Lost Innocence

by Jannine Gallant

  When a shoe scuffed against the brick walkway behind her, the hair on the back of her neck prickled. Before she could turn, pain exploded in her head. She lurched forward as her world went black.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Can I go say hi to Nina?” Keely bounced on the seat as Teague pulled into the driveway.

  Since her Mini Cooper was parked where she usually left it, Nina was probably at home.

  He glanced in the rearview mirror as he turned off the engine. “Didn’t we just have an important conversation about you not walking over to Nina’s house anytime you feel like it?”

  “That’s why I’m asking. Duh, Dad.” His daughter unfastened her seat belt and pulled a puka shell necklace out of the backpack sitting beside her booster seat. “I want to give Nina the present I bought her.”

  Dad, not Daddy. Gone nine days, and he was already noticing the not-so-subtle differences. Her cousin was only ten months older than Keely, but after listening to her chatter on the long drive home from the airport, he got the feeling Hallie had a wealth of life experience far beyond her years.

  “Fine, we’ll let Coco out and then go visit Nina.”

  Keely pushed open the car door and dropped to the ground. “I can live with that. Hurry, Dad. Coco’s barking. She probably knows I’m home.”

  I can live with that? When had his six-year-old turned sixteen? After grabbing her suitcase out of the back of the pickup, he followed her to the house and unlocked the door. Coco exploded through the opening, dancing in an insane frenzy around her small mistress. Shrieking in laughter, Keely dropped down on the patchy lawn and rolled in the grass with the dog.

  Teague leaned against the porch railing and smiled at the two. God, he’d missed his daughter.

  Once her shorts and T-shirt were thoroughly covered in grass stains, Keely pushed to her feet. “Okay, I’m ready to give Nina her necklace now. Can Coco come, too?”

  “Hold on just a minute.” Picking up her suitcase, he took it inside and looked through the downstairs. Thankfully, Coco seemed to have left the place intact while he was gone.

  “Hurry, Dad!”

  “I’m coming.” A minute later, Teague rapped a couple of times on the door and waited.

  His daughter shifted from one foot to the other and frowned. “Maybe she’s not home.”

  “I guess she could have gone for a run.” When muffled thumping echoed from somewhere inside the house, unease slithered through him. He pushed Keely behind him and turned the knob. The door swung open and hit the wall with a bang.

  “Nina.”

  Another thump sounded from deep in the house.

  Grabbing Keely by the shoulders, he backed her across the porch. “I want you to take Coco and go home. Lock the door and wait for me.”

  Her smile dissolved. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

  “Maybe nothing, but do as I told you. Go. Now.”

  Without another word, she raced across the lawn with Coco running at her heels. He waited until the two disappeared inside the house before entering Nina’s home.

  “Nina.” His shout echoed in the stillness followed by more thuds.

  “Shit!” Glancing around, he grabbed an umbrella out of the stand beside the coat tree and hurried through the kitchen, following the thumps. Cupboard doors had been left open, and food packages were scattered across the countertops. What looked like a typical junk drawer had been upended on the floor. Beyond the refrigerator, the door to the laundry room was shut.

  Cautiously, he pushed it open.

  Nina sat on the floor in front of the dryer with her hands and feet bound by duct tape. A towel was tied over her face. As Teague stared in horror, her heels came down against the tile floor in a thump, along with a muffled cry.

  “Shit. Bloody hell. Hold on, babe.” Dropping the umbrella, he knelt beside her and unfastened the towel. She blinked back tears as he carefully peeled a strip of tape off her mouth and cupped her chin in his hand. “Are you hurt?”

  She cleared her throat as more tears fell. “My head aches where he hit me. I was praying you’d come looking for me.”

  “I’d like to kill whoever did this.” Teague tried to loosen the tape binding her hands.

  “There are cooking scissors in the knife rack.”

  “Good idea.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Did the psycho leave?”

  “I think so. All the noise stopped about twenty minutes ago.”

