by Hamel, B. B.
Evans grunts. “But he runs this place, behind the scenes. Making one asshole disappear wouldn’t be all that hard.”
“Right.” I don’t peel my eyes from Emma as I speak. I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to. “You’ve got your suspect. You’ll get a clearance. What do you care?”
He’s quiet for a bit. I watch Emma, reflecting on how beautiful she is, how perfect. The more I’m around her, the more I realize how we mesh so perfectly. She craves a man that can control her, take care of her, tell her what to do and when to do it. She craves that control, even if she doesn’t realize it.
And I need a woman who loves to obey. I’ll spoil her, give her what she wants, so long as she obeys my every word.
We fit together. It’s perfect and it’s fucked up and I couldn’t love it any more.
But I’ll have to give up my other habit, if I’m going to keep her. That apartment in my basement, it’s there for a reason, there to feed another demon…
But that demon can sleep. Now I’ve got an angel to keep myself busy and happy.
“Thing is, Chief, a lot of weird stuff happens when you’re involved.”
I stand still suddenly. I almost can’t believe those words just left his lips. I turn to him slowly, head cocked to the side.
“Careful,” I say softly.
He watches me, his face carefully blank. “I’m just saying, lots of strange things happen in this town, and you’re involved sometimes. Why is that?”
I step closer to him. “Pine Grove is a weird place,” I say softly. “Lots of dark around here, lots of bad things. And we’re the only ones keeping it all at bay. You think I’m involved? You can go fuck yourself.”
He doesn’t back down. Evans is a good cop, and I think that’ll be his downfall.
“I’m just saying. I believe Mitch did this, but the girl… and you…” He shakes his head. “Just don’t add up.”
“Forget about math then and listen to me. You want to survive here? You better start worrying more about doing your job and shutting your fucking mouth.”
We stare at each other and I can feel a snarl on my lips. I know this is a big moment, and if he senses any weakness, he won’t back down. But slowly, he blinks, and he turns away.
“Yeah, well. I guess we got our man. So why bother?”
“That’s right. Keep reminding yourself of that.”
He shakes his head slowly and opens the door, leaving the observation room. It closes behind him and I’m alone, watching Emma yet again.
I don’t think he’s going to be a problem. He’s a good cop, which means he’s smart and he can follow orders. Maybe he senses something’s off, but that’s fine. He can ignore that nagging feeling in the back of his mind for a long time, maybe even earn a pension, retire fat and happy.
Or else he’ll ask questions, make a nuisance of himself, and suddenly disappear. Lots of people disappear in this town.
I smile to myself. Yeah, he won’t be a problem, even if he wants to be.
I watch Emma talk with Graves for a while longer, but eventually Evans calls him out, and they leave her alone. She looks tired and miserable, and I know she’s wondering where I am. But she just has to stay strong for a little bit longer.
The thing with police is they can’t keep your forever. They have rules, strict rules. We don’t always follow them, but they’re there. A guy like Evans, he follows the rules.
And like clockwork, he releases Emma after a few hours, just like a good cop should.
I meet her out front, leaning up against my cruiser. She spots me right away and hurries over, looking haggard and exhausted.
“I thought you forgot about me,” she says.
I shake my head once and nod at the car. She frowns but understands, climbing into the passenger seat.
I drive us away from the department and park out behind an old abandoned gas station. Before she can speak, I turn to her, pull her across the center console, and kiss her hard.
She kisses me back with relish. She tastes so fucking good, especially now that we’ve gotten past all this fucking garbage.
It’s not the end, of course. Mitch is going to tell his tale about us breaking into his house, cutting him up, and fucking in the other room. Let him spin that yarn, though. Nobody’s going to believe a fucking murderer.
“You did great,” I say to her softly.
“I did?”
“Perfect.”
She smiles huge and kisses me again. “I thought I was letting you down. That’s why you didn’t come to see me.”
“No,” I say softly. “No, not at all.”
“They just kept asking me to go over it, again and again and I thought they saw through everything, I thought…”
“That’s just what police do,” I say softly. “I promise, they didn’t see through anything. And even if they did, you have me to back you up. Believe it or not, the chief of police holds a lot of weight with the department.”
She smiles at that, clearly relieved. “I honestly was so scared.”
“You didn’t look scared at all.”
She sighs and leans toward me. I wrap my arms around her and pull her tight and close.
“We need to talk about one more thing,” I say softly.
She looks up at me. “About what?”
“Well, you’re free now.” I hesitate, hating the words like bile on my tongue, but I have to say them. “You helped me solve the murder and now… you can do whatever you want.”
Her face slowly falls and she cocks her head. “I can?”
“Of course. If you want to leave, I can… well, I can give you some money, if you want.”
“You’ll pay me to leave?”
“No,” I say sharply. “That’s not what I want, but I’m offering it.”
She slowly pulls back and stares out the window of the cruiser. The sun is shining bright and the day is gorgeous but I can’t keep my eyes off of her. She’s perfect in every way and I can’t believe I’m offering her this chance, not even a little bit.
