Shit. It’d be a lot harder to make sure everything got covered up with a partner breathing down his neck. Of course, if he got the right partner…
“Fair enough, but can I choose the guy?”
Chief Vic stared at him, his face hard, but nodded.
“I want Foster.” Jim was a guy who’d look the other way for enough cash. They had worked together enough for him to know the other man’s price. A price he would happily pay.
The chief inclined his head. “Done.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Let me know the second you find anything.” A stubby, tobacco-stained finger pointed. “And don’t you even think of going after that girl on your own. I don’t want a vengeance killing on top of everything else. You find her and report back to me. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
The stupid old fart bought every lie that fell out of his mouth. No surprise. Lying came easy to David. Just like his old man. Must be genetic.
He left the chief’s office to find Foster, lay down the score, and get to work. While Jim made sure nothing in the evidence pointed to him, David would find that bitch. Then he’d call the chief…right after he made sure Ms. Kayla Jenkins had a terrible, life-ending accident.
Chapter 9
The smell of bacon woke Kayla again. Her stomach growled, eager for the salty, delicious meat. As a teacher, she had to arrive at school an hour before the students. Since classes started at seven in the morning, she’d get up at five in order to get ready and be to work on time. No one wanted to cook at five am. Most days, she would grab a banana or quick bowl of cold cereal. Having bacon and eggs every morning was nice.
Too nice to get used to.
Groaning, she slumped deeper into the covers. She had to remember why she was here. She still couldn’t believe she told Ryder the truth last night. Not like he gave her much of a choice. Truthfully, she was glad he caught her sneaking out. Her only plan had been to run, take her problems with her, and away from him. She’d had no idea what to do next or how she would prove David’s guilt.
She sighed as the tight band of pressure around her chest eased. Ryder not only believed her, he promised to help. It amazed her. He was the sheriff. Sworn to uphold the law. By that logic, she should be sitting in a cell right now waiting for the Chicago PD to come haul her back to Illinois for a murder trial. But she wasn’t. She was lying in his guest bed, smelling the delicious breakfast he made for her, again. Waiting for him to help her solve her problems.
Why?
She still didn’t fully understand why this man would risk everything for her, a woman he barely knew.
“There’s a part of me that feels like I’ve known you forever. That I’ve been waiting for you.”
It should have sounded like such a practiced line. Would have, if she hadn’t felt the exact same thing. The strange connection they seemed to share…she felt it, too.
Or maybe all this running for your life is making you delirious.
While she knew she couldn’t afford to trust anyone, she placed her trust in Ryder. Why? The man was her only option at the moment, true, but was there more to it? Somewhere deep inside, did she know he would protect her?
A dull ache pounded in her head. Her emotions were too messy for her to decipher. She would just have to put her trust in the Universe, and Ryder, for the moment. It thrilled and terrified her all at the same time.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
“Kayla? Are you up yet?”
His deep voice sent chills racing up and down her body. “Yes,” she said, embarrassed when her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Yes, I’m up.”
“Breakfast is almost ready. Come on out whenever you’re dressed.”
Dressed. That reminded her. She needed clothes. Julie Ryder’s were fine yesterday, but they weren’t exactly the same size. The pants cut closer to capris on her, and while she wouldn’t call herself a large woman, she was much bustier than Ryder’s sister. The sweater yesterday clung a little tighter than she preferred. Also, she needed a bra and some underwear. Commando wasn’t really her style. If she would be staying here until they figured this whole thing out, she needed to get some clothes of her own.
Her pulse raced at the thought of going into town. What if someone recognized her from a news broadcast? Ordering clothes online would take too long, and she’d thrown all her cards and identification away when her wanted poster had been splashed across the five o’clock news. The cash she pulled from her bank account before running was slowly dwindling, but she had enough to purchase a few things.
