Play It Again (18 page)

Following her outstretched finger, every
muscle seizes in my body the moment I spot Chad Miller. There he
is, moving through the park toward us, ducking in and out of the
shadows.

Jesus, I almost missed him, distracted by
Piper. But I know it’s him. I recognize him from the mug shot.

He knows we’re looking for him, I think, as I
watch him dart from tree to tree still a good forty feet from us.
Trixie tipped him off, most likely. He’s sticking to the shadows,
though the basic white cotton tee he’s wearing makes him stand
out.

I reach for my phone, snagging it off the
dashboard, when Piper shuffles in her seat, her hand shooting for
the door.

“Hey.” I stop Piper before she pops the door
open and turn her to face me, my hands on her arms. Her muscles
tense as I pull her back toward me. “Where are you going?”

Her eyes lift to mine and she blinks, a frown
spreading across her lips. “You said we were going to ask him some
questions.”

I stifle a groan at that. Yep, bringing her
along was definitely not a good idea.

“We, as in me, Jase, and Wes,” I clarify.
“And in order to do that, I need to let the guys know that he’s
here. But you … You’re gonna keep that hot little ass of yours
planted right here in this seat.”

She gapes at me, as though she thinks I’m
fucking with her, but I’m not. The guy has already tried to hurt
her once. There’s no goddamn way I’m letting her get within
spitting distance of him tonight.

“I’m coming with you,” she says, her voice
all whiplash warning. “I’m part of this.”

This time, I can’t stifle the groan that
slips out, but I don’t humor her with any further of a response, as
I quickly tap out a message to Jase and Wes, letting them know
Chad’s in the park, closing in on the street, and that he’s acting
skittish.

He’s expecting us—or someone.

He’s watching.

He’s waiting.

They both come back with messages instantly,
and my mind works fast as we quickly strategize. The park is too
open, too many places for him to run, too many chances for him to
get away. My eyes dart around in the darkness, looking for a place
to corner him, but the only thing that stands out is the small
picket fence surrounding Trixie’s yard.

It’s not ideal, too open and public for my
taste, but it’ll have to do.

Piper’s silent as we send quick messages back
and forth, her gaze shifting between me and Chad as he slowly makes
his way along the edge of the grassy area toward the house,
choosing to stick close to the minimal tree coverage instead of
cutting a straight line to his target.

He creeps closer—fifteen feet away from the
street at most—moving right in front of the truck, and I nearly
laugh when he barely spares us a glance.

He’s oblivious, it seems.

Or perhaps it’s not us he’s trying so hard to
hide from.

“What are you waiting for?” Piper asks as I
shove my phone into my pocket. “He’s going to get away.”

“He won’t get away,” I say, keeping my eyes
on the target. “I’m waiting for the guys to get into position.
We’re gonna corner him by the fence so he can’t take off
running.”

“Oh.” She looks out the windshield, her gaze
scanning the street, and she exhales a long impatient breath.
“Where are they?”

I fight a smile at her brisk tone. “Jase is
moving along the trees to our right.” I point him out, and then
pause, waiting, eyes scanning for Wes. “And Wes just rounded the
corner on our left.”

Chad moves another few steps, and then
stalls, hesitating. His eyes linger for a moment on Jase, and then
Wes, as they move indifferently down the sidewalk toward him. He
must not think they are a threat, because he shoves his hands in
his pockets, and then ducks out of the shadows, keeping his gaze on
the ground.

Turning to Piper, I give her a look. “Stay
here, yeah?”

“Vance …” She huffs out a breath and folds
her arms over her chest, pouting dramatically. “I just … I want to
hear what he has to say … why he’s doing this to me.”

“Fair enough,” I say. “Why don’t you let me
find that out and I’ll let you know later.”

She opens her mouth to speak, but before she
can respond, I reach for her, tangling my hand in her hair at her
nape, and tug her to me. Tilting my head, leaning further into her,
I pause with my lips just a breath away from hers.

“You need to stay put and out of sight,
Piper,” I say against her lips, my eyes locked with hers. “Can’t
deal with him and worry about you at the same time.”

