sheriff. Alex focused on the man behind that chiseled jaw and those cool blue eyes. He was highly regarded by his men. That had been obvious both this morning and during her stay in the hospital. The deputies were immensely loyal. Alex hadn’t found a complainer in the bunch. That said a lot about Mitch Hayden. If his men liked and respected him, then he was a fair man, a man of his word. His grief at the loss of two of his men was painfully clear. He wouldn’t stop until he found the person responsible for their deaths.
Though he allowed her to believe that she was still his prime suspect, Alex felt fairly confident that he knew deep in his gut that she was innocent. He’d shown entirely too much leniency to maintain otherwise. She wondered how a man as young as Hayden, thirty maybe, had garnered himself such a highly respected reputation. She supposed he possessed more charm and political finesse than she’d seen so far. But then, according to the research she’d done before coming to Shady Grove, the Haydens had run this county for more than fifty years. That was likely the key factor more so than any of his assets, and he had many that had nothing at all to do with personality. She shivered at the thought of those strong arms around her.
For the most part, Alex was pretty sure she had him figured out. He was a straight shooter. Probably a little too righteous for some of his counterparts, but preferred by most. She doubted he had much of a social life outside recreational sex considering the hours he appeared to put in. The thought of sex with Mitch Hayden sent another shiver through her.
Alex shook off that ridiculous notion and forced her attention forward. Just because the man didn’t wear a wedding ring or have an answering machine loaded with calls from prospective lovers didn’t mean he ignored his natural instincts. He was too good-looking and in too public a position not to have his share of feminine attention.
None of which was her concern. Alex touched the bandage on her forehead. She had bigger problems than Mitch Hayden’s sex life. Two men were dead, Jasna was dead, and somehow Alex was caught right smack in the middle of it. And she couldn’t remember why or how. Not to mention that she’d stuck both feet into her mouth by mentioning Marija’s possible pregnancy. If Alex had ever known that the Malloys were relatives of Hayden, she’d definitely forgotten that little tidbit. Getting any information on the family now would be next to impossible. Hayden would make sure of that.
She started when another of those high-speed flashes of memory zoomed through her head. Mitch Hayden yelling at her. Alex strained to recapture the images, but couldn’t. If the memory was real, the handsome sheriff had been madder than hell about something.
How could one missing nineteen-year-old young woman have spawned this kind of chain reaction? What had Alex seen or heard that made her a liability?
Hayden slowed and turned left into the drive of a small two-story frame house. Several cars were already there. Some were Nashville P.D., others were unmarked. The house and its miniscule yard had been cordoned off with yellow crime-scene tape. Before Alex realized Hayden had emerged from the vehicle, he stood next to her waiting for her to get out. She dragged her attention from the well-maintained house to the man who’d brought her here. Those blue eyes were analyzing her closely now. Too closely.
“I’ve been here before,” she said abruptly, uncertain where the knowledge came from. “I don’t know when or why. I only know that I’ve been here.”
Something changed in those assessing eyes, but she couldn’t say just what. “You don’t have to go inside,” he offered with too much understanding.
Alex climbed out of the vehicle to stand between it and its owner. “Yes, I do,” she replied, careful to keep her gaze on the house before her rather than the man standing so very close.
Zach had said the same thing. He hadn’t wanted Alex to come. But she’d insisted. She’d also insisted that he didn’t. He needed to bring Victoria up to speed and Alex didn’t need him butting heads with Hayden. Zach had her best interest at heart, but she couldn’t do her job with him hovering nearby. He still felt possessive of her when it came to her safety. Alex loved him for it, but his determination not to let anything happen to her could be irritating at times.
She was immensely thankful for his friendship. Their brief relationship hadn’t changed how they felt about each other. It had only proven that they weren’t suited for anything other than good friends.
“You’re sure you’re up to this?”
Startled out of her reverie, Alex turned to face the man who’d spoken. Heat instantly rushed through her, leaving her a little shaky and a lot uncertain of herself. She remembered those strong arms around her, the feel of his bare chest beneath her cheek. Whatever the attraction between her and this stranger, it was powerful and more than a little unsettling.
“We’re wasting time, Sheriff. I need to do this.”
He studied her a moment longer as if still doubtful of what exactly she hoped to accomplish. “All right,” he relented, stepping back.
Hayden led the way to the front door of the small boarding house where Jasna had taken a room. She’d planned to stay in the vicinity until her sister was found. The uniformed officer standing guard at the front door stepped aside without question for them to pass. Inside a steady stream of personnel wearing their bureaucratic camouflage moved up and down the stairs and from room to room.
In the shared living room, a young man and two older women were being questioned. The other tenants, Alex supposed, and maybe the owner. The owner had started renting rooms to make ends meet after her husband died. She kept a clean house and prepared home-cooked meals, according to Jasna. She’d felt comfortable here. Startled that she suddenly knew so much about the place, Alex shivered. This was eerie. But a good sign, wasn’t it? She needed to remember so much more.
“Mitch!” A man of about fifty and wearing a wrinkled tan suit called from the second-story landing. “Up here.”
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