Her stomach grumbled again, reminding her of the scrumptious smelling breakfast waiting for her. Throwing off the covers, she quickly dressed in a pair of jeans, a blue T-shirt, and a lovely lilac sweater so soft and warm she never wanted to take it off. Ryder’s sister had great taste in clothes. Maybe someday they could go shopping together.
Stupid! You are not here on vacation.
She was on the run for murder. The only thing she and Julie would be doing together would be facing a judge when the woman represented her during the murder trial. Except the woman was a prosecutor. So, it would be more likely she’d be the one trying to put her in jail.
Stop it, Kayla. Ryder said he and his sister would help. Have some faith.
She made her way into the kitchen, clearing her throat to announce her presence. Ryder turned from his position at the stove and smiled. “There you are. I was beginning to worry you’d snuck out the window.”
Kayla self-consciously tucked her new shorter hair behind her ear. “I said I would stay.”
He smiled. “You did.”
“I was thinking as I was getting dressed…”
“Yes?”
“I, um, can’t keep borrowing your sister’s clothes.” When he opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, she rushed to explain. “It’s very kind of you to let me, but we’re not quite the same size, and besides, I need…um, that is…I don’t have any…”
Oh goodness, this shouldn’t be so awkward. Everyone wears underwear.
Her face heated. Why was her body reacting this way? Maybe because mentioning bras and panties in Ryder’s presence made her mind conjure up other things. Things involving him removing said underclothes right before he laid her down on a soft bed and—
“Kayla?”
She realized she was breathing heavily, and from the hot flush, she was sure her face had gone beyond a blush into bright red territory.
Oh goodness, can I be any more of a dork?
Ryder basically caught her having a wet daydream about him. In his kitchen! With bacon sizzling on the stove and coffee brewing. What was wrong with her? She felt like the fifth grade girls at her school after they watch the “Your Body and New Feelings” video that was part of the health curriculum.
“I need underwear.” The words tumbled from her lips.
He dipped his head as if trying to hide a smile. Well, at least he found it amusing. She wanted to crawl in the nearest hole and stay there until the next ice age. Which, from a glance out the kitchen window, might not be too far off.
Like the gentleman he was, he ignored her embarrassment. “We can drive into town today to do some shopping. I need to check in at the station anyway.”
She sat at the table where a steaming cup of coffee waited. Ryder placed a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon in front of her. The delicious aromas had her stomach growling with anticipation.
Kayla took a bite of the eggs, and oh my, it was like heaven in her mouth. The enjoyment didn’t last long when her brain went back to the risk of going into town. Taking a second bite, the eggs still tasted wonderful, but her stomach tuned over. She pushed the food around her plate, biting her lip. “Do you think that’s wise? What if someone recognizes me?”
Ryder finished chewing the enormous bite in his mouth before answering. “I doubt anyone will recognize you. Peak Town is
a small community. We don’t get much crime report from outside of Colorado. Unless it’s something major.”
Wanted for murder seems pretty major.
“Plus, it looks like you tried to remedy that problem already. Am I right?” He pointed to her sad attempt at a haircut.
Embarrassed, she fiddled with the choppy strands and nodded. “Yes. When I saw a report for my arrest, I went to a drug store and got some hair dye. I also cut it myself. I know it looks hideous, but I’m too recognizable with my natural hair.”
“What is your natural hair color?” His eyes lit with curiosity.
She sighed, lamenting her lost locks. “A coppery red…and halfway down my back. I’d been growing it for years.”
Chocolate brown eyes flared with heat as he sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m sorry you had to cut it.”
So was she, especially now
“But you were right to do so,” he continued. “Hair that unique would certainly be recognizable.”
Kayla took a sip of her coffee and thought she heard him mumble under his breath, “Red, sonofabitch!”
She was used to men’s reactions to her hair. It had garnered a few spontaneous proposals even. Something about redheads made men go crazy. It was silly, and she usually ignored it, but the reaction coming from Ryder felt different. The way his eyes dilated, filled with hunger despite the huge plate of food in front of him, caught her off guard. The mention of her natural hair seemed to awaken something wild and ravenous in him.
