Burning Truth (Lost and Found Columbus #3)

Chapter 6

6

S evern made sure the house was as secure as it could be without a major renovation. They were going to have to talk about upgrades. At the very least, a few minor ones to door and window locks. Hell, even if she closed the curtains... He typed off a note to Bear Stevens with exactly what he needed. Not surprisingly, the man responded, even though it was almost two in the morning. None of them had great sleep patterns.

Pulling the note app up on his phone, he typed some things in. Tomorrow he would send Parker a report of everything they’d done, and warn him about the security upgrades to the house. Even if Severn had to pay for it himself, her house would be more secure by tomorrow.

He went to bed an hour after Addie did. The guest room bed was not made for someone as tall as he was, but he still managed to get a few hours of hard sleep in. Then the dreams woke him and he was up and looking for something to do. He’d brought his laptop, so he perused the internet, looking for anything that had happened in the Columbus area that might have been because of the arsonist. He saw nothing other than the normal robberies and car crashes. There’d been an Amber alert for a missing little girl, but they’d found her at the grandmother’s house. BrickBrak had done nothing last night.

Severn surfed through Addie’s social media. There were a ton more comments, and he was surprised to see how many were about him. Mostly from women. What the fuck... And they were mostly in reference to the amazing ‘save’ from certain death. Yes, she’d been in danger, but Ron had certainly taken some liberties with the footage.

He didn’t like being in the social eye. Totally defeated the part about being a private detective. He had the platforms, of course, because a lot of time it was easier to talk on the social platforms as a group. A few of the idiots he worked with were invested in reality stars, and they were on the platforms so much, it was a little ridiculous. Granted, he liked to scroll TikTok and Youtube, though he took steps to protect his privacy.

Gabbie had created them all random names to use, attached to disposable emails. Nothing connected to his real life.

So, he was amazed when he looked at Addie’s account and saw how many people were asking about him again. They were going to have to go public with their ‘relationship’.

Severn glanced at the clock. He needed to call Gabbie and see if she could track this guy. He sent off a text message.

‘You awake?’

Yup.

Punching the phone button on the screen, he called her.

“What’s up, Boss man?”

Severn appreciated Gabbie’s no-nonsense attitude. He told her what was going on and sent her a couple of links to BrickBrak’s comments.

“Has he contacted her on any platform other than this one?”

“Not that I know of. I can check with her, though.”

“Yeah, do that. The more access points I have, the better.”

Addie walked into the room then, and Severn looked up. Damn, she was something. Even with her eyes a little swollen from sleep and her hair a black, curly cloud around her head, she looked beautiful. He grinned as she staggered to the coffeepot and snapped a pod in.

“Addie, I’m talking to my tech person. Has he contacted you on any other platform? Email, or anything?”

Her gaze sharpened, and she turned to lean against the counter. “Definitely not with that name. I mean, I get some weird emails occasionally, but we all do, at the station. We all have an email through the station inbox.”

“Can I have access to that?” Gabbie asked, and he relayed the question.

“Yes, I suppose.” She reeled off her email and password. “It will ask for a verification code I’ll have to give you from my phone.”

Addie left the kitchen and jogged up the stairs. Severn leaned out a little to watch her ass. She was wearing little cotton shorts that were perfectly respectable, he supposed, but man they cupped her like a lover’s hands. And he didn’t think she was wearing anything under those shorts, either. The thought of peeling the waist band down to cup her ass made him hard.

“Boss!” Gabbie almost yelled.

Severn flinched and realized she’d been calling his name for a while. “What,” he snapped.

Gabbie chuckled on the other end of the line. “Parker told me about your sitch. Any chance you’re getting sucked into the story?”

Severn sighed. “Maybe,” he admitted. “The heroine is really something,” he admitted.

Gabbie chuckled again. “Well, if anybody deserves a happy ending, it’s you. And I don’t mean that in a weird massage way. I mean that in the literal sense that you should have a chance to have your own happy ever after. I’m not gonna lie. After watching Brian fall for that cop, I’m fighting the green-eyed monster myself.”

“Yeah, I get it,” he murmured.

Brian Calvert had met Sage Harrison in Wyoming, of all places, at a wedding, and her son, a brilliant kid, had managed to get them moved to Columbus and parked them right next door to Brian. The kid, Adam, had decided that Brian and his mother would be good together, and it had actually worked out for all of them. Brian was head over heels with Sage, and he seemed to love Adam, too. Severn had shaken his head at the craziness, but he couldn’t argue with the kid’s results.

Maybe they needed to hire him later.

