Playing with Fire

by Abby Gordon

  “I couldn’t,” she whispered, tears choking her voice. “I told Mom and…”

  “Mom knew and didn’t…”

  “She said I shouldn’t have been wearing what I did and that I should be a good girl and definitely shouldn’t bother you with something that would be misunderstood.”

  “Fuck that,” Adam growled. His hands reached out, caught her shoulders, and pulled her from Chance before he could do anything. Bessie looked small and fragile against the bulk of her brother. “Jesus H. Christ, Bessie,” he whispered, holding her tight. “You know better than that. Mom’s caught in some 1950s warped version of reality. Dammit, you should have come to me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she wept. “Chance…”

  “Shh,” Adam murmured, stroking her hair before he looked at Chance. “You took care of her that night?”

  Grateful for the wording of the question, Chance nodded. “She didn’t want to tell me either,” he replied. “Kept saying she couldn’t do anything.”

  “You should have called me.”

  “Probably wouldn’t look good if the police chief walked up and shot the mayor,” he drawled, echoing Tom’s words.

  “I have a good-size ranch,” Jake spoke up. “We could bury him on the back forty and no one would ever find him.”

  Bessie lifted her head and looked at Tina who giggled. The men frowned.

  “Never mind,” Bessie told them, remembering that morning coffee meeting. It had been the first time she’d seen Chance, felt the heat shoot through as he’d looked at her as he’d left the drive-thru. “And it was my choice.”

  “Bess…”

  Shouts came from where the altercation had taken place and they turned. Adam caught Bessie’s shoulders and moved her behind him. Chance quickly stepped up to hold her. Bessie noticed Jake pulling Tina back. There were four officers in a group and suddenly Terence burst from their midst and raced toward them. After a second of hesitation, the four ran after him. Chance tucked Bessie to his left side.

  “Arrest that man,” the mayor shouted, gesturing at Chance. “He dragged me from my car, attacked me for no reason, and…”

  He had nearly reached them when Tina rushed forward.

  “Bullshit, asshole,” she snarled, pulling her right arm back.

  She swung her fist around and made contact with his nose. Blood spurted everywhere. Bessie half-laughed, half-gasped as she stared at Tina.

  “Nice one,” Adam murmured. “But now I might have to arrest you, and Grandma will roast my balls during Sunday dinner.”

  “Temporary insanity,” she said calmly. “I’ve no idea what came over me.”

  Chance shook his head and glanced at Adam and Jake as the four officers reached them and quickly cuffed the mayor. “Small towns are not nearly as boring as I thought they would be.”

  “Okay, men,” Adam directed. “Arrest him, get him medical attention…”

  “Don’t look at me,” Jake said, raising his hands. “I’m sure as hell not treating him. I might be tempted to castrate the bastard.”

  Tina’s head whipped around, her expression was full of shock as she stared at her boss.

  “You wouldn’t do…”

  “Just had lots of practice with the calves,” he winked at her.

  Tina covered her mouth with a hand, but a giggle came out belying her shocked expression.

  “Adam,” Chance started. “Is there some place I can take Bessie? I think she’s gone through enough in her condition.”

  All heads spun around.

  “Her condition?” Adam’s voice was low and full of threat and warning. He took a step closer to the couple. “And just when did that happen?”

  “Adam,” Bessie gasped. “That’s not…”

  “Quiet, Bessie,” he told her with a hard look, then his eyes went to Chance. “Some things men deal with. If I’ve heard about what Terence might have done to her three weeks ago, then the rumor of my sister being involved with the business partner of the town’s new celebrity I would have heard about in seconds. Even considering she didn’t feel like telling anyone in her family.”

  “Adam,” she groaned, then filled with panic. “I can explain…”

  “Shh, Bessie,” Chance murmured, stroking her arm. “She didn’t want to believe in love at first sight. Lust, yes, but not love. Something about what Darcy went through.”

  Adam grunted. “That seems to have scarred the four of them.”

