by Gwen Taylor
He scanned her face.
“How are you feeling?"
She shook her head, unable to speak.
Sean rose, his hand dusting off his pants for no reason. "Okay. I'll go. I'm right outside if you need me."
When he pulled the curtain, she covered her mouth with her hand, determined not to let the tears burning the corners of her eyes fall. Because she knew if she did, she’d cry until there were no more tears. She remained like that until the dull ache in her chest finally eased into the darkness.
5
Sean stood in the well-kept hospital gardens. His fingers absently pinched a tiny bud from one of the taller shrubs. This phone call wasn't what he'd hoped. The entire investigation hadn't been what he'd hoped
"I appreciate your help. Contact me if you get any leads." Sean ended the call and looked at the list of names and descriptions given to him by Piper's partner over at Barton PD. All possible threats from an upcoming trial that hinged on Piper's testimony. With her statement, Fisher Gamble, a powerful crime boss would be identified, along with his numerous associates. Sean pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Trust Piper to jump into the biggest hornet's nest in search of the queen bee. That girl was all kinds of trouble. A hot mess, in the very best way.
At least he had something more to go on while Piper's partner started things rolling on his end.
Sean walked into the hospital's air-conditioned lobby and straight into a scene he knew too well.
"My legs aren't even injured."
He heard Piper's voice as she emerged from the elevator, pushing at the blanket that was caught up in the wheelchair. A red-faced young man in blue scrubs was mumbling something about standard procedure and near-pleading with Piper. She was all smiles but wasn't listening and definitely wasn’t following the man's orders. She untangled her legs from the offending blanket and escaped from the chair.
"See?" She smiled and thanked the nurse for his help, and in her nicest voice invited him to go back to work.
Sean felt sorry for the guy. He was trying in vain to coax her back down. But Sean knew there was no budging that girl when her mind was made up. He was about to tell the orderly as much when she turned to face him. Damn. Even with all the bruising, she was stunning. She stole his breath for a moment.
He gave himself a mental shake and offered his hand and his thanks to the young man. "My car’s waiting out front. I can take her from here."
Piper eyed him, a fleeting and quickly concealed expression of denial in her slight head shake and shifting eyes. She looked around, scanning the lobby, maybe hoping she would find someone else waiting.
Then she settled her gaze on him. "Where's Amy?"
"Wedding emergency. I told her I’d give you a lift."
"Oh."
"Car's this way. Thought I'd pick you up in something comfortable." Not to mention something that didn't scream cop. He wanted to keep Piper's life as normal as he could. A police escort would only make things worse.
They walked in silence to his car. The one she’d thought she'd wrecked, his Mustang, his pride and joy. Its black lacquer paint shone in the sunlight. He started to ask Piper what she thought of the new paint, but she spoke first.
"Thanks for picking me up. Should I say something about the kindness of strangers or is that too much too soon?"
"No." He forced a smile. "Sounds like something you would say."
"Yeah. Car looks good. I like the paint."
"Been a while since you— No, I guess it hasn't. Let me get that." He held the door, taking the bag from her arm. "You travel light."
"Amy took care of what I needed. Not much use for peep toes and pumps in there." She was keeping her voice light, not looking him in the eye. Her way of pretending everything was fine. Her way of coping.
He couldn't help a glance at the bruise on her cheek. It made him feel bruised himself. As always, her pain was his. He shoved the bag inside. "You'll get plenty of that at the wedding. You used to hate having to wear high heels."
"That I remember." She smiled again and pulled the door closed.
That awkwardness descended and all he could think to add was “I have some more on the case.”
Her smile disappeared and her gaze hardened. “What?”
“The car that ran you off the road, we checked those paint samples. Get this. It came back a kind of paint only used on one model of truck that just happens to trace back to Barton’s impound lot...to the same model that went missing last week. Convenient, huh? So I contacted the chief there. And I’ve talked with your partner.” He wondered just how close she was to this new man. “Philip. Talked with him about your cases. Can he be trusted? What do you know—”
He cut himself off. Genius.
