Page 108 of Criminally Yours

“Your friends aren’t your only weaknesses,” he taunted.

“This isn’t over,” Millie replied. “I’ll tell the police what you did. You’ve avoided trouble for years because of your powerful parents, but this is a problem you can’t demand your way out of. Turn yourself in, or I’ll visit the police station with video evidence and make a statement.”

“Hello, Millie,” he rasped. “Make sure to tell me which station. I’ll have a violent welcoming committee waiting for you. Scrap that. As soon as you get to a police station, I’ll know about it. My mother is the head of the police.”

“Don’t threaten me, prick. We’ll get you,” Millie replied. She projected confidence into her voice, but her hands shook so violently that Strike grasped them in his. “And a bit of advice, stop telling people your mum’s the head of the police. It won’t go down well with your cellmates.”

“People like me don’t go to prison.” His laugh was less confident. “Watch your back. As soon as I find you, you’ll regret threatening me.”

The phone went dead. Strike snatched it. “I want to rip his fucking throat out.”

“No, you don’t. You want to see him behind bars.”

“Don’t be so sure about that, Sunset. Let’s return to the house.”

“No,” she begged. “I can’t go there and wait to be hurt. I’ve spent so much of my life hiding.”

“This isn’t like before. This isn’t hiding because you’re scared to reveal who you are. This is me protecting you.”

“He doesn’t know where we are, or he’d be here. Please, one hour.”

It took everything in him not to carry her back to the house.

“Fine. But you’ll not do anything to risk your safety. Are we clear?” he fumed. “And you will follow all my instructions.”

“Yes, sir. Anything you say,” she teased.

Fuck, if that didn’t make him want to force obedience from her.

He was too much for her, but he couldn’t let her out of his life now.

CHAPTER 46

Millie

There were more tourists than when she had last visited.

The smell of fish competed with the bread from the nearby bakery. Light glinted off trinkets outside gift shops, and the fudge aroma wafting from the sweet shop made Millie wiggle her nose.

“Hello, honeymooners,” Merryn said as they stood outside her café. “I’m locking up for the day, but I’m meeting Elsie at the pub. Join us.”

Strike had wrung his hands most of the way to the town and gritted his teeth when she teased him. He hid some of himself from her, and she needed to see that guy. They’d struggle to be together if he couldn’t be his true self with her.

“Can we go to the pub, baby?” she asked, tilting her head and fluttering her eyelashes. “Please.”

He scowled. “Fine. But I need to call my”—he glanced at Merryn—“colleague about business. We need to plan a trip to visit the man we talked about.”

They followed Merryn to the pub at the edge of the beach.

“This is a favourite with the locals,” Merryn explained asthey reached the open double doors. Worn wooden tables filled the space, and faded pictures covered the walls. The entire town was visible from its wide windows.

“Let me check it. You stay outside.” Strike stepped in front of her and glanced around. His hunched shoulders filled the space.

He returned. “It seems safe enough.”

Merryn cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll make my call now. I’ll be in shortly.”