Chances are it would never be found. Unless this guy David’s parents had it.
He extended his hand.
She allowed him to pull her to her feet. “I need to leave, Zach. I need to get far away from you, so he doesn’t drag you into this.”
If she walked away now, he’d never see her again. He knew it as surely as he knew the color of her eyes. Eyes he’d looked into while he thrust inside her. They’d shared their bodies, but they’d shared a lot of other things, too. They made a connection, and he wasn’t ready to break it. Not yet.
“If you walk away, Piper, it will give Lester exactly what he wants. You’ll be isolating yourself from your friends and family like you did before. It will make it easier for him to stalk you without witnesses.”
“I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Any time you’re with me, you’ll be a target. You can’t afford to get drawn into this. He’ll figure out a way to bring you in for questioning, cause trouble for you. Damage your career.”
She was giving him every opportunity to step away from her, from the situation.
His stomach knotted in a visceral reaction to the hunted look on her face, in her eyes. He recognized the obsessive worry about doing the wrong thing, saw her wariness when they first met for what it was. He’d seen that the same look in his sister’s eyes, sometimes still did when she was having a bad day.
“Detective Sherman didn’t know about Lester’s history with you. I’d bank on it.”
“I’ve been down this road before. Even if he’s curious enough to look into it, he won’t do anything to stop Lester.”
“Invite him to come here instead of your office at lunchtime. I’ll stay with you while you talk to him. Ask him to help you find the money so you can move on with your life.”
Her dark eyes searched his face. “How can you believe me when my family doesn’t?”
Chapter 24
‡
Why was he so sure she’d had nothing to do with drugs or the money? And how could he give trust when her own family wouldn’t believe in her?
A tentative hope rushed up to collide with her doubt.
He cocked his head to one side and studied her. “If you had the money, you’d have taken off to places unknown and spent it. Family or no family, you wouldn’t have moved back to the city you came from, and started a business where Lester could continue to get at you.
“Because in the seven years since your father’s death, if you had the money, you’d have found a way to turn it in to get Lester off your back. You could have shipped it to the police station with a note, or left it on Lester’s front porch. He never would have been able to connect you to it. It would have been a way to get back to your family.
“You drive a ten-year-old car, probably the same car you were driving when you first started college. You’re also carrying a large debt, and the temptation to use the money would be damn strong, but you haven’t.”
All good arguments, but he still didn’t get it.
She sat down and ran a hand over her face again. “Zach, you don’t know what it’s like having Lester after you. He has the power and you have none. If you complain to anyone, they act like they’ve heard it a million times before, because they have. And they look at you like you’re just another criminal complaining about the system.”
“I hear what you’re saying. But Lester has a history with you. A history his own people know about. And now Detective Sherman knows about it too. It’s not going to be as easy for him to convince people you still have the money. Or convince them to okay it for him to search your house or car. And he’s welcome to search mine. There’s nothing here for him to find. Every one of my weapons is registered, locked up in a gun safe, or on post. Other than them, I don’t have a stash of anything to find.”
It hit her stomach first, the relief of it. He really did believe her. Then it hit a little higher, dead center in her chest. Her eyes blurred as the tears rose up.
Even though she was attempting to rebuild her relationship with her mother and siblings, they still wanted proof of her innocence…and she had none.
She didn’t have to prove anything to Zach. He believed her.
The weight she’d carried lifted a tiny bit, and she could breathe fully, deeply, for the first time since returning to San Diego nine months before.
She pushed herself to her feet. Drew a deep breath and attempted to control her shaking. She felt exposed physically, emotionally. If she denied having anything to do with the money one more time, would it make her seem guilty?
“It’s okay, Piper.”
“I need to go, Zach. I need to…” If he changed his mind, it would crush her. She didn’t want to buy into his trust then have it vanish overnight. “You need to think about this. We both do.”
“We can think about it together.”
He reached for her arm, and she sidestepped, avoiding his touch.
“We won’t think.” She didn’t want to think. She wanted to believe. She wanted this, him, too much.
“You’re offering this too easily. You need time to realize what you’ll be facing.” She bent to grab her purse. “He’ll make you hate me. He’ll hound you until you’re sick of it, and you’ll have to walk away.”
Zach’s features had settled into stubborn, intense lines. “I don’t scare so easily, Piper. I’ve faced worse things than Lester.”
Her heart ached for him. The tears rose up again and threatened to spill. She didn’t want that kind of existence for him. “He’ll wear you down. I don’t want you to hate me like… You don’t want this.” She cut the words off before she said too much. “Trouble, come.” She slapped her thigh to call him to her.
The golden retriever dragged his feet, head and tail down, until he stood next to her. She’d never realized a dog could look woeful. He’d fallen for Zach, with his tireless throwing arm and his patient affection.
Just as she had.
“You don’t have to go, Piper.”
Her resolve weakened to crumbling.
She grasped at control and raised her head to look at him. “You only know part of it. There’s more. There’s my family. You don’t need the drama. You have enough in your life.”
