Mountain Darkness (Wild Mountain Men 1)

She held up a white envelope. I took it from her and saw my name written in neat handwriting on the front. “Thanks. Can you get in touch with Kit Lancaster and tell her she can get her things out of the Mills’ house?”

I could have called her myself about this since it was police business, but I didn’t dare. I wanted to hear her voice, which made me completely pussy whipped. I didn’t dare, though.

“Sure.”

I went to my desk, sat down and ripped open the envelope. I popped right back up when I read the note.

I’m sorry, Nix. It’s not going to work out between the three of us. I know you said forever, but two days is all we get. Don’t try to change my mind. It will only make things worse for you and Donovan.

Kit

“Hey, where are you going?” Miranski asked as I strode by.

“DA’s office,” I said.

“Don’t forget the lab at two,” she called as I cut through the other desks. I raised my hand in acknowledgement, but my mind wasn’t on the case. It was on Kit, on what she wrote.

I didn’t believe a word of it. She was in with us. All the way. I’d seen her when I said we wanted to marry her. Surprise, definitely. But she’d also been happy about it. She wanted forever. From what I’d heard of Erin Mills, the info Miranski had collected, she’d worked through quite a number of men in Cutthroat. I didn’t really give a shit if she had a different guy in her bed every night. A woman could do whatever the fuck she wanted. But Kit wasn’t like that.

She wasn’t a one-night stand woman. She wanted forever. Hell, she’d wanted it with us and have even left town to let Donovan and I be together. As I tugged open the door on my SUV, I rolled my eyes. Me and Donovan in love. I dialed his number on my cell.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Office,” he replied.

“Meet me out front in five minutes.”

I hung up, turned the key in the ignition.

We weren’t in love with each other, we were in love with Kit.

And now she was dumping us.

I drove to the city building and pulled up at the curb. Donovan

climbed in. He had on a tie, which meant he had to be in court. He looked at me, knowing something was up.

I handed him the note. He scanned it. Cursed.

His eyes met mine. “She’s protecting us.”

“The murder investigation,” I said, as answer.

He nodded. “Has she been cleared yet?”

“Miranski confirmed she got a lottery ticket at the convenience story at eleven ten. It fits with Kit’s statement that she got home—back to Erin Mills’ house—around eleven thirty. That means Erin was still alive then.”

“No time of death yet?”

“The coroner only offered a four-hour window. After midnight.”

“Fuck.”

“The killer’s going to be found and this will all blow over.”

“Except we’re the prosecutor and detective for the case. Our asses are on the line.”

“I’m not letting this get in the way of making her ours,” I said. “We’ve waited long enough. She had nothing to do with it.”