Justice (A Rocky Mountain Thriller Book 3)

by Ann Voss Peterson

  Soft and giving and the way it should be.

  Melissa had never dreamed of a kiss like this. She hadn’t even known these feelings could exist. Her fingers found the buttons on his shirt. One by one, she worked them free. She moved her hands inside, caressed warm, smooth skin. She wanted to take off his shirt, to feel all of him, kiss all of him.

  She hesitated. “Jason.”

  “He sleeps like the dead.”

  Nick was right. In the time she’d known Jason, he’d never awakened on his own in the night. Not once.

  He moved to slip out of his sleeves.

  “Your arm. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He glanced at the makeshift cast. “I forgot. I forgot everything… everything but you.”

  Melissa kissed him again, careful of his arm. She couldn’t stop. She slipped off his Stetson and ran her fingers through his hair. She kissed his lips and his neck and the cleft in his chin, the burn of stubble making her lips tingle.

  Once she’d thought his cowboy mannerisms and hat and boots were what drew her. She’d been so stupid. It was the man he was. His sharp mind. His big heart. The way he believed in what was right. The way he gave her just what she needed. Even if half the time she didn’t know what that was.

  He tried to slip the top button of her blouse free with one hand. “Clumsy.”

  “Here.” She covered his hand with hers and unbuttoned. He splayed his fingers across her belly as she let the blouse slide from her shoulders and unfastened her bra.

  He sucked in a breath. His hand circled to her back and guided her toward him. His lips closed over her nipple. Teasing and sucking, stirring heat within her she’d longed for, but hadn’t known it. Hadn’t known it until now.

  He moved from one breast to another, soft, gentle. Stubble rasped her skin, heated her blood, burned in her.

  Melissa closed her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Shouldn’t be happening. But it was. And tomorrow… he said he’d stay, do the right thing.

  But she couldn’t let him, could she?

  She didn’t know. She didn’t want to know anything but the heat of him, the scent of him, the taste…

  “I want to show you…” The words left her mouth before she was aware enough to pull them back.

  “Show me what?”

  Melissa didn’t answer. If she spoke, she was pretty sure she’d cry. And she didn’t want this to be about tears. There would be enough time for that. There always was.

  She reached for his belt, his jeans. Unfastening both, she tugged them down his legs, and slipped them off. She took him in her hand, feeling his length, caressing the smooth skin, curling her fingers around him.

  “Whoa,” Nick said. “I like this kind of showing.”

  Melissa pulled him up, directing him to stand while she perched on the edge of the tiny couch. Grasping his buttocks, she brought his hips closer.

  Then she flicked him with her tongue.

  It had been so long since she’d made love with a man that the salty tang of him surprised her. She looked up into this eyes and tasted him again. Tiny flicks turned into long licks. Finally, she took him full into her mouth.

  Nick tangled his fingers in her hair. A groan shook his body.

  Melissa caressed him with her lips, her tongue, soaking in the feel of him, the taste of him, committing him to memory.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Nick stilled the motion of her head and withdrew himself from her mouth. “I don’t want it to be over yet. I have a few things I want to show you, too.”

  Nick knelt. His fingers flew to her waist, unbuttoning, unzipping. He slipped off the rest of her clothes, leaving her naked, then spread her knees apart.

  Melissa felt exposed, open, vulnerable, and her first inclination was to close her legs and move away.

  But still kneeling, he moved between her thighs and started kissing her breasts, her belly, then he moved lower. His breath caressed her, making her tingle even before his first touch. And when he finally brought his mouth to her, she gasped.

  He moved slowly, giving light touches, languid strokes.

  Melissa leaned back against the cushions. Tension ebbed from her and built at the same time, claiming her, sweeping thoughts, fears away until she could focus only on sensation. Only on the gift she was receiving. Only on Nick.

  He really was the whole package. Honorable. Kind. Generous. Everything she had been looking for. Everything she didn’t truly believe she’d ever find.

