he turned on the sheriff. “Did you find her yet? Have you found anything yet?”
“We’re working on it,” Jones assured. “You don’t need to go around harassing people. Go on, get out of here.”
It took another moment before Davis grudgingly stalked back to his truck.
Rose let out a breath. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem,” Jones said. “What brings the two of you here? I saw Aiden filling up his truck this morning.”
“We need to talk,” Aiden said in his soft rumble.
“What about?” Jones directed them out of earshot of the other gas station patrons.
Aiden worked his jaw. “I know who killed Hank, and I have the scent. It hasn’t rained all week. I should be able to track where you can find Kiera.”
“Can I prove who did it with your evidence, in a court of law?” Jones stared toward the convenience store. “I don’t want you getting mixed up in this.”
“No.” Aiden’s hand tightened around Rose’s hand. “I need to take care of this one.”
Jones stared into the store for a moment longer before he gave a slow nod. “I understand. What do you need me to do?”
Aiden handed the box to the sheriff. “Take a look at that when you are in your vehicle. Make provisions for Rose’s safety while I am out, and then just let me do what I do.”
“Aw, hell,” Jones muttered under his breath. “Who is it?”
“Julian Hathaway from the logging company,” Aiden said.
“All right.” He clutched the box. “Is there any way to make this less mysterious in the eyes of the town?”
Aiden snorted. “No.”
Chapter 8
Rose didn’t like the look on Aiden’s face when they both exited their vehicles in his driveway. “Are you going to be all right?”
He dropped his head back and let out a huff. “I think when this is over, you should leave.”
Hurt dug in. “What? But why?”
He turned his gaze on her. It wasn’t the usual soft expression he had when he looked at her, but something harder, something dangerous. His eyes glowed with it. “I should have never dragged you into this. I should have left you alone. I should have let you—”
“Whoa.” She took a step closer. “What has gotten into you?”
He growled, and then slammed the truck door shut. “I just made plans with the sheriff to kill a man tonight. I can in no way be good for you.”
She marched to the door. “You’re right, I have no idea how to wrap my head around this, but he did something to scare you, and damn it, Aiden, you won’t tell me what it is!” She stopped at the locked door. “I am going to need keys if I am going to live here.”
“You’re moving back in with Grams just as soon as Julian is dead.” He unlocked the door and let her in. “You don’t need this shit in your life!”
“I think I get to decide what I can and cannot deal with in my life.” She dropped her purse onto the coffee table and turned to face him. “You can’t play with my emotions like this. It’s not fair! You cannot say you want me, and then shove me out the door.”
He slammed the door, and snarled. “I wasn’t thinking, goddamn it! I want you, Rose, I want you so fucking bad it hurts, but I plan to and will execute a man tonight.”
She knew it, and didn’t think it was any different than what a police officer did to a known killer. He might not have a human badge, but he was protecting the town, its people, and any other place the logging company would send Julian to next. The police would shoot to kill if there was no peaceful way of stopping a man like Julian. It couldn’t be much different, even if Aiden used a different set of weapons to achieve the outcome. Maybe she was rationalizing, and maybe she wasn’t. All she knew was Aiden’s plan meant sacrificing what he wanted for what he thought was best for her, and while he was well within his right to send her packing, it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to fight him to keep working on what they had. “You’re going to execute a murderer
“We’re working on it,” Jones assured. “You don’t need to go around harassing people. Go on, get out of here.”
It took another moment before Davis grudgingly stalked back to his truck.
Rose let out a breath. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem,” Jones said. “What brings the two of you here? I saw Aiden filling up his truck this morning.”
“We need to talk,” Aiden said in his soft rumble.
“What about?” Jones directed them out of earshot of the other gas station patrons.
Aiden worked his jaw. “I know who killed Hank, and I have the scent. It hasn’t rained all week. I should be able to track where you can find Kiera.”
“Can I prove who did it with your evidence, in a court of law?” Jones stared toward the convenience store. “I don’t want you getting mixed up in this.”
“No.” Aiden’s hand tightened around Rose’s hand. “I need to take care of this one.”
Jones stared into the store for a moment longer before he gave a slow nod. “I understand. What do you need me to do?”
Aiden handed the box to the sheriff. “Take a look at that when you are in your vehicle. Make provisions for Rose’s safety while I am out, and then just let me do what I do.”
“Aw, hell,” Jones muttered under his breath. “Who is it?”
“Julian Hathaway from the logging company,” Aiden said.
“All right.” He clutched the box. “Is there any way to make this less mysterious in the eyes of the town?”
Aiden snorted. “No.”
Chapter 8
Rose didn’t like the look on Aiden’s face when they both exited their vehicles in his driveway. “Are you going to be all right?”
He dropped his head back and let out a huff. “I think when this is over, you should leave.”
Hurt dug in. “What? But why?”
He turned his gaze on her. It wasn’t the usual soft expression he had when he looked at her, but something harder, something dangerous. His eyes glowed with it. “I should have never dragged you into this. I should have left you alone. I should have let you—”
“Whoa.” She took a step closer. “What has gotten into you?”
He growled, and then slammed the truck door shut. “I just made plans with the sheriff to kill a man tonight. I can in no way be good for you.”
She marched to the door. “You’re right, I have no idea how to wrap my head around this, but he did something to scare you, and damn it, Aiden, you won’t tell me what it is!” She stopped at the locked door. “I am going to need keys if I am going to live here.”
“You’re moving back in with Grams just as soon as Julian is dead.” He unlocked the door and let her in. “You don’t need this shit in your life!”
“I think I get to decide what I can and cannot deal with in my life.” She dropped her purse onto the coffee table and turned to face him. “You can’t play with my emotions like this. It’s not fair! You cannot say you want me, and then shove me out the door.”
He slammed the door, and snarled. “I wasn’t thinking, goddamn it! I want you, Rose, I want you so fucking bad it hurts, but I plan to and will execute a man tonight.”
She knew it, and didn’t think it was any different than what a police officer did to a known killer. He might not have a human badge, but he was protecting the town, its people, and any other place the logging company would send Julian to next. The police would shoot to kill if there was no peaceful way of stopping a man like Julian. It couldn’t be much different, even if Aiden used a different set of weapons to achieve the outcome. Maybe she was rationalizing, and maybe she wasn’t. All she knew was Aiden’s plan meant sacrificing what he wanted for what he thought was best for her, and while he was well within his right to send her packing, it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to fight him to keep working on what they had. “You’re going to execute a murderer
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