Before she could object, Sadie jumped to her feet. “Yay! Maybe Cinderella is on. Or Barbie.”
“For certain I don’t know but let’s go see what we can find.”
A few minutes later the low sounds of the TV drifted in from the front room. A couple more minutes, and Mrs. Murphy rejoined them. Todd jumped to his feet and pulled out a chair. “Sit and I’ll get the coffee. We need to talk.”
Lina rose from the table. “There is nothing you can say to change my mind, Todd. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to get my daughter and we’re going for a walk.”
“Don’t be in a big hurry, young lady. I’d like to hear what Todd has to say.”
She had to stop this before it went anywhere. “He has an active imagination, is all, Mrs. Murphy. A little girl spoke out of turn and he jumped to some crazy conclusions and now he’s trying to involve me in his delusions.”
“Todd has many failings but he’s not delusional. Who is going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Lina, please, come sit down and let me tell you what I believe and then you can correct me, if you wish.” He waited while she considered then finally settled back into her chair. “I had an interesting conversation with Sadie last night. She told me they’re running to Seattle to get away from her father because he’s a bad man.”
“What?” Mrs. Murphy searched Lina’s face. “I thought something must be wrong but I assumed it was a nasty divorce.”
“It is.” Lina stirred her coffee, uncomfortable with their questions. She hadn’t told anyone besides her parents what Ramon had done. Except, of course for the thousands of people who read the papers and watched the news in Atlanta. They had the ‘official’ version, as reported by the media.
“As bad as it can get.” She knew they weren’t going to give her a moment of peace until she broke her silence. But could she trust them? After all she’d been through she didn’t trust her own judgment anymore.
“Adelina, whatever’s going on with you, let us help you. Let me help you.” Todd’s gaze was intent, focused. He reached across the table and stroked her hand. His voice sounded tight and constrained. She wanted to trust him, but….
“You don’t understand.” Lina looked into the eyes of one, then the other. “You do not want to get involved in this or go against my ex-husband. It isn’t safe.”
Todd jumped up. “You think I can’t protect myself? You? Mrs. Murphy?” His laugh wasn’t humorous. “Let me promise you, that isn’t the case. Your ex will be very sorry he came to Bandit Creek.”
Lina licked her lips, then rolled them against her teeth, while she considered. After a moment, she gave up.” My ex is not a nice man. You don’t understand what he’s like.”
“Actually, I do.” Todd dropped a sheaf of papers on the table. “Bandit Creek is a small town but we’re not completely in the dark ages.” He shoved the pile toward her with one finger. “Sadie told me your real last name is Ramirez and your husband is Ramon. The Internet said he was charged with the murder of Miguel Costa, who was shot through the head at point-blank range.”
“Oh my goodness.” Mrs. Murphy reached out and patted her. “You poor dear.” She soothed Lina with soft sounds and hand rubbing. “Imagine being married to a monster like that and not knowing what he’s really like.” She turned her head and dabbed at her eyes. “I can’t imagine being so fooled by someone you loved.”
Lina choked down her emotions. Her throat was burning. She’d just met Mrs. Murphy and yet she had the good grace not to ask the hurtful questions her so-called friends in Atlanta asked. They’d had the nerve to suggest she’d known what kind of man she’d been married to. And that she’d protected him for years. “That’s exactly how I felt.” Lina couldn’t lift her eyes from the table. She was so ashamed.
“Not to worry, dearie. People have the wool pulled over their eyes all the time.” Mrs. Murphy got up and refilled their coffee mugs. “Bandit Creek is the center of nowhere, U.S.A. It’s a funny little town but we look after our own.” She sat down again. “So start from the beginning and tell us what happened so we can figure out how to help you and keep that little girl safe.”
She looked up at the two of them and relief washed over her. She wasn’t alone. And these two people, as unlikely as they seemed, might be the help she needed to protect Sadie until she could disappear.
But she had to warn them. “My husband is not a good man to cross, Mrs. Murphy. I can’t tell what he might do to you if he finds me here.”
