by Maya Banks
“Misty Thompson.”
Regina’s brow furrowed in concentration.
“Did you know her?” Carl asked.
“Yeah. I mean, not well. I remember her from high school. She dated Hutch Bishop for a short time.”
“Well, we need to determine how she came to be in that farmhouse. She lived in town with her husband and three children.”
Regina winced and sighed. Her head ached a little more as she imagined three children who’d never see their mother again.
Carl leaned forward, putting his hands on the desk and staring at Regina. “What can you remember, Reggie?”
Her head jerked and she frowned hard. “Regina. Not Reggie.” Then her mouth remained open as a hazy memory filtered back.
I’ve been waiting for you, Reggie love.
“What is it?” Jeremy demanded.
“Reggie. He called me Reggie.”
“Sorry,” Carl offered in a confused voice. “Didn’t mean to offend you.”
She shook her head. “Not you. Him. The guy who killed Misty and attacked me.”
“Okay, back up,” the chief said. “Start from the beginning and tell us everything.”
She drew in a deep breath. “I responded to the call. When I got there, I didn’t see any lights as were reported. Place is supposed to be deserted. But it didn’t feel right so I called for backup. Jeremy radioed that he was en route. So I waited.”
The chief nodded.
“Then I heard a scream. I drew my weapon, ran to the house, listened at the door for any activity. Hearing nothing, I gained access to the residence. I was clearing the living room when I found the body. When I bent to check her pulse and didn’t find one, I started to call it in, and that’s when he hit me.”
“With what? Did he have a weapon?” Carl asked.
“I don’t know. Honestly it felt like he hit me with a baseball bat, but I think it was just his fist. I went one direction, my gun went the other. I went for my weapon. He kicked me. Big feet. He had really large feet.
“He picked me up by the throat and held me against the wall. It was then that he spoke.”
“And what did he say?” the chief asked.
She frowned. “ ‘I’ve been waiting for you, Reggie love. It’s time to make him pay.’ ” She looked up at the chief. “No one calls me Reggie, sir. Only Cam Douglas, Hutch Bishop and Sawyer Pritchard call me Reggie.”
“Make who pay?” Jeremy murmured.
“Reggie could have been a guess,” Carl offered. “A common enough nickname for Regina.”
“But how did he know my name at all?” Regina pointed out. “He said he’d been waiting for me. He knew I’d be there. How?”
The chief frowned and sat back in his seat. “Is that all you can remember? Did you get a look at him at all?”
Regina shook her head regretfully. “It all happened so fast, and it was dark. I know he was big. Really big. He picked me up like I was nothing. I’d taken multiple blows to the head, and my vision was blurry. Then Jeremy got there, and the guy took off.”
“I don’t like it,” the chief muttered. “Seems personal. Like it was a setup.”
“Think it could be someone with a grudge against her father?” Jeremy offered. “Politicians attract a lot of crackpots with wack agendas. Beyond the fact that he’s just a small town mayor, he’s extremely wealthy and has wielded a lot of influence for years.”
“Could be,” Carl said. “It’s certainly a possibility. I can’t imagine why else he would have targeted Regina. And the bit about making him pay. How better to make a father pay than to kill his daughter?”
Regina remained silent. She wasn’t going to dive into her father’s motivation for anything. Way too messy.
“I’ll have to tell him, Regina,” the chief said apologetically. “If this nutjob is targeting you, and him indirectly, he’ll need to know, as will his security team.”
She swallowed her snort. Security team. Could her father get more pompous? Small town mayors didn’t run around with a security team. His wealth had long since gone to his head, though. He, more than anyone, was convinced of his own importance. Hell, he’d probably be secretly smug if there was some sort of vendetta against him.
“I understand,” she said quietly.
“I don’t want you staying by yourself.”
She frowned harder.
“Sawyer Pritchard mentioned you were going home with them,” the chief said as he eyed her sternly. “I think that’s a good idea for now. Keep your eyes peeled and stay on your toes. Hopefully we’ll have caught this asshole before you report back for duty.”
She gritted her teeth as she was summarily dismissed. With a sideways glance at Carl, she rose unsteadily to her feet but shrugged off Jeremy’s arm when he reached out to help her.
“Keep me posted at least?” she said to the chief as she started for the door.
“Of course. And Regina?”
She stopped and turned back to look at him.
“Get some rest. You look like hell.”
The corner of her lip quirked upward. “Thanks.”
