Jaden (Jaded 3)

It opened again, and his head poked out. “Sheldon?”

I sighed. He looked good, so damn good. My fingers curled around the doorframe, and I rested against it, not moving another inch. I could see him. That was good enough. “Hey,” I whispered.

His face transformed. The slight concern morphed into a tender grin. “Hey, yourself.”

My heart started to pound more, growing stronger with each beat. “You guys are okay?”

“Yeah.” He paused, glancing to Bryce’s door. “They had questions about Guadalupe for him.”

“Oh.” I swallowed, a light-headed sensation was filling me up. “Like what?”

He shrugged, the corner of his mouth lifting in a teasing grin as he studied me. He knew what was going on with me. I’d been the one to crawl into bed with him for so many nights. I licked my lips. They were so damn dry.

Corrigan murmured softly, “Like the last time he saw her. What happened? When was the last time he called or texted her? Questions like that.”

I frowned. “That’s weird.”

“Yeah, it is. They asked the last time he saw her assistant, too.”

“They did?”

He nodded. “He gave them her phone.”

“Oh.”

“He said you might be mad since that was a big thing from going to the hotel that day.”

“Yeah.” I folded my arms over my chest and turned so I was leaning onto the doorframe. I wanted to go to him. It was the next best thing to hold myself back. “I wanted to see what else was on that phone.”

He nodded. “I know. Bryce feels bad, handing the phone over, but he thought it would help. He thinks the police are looking into Maria more. Maybe they’re taking this case more seriously and looking at other suspects or something.”

“Wait.” I pressed a hand to my forehead. “You think Maria killed Grace?”

He lifted a shoulder up. “Who knows? Guadalupe’s assistant is bat-shit crazy. I wouldn’t put it past her—hurt someone that had hurt you, set you up. Bryce showed me some of the messages she sent him. Some were just crazy. She was threatening him, saying that if he didn’t go back to Guadalupe, she’d do something to hurt the ones he loved.”

“Me?”

“It makes sense. It gives her motive.”

“That’s insane.”

“Yeah. She’s insane.”

“Oh.” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had never considered Maria as a suspect. Yes, she hated me and she was nuts about her boss, but killing? “Yeah, maybe. That’s crazy, though.”

“Newsflash, Sheldon. Whoever killed Grace is crazy.”

“I know. I just . . .” A wave of anxiety rolled through me. “I don’t really want to think about it now. Tomorrow, we’ll figure something out.” That was going to be the plan from now on. Every day we had to try something new. We had to.

“Can you sleep?”

My heart lurched back into my chest. That was the problem. “No.”

He hesitated, glancing at Bryce’s door again.

Corrigan was my best friend. He’d always been there for me. He’d been my shelter and protector. I held out a hand.

He looked at it, but didn’t move.