by Laura Scott
Sawyer broke off from their kiss but still cradled her close. It took a few moments for her to gather her scattered thoughts.
“I—um, you—um, need to get some sleep.” Sawyer’s husky voice sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. She tightened her grip momentarily, before reluctantly letting him go.
“I—yes. You’re probably right.” She stared up at him for a long minute. “You’re a very special person, Sawyer. I want you to know that.”
He shook his head, a bemused expression crossing his face. “I haven’t told anyone about that night. Never told a soul about how I mixed pokeweed berries in a pie that was eaten by the Preacher and his wife. I thought you’d go running off in the opposite direction.”
Her heart melted. “Never. Thanks for trusting me with your secret. And know that no matter what, God is always there for us. For you.”
He nodded and moved toward the door.
“Sawyer?”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder.
“Thank you for saving my life tonight.”
“You helped.”
“I hate knowing you might be in trouble because of me.”
“I’m not.” He paused, then added, “But I’m officially on paid leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.”
The implication of that hit hard. Not just the impact to Sawyer’s career, which was bad enough, but how would they find Kate now?
“I guess Melvin Curtis was our best lead in finding Kate.” She put a hand on the doorjamb to steady herself. “I’m not sure where to look next.”
“Get some sleep.” Sawyer gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll talk about next steps in the morning.”
“Okay.” She forced a smile. “Good night, Sawyer.”
“Good night.” He disappeared through the doorway. She shot the dead bolt home, then added the chain latch as well. With Melvin’s death, the only person who could still come after her was leering man. And so far, the sketch she’d helped create hadn’t provided any results.
For all she knew, leering man had gotten far away from Chattanooga. He could even be in another state by this time. And if that was the case, she feared they’d never find Kate.
Never.
Sawyer couldn’t believe he’d spilled his guts to Naomi about that night thirteen years ago.
And that her response to the news of what he’d done hadn’t been to look at him with disgust or run away screaming.
Oh no, her response had been to kiss him.
She’d kissed him!
And what had he done? He’d grabbed her close and kissed her back as if he couldn’t live another day without her. What was he thinking? Honestly, he hadn’t been thinking at all, which was the problem.
Thankfully, she hadn’t slapped him. Or seemed to be the least bit upset. In fact, she’d continued holding on to him as if she may have been knocked off balance by the power of their kiss the same way he’d been.
He still wasn’t sure how he’d found the strength to walk away. Especially when all he’d really wanted to do was kiss her again.
Shaking his head at his foolishness, he washed up and crawled into bed. Gazing up at the ceiling, he thought again about her response to his telling her his darkest secret.
He’d thought he’d still feel guilty, but after baring his soul, he felt relieved. Lighter. Maybe simply sharing his burden had helped relieve the pressure he’d kept buried deep inside.
Was she right about God? All this time, he’d battled guilt over killing the Preacher and his wife when the fire had been the real culprit.
He hadn’t started the fire and didn’t think any of the foster kids had. Not even Jayme, although he never did figure out how she’d helped them get out of the cellar. He’d asked, but she’d claimed the cellar door wasn’t locked.
And maybe it wasn’t. He’d often wondered if the Preacher was so sick from the pokeweed berries that he’d forgotten to lock it. The same way he hadn’t noticed a log rolling out of the fireplace.
Whatever. That part didn’t really matter. But now that Sawyer really thought back to that night, he realized there may have been some truth to what Naomi had said.
One slice of blueberry mixed with pokeweed berry pie may not have been enough to kill either of them. Make them sick to their stomach, yeah. But then the fire had happened, and they’d all escaped without any sign of the Preacher or his wife getting outside the cabin that night.
When the police and firetrucks had arrived, they’d split up and melted into the woods, getting as far away from the place as they could manage.
So far, Hailey Donovan was the only foster he knew that had survived and thrived. Cooper and Trent had gone off on their own shortly before he’d been caught stealing by Officer Kohl. Joe had taken him in, had given him a roof over his head, food in his belly, and had basically saved his life.
Sawyer and Joe had tried to find Cooper and Trent, but without success. And he felt a little guilty about that too. Not because he hadn’t been able to find them, they’d all learned how to disappear.
But because he’d failed to keep the three of them together. Sawyer knew with every fiber of his being that if Joe Kohl had found all three of them, the cop would have supported all of them, keeping them together.
Sawyer was a cop today only because of what Joe had done for him. Joe had not just provided shelter, but he had enrolled him in school and encouraged him to take the police academy exam when he graduated.
All because Joe claimed to see a bit of himself in Sawyer.
He owed his life to Joe, and when the man had died two years ago from a sudden heart attack, he’d lost the only father figure he’d ever known.
Sawyer had vague and not very good memories of his mother. Looking back, he knew she’d tried her best to provide him with food and shelter, but based on the numerous male visitors that had been in and out of their place, he suspected she’d been working as a prostitute.
He’d been removed from her custody when he was seven. Had been sent to a variety of foster homes until landing with the Preacher shortly after his ninth birthday.