  “Exactly,” Chance nodded. “So for the past three weeks…” Chance looked down at her, dropped a kiss on her forehead. “She’s been avoiding me as well as…”

  “She’s been avoiding everyone,” Tina confirmed, stepping up and holding her right hand out to Jake. “She won’t meet with the three of us for our usual Saturday coffee or for spin or yoga classes. She hasn’t been to Sunday dinners and didn’t want to go to Santa Fe next weekend. Did I break anything? It hurts like hell.”

  “I’m right here,” Bessie grumbled. “Stop talking about me as if I was a child.”

  Jake lightly ran his fingers over Tina’s hand.

  “You always isolate yourself when you’re bothered by something,” Adam sighed, shaking his head. “I should have tracked you down after the first week.”

  “This isn’t something a woman talks about with a brother,” Bessie told him.

  “That,” Adam gestured to where his men were hauling off a protesting Terence, “is something any woman tells a police officer about. Dammit, Bessie. Keeping the town safe is my job. Keeping you safe is part of being your big brother. Carl and Frank are going to be pissed as well.”

  She winced at the reference to the fraternal twins five years older than her and five years younger than Adam.

  “We don’t have to tell them, do we?”

  Tina looked over at her with a pitying look.

  “Good luck with that.”

  Bessie sighed. “And Alice wishes she had a brother or two.”

  “We’ve each got a spare between us and Darcy,” Tina suggested.

  “That’s enough out of you two,” Adam told them with his usual sternness when dealing with his younger family members. “All of you head to the station. Have Tracy take you to my office. I’m going to find out what witness statements we’ve got.” He jabbed a finger at Tina, then at Jake. “You two, find Tony and give him your statements about what just happened.”

  Chapter Five

  The last thing Bessie wanted to do was spend what she knew would be a few long, drawn-out hours at the police station. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Any of it. All she wanted was to be alone with Chance and figure out what had happened, and what he felt. About her, about the baby, about what might have happened in the wine cellar. She wasn’t sure which memory to believe, regardless of what Allura had said.

  Allura. A shudder swept through as Chance, one arm wrapped around her waist, pushed the door open.

  “Bessie?” he murmured, concern in his voice. “Are you okay?”

  “Just…I can’t believe all that happened,” she whispered.

  “I know, baby,” he agreed as Jake caught the door and held it for Tina. “But I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, understand?”

  Taking that reassurance, knowing she wouldn’t be able to get any other until they were alone, she nodded. A middle-aged woman in a blue uniform hurried forward. Tracey Smythe was the primary clerk/dispatcher for the police department. Adam had often said he could lose every officer but her.

  “Bessie? My goodness, child, what happened?”

  “The mayor dragged her into his car and tried to rape her,” Chance said.

  “Adam told us to find you and wait in his office,” Bessie told her, well aware of how many heads had whipped around at Chance’s words.

  “He did what?” The shocked whisper ran through the reception area of the police station.

  Tracey turned and pointed at a young male officer.

  “Run across the street to the courthouse and find
Darcy Andersson.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He rushed out. Bessie managed a smile.

  “You got him trained quickly.”

  Tracey nodded and winked. “Got to train ’em young or they get out of hand quickly. Now, you come along with me and we’ll get you settled with a cup of tea.”

  Tina spoke up as Tracey herded them down a hall. “Adam told Doctor Simmons and me to find Tony and give him our statements.”

  Pausing at the door that had “Chief” on the name plate, Tracey turned and frowned.

  “Statements? I know the mayor’s an arrogant ass, but please tell me he wasn’t so stupid as to attack two Andersson girls when he knew the chief was in town and armed.”

  “No, only me,” Bessie replied, grinning at her cousin. “Tina may have broken his nose though.”

  “Really?” That idea seemed to please Tracey to no end. “Good for you, girl. Now, Bessie, you go on in there and rest a bit. Tina, you and Doc Jake come with me. I’ll get you settled in a room and send Tony in to see you. Bessie, I’ll be right in with some tea for you.”

  Going inside her brother’s office, Bessie went straight to the couch, toed her sandals off, and curled up in a corner.

