“Sweetie, don’t you think I missed you, too?” Landon’s voice was ragged. “I didn’t sleep more than a few hours a night without you. Sure, some of that was worry about the case, but most of it was worry about you.
“I didn’t take this case to punish you, but I ended up punishing the crap out of both of us,” he continued. “I didn’t want to be away from you. When Steve offered it to me … I only agreed because we made a deal.”
I stilled, surprised. Steve Newton, his immediate supervisor, was the big boss in Landon’s office. I liked him a great deal – he was a nice guy – but the “deal” part of the conversation threw me for a loop. “I’m not sure what that means.”
“It means that I told Steve I would do this one last undercover assignment because it was a big case and I was familiar with the ins and outs of meth from the last case, but then I wanted a few things to change around the office,” Landon explained.
“Like what?”
“I wanted all of this to be a surprise when I was done,” Landon muttered, his fingers returning to their previous task. “Once this case is over I’m going to get a promotion. Er, well, I was supposed to get a promotion … but that might not happen because of all this. The murder of one of my suspects probably will throw that off.
“Anyway, I agreed to the assignment even though it was taking me away from you because I thought it would be better for us in the long run,” he continued. “The promotion doesn’t involve a great deal of money, but it does allow me to choose my location.”
“Oh.” Realization washed over me, my freakout regarding the possibility of him being transferred pushing to the forefront of my brain. “You wouldn’t have to move if you didn’t want to move?”
“Bay, I’m not leaving you regardless,” Landon replied. “I need you to know that. The promotion would simply be a way for me to make sure that they didn’t even bother trying.”
“Oh. Well, crap. That would’ve made me a bit easier to deal with if you told me that. You know that, right?”
Landon snorted. “I told you that I wanted it to be a surprise. I had a big weekend planned for us when this was done.”
“And now it’s nowhere near close to being done,” I mused. “I suppose you can’t tell me about the case, can you?”
“Not tonight, but I will tomorrow.” Landon slid his hands around me, pulling my back to his chest. “I’m not supposed to talk about it, but you’re in the middle of things now. I need to talk to Steve first, see where everything stands, and then move forward.”
“And ask him if you can bring me in on the big secret?”
“No, sweetie, I’ll be telling you everything whether he allows it or not,” Landon answered. “I need sleep first.”
“You’re not the only one.”
“Here, let me see your hands.” Landon poured more shower gel into the palm of his hands and began working on my fingernails, determined to make sure none of Becky’s blood remained behind. “You haven’t answered my question, Bay. Why did you call Chief Terry instead of me?”
“When I woke up, I was confused,” I admitted. “I felt as if I was caught in a nightmare or something. My head felt too big for my body, as if it might slide off at any second. When I saw her body … when I saw her face … I recognized her, but I couldn’t remember a name. I’m not sure if that makes sense.”
“I understand that part. It’s just … you called Chief Terry.”
“Because I thought you were still out of town. I know that seems weird, but I kind of skipped past you because I had to constantly remind myself not to call you while you were gone. Eight times a day I would tell myself that you were undercover and I couldn’t call. I guess it kind of stuck in my head.”
“Why couldn’t you call?”
“Because you were undercover.”
“Yeah, and I didn’t have my phone with me. I called in to check my messages every single day. I would’ve loved to hear your voice. You could’ve called.”
“I’m fairly certain that would’ve made me even more pathetic than I already was.”
“According to who?”
“Aunt Tillie.”
“She doesn’t count.”
“Thistle.”
“She doesn’t count either.”
“Even Clove thought I was whiny … as did my mother … and Marnie … and Twila.”
“I don’t care about any of that,” Landon argued. “I care about you and me. I missed you so much it hurt. I didn’t think anything could hurt more than that until you called Chief Terry when you were in trouble.”
“I didn’t really think,” I said. “I wanted you, and yet … I simply kept telling myself that I couldn’t have you.”
“You have me forever.” Landon tightened his arms around me to the point where I thought he would cut off circulation.
“What if you have to go back undercover now that this has happened?” I asked the question without thinking. “Is that a possibility?”
“No. Even if Steve asked me to do it – he won’t, because it’s far too dangerous now – I wouldn’t do it. I’m not leaving you again, Bay. I promise. I swear it.”
I pressed my eyes shut and rested my head against his shoulder. “Okay.”
“Yeah, okay.”
TWENTY MINUTES later Landon loaded me into a pair of his boxer shorts and one of his oversized T-shirts before piling into bed next to me. He turned off the light before slipping his arm under my waist and tugging me onto his chest, tucking the blankets in tightly before resting one hand on my back and the other on my hip, cocooning me in his muscled arms so I couldn’t move … or have the room to terrify myself in my sleep.
“What happens now?” I asked, my eyelids heavy as I rested my ear above his heartbeat.
“Now we both get the sleep we need. We’ll tackle this together in the morning.”
“What if I’m still angry?”
