“I’m sorry, Curtis, but this guy wasn’t trying to get Trevor in trouble. He’s Trevor’s brother. Trevor knew he was there.”
Curtis bit his lip. His eyes brimmed with tears. “What do you want me to do?”
Dane moved close to Curtis, so she could keep her voice low. “I want you to tell the sheriff everything you’ve told me. Answer all of his questions with the truth.” She waited until he nodded his agreement.
“You need to tell me where it’s hidden.”
Curtis pursed his lips in a thin line. He pressed a button on the small wand he held in his hand. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He motioned Dane closer. “I need you to do something for me.”
When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. Dane listened carefully, trying to grasp what he said.
She raised her head and looked down at him with a slight nod. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m tired.”
She patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. Get some rest. I’ll stay with you until Emma or Aunt Lily gets here.”
Curtis closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Dane opened the drawer to the small table next to his bed and sifted through the contents. She picked up his phone and turned it on, happy to find there was no access code. She read through his text messages, his call log and contacts. It didn’t take long to find what she was looking for.
* * *
Dane was still sitting next to Curtis watching him when Aunt Lily stuck her head in the door.
“There’s that handsome girl I’m looking for. How’s my boy?”
“Good,” Dane answered as she stood to give the old woman her chair. “He’s been asleep most of the time. The morphine really knocks him out.”
“Has he said anything?”
“Yeah, he told me what happened. He had to be scared to death, but he never gave in to them.”
“Who was it?” Lily asked.
Dane shook her head. “Trevor was the one who shot up the bus. He said the big guy that beat him up before was the shooter.” Dane handed the picture to Lily. “His name is Milton Grimes. He’s Trevor’s brother.”
Lily puckered her lips as if she’d just tasted something sour. “The police will be able to pick him up on that. But we can’t nail down Trevor.”
“No. But it’s a place to start.”
The old woman shook her head. “I don’t like it. This is too much like what happened to their father.”
“I don’t like it either. This isn’t over. He knows too much. These guys won’t stop until they get to him. We have to find a way to stop them.”
“You know where he hid it, don’t you?”
Dane couldn’t lie to Lily. She met her gaze. “I think I figured it out. I still have to check a couple of places. I went snooping around looking for Milton before all of this happened. I wanted to rattle the cage, but I didn’t see any of this coming. I figure the minute I walk out those doors Trevor and Milton will know about it. We don’t have a lot of time before they come back.”
Lily sighed. “Tell me everything.”
Dane did her best to fill Lily in on what she knew and what she suspected. Besides Emma, Lily was the only person she could trust.
When she finished, Lily patted her hand. “You’re going to need help. This is a family matter now.”
Dane started to argue, but Lily stopped her. “You listen to me. I’ve lived in these hills a long time. Sometimes things are just outside the law. It’s time we settle this the old way.”
Dane shook her head. “We can’t do anything illegal, Lily.”
Lily smiled. “You have to trust me. That child lying there is as good as mine, and Emma has been through enough. I think Curtis needs to have a little chat with the sheriff to start.”
Dane sighed. “Do you know where I can find Emma?”
“I’m not sure, but I’d bet she’s at the bar or at the farm. That girl has a lot to sort out.”
Dane nodded. “Thanks, Lily.”
Lily dug around in her purse and pulled out a set of keys. She pulled one from the ring and handed it out to Dane. “This is to my house. I suspect you could use a place to stay until you figure out what’s next. You can stay with me as long as you like. It’s been nice having company. That old place has been too quiet for too long. You and Emma will be good for me.”
Dane smiled. “Thanks.” She leaned down and kissed Lily’s cheek, closing her hand around the key Lily offered. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“I’m fine. You go on and see about Emma and don’t you worry one bit. I’ll be right here.”
Dane nodded.
“Dane,” Lily said before she reached the door.
“Yeah?”
“Do what you have to do.”