She stepped into the hallway to see Cam, Hutch and Sawyer lounging against the opposite wall. They straightened when they saw her, and Hutch dug into a small white paper sack.
“Didn’t I tell you to wait outside?” she asked in exasperation.
Sawyer shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
Hutch thrust his curled up fist to her. “Here. Take this.”
She held her hand out, and he dropped a small pill into her palm. She pushed it back at him, but he caught her hand, took the pill out and held it up to her mouth. Cam handed her a bottle of water.
“Take it,” Hutch growled.
“You might as well give in gracefully,” Cam said calmly. “It’s not going to look good for your chief to come out and see you on the floor, us shoving a pill down your throat.”
She glared at him. They wouldn’t.
Sawyer stroked the back of her neck. “We’ll do it, Reggie,” he murmured. “And suffer absolutely no guilt over it either.”
Her shoulders thrust up then shot down as she snatched the pill from Hutch’s hand. She took the water from Cam and downed the pill on one swallow.
“There. Happy?”
Hutch grinned. “That wasn’t so bad, now, was it?”
She shot him a quelling look and started to walk toward the front door. Heat rushed to her cheeks when she saw Greta sitting there, headphones off, a big grin on her face. She’d overheard the entire exchange, and Regina wanted to crawl under the nearest piece of furniture.
The guys spilled out of the police station behind her and they headed for Cam’s SUV. She stood beside the truck, weariness assailing her. She couldn’t muster the energy to open the door and get in.
Sawyer reached by her, his arm brushing against her shoulder as he took the handle and opened the door. His other hand settled at the back of her neck, and he rubbed the slight indention at the base of her head with his thumb.
His lips pressed to her hair, and she closed her eyes for a moment.
“Let’s get you home,” he murmured as he eased her into the truck.
He made sure she was inside then shut the door behind her. Hutch climbed into the front seat with Cam, and Sawyer walked around to the other side and slid in beside her.
As Cam started out of the parking lot, Regina frowned. “I didn’t give you guys my prescription card. How did you get my stuff filled?”
Cam glanced in the rearview mirror, smiled and shook his head. “We paid for them, Reggie. How else would we have gotten them filled?”
“But you didn’t have to do that,” she protested. “I have insurance. Did you at least save the receipt so I can file for reimbursement and pay you back? That shit’s expensive.”
Sawyer reached over and took her hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed her fingers. She opened her mouth to say something else but forgot what it was.
“What it cost wasn’t import
ant,” Sawyer said as he lowered her hand. “What was important was that we got you what you needed. You’re in pain, honey. You can’t hide that from us.”
She stared over at him. She couldn’t formulate an argument. She was just too damn tired.
“Come here,” he said as he gently pulled her toward him. He guided her down until she was lying on the seat, her head pillowed on his lap.
She closed her eyes as his fingers stroked lightly through her hair. It felt so good. His touch. Their presence. All of it.
“Tell Cam to take me home,” she murmured.
Sawyer’s hand stilled for just a moment. “He is taking you home, honey.”
She nodded in satisfaction and nuzzled a little further into Sawyer’s lap. Home. Her own bed. A reprieve from the onslaught of all three men.
The drug Hutch had forced on her was already working its magic. It had taken the edge off her pain and replaced it with a warm, hazy glow. She’d close her eyes and enjoy it until she got home. She wanted to savor these few minutes next to Sawyer.
CHAPTER 6
“Reggie is not going to be happy with us,” Sawyer murmured as Cam drove up the winding driveway to the house.
He continued to stroke her head then stopped to twirl a curl around his finger. She never stirred. Not even when the truck ground to a halt.
Hutch turned in the seat and glanced back at Reggie. He smiled faintly, but Sawyer could see the glimmer of . . . what in his eyes? It was a mixture of hope and sadness. And need.
As Hutch’s gaze flitted across her neck, cold anger froze his features.
Cam opened his door. “Come on, guys. Let’s get her inside and comfortable.”
Sawyer shifted and carefully opened his door. Supporting her head with his hand, he eased out from underneath her. He grimaced as he stared down at her. There was no way to get her out with minimal disturbance.
“Want me to get her?” Cam asked from beside him.
Sawyer glanced over at Cam, who stood with his hands shoved into his pockets. “No, I got it. Go open the door, if you would.”
The rattle of keys sounded as Cam walked away. Sawyer reached in and gently pulled up on Reggie’s shoulders. As he slid her toward him, she stirred. Before she became fully aware, he caught her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest.