  Pleasure overwhelmed her. Once. Twice. Then Nick was kissing her breasts again, her mouth. He sat on the couch, and Melissa straddled him and took him inside.

  As she opened to him, and he filled her, slowly, gently, the room became nothing but watery shadow, and tears ran down her cheeks.

  Heat built between them and finally crashed over her again, sweeping away thought, taking him with her. He said her name on a hoarse whisper and held her tight against his chest.

  They stayed that way until their heartbeats slowed, Melissa clinging to him as long as she could. Finally Nick’s lips moved against her cheek, whispering in her ear. “We can figure this out. Together.”

  “Together.” She parroted the word and kissed his cheek. It was a nice dream, but that’s all it could be.

  Nick was in danger. He couldn’t stay. Melissa couldn’t let him. And yet he’d never leave Denver. Not if he was falling in love with her. Not if they were together.

  Nick had to do the right thing, but so did she.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He pulled back from her and searched her eyes. “Sorry?”

  “This was great. Being with you. But I’m afraid… I just can’t.”

  “Can’t… Wait a second here.”

  Melissa climbed off him and willed back her tears. “This job is my life, Nick. It’s part of me just like the ranch is part of you. And I don’t want to give up who I am. Not even for you.”

  Nick stared at her. “Damn, Melissa. So tonight, you and me, this was goodbye all along?”

  A sob stuck in Melissa’s throat. “I think you should leave Denver. Go somewhere you’ll be safe. I’ll call you if we need your testimony.”

  “So that’s it?”

  Melissa felt sick to her stomach, breaking his heart, destroying her own, but it was the only way. She managed a nod.

  “Then I’m sorry, too. Real, real sorry.” Nick said, his voice ached, not shocked, not angry, just sad.

  And that was the feeling that surrounded her like the chill air as she moved away from him and pulled on her clothes.

  ______

  Nick had a feeling the cabin would be empty the next morning when he awoke from his drug-induced heavy sleep. But the cold light of day made the realization even worse than he’d anticipated.

  When he’d told Melissa they would figure out the truth behind the murders together, he’d sensed her hesitation. More than hesitation. But he still didn’t expect her to tell him she didn’t want him right then while they were still joined.

  Nick stared out the cabin’s plate glass window. Even though the view was fogged by moisture between the panes, he could see the white swirl of snow on the wind.

  He didn’t know why he did this to himself. It was as if he deliberately chose women who couldn’t love him. Maybe he was protecting himself. If they couldn’t love him because of where he lived or what he did, then it couldn’t be his fault when things didn’t work out.

  But he’d thought Melissa was different. He was sure of it.

  He padded into the living room area, feet cold on the hard floor. The fire had gone out hours ago, nothing but blackened remnants of the largest logs left. He picked up the poker and stabbed one of the logs, shifting it back into place. He didn’t like the idea of the cabin, which had been so warm with Melissa here, being cold. He might not be able to change how Melissa felt, but he could change the temperature with a few logs, some crumpled newspaper and a match.

  He wrestled a log from the stack with his good arm. Carrying
it the few feet to the hearth, he let it fall with a thunk and punched it into place with the poker. So far so good.

  He added another log, then another. A few scraps of kindling tucked here and there. Then he reached for the paper.

  “Melissa?” Still in his jammies, Jason padded out of the little bedroom.

  “She’s gone, Buddy.”

  “Erranding?”

  Nick gave Jason the most smile he could muster. “No.”

  “Did she die? Like Mommy?”

  “No, she didn’t die.” Nick patted a spot on the hearth, and Jason sat next to him. “Melissa just had to go back to the city.”

  “I like the city.”

  He knew it was just an observation on Jason’s part, but it stabbed into him all the same. “I know you do.”

  “You’re sad.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “’Cause Melissa is gone?”

  “Yes.”

  Jason’s lips turned down and his eyes grew red around the edges. “I miss her.”

  Nick ruffled a hand in Jason’s wavy hair. “I miss her, too.”

