Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4)

by Olivia Jaymes

  They had much in common.

  "Eventually, my mother's ill health caught up with her and she passed away when I was fifteen," Jenna continues, her blue eyes sparkling with tears. "She wasn't the greatest parent but I know that she loved me. She tried, at least. It's more than I can say for my so-called father."

  The last sentence was laced with bitterness.

  "Where is your father now?"

  Her lips curled with derision. "At the bottom of a liquor bottle, I would imagine. I haven't seen him in awhile. The last time was two years ago. It was not pleasant so I'm not planning to do it again anytime soon."

  "What happened after your mother died?"

  Knox asked the question but he wasn't sure that he wanted the answer. He had a feeling that Jenna's life had probably gone downhill from there.

  Instead of frowning, she smiled, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

  "I went to live with Lori's family. Tom and Anita became my de facto parents. They knew what my home life was like. I never tried to hide how bad it was, and after my mom died, I think they knew it was only going to keep getting worse. They actually asked my father if I could stay with them for awhile. He was thrilled, of course. I could be someone else's problem and he could spend the little money he had on booze. Later I found out they paid him a monthly allowance as well. They basically bought me but I didn’t care. I was just glad that they were willing to get me out of there. Tom and Anita treated me like their own daughter. Not once did I ever feel second best."

  "I never moved back in with my father but I did see him from time to time. Tom would take me over on holidays like Christmas so I could give my dad a gift. Usually my dad would be drunk and he'd yell at me. Eventually when I turned eighteen, I told Tom that I didn't want to go anymore."

  There were a few more tears from Jenna and she reached across him to a box of tissues, her shoulder brushing against his arm. A bolt of electricity ran through his limb and through his veins, making him grit his teeth against the sensations that this woman could arouse.

  No complications. Business only.

  "How did your father take that?" he asked, hoping to distract himself from her nearness. He should have sat across the room in a chair. They needed more space between them.

  "I doubt he noticed much other than Tom and Anita didn't pay him anymore. That's what he was most upset about. That's how I found out, actually. He called me to complain."

  "What did you say?"

  Knox had a morbid curiosity regarding her relationship with her family. It was so much like his own.

  "I told him he was a lousy parent and to never call me again."

  Ballsy, for someone so young, but then one of the things he'd liked about Jenna was that she was no shrinking violet.

  "And did he stop calling?"

  She shook her head. "No, but he did it less often. He called when he wanted money. Tom never gave it to him. I really don't know why he kept trying. It didn't make any sense to me."

  "Desperate people don't always use logic."

  "That's true. I wouldn't say that my father ever did."

  "So what happened after that?" Knox asked. "Between eighteen years old and Lori's disappearance."

  "We all three went to college. Michelle got a finance degree. She wanted to work in the family real estate business. Lori majored in marketing, and I had a double major in psychology and political science. Both Michelle and I went on to get our master's, and afterward I started working on local political campaigns. I'd always been fascinated by politics and current events. Tom had contacts and I worked hard to make my mark. From there, I was able to move on to statewide campaigns. In the meantime, Lori started at an advertising company that was owned by a friend of Tom's. That's how she met your brother."

  Knox was absolutely sure that Cal had never worked in advertising. Ever.

  "I'm going to need more details on that. Exactly how did they meet?"

  "One of her co-workers introduced them. A friend of a friend sort of thing. They hit it off and the relationship got serious very quickly. Somehow, she convinced her firm to let her work remotely, and she moved to Douglas so she could be closer to Cal."

  The expression on Jenna's face told him everything he needed to know about how she felt about Callum and Lori moving closer to him.

  "I can probably guess that my brother was a shitty boyfriend," Knox groused. "He takes after my dad far too much."

  He was ready for Jenna to launch into a laundry list of complaints but the doorbell rang, cutting off any reply she might have made. The break was more than welcome. He needed to get his shit together and fast. He was feeling far more than he was comfortable with. Working together was going to be a disaster unless he could keep his distance. He didn't want to be attracted to Jenna anymore.

  The problem was he liked her way too much. This wasn't going to be easy. If he was smart, he'd walk out the door right now.

  But I've never been that bright.

  7

  Jenna needed to pull herself together. She hated crying in general, and then doing it in front of Knox was even worse. He wasn't interested in her emotions clearly, and he'd practically shrank back into a sofa cushion when the tears started to flow.

  I get it. He hates me. Fine.

  She didn't blame him, but it didn't make it any easier. The entire situation always seemed to make her weepy, and then to add on to it, she was still attracted to Knox. She didn't want to be, but so far, her heart wasn't listening to her. Before she'd met him, she hadn't expected to like him - as a boyfriend. After all, Cal was his brother. She'd only been hoping that he was open-minded enough to listen. If he could say that his father shouldn't get parole, he just might think that his brother could be responsible for Lori's disappearance. Knox had exceeded all of her expectations and then some.

  She carried the two bags of food into her kitchen, placing them on the round table in the corner before gathering up plates, glasses, silverware, and napkins. There was a heavenly scent wafting from the food and her stomach growled hungrily, demanding to be fed. It had been several hours since she'd last eaten.

