His face remained impassive. “I told you we couldn’t have contact.”
“You also told me that you love me.”
“It’s because I love you that I have to stay away. It’s the only way I know to keep you safe in all of this.”
I closed my eyes, trying to listen to the voice of reason, but my hormones were winning out. “I don’t even understand what all of this is.”
“It’s safer that way,” he said as his hand cupped my cheek.
I opened my eyes to see his face inches from mine, the longing in his eyes arresting my breath.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he groaned as his mouth claimed mine. His hand sank into my hair as the other slipped around my waist, his fingers digging into my skin and holding me in place.
I kissed him back like a woman dying of thirst.
His lips became more demanding as he hauled me to his chest.
I slipped a hand under the edge of his shirt, my fingers seeking out his bare skin.
He sucked in a breath at my touch, then stilled. “You make me forget why I’m here.” Pulling back slightly, he looked me over with closer scrutiny. “Are you okay?”
It took me two seconds before I realized he was talking about the incident in my office. “I’m fine.”
His grip on me tightened, and his face hardened. “What did he want?”
I partially froze. “Carmichael?”
I almost asked him how he knew. I hadn’t seen his men watching me for ages. Then again, Jed had already said people were attributing the attack to James. He, of course, knew better. Carmichael had plenty to worry about given that the grand jury had been called on account of those two dead police officers.
“Who else could it be?” His eyes widened slightly. “Was it someone else?”
“No. Carmichael sent one of his idiots to warn me about my testimony. The guy got pissed and tossed a chair out the window. I texted Carmichael and told him it was his responsibility to clean it up. He called me, and we threw around some threats.”
His entire body became rigid. “What do you mean you threw around some threats?”
Exhaustion washed over me. I was tired of carrying so many burdens. I didn’t want to think about Carmichael right now. All I wanted to do was soak James in. I leaned my cheek into his chest, the sound of his steady heartbeat filling me with reassurance.
He wrapped me up in his arms, holding me close.
“He told me he knew where I lived. I told him I could say the same thing. Then I reminded him that I took down Daniel Crocker and I could do the same to him.”
His arms squeezed me tighter. “You threatened to kill him?”
“Look,” I said, pulling back. “There was a lot of trash talk.”
“Denny Carmichael doesn’t trash-talk. He makes threats, then follows through.”
Which was exactly what Jed had told me, but I could hardly change what had already happened.
“Do you really think he’d have me killed? He must know he’d be at the top of the suspect list.” A new thought hit me. “You don’t have anyone following me anymore. Did you think I was safe?” Then again, if he believed that, why had he chosen to stay away?
A dark looked crossed his eyes.
Even if one of James’s men had been watching me, it wouldn’t have kept Carmichael’s man from smashing that chair into me rather than the window. I felt a throb of powerlessness again. I couldn’t count on other people, even James and Joe, to keep me and my loved ones safe. I had to learn to do that myself.
Concern washed over his face. “You look tired, Rose. You’ve lost weight. Are you sick?”
“It’s stress. Violet is getting closer to the end.”
Before I realized what he was doing, he scooped me into his arms and walked over to a love seat against the wall opposite the door. He sat in the middle but kept me in his lap, my legs draped over his. “Tell me about your sister.”
And so I did. He held me close, and I laid my head on his shoulder as I told him about our moments together over the last month. How hard it had been to watch her get weaker, how grateful I was that Carly had come into our lives.
“This Carly… you trust her?” he asked.
“You investigated her?” Something told me he’d done his own digging.
Irritation flickered in his eyes. “She appeared out of nowhere and she’s livin’ in your house. Of course I had her investigated.”
I could have been pissed, but I’d felt so alone these past two months, and it felt good to know he’d been looking after me as best he could. That he hadn’t completely walked out of my life.
“You’re far too trusting, Rose.”
“I’m not gonna ask if you found out anything threatenin’ about her, because I already know who she really is and why she left home.”
“What do you think you know?” he asked.
“I know there’s a coincidence that ties her to Neely Kate, but that’s all it is. Coincidence. She found out her fiancé had only proposed to her in exchange for a spot on the board of her father’s company. Her daddy wanted her to come back to Texas, and rather than call her to talk about it, he tried to force the issue. When she overheard them talkin’, she fled and spent the weekend with her friend. He gave her a beater car to take out of town, but it broke down on the highway into Henryetta.”
His eyes narrowed. “No one just comes to Henryetta.” He paused, then asked, “I suppose you know who her father is?”
“I know he’s the sole owner of Blakely Oil.”
“Randall Blakely is worth millions. Close to a billion. What the fuck is his daughter doing playing nursemaid to your sister?”
I rubbed my hand on his chest, trying to settle him down. “She’s never been close to him. She says her mother died when she was little, and she was raised by nannies. She rarely saw her father until her fiancé encouraged her to make amends with him. When she found out the engagement was a ruse, she ran.”
“You seriously believe that?” he asked, incredulous.
I leaned back to look at him. “It might not be the whole story, but yes, I believe her.”