  “I don’t want you to be sad.”

  “Thanks, Buddy.”

  “I’ll stay here with you.”

  Nick’s eyes burned “Thanks. That’s real nice. I know you like the city.”

  “I like the horses, too. Like at your ranch.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Jason shrugged his little shoulders. “I like to be where Melissa is. But I like to be where you are, too.”

  His little boy’s words hit Nick like a hard kick to the head.

  What an idiot he’d been. All along he’d expected Melissa to change, just as he’d expected Gayle to change. To give up the city. To embrace the ranch, because the ranch was who he was. But as much as he loved the Circle J, it was a place. Nothing more.

  And Nick could choose what place he wanted to be.

  Would that change Melissa’s feelings? Nick didn’t know. But he wasn’t kidding when he said he was falling in love with her. He could move to Denver. Take things slow. See how Melissa felt then.

  At least it was a plan.

  Nick slipped his arm around Jason and hugged his warm little body close. “You’re brilliant, do you know that?”

  “Brill-ant?”

  “Yes.” Nick planted a kiss on top of Jason’s head then pushed himself up from the hearth. Being with the people he loved was more important than a piece of land or a lifestyle or anything else. It was everything. “I have to call Melissa.”

  “Are you going to tell her she has to stay with us?”

  “No. I’m going to ask what she thinks about us staying with her.”

  Jason’s forehead scrunched low. “Oh.”

  Nick found his cell on a table next to the couch.

  “Daddy?”

  A thrill shot through Nick’s chest at the sound of that word coming from Jason’s lips. Just like it did every single time. It took a second for him to register the distress in his son’s voice.

  “Daddy?”

  Nick whipped around to see the boy staring at the newspaper Nick had been crumpling to help kindle the fire. “What is it, Buddy? What’s wrong?”

  Jason looked up. His little face crumpled. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

  Nick crossed the room in two strides. He knelt down by Jason’s side and gathered him close. His son’s arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

  Nick looked down at the paper Jason had been staring at, expecting to see an old story about Gayle’s death. Nothing but a smattering of headlines about the upcoming elections met his gaze. “Jason? What has you so upset?”

  Jason pushed back from his shoulder. “He yelled at Mommy. He made her cry.”

  Nick scanned the paper again. “Who did?”

  “Mommy’s boyfriend.” He extended a plump little finger and pointed directly at a photo of Deputy District Attorney Seth Wallace.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  DESPITE WALKING FOREVER THROUGH A mountain of snow before she could get a phone signal to summon Uber, Melissa thought she reached the office early, before anyone else would be there.

  She was wrong.

  “I trust you brought Raymond and his son?” Seth leaned on the doorjamb of his office. His suit was perfectly pressed, his shirt white, his tie its usual assertive red. But the dark circles under his eyes testified he’d gotten about as much sleep as she had the past few days.

  “Seth…”

  “You didn’t bring them in.”

  “I told you. Nick doesn’t trust the system.”

  “And I told you that you wouldn’t have a job.”

  “Then you’re going to have to fire me.”

  He glanced away.

  Strange. She’d never known Seth to make empty threats. If he played chicken, he won. In the courtroom and in life. Even if that meant he crashed and burned. “What’s going on, Seth?”

  “This whole thing. I thought I could manage it. But wherever I turn, someone is screwing things up. Never counted on one of those screwups to be you.”

  “If you’re after a neat and tidy witch trial for Jimmy and a witness who might end up dead under our protection, I suppose I am screwing things up.”

  Melissa knew she was taking a risk, talking to him like that. But he was going to fire her anyway. Seth had to see what he was doing here. This everything-for-politics course he was choosing couldn’t go on. “Is someone looking into Essie’s background? Who she knew? All that?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Seth?” Melissa pulled in a breath, trying to calm herself. The stress must be getting to Seth as it was to her. Both of them needed to mellow out and take this investigation step by step. “You remember what we talked about last night on the phone, don’t you? You said you’d pass it along?”

