Cold Highway: Ellie Kline Series: Book Four

by Stone, Mary

  Her hold on her emotions broke, a strangled sob coming from her lips. “I do respect you.”

  He threw up his hands, exasperated to his bones. “Everything I said, and this is your only response? Words mean nothing without actions to back them up, Ellie.”

  “I don’t understand why we can’t work this out.” Her eyes shimmered as she looked at him. “You’ve pointed out the problem, and you’re right. I screwed up that night and let Katarina mess with my head. I’m not disputing that. I just don’t see how you can throw away all these years over one night.”

  “Because it wasn’t just one night. Believe it or not, I was willing to wait for you to figure things out, up until you pulled a gun on me.” He snorted. “Funny how that was my breaking point. Not the dozens of broken dinner dates or the fact that you spent more time with your old partner than you did with me.” He shook his head, disgusted with himself. “It was knowing you were willing to believe I could hurt another human being, and you came with your gun drawn, ready to cut me down to save another life. Roles reversed, you would feel the same way.”

  He expected her to argue, but she only glared at her hands as tears spilled over her cheeks and onto the balcony floor. “You should’ve talked to me.”

  Nick scooted to the edge of the chair and placed his hand on her knee. “I wasted the last six months thinking we had a chance of making this thing between us last forever. We both lost time trying to make two pieces of a different puzzle fit together. We aren’t meant to be. No amount of talking is going to change that. I see it now. I hope, someday, you will too.”

  She sniffed and shook her head, shoving his hand off her knee. “I’ll never understand how giving up is the right thing to do, but I’m not going to fight you. If you don’t want to be together, I’d rather find out now.”

  “Maybe this is foolish, but my hope is someday we can be friends again. We’ve been through so much together, I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  “Not right now.” Her voice trembled, and she bit her thumbnail, looking out at the sky as she blinked back fresh tears.

  His heart sank, but he’d had weeks to mull over his decision. Ellie hadn’t. If she needed space, he would give it to her. “I understand. I’ll skip Sunday dinner until you tell me otherwise.”

  She glared at him, eyelids narrowed. “Great. Leave me to explain this to my parents.”

  “I could call them.” He would, but he hoped she wouldn’t take him up on the offer. He would have his own parents to deal with.

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll pass. I’ll tell them, just not right now, okay? I need time to figure out how to, and I’ll do it when the time is right.” She hated herself for not kicking him out. But even though she’d fought her Charleston high-society training tooth and nail since she was a teen, she found herself somehow channeling her mother now. She met his gaze and lifted her chin. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Talk about anything else, please. I don’t want to go back in there feeling like this. Jillian has enough on her plate.”

  It was the last thing he’d expected, but she held his gaze, her request sincere.

  He leaned forward, stopping short of reaching out to take her hand. “Are you sure? I can go.”

  Ellie dragged a shuddering breath into her lungs and blew the air out. “Please, don’t leave yet.”

  He’d shattered her heart, yet here she was, asking him to sit with her for a few minutes until she could stand to go back into her apartment. With one small appeal to the part of him that still considered her his closest friend, she had taken a sad situation and rendered him speechless.

  He was crushed, the pain of his choice fresh, like a wound slashed open. But she wasn’t angry, and she wasn’t trying to hurt him the way he’d hurt her. She was asking for his friendship when she needed it most. As betrayed as he’d felt three weeks ago, he couldn’t bring himself to deny her that. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

  “Anything. How is work? Do you have any charity functions planned soon?”

  “I do, but I’m letting my assistant handle that while I focus on my newest endeavor.”

  She sat up a little straighter, lips trying to turn up at the corners. “Tell me about it.”

  Shrugging one shoulder, he wasn’t sure why he suffered a moment of hesitation. “Paul Strong was father’s roommate in college, and he approached me with an investment opportunity, seeing as father is about to retire.”

  “Your father is retiring?”