  “God, I don’t believe this is happening,” she moaned softly. “Any of it.”

  Closing the door behind him, Chance came over and crouched at the end of the couch where her head rested.

  “Bessie, it happened,” he confirmed quietly, resting a hand on her knees. “I don’t know how, but I think all of it did happen. Somehow, both things happened.”

  Confused, she shook her head as she looked at him. “I don’t understand. How could both… How could I have been with both of you in the wine cellar and yet…” Remembering her reaction to her reflection, she caught at his hand. “The next morning, I saw myself in the mirror. I could see the mark where Terence slapped me…”

  “What?” The anger flared in his eyes.

  “I bit his tongue.”

  His eyes popped, glee appeared, then the reason for her action dimmed the humor.

  “I hope I broke his damn ribs,” he growled.

  “I could remember getting slapped,” she continued softly, tightening her grip on his fingers. “But I didn’t know how I’d gotten a hickey.”

  He smiled at that memory.

  “Same way I was trying to figure out how my back got so scratched up,” he murmured, smiling and turning his hand to hold hers. “My body knew it had had a mind-blowing sexual release, but my brain kept saying it hadn’t happened. I kept trying to call you, contact you, and turned things to make it all your fault.” His mouth twisted. “Which, in a way, it was.”

  “What?” she gasped.

  He stretched up and kissed her.

  “Because every time I thought of you, each time, the memories broke through a bit. And the last few nights,” he shook his head. “God, all I could think of, all I could see when I closed my eyes was you that night. I thought I was losing my mind.”

  “You and me both,” she sighed, loving how his fingers brushed over her face. “How do you think I felt when my period was late? I’ve never been late. I kept telling myself it was the stress. When I got sick yesterday morning, I told myself that it was because of exhaustion, and more stress because Jeanine had quit on me. All I could be sure of was that for some reason at Terence’s party no one would help me get away from him. I couldn’t understand it. Any of it. My family was there and didn’t do anything.” Eyes filled with the hurt of rejection and abandonment met his. “You didn’t do anything either.”

  Slowly, he nodded.

  “That’s been driving me crazy as well. Everything in me was screaming the entire time to help you, but every time…” His jaw worked a moment. “There was a flash of light and I stopped.”

  “She can do that?” Bessie breathed. “How?”

  “Allura can do many things,” a deep voice from the door answered.

  She lifted her head as Chance stood quickly, still holding her hand. Alice and Tre stood in the doorway. Moving inside, Alice came across the room while Tre closed the door. Alice sat next to Bessie on the couch and hugged her.

  “You know about Allura?” Chance demanded.

  “And Barden,” came the confirmation. “What did they do to you two?”

  There was a flash of light and the new couple gasped as the true memories were revealed.

  “Oh, my God,” Alice gasped, trembling in shock as she weaved.

  Tre staggered as well. Chance quickly took his arm and helped him to sit next to Alice.

  “What the hell…” the actor held his head a moment. “Alice, we didn’t do that. We couldn’t have.”

  “No, we wouldn’t,” she protested, shaking her head and looking at Bessie. Her fingers gently stroked her hair. “You know we wouldn’t have done that to you. We never would have let him treat you like that.”

  “What did he do that night?” Tre asked Chance. “There has to be more than what happened today.”

  “Terence tried to rape me in his wine cellar,” Bessie whispered as Chance stood next to her. She leaned against his leg as his arm went around her shoulders. “At the same time, I went down with Chance and…”

  “Wait, what?” Alice frowned. “At the same time? How is that possible?”

  “Allura,” Tre said grimly, taking her hand. “That’s the only explanation. All those damn flashing lights. I should have seen it then.” He shook his head and exchanged a furious look with Chance. “But then, she was probably able to keep us from doing that as well.”

  “Why?” demanded Alice. “Why us? Why Bessie and Chance? I’m not complaining, but to put Bessie in that position, for her to be…”

  Pale yellow and dark blue lights appeared across the room. Before Chance could react, Alice was off the couch and moving.

  “You bitch,” she snarled. “How could you do that to Bessie?”