Dane took a deep breath. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
* * *
Emma was standing in front of what remained of the house when Dane pulled up at the farm. Someone had been there with a dozer and had leveled what had been left of the house to a pile of smoldering rubble. Remnants of the crime scene tape tied to a small maple flapped in the breeze.
Emma looked lost.
Dane stepped out of the Jeep and went to her. She wanted to wrap her arms around her and tell her it would all be all right. But she knew it wasn’t that easy.
Emma looked up as she approached.
“I thought I might find you here.”
Emma shrugged. “Where else is there?”
Dane pressed her hand lightly against Emma’s back. “Come here.”
Emma slid into her arms, burying her face in her neck. She could feel hot tears against her skin.
“I’m so sorry, Emma. I know things can never be what they were, but I promise things will get better.”
Emma squeezed her arms tighter around Dane’s waist. “I know. It’s just so hard.”
Dane brushed her hand against Emma’s hair. “What can I do? What do you need?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Do you think you’ll rebuild?”
Emma looked around at the ruins. “I guess I will. I can’t live with Aunt Lily forever. The sheriff said he had everything he needed, so I decided it was better to take it down than look at it the way it was. It doesn’t look like there will be any problem with the insurance, but I don’t know how I’m ever going to get everything done.”
Emma’s voice was thick with tears as she spoke. Dane wished there was something she could say to make this easier for Emma. “You don’t have to do it all by yourself, you know. Let people help you. Your family is just dying to chip in. You have some really good people around you.”
Emma smiled. She placed her hand to Dane’s cheek. “Do I?”
Dane felt her skin heat beneath Emma’s touch. “Yes.”
Emma laid her head against Dane’s shoulder, relishing the feel of Dane’s arms around her. She was so tired. She just wanted to lie down and sleep. Maybe Dane was right. Maybe she didn’t have to do everything alone.
She looked up and peered into Dane’s eyes. “I’m tired. Will you come back to Lily’s with me?”
Dane pulled the key from her pocket. “Lily insisted.”
Emma smiled. “I love that woman.”
“Let’s go then.”
Emma had a feeling the next few hours would determine their fate. She unlocked the door and pulled Dane inside. “The house is small, but it is totally Aunt Lily.”
Dane smiled as she looked around the living room. “That’s okay. I can sleep out here on the couch.”
Emma wrapped her arms around Dane’s neck and pressed her lips lightly against Dane’s mouth. Dane softened at her touch. Emma pulled Dane’s shirt out of her pants and ran her fingers along the smooth skin of her sides.
Dane shivered.
“I don’t want you to sleep out here. I want to feel you next to me. I want you to hold me while we sleep together.”
“Are you sure?”
Emma smoothed
her fingers against Dane’s face. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep at all if you don’t.”
Dane nodded.
Emma closed the bedroom door and stripped off her clothes down to her underwear. She slid into a T-shirt she pulled from a drawer in the dresser. She handed another one to Dane before pulling back the covers and sliding between the sheets.
Dane peeled off her clothes and stood naked beside the bed.
Emma watched Dane, her eyes lingering on the bandages covering her arm. There was a hollow look to Dane’s eyes like she’d never seen before. Dane had fought to save her. She had stayed when she didn’t have to. She had given more than Emma could ever ask. She held out her hand and invited Dane in.
Dane climbed into bed, sliding next to Emma until their thighs met. Emma pulled the covers over them and slid her arms around Dane, pulling her close until she felt the soft brush of Dane’s breasts against hers. She raised her head and kissed Dane, tentative kisses to soothe and comfort at first, then deeper as Dane slid her hand between them and cupped her breast.
Dane gripped her hips and parted her thighs as she slid her leg between them. Emma closed her eyes and lost herself in Dane’s touch. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but today she would give herself to Dane. She would shut out the world in this moment and believe for a little while that Dane would stay.
Emma pushed Dane onto her back and straddled her hips, pressing against Dane’s pubic bone.