  Nick chuckled. “I told you, you’ve missed a lot. He’s been kicking around the idea of retirement for some time. He’s not getting any younger, as he puts it, and how much more money does a man in his sixties need?”

  The last statement drew a watery laugh from Ellie. Nick waited, worried the laugh would turn into tears.

  But Ellie smiled. “I don’t think anyone’s ever understood how I felt about Daddy working so much even after his health started declining. It took a heart transplant to force him into retirement. I’ll never understand the need to make more money when there’s already enough for my parents and the four of us kids to live a lavish life without putting a dent.” Some of her color was coming back to her cheeks now, and she was looking more like the Ellie he knew. “Daddy’s money makes money just sitting in stocks. He does nothing and makes in a month what I draw in salary in a year. It’s mind boggling.”

  “Exactly. There’s no need for my father to work anymore, and this opportunity is a big one for me. I love charity work, but there’s always someone from the organization breathing down my neck because someone else has stolen from their charity at some point. It’s hard to be treated like a crook when you’re only doing your best.” As soon as the words passed his lips, he regretted them. “I’m not talking about what happened at the cab—”

  “You’re not wrong. I let a known criminal convince me you were a threat. I’m sure that felt awful, and I will never stop being sorry for that. I was wrong.”

  “I appreciate that, Ellie, and really, I get it. You were protecting a woman who’d been through hell. She deserved a hero, like you.”

  “Just accept the apology, Nick.” Ellie rolled her eyes, but her mock playfulness did nothing to hide the fresh tears welling up.

  Nick pretended he didn’t see them. He was trying to keep it light, so he continued explaining his new partnership. “Anyway, I’m investing in abandoned properties, flipping them into luxury resorts. Father says his buddy has the Midas touch, so we’ll see just how golden it is. We just bought our second joint property. Paul is handling the on-site details while I’m helping out Father. We’re hoping for the first resort to be up and running and ready to sell by the end of the summer.”

  Ellie blinked at him, ever doubtful. “It’s the beginning of May. Isn’t that a little ambitious?”

  Tension gripped his muscles again, but he forced himself to relax. Ellie had been his first love, but before that, she was his first best friend. Her interest in his plans reminded him of that fact and gave him hope they’d remain close in the future.

  “That’s what’s exciting about it. By the end of the year, we should have half a dozen properties under our belt. Paul is a smart businessman, and the return on investment should be enough for me to branch out on my own in the next five years.”

  She looked like she was going to argue then settled on a smile instead. “Sounds like a solid plan.”

  “I’m happy with it. Up until now, everything I’ve done has been a continuation of the Greene family projects. This is the first thing that’s all mine. I can’t tell you how pumped I am about it.” He paused, not sure he should continue. “I’m sorry. It feels like I’m rubbing this in your face.”

  “Are you kidding? Nick, you’ve supported me through every career move, and you’ve been my biggest cheerleader. I’m happy for you. Truly. This is an amazing opportunity to do your own thing and get out from under your father’s shadow.” She flashed him a wry grin. “We both know how hard tha
t is. If Mother had her way, I’d be schmoozing with the wealthy at extravagant galas for the rest of my life. This is great, Nick. I’m proud of you.”

  Her confidence in him filled him with a warm sense of pride, but beneath that was a twinge of pain he didn’t know if he would ever shake. Ellie was the only woman he’d ever seen himself with, and now they were over. Despite his conviction, there was still doubt.

  Would a life without Ellie be as rich as he’d imagined? Probably not. But he also couldn’t live a life with her and be her last priority. That wouldn’t be good for either of them. There was someone out there for him who would be everything he loved about Ellie and more.

  Now, they were free to find someone who made them both truly happy.

  He just had to convince his heart that he was right.

  7

  The blaring beep of her alarm clock cut through Ellie’s frantic dream, yanking her out of a scenario she forgot the instant her eyes flew open. Eyes gritty after too many tears, her eyelids scraped against her corneas, and no amount of blinking helped.

