The Ultimate Romantic Suspense Set (8 romantic suspense novels from 8 bestselling authors for 99c)

by Lee Taylor

  “Go ahead, Trey. Then what happened?”

  “I was with the guys—Peter, Joey and Clark.”

  “You hang with them a lot?”

  “No. This was the first time.”

  “And you did tonight, because?”

  Trey shrugged. “I dunno. Just something to do.”

  “Okay. Then what?”

  “I thought we were just going to Circle K to get a soda. But when we got to the counter, Peter told the guy we wanted cigarettes. The guy said, “Show me your ID!”

  Trey looked up at Dameon, his eyes wide, beseeching.

  “I… I got scared. I wanted to go. I… I don’t smoke.” At Dameon’s encouraging nod, Trey continued with a rush. “Then Peter said, ‘I left my ID at home. Give me four packs now.’ The clerk said, ‘No ID, no cigs!’ ”

  Trey’s voice broke. “He… the man… kinda reached under counter…. And then… Peter….” Trey looked to Jesse, his expression agonized. “I swear to God, Mom, I didn’t know he had a gun… but he did and he pulled it and… shot the man!”

  Trey buried his head in his hands crying deep, tortured sobs.

  Jesse couldn’t hold back. “It’s okay, honey, just tell us what happened.”

  Dameon waited a moment then moved an inch closer to Trey but didn’t touch him.

  “Okay, Trey. Then what did you do?”

  “I… I took out my phone. Peter and those guys yelled at me to come—fast. They ran. But the man was bleeding.” He looked up imploringly at Jesse. “God, Mom, the guy was bleeding! I called 911 and I tried… I pressed some newspapers against his chest trying to get the bleeding to stop.” He put his arms on the table and put his head on top of them, his shoulders shaking.

  Jesse could barely breathe. She was relieved to see Dameon press his knee against Trey’s.

  His voice was crisp. “Alright Trey, that’s enough. I’ve talked with the arresting officers. The clerk is in the hospital. He has a shattered shoulder but he’ll live. He corroborated your story as did the first responders. As for your three buddies, they’re in lock- up now.”

  Dameon paused to let the enormity of the situation sink in.

  “I checked into your record, Trey. Found out that you were a star basketball player and a straight A student in your old school. You’re not doing so well here. Any reason why?”

  Trey looked startled and embarrassed. “No… I’m just not studying as much….”

  At the low growl from the other end of the table, Dameon shot Garrett a cautionary glance before the angry father could interject.

  He continued to press Trey.

  “How about basketball, son? Why didn’t you try out for the varsity high school team?”

  Trey shook his head. “I just… I didn’t think I wanted to….”

  “Hmm, that’s too bad. From what I saw in your stats, you would have been a cinch to make the team.”

  When Trey wouldn’t meet his eyes, Dameon continued.

  “I play basketball. I coach a couple of teams. The game is addictive when you’re good.”

  Garrett broke in sharply from the other end of the table.

  “Can we cut the crap? Can my son come home or not?”

  Dameon’s eyes narrowed. “I beg your pardon?”

  “You heard me! Are you done bullshitting with him? About basketball, the ghetto sport?”

  Dameon frowned. “Hmm, that’s an interesting way to put it.”

  Trey explained. “My dad didn’t want me to play. He wanted me to go out for lacrosse. He said there’s not as many black people in lacrosse. Said he didn’t want me hanging out with niggers.”

  Jesse gasped. “Trey?! Garrett!”

  Garrett flushed and glared at her. “Of course YOU wouldn’t care what kind of people he hangs out with! Tonight is a good example.”

  Dameon’s lips twitched. “Interestingly enough, doc, all four boys tonight including your son were white. As an aside, Dwayne Stockton is the star player on the high school lacrosse team. Dwayne’s black. I tried to get him to try out for my basketball team, but he preferred lacrosse.”

  Garrett puffed up like an angry toad. “Who gives a fuck? Trey won’t be playing any games for the next several years! The question is can he come home or not. Although maybe spending the night in jail is what he needs to shake some sense into him.”

  Dameon encircled the people at the table with a hard gaze commanding their attention.