As though she sensed his discomfort, she tentatively touched his arm. “It’s okay to forget.” She gave a wry grin and shook her head. “Lord knows I have.”
“I’m sorry. Yeah, I just hope that this won’t come back to bite us in the ass. You not knowing what you don’t know and us tipping off someone…because it has to have a tie in the precinct somewhere.”
He cleared his throat. “I made sure to stress that you had lost three years.”
She nodded. “Right. I lost three years.”
Sean found himself wanting to tell her more about her case, especially to ease the unspoken loss she turned her head from, but he didn't want to ruin her semi-good mood. He hadn't seen her smile in a long time, wry and self-deprecating though it was, and it gave him an odd lift. They drove in more silence, but it was comfortable, easy. The rolling hills and rail fences that dominated the landscape were soothing in contrast to recent events. He took Hayes Mill Road toward Mirror Falls' only resort hotel where Jai had put up the entire wedding party.
Beside him, Piper stared pensively into the scenery, her hands relaxed in her lap instead of worrying themselves like she'd done the past few times he’d seen her. He slowed and turned off the direct route.
"Why are you going this way?"
"Thought you might enjoy the scenery. There's a new house up over here. Big rock house like you like." He pointed, slowing to a crawl as they passed it.
A faint blush bloomed on her cheek. "Nice. I’d love that little garden on the side too." She nodded and slumped back in the seat. “It was lovely.”
It was his turn to let his shoulders sag. "Dammit, Piper, I hate seeing you like this."
She faced straight ahead. "Like what?"
"All bottled up. You can let it out, you know."
She twisted to face him. "No, Sean, I can't let it out. Who would I let it out to, exactly? Amy? She has her own stuff going on. You? I don't even know you now. It's just me fending for me. And that's okay. I have to be capable of taking care of myself. Because in the end, that's all I've got."
Her words cut him. He guessed she was right. He wanted to argue, tell her she could always depend on him, but they weren't Piper and Sean anymore. They were strangers, just like she'd said.
They drove in a painful tableau of fear and anger, disappointment and ache. Her face at the window seemed frozen in a blankness that lay over her features in an icy mask. His own face was set like plaster. His jaw ached and so did his head.
He glanced at her, at the façade that had started to slip. The full lips that had parted in a slight tremble. It sliced through him. He still cared too damn much.
"I'll see to it that you're safe, Piper."
She looked over, no tears in her eyes, just the loneliest and saddest look he'd ever seen on her face.
"You always did go above and beyond. I always admired that about you. Today, I thank you for doing your job."
He didn't know what to say. If he said it wasn’t just a job, what would that mean?
They pulled into the resort, and he drove up to the entrance. Piper climbed out as soon as possible and grabbed her satchel.
He threw the car in neutral and jammed the brake. "Let me help you with that."
"I'l
l take it from here, Sean." She enunciated his name carefully.
There was some of the old coldness.
"Someone will be outside your room. If you need anything...And I’ll be the only one with another key."
She wouldn't even look at him as she spoke. "Okay. Thanks again. I appreciate it. Know that I, and whoever you think I am now, well, we're grateful. I'll always be grateful."
She turned and walked away into the hotel and back out of his life. Déjà vu. All over again.
The hotel doors were closed. The officers standing guard at the entrance had followed her inside. She was safe. There was nothing more for him to do but leave.
Sean drove off, his mind elsewhere. His cell phone rang, and he hit the Bluetooth feature.
"This is Hughes."
"Hey, boss." Walsh's eager voice filled the car. "Got a lead on a white truck, banged up pretty bad."
"Yeah?"
"I’d say we found our vehicle. But our perp is in the wind."
“Send another man out to the resort. And get someone to cover my shift tomorrow."
"Dinner plans?"
"Something like that."