  "Can I help?" Knox asked, his big body looming right behind her. She could smell the clean scent of his body wash - citrus and spice. "It looks like you're having trouble reaching the glasses."

  She was having trouble. This wasn't really her kitchen; it was a short-term rental. The person who had set up this kitchen had to have been about seven feet tall. She was no shorty but it seemed like everything useful was on the top shelves. She'd gotten into the habit of leaving out one plate and glass on the kitchen counter.

  "Thanks, I could use a hand."

  Except that this kitchen was so damn tiny they were practically playing a game of Twister as he reached over her head for the glasses and she stretched in front of his abdomen to open the flatware drawer. For a split second they were pressed together almost nose to nose, and she could barely breathe at the contact. The warmth of his body seared through the cotton blouse and blue jeans she was wearing.

  He's too close. Or not close enough. I can't decide.

  "I don't mean to be rude, but why do you keep your glasses on the top shelf? It's not very convenient."

  She set the plates and silverware on the table. "It's not a rude question. It's a good one, actually. So here's the answer. This isn't my place. It's just a short-term rental off the internet. When I took it, I wasn't sure how long I was going to be here."

  His expression shifted from neutral to something more akin to anger, but it changed back so quickly she would have missed it if she wasn't looking at him. He was obviously thinking about how she'd lied to meet him.

  "So is any of what you told me in the beginning true?" he asked, his lips pressed into a thin line. "You told me that you recently moved here from Brighton Bend."

  Settling into a chair to eat, she thought carefully about her answer before replying. It sounded like he wanted to catch her in more lies so he could continue to be pissed at her. I
f he wanted to be mad, he could do that. He didn't need to make up excuses for himself. She was a big girl; she could take it.

  "I did not lie to you about that, Knox. I had just recently moved here from Brighton Bend. The only thing I didn't say was how long I intended on staying. The fact is I'm rarely in my own home. In my job, I travel quite a bit."

  "You told me you're a political campaign advisor."

  She sighed at his tone. "I am a political campaign advisor which is why I travel so much. My last job was in Florida. The reason I came here instead of Michelle is that she has a regular nine to five job and I was between campaigns. That’s how it goes for me. I work non-stop evenings and weekends too for months and then I take some time off in between."

  He finally sat down as well while she pulled the delicious smelling food from the bags. His stomach growled loudly and she had to cough to cover her giggle.

  "I guess I'm pretty hungry," he admitted, helping himself from the abundant food. Knowing his appetite, she'd ordered enough for an army. Whenever they'd been together, Knox had put away a massive amount of food. "This is good."

  "I've had them several times. The food has always been excellent."

  They didn't speak much while they ate, simply commenting on the food a little. The tension in the room had shifted into a higher gear at some point, and Jenna was acutely aware that Knox was sitting across from her at this ridiculously tiny table. Their knees and elbow brushed even when she was trying to keep to her side. Each touch sent a frisson of awareness through her body and she wanted to scream with frustration by the time they finished their meal.

  She stood to clear the table, but so did Knox.

  "Let me help you with the dishes."

  Oh hell, no. The kitchen was too small for them to both be in there and still keep any sort of semblance of distance.

  "I got this. It will only take a few minutes. Why don't you sit down and I'll be right there."

  He looked like he wanted to argue but then his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he thumbed the screen and then frowned before shoving it back.

  "Something important?"

  Knox shook his head. "Not at all. I can deal with it later."

  This time he did leave the kitchen to sit on the couch while she cleared up their dinner. When she joined him, he was standing at the front window staring out at the street. The sky was pink and purple as the sun was beginning to set.

  "What are you thinking about?"

  It was a stupid question and she regretted asking it the minute the words left her tongue. It sounded so fucking cliché.

  What are you thinking about? Is it me? Is it me?

  It sounded almost desperate.

  He didn't turn around right away, still staring outside. "The case. Your sister. Tell me more about your relationship with her, and hers with Cal. Did you talk to her often? See her? What did she say?"

  "We talked almost every day. She talked about her job, which she enjoyed. She also talked about Cal. Things sounded really good at the beginning but then later she'd tell us that he lost his temper or that he didn't like her friends or co-workers. Honestly, he sounded controlling and toxic. She'd call us crying quite a bit about something he said. We'd tell her to talk to him about it and set some boundaries but later he'd say that he never said it or that it was just a joke and that she had a bad sense of humor."

  That was Knox's dad. Right there. Cal had learned at the knee of a master. Whenever his dad had been especially shitty and someone would try and call him out, he'd simply deny that he ever said it or tell them they couldn't take a joke. Benjamin Owens thought he was a laugh a minute. Funny, but Knox didn't think his dad's humor was amusing at all.

  "You encouraged her to leave him, I assume?"

  "All the time. She'd try and end things but she said that he'd cry and say that he was going to do better. That he was nothing without her. She'd give in."

