“Let’s get you back to your room. Wouldn’t hurt for you to rest a bit more.”
“I’m not staying here.” Her defiance surprised him.
“Has the doctor released you?”
“He will.” She straightened her shoulders, leaned forward, and poked at the elevator button. It opened and she wheeled herself inside, punching the button for her floor before he stepped inside. “Or I’ll check myself out.”
Catching the door with his good hand, he stopped it from closing on him and hurried through. “Jo Jo, you need to make sure you get your strength back.”
“Are you cleared to go?” She looked him up and down, taking special note of the bandages on his head and shoulder.
“Uh…yeah. I’m good to go.” He knew exactly what she was thinking before she said a word.
“Then so am I. You were the one shot twice, not me.” Once the elevator stopped on her floor, she grabbed the wheels of the chair and picked up her pace. A woman on a mission if ever he saw one.
“Jo Jo, you’ve suffered a concussion, can barely walk, and they’re still unsure of the drug’s side effects.”
“Sam was given twice the dosage I was, maybe more, and she went home within a couple of days.”
“With temporary blindness. And she didn’t go home. She’s been staying with a friend who can watch over her.” He gave her a stern look.
“A friend?” That stopped her in her tracks. “Are you sure? She didn’t mention anything about that to me when I saw her earlier today.”
“That’s what she told me.” Now why would that affect her like this? “Her eyesight is better, but he brought her here to see you, since she’s not clear to drive yet.”
She slowly moved forward. “Wait. He drove her?”
“Well, yeah. You say the word he like it’s a bad word.”
“To Sam it is. She’d never let a man take care of her or drive her anywhere.”
“Maybe she didn’t have a choice. Maybe this guy convinced her he was her best option.”
She stopped the chair and just stared at him. He felt the heat rising up his neck. Great. Time to salvage or divert.
“I’m sure when you talk to Sam again, she’ll fill in all the details. Right now, I’m more concerned about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re always fine. And that’s the lie you’ve been telling yourself for years.” The words escaped before he had time to censor them or their effect.
She drew in a deep breath, her hand shaking as she fidgeted with the neckline of the gown. The fire drained from her features as tears filled her eyes, and she dropped her head to her hands.
Idiot. She was clearly distraught over what her father told her. Worried sick about him. She didn’t really want to leave him in his unstable condition; she was confused. Didn’t like not being in control.
But she knew very well she was in no condition to check out of the hospital.
“Jo Jo, I’m sorry.” He walked over and stood in front of her, taking her small hands in his. To his surprise, she leaned into him, burying her face against his stomach until the sobs subsided. “It’s going to be all right.” He stroked her hair. “How about I get you settled back in your room and then get us some real food?”
“I’m sorry, Ryker. I know you’re only trying to help.” She sniffled again. “I know you’re right. It’s just so frustrating.” Her breath caught as another sob threatened, but she forced it back. “Thanks for being here for me.”
“Anytime.”
She pulled back and wiped at her eyes, keeping her face down.
“How about a nice, juicy hamburger and a Dr. Pepper?” He lifted her chin gently with his fingers. The dark circles under her eyes were darker now, her cheeks red and splotchy. His chest tightened. Damn it. He needed make this right.
She smiled up at him. “You remembered?”
“I’ll never forget.”
After Ryker helped her get comfortable back in her room, Joanna let her weary body sink into the hospital bed and stared at the water spot on the ceiling tiles. She blew the hair off her face, turning onto her good side and drew the leg without stitches up to her chest.
What her father told her shocked more than hurt. Deep down, she’d known there’d been something off about her mother’s leaving. What kind of mother left an eight-year-old child behind? Didn’t fight for custody?
“The kind that never even wanted you born.” She bit at her bottom lip, determined not to cry again. The previous waterworks session had exhausted her and left her bone dry. She was so embarrassed Ryker had seen her at her worst.
But she’d needed his strength, and he’d supplied it and so much more. The memory of his warm comforting hands, so gentle, so caring, still lingered.
She turned her thoughts to Denise and the embarrassment transformed into anger. Why didn’t this horrible woman and her friends just leave with the jewelry? Her father’s guests had come to the party decked out in their finest. The pieces stolen would fetch a nice sum on the black market for sure. So why stick around now?
It was no secret her dad’s discovery was worth tons of money. He’d told her companies would fight for the chance to have the best formula out there, pay millions to keep their competitors from getting their hands on it. But Denise wasn’t sharp enough to negotiate a deal like that. She closed her eyes trying to shake the feeling there was another reason they hadn’t left Houston. Ryker’s suspicions about the fake detective must be right—Denise wasn’t done yet.
So tired, so frustrated, she closed her eyes and exhaustion took over.
At the sound of the first gunshot, Joanna jerked. Adrenaline speared her body with panic and pure terror. The room spun. Images blurred and focused. Ryker’s body hitting the cold ground. Keith stepping out of the darkness and into the light of the car’s high beams. Her cringing at the evil pitch of his words. “Now we can be together, Joanna.” Pulling her close, threading his hand into her hair as he forced her to look at him. His lips grazing her ear. “Just like we always wanted.”