“He’s not in prison.” Todd exclaimed. “I can’t believe it.”
She clasped her hands together tightly. “I never thought for a minute he’d be acquitted. But a jury found him innocent of all charges and set him free.”
“Was that when you ran?”
“I filed right after he was charged. I knew he killed that man.” She shuddered. “I can’t imagine what else he’s done.” She fisted her hands to stop their shaking. “I knew once he was put in jail, I’d have to move. Everyone in Atlanta knew what he’d been accused of doing and they knew his name. Sadie’s chance of a normal life was non-existent. I couldn’t let that happen.”
She heaved out a sigh. “I took her out of day care as soon as this came up. Kept her home with me. But she’s getting to the age where she needs to be in school. Have a stable life.” She looked from Mrs. Murphy to Todd. “I can’t run forever.
“When he was acquitted, I left. He didn’t want the divorce. Kept swearing that he hadn’t murdered Costa. But when I filed anyway, he told me it was the worst decision I’d ever made and that I’d regret it for the rest of my life.” She felt sick remembering all the things he’d said. “I wasn’t sure what he meant but I knew it wasn’t good. Then our home was torn apart. Someone had searched for something. Our safety deposit box had been opened as well.”
“By whom?”
“Ramon’s lawyer. He had a court document giving him the right to take Sadie’s passport so she couldn’t leave the country as a result of a custody battle.”
Todd stood up and paced across the room, leaning on the sink with his hands behind him. “Which also meant you couldn’t leave the country.”
“Ramon is originally from Brazil.” She shrugged. “With Sadie’s passport, there’s no stopping him from going there. Once he’s there, he’ll disappear and I’ll never find them.
“You poor baby.” Mrs. Murphy patted her hand again. “We’ll keep you safe, dearie.” She looked across the room. “Won’t we, Todd?”
His face was hard, his jaw chiselled and his eyes were cold. “Damn right.”
She didn’t know why she wasn’t afraid. He looked like a warrior–a man capable of anything. His rigid shoulders and fisted hands. And she realized that’s why she didn’t fear him–his warrior mode was obvious to anyone who paid attention, whereas Ramon could do the most hideous things without anyone having any idea.
“No more running and no more hiding, sweetheart. This comes to an end in Bandit Creek.”
Lina rose and rounded the table to face the man who wanted to be her protector. “Todd, I am convinced that Ramon killed that man. He won’t hesitate to kill again. I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s death. Your death. I couldn’t live with myself.” She wrapped her hands around his shoulders
Todd had her in his arms before she knew what happened. “You won’t, honey.” He pulled her close and she realized how safe she felt. “Your ex-husband will rue the day he turns off the highway into Bandit Creek. I promise you.”
Lina wasn’t so sure. She had come to care for this man in the short time she’d known him and she didn’t know what she’d do if anything happened to him.
Chapter Seven
The next few days passed uneventfully. Todd drove Lina to work every evening and picked her up at the end of the shift. He met her at the door of the candy store, took her hand and helped her into the truck. He always kissed her on the cheek, once she had her seatbelt latched. But he always took her straight home.
As Todd settled himself behind the wheel, she turned toward him. “I cannot believe how much candy is shipped out of the store. For a little store in a small town in the middle of Montana, it’s amazing.”
Her eyes were bright with excitement and in the moonlight, she looked like a goddess.
“Lots of orders, are there?” he asked, signaling to turn.
She nodded. “I’m preparing orders for all over the world.” She looked back at the store. “I thought there’d be a few hours’ work for a few days—you know, local stuff. Maybe an order or two for people who had moved away, but they keep coming and coming, Todd. I’m shocked. Craig is surprised but not as much as I am. He and Penny planned for more Internet orders this year and ramped up production to prepare for them.”
“It’s a good thing you can help out.”
“They handled most of it themselves last year, but with Penny’s condition, it’s no time for her to be on her feet for hours at a time.”