  "And the cycle would start all over again. I've seen it may times. Not just at home but when I was a cop doing domestic calls. I don't know how many times I heard the words but it will be different this time. In my experience, it rarely - if ever - was. Maybe that makes me a pessimist. Or a realist. Or just damn tired, old, and full of cynicism."

  "Lori has such a tender heart," Jenna said, her eyes filling with tears again. "She always tried to see the best in people all the time. She was always like that, rooting for the underdog. I mean...she took me in."

  "I doubt you ever gave her a reason to regret that."

  "I hope that's true," Jenna replied softly, sniffling into a tissue. "I've always wanted to make her and her family proud of me."

  "I'm sure you did. It sounds like you've done well for yourself."

  Both Tom and Anita had said that they were proud of her. That was more than enough reward for her hard work. They'd made everything possible.

  "What do we do now? What are the next steps?" she asked, giving him a watery smile. "Now that you've agreed to help us, I can't wait to get started. I tried to hire a private investigator today but that didn't turn out well at all."

  His eyes narrowed suspiciously. He must have heard something in her tone.

  "What happened?"

  Rolling her eyes, she groaned. "Let's just say that he got a little handsy and suggested that I could pay him in other ways besides monetarily."

  His lips tightened and his blue eyes turned icy. "What was his name? I can–"

  "I handled it," Jenna replied, waving away his concern. "I told him off too. He was a jerk. I have another appointment tomorrow with another investigator but I'll cancel it in the morning."

  Knox frowned. "Did you ever think to hire the firm that I work for?"

  She shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to you. You said you never wanted to see me again and I had to respect it even if I didn't like it."

  "My firm has dozens of investigators. And they wouldn't have tried any of the crap that other guy did."

  "I didn't know that." She shrugged. "It hardly matters now, although we'd be happy to pay your firm for your time to help us. It's only fair."

  "I was planning on asking for time off."

  "You won't have to if we hire you officially. I really don't want to take advantage of you, Knox. I know that we're lucky to have your help on this. Very lucky."

  "I'd like to see that text from Lori. The last one she sent. Do you still have it? We also need a list of all her friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family. Anyone she mentioned, even if it was only casually. She could have had someone watching her, stalking her. Did she ever mention anyone that might have been a nuisance? A man that couldn't take no for an answer?"

  "I don't think so but I can ask Michelle. Maybe she said something to her." Jenna paused, knowing she was about to open a can of worms. "Will you be talking to your brother?"

  "Of course."

  Knox's expression was giving nothing away at the moment. But she knew better. He had issues with his family. Not the same ones that she had, but serious ones. The type that didn't get solved overnight. If ever.

  "I'm guessing you're not looking forward to it."

  "You could say that I'm the outcast of the family," Knox replied, checking his buzzing phone again before putting it back in his pocket. "I don't really fit in and I never did. I'm fine with it but it makes for awkward meetings and lousy holidays."

  "You being the outcast is why I thought there might be even a slight chance that you'd help us."

  They talked a little more about what Knox planned to do. They both decided that they needed to travel to Douglas to talk to Lori's neighbors and friends. He also talked about pulling her phone and credit card records as well.

  It was almost ten o'clock when he stood and said he needed to get home. They had a great deal of work ahead of them. Jenna was too excited to sleep but she wouldn't keep Knox from getting his rest. She walked him to the door and although they’d shared a few passionate embraces in her entryway, this time they wouldn't be kissing before
he left.

  Nope, he was currently standing about three feet away.

  "I'll call you in the morning. We'll make plans from there."

  "I'm an early riser," she said, leaning against the door frame. "So you can call early if you need to."

  "I need to talk to Logan in the morning about all of this before I call you."

  "I meant what I said. We'll pay to hire you if it makes it easier."

  They didn't say anything else, that tension between them building again. She could hear the chirp of crickets and some music being played far away. She could feel her heartbeat too. It was pounding way too fast because of this man.

  "So goodnight," he said, bounding toward his car. "Call you."

  He sounded just like a guy at the end of a bad date. He says I'll call you, but he wasn't going to call. Except...he would call because he'd said he'd help. He just wasn't going to call for a date.

  Jenna would rather have Knox's help finding Lori than his kisses.

  But it sucked that she had to choose.

  8

  It was dark outside. Because it was five in the morning.

  Jenna had always considered herself okay with mornings but this was a bit earlier than she was used to. In the last campaign she'd worked, there had been many late nights which often meant sleeping in the next day. She'd grown used to it.

  Even the birds weren't awake yet. Smart birds.

  Stretching and yawning, Jenna poured herself a large travel mug of coffee, the heady aroma perking her up slightly. She took a sip of the hot brew and sighed as it hit her stomach. Soon the caffeine would be winding its way through her veins, waking her up and hopefully helping her form words into sentences so she made sense.

  She'd already showered and dressed, shoved last-minute items like her toothbrush into her suitcase, and placed her bags by the door. Knox was going to be pulling up in front of her apartment any second now and she didn't want to keep him waiting. They were going to Douglas, Montana to start the investigation, although they were planning on staying with Jenna's family in Green Falls less than an hour away.