by Stark, Cindy
“Good idea.” Noah shifted toward the direction they’d just come from. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
Sam turned on the desk lamp and waited until the sound of his partner’s footsteps disappeared down the hall before he shut the door. He dialed Xander’s number, speaking when his friend responded on the line.
“You here?”
“Waiting in the car.”
“Good. Give it about fifteen minutes and then come and get Janie. I’ll let the front desk know her friends will be arriving. Take her to the safe house, and I’ll meet you there.”
Sam hung up the phone. An unwelcome darkness crowded in around him, bringing with it mental snapshots of what he’d found in Janie’s apartment. The haunting memory of the horror on her face when he’d walked in.
Why did women stay with men like that? Janie was pretty enough to get any guy she wanted. Why subject herself to that kind of life? He’d never understood his sister, either.
“Damn.”
* * *
When the female officer finally walked into the interrogation room, Janie was surprised that she was accompanied by Detective Holden. The woman had her blond hair pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail, her face void of makeup.
“My name is Officer Hales,” the officer said, her voice all business. “I’ll be documenting your cuts and bruises. Detective Holden asked to be present. Do either of you have a problem with that?”
Janie’s attorney looked to her for an answer.
“No. I guess not,” Janie said, wishing she could leave and not have any of them witness the proof of her stupidity and pain.
Sam nodded and resumed his seat at the end of the table.
“Let’s start with the cut above your eye,” Officer Hales said.
“I can help you with the bandage,” Eliana offered.
Janie sat motionless, trying to ignore the humiliation of needing these people to help her while her put-together, tough-talking attorney removed the gauze from her forehead. She was sure Eliana would never allow a man to brutalize her beautiful skin and features the way Paul had done to her.
The female officer snapped several pictures of her face, the flash of the camera highlighting her mistakes at having been slowly fooled into staying with an abusive man. “Detective Holden said you had bruises as well.”
Janie held up her wrist, rotating it so the officer could get various angles.
“Where else?”
Hot tears burned the backs of her eyes as Janie lifted her shirt sleeve to show the bruise on the back of her arm. She then lifted her hair in case there was one on her neck.
“Got them. Are there more?” Officer Hales asked.
Janie lifted the hem of her t-shirt and allowed the woman to photograph her stomach, and then she turned her back on them.
Eliana’s soft gasp was overridden by Sam’s curse. The flash continued to illuminate the room as absolute mortification consumed Janie. Never again would she allow another person to control her and determine her self-worth.
* * *
Sam’s stomach clenched with each of Janie’s reveals. The red around her wrist was enough to make him want to punch Castell in the face. Seeing the purple on the back of her arm escalated that feeling. When she lifted the back of her shirt, the varying colors of bruises, enough for one each day of the week, made him want to beat Castell until he bled from all his orifices.
He would never, in all his years, understand how someone could do that to a weaker, innocent person. Especially a supposedly loved one.
“No more?” Hales asked, and Sam had to curb the urge to ask if that wasn’t enough already.
Janie shook her head. The beaten-down look on her face made Sam want to pull her into his embrace until she felt safe enough to smile again.
“Give me a minute to pull these up on my computer to make sure they’re good shots, okay?” Officer Hales asked.
“Sure,” Eliana agreed.
Sam stood when the junior officer reached the door. It would be odd for him to stay in the room after his co-worker had completed her business. “I called your friend,” he said to Janie. “She said she’d be here soon. I’ll go check to see if she’s arrived.”
“Thank you,” Janie replied, her voice sounding stronger than she looked.
He headed out to the front area near the dispatch office and filled a paper cup with water from the cooler. He needed something to calm him. Seeing the bruises on Janie’s back sickened him and made his blood boil with rage. He needed a moment to regain a professional attitude.
A prickle of awareness crept up his back, and he turned. Eliana made her way down the hall from the interrogation rooms toward him, her hips swaying, her auburn hair moving about her shoulders. It wasn’t the first time he’d thought she looked like a woman on the prowl. With her looks and outgoing personality, he was certain there were many men lined up to be her prey.
He’d even thought about it once or twice, though he’d never acted on it.
A smile played across her glossed lips. “I haven’t seen you in a while, Sam.”
The underlying current that normally raced between them was absent this time. At the moment, Janie was the only woman on his mind. “Yeah. It’s been busy around here. Ms. Singleton okay?”
“I think so. She asked for a moment alone.” Eliana stopped and leaned against the wall, the gesture innocent and sexy as hell at the same time. “I heard that suspected child molester is in the hospital tonight. Someone physically convinced him to confess.”
“That’s what I heard, too.” Sam responded, thinking that he and Janie had both sent someone to the hospital that day. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he and Christian had beat enough sense into the perp that he’d confessed. “One less criminal on the street is better for everyone.”
Eliana agreed. “So, when are you going to buy me that drink you keep promising me?”
