“When are you going to let me interview you for my column?” she asked.
He grinned. “You never give up, do you?”
She curled her fingers into his chest hair. “I just think you’d be an interesting subject.”
“Trust me, it would be the most boring interview you’ve ever conducted.”
She sighed. “So, what happens now in our investigation?”
He sat up and swiped a hand through his hair. “We need to find out what happened to the land, if it was sold, if it went to heirs, whatever.”
“What made you think of it? How did you put it all together?” She sat up, too, clutching the sheet to her chest.
“Sheila Wadsworth. I had a brief conversation with her at the reception and something just clicked in my head.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his slacks. “I’ll be right back.” He held his pants in front of him as he left the room and a moment later she heard the click of the bathroom door.
She lay back against her pillow and closed her eyes, for a moment allowing herself to replay each and every kiss, each and every caress they had shared. It had been more than amazing. And it didn’t mean anything. She couldn’t allow it to mean anything.
You’d better get used to being alone, Savannah Marie. You don’t have many assets to offer a man.
“Thanks, Mother,” Savannah said softly and forcefully shoved her mother’s words to the back of her head. She suddenly remembered Joshua’s words when they had arrived at the wedding.
He’d said that somebody had done a number on her. Of course, he was right. For as long as she could remember, her mother had pointed out all her flaws, both physical and character ones.
The main reason Savannah had left Scottsdale was to figure out who she was and what she had to offer to other people without the constant negativity from her parents. She’d needed to get away from the constant hurt that her parents could inflict on her.
She opened her eyes as she heard the bathroom door open. Joshua came back into the bedroom clad in his slacks. “You want to get dressed and I’ll take you back to the party?” he asked as he grabbed his shirt from the floor. “It will probably go on until the wee hours of the morning.”
There was a part of her that wanted to go back to the party. It would be fun to get Joshua out on the dance floor with her, fun to drink too much champagne and laugh with him. But, there was another part of her that wanted to remain in the bed that smelled of him, that retained his warmth.
“No, I think I’ll stay right here,” she replied. She wanted to just stay in bed and savor the memory of their lovemaking. “Besides, I imagine it won’t be long before Winnie gets home.”
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” He fastened his cummerbund around his waist, then reached for the bow tie.
“Most Sundays I just hang around here. Take the day off, Joshua.” Once again she sat up. “In fact, I was going to talk to you about this bodyguarding business. Nothing has happened to make us think I’m in any danger since that shooting at the newspaper office. Maybe that really didn’t have anything to do with me. Maybe you playing bodyguard is just a waste of your time.”
He frowned and put on his holster. “Next week we’re going to start asking some questions that might make somebody uncomfortable. I’d feel better if we just leave things the way they are for now, at least until we know more about what’s going on.”
She wasn’t sure why, but she was pleased that he didn’t want to take the easy out that she had offered him. Although she certainly wasn’t going to get all silly over him, she was glad to have him by her side.
“You know, Sheila Wadsworth has been not-so-subtly indicating to me that she would love to be interviewed for my column. Maybe I should call her tomorrow and set up a time for Monday. If anyone knows who owns those places now, she’d know.”
“Great idea. You have a piece of paper and a pen? I’m going to be in and out tomorrow and I’ll give you my cell phone number and you can call and let me know what you’ve set up for Monday.”
She reached into her nightstand and pulled out a small notepad and pen. He took them from her, wrote his number, then placed it on the nightstand. He grabbed his shoulder holster and gun and put them on, then pulled on his tux jacket. “Sure you don’t want to go back to the reception?”
She snuggled back beneath the sheets. “Sure you don’t want to stay here?”
His eyes flashed with heat. “Don’t tempt me.”
Oh, but she wanted to tempt him. She’d love nothing more than to invite him back into her bed and make love with him until the sun came up in the morning. But, her desire for that frightened her just a little bit.
“Get back to the party and I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said.
When he left he seemed to take all the energy in the room with him. Night was falling outside the window and she almost wished she’d gotten up and returned to the party with him.
She could imagine the tent lit against the darkness, laughter spilling out as the band played and people danced and celebrated the joy of Clay and Libby’s union. But, making love with Joshua had shaken her up more than she cared to admit.
By nature she was cautious, especially when it came to sex. Jumping into bed with Joshua after knowing him only a little over a week had definitely been out of character for her. But, the enforced closeness that they had shared over the past week and a half had built up not only an intense desire but also a strange sense of intimacy.
She rolled over on her side as a small wave of irritation niggled at her. It was definitely egotistical of him to worry that somehow by going to bed with her she’d expect something more from him. Why didn’t he worry about wanting something more from her?
He was probably accustomed to women throwing themselves at him, but she didn’t intend to be one of the lovesick masses who wished Joshua West could commit.
She sighed and closed her eyes and within minutes fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
She had no idea what awakened her, whether it was a noise in the room or something else. But, the moment sleep fell away she sensed that she was no longer alone in the room.