Dane’s eyes widened, and her breath hitched as she gripped Emma’s thighs and thrust her hips up to meet Emma. She slid her hands beneath the thin fabric and tugged her panties down. Emma lifted herself, allowing Dane to slide the silk down her legs then toss it to the floor.
Emma smiled down at Dane as she straddled her, reaching behind and stroking Dane’s clit as she rubbed against her.
“Look at me,” Emma whispered.
Dane locked on to Emma’s eyes. The intensity of Dane’s gaze sent a surge of arousal straight to Emma’s clitoris. Dane pressed the palm of her hand against Emma’s stomach and slid the pad of her thumb through her folds. She pressed firm strokes against Emma’s clitoris, coaxing her need, calling her to her.
Emma groaned, and the pleasure surged through her as she swelled against Dane’s touch. Tendrils of pleasure coiled in her belly as Dane rocked her hips, increasing the pressure against her clitoris. With each thrust Emma slid her fingers up and down the length of Dane’s clitoris.
“More,” Emma said as she raised her hips and guided Dane’s fingers inside. She lowered herself on Dane’s hand, groaning as Dane filled her. She rocked her hips, continuing to stroke Dane with her hand. Each thrust of her hips pushed Dane deeper inside, increasing the pressure of her thumb against her clitoris. “Dane…”
Dane locked her gaze on Emma’s, glorying in the beauty of the woman touching her. Emma’s fingers stroked the length of her with every thrust of her hips. Dane clenched her teeth. Pleasure surged through her with every stroke of Emma’s hand until she could hold no more. Her legs stiffened, the nerve endings beyond what she could hold. Tendrils of pleasure seeped out through her nervous system, filling her entire body with pleasure. Her skin tingled. Her vision dimmed. She reached deeper, pushing herself into Emma as her orgasm exploded in a rush of pleasure unlike anything she had ever felt. “Emma,” she groaned as she erupted against Emma’s hand.
Emma continued to press against her, taking her fingers deeper with every thrust.
“Emma,” Dane repeated, never taking her eyes from Emma’s.
Emma smiled down at her as she settled herself onto Dane’s hand, her fingers sliding in and out with every thrust. Dane filled her over and over until the swell of orgasm, like tendrils of electricity, sparked in her depths. Emma shuddered and tightened her thighs against Dane’s sides. The walls of her sex clamped down on Dane’s fingers. Emma trembled as she rode out each wave of pleasure, lifting her hips just enough to slam back against Dane.
“Yes. Oh God, yes.” Emma’s breath came in short gasps as she leaned forward. The pressure of Dane’s thumb against her clitoris ignited a second eruption. She rode wave after wave of pleasure, pushing herself down against Dane’s hand, holding her inside her.
Emma collapsed against Dane’s chest, spent. She lifted her hips and let Dane slip out of her as she nestled close against her.
Dane pressed a kiss to her head and pulled the sheet up over them. She circled her arms around Emma and felt her drifting off to sleep. She took in the warmth emanating from her and the soft glow of her skin. She realized in that moment that she had never felt this close to anyone. She felt connected to Emma. Emma made her feel like she could do anything, be anything. Emma filled the emptiness in her heart. And someone was trying to take her from her.
Dane slipped out of bed. If she was lucky, she would be back at the house before Emma woke. She didn’t like leaving her like this, but she had a shot at putting an end to all of this trouble and she had to take it.
Chapter Fifteen
Despite her best efforts, it was getting dark when Dane pulled up at the farm to find Emma’s truck parked in front of the barn. She could see Emma moving around putting the chickens in the coop for the night. Everything was quiet. Dane stared out over the ruins of the old house, remembering the night Emma and Curtis first brought her into their home. The house and everything inside had been old, weathered, and worn, but it had been comforting and warm.
She dialed Lily.