She must read the resoluteness in my tone,
because she nods erratically and then takes a deep breath,
swallowing hard as though clearing a sudden lump in her throat.
“Okay.”

I press my lips to hers, kissing her
quickly.

She kisses me back
urgently—aggressively—pouring all her frustration and anger into
it.

She’s angry with me for telling her to stay
put.

She’s frustrated that she knows I’m
right.

The kiss only lasts a second before I pull
away, and get out of the truck, closing the door with a quiet
click.

Chad is halfway across the street when I hit
the sidewalk. I stroll toward him, in no rush, closing in behind
him. Jase and Wes are about ten feet away, moving in on either
side, boxing him in.

My gaze flickers toward Piper, and I breathe
a sigh of relief when I see her still sitting in the truck, before
picking up my pace.

I hit the middle of the street as Chad steps
up onto the opposite sidewalk. His head is still down. He’s not
paying any attention to us, rushing to the driveway of his
girlfriend’s house.

“Yo, Chad,” Wes says, keeping his voice low
and steady as he greets him. “Glad I finally caught up with you,
man.”

Chad freezes, and then spins around,
frantically taking a few steps back, nearly backing right into
Jase. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Name’s Wes,” he says, and then jerks his
chin toward me. “That’s Vance, and the guy behind you is Jase.”

Our presence unnerves him. I can see it on
his face as he swivels, taking us in, eyes darting around as though
looking for a way out.

He looks like a rat caught in a maze.

His head turns and his gaze latches onto the
small fence behind him. I can see the exact moment he decides to
try to jump it, the idea flashing loudly across his expression. He
turns, his hands reaching for the top of the waist-high structure,
and I open my mouth to stop him, but Jase beats me to it.

“Don’t even try,” Jase grinds out, his voice
cold and harsh. “If you make me fuckin’ chase you, you won’t like
what happens when I catch you.”

Chad hesitates for a moment, considering
whether or not to test Jase’s threat no doubt, before he slowly
lowers his hands and turns back to us. “Look, I don’t … I don’t
have the money on me, but I can get it.”

My brow furrows. “Money?”

“It’s in the house.” Chad glances behind him.
“Just back off and I can get it for you right now.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Jase’s
forehead crease with confusion. He casts a disbelieving look my
way, arching a questioning brow, and I shrug. I don’t know what
he’s talking about. I haven’t heard a word from any of my contacts
about him owing anyone.

“Relax,” I say. “We’re not here for money. We
just have a few questions for you is all.”

Chad tenses, his body rigid. He stares at me,
studying my face, deciding if he should believe me or not.

Five seconds pass … ten … fifteen, before
something like recognition passes across his eyes, and he lets out
a startled laugh. “Shit. You’re those private investigators that
were talking to Trixie earlier, aren’t you?”

Wes nods. “Yeah, that’s us.”

Chad’s expression shifts, twisting with rage.
He takes a step toward Wes, his hands curling into fists.

He looks like he’s gonna take a swing, but so
does Wes.

They glare at each other for a tick.

“You assholes caused a lot of shit for me,”
Chad snarls, his glare shifting between us. “Filling Trixie’s head
with lies about tormenting some Piper chick, telling her I
vandalized this chick’s house, and the bit about the truck … That
girl paid me to loosen the bolts for her.”

My skin prickles as I listen to him, and
something ugly coils inside me that I quickly try to unwind before
it wraps me up too tight and I lose sight of what we’re really
doing here.

I want to punch him.

Fuck. I want to beat him until he bleeds.

I pull in a deep breath, and slowly let it
out. “You saying someone paid you to loosen the tire on that
truck?”

“Yeah,” he says right away, taking a step
back. “Someone paid me.”

There’s no hesitation. No shifting eyes, or
twitches.

I think he’s telling the goddamn truth.

Taking another deep breath, I ask, “And you
didn’t see anything wrong with that?”

He shrugs. “It was her truck. She said the
tire was flat and she couldn’t get the bolts off. Paid me a hundred
bucks to help her out.”

“You actually see that flat tire?” Jase
asks.

“I don’t know, man,” he says. “I was wasted.
I loosened the bolts, offered to change the tire, too, but she said
she could handle it, so I took the cash and took off.”

