Chapter 49

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Kinley awoke to the sterile smell of disinfectant and the soft beeping of medical equipment. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights overhead.

God, she hated hospitals. She hated the noises, the smells… If she never saw the inside of a hospital again, it would be too soon.

Drawing in a deep breath, she glanced to the side and saw Cam slumped in a chair beside her bed. He looked exhausted, his eyes closed and his head resting against the back of the chair. The sight of him brought a wave of relief, a sense of safety that she desperately needed.

As if feeling her gaze on him, Cam stirred and sat up, his eyes meeting hers. A smile spread across his face, filled with so much love and relief that it made her heart ache. It was like déjà vu, a painful reminder of when she'd been attacked a few weeks ago and had woken up to find him by her side.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said softly, pushing out of the chair and moving to sit on the edge of her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "But it could be worse. I'm still here."

"Thank God," Cam breathed, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He slid onto the bed next to her, careful not to jostle her too much, and gently wrapped his arms around her. His warmth enveloped her, chasing away the chill that had settled deep in her bones.

"I was so worried about you," he murmured, his lips brushing against her hair. "When Dare called and said they'd found you in the lake… God."

Kinley nestled closer to him, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It wasn't your fault," Cam said, his voice thick with emotion. He squeezed her a little tighter. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"You didn't." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm fine."

"I know." He drew in a deep breath. "I love you, Kinley. More than anything."

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him. "I love you too, Cam," she whispered, reaching up to touch his face. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, kissing her softly. "You're stuck with me."

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the recent events hanging heavily in the air. "I still can't believe it," she said quietly. "One second, I swore I was going to drown, and the next…" She gave a little shake of her head. "Sarge was there, then Dare was pulling me out."

His hold tightened. "We were looking everywhere—we had no idea where you were. I was headed that direction, but…" He trailed off for a second. "It was a stroke of luck that you were on the side of the lake near his house."

"I wasn't even certain where I was until Dare took me back to the house."

She shivered at the memory, and Cam kissed her temple. "Can you tell me what happened?"

She took a deep breath, then launched into her explanation. "After you called to let me know about Lance, Max showed up at the house."

"Max?"

She turned slightly to face him. "He's a realtor who works with Lance."

Understanding lit his eyes. "Do you know his last name?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "I know his real name—David Collins."

Cam blinked, and Kinley sighed. "I met Max at the brokerage when I hired Lance to list my house. I didn't think anything of it at the time. But he admitted yesterday that his real name is David Collins. He's the one who used to live in my house—the one who killed Misty."

"You're sure?" His brows drew together, and she nodded.

"He admitted everything."

"Hold on one second." He dug his phone from his pocket and tapped a button to call Dare. Switching it to speakerphone, he held the phone between them.

When Dare answered, voice groggy and thick with sleep, Cam directed his words to Kinley. "Tell him what you just told me."

Kinley relayed the story from the beginning, telling him where she'd met Max, and how he'd shown up at her house.

"He must have known we had Lance in custody," Cam said. "He figured he would be long gone by the time we realized we had the wrong guy."

Dare made a disgruntled sound on the other end. "I'll get everyone on it, see what we can find out about Max."

"Call if you need me," Cam replied. "I'm going to stay here with Kinley."

He hung up, and Kinley tipped her head up to him. "You can go if you need to."

He shook his head. "Hell, no. Not yet, anyway."

Kinley understood. She leaned into him, exhaustion washing over her. "I hope this brings some closure. For Misty's family, and for everyone."

Cam kissed the top of her head. "It will. And we'll make sure David faces justice for all of it."