“Even if I told you I think her father’s part of something shady?”
“Is he involved with Hardshaw?” Even if he had ties to the Dallas crime syndicate, I knew Carly wasn’t part of it. I knew Carly.
“I don’t know, but I’ve heard his name whispered in places.” He gave me a sad look. “You always look for the good in people, but in this instance, you need to put some distance between yourself and that woman, Rose.”
I slowly shook my head. “She’s not part of her father’s world. I trust her.”
“You trust everyone.” It wasn’t a compliment.
“That’s not true and you know it,” I said softly. “I have great instincts with people.”
He studied me for a moment. “You trust her with your defenseless sister?”
I chuckled. “First of all, Violet defenseless? Hardly. But yes. I even trust her with Mikey and Ashley.” I paused. “Some people are born to be nurturers, and Carly is the walking definition of one.”
He gave me a dark look.
“She spends all day takin’ care of Vi, which isn’t an easy chore. Especially since Vi is having trouble getting out of bed. Carly doesn’t resent it—she likes feeling loved and needed. I can see it in her eyes,” I said with a soft smile. “That’s what she wants, what she needs. Not millions of dollars.” I rubbed a nonexistent wrinkle from his shirt. “Money isn’t everything, James Malcolm.”
He was silent for a moment, then said, “Was that comment aimed at me?”
I could understand why he might see it that way. He had plenty of money—although I had no idea how much. But I knew that wasn’t why he was embroiled in this mess. He’d taken over the crime world in Fenton County after it had been run by a maniac for years. He was trying to make the county a better place and worried who would fill the vacuum if he left.
“No,” I said. “But you plac
e too much value on it to see that it’s not always a motivator.”
“And you’re naïve if you believe that’s true.”
I could have been pissed, but it wasn’t a hateful statement, more an observation from his personal experience. Or maybe I just plain missed him too much to waste time on anger. I wrapped my arm around his neck and buried my face into his shoulder.
“Is your lack of money why you have a complete stranger workin’ as your sister’s nurse?” He frowned. “I should have thought of it sooner.”
“No, I don’t need your money, and that’s not my independent streak talkin’. Violet has insurance. We’re goin’ to get more help, but for some reason it’s hard for me to cave and bring in hospice nurses.” My voice broke. “It’s killin’ me.”
“Because it means accepting the inevitable,” he said as he gently caressed my bare arm. I had a feeling he was referring to something else too. Whatever was going on in his life.
I lifted my head to look him in the eye. “What are you up to, James Malcolm? I know you’ve got something goin’ on behind the scenes.”
A grim look filled his eyes, but he tried to crack a smile. “It doesn’t seem very prudent to share my secrets with you given your appointment with the grand jury tomorrow.”
I frowned. While I savored every minute with him, his comment was a sharp reminder that I was supposed to be seeking counsel from my attorney. “I need to talk to Carter. Do you know if he’ll be available later? I need to know what to do tomorrow.”
He gathered both of my hands in one of his as he held my gaze. “You don’t need Carter to know what to do tomorrow. You need to tell the truth.”
I gasped in shock. “What?”
Slowly shaking his head, he placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “Don’t worry about me. We need to worry about you. It’s imperative you answer Deveraux’s questions truthfully, otherwise he’ll find out you perjured yourself.”
“But…”
He kissed me again, more insistent this time. “Answer his questions but don’t volunteer anything the jury doesn’t ask.” He lifted a hand to my cheek and stared into my eyes. “Hale would make you practice, but you’re a smart woman. You’ll figure it out.”
“What if he asks me questions about you?”
“Answer what they ask with as little information as possible.” He paused and his gaze bore into mine. “You can’t lie, Rose.”
“What if I implicate you?”
He gave me a reassuring smile. “I’ll be okay.”
But how would he be okay? Was Mason the person he was working with? Was that why he was so confident I wouldn’t be asked any impossible-to-answer questions? I wanted to press him, but at this point I figured he was right—the less I knew the better. “Are you sure?”
“Nothing’s a certainty, but I’m as sure as I can be. I’m too valuable.”
His response only elicited more questions, but it seemed to confirm he was working with the authorities.
“What if he asks about how I became the Lady in Black last fall?”
“Leave out the visions, but tell him everything else.”
Leaving out my visions made sense, but the rest? “And what about this summer? Buck Reynolds and Dermot? What about Merv kidnapping your brother?” I sucked in a breath. “What about you killing Kip Wagner? We told the sheriff’s department I was the one who pulled the trigger.”
His mouth drew into a tight line. “That too.”
Panic swept through my head. “James, I’d be implicating myself.”
He gave me a soft kiss. “It’s okay. They won’t do a thing to you. They know better than to touch you.”
I stared at him, scared spitless. “I don’t understand. What have you done?”
“I’m doin’ what I have to do to protect you.”
After everything he’d done in the criminal world—most of which I didn’t even know about—I doubted he could get out of everything scot-free. If they had offered him immunity, he must have offered them something huge to earn it. But what? Why would the Feds care about a bunch of small-time criminals in Fenton County? “James…”
“Everything I do is for you, Rose. For us.” He didn’t give me a chance to ask more questions, because he kissed me senseless. His hand slipped under my shirt, stroking my back and pulling me closer.