And exhilarated her.
Down girl. The man is helping you out of a jam, not your clothes.
“So, you think a trip into town would be okay? I have cash. I threw all my credit cards away.”
“So they couldn’t trace you?”
She nodded.
“Smart.”
“To quote my students, ‘I saw it on TV.’ All those nights sitting grading on the couch while watching crime shows finally paid off, I guess.” She shrugged, her cheeks heating with embarrassment when he chuckled.
“We’ll head into town after breakfast. After a quick trip to the station, we can go shopping for clothes.”
When he rose to refill his mug, Kayla stared at her half-eaten plate. The delicious food no longer seemed as appetizing. She couldn’t avoid town forever, but to go to the police station? Didn’t they hang wanted posters in there? Ryder said the small town didn’t get much crime reports from out of state, but what if they had this time? What if her picture was hung all over the station? They’d lock her up and throw away the key—he’d have to. That was his job.
“Kayla?”
Ryder’s voice came to her through her fog of panic.
“Everything will be okay, sweetheart. I promise. You trust me, right?”
She took a deep, calming breath, stared into his mesmerizing dark eyes, and nodded, because for some inexplicable reason, she did.
Chapter 10
Kayla was in the kitchen cleaning up the breakfast dishes. At her persistence. Ryder told her she didn’t need to clean up, but the sweet, stubborn woman had insisted on helping. Something about trying to pay him back for his kindness.
Ridiculous.
He wasn’t doing anything for her any good cop wouldn’t do. Okay, maybe he was helping her out by not turning her in. She was a wanted woman, but he suspected she was being framed, and that did not sit well with him at all. He’d seen a frame job or two in his time. Horrible when people twisted the law to condemn innocent people. Innocent until proven guilty was a saying he took to heart. And he would discover if Kayla was innocent or guilty, no matter what strange feelings he had for her.
Last night after her revelation, he went online to look into her story. He believed her, but what kind of cop would he be if he didn’t verify the facts for himself? Not a very good one. The police database would raise too many red flags, so he stuck to web searches. There was plenty of information on the murder of Jennifer Wright. It happened just as Kayla said, even down to David Tyler pointing the finger at her. She appeared to be telling the truth, but most criminals claimed they were setup. As much as he wanted to put all his faith in her, he needed more evidence.
While she was occupied in the kitchen, he snuck off to his bedroom and put in a call to his buddy in the FBI. “Hey, Liam.”
“Jake Ryder! As I live and breathe. How’s the polar ice caps, my man?”
The agent visited Peak Town for New Year’s last year. Whiney bastard was still complaining. “It wasn’t that cold, you wuss.”
The other man’s snort came through the phone line. “I damn near lost an ear to frostbite.”
Ryder chuckled at the exaggeration. Liam was originally from Florida—the man thought anything below seventy was freezing. “Good thing you didn’t. Then you’d have a hole in the side of your head, and that sorry excuse you call a brain would fall right out.”
“At least I have my good looks. Which is more than I can say for your ugly mug.”
They’d hassled each other like crazy in the academy. Some things never changed. Liam was one of the few guys Ryder had really connected with there. It was times like this he really missed the smartass bastard.
“What do you want, Nanook of the North?”
“I’m calling in a favor.”
His friend’s teasing edge dropped. “What do you need?”
“Some background information on a guy named David Tyler, a cop from Chicago.”
There was a pause, then the deep voice came back over the line. “He dirty?”
“Might be. That’s what I need to find out.”
“I’ll pick through his file with a fine toothed comb.” The dark words came out in a growl.
That was why he liked Liam so much. The guy hated dirty cops as much as he did. His buddy was a good guy, true and blue. He didn’t suffer cheaters or liars. Bad cops held a special place in Liam’s ass-kicking department. Ryder never asked why. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“Thanks, man.” He knew his friend would find the information he needed without arousing suspicion. Liam was good like that.
