension that cut through me like a knife.
"Jake, where are you? I keep hearing noises outside. Luke said he's coming to get me, but he could be a while and I don’t want someone breaking in with me in the house alone.”
Her words were a splash of cold water, snapping me back to reality. I should’ve been there, not caught up in a tiff with Kayla. I hit the call button for Mandy's number, but her voicemail cut through before it could ring.
"Jake, Lexi called me saying there’s someone outside the ranch, and she's not the only one spooked. There's someone prowling around your house. I can hear them from my window."