Suddenly the blanket was yanked over her head and a weight fell on top of her. Any fogginess of residual sleep fell away. Claustrophobia closed her throat as she fought to be released from the cocoon of blankets that held her captive.
“Hey,” she cried, wondering if Joshua had returned and was playing some kind of a sick joke on her. “This isn’t funny.”
Her heart hammered as she increased her efforts to get free. Whoever held the blankets held them tight, keeping her captive and unable to see what was going on. “Let me up,” she cried, kicking her feet and flailing her arms in an effort to get free.
The first blow caught her in the stomach, a vicious punch that knocked the air from her lungs and assured her that whatever was happening certainly wasn’t a joke.
Frantically she kicked out and fought, her throat closing as terror possessed her. As terrifying as the blow to her midsection had been, equally as horrifying was her inability to see her attacker.
A second punch to the stomach forced a rising nausea. When another blow struck her hip, she gave up all efforts to get free of the blankets and instead rolled onto her side and pulled herself into a fetal ball in order to protect herself from the blows that rained down on her.
A hit to her jaw stunned her and stars swam in her head. Tears filled her eyes as she realized she was about to get beaten to death in her own bed. With a cry of rage, she renewed her fight to free herself from the blankets.
She managed to get a leg free and kicked wildly. She connected with something and heard a sharp moan. Sobbing, she kicked again and again.
“Savannah. Are you home, dear?” Winnie’s voice came from the downstairs.
Savannah froze. Oh, God. No. Fear for her elderly landlady sizzled through her. “Winnie! Run! Run, Winnie,” she screamed.
As she frantically fought the
blankets, she heard the thud of footsteps racing down the stairs, then Winnie’s high-pitched scream.
Chapter 9
It had been a huge mistake. As Joshua drove back toward the West ranch, the weight of his mistake hung heavy in his heart.
He’d been on a slow simmer where Savannah was concerned. He had no idea why she’d affected him so intensely, but someplace in the back of his mind he’d hoped that by sating his desire for her once, it would be done and over.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked out that way. Rather than being done, just thinking about what they’d just shared made him want to share it again. He’d been so tempted to forget returning to the reception and instead crawl back into bed with her.
At least he didn’t have to worry about her getting emotionally involved. She seemed less inclined to form a commitment with anyone than he did.
In fact, she’d made it pretty clear to him that he’d been nothing but a booty call. It was an odd feeling for him and one he was surprised to discover didn’t feel altogether terrific.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as if symbolically getting a grip on himself. Despite the fact that the sex with Savannah had been unbelievably hot, in spite of the fact that she could make him laugh and at times pulled forth a protectiveness inside him, he wasn’t looking for any kind of a real hookup at this point in his life.
Still, the thought of Savannah’s warm curves in his arms, the fire that had been in her kiss and her total giving to him as they’d made love couldn’t easily be dismissed from his mind.
He was halfway between the ranch and town when he saw the sheriff’s car racing toward him, the cherry light on top flashing against the darkness of the night.
Most everyone in town was at the West ranch. Where could Jim be heading? With an odd, sick premonition, Joshua flashed his lights a couple of times and Ramsey pulled to a halt next to Joshua’s truck.
He rolled down his window and Joshua did the same. “Something happened at Winnie Halifax’s place,” he said.
The premonition exploded into fear. “I just left there a few minutes ago,” Joshua said. “What happened?”
“Apparently somebody attacked the women.”
The words were scarcely out of Ramsey’s mouth before Joshua pulled a U-turn and roared back the way he’d come. He was vaguely conscious of the lights of the sheriff’s car following close behind as he sped back to Winnie’s.
Somebody attacked the women. Somebody attacked the women. The words played and replayed in his head in a sick echo.
What exactly had happened? How badly was she hurt? Dammit, he should have never left her alone. What in the hell had he been thinking, and who had made the call to Jim? He held the steering wheel so tightly he felt as if his fingers might break.
How had they gotten inside the house? He’d locked the front door when he’d left Winnie’s, knowing Savannah was still snuggled down in bed. Had the attacker broken in or had Savannah let somebody in?
Savannah might have opened the door to an attractive woman, not knowing the danger. Lauren could charm her way past a palace guard if she wanted inside badly enough.
He should have told somebody about Lauren. He should have swallowed his pride and told his family, told Savannah about the danger Lauren might pose.
Attacked. Dammit, what did that mean? Had she been raped? Stabbed? Shot? Had Winnie gotten home and found Savannah dead in her bed? Was Savannah lying in a pool of her own blood as Winnie had frantically called the sheriff?
“Jesus,” he whispered. Emotion clawed up his throat as he pulled to a halt in front of the Halifax two-story house.
It looked as if every light in the house was on. Joshua pulled his gun as he left the truck and raced toward the front door.
He burst inside and nearly fell to his knees in relief as he saw Winnie and Savannah sitting on the sofa, their arms wound around each other. Whatever had happened, at least they were both alive.