Movement caught Sam’s eye, and he turned to find Janie walking toward them. She looked from Eliana to him and back again, and he felt like he was twelve years old coming home with the smell of cigarettes on his jacket. “Hey.” He met her wary gaze. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I will be.” She glanced between them again, and the awkwardness grew. “Are my friends here, yet?”
Just then Nicole and Xander came rushing through the front doors. Nicole ignored him and pulled Janie into her arms. “Oh, my God.” She stood back, pushing Janie’s hair away from her forehead, taking in the bandaged gash, and then hugged her again. “I knew this would happen. I just knew it.”
Xander made eye contact with him. “I hope you put the bastard in jail.”
“He’s currently in the hospital, sir.” No one would guess from the way they were conversing they’d all been at an intimate gathering earlier in the evening. Sam preferred not to lie, but this was a necessary evil.
“It’s better that you didn’t kill him, Janie, even though he deserved it.” Nicole wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder, and Janie leaned into her. Sam could tell the touch comforted her, coaxing her tears back to the surface. He wished he could be that soft place for her to fall, but that was an impossibility.
“I need somewhere to stay for a while,” she told her friend through controlled tears.
“Our house, of course,” Xander replied.
“I just got the thumbs up from Officer Hales on the photos. If you’re good now, Janie, I’m going to head out.” Eliana handed a business card to her. “If you need anything, please call me.”
“Thanks for coming out on a Sunday night, Ms. Conway,” Xander added.
“No problem.” Eliana gave the group a quick smile and then departed.
“I need to go back to the apartment to get some things. Clothes. I want to go before Paul’s out of the hospital.” Janie looked at Sam. “Will you help me?”
A protective rush of emotion washed through him. This was something he could do for her. “Sure. We can go right now.” Going while Paul was inca
pacitated was the best thing. If Sam had his way, Paul wouldn’t see Janie again except in court.
Chapter Five
Janie walked out of the police station, into the cool, dark night flanked by Sam and Nicole. Light traffic cruised past, leaving behind the sounds of tires against the pavement and the scent of exhaust. People went about their business with no idea they were driving past a woman with a shattered life.
Shattered, but not dead. Growing up in the Midwest in an area where life and comfort levels could be destroyed by a drought or a vicious tornado, her family had taught her how to bounce back, and that time would heal most wounds if a person let it. Her family might not have been loving, but they’d taught her how to be strong. The one thing about having something reduced to nothing, including her life, was that it gave her the opportunity to build something better, something stronger.
That, she could do.
There was no doubt she was a different person than when she’d walked into the police station. The adrenaline had dissipated from her system, and she’d managed to ensnare, if not tame, the fear Paul had instilled inside her. Her terror had been replaced with a determined desire to reclaim her life. The weak, crying woman was gone…at least for the most part. There was no time for fear. No time for what-ifs. Stabbing Paul with a knife hadn’t been her preferred way to sever ties, but there was no going back now. She was done and would move forward with her life.
Sam stopped them on the brightly lit street several feet from the main door. “I can handle this if you two want to still try to make your flight,” he said to Xander and Nicole. “Since I have a legitimate reason for leaving the police station with Janie, there’s no need for pretenses. I’ll drive her to the safe house after we finish at her apartment.”
“Wait. What? Janie raised her brows at Sam. “I thought I was going to Nicole’s.”
“You can’t stay there,” Xander responded. “Paul knows you’re friends with Nicole. If he tries to retaliate, he’ll check there. It’s too dangerous.”
Nicole took her hand, compassion warming her expression. “They have a safe place where no one will find you.”
Her newfound resolve shook like the wind against her grandpa’s barn. “They? She glanced between Sam and Xander, before turning her questioning gaze back to Nicole.
“I know it doesn’t make sense right now, and that’s okay. If you’d like, Xander and I can postpone our honeymoon to stay with you.”
“No.” Janie didn’t want her friend to suffer anymore for her bad choices. “I can stay in this safe house.” She wouldn’t be there long anyway. First word she heard from her potential new employer, and she’d be gone. “Where is it?”
“It’s on the outskirts of town. It’s a decent place, kind of secluded with the Willamette River only a few hundred yards away.” Sam put a hand on the small of her back as though to reassure her it would be okay. A sharp tinge of sexual attraction pricked her, making her stiffen under his touch, leaving an awkward space between them.
“Are you sure?” Nicole asked.
“We can stay,” Xander offered.
She wanted desperately to say yes, but couldn’t be that selfish. “No. I’m fine. The worst is over. I just want to get my stuff and get on with my life. You both need to do the same. I’d never forgive myself for ruining your honeymoon.”
“I’ll be here for her if she needs anything,” Sam added, his words comforting, yet leaving her uneasy at the same time.
Nicole searched both their faces, and then smiled. “Okay. I’m counting on you, Sam. We’re going to be off the radar for a while, but I know if she’s with you, she’s safe.” She hugged Janie one more time.
“Thanks, man.” Xander shook Sam’s hand, and Janie held back the urge to run after them as she watched them walk away toward Xander’s SUV parked along the opposite side of the street.
