Page 153 of Cautious Love

“Why not? You can trust me, you know this.”

“It’s notyouI’m worried about!” she yells.

Closing the distance between us. I take her face, making her look me in the eye. “I’m begging you, Shy, please,” I whisper around the rocks in my throat.

She shakes her head in my hands.

“Please, baby, please tell me what I need to do.”

She nibbles her bottom lip, and I mentally prepare myself for what she’s about to say, expecting the worst.

“I shouldn’t be telling you anything,” she whispers.

“Do I need to sit down for this?” I ask her.

“Probably. But I’m more afraid you’ll be mad at me,” she says.

My stomach squeezes and I tilt my head, wondering what in the world is about to come out of that sassy mouth of hers. Does she want a divorce? It’s not time yet. I have to finish this case first, and then find other reasons to convince her not to divorce me because then I’ll really lose her for good.

“You asked me what I knew about Grey, and everything I told you was true. But I didn’t tell you everything.”

Swallowing my irritation, I ask her, “Why?”

Her arms tighten around herself as if I’m about to push her away and storm out of here. I wouldn’t — couldn’t if I tried.

I take her wrist and pull us to her pillows and blankets on the floor, keeping her hand in mine. “Why Shy?” I ask again.

She gathers herself and looks me in the eye. “You know how I said I think Grey used my car to dump bodies?”

I nod, reining in my irritation at hearing his name on her lips.

“Well, I don’t think. Iknow. We were at a party on the Kensington property. I saw the whole thing happen. I have no idea who the man was, and at the time I didn’t look too closely. I knew better. But they got into some kind of fight, I guess. Again, I didn’t hear the conversation because I didn’t want to. Then there was shouting, and he was walking away. Then a gun went off. He was shot right in front of me …”

Tears line her eyes, and her expression twists painfully.

“Blood spattered on my face. I tried to help him, tried to slow the bleeding, but it was useless. I watched the light fade from his eyes,” she rasped, looking over my shoulder, probably replaying the night in her mind. “Then they used my car to get rid of him and cleaned it, but you already know that.”

She’s my smoking gun. She’s a material witness.No wonder Grey was so worried.

I grab her chin, forcing her disturbingly vacant eyes to mine.

They warm a touch, and my chest aches because of it.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I say quietly because she feels fragile, and if I make one wrong move, then she might shatter.

But even if she does, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces, regardless of how she feels about me. I always will be.

“I tried to forget, push it out of my mind, and move on. I thought I had,” she says, and I hate that her voice sounds so unsure — unconfident.

“I know you’re probably wondering why I stayed with him.”

I am, but I don’t tell her that.

“He, uh, he apologized. He said I was never supposed to see that, and it wasn’t supposed to happen.”

I hum running the pad of my thumb over her hand.

She closes her eyes, squeezing my hand tighter. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”