“What about—”

“You’re lying.”

I stall, mid-question, and turn around,
staring at Piper. Her eyes are watering, her cheeks, nearly as red
as her hair. She stares at Chad, her body so tense it’s as though
she’s holding her breath, fighting to keep her fury within, but she
can’t contain it all. It leaks out, dribbling down her cheek in a
tear.

She looks as though she’s ready to burst,
though whether it’ll come out in tears or a storm of fury, I don’t
know.

What I do know is that I need her to go back
to where she was, before either of those things happen.

“Go back to the truck, Piper,” I say,
fighting to keep my tone calm. “You don’t want to do this right
now.”

She doesn’t respond, and she doesn’t go back
to the truck.

No, instead she comes closer, her fiery eyes
glued to Chad and her hands curling into white knuckled fists,
hissing, “I never asked you to touch my truck. I never paid you to
loosen my tires. Tell the truth, you asshole!”

I stare at her for a tick, feeling my jaw go
slack.

She looks vicious, so far removed from the
sweet and quiet girl I know.

“The girl I helped out was a blond,” Chad
says slowly, his tone almost hesitant as though he’s worried she
might actually attack him. “Trixie told me about your accident and
I’m really fucking sorry, but I swear, I thought I was helping
someone.”

Piper’s eyes narrow at those words, and she
stares at him.

And stares.

And stares at him some more.

“You were caught on video that night by my
truck,” she says quietly. “The police are looking for you and I’m
going to call them now. You’re going to tell them everything you
know. Everything you remember about her. If you do that, then I’ll
make sure these guys are going to work there asses off to clear
your name.”

Jase lets out a startled laugh, and Wes gapes
at her.

I merely grin, shaking my head.

“I can do that,” Chad says without
hesitation.

Un-fuckin’-believable.

Piper

I don’t call the police.

I don’t need to.

Moments after I make the statement, Detective
Cruz pulls up. One of the guys must have called him before they
even got out of their vehicle.

It takes a little over thirty minutes for us
to fill him in, answering questions, explaining the situation,
before he lets me and the guys go, and hauls Chad off to the
station to collect his statement.

Vance doesn’t say a word to me as we get into
his truck. My heart is pounding so fast I can feel each beat, each
thump, in the tips of my fingers. He’s in a peculiar mood, not
quite angry, not entirely not.

I don’t know what to make of it.

As soon as my seatbelt is in place, he pulls
out of the park and onto the street. His eyes stay focused on the
windshield, not even glancing at the mirrors as he drives, keeping
his neck tense as though he doesn’t want to risk looking in my
direction.

I think I screwed up.

Big time.

I’m just not sure if it’s because I got out
of the truck when he explicitly told me not to, or if it’s because
I offered his help to Chad without asking him first.

I’m not sure it matters either way.

Five minutes pass in silence, before I start
to fidget.

Another two minutes, and I feel as though I’m
going to scream or perhaps even cry, just to make some noise and
release my pent up anxiety.

“I know you’re mad at me,” I say, unable to
contain my nerves any longer. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this
nervous around him. I guess I’ve grown used to him, comfortable
with him, but now, with the odd mood he’s in, I’m not sure what to
do with myself.

It just feels … different somehow.

He feels different, uptight and relaxed all
at the same time.

“I’m not mad,” he says. “Shocked, maybe a
little frustrated, but not mad.”

“You seem mad,” I counter. “If it’s about me
getting out of the truck, I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t sit there
and watch. I couldn’t do it.”

“I know,” he says. “And like I said, I’m not
mad.”

I turn to him confused, and he gives me a
look that I think is supposed to be reassuring, but it only manages
to cause more unease.

“If Chad needs help clearing his name, I’ll
pay for it.”

He lets out a sharp laugh. “Jesus, Piper,
it’s all good. Stop worrying so damn much.”

“Then what is it?” I snap, frustrated.
“What’s eating at you?”

He cuts his eyes to me and frowns, before
turning his focus back onto the road. “Thought we had him,” he
mumbles after a moment. “Thought this shit was gonna be over, but
all we’ve got now is that the girl behind everything is blonde.
We’re no closer now than we were a week ago.”