“Joshua.” Savannah stood and launched herself into his arms as deep, wrenching sobs shook her body. She wore a thin blue cotton robe and as he held her, he was aware that she had nothing on beneath it. But, more importantly, she was wonderfully alive in his arms.
Her tears only lasted a minute, then she stepped back from him and wiped her cheeks. Joshua’s stomach knotted as he noticed for the first time the redness of her lower jaw. He reached out and gently touched the spot. “What happened?” he asked.
At that moment Ramsey flew through the door.
Savannah resumed her seat next to Winnie, who looked shaken and frail. “After you left, I decided to go to bed,” Savannah said with a meaningful glance at him. She obviously didn’t want them to know that the two of them had been in bed together and that’s where Joshua had left her.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and hugged herself. “I fell asleep and the next thing I knew somebody was on top of me, punching me. Whoever it was had me trapped beneath the blankets and they kept hitting me.”
Her terror radiated from her eyes and Joshua wanted to hit somebody, punish whoever was responsible for that fear, for her pain. “They kept hitting me and hitting me and I couldn’t get free of the covers.”
She reached up and touched her jaw and winced slightly. “I think they would have beaten me to death if Winnie hadn’t arrived home when she did.” She grabbed the older woman’s hand.
“I unlocked the front door and stepped inside,” Winnie said, her voice faint and trembling. “Then I called up to Savannah. The next thing I knew somebody came crashing down the stairs, knocked me clear over and flew out the front door.”
“Did you get a look at the intruder?” Ramsey asked.
Winnie shook her head, her pale blue eyes filling with tears. “It all happened so fast. I wasn’t expecting it. Whoever it was had on all black and maybe a ski mask. All I saw was black, then I was on the floor and he was gone.”
Joshua had an incredible need to pull Savannah back into his arms, to assure himself that she was really all right. He told himself the need had nothing to do with her as a person but rather because he was supposed to protect her, and he’d failed.
“I’m going to take a look outside,” Jim said.
“I’ll look around in here and see if I can tell how they got inside,” Joshua replied. Jim nodded and the men parted ways, leaving Winnie and Savannah seated side-by-side on the sofa.
It took him only a step into the kitchen to see how the intruder had gained access to the house. The window beside the kitchen table was broken, the screen torn away to provide an easy entry.
Cold rage swept over him as he thought of Savannah’s reddened jaw, how she’d been trapped in the blankets while somebody had pummeled her. What would have happened had Winnie not come home when she had? The thought sent a new wave of rage through him.
Had it been Lauren? Certainly he suspected she was capable of such an attack. At one time he’d believed he was a good judge of character, but his experience with Lauren had shaken that belief right out of him.
He left the kitchen and checked the rest of the house. He touched nothing in Savannah’s bedroom, but looked for clues as to the identity of the intruder. Unfortunately, if the person had worn a ski mask, the odds of finding a hair or any other evidence were minimal.
Sheriff Ramsey joined him in the bedroom, a frown tugging his graying eyebrows together. “I didn’t see anything outside. Saw the window in the kitchen so I guess we know how they got inside.” He looked around the room in obvious frustration. “Who in the hell would do such a thing?”
“That’s what I was just asking myself. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Joshua stood by the door while Ramsey wandered around the room, obviously looking for the same things Joshua had looked for…clues as to who might have been in the room beating up Savannah.
“I don’t think you’ll find anything useful,” Joshua said. “If what Savannah and Winnie believe is true, that the perp was wearing all bla
ck and a ski mask, then I imagine he or she was also wearing gloves.”
“I think you’re probably right,” Sheriff Ramsey agreed. He looked at Joshua in speculation. “You think this has something to do with all the questions Savannah has been asking around town?”
“I think anything is possible.” He told Sheriff Ramsey the latest information he and Savannah had come up with as to the location of the land and the coinciding accidental deaths. With each word he spoke, Jim Ramsey’s frown grew increasingly deeper.
“I’d like us to work together on this, Joshua. I want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible.”
Joshua nodded. “I think she’s right, Jim. I think there’s something going on here.”
A hard light gleamed from Ramsey’s eyes. “Until I decide to retire, this is still my town and I’ll be damned if I’ll just sit by and allow some sort of criminal activity to take place right under my nose. I’m going to take statements from the women, then go get my fingerprint kit and see what I can find. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and the perp left a print behind.”
While Jim took down the official statements, Joshua went out to Winnie’s garage and found a piece of plywood to temporarily cover the broken kitchen window.
It was after eleven when Jim finally left the house. “I’m going to bed,” Winnie said. “It’s been a trying night and I’m exhausted.” She got up from the sofa, her weariness evident in her sagging shoulders.
Savannah stood as well and gave the woman a hug. “I’m so sorry, Winnie.”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, child.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Savannah asked.
Winnie smiled tiredly. “I’m fine, dear. It takes a lot more than a masked man to get me down.”
As Winnie went down the hallway toward the bedroom, Savannah looked at Joshua, her eyes still retaining the fear of what she’d experienced. Never had a woman looked as if she needed a hug as much as Savannah did at that moment.
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