Walsh's chuckle was followed by a question he knew Sean hadn't answered yet. "Beef or chicken?"
6
Piper started at the sound of her sister’s voice and realized she’d drifted off in her own thoughts. “What’s that?”
Amy gave her that pity look she was coming to despise. "Are you going to be okay for the wedding?"
"I'm fine."
"He's still out there. Jai said they’ve upped security across the whole resort. Something is up." Amy moved away from the hotel door's peephole after a last squint. "Looks pretty fierce."
"He wasn’t supposed to be here. And that's just his natural look." Piper gave Amy a wry grin.
"Right. Natural. He has always been a fierce fellow." Amy loosed her last curler and faced the large mirror in front of the dresser. "Speaking of natural, shouldn't I be more nervous?"
Piper watched her sister unwind the curl and stared back at her in the mirror. She looked up at her own face, the gash, the bruises, the purple tint of her eyes, knowing that the worst was on the inside, and there was no healing that wound. She gave herself a steeling gaze and squared her shoulders. This was her sister's time, and she needed to be there for her, not wallowing in her own misery.
"I think it's lovely that you aren't nervous. I know I don't remember all you've told me or all I've observed, but I can see right now how in love you are and how much joy it’s brought you."
"Oh, Piper. I do love him. I can't believe it, but I do. I love him so much I’m marrying him twice." Amy laughed and looked over at her other wedding dress, the gorgeous affair she would be wearing in India after their honeymoon. “I’m so afraid I’ll mess that one up. I have practiced hard so I won’t embarrass Jai.”
“You’ll be great. I know you. You’ve memorized everything!”
“Ha. I have. And run it by him a dozen times. I’m surprised he hasn’t told me to stop.” Amy let the curl drop to her shoulder. "He’s so good to me, Piper. I don't think I could live without him."
Piper nodded, unable to speak. She knew exactly what Amy was feeling. She'd felt that way for Sean since they were teenagers. Since he'd first given her his letterman and asked her to be only his. Since the first time his lips had touched hers, and she’d felt his hands on her skin. Her stomach jerked at the memory. She looked over at her smiling sister, guilt tugging at her. She had to get it together for her sister. She met Amy's gaze and smiled her brightest smile.
"You look so happy."
"I'm so happy it scares me."
Amy's radiant glow gave Piper's heart hope. Her sister would be fine. She felt sure of that. Herself, on the other hand… "I'm so glad. I really am."
"Oh, so, I invited Sean to the rehearsal dinner tonight, since he'll be here anyway. Jai said they would be swarming. Besides, I mean, he's a good friend still. And you were fine with inviting him to the wedding before...before your accident. I put him at our table. He insisted he be near you. I didn't seat him beside you, though. Georgie is still your dining partner."
Amy was rambling because she was nervous. Piper seemed to have that effect on people lately.
"It's okay. He's just doing his job." Just another job, like any other they had worked together when she'd been his partner. You don't get too close. His first rule on the job. And his second? Leave it when it's over.
She closed her eyes, wishing she could wake up from this nightmare of her reality.
Amy came over and sat at the foot of the bed. "You sure that's all it is? His job? We've known him a long time. He does care. I know he does."
Piper swallowed. "I'm sure that's it, Amy. Let's let it go." And she was sure. She'd looked into his eyes and seen what wasn't there. What had been lost.
"I'm sorry. I truly am." Amy pulled Piper to her. "If you don't want him here, I'll guillotine him from the list."
"No, it's fine. He's a friend, and he's good at his job." She patted Amy's back. She could put this behind her. She had to. "Let him worry about everything else. We've got a rehearsal dinner and a wedding to pull off."
Amy pulled back, smiling. "We do, don't we?"
"Yes, and you've got to get ready for tonight. And tomorrow."
Amy’s smiled faded a little. "I am scared, though. Scared of whoever did this to you. Scared they'll be back."
"Sean's here. It will be okay. I trust him. Not just with my life, but with yours."