“Then I’ll ask you to put a moratorium on the punishment until we get through this,” Landon replied. “I’m not asking you to forgive me. I know I haven’t earned it yet. We need to work together, though, Bay. It’s important.”
The edge in his voice told me he was much more worried than he wanted to let on. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“I’m done being angry.”
Landon chuckled. “I just said … .”
“I wanted to be done with the anger hours ago,” I admitted, refusing to let him say something to derail my train of thought. “I had my hand on the door to stop you from walking away from the guesthouse when … well, when I felt someone behind me.”
Landon’s grip tightened to the point where I thought I might lose the ability to breathe. “I should’ve stayed. I shouldn’t have left. But I didn’t want to push things. I wanted you to be able to be as angry as you wanted to be. You deserved it.”
“We both made mistakes.”
“Yes, but … I won’t hurt you like this again, Bay.” I heard the crack in Landon’s voice but refused to raise my head. If he cried I knew I would, and I already felt drained. “I won’t do it again. I honestly was trying to make things better for us.”
“I know.” I rested my hand on his firm chest. “You should’ve told me about the deal.”
“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”
“I know. I … it’s a mess.”
“We’ll fix it, Bay.” Landon pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too.”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Landon whispered, shifting a bit so he could tuck me in tighter. I was at the point where I couldn’t move if I wanted to. “You didn’t do anything. This is all on me. I’ll fix it.”
“I know you will.”
“How?”
I shrugged. “I have faith.”
Landon let out a relieved sigh as he rubbed his fingers over my back. “Thank you.”
I knew he was crying before I felt a tear land on my cheek. Even t
hough I thought my tear ducts were dry I realized quickly that I was wrong. “I love you.” I sniffled as he rubbed his cheek against my forehead. “The beard has to go, though.”
Despite our mingled tears, Landon let loose a guttural laugh that shook his entire body. “Your wish is my command.”
“I thought you had to keep it until the case was completed.”
“That was before the people who weren’t supposed to know who I was went after the woman I love,” Landon responded, serious. “Undercover time is over. This is war.”
“Well, that sounds great. Aunt Tillie loves a good war.”
“We might need her.” Landon’s breathing turned regular. “Now, go to sleep. You need to rest.”
“I think you do, too.”
“I simply need to hold you … and love you … and maybe eat some bacon in the morning. That’s all I want.”
“Then I think you’re probably due to hit a streak of luck.”
“Oh, sweetie. I’ve been riding that streak since I met you.”
“You’re being kind of schmaltzy,” I pointed out. “Aunt Tillie won’t like that.”
“I don’t care.”
“Are you going to keep doing it?”
“Until I make us both want to puke.”
The admission made me happy. “That sounds good. I think I can sleep now.”
Landon didn’t respond. He was already dead to the world. The simple sound of his steady breathing was enough to allow me to follow a few seconds later.
It felt good to have him back, even if I was now a murder suspect and a killer was out there somewhere … watching.
Ten
I woke in exactly the same position, my head resting on Landon’s chest and his arms tightly wrapped around me. It took me a moment to get my bearings, and then the previous evening’s events came flooding back, including the fact that Landon woke me with a kiss once an hour – as the emergency responder insisted – before asking me how handsome he was on a scale of one to ten, and then letting me fall back asleep.
“Morning,” Landon murmured, his beard scratchy against my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
That was an interesting question. I wasn’t sure. I decided to test my body by stretching my weary muscles, and immediately wished I did almost anything else. “Ugh.”
“That good, huh?” Landon smoothed my hair and stared into my eyes. “How about we go to the clinic in Bellaire and have you checked out?”
That sounded like a terrible idea. “I’m fine.”
“You’re pretty far from fine, but I still feel guilty enough not to push you.” Landon heaved a sigh before kissing my forehead three times in rapid succession. He couldn’t seem to get enough of the tactile sensation. “How handsome am I on a scale of one to ten?”
It was the same question he asked each time he woke me. He was supposed to hold up fingers and ask me how many I saw, but we were both too exhausted to mess with the lamp on the nightstand.
“You’re a five with the beard.”
Landon scowled. “The beard is going today. I told you that.”
“Then I can’t answer the question until it’s gone.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
I thought Landon would immediately get up and retreat to the bathroom, but instead he kept me pressed tightly to his chest as he shifted to make sure we were both comfortable.
“It’s morning,” he murmured, focusing on the window.
“I noticed. The sunlight coming in through the window was a dead giveaway.”
“I see your smart mouth is back.” Landon poked my side. “We need to talk about a few things.”
“Are you considering becoming a woman?”
Landon was somber, but the question caused his lips to curve. “I’m thinking that I would like nothing better than to pack you up and go away for a month. Just you, me, a hotel on the beach and room service. How does that sound?”
“Nice, but impractical. I’m a murder suspect.”
“You’re not a suspect.” Landon said the words, but he didn’t put a lot of effort behind them. I knew he was worried about Davis’ attitude.
“If you didn’t know me and I called in what happened last night, wouldn’t you think I was a suspect?”