Addie jogged back down the stairs, and he forced himself to look away. Did she even have a fucking bra on? Her breasts weren’t huge, but under the thin fabric of the tee he could see their pointed tips.

Addie read off a text code from her phone.

“Got it,” Gabbie said. “Let me dig around a little and see what I can figure out.”

“Thanks, Gabbie.”

Addie went back to her coffee, cradling it between her hands. “Who was that?”

“Her name is Gabriella Stone. She’s an IT expert at Lost and Found.”

“Where did you come up with the name Lost and Found?”

Severn mirrored her, leaning back against the countertop and crossing his arms. “It’s the name the primary owner came up with when he started the firm years ago with his two partners. They’re based out of Denver, and the whole premise of their company is that they only hire disabled veterans.”

Her dark brows popped up as her eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s really cool. And the Columbus branch is the same way?”

He nodded. “Yes. We’re all former military.”

“And all disabled?”

“Yes,” he confirmed, though he hated the word. Technically, he wasn’t sure he fell into that category because he could still do everything he used to, but the military considered him disabled. They’d literally measured his scars, and the loss of his flexibility, and deemed him a liability. Even the bit of peripheral vision he’d lost on the left side totaled into his disability.

Not that he was bitter about it or anything.

Addie took a sip of her coffee, looking thoughtful. “I don’t like the fact that we’re always waiting for him. Did you go through my socials today? Any new messages?”

“Not from him, no. And no arsons, bombings or suspicious happenings overnight.”

She pursed her lips, turning to look out over the backyard. There wasn’t much back there, but Severn had gone around to check the security of the plank fence. It was surprisingly secure, and the only gate was padlocked from the inside.

“Okay,” she said softly. “Well, I’m going to go clean up. I usually head into the station about one or two.”

“Heard. I’ll be ready to go when you are.”

Severn watched her turn and leave. She had thoughts running through her mind that she wasn’t sharing, but he was okay with that for now. She was in a difficult situation, and he would try to let her work it out however she needed to.

Severn shadowed Addie everywhere she went, but it was a pretty quiet evening. She reported on a rise in robberies on the east side, and a baby left at a safe haven baby box at a fire department in Grove City. Then Ron sent them to talk to people about over- parking on city streets. It seemed like they were running around doing busy work.

Severn had to admire Addie’s work ethic, though. Everything she did, she did with her whole heart. He was bored out of his mind listening to the residents of an apartment building complain about the parking situation, but if Addie was bored, she certainly didn’t show it. She talked to every person like their opinion deserved to be heard, but she never promised anyone that they would be on TV. She always clarified that it was up to her editor.

Several of the residents asked her about her near-crash the night before, but she smiled their concerns away. He got a lot of looks himself, but he didn’t respond to them, or the few good-natured taunts that flew his way.

They took a few minutes to cruise through a local taco stand, then were sent on another mundane call. Addie wrote up her notes on her laptop as they traveled. Severn had never thought about the mechanics that went into producing a broadcast every night for the people of Columbus and the surrounding counties, so it was really interesting to watch.

All night, though, he monitored her social media, looking for some hint that her stalker was going to make a move.

By the time they headed back to the station for the last time, Severn was ready to call it a night. He normally worked dayshift, so these late evenings were beginning to catch up to him a little.

They had a quick meeting with Ron, then they climbed into his truck to head home.

Her house. Not home.

She motioned to the left. “Let’s stop at one of those big box stores and get some groceries. Not sure I want pizza again tonight,” she said.

Without argument, Severn turned into the parking lot. This late, there were very few cars. Actually, he was kind of surprised it was even open. Didn’t seem like there would be enough traffic to require being open this late.

Well, less people to stare, too.

“So, what do you like to eat,” she asked, pulling a cart from the line at the front of the store.

“Salmon, steak, chicken. Protein. I’m pretty indiscriminate. And you?”

She snorted, flashing him a smile. “You’ve seen how we eat at night.”

True. They’d had hot-dogs and fries tonight between calls at an old dairy ice cream place. It had been good, but certainly not good for them. And that was after the taco joint earlier in the day.

“I think my body goes into shock when I feed it something healthy,” she said, wandering through the fruit section. She grabbed some bananas and a few apples, and he grabbed a bag of red grapes. The Brussel sprouts didn’t look too bad, so he grabbed a bag of them as well. When he looked up at her, she had a weird look on her face.

“What,” he asked defensively.

“I thought only old ladies ate Brussel sprouts.”

He shook his head at her. “They’re good, and they’re good for you. I’ll cook them and you’ll enjoy them.”

He also added a container of white mushrooms to the cart, and some broccoli crowns. Then they started through the meat. Addie grabbed a flat of steaks, and he added some chicken thighs.