Her eyes fluttered open when he took his first step toward the house.
“Sawyer?”
“Shhh, honey. Relax.”
Her brow crinkled as she stared around her. “Where the hell are we?”
“Home,” Hutch said.
“Put me down, Sawyer,” she said quietly.
With a sigh, he slid her body down his until her feet hit the ground, but he kept a firm arm around her. He exchanged glances with Cam and Hutch and saw the uncertainty in their eyes.
Regina stared in awe at the house in front of her. It was beautiful. A two-story with a wraparound porch. Cedar swings lazily spread around the perimeter, inviting and cozy. Flower boxes adorned the windows and ferns hung from hooks in the overhang.
She glanced at Cam and then Hutch in confusion. Finally she looked up at Sawyer.
“I don’t understand.”
Cam walked forward and reached for her hand. “Come inside, Reggie. We’ll talk when you’re comfortable.”
She took a shaky step. Whatever the hell Hutch had shoved down her throat had kicked her ass. Cam caught her elbow and then put his arm around her shoulders as he guided her up the three steps of the porch to the front entrance.
Hutch cut around them and opened the door. When Regina stepped inside, her breath caught and held in her chest. She stopped at the entrance to the living room and just stared.
She knew this house. God, she should. It was her house. The fireplace. The mantel. The grandfather clock above the mantel, with the gently swaying pendulum.
She couldn’t breathe. She swung her gaze over the wooden floors to the French doors leading to a deck out back. She swallowed hard and rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes then blinked furiously so that no moisture betrayed her.
Cam stood there, silent. Hutch and Sawyer stood just behind them, watching.
“What have you done?” she whispered. “What is this? I can’t—”
Cam laid a gentle finger over her lips. “Not now, Reggie. We’ll talk later. Right now we’re putting you to bed. And you’re going to stay there.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but Sawyer and Hutch moved closer to her and put their hands on her shoulders.
“Stop doing that,” she said in frustration.
Hutch raised a brow.
“Touching me. Stop touching me. You know damn well you’re manipulating me.” She stepped back, desperate to put space between them.
Sawyer stared intently at her, his blue eyes boring holes through her. “You can’t run from us anymore,” he said quietly, his voice steady, the thread of a vow laced in the words. “And you’re going to stop running from yourself.”
She hugged her arms around her waist, hating the panic that hit her at the determination in his voice, in the others’ expressions.
Hutch stepped between her and Sawyer. “I’m going to take you upstairs. To your room. You’re going to get undressed and get into bed. Unless you’d rather lay on the couch down here?”
“Here,” she blurted. Her room. Just the fact that she had a room in this house scared the holy hell out of her. How long had they planned this? No way she was going up there, to a place they’d prepared for her, made for her.
“I’ll go up and get pillows and a blanket,” Sawyer said shortly.
Before she could utter a word, he turned and walked out of the living room. Her shoulders sagged. Was she determined to make a mess of everything? She couldn’t be around any of them without doing her best to piss at least one of them off.
“You could at least pretend not to be scared shitless,” Cam said dryly. “Our egos are taking a beating, Reggie darling.”
She whirled back to him and promptly regretted that action. The room dipped and swayed. Hutch caught her arm.
“Whoops,” he said as he righted her. “Why don’t you get your ass to the couch before you fall over.”
She yanked out of his grasp and refocused on Cam. “I am not scared shitless,” she gritted out. “And if your ego is taking a beating, I’d say it’s about damn time.”
Hutch cupped her chin and nudged until she turned her gaze on him. “Yes, Reggie, you are. You can pretend all you want. But I know you. We know you,” he added. “You’ve been running hard for a year now, and it’s time you stopped. One way or another, we’re going to face what happened between us.”
She shook her head, causing his hand to slide down her neck.
Cam sighed. “Sit down so I can take your shoes off.”
“Cam, I’m not helpless. I can take them off.”
Cam put his hands on her shoulders and guided her backward until she bumped into the couch. Then he pushed her down until she sat on the cushion. He knelt in front of her and began removing her shoes.
“I’m well aware that you can take off your own shoes,” Cam said. “You could also take a shower by yourself. You could also go home from the hospital, alone, and take care of yourself. But we like taking care of you, Reggie. There’s no reason for you to be alone.”
She stared into his warm brown eyes. A lock of dark hair fell over his forehead, and she reached up to push it back behind his ear.