“I knew they’d be glad you’re here.” Much the same as he was. Somehow she and Sadie had become a part of his day-to-day life. He had breakfast with them in the morning before going to work at the MicroBrewery. At night, he ate dinner with them and played with Sadie for a while, read her a story before bed, and took Adelina to work. Then he rested until he picked her up from work.
Not the life he had envisioned but one that was satisfying.
Strangely so.
“I’m glad I’m making a difference for them and Craig told me he’d have a bonus for me at Christmas, for all the extra hours I’ve put in.” She smiled across the cab. “It will be a big help when I get to the coast.”
Todd’s good mood nose-dived like a deflated balloon. He didn’t want to think about her and the little one leaving Bandit Creek. Leaving him.
Emotion froze him, turning him into a speechless moron. He couldn’t let her go. Without a rational thought, he turned away from the Murphys’ and took the road out of town.
She looked at him for a moment, but didn’t ask the question that was obviously on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she relaxed against the seat, staring straight ahead.
At the community campsite, near the lake, he parked and unlatched his seat belt, but left the truck running. “I think we have to talk.”
He reached for her, sliding one arm across her shoulders while the other cupped her jaw. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and settled his lips against hers. He had to prove to her she belonged here, with him. They were a team and he wasn’t ready to let her go. Not yet.
He nibbled on her lower lip then soothed it with his tongue. She opened her lips for him, giving him access. Todd sank into the pleasure of her taste. With no more encouragement needed, he took advantage, his tongue sliding along hers, demanding participation.
Lina squirmed to get closer to him, pulling him to her, pressing against his chest. Todd slid his hands into her hair, its silkiness raising his temperature a few degrees.
He changed the angle of his mouth, striving for more contact until she pushed on his chest. Panting, he leaned away from her, hands cupping her jaw. “God, Adelina.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “I didn’t mean to jump you.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes, hoping not to see revulsion, or worse, fear.
A seductive smile warmed her eyes. “The arm rest is digging into my back. Let’s slide over a bit.”
“Wait.” He slid down the zipper of her coat, enjoying the view as it opened. “You are so beautiful,” he said, when he could muster up some words. How in hell had he gotten so lucky?
She shrugged out of her coat and reached for him. “Things are a little unequal here cowboy.” She yanked down his zipper and slid the sleeves down his arms, making every movement a sensual feast. Then she was in his arms.
He pulled her on top of him as he leaned back across the seat, his parka serving as a pillow. “Come here, babe. Let’s get comfortable.”
As she stretched out, her crotch nestled against his cock, sending shivers of delight ricocheting through his system. Pressing against him, grinding her pelvis, she grinned at him. “I like what’s coming up.”
“One thing though.” Her seductive smile drove him crazy. “Call me Lina.”
“Lina,” he growled as he pulled her to him, claiming her lips. Pushing his tongue against hers, he pushed inside, savoring her sweetness. His hands roamed her back, pulled her shirt free. He slid his hands beneath it and against her warm smooth skin. He found her bra clasp and opened the hooks. She twisted, rubbing her breasts against him.
His hands moved around her ribs, thumbs stretching to make contact with her breasts. He needed to touch them. Needed to touch her.
“Mmm. I like that.” She arched back so he could reach her nipples.
So did he. God he liked that.
Pulling his hands free, he pushed her shoulders away from him. “I need to see you, Lina. More of you.” He pulled her shirt over her head and slid her bra off. “You are perfect.”
“Fair’s fair, Todd. Your turn.” She pulled further away and ripped his shirt off him. “Oh my,” she purred, “I like this.” She ran her hands over his pecs, driving him crazy as she played with the coarse dark hair between his nipples and the darker stuff arrowing into his jeans.
She lowered against him, mashing her breasts against his chest. “Mmmm, I like.” Taking his mouth again, she nibbled on his lower lip. She rotated her crotch against him. “I think we have too many clothes on.”