  “I’m going to leave that up to Trey.”

  Trey hunched forward in his chair moving several inches closer to Dameon.

  “Your parents have divided custody, correct?”

  Trey nodded.

  Garrett huffed, “At this point we do. But not for very goddamned much longer.”

  Dameon focused on Trey.

  “Who were you with tonight?”

  “Who the fuck do you think he was with?!” Garrett sputtered. “Do you think this would’ve happened if he’d been with me?”

  Ignoring him, Dameon asked, “Trey, you are with your mother now?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you agree, I’m going to let you go home with your mother. How do you feel about that?”

  Trey gave a relieved sigh. “I want to go home with my mom.”

  “Okay, that’s what we’ll do. I want you both to come here tomorrow after school to meet with the juvenile probation team. They will work with you to develop a probationary plan. This is a serious issue, Trey. You know that, don’t you, Son?”

  Looking from Garrett then to Jesse, he addressed them both. “Just so you understand, this is what we refer to as a ‘gateway crime.’ Kids involved in dangerous activities like this usually go steadily downhill from here. And—”

  “Wait a minute. Wait one goddamned fucking minute!” Garrett rose from his chair, a volcano spewing molten ash with every angry word. “You think I’m going to let that bitch take him after what she did tonight? Let my son go home with her? You know what will happen. For god’s sake didn’t you arrest her the other night? Put her in jail? When her kid was home alone. You think I’m going to send my son home with that slut?!”

  Dameon rose to his full height, looming ominously over the table. “Okay. I did warn you. Correct?”

  He nodded to the officer who’d brought Trey into the room and been standing to the side for the entirety of the conversation.

  “Officer Michaels, will you please cuff the doctor to his chair and wait here with him. Ask Sgt. Johnston to call psych services and have them send an anger management consultant here to talk to him.”

  “WHAT the fuck?!”

  Garrett’s outraged screams filled the air as the young officer expertly cuffed the doctor to the chair.

  Dameon threw the frothing doctor an impassive glance. “The counselor will decide if you need to be kept overnight.” He added over his shoulder to the three officers who were now surrounding the irate man. “Gag him if he keeps that up. Better yet, arrest him.”

  He motioned to a wide-eyed Sapphire. “As for you, Ma’am, you can wait in the hallway. But I recommend that you find another way home. It’s unlikely the doc will be going anywhere anytime soon.”

  “You son of a bitch! I’m gonna to sue your ass!”

  Garrett’s ranting threats echoed as Dameon led Jesse and Trey out of the room.

  Chapter 12

  “Trey, I want you to know that I’m a reasonably tolerant man. I give people room when I know they’re under stress. I consider the circumstances and overlook a lot of questionable behavior. One thing I won’t tolerate and neither should you is talking to your mother OR to your father disrespectfully. It’s important to show respect. Men, real men, respect women. All women. But, especially their mothers and wives. And, I might add, the mothers of their children. Apparently your father never learned that. But we’ll see what we can do to help him.”

  Walking down the hallway next to Jesse, Dameon reached for her hand.

  “If you don’t mind I’m going to follow you
two to make sure you get home okay. You both look a little shaky.”

  Jesse glanced over at Trey and said without enthusiasm, “You don’t have to. We’ll be all right.”

  “I know you will. But I’d like to. My truck is in the back. I’ll meet you out in front of the precinct.”

