“Jesus,” Zach whispered. “Do you even have any proof? What is it you’re trying to do?”
“I’m not going to sniper him from a rooftop, if that’s what you’re thinking. I went to law school so I could do this the legal way. I’ll take him down if it’s the last thing I do,” she said vehemently. Another tear trickled down her cheek. “Evan was helping me, until he disappeared. He was going to prosecute him when I had enough evidence.”
Zach sighed again, heavily. Curtis was right. She was in over her head. She was obsessed with taking down a powerful man who’d made a laughing stock out of her before. What the hell was she doing?
Was Meghan just being paranoid in her fear or was Cummings really after her? It was obvious she was afraid. But were her fears unfounded? One thing was for certain: she was afraid of him. And Zach hated that.
Zach had worked under Cumming for a few years, but he hadn’t known the man other than by name, as Zach had been a patrol officer at the time and never worked directly under Cummings.
“That’s why you’re so afraid of cops, isn’t it?”
She glanced up at him, her eyes filling with apology. “When we’re children, we’re taught to trust policemen, that cops are good.” She hitched in a breath. “But when the county sheriff, a man of authority, a man who’s supposed to have integrity, breaks the law, again and again, how can I believe cops are good? And when he keeps sending his men after me, evil men, who am I supposed to trust? I’m afraid to trust you or your deputies or any other officer of the law, because how do I know if you’re good or bad?”
Shit. Zach fought the urge to drag her into his arms and hold her tight. He had a feeling she hadn’t been held in a long time. He had a feeling she wouldn’t welcome his touch now. But that didn’t stop him from wanting. And God how he wanted.
“Why don’t you give me a try?”
“I want to,” she whispered, wiping at another tear. “I really do. But you’re a cop, a sheriff, just like him.”
“No,” he said, anger slithering into his chest. “Not like him. I’m nothing like him. Can’t you see that? My title as sheriff doesn’t define me as a man. It’s just my job.”
Zach resented the man who’d made her fear all cops. He desperately wanted Meghan to trust him.
She let out a bitter laugh. “Your title does define you, except in your case, it’s true. You are honest and decent, you do protect and serve. You don’t hurt people. You don’t break the law.” She looked into his eyes. “You’re right. You’re nothing like Larry. I’m sorry I compared you. There is no comparison.”
“And that upsets you, doesn’t it?” he whispered. “Because you don’t want to like me. You don’t want to care about me. You want me to be someone you don’t trust, someone you can keep at a distance, don’t you? I scare you, Meghan. Admit it. Not because I’m a physical threat to you, but because you might actually fall for me, and that scares the hell out of you.”
Her face filled with color. She lowered her gaze. “Yes.”
“You admit it?” His pulse kicked up. Damn. He hadn’t expected her to admit that. He’d expected her to fiercely deny it. God, he wanted to kiss her. So fucking bad. “I wonder what you would do if I kissed you right now.”
Her eyes widened. Her face grew redder. Her arms went between them, pressing against his chest. “Please don’t, don’t, don’t.” Her right arm twitched, once, twice.
Zach sighed. “Are you that afraid of kissing me? What do you think will happen?”
She didn’t answer, but that was all the answer he needed. She was afraid. And dammit, he couldn’t frighten her any more than she already was.
Zach reluctantly stepped back. He wouldn’t kiss her. Not yet. But he vowed he would soon. Very soon.
“You’re ruining all my plans,” she whispered. She sent him an accusatory glare. “Why won’t you just stay away?”
“I can’t,” he said softly and realized it was true. He’d become ensnared in her web of deceit and he couldn’t escape. He didn’t want to escape. Not until he’d figured her out.
Maybe not ever.
She lowered her gaze.
He would have to do some investigating to see if he could find out what was going on. Discretely, of course. He’d have to call Nick Miller, the FBI agent who’d helped him last winter with the Montgomery case, and see if he knew anything about Cummings. Maybe Zach would get lucky and the FBI would have something on Cummings.