But I know it has to be real. If I’m going to keep her, she has to want to stay. Not like the others, the other girls I’ve taken and kept and disposed of. No, she’s going to stay of her own free will, and if she doesn’t want to, I’m going to let her walk away.
The idea repulses me. She’s seen so much, been through so much. To let her just walk away…
But that’s what she means to me. Even if she doesn’t return that feeling.
She stares out the window, and I can feel myself leaning closer to her, like I’m trying to pick up on her thoughts, quiet and small. The feeling lingers in the air, heavy and strange.
“When I ran away from my parents, I never thought I’d stop running,” she says softly. I hang on her every word, vibrating with need for her. “I thought I’d find somewhere I could be free, totally free, but that’s a lie, isn’t it?” She turns to me, frowning.
“Maybe,” I admit to her.
“I’ll always have to do what other people tell me. What bosses say, what friends say. I’ll always have to try and fit in, even if I don’t want to.”
“It’s what we all give up,” I say.
“Well, maybe I can make my own choice. Maybe I can choose where I put down my roots and settle. Maybe I can choose to give myself to someone that’s going to appreciate what I am.”
My heart beats so fast in my chest I can barely breathe. “Emma…”
She looks at me. “It’s you, Rhett. You’re the one I’ve been looking for. I don’t care what you’ve done or who you are, all I care about is being protected, taken care of. I want that from you, if you want to give it.”
I lean to her and pull her back to me. I kiss her hard again, needing her taste more than anything in my life before.
“I love you,” I whisper. “I never thought I’d love, but I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispers.
“Come on. Let’s go home.”
I start the
engine. She squeezes my hand and smiles at me as I pull out into traffic.
We aren’t traditional. We aren’t normal. Hell, nothing’s normal about anything between us. We’ve only been around each other for a short time but already we’re both sure this is going to be forever.
It’s what I’ve always needed to fill that hole inside of me. I can get rid of the basement apartment now. I won’t ever need to lock another person down there.
Not unless Emma asks for it.
I can’t wait for my life with her. It’ll be so much more than I ever imagined, I know that for a fact.
She’s perfect. She’s going to obey.
And I’m going to give her everything and more.
15
Emma
Two Years Later
I run my hand along my swollen belly as I crunch through the forest. Nearby, my black lab, Jefferson, darts between some trees, chasing a squirrel.
“Not too far!” I call out to him, although I know he won’t wander out of sight.
I crest over a little rise and lean up against a tree, catching my breath. It steams from between my lips in thin white streams and I stare at the sun slowly peeking up from behind the hills in the distance.
It’s absolutely beautiful. I take a deep breath and close my eyes briefly before opening them again. The sunrise is still there, still gorgeous.
And I’m still alone in these woods, completely free.
I love this morning ritual of mine. I walk up the closest rise and watch the sun peek up while Jefferson runs around and watches over me. It’s harder now that I’m seven months pregnant and I know I should probably stop, but I can’t help myself.
I love this feeling. I’m totally alone in these woods, away from Pine Grove and anyone else in that town. I’m alone, with only my dog and my husband, although he’s still in bed right now.
I smile and turn away from the sun. That’s enough for now. I start back to the house.
“Jefferson!” I call out and he comes trotting over, panting and grinning.
We walk back together. It takes about twenty minutes and when I’m done, I’m sweating and out of breath. I kick mud from my boots and take them off, sitting in a little rocking chair on the porch.
“How’d it go?”
I look up at Rhett standing in the doorway, a mug of coffee in his hand. I’m struck all over again how beautiful he is, how gorgeous his body is, how perfect his face is. He moves like a tiger, smooth and sleek, although I think he’s mellowed a bit over the last two years we’ve been together.
“Too hard,” I grumble.
“Told you. It’s only a few months.”
“I don’t want to give it up.”
He sighs. “I know. Maybe I can drive you up there?”
I shake my head. “That’d defeat the purpose.”
“Then don’t go so far.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I get my boots off and put them aside, standing up a bit.
He walks over to me and kisses me softly, hand on my belly.
“Good morning,” he says, smiling.
“Morning.” I kiss him again.
We head inside and he serves me breakfast. Jefferson runs around and Rhett pets him as he busies himself around the kitchen.
I eat while he disappears back into the bedroom. He comes back wearing his uniform and my heart flutters like it always does.
“Ready for work, Chief?” I ask.
“Ready.” He kisses me one more time. “Sure you’re staying here?”
“Sure,” I say.
“All right then. Guess it’s nice when your boss is also your husband.”
“Guess so.” I grin at him.
We kiss one more time and he leaves for the day.
I savor these hours alone in the house. I don’t do much, mostly just float around, but I love the freedom. I love knowing I have nowhere to go.
Before the baby, I worked at the station as Rhett’s secretary. People talked when he hired me, but the talk didn’t last long. We fell into a rhythm and now it’s just the way things are, and I love the way things are.
The Mitch case finished up pretty fast. He took a plea deal and avoided the death penalty, but he’s going to be in jail for the rest of his life. He shouted at Rhett for that, but it didn’t do any good.