  Jesse gave him a grateful nod.

  ~~~

  Dameon sat on the front porch glider waiting for Jesse. She’d gone upstairs with Trey. The boy had looked shattered. It was one of the reasons Dameon insisted he escort them to their home. He wanted to be sure that the kid didn’t do anything crazy. He comforted himself with the fact that Trey had a good head. Hell, in a way he’d been a goddamn hero tonight. His actions were the only reason he was home sleeping in his own bed. Dameon grimaced. It was a miracle that Trey was who he was, given the father he had. Jesse may have been MIA a lot of the time but it was obvious that she’d had a positive effect on Trey and that they had a close relationship. It was also clear that Trey adored his mother.

  Dameon shook his head. Thinking back on the night, Dameon marveled that he hadn’t flattened that pompous asshole, Garrett Chambers. The guy truly was unstable. Dangerous. Not physically, but in a conniving, underhanded way it was clear that he was out to hurt Jesse anyway that he could.

  He turned at the sound and saw Jesse in the doorway. She’d changed into a shimmery tank top and lounging pants. From across the room her fragrance all but brought him to his knees. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head in a careless twist. Damp strands hung around her face and neck. Gazing at her from across the room, Dameon choked back the surge of lust that hit him. He refused to second guess himself for coming here when he knew how vulnerable she was. But seeing her damp fragrant body dappled by moonlight, he put his dick on high alert. Act up and there’d be hell to pay.

  She saw him studying her and flushed. “I hope you don’t mind. I took a quick shower. I… had to wash off the smell of that place. The conference room. I needed to scrub it off of me.”

  Dameon nodded. “Good idea. It’s been a challenging night, Jesse. You’re holding up well. I’m impressed.”

  She moved several steps closer. Her expression was strained. “Dameon, I don’t know how to thank you enough for what you did tonight. I’m not sure either Trey or I could have made it without you.”

  “Interestingly you thanked me in the best way possible when you called me and asked me to help you.”

  A frown clouded her lovely face. “I surprised myself. I’m not good at asking for help. Not good at all.”

  Wanting to erase some of the tension on her face, he aimed for casual.

  “I was going to help myself to a beer, but I didn’t want to take liberties—”

  “Would you like a beer or do you want something stronger?”

  “What do you have?”

  “How about some Wild Turkey Tradition?”

  Dameon raised an eyebrow and gave an impressed whistle.

  He followed her into the kitchen. She took a bottle of the high end whisky from the cabinet and handed it to him. She reached for two glasses.

  “Straight up, Chief, or are you a wuss and need water?”

  He laughed. “Straight up is the only way to drink something this fine.” Seeing the rows of bottles, he asked, “Whaddid you do? Rob a liquor store?”

  Jesse just smiled and quirked a questioning brow. “Would you like to go out on the back patio? I have a gas fireplace. It takes the chill off the evening. It’s my favorite place to sit at night. I love looking at the mountains in the distance.”

  Dameon took the glasses and the bottle from her.

  “Lead the way, Major. And if you wish, I’m pleased to light the fire.”

  Both of them caught the double entendre. When she blushed and laughed nervously, Dameon gave her a reassuring smile.

  “That was purely unintentional, scouts honor.”

  After he lit the fireplace and they’d sat at either end of the rattan sofa, he took a hearty swallow of the aromatic amber liquid.

  Examining the ornate bottle, he said, “This is excellent. I’ve never drank this particular poison.”

  Jesse took a sip. “I didn’t rob a store. It’s a gift from my father. He insists that no self- respecting Major should drink cheap booze. He sent me a case of this when I got my last commendation. It must have set him back several thousand dollars. I’ve been drinking it ever since. I’m spoiled.”

  Dameon whistled in appreciation and toasted her father in absentia. “To your father. A man after my own heart. Don’t ever settle for second best.”

  They sat quietly for several minutes enjoying the excellent whisky and the starlit night. A crescent moon sliver played hide and seek with the whispery clouds, adding to the quiet beauty of the dark night. The only sounds were the birds chirping and the rustle of small animals in the brush. The occasional howl of a distant wolf reminded him they were in the high desert.

  Although he hated to break the spell, Dameon needed to broach the crisis of the evening.

  “Jesse, I want to talk to you about what happened with Trey. Tonight’s episode is serious. The kids Trey was with have been in and out of juvie for five years. They are druggies, both users and dealers. They’ve already been arrested twice for B and E. All three of them are on a fast track to prison.”

  Jesse gasped and her huge green eyes widened further.