  “Yes, yes.” He waved the back of his hand at her as if shooing a fly.

  “So you called the P.D.? Or is someone in the office looking into it?”

  “I sent it over to the gang unit.”

  “Are you okay, Seth?”

  “Okay? Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “You seem… stressed.”

  He gave her a dry look. “And you’re as relaxed as a Zen master.”

  He had a point. The past few days had been hard on them both. “Did you call in that partial license plate?”

  Again, no response.

  What was going on with him? “You didn’t call it in, did you?”

  “It was a partial, Melissa. And you don’t even have any witnesses to the vehicle going after you.”

  Was he serious? “How about Nick Raymond? How about me?”

  “You and Raymond? Witnesses? As if the two of you are impartial observers?” He rolled his eyes. “Next you’re going to be basing a whole case on that four-year-old kid, pretending he’s some kind of witness.”

  Four-year-old kid? Melissa shook her head. Whatever was going on with Seth, he wasn’t making any sense.

  Or was he?

  “Seth, why are you bringing up Jason Raymond as a witness?”

  He tilted his head back. “Oh, for God’s sake. What kind of tangent are you off on now?”

  “Not a tangent. It’s what you said.” His words shuffled into place in her mind. “You told me Jimmy was the target of the drive-by shooting. Why did you say that?”

  “Because he was.”

  “Was he? Why? Why do you think that?”

  “Calhoun explained it to you.”

  “I know what Calhoun explained. He explained his theory of what happened. But he had pitiful little evidence to back any of it up.”

  “He has evidence.”

  “What evidence? What evidence do you have that Jimmy was the target? Why not Essie? Why not me? Why not Jason Raymond?”

  He shuddered a little when she said Jason’s name. Not a conscious reaction. Nothing like that. It was something purely physical.

  “Did Jason see something, Seth?”

  “The k
id? No. I mean, what would he see?”

  The murder? No. Jason showed some signs of trauma, especially when they’d first found him. But it was nothing that would suggest he’d seen something as horrible as his mother’s murder.

  So what did Jason see?

  “Her boyfriend,” Melissa said. “Jason saw his mother’s boyfriend.”

  Seth nodded. “Jimmy Bernard.”

  “No. Not Jimmy. It couldn’t be. Jason was around Jimmy afterward. After the murder. That was the first time he’d met Jimmy. I was there.” Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? How could she have just blindly swallowed the story Seth and Calhoun had force-fed her, even for a second? “The landlord said the guy was tall, older, good-looking. Jimmy wasn’t the only man who fit that description, Seth. You fit it, too.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Jimmy wasn’t Gayle’s boyfriend. You were the one having an affair with Gayle.”

  Seth shook his head, disgust twisting his mouth and furrowing his brow. He circled behind his desk and sat down. “You really are set on screwing things up, aren’t you? And I thought you were one I could count on.”

  Count on? She’d counted on Seth. She’d taken what he’d told her as fact. “You killed her? You killed Gayle Rodgers? Why, Seth? Was she going to tell your wife? Was she going to tell the press? Was she going to ruin your bid for D.A.?”

  Red suffused his face. “I worked too hard. I couldn’t let her do it. I couldn’t let her…”

  “So you killed her? Because she was going to tell?”

  “It was an accident. She was threatening to go public unless I got a divorce. I just got so angry. I didn’t mean to.”

  No. That wasn’t right.

  The room whirled around Melissa. She gripped the back of the chair, desperate to maintain her balance. Gayle’s murder and the framing of José Sanchez couldn’t possibly be explained as an accident. His fingerprints were on the decorative statuette that had killed her. Somehow Seth must have planted them there, maybe even before the murder.

  Melissa’s chest constricted, making it hard to breathe. Gayle wasn’t the only one Seth had killed. He’d recruited the four gangster wannabes. He’d staged the drive-by. “You hired those men, the ones who shot Essie and Jimmy. Didn’t you, Seth? But not because you wanted either of them dead. Because you were trying to kill Nick’s son.”