At least he’s not dead, although Rhett isn’t so sure about that.
I don’t care. I’m just happy there wasn’t a trial and I never have to think about that man again.
Things are happy and easy. We got married on a Tuesday and Rhett got me pregnant a year later. Soon we’re going to have a family, and we’ll probably have to move closer to town.
Right now though, I love it out here, out in the wilderness. Out there Rhett can tell me what to do and I do it, without question, whenever he wants it. And he always wants it.
His appetite is incredible. Almost every day, even through my pregnancy. If I want it, I get it, and that goes for everything.
There’s nothing I want and don’t get, he makes sure of that.
I’ve never been so content. I never imagined I’d be so content. I thought I’d live on the run, unhappy and alone, but here I am.
I have a home. I have a husband. Soon, I’ll have a baby and maybe more to come.
We’ll be a family. A strange family, with a strange beginning, but I couldn’t ask for anything else.
I’m home and I’m happy.
THE END
* * *
Looking for your next book obsession? Try the Baby Daddy series! All these smoking hot alpha men absolutely need to make a baby… even if they don’t know it yet. Start with friends-to-lovers secret baby romance Best Friend Baby Daddy!
Or keep reading for the next Pine Grove book!
Need more hot books to keep you awake all night? Sign up for my no-spam newsletter and get awesome bonus material plus a FREE novella! http://www.bbhamel.com/signup
Follow me on Amazon and like me on Facebook!
Sign up for my no-spam newsletter and get awesome bonus material plus a FREE novella! http://www.bbhamel.com/signup
If you liked this book, please consider leaving me a review. That really is the best way you can help new readers find my work, and I would seriously appreciate it!
I want to hear from you! Message me any time: [email protected].
His Touch: Pine Grove Book 4
1
Allie
I hear the front door crash open and I curl tighter into myself. I’ve been in bed for a couple hours now but sleep’s been hard to come by.
Dad’s drunk again. I shouldn’t be surprised since he’s drunk pretty much every night these days, but lately it’s been worse somehow. Like he’s trying to avoid something. He comes home stumbling drunk, eyes bleary, body sweating, and he’s angry.
He’s so damn angry.
I touch my eye where he punched me a few nights ago. It’s still bruised and I’ve avoided going out into public, just because I can’t answer the questions. It’s not the first time he’s hit me but it’s the first time he didn’t apologize for it afterward, and that’s more terrifying than anything else.
My father’s not a good guy. I know it, everyone knows it. Ever since my mom died ten years ago, he’s gone down into this deep spiral of gambling and drinking. I know he’s in debt to people but he never talks about it.
I get out of bed and sneak out into the hallway. I don’t know why I still live in this big, old house with that asshole. I should get out of here, find my own way, get a job, get a life, but I just…
I can’t. I didn’t go to college, I have no real-world experience. I have nothing. My father made sure of that, over and over. He won’t give me any cash, won’t let me get a decent job. I’m twenty as of last week and it’s time for me to get my own life, but I’m afraid that if I leave this place, he’ll wind up dead a few weeks later. Maybe of alcohol or starvation or… worse.
The house is big and old with ancient wood floors that creak under
the slightest pressure. I avoid the worst boards and sneak to the staircase. This house has been in my dad’s family for generations and it’s the only reason we’re still surviving. If he had to pay rent or a mortgage, we’d end up out on the street. As it is, he can barely afford the taxes on this property, let alone basic house maintenance.
I sneak down the steps. I hear my dad grumbling something and a crashing noise. He grunts and there’s another crash.
And a voice cuts in through the otherwise quiet house.
“Joey Martin?”
I freeze on the stairs. I don’t know that voice. Nobody else should be in the house, and hearing another man’s voice scares the shit out of me.
“Who’a’you?” dad slurs.
“Are you Joey Martin?”
Dad grunts. “Fuckin’ yes. I’m fuckin’ Joey. The fuck you doin’ in my fuckin’ house, you fuckin’ prick?”
There’s another crash and my dad grunts. My heart leaps into my chest as I sneak down the steps, looking out over the bannister and into the living room.
My dad’s down on his knees, trembling. Standing above him is a man wearing all black and pressing a gun to my father’s forehead.
“Joey Martin,” the man says, his voice deep and almost sultry. “You owe Dean Fish a lot of money.”
“I… I… I can pay,” Dad says, sounding slightly more sober. “I can pay. I just need time.”
“You’ve been given time.” The man sighs, rubbing his temple with his free hand. “You know why I got out of the killing business, Joey?”
Dad blinks. “I… I don’t know.”
“It’s messy. And it started to weigh on my fucking conscience. Can you imagine, a killer with a conscience?”
“You don’t have to do this,” Dad says quickly. “I can pack my bags. I can leave. My daughter, you can have her.”
The man’s eyes go hard. I clench my fists, angry that my dad would sell me out so easily.
“Have her?” the man echoes. I look closely at him and I’m surprised to find he’s actually kind of… attractive.