  Dameon continued. “If that guy had been killed tonight and Trey was there? Hell, I don’t have to tell you the consequences. There’s no way Trey could’ve avoided jail time.”

  Wanting to ease the pain on her face, Dameon put his hand over hers. “Fortunately, Trey is not like those other boys. He’s a good kid and tonight the good kid came through.”

  Jesse pulled her hand away. She wrapped her arms around her chest and rocked back and forth. She was pale, shaking.

  “I know. God, Dameon, I know how bad it could have been and… and so does Trey. I’m sick about it and so is he.”

  Dameon moved closer to her but didn’t touch her. He wanted to give her space without worrying about him. And he needed to keep from doing what every muscle in his body was screaming to do—haul her trembling body up in his arms and hold her close.

  “I agree. Let’s talk about constructive things. After I met with the arresting officers I went over his records. Trey was a straight A student in his previous school. Now, he’s barely pulling C’s. Driving over here I called his former basketball coach. I happen to know Doug Straight. I’ve met him at tournaments. He was shocked. He also couldn’t believe Trey didn’t go out for basketball. He said he’d called the high school coach last spring to tell him they had a star coming their way. Doug said Trey is an extremely talented kid—and a good one.”

  Jesse shook her head in disbelief. “I had no idea how Garrett felt about basketball. I was as shocked as you must have been. I love basketball and I loved watching Trey play. He’s a shy kid but he comes to life on the court. He becomes a leader. He’s so quiet you rarely see it anywhere else.”

  Dameon disagreed. “But we saw it tonight. He came through in the most challenging circumstances.”

  Jesse gave him a grateful nod. “Yes, he did.”

  She mused. “Coach Straight used to videotape the games for me and email them to me when I was on assignment. He knew how much I liked the game and watching Trey play. I was shocked when Trey told me he wasn’t going out for the team. I know how much the game means to him. I’ve tried to get him to talk about it… but… he’s been moody. And I’ve barely seen him since Garrett moved him here. I don’t get to see him nearly as much as I want to.”

  Dameon nodded. The situation between her and her ex-husband was crystal clear after the drama tonight.

  “Okay. I have a suggestion. I’m going to consult with the juvenile counselors in the morning. If they agree, I’ll talk it over with Trey. I coach a club team that I started a couple years back. The kids are like Trey. They’re on the edge and they could easily fall of
f. Some will, to be blunt. But a lot of them won’t, because of what they’re learning on the team. They’re all potentially good kids but some are ‘badder’ than the others. They are to a man, extraordinary basketball players. If you and your ex-husband agree, I think it would be a great thing for Trey.”

  He gave her a wry smile.

  “Even though I’m a little lighter than his last coach, frankly most of the kids on the team are black or Hispanic, a couple of Indians. They are inner city kids, not white suburban. What you’d expect from kids on the edge. Trey would be the only white kid.”

  Jesse’s face contorted with a mix of emotions. “Dameon, I was shocked and angry about the things that Garrett said to Trey. I’m ashamed for him. Garrett has always been class-conscious. Face it, he’s a bigot. But it kills me that he would say those things to Trey. That he would give Trey the idea that those racist remarks and beliefs are acceptable.”

  They were quiet. Their silent ponderings hung heavy, palpable in the cool night air. Jesse reached for the throw on the back of the sofa and wrapped it tight around her as if warding off her troubled thoughts.

  Dameon filled both of their glasses and regarded her, his eyes narrowed, his brow creased with a frown.

  “I’m not going to dwell on this, Jesse, but how the hell did you end up with that asshole?”

  Jesse gave a quick pained laugh and shrugged.

  “I was young, sheltered… and stupid. In summary, Garrett was the first guy I’d been with. I got pregnant, we got married, and I had Trey. One, two, three.”

  She was silent for a moment ruminating then her words flowed unchecked.

  “Growing up, it was just my father and me. My father was gone most of the time. When he was away I lived with different relatives or with other Army families. By the time I was twelve my father and I decided we’d stop begging people to take me. Dad said I could take care of myself better than any stranger who only wanted the money he gave them. In junior high and senior high school I handled all the documents that were supposed to come from my parents. We moved so often none of the schools figured out that I was the mother and the father who signed all the required papers and notes. My father was gone two thirds of the year and from seventh grade on I pretty much stayed by myself. My father made sure I could take care of myself. He taught me how to fight, how to be brave. I was smart, painfully shy and kept to myself.”