I twisted and straddled his lap, facing him as I broke our kiss. “You’ll go to prison.”
He gave me a sad smile. “Things have been set in motion. It’s too late to turn back now.”
“James.”
He kissed me again, our lips parting only when he pulled my shirt over my head. “God, you’re beautiful.”
He quickly unhooked my bra and tugged it down my arms, leaving my chest exposed to him.
He trailed kisses down my collarbone to one breast, cupping the other in his hand. I leaned back my head and reveled in his touch.
“Rose,” he groaned, “this is both heaven and torture.”
I leveled my gaze to his and gave him a soft smile. “We’ll take what we can get and focus on the present.” Leaning forward, I captured his mouth in a fiery kiss.
He quickly caught up with me, sliding my skirt up my thighs. His hands slid underneath, slipping between my legs.
Gasping, I closed my eyes as my core tightened, making me ache for more.
“You feel so damn good,” he grunted, his fingers sliding under the fabric.
I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it up, breaking our kiss to pull it over his head. “Carter—”
“Knows better than to walk in before I tell him he can come back,” he growled, hooking his fingers around the top of my underwear and tugging down.
I rose up on my knees to help him while unbuttoning his jeans.
“You still on the pill?” He discarded my panties, then lifted his hips to slide his jeans down to his thighs.
“Yes,” I said, but my answer was muffled by his kiss. Somehow we got his jeans off and my skirt removed.
His eyes narrowed and he paused. “Are you sure you want to do this in Hale’s office?”
It was far from ideal, but I wasn’t passing up the opportunity to be with him. “Why are you still talkin’?”
A slow, sexy grin spread across his face as his hand slid between my legs again. “I like the talking, and I’m pretty damn sure you do too.”
My skin flushed at the memory of some of the things he’d said in bed before, and my whole body was soon aflame as he told me what he planned to do.
“James.”
He lifted my hips and entered me, filling me as I cried out. I didn’t last long, he felt too good, and he came soon after me. I collapsed against his chest, resting my cheek on his shoulder.
“I want every day with you,” I said, tears burning my eyes. “I know I should be grateful for what I can get, and I am, but I want you in my life.”
His arms wrapped around me and held me close, his silence answer enough.
Even if he got out of this, how could our relationship work in the real world?
I’d worry about that tomorrow and be grateful for today.
CHAPTER 9
We cleaned up and dressed, then spent the next half hour talking, mostly about what had been going on in my life. After I told him about Violet’s dinner party, I asked, “What did you say to Mike? I know you had something to do with him being more agreeable.”
He swept a strand of hair from my face. “Don’t you worry about that. But if he starts giving you a hard time again, just let me know through Carter. He has to be our go-between. You can’t be contacting me after you leave.” He paused. “And don’t worry about seeing your niece and nephew after your sister dies. You’ll still be a part of their life.”
I narrowed my eyes, wondering again what he had on my brother-in-law. What had Mike done? I knew he’d bribed a building inspector when his career was taking off and Ashley was a baby, but as far as I knew, that was the only time he’d ventured into illegal activiti
es. But what if there had been more?
I started to ask him, but he put a finger on my lips.
“Considering what you’re doin’ tomorrow, the less you know all of that, the better.”
Worry burrowed into my gut, but James was right. The less I knew, the better. Vi and the kids had enough to worry about without the fear of Mike being arrested.
I stifled a yawn, only then realizing I’d been here for far longer than I’d intended. “What time is it?”
“Nearly three.”
“What?” I jumped off the sofa. “I’m gonna be late for my appointment.”
James stood and gently grabbed my arms. “Just call your client and tell them you’re on your way.”
Shaking my head as I picked up my purse, which I’d dropped by the door, I walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall to check my appearance. “It’s a doctor’s appointment.”
“Are you sick?” he asked, his voice strained.
I started to finger-comb my disheveled hair. “It’s not for me. It’s so I can pick up Vi’s pain medicine. A new doctor has bought Dr. Arnold’s practice. The receptionist told me that she’s meeting with all her new patients, but I suspect she’s only checking on the ones who have narcotic prescriptions.”
James stood behind me, watching my reflection.
I lifted my gaze to meet his. “I have my suspicions about what’s goin’ on there, but don’t worry. I won’t waste either of our time asking you questions you can’t answer.” I shot him an ornery grin and his face lit up with a genuine smile. I spun around to face him, grinning at him. “I love when you look like that.”
“Like what?”
“Happy.”
His smile fell and he lifted a hand to my face. “You need to know…” He swallowed, turning serious. “There may not be a happy ending here, Rose.”
I already had my own suspicions about that, but I twisted my mouth into a wry grin. “You already told me that, James Malcolm. You’re not a forever guy, and certainly not a family man. I never expected anything more from you.”
Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5 (Rose Gardner Investigatons) Page 8