“Can you find a way to let Curtis off easily?” Meghan asked quietly. “Please? While I think he deserves to sit and think about what he did for a few days, he’s still my brother and I want to help him. I won’t be pressing any charges. I told you what you wanted to know. I honored my end of the deal. Now it’s time you honored yours.”
As far as Zach was concerned, her brother needed to be punished for what he’d done. Though he couldn’t believe she would just let Curtis off so easily, she had answered his questions, albeit reluctantly. If she didn’t want to press charges that was fine with him. But Curtis still had two outstanding warrants from the state of Washington that Zach couldn’t ignore. And Curtis had had a large amount of marijuana on him. Zach cleared his throat.
“Curtis has two warrants from the state of Washington,” he said. “I have to extradite him to the Spokane police.”
“No!” She stepped toward him, her arms pressing against his chest, the one in the cast making a solid thump as it landed against his heart. “You can’t do that! That’ll be handing him over to Larry! And then he’s as good as dead! Please Zach,” she pleaded, looking into his eyes, her own filling with desperation. “Please don’t hand him over to Larry. Please.”
Zach closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, exhaled. He glanced down to where she touched him. Heat spread from her hands and flamed throughout his body, shooting downward, settling into his groin. He wondered if she realized she was touching him. Or if she had any clue what her touch did to him.
“I can’t just let him go,” Zach murmured, jerking his gaze back to hers. “That would be breaking the law.” But if what she said about Cummings was true, then handing Curtis over to the Washington authorities might well put him in danger.
“You can’t turn him over to Larry.” Her wounded gaze stared up into his face. “Please, Zach. He’s my only brother. My only family.”
Zach turned away. He’d never broken the law before, had never even been tempted to. But when she stared up at him like that, with pleading in her eyes…
Shit.
He turned back to her. “What about the marijuana he had on him? I can’t just ignore that.”
“Why not? No one has to know.”
“Jesus, Meghan! I can’t hide evidence! You’re an attorney. You know that!”
She heaved out a sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I can’t believe I even suggested that. Maybe you can just keep Curtis locked up here for a while, where Larry can’t get him.”
That was something he could probably do. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.” Zach could always keep Curtis in the jail for a couple of days. Or a couple of weeks. He’d be safer there. Cummings couldn’t get to him there. But Zach would have to do something with the marijuana he’d confiscated. He’d already turned it into the evidence locker. But he hadn’t filled out the evidence form yet. He could always say it had been found somewhere else…
“Jesus,” he whispered again, rubbing a hand over his face. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.” Zach’s conscious balked at the thought. He’d have to think about it for a while. He wouldn’t make his decision about Curtis until after he’d done some investigating on Larry Cummings.
She clutched his arm. “Thank you,” she whispered, staring up at him. She seemed to suddenly realize she was touching him. She jerked back, her face turning scarlet, and turned away from him.
There was one question Zach hadn’t asked yet. “How does Evan Ambrose fit into all this? You weren’t really married, were you?”
“No. We were roommates ever since college and when we both got hired on with the prosecuting attorney’s office, we continued to live together. We were best friends. Evan would introduce me to his friends and colleagues as his wife, though we were never legally married.”
Me and My Bestie. Zach recalled that one photo he’d seen of Meghan on Ambrose’s Facebook page that Evan had titled “Me and My Bestie.”
Was that all they’d been was best friends? Not likely. Meghan was gorgeous. Zach couldn’t fathom how any man could live with her and not touch her. He hesitated. “Were you…lovers?”
She lowered her gaze. “That’s none of your business.”
She was right, of course. That was none of his business, but he still wanted to know what kind of relationship she’d had with Ambrose.
Dammit, he wanted to be her best friend. Her lover. Her everything.
“Like I said, we were best friends. It was safer that way.”
