Hidden Secrets

by Jannine Gallant

  Paige let out a cry and panted up each step. She was gasping for breath by the time she reached the top and knelt beside Leo. “Are you hurt, baby?”

  Chris shone his light on him when the dog whimpered. “It looks like his side is cut. There’s blood on his fur.”

  “I’ve got to get him to the vet.”

  “The clinic will be closed at this hour, but the owner lives next door. We’ll roust him out of his house to take care of your dog.” Chris pushed her aside. “Let me load him into my car. I also need to check in with the other officers. They’ll want an official statement from you.”

  Leo growled when the cop tried to lift him, and Paige couldn’t hold back the tears running down her cheeks. “Easy, baby. He isn’t going to hurt you . . . or me.” Jogging ahead, she opened the rear door and climbed into the backseat. When Chris eased Leo in beside her, she held his head on her lap and stroked his ears.

  Blood streaked the seat beneath the dog. Pulling off her jacket, she tried to wrap the heavy wool around him to stop the flow of blood as her tears came even faster.

  “Don’t fall apart, Paige. We’ll get your dog fixed up. Can you tell me what happened?”

  She met Chris’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “He saved my life. I was in my shop, looking for something, when the bells over the front door jangled. My fault since I hadn’t locked the damn thing. I called out, but no one answered. When the lights went off, I freaked out and ran toward the back of the store. I smacked into someone, and he grabbed me with an arm around my neck. That’s when Leo attacked him.”

  “You think the intruder in your shop wanted to kill you?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s killed before.” She let out a shuddering breath as Chris parked in front of the dark veterinarian clinic. “And now I think I can prove it.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  What had he been thinking! Finding the front door to Old Things unlocked had seemed like a gift. One last shot at locating the freaking churn dasher. In his haste, he’d forgotten all about the damn dog. Peeling off the gauze pad, he winced at the sight of ragged flesh. He hoped to hell the mongrel was current on his shots.

  At least the cops had arrested Radcliff. Suspicion had been placed squarely where he wanted it. In this whole stinking nightmare, one thing, and only one, had gone the way he’d planned. His stomach roiled as he thought about the redhead. Granted, she was locked up tight, but he couldn’t keep her there forever.

  When the front door swung open without any warning, he spun around, his heart pounding. Not the cops coming to arrest him for breaking and entering. Just his brother.

  “What happened to you? That looks nasty.”

  “I tangled with a dog. Have you ever heard of knocking? Jesus, you scared the hell out of me.” He turned back to the first aid supplies on the table and the task at hand.

  “If you don’t want people to walk in, you shouldn’t leave your door unlocked.”

  No shit. An unlocked door had caused his current problems. He daubed antiseptic ointment on his arm. “Help me with a new bandage. Using one hand is awkward.”

  “You should have that bite looked at. Whose dog took a piece out of you? If I were you, I’d sue the owner.”

  After his brother taped the pad in place, he rolled down his shirt sleeve and lied. “I think the mutt was a stray.” God knows I’ve had plenty of practice altering the truth over the years.

  “Even worse. What if it has rabies?”

  “I’ll take my chances. Did you drop by for a reason?”

  He shrugged. “Your funeral. You’re the one who’ll be foaming at the mouth. Yeah, I’m here for a reason. I went over to Grandpa’s first thing this morning to see if I could convince him to sign the power of attorney papers we talked about.”

  “Did he sign them?”

  “No. He’s a stubborn old fart. He says he isn’t senile yet. I found him out in the barn, hauling a bunch of crap up closer to the main doors. He’ll likely have a heart attack, lifting dead weight that way.”

  Dread tightened like steel bands across his chest. “Why was he doing that?”

  “He plans to sell more of his antiques to that woman, Paige Shephard. He says he needs the cash and that she won’t rip him off, so we don’t need to worry.” His brother leaned against the wall and regarded him steadily. “I guess as long as he isn’t getting cheated, it’s not a big deal.”