A clattering to her left riveted her gaze on the tile floor, where a tray lay upside down, a cup of water rolling in a puddle. Darn, she must have knocked that over.
The next thing she knew, there was a soft knock at the door and relief washed over her. Thank, God. It was only a dream. A bad, bad dream. She glanced at the clock on the wall above the bathroom door. She’d drifted off and thirty minutes had already passed.
“Come in.” Swiping a shaky hand over her hair, she pushed the awful remnants of the dream away and tried to corral her racing heartbeat.
“Hey there. I have food.” Ryker stuck his head in the door and smiled tenderly. “You decent?”
“I am.”
“Darn.” He laughed and pushed the door open farther. “Can’t a guy catch a break?”
She liked the warm feeling that spread through her when he grinned and savored the idea he found her attractive and wanted to be with her. “I’m starving.”
“I may have eaten some of your fries.” A sheepish glint sparked in his eyes. “And for the record, I’m starving, too.” The hint of what he really meant hung in the air for several seconds, and she felt her skin flush.
Temptation to throw caution to the wind and just let the moment happen drifted way too close. She reminded herself his teasing was probably a ploy to get her mind off her predicament. And it worked like a charm.
Subject change. And fast. “How’d you get past the nurse’s station with all that?” The two bags he held to his chest were huge, a cup in each hand indicating he’d supersized their order.
He sat the bags down on the table with the two drinks and fanned his sling out in front of him. “What do you know? Damn thing comes in handy after all.”
“You hid them in there?” She shook her head, tickled by his antics.
“I did.”
This was good. Felt so right. Like they’d know each other forever.
“Can I ask you a question
?” She snagged a fry from one of the open bags and popped it into her mouth as he laid the rest of the food out on the table.
“Fire away.”
“I don’t mean to be nosy, but how did you get involved in the Black Widow case?” He stiffened and she licked the salt off her lips, worrying she might have overstepped a boundary.
He sighed heavily. “It started as a background check, as a favor to my father. Dad got a call from a good college buddy living in Arkansas who’d started seeing this younger woman. The word marriage came up several times in their conversation and the warning flags started flying. The man’s wife had died only a few months before. He hadn’t really had time to grieve, much less consider marriage to this new girlfriend. Sounded fishy, so I looked into it.”
“He had money.” She nodded, watching the pain play across his handsome features.
“Not a fortune, but enough to live out his life comfortably.” He paused, his throat cracking. “But it was out of my jurisdiction. And I was too late.”
“I’m so sorry.” She waited several seconds for him to continue. “It’s okay. You don’t have to—”
“No. It feels good to actually talk about it.” He unwrapped his burger and took a huge bite and then washed it down with a slurp of his drink. “Not sure my father ever forgave me for it, either. Kind of sucks. Especially since I considered it a second chance to mend things with him. Our relationship tanked after the accident.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, his weight pitching her closer to him. “Next thing I know, Dad’s friend is dead. Natural causes, they said.” He shook his head. “Natural causes, my ass.”
She sensed an extra sadness when he mentioned his late father and wanted to ask more about their rift, but held back, sensing it wasn’t the right time. She remembered seeing his obituary in the paper a few years back, knew it had to be tough on him and his mother. Instinctively, her hand went to his arm in a comfort gesture, one that had their eyes locking for a breathless moment. “And you’re sure the woman was Denise?” Breaking the trance, she slid her hand back to her lap, flustered by the genuine emotion pulsing between them.
“Positive.” The muscles of his jaw tightened as their gazes met again.
“So you set out to find her.”
His body stiffened. “So many nights I’ve lain awake, trying to figure out how she’s gotten away with it for so long. Always one step ahead, even before Keith stepped into the picture. My partner lost his life trying to serve a warrant to search a building thought to have ties to her.”
“Again, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine losing a friend like that.” He’d lost so many people he’d cared about she didn’t think it fair.
“Yeah.” The conversation lulled as he finished his burger—the sound of the straw slurping an empty cup a welcome distraction.
“How are you dealing with all this?” His arched brow said he was worried.
“You mean Keith?” A rock hard lump caught in her throat.
He nodded.
“I…I won’t lie. It’s hard to stomach. I can’t believe I was so clueless, so naive. All this time I thought my father was the one controlling me, trying to isolate me from the world, when in reality it was Keith. Right down to the way he always called me Joanna like my dad, instead of Jo Jo like the rest of my friends and family. He knew better than anyone how I felt about my father’s heavy hand. This was his subtle way of letting me know who was in charge. He may have encouraged me, helped me celebrate my successes, but each time he called me Joanna put me in my place, with him as my puppet master.
“That’s creepy as hell.”
She nodded. “It’s clear Keith did everything in his power to keep me from making new friends or associate with old ones. He’d talk me out of joining clubs, saying they were a waste of time, or wanting to use me to get donations from my father’s company. And here I thought he’d been doing me a favor.”