Safer? How? From what? Why hadn’t Ambrose married her? What was the guy’s problem? Did he have a commitment phobia?
Zach sighed. Someday he’d figure out the mystery surrounding her relationship with Ambrose. But he sensed it wouldn’t be today.
He cleared his throat. “And the dead off-duty cop on your porch? You believe he was after the bounty?”
“Yes.”
Now so much was starting to make sense. Zach just wished she would trust him.
“Wait a second,” he said. “You said you were assaulted by a cop. Who was it?”
“Which time?” she whispered.
“It was more than once?” His heart nearly stopped. “What the hell…” Had there been others who’d come to try to collect on the bounty? What had happened to her?
She slowly turned back to him. “Just let it go, Zach. It’s not like you can do anything about it now. I answered all your other questions. I would like to be alone now. Please?”
She had answered most of his questions, even though he’d come prepared for a fight. She’d told him more than he’d expected her to. He sensed there was more she hadn’t told him. Lots more. Though he wanted to draw her close and let her know he’d keep her safe, he had a feeling she wouldn’t let him touch her. But she would someday. He’d make sure of it. Zach wasn’t about to give up on her.
His police radio went off. He turned toward the steps as he unhooked the mic. Meghan darted for the door. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she ran into the house. The screen door slapped shut behind her. Then the wood door slammed. Moments later he heard the lock click.
Had she just locked him out?
Zach chuckled. He felt like he’d won this round, for he’d finally pried some information out of her.
Listening with only half an ear to the dispatcher, Zach surmised that they needed him at the office. Pronto. An irate older couple wanted to speak to him about a burglar in their yard last night.
More than likely, it had been a squirrel or other small animal, but Zach would do his civic duty and go speak to them.
But later, tomorrow, after he’d given Meghan time to settle down, he’d be back. He’d get those answers from her, even if he had to torture her again. His blood heated. Damn, he wanted to touch her again. Everywhere.
He bounded down the steps and headed for his car. He needed to investigate Cummings so he could find out what Meghan was up against.
He wanted to believe she’d told him the truth this time.
But it was what she didn’t tell him that worried him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A knock came at Meg’s back door just minutes after Zach’s police car disappeared down the road. She hesitated. Snatching up her pepper spray from her purse, she held it behind her back and slowly opened the door.
She gasped, her heart lunging into her throat, when she spied the man standing on her back porch. She flung the door open wide, grabbed his hand, and yanked him into the house.
“You’re alive!” They hugged fiercely, then stepped back to eye each other up and down.
“Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick! I thought you were dead.”
“Sorry,” Evan mumbled. “I came as soon as it was safe. Larry’s got goons looking all over Spokane and the surrounding areas for you.”
Meg slugged Evan in the arm.
“Ouch!” he teased, though she knew she hadn’t hurt him. “I said I was sorry, okay? You don’t have to beat me up.”
“That’s for making me worry.” Meg dragged him into the living room and pointed at the couch. “Sit! And tell me what happened. Tell me everything. Where the hell have you been? I thought you were dead.”
Evan lowered his gaze, hiding those beautiful baby blues that caused members of both sexes to swoon. Evan knew he was good looking. He flaunted his assets at every available opportunity. Meg had told him more than once that he was shameless. He hadn’t denied it. He was charming, likeable, a notorious flirt. He flirted with men and women both, though he only teased the women; it was the men he was attracted to. But that was just Evan. That was what made him safe. He’d never been interested in her sexually and never would be. He was the only man she’d ever felt safe around, though she wasn’t sure if “man” was the correct term for Evan. He was a lot of things, but he wasn’t really a man. She liked to think of him as one of her girlfriends in a handsome man’s body. Evan may have been born a man, but there was nothing masculine about him. He should have been born a girl, which he’d said more times than Meg could count. He was a misfit just as she was. Which was why they were such good friends. She’d “married” him to help him keep his sexual preference a secret from the world.