“I’ll cook the steaks, but it’s all you on the chicken,” she said. “I don’t mind eating it, but it makes me gag to cut.”

Frowning, he stared at her. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “I don’t even want to touch the package. I had food poisoning from chicken when I was a kid, and I’ve never forgotten it.”

Hm. Okay.

They wandered through the store, picking enough items to last them a few days, until they reached the snack aisle. Severn couldn't help but chuckle at the assortment of chips and sweets lining the shelves. Addie, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought, running her fingers along the different packages. “Do you think we should grab some snacks for the night?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder as she picked up a bag of kettle chips.

“I mean, if you want to break your healthy run...” he teased, crossing his arms and looking stern. He’d stood that way at every scene today, and people had steered clear of his big, glowering, crossed-arm form.

“Oh, come on! I need a little energy boost to keep me going.” She winked, tossing a random bag into the cart with a mischievous grin.

He huffed dramatically, pretending to weigh his options. “Fine, but only if we get some fruit leather or granola bars, too. Balance, you know?”

“Oh, now you’re a health coach?” she laughed, and they continued down the aisle, the tension of the day morphing into something lighter.

They spent the next few minutes debating over which snacks to choose, and somewhere between the popcorn and gummy bears, Severn found himself enjoying the way she argued playfully, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. He grabbed a box of dark chocolate-covered almonds and raised it as if it were a trophy. “These count as health food, right? Antioxidants!”

“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her smile.

As they made their way toward the register, Severn caught sight of a few late-night shoppers, their faces washed out by the too-bright lighting. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It was partly the paranoia that had clung to him since the moment he’d agreed to help Addie with her situation, but also a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“Let’s hurry up before I get too tempted to add more junk to this cart,” he said, forcing casualness into his voice.

“Don’t fret, I promise I won’t let you turn into a potato,” she joked, but he noticed the slight shift in her posture as they approached the checkout.

Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

"Aren't you Addie Kingston!?" a woman proclaimed, coming toward her from another aisle with her phone up.

Addie smiled, as she always did when the public recognized her, but Severn could see a resigned tiredness in her eyes.

"I am," she said, smiling at the woman. "Would you like a selfie?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I want a pic with you and your new hunk!"

"He prefers not to be pictured,” Addie said easily. “I'll take one with you."

Severn knew she was trying to protect him from more scrutiny, and he appreciated the effort, but he didn't need it. He was supposed to be protecting her.

"I'm fine with it, babe," he said. Smile turning a little forced, she looked at Severn. Saying nothing, he lifted his left arm for her to nestle against his side.

The woman's eyes widened as she fumbled to adjust her phone. "Oh my gosh! This is like... amazing!" She snapped a few quick shots, and Severn stole a glance at Addie, who was trying to mask her discomfort with a laugh. It was the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes that worried him.

“Hey, it’s okay, right?” he said, leaning in closer. “Just a fan, nothing more.”

Addie nodded briefly, but her gaze drifted past the woman, scanning the store as if expecting someone else to appear.

“Thanks!” the woman chirped, oblivious to the tension in the air. “You two make a great couple! I’m glad you weren’t hurt last night.” She offered a wave and darted off, likely sharing her encounter with her own social media followers.

Severn hesitated before letting her slip away, the warmth of her presence leaving a gap by his side. “You alright?” he asked, his voice low enough for her ears only.

Addie bit her lip, shrugging slightly. “Yeah, it’s just… You know, it’s not just the fans. It’s people knowing my business. They think they know what’s happening without really being in the loop.”

“I get that,” he murmured, hand brushing against her arm protectively as they moved toward the checkout.

And then it hit him — a flicker of movement at the edge of his vision. He turned quickly to scan the surroundings, but found nothing out of place. Just a couple finishing up their shopping, a tired-looking cashier scanning groceries, and an older gentleman shifting his cart in the same direction they were going. Nothing seemed wrong, but the instinct at the back of his mind told him to remain vigilant.

They finished up their purchases, Addie loading the bags into the truck while he checked the area again. He couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on him, an echo of restless energy coursing through his veins as they climbed inside.

“You good?” Addie asked, her brow furrowing.

“Yeah, just a little paranoid, I guess.” He turned to her, forcing the tension from his expression. “Let’s get back to your house and get a little something to eat. Sound like a plan?”

“Absolutely. I’m munchie!” she replied, grinning like the sun breaking through clouds.

Severn put the truck in gear, and they rolled out of the parking lot. As they drove under the fluorescent lights, he finally decided the best way to keep her safe might just be to confront whatever metaphorical shadow was lingering — before it became something too much to handle. "Did I make you uncomfortable wrapping my arm around you?"