7
Sean rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn.
The stubble at his chin was later than a 5 o’clock shadow, but he couldn’t stay away from what he knew was his duty, protecting Piper and Amy. He’d left a trusted officer at their door to get some sleep after dawn. Jai had graciously given him a room on the floor. He’d been gone less than a few hours when he relieved the guy on duty only to find Piper leaving the room with her bags.
"Hey, hey, hey, hold up. Where's Amy and her stuff?"
"Jai and his bodyguards came and got her, took her to his suite to get ready."
"And left you here alone?"
"You told me not to leave."
"And you listened?"
She crossed her arms. "I did. Besides, I’m ready for whoever comes at me."
She grabbed both suitcases before he could offer and headed toward the elevator, walking fast for a woman wearing three-inch heels no thicker than a carpenter's framing nail. And no steadier than a top. But she managed to balance herself and stay two feet ahead of him despite her short stature.
He followed her, catching up to her side at the elevator and looking around the empty hallway. He took the suitcases from her and motioned for a deputy to take them. "Don't worry about the bags. I'll make sure they get where they're supposed to be. Maybe we should get you some coffee."
"I'm awake. I'm ready. I have a bride to dress."
"Piper, I don't know if we have enough security— "
"No, they're getting married. They're doing it now, as soon as the priest gets here. No guests—just me and whoever will stand witness. When people show up, there will just be the reception with all the guards Jai and the Mirror Falls PD can spare. Just none of us will be there. Jai and Amy will be gone by then— safe, I hope. We decided this morning."
The elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside with choreographed ease, turning and facing the doors. Sean pushed the number for her floor. She stared straight ahead, steady, unmoving. Except for a twitch at her mouth. Damn that mouth. What it could do to him. With a sharp tug on his primal urges, he refocused. That tiny movement was the only chink in her armor.
Her wrap slipped and he picked it up for her. "I know you're worried. But I will keep you safe.."
"Thank you. I know you would." Her voice was unsteady. But she was using the wrong words.
“Not would, Piper. Will. I am not leaving your side.”
“You don’t have to--”
“It’s settled. Who’s on detail?”
“Jai’s team. He’s coordinating with the sheriff.” She pulled the flimsy material over her shoulders harder than necessary. "And I know we should call this off, but I can't let Amy down. At least this way, they’re married and gone. Away from me. And off schedule in case there have been any leaks in the bridal party.”
The elevator jerked and then continued on. His paranoia made it feel slower than it should.
"Everything will be fine. You'll just have to trust me. But I've got your back when it comes to keeping you safe. So does the whole department. The whole town, even."
"I trust you. I—"
The elevator lurched again. The lights flickered and died. His hand found Piper's in the darkness. She was shaking.
"Oh my god, they're going to kill us." Her voice trembled as badly as her hand.
"It's okay. Stay calm. It's just a little malfunction." Sean pulled her to his side, circling his arm around her waist. She felt so frail, so fragile, so unlike the strong woman he'd always thought invincible.
"No, it's them. Whoever is after me. And I'm taking you down with me." She slumped in his arms.
"Piper." He stroked her hair. "It's okay. We'll get out of here. I'm going to let go. Will you be okay?"
She didn't speak, but he heard her take a deep calming breath. Knew how she did that to re-center herself.
Pulling out his cell phone, he hit the flashlight. He pushed the emergency button and then called Walsh. The elevator dropped a few feet, and they scrambled to stay upright.
He had expected her to scream or be hysterical, but she held onto him, her whispered words cutting right through him. "Oh god, Sean. I'm sorry."
8
As dark as it was, Piper could see the rigid lines on Sean's face. His cell phone's screen highlighted the tension in his body, and even if it hadn't been visible, it was evident in the stiff grip he had on her.
Now she feared the worst again, that whoever was after her had somehow gotten past all the police protecting her and succeeded. And was taking Sean down with her. She couldn't bear it. Why the hell were they doing this?