  Rolling onto her side, she slid the top drawer of her nightstand open, feeling around until her fingers found the cool bottle of eye drops she kept for allergy season. But it wasn’t allergies that had her feeling parched. After Nick had left last night, Jillian produced a bottle of wine and a carton of ice cream.

  Grateful for her friend’s insight and her talent at stocking the freezer, she’d spent the weekend watching chick flicks, draining a bottle or three of wine, and sorting through her feelings. She’d come to the conclusion that she regretted nothing, and she was already feeling a little less raw than she had when Nick had dropped that bomb at her feet without warning.

  It’s over.

  Two little words that held so much meaning.

  If she allowed herself to think about Nick, every memory was etched deep in her brain, like a punch to the gut.

  Eyes wet and head a little clearer, Ellie sat up and realized she did have regrets as her head pounded. But she wasn’t calling in sick for a hangover, and she had two hours before she had to be at work. A strong cup of coffee and a bland breakfast would work wonders.

  But first, she needed a shower.

  Standing in the large tiled stall, she turned on both showerheads. The ice-cold water was like needles against her stomach that she forced herself to endure, if only to lessen the pain in her heart. Within seconds, the water was the perfect temperature, and a sigh escaped her lips, echoing in the space.

  Unlike the previous morning, Ellie didn’t end up on the shower floor, overcome with emotion. Every day was a little better. She couldn’t imagine feeling less than soul-crushing pain any time in the near future, but every minute that passed put her further away from Friday evening.

  Her parents had been concerned when she’d bowed out of their weekly Sunday dinner. With Jillian’s urging, Ellie had begged off, claiming Jillian’s arm was bothering her rather than admitting to her breakup. She’d have to tell her parents eventually. She just needed more time to get over it and get used to the idea herself before Helen Kline started in on her about giving up a sure thing for police work.

  Though she’d come around some lately, Helen only saw one path to success—marry well and have children. Everything else was only a distraction that would ensure Ellie ended up an old maid. Sharing her bad news would only solidify this truth in Helen’s mind, and her mother would no doubt make it her personal mission to ensure Ellie didn’t shrivel up and die from loneliness at the ripe old age of twenty-eight.

  She managed to laugh at the thought before turning the water off and stepping into the steamy room. She lingered in the safety of the master bath for longer than she’d meant to, scrunching her red curls as they dried and choosing a large hair clip to hold her hair in a simple French twist rather than wasting time braiding it. She had no patience for her wild coils right now.

  Sliding open the floor-to-ceiling mirror door leading into the walk-in closet that could be accessed from the bedroom too, a wide selection of high-fashion pieces organized by color greeted her. She went straight to the front corner, where she’d neatly hung ten pantsuits in neutral shades, from lightest to darkest. A charcoal gray piece caught her eye, exuding the power she didn’t quite feel this morning. Pairing it with an emerald green button-up shirt that matched her eyes, she checked out her reflection in the full-length mirror with a satisfied grin.

  “Fake it until you feel it,” she told the woman in the mirror, surprised her eyes weren’t rimmed in red. She looked surprisingly refreshed, considering the rough weekend.

  More confident than she’d been before she stepped into the shower, she grabbed a pair of gray pumps that matched the suit and headed to the kitchen. Though she had plenty of time to cook and still make it into work, she opted to hit the drive-through instead. She didn’t feel up to going through the motions, and Jillian was still sound asleep in the other room.

  Right on time, there was a quiet knock on the door.

  Ellie rushed to answer, before the noise woke her mending roommate. Through the peephole, a perky blonde in pink scrubs waved, far too energetic for five in the morning.

  Pasting a bright smile on her face, Ellie swung the door inward and greeted the nurse she’d hired to help Jillian during the day. “Hey, Raelynn. How’s everything?”