"No, not at all!" she said, shaking her head. "It's just a little strange, you know?"

As they pulled up to the house, the streetlight flickered above them, and for a brief moment, Severn thought he saw a figure at the end of her street. But when he squinted to get a better look, it was gone. Was his paranoia getting the best of him tonight?

“Did you see something?” she asked as he pulled the keys from the ignition.

“No,” he lied.

Addie narrowed her eyes at him, and he wanted to smirk at her, but he didn’t. She was a sharp cookie.

He hesitated, debating whether to voice it. “Nothing. It was probably just my imagination. Let’s get these groceries in and make something to nosh on.”

They stopped at the front door and Severn keyed in the code on the new lock, pushing it open.

“Wait,” Addie said, staring in confusion. “That wasn’t...”

“I had one of our guys come over and do some modifications. You were a sitting duck in this house and you needed security. I’ll show you how to change the code and set the alarm system.”

“Alarm system,” she asked incredulously, stepping into the foyer. The bags hung in her hands, forgotten, as she looked at the new keypad on the wall.

Severn gave her a crash course on the new deadbolt and the alarm keypad. “You have to set it every time you leave, but Bear set you up with a key fob, and you’ll have an app on your phone as well.”

Addie keyed in the final code and secured the front door, then picked up the bags of groceries and headed to the kitchen. Once she had them on the island, she turned to look at him. “I’ll reimburse you for the cost of the system. Or just have the company invoice me. I’ve thought about getting a security system, anyway.”

Severn doubted she would ever have gotten a system as secure as what Bear had just installed. It was top of the line, and would be monitored twenty-four hours a day. She probably hadn’t even noticed the cameras that had been installed, including the Ring doorbell. He would tell her about those once she was a little more relaxed.

“What do you want to snack on?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Nothing heavy,” he said, although his mind was elsewhere. He rummaged through the bags, pulling out the various ingredients they had chosen together while trying to distract himself from the odd sensation still prickling at the base of his neck. "It's too late for anything big. Grilled cheese? Or maybe a fruit salad."

Addie turned and gave him a broad, fake, toothy grin, holding up a box of sugared cereal. Severn winced. "That is all you. I may eat something else."

"Chicken," she said, laughing and reaching for a bowl in the cupboard. "We need to get used to touching each other," she said abruptly.

Severn shot a look at her straight back, but she stayed turned away as she readied her snack, so he couldn't see her face. "Okay," he said carefully. "What do you suggest?"

She straightened and seemed to come to a decision. Turning, she looked up at him, her hands braced on the edge of the counter behind her. "The lady took me by surprise tonight. And I have a feeling it won't be the only time. Someone will want a picture of us kissing, and I would prefer to have the first one out of the way."

Severn blinked as shock rolled through him. "You want me to kiss you."

She tipped up her chin. "Yes."

There was something in her eyes... did she think he wouldn't do it?

Before she could second-guess his actions, he stepped forward and leaned down to take her mouth with his own.

Severn thought he could maintain distance from Addie, though she appealed to him on a personal level. As soon as he tasted her, felt the softness of her dark pink lips, he knew he wasn't strong enough. Hard need slammed through him. She tasted of sweetness and daring, and he knew the peck he planned would not be enough. Cupping her head in his hands, he angled his mouth against hers.

When her tongue brushed against his lips, he wanted to groan. Instead, he opened his own mouth and sank into her. Their kiss turned carnal, and he leaned his hips against hers. Her hands gripped his sides, and he felt her mouth smile under his. She pulled back, her dark brows arching high. "Well, okay, then," she said, her cheeks flushed.

Severn's lips turned up in a half smile. "Kiss one is out of the way," he said, his voice deep. Blood was roaring through his body, and he knew he was in deep shit.

Addie went back to making her bowl of cereal methodically, not really paying attention. The kiss had been more than she ever could have expected.

“If you’re my bodyguard now, does that make protecting me part of your job description? You know...like a workplace hazard?”

He smirked at her cheeky grin. “If that's the case, I’ll want hazard pay, and maybe a cape while we're at it.”

“Only if I can wear a spandex unitard. I mean, who doesn’t love a good superhero vibe?”

Now laughter filled the space again, both giddy about the absurdity but thankful for the fleeting light their banter provided.

“Deal,” he declared. “You can sport the tights; I’ll stick to brooding hero standards.”

Addie’s laughter trailed off as she leaned back against the counter. “We’ll make the best of it—whatever this is.” A seriousness returned to her tone that drew his attention.

“Yeah,” he admitted, meeting her eyes. “We will.”