She should have never agreed to go out with him, never slept with him. Regret was already eating her alive. She’d never meet anyone else like him. She grabbed the leash from the table next to the door and, juggling her purse, slipped the choke chain over Trouble’s head.
Zach stepped between her and the door, his features taut with determination. “Then show me the rest. I at least deserve to know the whole picture.”
She couldn’t tell him everything. She’d buried it as deep as she could so she could try to forget. “You saw how my family was at the restaurant. Circling us, checking on our conversation, my mother asking a thousand questions to make sure I hadn’t hooked up with another drug dealer.”
He grasped her wrist and ran a thumb back and forth along the curve of it. “I’ll be okay, Piper. You don’t have to worry about me,” he said, his masculine expression tense and resolute.
He truly was pigheaded.
He obviously didn’t understand what he was taking on. They’d take verbal potshots at him like they did her. Her composure cracked and her breath hitched. “I’m sorry, Zach.” She’d wanted this, wanted him. “I’m sorry.”
She jerked the front door open. The sea breeze hit her, bringing with it those perfect moments they’d spent on the beach, the two wonderful days they’d spent together, eating, talking, watching movies, in bed. It had been two perfect days. The sunlight stung her eyes. She opened the back door of her car and got Trouble harnessed in.
Zach’s silent presence made it harder for her.
Her throat ached with unshed tears as she got in the car and backed out of his driveway.
*
Zach paced through his frustration until his hip ached and he had to stop. Gracie lay on her bed in the corner, her head on her paws and her gaze
focused expectantly on him while she followed his movements.
He went back over everything Piper told him. He sat down at his computer and surfed the net for any further information about Piper’s father’s murder and the man who shot him. He read through the articles systematically, and the coverage of the trial was detailed. Luca Bertinelli ran a popular business, and had been beloved by many people in the community.
Acosta was a businessman, too. He ran drugs and weapons, had numerous arrests, and had shot Bertinelli while trying to kill his daughter. He shot at Piper, too, and missed, something she hadn’t told him.
He did a search for Detective Lester, but the only things he found, besides a comment about his testimony during the trial, were a couple of quotes he’d given about another case. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and keyed down until he reached Brett Weaver’s number. They hadn’t talked since his wedding the summer before, but they kept up with each other through sporadic emails. He pushed the button and waited for Brett’s phone to connect.
“Hey Doc, what’s happenin’?”
“I’m on injured leave and thought I’d check in on you. Are you on CONUS?”
“No. And I can’t swear as to the strength of this signal, so if it cuts out…”
“Understood. Scuttlebutt is three to four weeks for us. I’m hoping to be in better shape before it goes down.”
“Will you be joining us?” Brett was back in Afghanistan for the third time.
“Possibly. I’d prefer a dry heat to the humidity down south.” They were so used to talking in code around their family it was second nature. Even with terrorists threatening them at every turn, he preferred Afghanistan to South America with its bug-infested humidity and snakes of both the animal kingdom and the human drug cartel nature.
“I want to ask a favor. I need some information on someone, and I thought Tess might be able to help me out. She has contacts in the police department I don’t have access to.”
“What kind of someone?”
“A cop.”
Brett remained silent for a moment.
“I’m dating someone, Cutter, and he’s already been called in by internal affairs and reprimanded for stalking her. I want to know who I’m dealing with.”
“My instinct is to protect my wife. I’m not there to watch her six.”
Shit, what had he been thinking? Zach understood that. “It’s okay, Cutter. I’ll tug on a few lines of my own and see what I can find out.”
“What’s his name? I’ll pass it along when I speak to her and see if she knows something without having to ask around.”
“No. If you do, she’ll feel compelled to look into him. I’d cut my own throat before I’d put Tess in harm’s way. Is there any message you want me to pass on if I see her? We’ll probably have a get together before we go wheels up.”
“If you see my mom, tell her I’m ready to walk her down the aisle any time. She just has to say the word. And tell the rest of the ladies they are missed.”
“Will do.”
“Tell Tess I’m be ready to work on the project we’ve been discussing as soon as I get home. And that I miss her.”
“She’s not going to smack me for saying that, is she?”
Brett laughed. “No. We’re talking about buying a house.”
In a surge of relief Zach breathed a sigh. “Roger that. Watch your six, man.”
“Will do.”
Time to go to plan B. He scrolled for Flash’s number and punched it. He had better luck this time. He arranged for Flash to come by the vet’s office to see what kind of alarm system they would need. Flash also offered to poke around and see what other information about Lester he could get off the ’net. Once off the phone, Zach continued to stew.
He’d been burned by Patricia, and, as concerned as he was about Piper’s situation, he had to think of the emotional toll if he got involved, or how it might affect his career. He couldn’t just go at this with a knee-jerk reaction. But to leave her hanging and vulnerable went against everything he believed in.
