Hearts On Fire

by Childs, Penny

  “Just quit it,” she reprimanded herself. “God, maybe I shouldn’t have chased JD off tonight. At least if he were here I’d have someone to argue with.” She had to chuckle to herself. Arguing wouldn’t be what they’d be doing if they were alone. She knew damn well it wouldn’t be. Because he couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself and she couldn’t seem to make him.

  She let her eyes drift shut, thinking of Sean. How happy would he be to finally find out who his real father was? Oh, he’d be ecstatic, she knew. He’d especially love that though JD was a United States Senator he was a cowboy at heart. He belonged to this land every bit as much as it belonged to him and his family.

  Her eyes drifted closed again and in her mind a voice came to her from the past.

  “I saw you two today. Down by the river.”

  She spun around from the sink, flinging soap from her fingers. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Grady was drunk, quickly catching up to her mother who lay passed out on her bed upstairs. “Saw who?” she asked. She was home for the summer. This last summer before college. Katy had begged her to stay and she’d not been able to resist her. And now she knew, she would be taking her little sister with her when she left. No way was she going to leave her here with these two.

  He leaned drunkenly on the doorjamb, his smile a leer. “You and that rich boy from next door. JR… JP… whatever the fuck his name is.”

  Her heart tripped in her chest. He’d seen them? She shrugged a shoulder at him and turned back to the sink. “So what?” she asked.

  “No, I mean I saw you, little girl.”

  She heard him moving across the kitchen, his worn out tennis shoes squeaking on the old cracked linoleum. Something in his voice made her shiver. And it filled her with dread. Was he baiting her or had he really been out there?

  “I don’t usually get into watching, but you could be in the movies, the way you rode him.”

  He wasn’t baiting her. She dropped a glass in the sink where it shattered on the ancient porcelain. Jerking back a step, she ran right into him.

  “You’re prettier than your mama and you got nicer tits than your little sister,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  She tried to pull away from him but he only squeezed tighter. When she struggled more he laughed, his breath fanning the back of her neck.

  “I’ve been watching you and I like what I see. I sure do. It was a good thing, you staying home for the summer to take care of your mamma and sister. You can take care of me too. Can’t ya, darlin’?” He put his lips to her hair and groaned deep in his throat.

  “Get your hands off me,” she growled.

  “Or what?” With a quickness she would not have given him credit for he swung her around and took both her wrists in his hands then shoved her backward into the counter. “You could scream your lungs out here and no one would hear you. Little sister’s gone to work at the diner and mamma’s passed out but good.”

  “Let me go!”

  “When I’ve had my turn at you. Why should the rich boy have all the fun?”

  When she realized he really meant it, she froze, her heart thundering in her ears, her knees going weak. “You better not touch me,” she warned.

  “You better be a good girl, little Lizzie. Be a good girl for your daddy.” He grinned. “I’ll show you how a real man takes a woman.” Leaning in he tried to crush his lips to hers but she turned her head away. He got her neck instead and groaning, feasted there happily.

  “No. Stop it!” In a panic she struggled harder.

  Grinning he snatched both of her wrists into one of his hands behind her back and grinding against her, groped at her breasts with the other. “You’re gonna love this, baby, trust me.”

  Fear coursed through her. This animal meant to rape her and there was nothing she could do about it. He stood too close for her to get a knee in his crotch and with her hands held so tightly she could not scratch his beady little eyes out. “No!”

  Her screams seemed to entice him. Panting for breath he grabbed the front of her shirt. “I’ll have that—”

  His hand was still clutching her shirt when suddenly he was flung backwards across the tiny kitchen. He crashed into the table and sent a chair sliding across the floor.

  Unexpectedly released, Lizzie slumped to the floor, her eyes on JD who stood before her, his wide chest heaving, his face reddened with rage. “JD,” she breathed.

  His rage only increased when he saw her ripped shirt and the marks Grady had left on her throat with his teeth. He turned from her and stalked across the kitchen toward the fallen man. When he reached him he leaned down and yanked him to his feet only to put a fist in his face and send him crashing into the refrigerator. “You mother fucker.”

  Grady put his hands up to try and ward off another attack. “Hold on there, boy,” he cried, spitting out a tooth along with some blood.

  “I’ll kill you.” JD picked him up by the shirt again and slammed him into the fridge. “I’ll kill you.”

  Grady spat blood again. “You might wanna think long and hard about that one.”

  Shaking in fury, JD cocked a fist.

  “JD! Don’t!” Lizzie picked herself up off the floor and scrambled to him, grabbing his arm. “Don’t. I’m okay now.”

  “He was going to…” His voice hitched. “I should kill him.”

  “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

  JD considered for a moment then dropped his fist. Letting go of Grady he stepped back but did not take his eyes off him. “I should at least call the police.”

  Now Grady smiled, blood running down his chin. “You could do that, sure. But do you really want all your dirty little secrets aired in public?”

  JD dismissed him. “Call the sheriff, Lizzie.”

  “How do you think your wife will take the news, MacGreggor? Think she’ll like finding out you’ve been fucking the poor girl who lives up the hill from your mommy?”

