“And you thought I’d answer them without my lawyer present?”

“Why not? Do you have something to hide?”

“If you think I’m answering that, you’re just as dumb as the last two.”

“You do know that if you aren’t guilty, then our investigation will clear your name? You’d have no reason not to answer our questions. We could help you.”

“Funny. I don’t remember asking for your help. Has it ever occurred to you that I’m glad Mitch is dead? Kudos to whoever did it. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I attempted to walk away, giving them my ass to kiss.

“We did some more digging, Miss Monroe. Did you know your boyfriend visited his father the day before he was murdered?”

Wait. What?

I turned back around and approached them with quick steps. Maybe I was falling into another trap but something about their smug looks told me maybe not.

“That’s impossible. Keiran had no idea where his father was.”

The detective eyed me with mock sympathy. “Is that what he told you?”

I hated his condescending smugness. “It’s what I know.”

“Well, unfortunately for you and your boyfriend, when we flashed his mug shot around, one of the nurses recognized him. It seems he was smart enough not to log his visit, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. Apparently, one of the young, prettier nurses took a liking to him. She recognized him as one of the only visitors he’s had since John Masters died.”

Truth or not, thanks to years of Keiran’s tormenting, I knew when I was being led into a trap. I needed to get out of there and fast.

“Excuse me, detectives. The Nevada state line is calling you back.”

This time, when I turned away, I didn’t stop. I threw my grocery bags in the car and let them fall wherever and burned rubber from the parking lot. They stood by watching my display with smug grins until I could no longer see them in my rearview mirror.

It couldn’t be true, could it?

Why would he lie about knowing where his father was?

If he had gone to see him, why was he left alive?

I couldn’t get home fast enough. I considered leaving the groceries in the car but instead, used it as a chance to get my thoughts together.

It was a trick.

It had to be a trick.

I lugged the groceries inside and found Keiran leaning against the counter, eating an apple, shirtless and dressed in gray basketball shorts. His erection was evident, and I felt my tongue swell in my mouth.

I closed my eyes briefly, fighting the temptation, and when I opened them again, he was grinning at me. The cocky fucker knew the effect he had on me.

“Let me help you with those,” he smoothly greeted but frowned when I stepped back and dropped the sacks at my feet. “What the fuck?”

“Did you know where your father was the whole time?”

“Come again?

“Did you know your fucking father was at Summit this entire goddamn time?”

“Watch your mouth,” he growled. He didn’t even have the decency to look surprised or worried that he’d been found out.

“Answer me!”

“Lower. Your. Damn. Voice,” he roared. His voice was as loud as if a bomb had detonated. He was standing toe to toe with me by the time he finished, his chest heaving.

Well, I wasn’t about to back down. “You knew he was there, didn’t you? All this time?”

He exhaled and took a step back. “Keenan told me a couple of weeks before I went to see him.”

“Why?” It was no secret Keenan knew where Mitch was, but we all agreed it was better if it were kept a secret from Keiran. I hadn’t even known up until my grandmother was admitted to the facility.

“He said he’d been fucking up a lot and wanted to ‘knock some shit off his list.’” He shrugged, appearing as clueless as I felt.

“I don’t understand—”

“Why I didn’t kill him?” I nodded slowly, still trying to piece together the growing puzzle. “Because of you.”

“M—Me?”

“Mitch was already dying, and while it would have given me greater pleasure to end him, I made you a promise that I’d already broken once for my brother. I wasn’t willing to lose you.”

I couldn’t see past the tears clouding my vision. He had given up his right to revenge. I had betrayed him, and I then took the right from him.

Even worse, I hadn’t trusted him.

I knew you would come back for me. It’s what Mitch had said when he saw me. I hadn’t understood then and assumed it was the ramblings of a dying, evil man. He’d thought I was Keiran.