  Not since the damage is already done. Still, if the woman went snooping around the farm while she was there . . . “When is Grandpa meeting her?”

  “Later today. Hey, why don’t you go talk to him about the power of attorney papers? He might listen to you since you’ve always been his favorite.”

  “I might do that.”

  “I need to head into work. If you start salivating, you’d better sign up for those shots.”

  “Funny. I’m not going to get rabies.”

  Paige Shephard seemed like the type to be a responsible dog owner. He was far more concerned about what she might find at the farm. He’d take a trip out there, just to make certain she didn’t stick her nose in where it didn’t belong. Again.

  His brother stopped halfway across the room. “Don’t you have to work today?”

  “I’m taking some sick time. My arm doesn’t feel so great.”

  “I’ll catch you later, then.” He left, slamming the door shut on his way out.

  With his head throbbing to match his arm, he dropped onto the nearest chair and propped his good elbow on the table. He had some decisions to make. He needed to decide just how far he was willing to take the cover-up he’d orchestrated.

  Not that he didn’t already know the answer. His nerves were as raw as the damn dog bite just thinking about it. He’d take it as far as he had to. Anything less wasn’t an option.

  * * *

  Quentin walked out of the police station, not exactly a free man, but close enough. His attorney had posted his bail. At the moment, breathing the damp, salt-scented air and listening to his shoes slap against the sidewalk as he headed toward the main drag and Paige’s shop was all that mattered. He felt free.

  Sure, he had to meet with Gatti in a few hours to discuss his defense, but he’d insisted on some time to himself first. Uneasiness tightened his gut as he picked up his pace. When he’d mentioned going to see Paige while Chris Long was processing his paperwork, the cop had gotten a strange look on his face and mumbled something about a butter churn. Quentin couldn’t help wondering what the hell was up now, but he hadn’t asked. All he wanted to do was hold Paige in his arms for an hour or two and block out the rest of the world, not look for new problems. A few minutes later, he opened the door of the antique store, his heart beating faster in anticipation.

  Mindy turned in his direction and beamed. “Quentin, they released you! Paige has been worried sick.”

  “My lawyer arranged bail. Is she here?”

  “She’s in her apartment with Leo. Go on up and surprise her.”

  He nodded and wound his way through the aisles toward the stairs. When he reached the top, he gave a perfunctory knock and walked inside.

  “Mindy?” Paige called out.

  He turned into the living room. “Nope, just me.”

  She stared at him for a moment as tears filled her eyes. Setting her laptop on the coffee table, she leaped up from the couch and threw herself into his arms. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I wanted to see you here, where we could be alone, not down at the police station.” Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her. “God, I missed you.”

  “Was it horrible?” She stroked his cheek as her tears subsided.

  “The food sucked.” He smiled at her. “I offered to cook, but they wouldn’t let me near the knives.”

  “How can you make jokes? I’ve been freaking out.”

  “Hey, I was locked up in a Siren Cove jail cell, not doing hard time at Pelican Bay. The mattress was lumpy, but I survived.”

  “Tell me what happene
d. Did they drop the charges?”

  “Nope, I’m out on bail.”

  “I thought for sure if they found blood on that dasher . . .” Her voice trailed off when Leo moaned. Turning in his arms, she spoke to the dog. “Are you okay, baby?”

  Quentin glanced over her shoulder, and his brows shot up. A bandage covered a shaved portion of Leo’s side.

  “What the hell happened to him?”

  Paige slipped out of his arms and knelt beside Leo to stroke his dreadlocks. “He defended me last night and got a knife in the ribs for his effort. According to the vet, the tip glanced off a bone and didn’t hit any organs. Leo was lucky. He’s going to be sore and on painkillers for a while, but he’ll be okay.”

  “Jesus.” He studied her from head to toe. “Were you hurt?”

  “No. The man entered my shop when I was downstairs trying to figure out what the heck he’d been looking for when he broke in last month. The freak flipped off the lights and grabbed me while I was trying to get away. That’s when Leo sprang into action.”