Sawyer tried to push the old memories aside. And must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knew, light was streaming in through the motel room window.
He showered and dressed again in his uniform, although he’d need different clothes to wear, and soon, since he was officially on paid leave. Being caught in uniform could cause him to be suspended without pay.
After making a cup of coffee, he heard noise from Naomi’s room. Sipping from his cup, he went outside and lightly rapped on her door.
“Hi, Sawyer,” she greeted him with a warm smile. “Come on in.”
He crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him.
“I was hoping we could head over to the restaurant for breakfast, if you’re hungry.” Naomi glanced at him as she set her bag of personal items on the bed.
“I’d love breakfast, but I need to return home for a change of clothing first.” He gestured to his uniform. “Can’t risk being seen in this while on leave of absence. It’s against the rules.”
She grimaced. “We don’t want that. Would you mind if I rode with you?”
He offered a lopsided smile. “I was hoping you would. I know I’m off duty, but I’ll still feel better once leering guy is in custody.”
“Me too.” A shadow crossed her features. “Soon, right?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t voice his concern that if leering man knew about Curtis being killed, he’d stay well-hidden or disappear from Chattanooga once and for all.
Unless there was a really good reason for him to stick around. Like maybe the sex-trafficking ring still had girls hidden nearby.
Had he and Naomi gotten too close in East Ridge? Was that why Curtis had grabbed her?
The only way to know for sure was to head back to that area to poke around a bit. Although he couldn’t afford to be seen anywhere near the crime scene where he’d shot Curtis.
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Finding leering man was important, but he didn’t want to lose his job. Especially since the Chattanooga police were searching for leering man too.
He shook off the troubled thoughts. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
“I’m ready.” Naomi reached for her bag, but he took it from her. He noticed she’d helped herself to the motel room coffee too.
“We can grab a fast-food breakfast sandwich along the way,” he offered, carrying her bag out to his SUV.
“That would be great.” She slid into the passenger seat.
He kept a sharp eye out for anything suspicious as he left the motel and headed to his cabin. Curtis was no longer a threat, but he couldn’t say for sure if Melvin Curtis was the one who’d come to his cabin that night or if it was leering guy.
It pained him to realize he couldn’t necessarily keep Naomi with him at the cabin. They’d have to find yet another motel room.
In East Ridge? If he was alone, he wouldn’t hesitate. But with Naomi he couldn’t take the risk.
They stopped for bacon and egg sandwiches along with more coffee before heading out of town. There wasn’t much traffic on the highway leading to his place, although the early morning mist did cause him to drive much slower than usual. It was close to eight o’clock in the morning when he finally pulled into his long, winding driveway.
“Stay in the car for a few minutes.” Sawyer slid out from behind the wheel and did a quick sweep around his cabin. His trip lines were still in place, which was somewhat reassuring. Next, he went inside the cabin to make sure there was no one hiding inside, before returning to his SUV. “It’s all clear.”
“Thanks.” Naomi jumped down and followed him inside. He wished he had a large guard dog, but of course, it was too late for that.
He’d always wanted a dog. Joe had been allergic, and in the two years since the man he’d loved as a father had been gone, Sawyer had been too busy with his career to get one from the local shelter.
Did Naomi like dogs? And why did he care if she did? It wasn’t as if they would be seeing each other once this was over. He didn’t do the house in the suburbs thing, with neighborhood parties, remember?
The thought was depressing.
“Make yourself at home. I’ll be back soon.” He disappeared into his room and quickly changed.
He’d been forced to hand over his service weapon and his badge. But Sawyer had a personal weapon, too, along with the proper permit to carry it.
He clipped the small gun into an ankle holster, hoping and praying he wouldn’t have to use it.
When he returned to the living room, he found Naomi on the phone. She turned to face him.
“Yes, Detective, I can come in to talk in about thirty minutes. Thanks for calling.”
“Detective Turner finally reached out to you?” Sawyer asked, trying not to show his annoyance.
“Yes.” She grimaced. “I hate to ask you for more favors, but I’ll need a ride back to the precinct.”
“I don’t mind, after all, I’m the one who pointed out to my boss that Turner hadn’t had a chance to talk to you in the first place.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she protested.
“Yeah, I did.” Sawyer waved a hand. “I don’t mind driving you back, Naomi. It’s about time Turner stepped up his investigation. The man is slower than molasses. You were kidnapped, and your sister is missing, just like Louisa. There must be some similarities between the two cases.”
“I wish you could sit through the interview with me,” she said as they headed back outside.
Personally, Sawyer wished the same thing. Although he’d already heard her story, while Turner hadn’t, except secondhand from him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you outside, okay? You’ll be safe enough inside the police station.”
She was silent for a moment as they settled into his SUV. He turned it around to head out onto the highway. “It’s not that, Sawyer. You’re the one who has been there for me from the very beginning. I trust you.”