  JD froze then, his face draining of all color. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I saw the two of you this afternoon up by the river humping like a couple little bunnies. You think Mrs. MacGreggor will be okay with that?”

  All the breath left Lizzie’s lungs at once. She felt like she’d been sucker punched. Because she didn’t even have to ask JD if it was true or not. She could see it in his eyes. “Oh, God. You’re married?”

  Now Grady roared with laughter. “Holy hell! You didn’t know?”

  Forgetting about him, JD took a step toward Lizzie. “Lizzie, honey…”

  “You’re married?”

  “I… we’re separated. I was going to tell—”

  “You two can make up later.” Grady swiped at the blood on his chin and spat again. “Since I’m not one to let an opportunity pass, here’s what we’re going to do.”

  Fists clenched, JD turned on him again.

  “Whoa, now, hero. You and I have business to attend to.”

  “Business,” JD repeated slowly.

  “Yeah. The way I see it, you don’t want it splashed around that you’re fucking some white trash girl behind your rich wife’s back, am I right?”

  “What do you want?” JD asked between clenched teeth.

  “Why money, of course! Lots of money!”

  Stricken, Lizzie let herself slide to the floor, where she sat with her knees pulled up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. Married. He was married. He’d lied to her. Deceived her. Used her. All those declarations of love he’d made, all the promises of a future together… Lies. All lies.

  “How much to make you go away? Far away. For good.”

  And he was going to pay off Grady Summers. Just like that.

  “Oh, I’m thinking ten grand ought to get me a ways away. What do you think?”

  JD nodded as though ten thousand dollars was nothing to him. “Fine. But I think you better never show your face around here again or I’ll finish rearranging it for you.”<
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  They spoke more but she didn’t hear them. Her own sobs blocked out the conversation. When the screen door slapped shut she didn’t even flinch. But when JD hunkered down next to her and touched her she did. She jerked away from him as though he’d burned her. “Don’t you touch me!” she screamed at him.

  “Lizzie, come on. Just give me a chance to explain.”

  “Explain? I have one question. I want to hear the answer from your lips. Are you married?”

  His shoulders slumped and he looked at the floor. “Yes,” he whispered miserably.

  “Oh, God.” Scooting away from him she climbed to her feet. “Get out.”

  “Lizzie, please. It’s not—”

  “What? It’s not what it seems? You bastard! Get out of this house! Get out!”

  Getting to his feet, he tried to reach for her again.

  “Get out! Get out! Get out! And don’t ever come back! I never want to see you again!”

  He nodded once and started to leave. Stopping at the door he said, “Grady won’t come back here.”

  She didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything anymore.

  Chapter 18

  A stiff neck woke her. Turning her head from side to side and massaging the back of her neck she stood and stretched. The fire, she saw had gone out. And with it the living room had been plunged into darkness. She thought about lighting another fire but dismissed the idea. What she really needed to do was get to bed and get a good night’s sleep. Shuffling across the floor, she sighed. After that dream she almost didn’t want to close her eyes again.

  Coming to the wall she reached for the light switch, knowing precisely where it should be. What her fingers encountered instead at first confused her. Then made her scream in terror. Soft flannel. The button of a shirt. Hardened chest muscles. On the scream she turned on her heel, intent on running for the front door.

  “Oh no you don’t.”

  Hands grabbed her around the waist and hauled her backward. She slammed into a body and before she could scream again a hand was clamped over her mouth. Something cold touched her neck.

  “I don’t wanna cut you, darlin’, but I will if I have to.”

  Cut her? He moved the knife at her throat just enough to prick her skin. She felt the droplet of blood slip down to the hollow of her throat.

  “You’re not going to make a sound except to answer my questions. You got that?” He lifted his hand from her mouth and took hold of her hair. “Where’s the money?”

  “Money?” she asked, breathlessly.

  “Yeah. The money.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Sure you do. The bitch hid it. She must have told you where.”

  Lizzie shook her head.

  “Come on. Don’t fuck with me.”

  Her lip trembled. She knew the voice of the man holding her. “She didn’t tell me, I swear.”

  “You have such a pretty neck. It would be a shame to slice it open.”

  Would he kill her? When he’d lived in this house he’d been a coward, a weasel who stole from people when they weren’t looking. But time, she knew, changed people. And so did prison, which she knew he’d spent at least five years of his life in. She’d been one of the witnesses who had sealed his fate, hadn’t she? “I… know where it is,” she lied, hoping to get him to relax and move the knife away from her throat.

  “I knew you did. Bitch. All you do is lie. It’s all you ever did. Where is it?”

  “I’ll show you.”

  “You better. Now.”

  He moved the knife and put his hand on her shoulder. It was all she needed. Raising her foot, she slammed it down hard on the top of his, right above the arch. At the same time she jabbed backward with her elbow. She caught him somewhere sensitive because he squawked and stumbled back. In that instant she was off and running, thanking God Brian had made her take those damn self-defense classes.

  The door seemed miles away but she reached it before him, yanked it open and ran across the porch, skipping the steps.

  “Bitch!”

  Her shoe slipped on fresh snow as she rounded the front of the Explorer. She had one chance now and that was to get to Josh’s place.

