“You are the evidence,” he said, trying not to be affected by her obvious discomfort. “You and Sammy, especially Sammy. His DNA confirms that Sinclair is his father.”
Her eyes flashed darkly. “But that doesn’t prove he raped me. That just proves we had sex.” Her voice was an octave higher than usual and she jumped up from the sofa as if unable to stand sitting next to him another minute longer. “Don’t you see? He’ll just tell everyone we had an affair. Nobody will ever take my word over his. He’s the ‘good and noble’ sheriff and I’m ‘uneducated trailer trash.’ Nobody will believe me.”
Her chest heaved and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Stop saying you’re uneducated trailer trash,” he said with more than a touch of irritation. “That might be Brandon Sinclair’s definition of you, but it sure isn’t mine.”
“Have you forgotten that he probably has an arrest warrant for me?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten,” he said. “But he can’t make a murder charge stick without a dead body, and we both know your nana is alive and well.”
“He can still arrest me on theft charges, or maybe arson, or whatever he decides to conjure up.”
“And he tried to kill us last night. He needs to be stopped.”
Her eyes flashed once again. “And we can’t prove that it was him who set the fire or shot at us last night. And you can bet he’s already got a solid alibi set up for the time of the shooting.”
She drew a deep breath and her hands slowly unclenched. “Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I just want to get out of here. I intend to be on the next bus out of town, with or without your help.”
“And you intend to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder? Wondering if and when he’s going to find you? Wouldn’t you rather stand and fight and stop him from raping other women?”
Her eyes filled with the sheen of tears. “Please, don’t ask me to stay.”
“But that’s exactly what I’m asking of you,” he said softly. “Stay and fight. Help us put him away.” He stood to face her.
“It’s so easy for you to ask that of me.” For the first time a hint of anger deepened her voice and hardened her eyes. “You’ve probably never had to face anything alone. You have this great big wonderful family to support you in whatever decisions you make. You’ve never been poor and powerless and all alone.”
Her anger rose with each word that left her mouth. “It’s easy for you because if things go badly you lose nothing. You go back to your quiet, solitary life and never think about me or Sammy again.”
“That’s not true,” he protested. He had a feeling no matter what happened here and now, it was going to be a very long time before he could forget Janette and her little boy.
He took two steps toward her. “Janette, you won’t be alone in this. I’ll be right by your side. I’ve got my brother Tanner checking into Sinclair’s background. Savannah is going to try to touch base with the waitress you said might have been another victim.”
She backed away from him, tears once again shining in her eyes, but he pressed on. “Don’t you want to stand up and put this man behind bars where he belongs? Wouldn’t you sleep better at night if you knew he wasn’t someplace out on the streets? Maybe hunting you down?”
“You and your sister-in-law and brother can do whatever you think is right, but I intend to be on the first bus out of here.” She flew into the bedroom and closed the door after her.
Dalton released a sigh of frustration. He understood her fear, sympathized with it, but he knew she was their best chance in taking down Brandon Sinclair. And he was determined to do just that.
*
Janette sat on the edge of the bed, her entire body trembling with emotion. Fear, regret and a burning shame all coursed through her.
Somebody needs to step up.
The words haunted her, playing and replaying in her mind like the refrain from an irritating melody that refused to be forgotten.
Somebody needs to step up.
She closed her eyes as a vision of Alicia Patterson filled her head. She remembered vividly the whisper of horror that had filled her eyes when Janette had asked her if she’d ever been pulled over by Sheriff Sinclair. She’d recognized that horror because she’d lived it and it had become an unwanted part of her.
Rubbing her temple where a headache had begun to pound, she tried to banish the vision of Alicia from her mind but it refused to completely go away. How many others had there been? How many more would there be?
He needed to be stopped.
Somebody needs to step up.
None of the women who had been abused by Sinclair were likely to look for a way to bring him to justice. They would feel the same hopeless helplessness that she’d felt. Stuck in a town where the sheriff was king, it was impossible for a mere vulnerable isolated woman to stand up against him.
But she was no longer in Sandstone. She was one step ahead of those women, for she’d already escaped the evil king’s kingdom. And she wasn’t all alone. She had Dalton standing beside her.
Do the right thing, that little voice whispered in her head. She’d tried to live her life always choosing to do the right thing. When Nana had gotten sick, the right thing for Janette to do had been to quit school to take care of her. When she’d discovered she was pregnant, for her, making the choice to give Sammy life had been the right thing to do.
And stopping Sheriff Brandon Sinclair from preying on any other women was the right thing to do. She got up from the bed, a bone-weariness weighing down her feet as she walked back to the door.
The idea of what she was about to agree to terrified her, but for the first time since that horrible night on the deserted highway, a rage began to build inside her.
Brandon Sinclair had not only raped her. He’d also tried to kill Nana, and last night had tried to shoot an innocent man. It hadn’t been safe before this moment to get angry, because while she’d been a resident in Sandstone, anger had been an emotion she couldn’t afford.