  Tre caught up to her even as Barden’s blue light beams lashed out and caught her.

  You will be respectful to Allura.

  “Bullshit,” Alice fired back. “She maneuvered events so that Bessie was nearly raped. I will not respect that.”

  Two streams of pale yellow light stretched and touched the faces of the women.

  I am sorry for that, Alice and Bessie. I was curious.

  “Curious? Curious?” Alice was flabbergasted and Bessie couldn’t remember her ever being as angry as she was then. “Next time you’re curious about something, ask us. Don’t…don’t…” Choking back the rage, she turned into Tre’s embrace. His arms went around her and then she burst from him and went to Bessie. “Are you okay? What…” She suddenly sat down as if she were a deflated balloon. “God, we can’t even bring that up to Adam. There’s absolutely no proof. And Terence would twist it in the worst possible way.”

  “Adam should have enough just with today,” Bessie told her.

  Both yellow and blue lights suddenly disappeared, and they heard voices in the hall.

  “They’re playing with time again,” murmured Tre. “Be careful what you say.”

  “I’m losing my fucking mind,” Chance muttered. He stroked Bessie’s cheek. “Even as I found it.”

  The door opened and Darcy hurried in. Tracey was on her heels with a steaming cup of tea.

  “Bessie, my God,” she breathed, crouching before her cousin and taking her hands. “Are you all right?”

  Tracey handed Bessie the tea.

  “The chief should be back in five minutes, and he said Tom would be taking your statements.”

  “Thank you, Tracey.” The woman nodded briskly and left. “I’ll be okay, Darcy,” she said softly with a smile. “Chance came after me and beat Terence to a pulp.”

  “That’s a nice way of putting things,” rumbled a deep voice from the door.

  Bessie looked up to see the doorway filled with the large frame of Judge Hank Simmons. Still in his robes, he was like an avenging angel as he strode forward. Bessie sm
iled up at him.

  “You left your courtroom?”

  He nodded as he helped Darcy to her feet. “I’m not sure how much more work will get done there or anywhere in town. Even before the officer shoved past my bailiff to find Darcy, there were whispers in my courtroom about the mayor getting beaten up.”

  “He attacked me,” Bessie stated. “He grabbed my hair and dragged me to his car. And threw me into the back seat. Then…” She shuddered as the memories collided. “Then Chance pulled him off of me…and…”

  Chance pulled her to him and the jacket slipped enough for Darcy and Hank to see the beginning of the scratches near her neck.

  “God damn him to hell,” Darcy swore, whirling away to stare out the window. Her hands made fists at her side.

  “Hell’s too good for him,” Alice told her.

  Bessie blinked. Rage radiated from both of her cousins.

  “Got that right,” Darcy agreed with her, turning to Hank with a thoughtful expression. “This has political as well as legal repercussions…”

  “Don’t go there,” he told her, glancing at his watch. “If one more person tells me I should…”

  “Run for mayor?” Bessie perked up. “You should…” She fell silent when the judge’s green eyes landed on her. “Um, yeah.”

  “Someone said Jake was here,” Hank mentioned.

  “Down the hall,” Alice told him. “With Tina.”

  “I’ll check on him, and then,” he glanced at Darcy, “we need to get back to the courthouse.”

  She nodded. “Get me as you leave.”

  With a curt nod, he left the room. Darcy went over to her cousins with a puzzled expression.

  “Bessie, Alice,” she started but the door opened again.

  Adam and Tom came in.

  “Darcy,” he greeted her. “Was that Hank I saw?”

  She nodded. “Tracey sent Bob to tell me and Hank came with me.”

  “This is going to one helluva a mess,” he muttered, going to his desk. Instead of sitting down though, he planted his fists on it and stared at the wall. “You wouldn’t defend him even if Bessie wasn’t involved. Jake’s a witness so Hank can’t handle the trial. Stan’s distantly related to him so he can’t. Which leaves…” He shook his head and turned to face them. “Never mind. That’s the last thing you need to worry about. Tom will get your statements and forensic evidence. Then Doc Henderson will check you.”