  Quentin sat on the rug beside her, patted the dog, then slid an arm around her waist. Just thinking about what could have happened to her made his mouth dry. He tried to swallow. “Did you see him?”

  “No, it was too dark. I ran down to the beach and called the cops. The asshole got away before they arrived.”

  Pulling her tight against his chest, he rested his cheek on her hair. “This is so messed up. I should have been here.” When he slammed his fist against the floor, the dog whined. “Sorry, boy, but I want to punch something.”

  “I know how you feel. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being in jail, which is why I was trying to do something, anything to help.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair. “When I found that dasher . . . I don’t know. Maybe I was wrong about everything since Chris hasn’t called.”

  He clamped his teeth together to keep from speaking his mind as his temper soared. He couldn’t believe she’d called the jerk who’d arrested him. But picking a fight with Paige was the last thing he wanted.

  “Are you taking the day off?”

  “Sort of. I picked Leo up from the vet earlier and wanted to spend some time with him, so Mindy’s covering the shop. This afternoon, I have an appointment with Zeb Stillwater.”

  He pulled back to look her in the eyes. “Absolutely not. If one of his grandsons—”

  “They won’t be there, and I want to see if Zeb knows where Jonas and Justin were the nights Clea Merrick and Blaze went missing.” She jerked her gaze away from his. “The police certainly aren’t asking any questions since their focus is on convicting you.”

  “You don’t know one of them won’t be there!” he practically shouted.

  “I don’t care. I hate that the police suspect you. Maybe I can—”

  “The risk isn’t worth it.”

  “Then come with me.”

  “I can’t. I have a meeting scheduled with my attorney.” Quentin ran a hand through his hair and blew out a frustrated breath as helplessness gripped him. “He wants to set up an immediate hearing date to get the charges against me thrown out based of the fact the police had no grounds for a warrant to search my townhouse.”

  “That sounds promising.”

  “Yeah, but we have to go over a few things first. I already put off the meeting to come see you. Gatti will go ballistic if I blow him off again.”

  “You should talk to him. The sooner the better.”

  “Then cancel your meeting with Stillwater.”

  Paige stroked Leo’s ears while she appeared to give his suggestion some thought. “What if I take along a friend. Would that ease your mind?”

  “Not much. I’d rather you didn’t go.”

  “I appreciate that, but I’m not cancelling.” Her tone rang with stubborn determination. “I’ll call Nina to see if she can drive out to Zeb’s farm with me.”

  Arguing seemed pointless. Finally, Quentin nodded. “When’s the meeting with your attorney?”

  “In a couple of hours. Right now, I want to finish the conversation we were having when the cops showed up at my door. One thing about being stuck in a jail cell, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on all the idiotic choices I’ve made in my life.”

  “I figured you’d want to . . .” She nodded toward the bedroom.

  He couldn’t hold back a smile. “Oh, I do. No reason we can’t do both.” Standing, he pulled her up off the floor.

  “At the same time?”

  “Why not. If I’m going to bare my soul, I might as well bare the rest of you while I’m doing it.”

  “I could get behind that. Or maybe in front of it.” Quentin held on tightly to her hand as he led her into the bedroom. Pausing beside the bed, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I need to shower first. I smell like that holding cell.”

  “I’ll call Nina while you’re in the bathroom.” Cupping her chin in his hand, he kissed her. “Bring Teague instead, if he isn’t working. Please.”

  “Okay.”

  Quentin took a quick shower to wash the scent of industrial cleansers, burned into his nostrils, out of his head. Paige’s floral shampoo did the trick, even if he did reek of honeysuckle when he finished. After shutting off the water, he gave his head a shake, sending water droplets flying. He stepped out of the shower, dried off, then wrapped the towel around his waist before leaving the steamy room.

  The leggings and sweater Paige had been wearing were folded on the top of the dresser. In their place, her fuzzy purple robe was cinched around her waist. She had her back to him and her cell pressed to her ear.