As she swung open the door and walked back into the living room, the anger flowed, rich and thick and righteous through her veins. Dalton sat on the sofa, but he stood when she came back into the room.
“All right,” she said, her voice trembling with the raw emotion. “I’ll stick around. I’ll talk to your special prosecutor. I’ll do whatever it takes to destroy Sinclair, but I have a few requests of my own.”
“Like what?” Dalton sat back down and she joined him on the sofa.
“I want Nana out of Sandstone. Sooner or later he is going to find out that she didn’t burn up in that trailer. He’ll find her, and we can’t let that happen.”
Dalton nodded. “We can pick her up and bring her here.”
She would have loved to have her nana here in this little cabin with her, but she shook her head. “No, I don’t want her here. I want her someplace where she’ll be safe if this goes bad.”
Dalton frowned thoughtfully. “West Protective Services owns a safe house in Kansas City. We could set her up there for the time being,” Dalton said. “I can make arrangements with my sister, Meredith, to meet her plane and get her settled in.”
“I have one other thing to ask of you.” The pounding in her head intensified and she raised a hand to press her cold fingers against her temple. The anger that had filled her dissipated, usurped by a new well of grief.
“What?” he asked, his voice a soft caress. “What else do you need?”
She closed her eyes for a moment and a picture of Sammy’s little face filled her head, his downy dark hair above laughing blue eyes and that grin of his that had the capacity to melt her heart.
She opened her eyes and stared at Dalton with intensity. “If something happens to me, if I end up in jail or worse, you have to promise me that you’ll take Sammy. You’ll hide him where Sinclair will never get hold of him.” She reached out and grabbed hold of Dalton’s forearm. “You have to promise me that you’ll keep him safe, that you’ll never a
llow that man to get custody of him.”
Dalton took her hand between his, surrounding her cold fingers with warmth. “Nothing is going to happen to you. You’re going to be fine, and you and Sammy are going to have a wonderful life with your nana.”
“But you can’t promise that.”
His eyes darkened slightly. “No, I can’t promise that,” he admitted. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure that all of you are safe. I know how difficult this decision is for you, and I know it probably doesn’t matter to you, but I’m proud of you and admire your courage.”
She realized it did matter to her, that she cared about what he thought of her. She cared more than she thought possible, but she wasn’t satisfied yet. “You have to promise me that you’ll take care of Sammy if something happens to me. That’s the only way I can go forward with this.”
The gravity of his expression let her know he wouldn’t take this vow lightly. “Okay, I promise,” he replied.
She was surprised by the depth of relief that flooded through her. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about Sammy ending up with Sinclair.
“So, what happens now?” she asked. His hands no longer warmed the chill that resided deep inside her.
“First thing in the morning I’ll call Trent and we’ll set up a meeting with him, then I’ll make arrangements to get your nana out of Sandstone. We’ll see what Savannah and Tanner found out about Sinclair and hope that they can get us something to help make a case.”
“Are you going to tell Zack about all this?” she asked.
He frowned. “Not until we have some solid evidence to present to him.”
“I know how much you don’t like keeping secrets from him.”
He nodded. “That’s true, but in this particular case I think it’s necessary.”
A new cold wind blew through her. “He’ll know. Somehow Sinclair will find out that we’re plotting against him. That’s going to make him more dangerous than ever.”
“Then we’ll just have to be careful.” He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
At the moment she felt his gentle touch, she knew that she wanted to make love with him. She wanted…needed to make love with him in order to banish the memory of Sinclair’s hands on her, his breath hot and sour on her face.
She knew it was crazy, that Dalton West was only a temporary man in her life. Eventually this would all be over and he’d get back to his uncomplicated private life and hopefully she’d get on with her life.
She wasn’t fool enough to think that there might be a future with him. Nature had blown her into his life and danger kept her bound to him. But once the snow was gone and the danger had passed, it would be over.
But there was tonight and she felt the need for his warmth, for his gentleness. She felt the need for him. Even as her desire swelled inside her, she was suffused with doubt.
Would he even want her? Certainly she’d tasted hot desire in the single kiss they’d shared. Had that been a momentary flare of madness, or was it reflective of the fact that he might be attracted to her?
“You’ve gotten quiet. What are you thinking?” he asked.
She breathed in deeply and looked into his beautiful green eyes. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and a trembling began deep within her. “I think maybe I’d like some coffee after all,” she said and jumped up off the sofa.
Don’t be a fool, a voice whispered inside her head as she went into the kitchen. Making love with Dalton wouldn’t make things better. It would only make things worse when she had to tell him goodbye.
As she fixed the coffee, he came into the kitchen and sat at the table. She was acutely aware of his presence, as if the very thought of making love with him had fine-tuned every one of her senses.
Once the coffee was dripping into the carafe, she joined him at the table. “I don’t want to talk about Brandon Sinclair anymore,” she said. “I don’t even want to think about him. Tell me more about your family. Fill my head with something good and positive.”