* * *
Sam held open the passenger door of his black Charger while Janie slid across the soft leather seat that molded to her body. The scent of his cologne surrounded her as he shut the door encasing her in the darkened vehicle. She inhaled deeply, secretly enjoying the smell that reminded her of a forest path after a rain. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about the man who’d suddenly nudged his way into her life. She was grateful he’d been there, for sure, but embarrassed, too. There was more than a little attraction sparking between them, and she had no idea how to handle it.
Sam entered the car, and she quickly exhaled.
“Are you doing okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll be better once I have my stuff.”
“How much are we talking here? We’re not going to be able to fit too many things in my car.”
“Not much. My clothes. Some books.” She’d left most of her personal things back home in Kansas, but she needed her clothes, and she wanted her cookbooks. The dishes she’d leave, except for her grandmother’s tea kettle, and the stainless steel measuring spoons and cups Nicole had given her for her birthday. She’d purchase new knives when she reached Texas. “Everything will fit.”
The rest of the drive to the apartment passed in silence. She could sense that Sam wanted to talk, but she didn’t know what to say. Normal people got to know each other before they learned each other’s secrets. In the span of a few hours, Sam now knew what she’d hidden from most people, and he’d seen her nearly naked.
God. How much more vulnerable could she be to him?
Sam parked in front of the building and cut the engine. “Ready?”
He must have realized how difficult this would be for her, and she appreciated his concern. “Let’s hurry, okay?”
He placed a comforting hand on her back as they walked to the building. He held open the main door and let her precede him inside.
Silence followed them up the flight of stairs. She paused outside the door. “You’re sure he’s still in the hospital?”
Her question brought a grin to his lips, and she found her gaze tracing the curve of his mouth. He had a really nice smile.
“Honey, I’m an armed officer.” To prove his point, he slid back the edge of his jacket, revealing a gun.
The sight of it intrigued her and frightened her at the same time. She wanted to ask if she could handle the weapon, but she didn’t dare. It wasn’t like she’d never been around guns. Her dad owned several rifles, and she’d shot her grandpa’s pistol several times. He’d even given it to her before he died, and she now kept it hidden in a safe deposit box so Paul couldn’t find it.
Paul also had a gun in the house, but he’d kept it out of sight, and she never went looking for it. Thank God he hadn’t had it on him earlier that night.
But this was different. This gun belonged to Sam, a man who already oozed strength and power without it. Maybe it wasn’t so much the gun that frightened her, but the man behind it.
Sam placed the tip of his finger under her chin, and her skin sizzled. “Never doubt that I’ll keep you safe.”
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. He would think her quiet voice stemmed from her nerves, but that was only partially true.
She removed her key and unlocked the door. Quiet darkness met her. It was a drastic change from the last moments she’d been there. Thoughts of Paul trying to punish her resurfaced with brutal clarity.
Sam took her elbow, guiding her forward before he flipped the light switch. The living room remained as it had been when she’d left. The police must have finished with whatever they needed and, of course, they wouldn’t have straightened anything.
A vicious echo of terror shuddered through her. She needed to get out of there and fast. “This won’t take me long.” Paul’s congealed blood on the kitchen floor caught her attention, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t deal with that demon right now. Instead, she headed straight for the bedroom and turned on the lights. Nothing here had been disturbed, and she was grateful for that.
She pulled her suitcases from the back of the closet and tossed them on the bed.
“Can I help? Sam’s deep voice came to her from the doorway.
“Could you get the shiny measuring spoons and cups from the first drawer by the sink? And the kettle from the stovetop that was my grandmother’s. If you’d grab those plus the four cookbooks by the fridge…”
He nodded. He would understand why she couldn’t go back into that room.
While he was gone, she piled shirts, pants and shoes into her suitcases. What little jewelry she had went into the front zipper pouch. She grabbed a smaller carry-on bag and headed into the bathroom to gather the rest of her stuff.
She stopped short, the sight of the shower sending a sickening shiver through her. He would have hurt her, scarred her if he could have. Or worse. She opened a drawer and started tossing makeup and lotion into her bag.
Her gaze snagged on the red spatters on the edge of the counter. Her blood. She tenderly touched the bandage on her forehead as hot tears flooded from her eyes. She’d been so stupid. So naïve.
Her mother had smacked her around from time to time when she was younger, and she’d survived that. It had been a costly mistake on her part to think Paul would keep the same boundaries—a few bruises and cuts, but nothing serious.
A soft touch on her shoulder made her jump.
“Hey,” he said when he spied her tears. “It’s going to be okay.” He tugged her against his chest, and she fell into him. The feel of his strong, warm body against her cheek kept her from crumbling.
She stayed that way for a moment, indulging in the comfort he offered. Then she pulled away. “Sorry.” Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. “It’s still too fresh.”
“Of course it is. Take your time. No one is going to rush you.”
“No. You don’t understand. The longer I stay here, the worse it is. I should have left….” A long time ago. She couldn’t say it out loud. Not now. Not to this man who barely knew her, yet knew her too well.