Gracie went to the door to signal she needed to go out. He rose, clipped her halter on, and hooked her leash to it. They slowly circled the yard while he used a trenching tool to clean up after her. Once inside. she followed him to the couch to be loved. and for a few minutes his mind was on the injured dog. After he fed her and gave her the meds Piper prescribed, Gracie eased up beside him on the couch, and he cuddled her close.
He’d bet the master chief didn’t allow her on the furniture. “You know master chief is going to rip me a new one if you get spoiled to this.”
She turned on her back for a belly rub. He hadn’t the heart to put her off the couch.
He and Piper could have had a nice lunch, maybe watched a movie with some cuddle time, and maybe a little something more. Instead…he was here, loving on a dog.
Damn that fucker Lester.
He cut his thoughts off when the idea he might not see her again began to form. She was so determined to protect everyone but herself. Because of that cocksucker. He was not going to leave her alone with this problem. It was not happening. Then why hadn’t he gone to the expert first?
He picked up the phone from the end table next to him and dialed a number. “Dad, I have a problem.”
*
No matter what she did or how hard she tried not to think about Zach, she couldn’t ease the ache of loss clawing her ribcage like a live thing trapped inside. She’d cried until her eyes were raw and her head ached.
She mustn’t fall apart like this. She had to keep pushing forward. But when did it end? When would she be be able to live a peaceful life?
As she went through the routine chores of doing the laundry and taking care of Trouble, Piper dwelled on those last fraught moments at Zach’s house. He believed her. His trust meant everything to her. But it promised him nothing but trouble.
He was a SEAL. After first meeting him, she’d read about their training. Over the weekend, they’d talked about how his command held them to a higher standard. A single DUI or arrest for anything could affect their career. They had to conduct themselves with as much impeccability and dedication off the battlefield as they did on, or lose the privilege of being a SEAL. Even if he didn’t do anything wrong, Lester could make it appear he had and mess things up for him. He’d tried it numerous times with her.
She had refused to risk her future for David. She couldn’t let Zach risk his for her.
Exhaustion weighted her body, and she went into her bedroom and stretched out across the faded quilt she used for a spread. The pillow didn’t smell like Zach. It smelled like her. The bed seemed so empty without him there to mold his body against hers and hold her.
Trouble padded into the room and jumped up on the bed, pawing at the faded blanket, making a nest at her feet. She patted the bed next to her and he immediately wiggled up to lie beside her. She stroked his face and smoothed the heavy layer of fur around his neck and down his chest. He made a sound like a sigh and closed his eyes.
What would she do without Trouble? He had been her one constant in the past three years. She had cried into his fur more times than she could count, and had always gotten comfort from his closeness. He loved her unconditionally, was always happy to see her, whether she had been away five minutes or five hours.
She needed more, though. She needed Zach.
In just a few days, he had filled the emptiness of her life with laughter and the many other things that made him so special. And now everything felt different because he had opened her up to a need she denied herself, denied even existed. The need to be touched, to be held, to feel affection and have it returned. To trust.
He had given her a gift. Shown her she could be with a man without fear, and without the flashbacks.
But the only thing she could bring to him in return was trouble.
She loved him. It nestled inside her, giving her comfort despite the ache, but nothing could stem the tears. If she truly loved him, sh
e must do what was best for him.
But how many sacrifices did she have to make in the name of love? She had abandoned her family to keep them from being hounded. She’d taken on the responsibility of dealing with Detective Lester alone.
And what had she gotten for her sacrifice? For every moment of fear she experienced when Acosta pointed his gun at her head, Lester had multiplied it by ten. He had trivialized her father’s death, and the anguish she and her family suffered, by putting the price tag of a paltry twenty-five thousand dollars on it. And he had turned her family against her.
She was already reverting to old habits, acting as if she had no choice. She was clinging to the one thing she had to make up for everything she was losing.
She was allowing Detective Samuel Lester to dictate who she could or couldn’t have in her life.
She deserved a normal life, with friends, family, and someone special.
It had to stop. He had to be stopped.
But how?
How?
The night passed slowly. Piper dozed off and on, but woke frequently, her heart drumming anxiously and her hands reaching for someone who wasn’t there.
At six-thirty she stumbled into the bathroom, a headache pounding at her temples. She shook out two Tylenol and downed them with a little water. Standing in the shower for ten minutes seemed to help. She dressed, fixed her hair, twisting it back with a clip, and put on her shoes.
When she called Trouble’s name, he slinked into the living room from the kitchen, head down and tail tucked between his legs. He hated going into the kennel. She hated putting him in it. It was to protect him from getting into things. She felt guilty and he was miserable. Something had to change.
She grabbed his leash and clipped it to his collar, unlocking the door and stepping out on the stoop.
Her heart leapt when she saw the black SUV parked behind her car. Zach leaned back against the front quarter panel, a to-go cup of coffee in his hand. Gracie sat at his feet. He straightened and waited for Piper and Trouble to reach him.
Tears welled up and she ducked her head until she beat them back.
Breaking Out (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 6) Page 22