“I had no idea. That’s rough.” He reached for her hand, a tingle traveling from her scalp to her toes as their fingers intertwined.
“You think? He even fed me a string of bull about you and your family.” His entire body stiffened beside her. “Yeah, we talked about you a lot, and he was always quick to remind me of what a player you were, and how I was only setting myself up for heartbreak.
“My family?”
“I’m sorry, Ryker. I didn’t mean to dredge up old wounds.” The look on his handsome face could have cut steel. She tightened her grip on his hand.
“What did he say about my family?”
“Nothing but lies. Even though I was much younger when it all happened, I know your older brother wasn’t the one running from the police that night, or the one who caused the accident. Keith never came right out and said it, but he danced around the idea the two cars had been drag racing when the cops showed up, and both parties had run.” The more she said, the more she regretted her words. Ryker’s strong features had morphed into a hard rigid line of anger, frustration, and grief.
“Jo Jo. I was driving, not my brother.” His throat sounded so raw it broke her heart. “And regardless of the rumors, we weren’t racing.”
“You were behind the wheel? But…” Shock froze her in place and she couldn’t find the right words.
His jaw tightened. “Tyler picked me up from the baseball game that night, and I begged him to let me drive home. I had my permit, so it was legal. The guy came out of nowhere. Crossed into our lane. The only choice I had was to swerve. I never even saw the bridge or the cement pillar.” He closed his eyes and took a long breath.
“Ryker, I’m so sorry.”
“My dad never let me forget what a promising future Tyler had. How we’d never know what kind of impact he’d have on the world.”
“I’m sure he didn’t blame you for what happened. How could he?”
“I shouldn’t have been driving that late at night.” His free hand fisted by his side. “You didn’t see the way my father looked at me afterward. We barely spoke. Up ‘til the day he died two years ago.” He shook his head and turned his face away. “All I did was get in trouble, cause him grief.”
“No. I don’t believe it. You were lucky to walk away from the accident. He’d probably been too scared to admit his true feelings for fear he’d lose you, too.”
“That’s what my mother always says.”
Joanna liked her already. “I’m so sorry for bringing it up.”
He met her gaze, his jaw still locked tight. “I can’t help but think if a more experienced driver had been behind the wheel, the outcome might have been different.” He reached over and stroked the back of her hand with the tips of his fingers. “It’s ancient history,” he said, his tone hard.
“There’s no way for you to know for sure. You’ve got to forgive yourself before you can move on and heal.”
He drew in a deep breath. Held it.
She’d never felt so terrible. God, Joanna. Think before you speak.
“Like I said, it’s history.”
Swallowing back the urge to sob, she tried to switch the focus of the conversation. “How could I be so oblivious to Keith’s scheming? I feel like such an idiot.”
“Don’t. Guys like him are masters at what they do. You never had a chance.” His hand slid from hers to rest on her knee. “It’s hard to see the bad in someone you trust and care about.”
She raised her eyes to his dark brown gaze, trying to soak up his strength. “I should have been smarter.”
He cocked his head to the side and studied her. Hard. Like he struggled with something he wanted to say. She swallowed and waited for the bomb to drop.
And waited some more.
When he sighed heavily, she leaned back against the pillow, her energy zapped out and cringed as his demeanor change. “What is it?”
His brows furrowed, and he pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I’d like you to stay here a few more days.”
His statement caught her off guard, his tone so serious. “As soon as I
know my father is going to be okay, I’m out of here.”
He shook his head. “You need to stay put. Here, you’ll be able to recover in peace and quiet far away from the prying eyes of the public and news reporters.”
“Wait. News reporters?” That was the first she’d heard of it.
“This has all made a pretty big splash across the local news channels, not to mention being picked up by national channels, too. The media is having a field day reporting Keith Coleman may have been involved in several murders. The rumors his uncle tried to hide his nephew’s actions to save his campaign are already making headlines.”
She sat frozen, taking it all in. News reporters were the worst, but her chest constricted at the idea of having to stay in the hospital longer. At how insistent he was being about it. He had a point, but after all the years of Keith’s and her father’s manipulations, it was hard to just accept his demand, even if it was couched more like a suggestion.
“The senator has refused to comment. That means those media leeches are out for blood. The minute they hear you’ve been released, you’re going to get slammed with questions.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn’t ready to talk about her experience—she wanted to forget it ever happened. “But I don’t want to—”
“Well, you can’t go home. Not as long as Denise is still out there. And the cops have your father’s house roped off with crime tape. It’ll be at least a few more days before they have it processed.”
He’d slipped back into deputy mode, much less warm and fuzzy.
“Processed? What the heck does that even mean?” Joanna shivered, the idea of strangers poking around their things unnerving. “What do they hope to find? Fingerprints? Evidence I was involved somehow? What?”
“They’re looking for clues as to where Denise might have gone after leaving your dad’s place.”
“She was there? It wasn’t Keith?”
“From what I’ve been able to find out, the footprints outside the guest house were from a woman’s boot. Not sure if she was just trying to flush you out or what.”
Sinful Secrets Page 20