  Leaning back in the saddle, JD looked up to the sky though the tree tops. A slow smile touched his lips as he looked back to the little house on the hill. The fire had gone out over an hour ago and not a light was on. So she’d turned in early tonight. He wondered if she dreamed of him the way he did of her. He wondered if she wished for him in her bed. He sure as hell wished for himself to be there. But she’d been adamant. She was going to see her sister at the hospital and then she was coming home. Alone. Period. He’d thought to press the issue and just show up at the door but had changed his mind. Pushing her might not be in his best interest. She wanted space from him. He hoped the distance would make her realize just how much she wanted him back in her life.

  But he’d been serious when he’d told her he was worried about her all alone in the little house. It was isolated. And everyone in town knew it was. And one of those people from town had attempted to kill Katy. If the money was still out there somewhere they would be back for it. And Lizzie would be standing right in their way. So he sat out here freezing his ass off and keeping watch. The smile grew. He would keep her safe whether she liked it or not. And she definitely would not like this. No, not one bit. She’d kill him if she knew he was out here.

  The horse shifted under him, cocking a rear leg and letting out a long breath. Leather squeaked. A light breeze knocked snow from a branch. Otherwise the night was still. The moon glowed in the sky and lit the snow, making it seem as though individual flakes could be picked out. He knew on a night like this owls would hunt. Deer would be on the move, looking for anything they could find to eat.

  He thought of Lizzie lying in bed with the covers all around her, all warm, sexy and snuggly. He’d never spent one night with her. Never woke up in the morning with her next to him. He aimed to change that though. He just had to convince her.

  When he heard the sound, he stiffened, listening hard. Had that been a muffled scream? An animal, perhaps?

  The horse picked her head up and pricked her ears forward, looking at the small house, huffing out a breath.

  JD urged her forward slowly, thinking to get a little closer to the house. He was beginning to think he’d heard some nocturnal beast when the front door burst open and a figure came flying out the door and across the porch. “Lizzie,” he whispered, his heart immediately jumping to his throat. He watched her jump down the steps, trip, and take off across the yard at a dead run, headed right for him. “Lizzie!”

  Another figure emerged from the house but stopped short at JD’s voice. He looked at the man emerging from the woods on the horse and ran back into the house.

  JD didn’t even see him, his eyes were on Lizzie as he rode toward her. “Lizzie!” Jumping out of the saddle, he ran to her, snatching her up before she could run by him. Fear had hold of her and she fought him for a moment before her wide eyes focused on him and she recognized him.

  “JD!” Without thinking she wrapped her arms around him and clung, burying her face in his chest.

  He held her close, looking to the house. “Lizzie, what happened?”

  “Someone… someone was in the house. I fell asleep in the chair and when I woke up someone was in the house.”

  Someone. He held her away from himself and looked her over. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, shivering uncontrollably in both fear and because of the cold. Her teeth chattering she said, “He had a knife, JD.”

  It was then he noticed the small droplet of blood on her neck. Reaching out he touched it with a finger. Just a pin prick. But he felt his blood boil at the thought of the knife touching her. Breaking her skin. His instinct was to hunt the son of a bitch down and kill him. But there was no way in hell he was leaving Lizzie out here alone. His jaw tightened and he looked to the open doorway again. Surel
y the guy would be gone now. He hauled her back to himself again and realized she wasn’t the only one shaking. He was too. Christ, she could have been killed. In one swift move he swept her off her feet and turned to the horse, lifting her toward the saddle.

  “JD…” Her frightened gaze turned to the house.

  He stripped off his coat and handed it up to her. “Put that on,” he commanded gently. Unstrapping the rifle from the side of the saddle he handed that up to her next. “Hold onto that for a minute.”

  “Wha… what are you going to do?”

  His answer was to swing himself onto the horse, settling himself behind the saddle on the mare’s hips. He took the rifle from her and touched her face with his fingertips when she turned to him. “We’re gonna ride down to the Rocking M and get you warmed up while I call Matt.”

  “Matt? But I thought…”

  God he wanted to kiss her. Just to prove to himself she was okay. “I know what I said. That was before someone attacked you. We have to get the police involved now, no matter what happens because of it.”

  “But Katy…”

  “Will have to fend for herself. I’m not letting this go unreported. You could have been killed, Lizzie.” He reached around her and picked up the reins and clicked at the mare to get her going. “I’m not gambling with your life. Not for anyone.”

  Chapter 19

  Matt looked between the two, his jaw hard, his lips a thin, angry line. “I should have been told all of this yesterday when I fucking asked,” he told JD harshly. “You two keeping this to yourselves and running around doing your own little investigation was foolhardy at best.”

  JD’s gaze was drawn back to Lizzie’s throat. To the band aid covering the tiny nick there. A man had held a knife to her throat. Her blood had been shed. His stomach turned and he nearly groaned at the image his mind conjured up. “I know that now, Matt.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the bricks surrounding the fireplace. He’d sent a curious Josh into the kitchen to make coffee but he was craving something a little stiffer than caffeine at the moment. “Any sign of Summers?”