Wicked Sinner (Dangerous Love 2)

Kinsley considered that and nodded. “That’ll do. Better to be safe than sorry.” She leaned in and kissed Remy’s cheek. “Once you’re back, come to the bar, and then we’ll go hang at my place.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She walked side by side next to Kinsley until she reached the alleyway. “See ya later.”

Kinsley waved and then headed into the bar.

Remy walked the dozen or so steps until she spotted the cruiser sitting in the same spot it had been since Asher put protective detail on her loft. “Hi, Fritz,” she said to the cute, dark-haired twentysomething cop. He had gorgeous blue eyes, and probably was a killer with the ladies. “I’d like to pick up some plants and take them to Asher’s. I feel absolutely ridiculous asking this—”

“It’s not a problem,” he said firmly. “I’ll follow you there and back.”

She smiled. “Perfect. Thank you.” She rushed to her car and got in quickly, driving her car to the front, with Fritz closely following her. She parked in front of the hardware store and hurried inside.

Huxley Hardware had been around for as long as Remy could remember, and probably had been there before that. The rectangular-shaped shop had an odd smell of something between dust, mold, and musk, but Remy smiled at the memories of when Nana brought her here as a child. Remy had always been sure that Mr. Huxley and Nana had a thing going on, but she never could confirm that.

“Hey, Remy,” Clifford Huxley, the grandson of Mr. Huxley, called when the front door chimed behind her.

Clifford stood behind the counter with the old register. He was two years younger than Remy, and cute, with his black-rimmed glasses and stylish haircut. They’d gotten to know each other well, especially after Nana passed away and Remy came in to buy the herbs she needed. “Hey!” She smiled in return. “How’re things?”

“Good around here,” Clifford said. “I hear the grand opening was a huge success. Congrats on the shop.” He hesitated, then glanced up through his thick lashes. “Sorry about all the rest.”

Word traveled at light speed in this town. “Thanks.” Clifford had always been a good guy. Genuine and kind.

Obviously sensing she didn’t want to stay on the topic of Damon and the break-in, he moved around the counter. “What can I help you with?”

For a little blip, she had a moment. One where thinking about Damon and his death didn’t fill her with unruly emotion. The water cleansing obviously did the trick. But she knew that moving on from Damon had a lot to do with Asher too. Just another thing that made her smile. She never thought the guy who broke her heart into a million pieces would help her rebuild her life now. Life was such a peculiar thing. “I know it’s late in the season, but what have you got in terms of something I can plant?”

Clifford gestured toward the back of the shop. “We don’t have much left, but honestly we’ll give you a good deal on whatever we’ve got.”

“Perfect,” Remy said, and followed him through the rows of screws and tools. When she’d seen Maggie’s flowerbeds this morning, her heart broke. Not only because Maggie had loved her garden, but that Asher had let the flowers and plants die. Seeing the gardens must have been too much of a reminder of his mother. When she was out there today, she knew that she needed to return the favor. He helped her rebuild. She needed to do the same for him, and that started with bringing the good memories of Maggie back.

As she entered the back area that led to a small greenhouse, she smiled, realizing the past didn’t seem so hard anymore. She and Asher wouldn’t ever go back to that time before he left her, where she believed love was all rainbows and sunshine, but maybe they’d found something new. Something that was more mature, real, and honest. Something that said no matter what happened, they’d always come back to each other, one way or another. And that their friendship mattered. He’d been there for her, picking her up when she was at her lowest of lows. Now she wanted to do the same for him. And he was at a low; she saw that now.

“What do you think?” Clifford asked when they entered the practically empty greenhouse.

Remy took one look at the twenty or so pitiful plants desperate for a chance at life. “They’re perfect. How much for all of them?”

Clifford gave her a look like she’d lost her mind and examined the twenty plants with a scrunched nose. “Gimme twenty bucks and we’ll call it even.”

“Great,” Remy said, then glanced at the plants, reassessing. “How much to help me get this stuff in my car?”

“Ah, that I’ll do for free.” Clifford smiled.

It took ten minutes to load all the plants into the trunk and back seat of her car, and then Remy was careful on the drive over to Asher’s place so she didn’t send any of the plants flying, with Fritz following closely behind. As it was, the plants were going to need some TLC before winter hit. Some would probably die, but at least she’d get those flowerbeds looking better than they did now. Remy hoped it gave Asher a little peace.

She turned up the radio, singing along to the song, still wondering where he’d gone today. Usually whenever the guys got quiet about what they were doing, it involved a case. She just hoped it wasn’t hers.

When she finally pulled into Asher’s driveway, the clock read 5:22 on her dashboard. She hurried out, planning on dropping the plants off and coming back with Kinsley later to plant them. Fritz pulled in behind her, cutting his ignition too. She gave him a wave, which he returned, and then she moved around to the trunk to start unloading, when someone called her name.

She turned at the exact moment that two gunshots rang out and bulging arms wrapped around her and yanked her into a car. She screamed, but it was soon muffled by a hand over her mouth. She bit down hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood on her tongue.

“Fuck,” the man grunted.

He released her and she was flung onto the leather seat next to him as the SUV sped off. It took a moment to get her bearings, but she watched Fitz running after them with his gun drawn through the back window, his car tires blown out. Relief that he hadn’t been shot overwhelmed her, but then she realized the danger she’d been put in. She jerked her head forward and noticed that the man next to her, who was wrapping a handkerchief around his hand, wasn’t a stranger. Neither was the man sitting in the passenger seat.

Lars sat casually, that crooked smile on his face.

Next to him was one of the men who had been at the restaurant, keeping his attention on the road ahead. And the man she bit was the other guy from the restaurant.

“Scream and we’ll have trouble,” Lars said. “Be quiet and we won’t.”