  “I’ll stop by to pick you up in a couple of hours, then. Thanks, Ryan, I appreciate it.”

  When she set down her phone, Quentin dropped his hands onto her shoulders. “Ryan’s going with you?”

  “Teague was at the fire station, and Nina has to pick Keely up from school. Leah is working, but Ryan was happy to take a break from his coding project to help me out.”

  “Good.” He bent to kiss the back of her neck, then pulled the pins from her hair to release the soft mass. “I still don’t like the idea, but I feel better about you going out there now.”

  “Me, too.” She turned in his arms and nuzzled her face against his bare chest. “You smell good.”

  “I smell like a girl, but I honestly don’t care.” He pushed her back onto the bed and dropped down beside her. “Did I mention I missed you?”

  Her smile made his heart ache with love for this woman.

  “I believe you did.”

  “I love you, Paige.” He ran his finger across the swell of her breasts beneath the lapel of her robe. “I honestly can’t live without you. I don’t want anyone else. Only you.”

  “I feel the same way. I love you, too. I’ve always loved you, but—”

  He lifted his finger from the tip of her breast to press it against her lips. “No buts. Maybe when I moved to Siren Cove a month ago, I wasn’t ready to settle down and be a full-time adult. But things have changed since then.”

  “It’s been less than a month.” Her eyes held skepticism as she met his gaze head-on. “You might believe that now—”

  “I don’t believe. I know. I don’t want another man to be the one who makes you happy while I go back to Seattle to act like an immature jerk who doesn’t know what he needs. The only thing I wanted while I was sitting in that jail cell was to go home to you.”

  She stroked the side of his face. “You have six restaurants. You can’t spend all your time here. You have a lot of staff whose livelihoods depend on you devoting your attention to your businesses. If you don’t, they’ll flounder.”

  “There’s some truth to that, but Seattle doesn’t have to be my home base. I’m also thinking about selling a couple of them so I’m not spread so thin. I can live in Siren Cove and travel when I need to. If I want this enough, I can make it work, and believe me, I want it.”

  “But you said—”

  He closed his
eyes. “I said a lot of stupid shit. I don’t need you to remind me.”

  “This decision seems rushed.” Her forehead creased. “You’re responding viscerally to being arrested. Once the crisis is over, your perspective will be different.”

  “Don’t use your psych degree on me. You may be smart, but you’re way off base with that analysis.”

  “I am?”

  He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, taking his time. “Yes. This so-called crisis only made me take a hard look at what I already knew. You’re the most important person in my life. Always have been, and always will be. I’m not making any sacrifices. I’m simply trying to hold on to my only true shot at happiness. I’ll keep begging if you want.”

  “I’ll pass. I don’t want to torture you unnecessarily.”

  “Then say you believe me. Tell me I can stay right here where I belong.”

  “That’s all I want, Quentin. As for the future, we can work out the details after this nightmare is over and your name is cleared. I still can’t believe the cops arrested you. How stupid are they, anyway?”

  “Pretty clueless.” He nuzzled her neck, kissing his way down the length of it. “I can only assume the truth will come out. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes when he spread her robe open, baring her beautiful body. Paige was perfection. He wanted to kiss each curve, to love every inch of her. He imagined her stomach, round with a baby—his baby—and the idea didn’t terrify him. Not much anyway. Before he could tell her any of it, she tugged his towel loose and rolled over to lay on top of him. All coherent thought disappeared.

  Their lovemaking felt almost reverent. He wrapped her in his arms and took care to show her just how much she meant to him with every stroke of his hand along her body and kiss he pressed against her soft lips. He loved her slowly, with enough passion to make him crazy with need. He held on, waiting for her to reach completion, relishing in each cry wrenched from her throat before he let himself go. Lost in Paige.

  For several minutes afterward, they lay melded together on the bed while their skin cooled and heartrates slowed. Cradling her close, he let out a sigh that stirred her hair.