“Yes, we do.” Todd helped her sit on the other seat, padding her coat against the door, then following her closely, keeping her warm with his body heat. “Let’s get you out of these.” He unsnapped her jeans and slid them off her long legs. “Oh Lord, I think I’ve gone to heaven.” He nosed the crotch of her panties, then slid them aside to access the treasures inside.
He opened her slit and savored the view, her unique aroma. She smelled like woman. Adult, horny woman and he wanted her. He tongued her from end to end, stopping on her center. She grunted as he ran his tongue around her pearl, so he pressed harder. Then he sucked it into his mouth. “What are you doing?” She groaned. “Don’t stop, please don’t stop.” He pushed one finger, then two inside. Hot moisture covered them. “You feel so good. So tight.”
“It’s been a while.”
“It’s wonderful, don’t apologize.” He wasn’t going to last more than a few minutes when he got inside her, so he sucked her nipples and rotated his finger around her clit while pushing deep. Then he moved south and sucked her clit while pushing both fingers as far as he could. Within moments she was pushing and grinding against him.
“I’m so close.”
“Fly baby.”
She grabbed both sides of his head and held him in place. “Oh. My. God.”
Convulsions clamped on his fingers as she orgasmed. Her legs wrapped around him. “Oh my,” she sighed as she relaxed back against the seat.
Todd pumped a few more times, quieting her final convulsions, then slid up her body. “That was the appetizer, now it’s time for the main course.”
“If that was the appetizer, I can’t wait for the rest of the meal.”
“Baby, hang on for the ride.” He laved her nipples and aroused her again before reaching for his wallet and the foil wrapped condom. He rolled the latex into place then slid his cock between her nether lips, moistening it, while pressuring her center.
“I like that,” she whispered.
“You’ll like this better.” He slid inside, as deep as possible then stopped, savouring the moment. My God, she was still tight and so damn hot.
“Lovely,” she sighed as he withdrew. Lina wrapped her legs around his hips.
“A man doesn’t want to hear lovely at a time like this, sweetheart.”
He pushed back inside, heat and moisture making the journey easy. Making him hotter and harder. “You feel so good.”
“You too, babe.”
He withdrew and drove home again, faster and fast
er. She stiffened beneath him, arching. Pushing deep, he saw stars as he came. Tenderness grabbed him and he wanted to protect her forever.
“My God.” Todd braced his forearms on the seat beneath Lina. “I think I died.”
“No you didn’t, but you almost killed me.” She laughed as she brushed the hair off his face.
“Do you think if we do it again, it will do us in?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Nope, because we’ll have to wait for a while.”
She wagged her head. “We do?”
“Yes. The Sheriff patrols this campsite fairly regularly and I don’t want him catching us in this condition.”
“The Sheriff?” She pushed him off. “Oh my God. He can’t find us like this. We could be arrested for indecent exposure.”
Todd placed an index finger over her lips. “Relax. He patrols in about an hour, so we’re okay.” He kissed her quickly. “But we should get dressed and get home before Mrs. Murphy wonders why we’re so late.”
One lingering kiss and he settled behind the wheel. He lifted her hand and kissed her palm, closing her fingers around it. He didn’t want to let go, but he had to. His future didn’t include a family.
She looked around. “I can’t believe I made love in the cab of a truck.” She winked at him. “I never did that when I was a teenager!”
“Obviously you had a sheltered life.” He chucked her chin as he said it. “Come on, sweetheart, we have to get out of here.” He jerked up his briefs and pants then pushed his feet into his sneakers before pulling on a T-shirt. He handed her her parka from where it had pillowed them.
“All right, one last thing,” he said as he opened his door and jumped out. “Shake yourself out and smooth your shirt before you zip up your ski jacket.”
She did as instructed while looking through the cab at him. “Why are we doing this?
“That’s obvious.” He zipped up his parka. “We need to look normal when we get home. This way Mrs. Murphy won’t guess what we were doing, in case she’s up when we get there.”
Christmas on the Run (Bandit Creek Book 32) Page 6