And he did. As they drank coffee he talked to her about his brothers and sister, sharing childhood memories that made her laugh, sharing moments that made her more than a little bit envious of the close-knit West clan.
Darkness fell, and as he finished his coffee he stood. Dread swooped through her. She knew he was preparing to leave.
“I should get back to town,” he said.
She got up from the table, as well. “You could stay here for the night.” She swallowed, her mouth once again too dry. “With Sammy in his new cradle, the bed is big enough for both of us.” She held her breath.
His eyes flared wider and filled with a heat that swept over her, through her. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Emboldened by the look in his eyes, she stepped closer to him. “Why not?” Her heartbeat raced in her chest, this time not with fear, but with something even more primal.
“Because I don’t think I can sleep in the same bed as you.” His voice was deeper than usual.
“I don’t kick and I don’t think I snore.” She took another step toward him.
“That wouldn’t be the problem,” he replied.
“Then what is the problem?” She stood so close to him she could feel his body heat radiate toward her, could see the gold flecks that gave depth to his green eyes.
“The problem is that it’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman and I find you incredibly attractive.”
His words gave her permission to take a final step toward him. She now touched him, her breasts against the hard width of his chest. “And I find you incredibly attractive.” She raised her hands to his shoulders and leaned into him, her face raised.
She saw the kiss in his eyes before he lowered his head to deliver it. When his lips took hers a fiery heat flooded through her veins and she welcomed it, welcomed him with an open mouth.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close…closer still. His arms felt like safety, like security, and she reveled in the sensations that coursed through her.
His tongue swirled with hers, creating a fire of want inside her. She knew exactly what to expect, a night of passion satisfied and nothing more. At this moment it was enough.
When he broke the kiss she took his hand and led him into the bedroom. Although she didn’t think it possible, her heartbeat raced even faster. She wanted this. She wanted him. But she couldn’t ignore a tiny sliver of disquiet that raised its ugly head.
The last time she’d had sex it had been a violent, terror-filled event, and she wanted none of that experience to bleed over into this time with Dalton.
When they reached the bedroom he once again took her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss was long and deep, and as he kissed her his hands caressed her back.
She loved the feel of his hard chest, his firm thighs and his obvious arousal against her. He held her tight, but not so tight that she felt captive…helpless.
This time when the kiss ended, her fingers trembled as she unbuttoned his shirt. He stood motionless, as if holding his breath as she pulled the shirt from his chest.
Only then did he move away from her. He walked to the side of the bed and placed his gun, his cell phone and his wallet on the nightstand, then turned to face her. “Are you sure about this?” His voice vibrated with tension.
Instead of answering him with words, she pulled her sweatshirt off over her head and dropped it to the floor beside her.
His eyes glowed in the semidarkness of the room and her breath caught in her throat as his hands moved to the waist of his jeans and he unfastened the button fly.
As he took off his jeans she did the same. Then, with only the aid of the moonlight filtering through the window, they got into the bed.
Instantly he pulled her back into his arms as his lips found hers once again. His delicious skin warmed hers as his mouth took possession of her lips.
It felt right. It felt good, and it didn’t matter what tomorrow would brin
g. Whatever happened, wherever she ended up building her life, she’d have the memory of this kind and good man to carry with her.
They lay side by side facing each other and his lips left hers and rained nipping kisses down her neck to the hollow of her throat. She tangled her fingers in his thick hair as his hands caressed her breasts through the thin material of her bra.
It didn’t take long before she wanted to feel the palm of his hands against her naked breasts. She reached behind her and unfastened her bra, loving the deep moan that escaped him as she tossed it to the floor. Within minutes the last of their clothing was gone and their touches grew more intimate.
It wasn’t until he moved on top of her that the first stir of panic closed her throat.
His breath was warm against her neck, his body not surrounding her so much as imprisoning her. Just like before.
Hot breath.
Hard body.
Trapped.
She squeezed her eyes tightly closed, fighting the overwhelming sense of dread, trying to catch her breath as the panic fired higher inside her. This wasn’t Sinclair, and they weren’t on the side of the road. There was no gun pressed to her throat, no reason for her heart to pound so painfully hard.
Dalton seemed unaware of the torment that had unexpectedly stolen passion and exchanged it for dark flashbacks to the worst night of her life. As he kissed her neck, she fought the scream that worked up from the depths of her.
He was suffocating her, his weight oppressive and scary. She couldn’t move, had lost control. She couldn’t breathe. Unable to stand it another minute she shoved against his chest. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this. Please, get off me. Get off me!”
He instantly rolled to the side of her as she burst into tears.
Chapter 9
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Janette cried into the pillow next to Dalton.
“It’s okay,” he said even as he fought to get control of himself. “It’s all right, Janette. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Tentatively he reached out and touched her back, trying to comfort but afraid of frightening her.
Glory, Glory: Snowbound with the Bodyguard Page 26