“Hey. The first place didn’t turn up. I’m at the farm. Emma’s here. I’ll call back in a few minutes to let you know what we find.”
She hung up and climbed out of the Jeep, peering into the shadows to make sure they were alone.
“Hey, look at you in your fancy new Wranglers,” Emma called as she walked toward her. “What are you doing out here?”
Dane smiled. She brushed her hand over her new jeans and tugged at the fresh shirt. “Fresh off the rack at Tractor Supply. What do you think, do I pull off the farmer look?”
Emma laughed. “Not exactly. You are cute, though.”
Dane pulled Emma into her arms the moment she was within reach. “I’m sorry I left earlier. I missed you today.” She kissed Emma’s cheek. “How are you?”
Emma’s gaze flickered to the empty void where the old house had stood. “I’m thankful for what I do have. I’ll worry about the rest tomorrow.”
Dane smiled.
“Now answer me,” Emma said, her brows furrowed, “what are you doing out here?”
Dane let Emma go and stepped away, putting a little space between them. Her skin pricked with uncertainty. “I need to check something.”
Emma’s frown deepened.
“Come on, you’ll see.”
Dane quickly led Emma to the back of the property, stopping outside the old cellar. It looked like a tomb. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing what kind of creepy crawlies made their home in there. She pulled out her phone and activated the flashlight.
“Dane, what are we doing?”
Dane looked around nervously. Gathering all her courage, she sighed and opened the old wooden door and stepped into the cavern. Emma was so close to her she could feel her breath on the back of her neck.
The smell of dank earth hit her the moment she stepped inside. Spiderwebs covered old jars and plastic milk crates that had been stacked on end and used as shelves. Dane rubbed the back of her neck, imagining spiders crawling on her skin. She shivered at the thought. Focus. She had to focus so she could get what she came for and get the hell out of there. She didn’t know where to start.
“Tell me what we’re looking for, and maybe I can help, since this is my cellar after all.”
Dane took Emma’s hand. “A couple of days after you let me come stay here, Curtis took me to meet a guy named Mark. I was shocked that Curtis made a drop with this guy. He gave him marijuana,” she explained.
Emma nodded. “Yeah, I remember you told me about that.”
“W
ell, just before we left that day, Curtis said he had to go get something, and I saw him come in here. I hadn’t even noticed the cellar was here until then. I remember thinking it was odd, but then so is Curtis, so I brushed it off. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out where he would hide those drugs no one can find. Then I remembered this place.”
Emma looked around the cellar. “That little shit. You’re telling me he’s been hiding drugs in here.”
Dane shrugged. “That’s my hunch. I figure there’s only one way to find out.” She moved the light around. “Look for a place that looks more used than the others. You know, less dirt, spiderwebs that have been cleared away, things like that.”
Emma pointed to a box in the corner. There was a handprint on the side where the dust had been wiped away.
Dane handed Emma the light and shifted the box to the side, exposing a hole where one of the stones in the wall had been removed. She reached into the opening and closed her hand around a metal box. Her heart raced. “I’ve got something,” she whispered. She pulled out the box and lifted the latch to an old Ninja Turtles lunch box. She opened the lid. A pile of small plastic bags littered the bottom of the box, each filled with a greenish-brown waxy substance. “Bingo.”
Emma sighed. “If Curtis lives through this, I think I might kill him myself.”
Dane shook her head that such a little thing had brought so much pain. Well, this bit was going to end here. She slammed the lid closed and fastened the latch. They had what they were looking for, and it was time to get out of there.
“What is that stuff, anyway?”
Dane glanced at the box in her hand. “I think they call it dab. It’s a concentration of oil from marijuana plants. Let’s just stay a little of this goes a long way. And if I’m right, this stuff has been laced with fentanyl.”
“Shit. I can’t believe he would bring that here.”
Dane stopped, listening. She held up her finger in front of her mouth. Emma froze. For a moment Dane thought she heard something.
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