“Larry was blackmailing me.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “I didn’t tell you about it, because I didn’t want to worry you. He had photos of me with other guys. I don’t know how he got them because I was always so discrete. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to give up my job that I loved. He sent me a letter that told me to leave town or he’d expose my secret to the media.” He leaned back on the couch and looked up at her where she stood in front of him. “That night after you went to bed, I slipped out. But I didn’t go far. I kept an eye on you, worried that Larry would get to you. But you were smart. You took off. That night the cops came to your house out here? I was the one who called 911. I figured that guy would kill you, but if the cops got there quickly, they could take you to the jail where you’d be safe. I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to get in trouble, but I figured these backwoods country folk would be honest and have no connection with Larry. I figured you’d be safe behind bars here.”
Meg eyed him for a moment with her hands on her hips. Backwoods country folk? She almost laughed at that description. Zach was definitely not “backwoods country folk.” She had to admit she was shocked that Evan had placed that 911 call, but that made perfect sense.
“I would have come and talked to you sooner, Meg, but that sexy neighbor of yours kept hanging around, and then you had Curtis living here, so I had to stay hidden. But I have to ask, who is your hunky neighbor? Why does he keep hanging around? Do you two have a thing?”
Heat crept into Meg’s cheeks. “No, we don’t have a thing.”
Evan giggled. “But you want to, don’t you?” He raised a perfectly shaped blond brow.
Meg had never been able to stay mad at Evan. “He is pretty hot,” she admitted, her cheeks growing even warmer.
Evan snickered. “Does he make your heart go pitter-patter?” He slapped a hand over his chest, his eyes dancing teasingly. “Has he kissed you yet?”
Meg’s cheeks flamed. “No.”
“Did he try?”
Meg expelled a breath. “I’m…not sure.”
Evan nodded. “He tried, but you got scared and ran, right?”
Meg sank down on the couch next to him. “How come you know me so well?” she whispered. “Zach is just so…masculine. He’s just so…perfect.”
Evan giggled again. “I can’t argue with you there. The man is certainly a
stud. I think the ice princess is finally thawing.” He studied her for a moment. “I have to admit I’d about given up on you, my dear. You can’t let one bad event ruin your entire life. How many times have I told you that? Why don’t you give this guy a chance?”
“You don’t understand—” she began.
“Yes, I do. I was there, remember?” His eyes filled with sadness. He covered her hand with his. “If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t—”
“Shh,” she interrupted. “It wasn’t your fault and you know it. If it weren’t for you…” She left the rest unsaid, but Evan knew what she was talking about. If it weren’t for him, she might be dead right now. That night they’d followed Larry had changed both their lives forever. “But it’s not just about that,” she went on quietly. “It’s everything. You know I’m an outcast, that people cringe and run whenever I have a tic. You know I’m scared of intimacy. What if I let Zach close, and he freaks out when I have a tic and he runs away? I don’t think I could bear his rejection.”
Evan eyed her a moment in silence. “Have you had a tic in front of him yet?”
Her face heated. “More than once.”
“And how did he react?”
Meg’s cheeks grew warmer. “At first, he thought I was high on drugs, but later…I don’t know. He’s never freaked out, never acted like it bothers him. He even said it didn’t offend him. But still, I’m afraid…” That he only wants sex.
Did she really believe that? Zach had never acted like he wanted sex from her. She had just convinced herself of that as an excuse to keep him at a distance. But would sex with Zach really be so bad? If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that any intimacy with Zach would be special. And that scared her. It was her deep, overwhelming fear of intimacy that made her afraid of getting too close to him. That and the fear of losing control. Sex was about control…or lack of it. Losing control…being controlled by anyone terrified her.
Evan squeezed her hand. “So he’s never been freaked out by your tics and he said it didn’t offend him? He’s special, Meg. Don’t you get it? Stop running from this guy. He might be the love of your life.”
Deceived (Unlikely Heroes Book 3) Page 19