“That could do it.” After pressing a kiss to her forehead, Reyes peeled off his flannel shirt and wrapped it around her, leaving him in only a thermal Henley.
“You’ll get cold—”
“Shh, babe, let me do something, okay?” He bent his knees to look into her face. “You saved yourself. You realize that, right? The least I can do is give you my shirt.”
Cade cleared his throat. “Want me to do the honors?”
Reyes cupped a hand to her cheek. “We have to question him, and fast. How about you go with Cade—”
“I want to hear, too.” She deserved to hear. Damn it, she felt so wretched, but she had to know it all.
“You’re cold.”
“No colder than you,” she insisted.
After a split second, Reyes nodded and then lifted her in his arms again. With Cade at his side, he walked over to the car. Cade lifted Delbert’s gun, dusted the snow off it, and then leaned into the car.
Delbert’s eyes were closed but they opened real fast when Cade jostled his foot with the muzzle of the gun, causing him to hiss out an agonized breath.
“So,” Reyes said. “You and Rob Golly.”
The weirdest thing happened.
Delbert’s eyes flared, then he managed a sickly smile. “Rob Golly? That’s what you think?”
“It’s what we know,” Cade said.
“You’re wrong. Rob is dead.”
Held in Reyes’s arms, Kennedy felt a little warmer, and yet she still couldn’t stop shaking. The violent tremors racked her whole body. “I thought he was dead,” she admitted, unable to look away from Delbert’s battered face. She’d done that. Well, she and the wreck, which she’d instigated, so—
“I suggest you start talking,” Reyes growled, “or I’ll make you talk, and I guarantee you won’t like my methods.”
“I only wanted her,” Delbert murmured, staring at Kennedy.
Reyes tried to put her down then, his intent obvious. Kennedy held tight. God only knew what he’d do if he touched Delbert right now.
She didn’t think she could stomach more exposed bones or blood.
That didn’t stop Cade from reacting. He grabbed Delbert’s leg just beneath a break. “Look at her again,” he whispered, “and you’ll regret it.”
The pain must have been unbearable, because Delbert screamed around a string of rank curses.
“Cops will be here soon.” Reyes hugged her a little tighter. “You’ve got one minute to tell me what you know, otherwise you’ll be dead when the law arrives.”
Kennedy stared at Reyes, whose gaze remained on Delbert. Would Reyes kill him? She honestly didn’t know—and she didn’t really care.
“Rob Golly’s death is what started it all,” Delbert babbled. Despite the cold, sweat dripped down his white face.
“Then where’s the body?” Cade asked.
“His brother took it.” Delbert’s breathing became shallow. “Bet you didn’t know about the brother, did you?” Blood bubbled out of his mouth. “He and Rob look enough alike to confuse anyone.” Del struggled with a shaky breath and his eyes sank shut. In a rasping voice, he said, “He’s insane. I knew if he got to Kennedy first, there’d be nothing left...” Grimacing, he paused. “He’ll kill all of you now. He wants Jodi bad for what she did to his brother. He’ll make her pay. You’ll all pay.” They could barely hear when he whispered, “Everyone you know will pay.”
Cade stiffened.
“Go,” Reyes whispered, and just like that, Cade was scaling the hill back to his SUV.
Near her ear, Reyes said, “Sterling could be at risk, even in the parking lot at the diner.”
So much trouble she’d brought to all of them. Her head was pounding as she made herself nod.
He lowered her, then pulled her to his side as he stepped in close to the car. “Stay right next to me, and don’t interfere.”
“All right.”
“Where is Golly?” Reyes asked.
Delbert didn’t respond. He looked like he might not be able to.
Mouth tight, Reyes snapped, “Answer me.”
Delbert’s eyes barely opened. “Motel.”
“He’s still there?”
“It’s where I left him...” Head slumping to the side, he said no more.
His face was so white, Kennedy didn’t know if he’d gone into shock or if he’d died. In the distance, she heard sirens.
Very softly, Reyes said, “Be glad she destroyed you, or I’d be taking you apart right now.”
Surprised by that, she tried to figure out what to say. Reyes already had out his phone, and she knew who he’d called when he said, “Dad. Yeah, we’re all okay.” His attention moved over her with a worried frown. “Kennedy’s banged up, probably a concussion... Yeah, I’ll tell her.”
“Tell me what?”
Briefly he covered the phone. “That you’re going to need a lot of rest.”
Right. She could seriously use that rest right now.
Reyes uncovered the phone and shifted his gaze to Delbert. “Pretty sure this prick just died on me and cops are almost here—What? Why is he coming?”
Wondering who “he” was, Kennedy hugged herself and waited, resisting the urge to collapse onto the ground.
Reyes groaned. “So it was you, not Madison? No, I’m not questioning you.” He looked up the hill, prompting Kennedy to do the same. “They’re here now. Later. Yeah, I will.”
“Who’s here?” She instinctively moved closer, pretty sure she’d already used all her reserves for dangerous situations.
“Detective Albertson.”
Oh. That wasn’t so bad. In fact, it reassured her a little—as long as the presence of a cop didn’t get Reyes into trouble.
Sure enough, Crosby started down the hill, followed by two uniformed officers.
Reyes called up to him, “Ambulance here?”
“Yes.” Using a skinny, barren tree branch for support, Crosby finished his descent. “Kennedy, are you okay?”
Leaning into Reyes, she nodded.
“She needs medical attention,” Reyes said.
“Looks like you do, too.” Crosby surveyed them both, then said to the officers, “Help her up the hill.”