Hearing that was humbling. “Naomi, you’re a strong woman and a survivor. You’ve escaped your kidnappers and Melvin Curtis. I am glad to be here with you but don’t sell yourself short.” He glanced over, then took her small hand in his. “You’ll be fine.”
Tightly gripping his hand, she nodded. “I know, but I wouldn’t be here without you.”
He belatedly realized that Naomi might be experiencing a bit of survivor’s guilt. That maybe she hadn’t kissed him because she cared about him on a personal level. But because she saw him as some sort of hero. Despite the way he’d confessed to poisoning the Preacher.
All the more reason to put some distance between them. To make sure she understood their relationship was that of two friends helping each other out.
That she didn’t owe him anything.
The loud crack of gunfire interrupted his thoughts. “Get down,” he shouted, hitting the gas and barreling down the highway in an effort to escape the shooter.
Chapter Fourteen
More gunfire? Why? Naomi bent over so her head was down between her knees, her temples pounding with pain while her mind spun in circles at the knowledge that they were once again being targeted.
And since Melvin Curtis was dead, that left leering man as the shooter.
Straining to listen, she was relieved not to hear additional gunfire. She hesitantly sat up, glancing around at the vehicle.
“We’re not hit?”
Sawyer’s expression was grim. “No, although that was far too close to my cabin for comfort. We’re only two miles from the place.”
She couldn’t disagree and laced her shaking fingers together in an effort to remain calm. “But if they knew we were at your cabin, I don’t understand why they waited until we were leaving to shoot.”
He shot her a glance. “You make a very good point. I’ll report the gunfire when we get to the station, but it’s clear the cabin has been compromised.”
She swallowed hard, feeling terrible about bringing Sawyer into the mess that was her life. “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t take the shot,” Sawyer said evenly. “And I probably shouldn’t have risked going back, not after I knew an intruder had been on my property.”
“I’m sure you thought it was Melvin Curtis. Only now we know it must be leering man.” She shook her head. “Why he’s hanging around is a mystery.”
“Yes, it is.” Sawyer frowned. “I feel like we’re missing something. These two guys aren’t acting like your typical sex traffickers.”
“Is there really a typical person who does that?” She shivered in spite of the warmth. “What a horrible thought.”
“Sex traffickers are all about getting girls to work for money. They don’t care about killing people, the way Curtis and leering man seem to be focusing on. Normally, they would simply take the girls and go to a new place. Unfortunately, there is no limit as to where they can go to start up a new business.”
She grimaced, feeling sick at the idea Kate was in this kind of trouble. “It’s terrible.”
“Yes, it is.” Sawyer’s low voice was full of agony. “And I’d do anything to stop it.”
She reached over to rest her hand on his arm. “I’m touched you care so much.”
He looked surprised. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know, it just seems that a lot of people haven’t made breaking up these rings a priority. Otherwise, why would these girls keep disappearing?”
Sawyer was silent for a moment. “I’m not so sure it’s lack of caring, but lack of resources. Murder and other violent crimes tend to be the top priority. And unfortunately, there’s no shortage of that to go around.”
“I know. I used to be an ICU nurse, remember? We saw evidence of violent crime all the time.”
“I’m sure you did,” Sawyer agreed.
She gazed out the window as they headed into town. Despite the violence she’d experienced here, she found she liked the cit
y of Chattanooga. It wasn’t that much bigger than Dalton, and the backdrop of the Smoky Mountains created a strange sense of isolation intermingled with peace.
Or maybe she was romanticizing the place because of Sawyer. With his dark hair and intense dark eyes, he was far more handsome than Tony Baldwin. A much nicer guy, one who seemed to truly care about others.
Satisfied with his job at the carpet factory, Tony only wanted to have a good time.
Naomi knew now she didn’t care about Tony as much as she should care about a man she was dating. But that didn’t mean Sawyer was interested in stepping into a relationship.
She pushed away the thought. Ridiculous to think about dating a guy when her sister was missing. Finding Kate was the reason she’d come here.
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. God, please keep Kate safe in Your care.
“Naomi?” She lifted her head when Sawyer touched her arm. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” She belatedly realized he’d pulled into the parking lot of the precinct. “I’m ready.”
“You’ll do great.”
She jumped out of the car, glancing along the passenger side to check for evidence of gunfire. But she didn’t see anything. “Are you still planning to report the gunfire to your boss?”
“Yeah.” Sawyer shrugged. “I almost wish he’d hit the vehicle so I’d have proof, other than just my word.”
“Your word as a cop should be more than enough.” She was getting perturbed with the local police. It seemed as if they weren’t taking these threats seriously.
“I’m sure it will be,” Sawyer said, although she still didn’t believe him.
She headed inside and told the clerk behind the glass that she was here to talk to Detective Turner.
“Oh yes, he’s expecting you. This way please.” The male officer opened a door for her. She followed him down a short hall to a small interview room. “Have a seat, Detective Turner will be here shortly.”
“Thanks.” She sat and laced her fingers together in her lap. There was no reason to be nervous, yet she couldn’t seem to quell her nerves.