Buried Secrets (New Adult Dark Suspense Romance) by Emme Rollins Page B

blame you.”
    “Got it.” She jerked her shoulders out of his grip, sliding back on the grass to give them more space. “No more kissing.”
    “Dusty, come on.” He nudged her knee with his moccasin. “As much as I’d like to, I just don’t think it’s such a good idea right now.”
    She snorted, reaching into her pocket to check the time on her iPhone. She couldn’t make a phone call out here if she wanted to, there was no reception. She got zero bars. “Are you going to tell me I’m too vulnerable and you don’t want to take advantage of me?”
    “No, princess.” He had his knees up, elbows cocked over them. “ I’m too vulnerable and I don’t want you to take advantage of me.”
    Her head snapped up and when she saw the grin on his face she couldn’t help laughing.
    “Hey, did you hear about the kid that got killed?” she asked, pocketing her iPhone again.
    “Yeah.” Shane’s face hardened, eyes narrowing as he looked out across the cemetery. “What do you think I’m doing out here?”
    “Looking for bodies?” she guessed.
    He shook his head. “Looking for tracks.”
    “And setting traps.”
    “Whatever works.” He glanced over at the giant snapping jaws behind them. “I want that thing dead.”
    “What thing?”
    “Whatever it is.” He zipped his jacket back up.
    “Not a bobcat? Or a cougar?”
    Shane shrugged, standing, pulling his hat back over his head.
    “Where’s your car?” she asked, shading her eyes again to look up at him. “Do you need a lift?”
    “Parked it up the road. Out of sight,” he replied, nodding toward the trap. “And no thanks. I’ve got to set this baby.”
    “Where’s your bait?”
    He grinned, slinging his bow over his shoulder. “I haven’t killed it yet.”
    “Ew.” She made a face, thinking about the poor opossum or raccoon waddling around the woods who would soon be skinned for bait. Dusty hugged herself, glancing around the cemetery, the breeze blowing strands of her hair that had escaped her braid away from her face. “Do you really think it’s unsafe to be here? In the graveyard?”
    “Not during the day.” Shane reached into his pocket, pulling on a pair of gloves. Then he frowned down at her, forehead creasing in concern. “But promise me you won’t come out here at night.”
    “Cross my heart.” She did and he smiled sadly at the gesture—it was something they did when they were kids.
    “Good.” He grabbed the chain on the bear trap, lifting its weight easily. Shane was tall and lanky, but his shoulders were wide and seemed to be able to carry the weight of the whole world.
    “You’re going?”
    “Stay.” He reached a hand out, the one not holding the trap, tilting her chin up so she had to look into his eyes. They were dark with seriousness. “But I want you to leave before dusk. Promise me?”
    “It’s only nine in the morning.” She rolled her eyes.
    “Promise me,” he insisted sternly. “Today or any other day. Never after dusk.”
    “Okay,” she agreed, his urgent tone and the sharp, wary look in his eyes actually giving her goose bumps. If she didn’t know better, she could have sworn he almost looked… afraid.
    “See ya, princess.” He leaned forward, pressing his lips to the part on the top of her head.
    Then he headed toward the back of the cemetery and she watched his retreating form with mixed emotions. If someone had asked her the day she graduated what she would be doing in the fall, she never could have imagined sitting on her brother’s grave kissing—or almost kissing—Shane Curtis. She didn’t know what was more shocking—Nick’s death or her sudden, inexplicable attraction to a guy she had spent most of her adolescence actively hating.
    “Hey, Nick, look at me,” she whispered, tracing the D in his name on the headstone. “I’m mending fences. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
    She glanced up to see if anyone was around to see her talking to a grave, but there was no one. Shane had