Landon immediately started shaking his head. “No, sweetie, I wouldn’t. You would have to be an idiot to set a scene that way if you really expected to frame someone for a murder they didn’t commit.”
“How so?”
“Well, for starters, you’re injured,” Landon supplied. “You have visible injuries on your neck, a knot on the back of your head and your eyes make me want to cry.”
The last part jolted me. “What’s wrong with my eyes?” I instinctively reached up to touch them. “I still have two of them, right?”
“You do and they’re beautiful. They’re also really red from blood rushing to the surface.”
“Oh, well, great,” I muttered. “People will think I’m stoned.”
Landon snorted out a laugh, relaxing a bit. “I think that’s the least of our worries. I haven’t seen the autopsy report yet, but from what I saw, whoever killed Becky did it with brutal force. You’re not strong enough to murder someone in that fashion.”
“So … why kill her on my front walk? Why knock me out and leave me in the doorway?”
Landon wrinkled his nose as he traced his fingers over mine. “To send me a message.”
That hadn’t occurred to me, yet it fit. “I … huh.”
“Yeah. Someone clearly figured out that I was an FBI agent. They wanted to send a message.”
“Do you think they figured it out before or after we ran into each other at the corn maze?”
“That’s a good question,” Landon answered. “I thought I’d managed to play it off even though they were watching me closely. I got the distinct feeling that Becky somehow felt something when I saw you.”
“I thought you played it pretty cool. I barely recognized you.”
“Yes, but when I first saw you, that moment when I saw you walk through the doors of the barn, I kind of … jerked … a little bit,” Landon explained. “I almost called out to you I was so excited to see you. Then reality set in.”
“Seeing me was the worst possible thing, huh?”
“Seeing you was the best thing that happened to me in almost a month,” Landon clarified. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to see you until you were standing in front of me. Aunt Tillie was … well … Aunt Tillie. Becky thought she acted odd during our brief conversation, but Doug thought she was funny and pointed out that she was old and possibly senile.”
“You probably should leave that part out when Aunt Tillie hears this story.”
“Yeah.” Landon was grim. “I was desperate for them not to focus on you. I wanted to punch Doug in the face when he looked at you. He didn’t say a lot … but I could tell what he was thinking. I wanted to kill him.”
“Well, Doug would be the obvious choice for a murder suspect because only the three of you were there that day,” I pointed out, opting to be pragmatic rather than letting him wallow in negative emotions. “If you were the target and Becky was the victim, that leaves only Doug. Maybe he figured out you were an agent and wanted to make sure Becky couldn’t rat on him.”
“Whoever it was wanted to maim me,” Landon said. “Hurting you is the best way to do that. You could’ve easily been killed. That means someone is playing with us.”
“I’m kind of glad I wasn’t killed.” I offered him a rueful smile. “I don’t think I could make you my massage slave if I were dead.”
Landon’s expression softened. “I think we’re both glad you’re not dead. I wouldn’t be here if that were the case.”
“Where would you be?”
“Finding you.”
“I … what?” I narrowed my eyes as I propped myself on an elbow, ignoring the way my body screamed in protest. “Are you saying you’d kill yourself?”
Landon avert
ed his gaze. “I never considered myself the type, but … now that I know there’s something on the other side, that you’d be on the other side … .”
“That I’d be ticked and kicking you in the rear end on the other side,” I clarified. “Landon, you can’t think things like that.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Landon licked his lips and gently supported me as we sat. “You’re okay. I’m going to keep you that way if it kills me. We need to figure out who did this and then find them. That’s the only way we’ll get our lives back.”
“I guess we need to start by filling in the rest of the family on what happened. They were asleep. They don’t know.”
“I’m guessing Chief Terry filled them in this morning.” Landon tugged a hand through his tousled hair. “It’s later than you realize.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost noon.”
The answer floored me. “But … I can’t believe I slept that long.”
“You needed it.”
“I can’t believe you slept that long.”
“I needed it, too.”
“Yeah, but you missed your bacon.” It felt odd to worry about something that trivial, but Landon’s laugh was worth the general awkwardness.
“I much prefer being with you to eating bacon,” Landon said, grinning. “I know it boggles the mind, but it’s true.”
“Still, I’m hungry.” As if on cue, my stomach growled. “I also need to talk to my family. We have a crime scene on the property. It’s not the inn, but they’re still affected.”
“I’m already their least favorite person these days. I can’t think this will help matters.”
I sympathetically patted his arm. “They’ll get over it. I did.”
“You’re not over it yet. I’m hopeful you will be soon, but you’re still upset, and I don’t blame you. I suppose we should get cleaned up and face the cursing squad.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “It’ll be okay.”
“I’m pretty sure that should be my line.”
WE SHOWERED together, and although it was nothing like our normal playful showers I enjoyed the sense of familiarity and returning to our former rhythm. I especially liked watching from the counter as Landon lathered his face and shaved off the unsightly facial hair.
[A Wicked Witches of the Midwest 10.0] Murder Most Witchy Page 10