  “Blessed!” Somehow, Raelynn breathed a rainbow’s worth of happiness into that single syllable and managed to sound humble all at once. If it weren’t for the nurse’s genuine adoration for Jillian, Ellie would’ve found the woman insufferable.

  Jillian liked Raelynn almost as much as Raelynn loved life, which amused Ellie to no end. As against the idea of a helper as Jillian had been, Raelynn had somehow managed to break down Jillian’s walls and win her over. In the end, though, it was Sam’s love for the pretty stranger that had secured her job as Jillian’s private nurse.

  Alerted to Raelynn’s arrival despite how quietly she’d knocked, Sam nosed the door open and padded out of Jillian’s room. Her tail flapped like a rudder gone wild, slapping either side of the hallway in her eagerness to greet her newest best friend.

  Raelynn squatted, arms open to welcome Sam with an enthusiastic hug and a smacking kiss right in the center of the dog’s furry head. Sam’s eyes rolled back in her head as she melted onto the floor, stomach skyward, ready for her morning belly rub before Raelynn took her for a walk.

  Ellie wished she could bottle the happiness the two together put out. She could probably save the world with it. “Looks like you two have this covered. I’ll be home the normal time.”

  “Just call me if I need to stay longer.”

  With a nod, Ellie eased through the narrow space between Sam and the door, locking it behind her just in case. Chief Johnson’s words echoed in her head.

  I’ve seen talented detectives fall prey to obsession over the years.

  She pushed them away. She was not being obsessive, or even overly cautious. Jillian had almost died because Ellie let everyone convince her Dr. Kingsley didn’t have plans for the thirteenth anniversary of Ellie’s escape. Jillian and Ellie had both nearly paid with their lives. If it hadn’t been for one of Dr. Kingsley’s assistants having a conscience, Dr. Powell would’ve shot Ellie before she realized he wasn’t the kind, mild-mannered therapist she’d believed him to be. Ellie was hailed as the hero of the day, but it was shy, quiet Gabe who’d shot Powell and saved them all.

  Her thoughts kept turning back to that day no matter how hard she tried to focus on her drive to work. Distracted by images of Jillian tied to a chair with a rope around her neck, Ellie drove right by the drive-through without stopping to get breakfast. Her backup breakfast joint whizzed by her passenger window as she relived the moment she’d opened Dr. Powell’s shirt to find the scar from the day she’d stabbed him thirteen years before.

  At the tender age of fifteen, she’d been forced to watch a woman, a stranger, tortured so mercilessly that she’d finally given in and begged h
er tormentor and Ellie to put her out of her misery. The man whose soul was pure evil had refused to do so until Ellie ordered it, which she’d done. Just before she escaped her kidnapper, Ellie had stabbed Dr. Kingsley’s assistant—Dr. Powell—with a large pair of surgical sheers capable of cutting a man’s sternum before running for her life from the warehouse tucked into the woods.

  By the time Ellie pulled into her parking space in the Charleston PD parking lot, she regretted not calling in sick. For the past three weeks, she’d managed her memories without this onslaught of stomach-turning emotions, but Nick breaking off their relationship had shattered her. Maybe taking Monday off would do her good, and since Fortis had all but threatened to put her on leave anyway, he wouldn’t find the request suspicious.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket before she could pull it out to call Fortis. Grimacing as she read the text, she let out a sigh and rotated her head on her neck.

  Come up to my office first thing.

  It was too late, Fortis had already seen her. Apparently eager to start the week off with a bang, he already wanted her in his office, and it wasn’t even six in the morning.

  Thumbs flying over the keyboard, she responded, knowing he was probably watching her from his window above the parking lot. I missed breakfast, so I’ll grab a quick bite from the lounge and head up. Want anything?

  Just hurry up, was his answer. At his window, the vertical blinds swayed and swung closed, announcing that Lead Homicide Detective Harold Fortis had stepped away to wait for Ellie to join him.