After a bit more good-natured ribbing back, Ryder said goodbye to his friend and walked back into the kitchen.
Kayla had finished the dishes and was grabbing her coat off the rack. “Are you all set?”
She didn’t ask where he had gone or what he’d been doing. He could still see the question in her beautiful hazel eyes, but she didn’t ask. The woman was placing her trust in him, her life. A humbling feeling.
He nodded, grabbing for his coat and cowboy hat. A frigid blast of air hit him square in the face when he opened the front door. He tugged the collar of his jacket higher and turned to Kayla. “It’s damn near freezing outside, but the truck has a great heater.” A requirement he spared no expense on when he bought the large vehicle a few years back. “Should get us toasty warm in no time.”
She shivered against the cold wind that blew inside the doorway. “You have a truck?”
“Sure. You didn’t think I rode Wind Chaser everywhere did you?” He smiled at her sheepish expression. She was cute when she got embarrassed. “I know Peak Town is kind of out in the boonies, but we do live in the twenty-first century. We have Wi-Fi and everything.”
She rolled her eyes. A smile tilted her lips, the first real full one he’d seen. It was fun teasing Kayla, and he was thankful he could ease some of her worry. The poor woman had gone through such a tragic event. No one should have to see someone they loved after such a brutal death. He knew Kayla had loved her roommate, Jen—it was in the way she talked about the deceased woman. The same way Ryder spoke of his sister, with special fondness. He could only imagine how horrible it must have been to come home, expecting to see your best friend happy and alive, but instead, find her lifeless body lying on the ground covered in blood.
Horrifying.
As a cop, he had seen his fair share of horrific accidents, gruesome murders, and tragic crime scenes. But he never knew any of those people on a pe
rsonal level. All the major crime he saw had been during his stint in the city. Denver was fairly safe for a big city, but it had its share of corruption. After a few years as a beat cop, witnessing the death and cruelty too common to city life, he decided to come home to Peak Town.
He got a job on the force right away. Not hard to do since there were only two officers at the time. When Sheriff Hensley retired, Ryder ran for the position, unopposed. He took care of his town, and they appreciated it.
But, while he dealt with death, had seen some pretty terrible stuff, he’d never seen something as horrifying as what Kayla described. And now, she had to deal with being blamed for the crime. It all seemed too much for one person to bear, but she was holding up like a champ. He saw the moments she almost broke, and how she pulled herself back together. She fought through her pain to bring her friend’s killer to justice, even though she was terrified for her own life. Her strength amazed him. Which was why he was determined to help her.
“So, how far is town?”
Kayla’s soft voice broke through his thoughts, bringing him back to the present as they made their way to the truck. “Not far. About fifteen minutes. A lot of people live outside of the town proper. There’s a lot of ranch property out here.”
Using the thick sleeve of his jacket, he brushed the snow off the driver side door before opening it and leaning in to insert the keys in the ignition. He turned the heater full blast, making the interior nice and warm then instructed Kayla to sit in the cab while he cleared the snow off the vehicle. She tried to argue, but this time, he did the insisting. His mama would roll over in her grave if he let a woman freeze her butt off clearing his truck. Besides, it didn’t take too long.
The streets had been plowed yesterday, but a fresh snow had fallen overnight, leaving about an inch on the road. Not a big deal. He’d driven in worse. At least the road to his place was paved.
Just like he told her, it was about fifteen minutes before they arrived in town. He headed to the station first to check in. As sheriff, he was technically on call at all times. The force had grown since he started. He now employed a dozen men and women. Their numbers were still smaller than he’d like, but the crime in Peak Town was miniscule, so they made do. Everyone was scheduled for two days off a week. Today was the end of his “weekend,” but he liked to check in anyway to make sure nothing needed his immediate attention. Plus, he wanted to check if the news of Jennifer Wright’s murder had hit Peak Town.
Love on the Risky Side Page 6