  His legs shook as he pushed upright. “Let’s get you free, and then I’ll call the cops.”

  “I think I left my phone on the counter.” She sniffed hard as her nose ran. “I’ll call them while you free me.”

  “Okay.” Gently he wiped her face with the towel. “I’ll be right back.”

  His hands trembled as he sorted through the mess on the counter in search of the scissors. When he finally found the knife rack, minus the scissors, he chose a carving knife and took a deep breath to steady his soaring temper. Spotting Nina’s phone next to an uneaten sandwich, he grabbed it and hurried back to her side.

  “Let me free your wrists.” With care, he slipped the sharp blade between her skin and the adhesive and sliced through the tape.

  As soon as her wrists were loose, she jerked the tape off and took her cell from him while he worked on her ankles.

  “Jesus, your heels are all bruised.”

  “I pounded them on the floor, hoping someone would hear me.” She scrolled through her contacts and tapped the phone, then waited. “Chris, this is Nina Hutton again.” Her voice broke. “Someone hit me over the head, then tied me up and searched my house.” She was silent for a moment. “My neighbor is here with me now, and whoever it was is gone. Yeah, I’ll be waiting.”

  He removed the last of the tape and helped her to her feet. “Are the police coming?”

  “Yes.” She clung to him as she limped out of the laundry room into the kitchen. “Oh, my God. What a freaking mess.”

  When she let out a whimper, he scooped her up in his arms.

  “What about the rest of the house?”

  “I haven’t looked yet. I heard your thumps when I opened the door. I sent Keely straight home before searching for you.” He set her on the couch. “Seeing you all bound up like that . . .”

  “I’m fine. The creep didn’t hurt me much, except what I expect is a sizable lump on my head.”

  He threaded his fingers through her hair but stopped when she winced. “Yeah, there’s a knot. Did he knock you out?”

  “Only for a few seconds. I remember a sharp pain in my head, then coming to and feeling dizzy for a minute. My face was covered, and someone was taping my hands.” She broke off. “Is that a car? The police must be here.”

  He bent and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll let them in. Right now I need to go check on Keely, and then I’ll take you to the ER.”

  “The ER isn’t necessary. Honestly, I’m okay. Go to your daughter, Teague.”

  When he reached the front door, two officers were halfway up the walk. He waited while they approached. “I’m Teague O’Dell, Nina’s . . . neighbor.”

  A man around his age with a serious expression studied him for a moment. “I’m Officer Long, and this is Officer Cantrell. You’re the one who found Miss Hutton?”

  “Yes.” He glanced from the younger cop to Cantrell, an older man who had walked with a slight limp. “My daughter is home alone. I need to go.”

  “That’ll be fine.” The officer spoke in a gravelly tone. “We’ll get a statement from Miss Hutton first.”

  “She’s waiting for you inside.” Teague stepped out of the way. “I won’t be gone long.”

  “May I ask what your relationship is to Nina?” the younger cop asked.

  He turned to face Chris Long. “We’re dating.”

  When the other man only responded with another narrow-eyed stare, Teague stepped past him and ran across the yard. When he reached his own front porch, the bolt slid back with a click as Keely opened the door.r />
  “Where’s Nina? Why is there a police car outside?” She sniffed loudly. “How come you were gone so long?”

  “I’m sorry, Keels.” Reaching down, he hoisted her onto his hip and held her tight. “Nina is fine. Someone broke into her house, so we had to call the police.”

  She clung to his neck. “Did they take away her pretty pictures?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I hope not.” He carried her into the living room and set her down on the couch, much as he’d done for Nina. Once he’d settled beside Keely, Coco jumped up and crawled onto her lap, obviously sensing she was upset.

  “If I give Nina the necklace, maybe that’ll make her feel better.”

  He smiled and stroked her hair. “I’m sure it will, but first she has to talk to the police officers. I need to talk to them, too. Do you think you can stay here with Coco and watch cartoons while I do that? I’ll be just across the street.”

  “I’m not a baby.” A bit of her bravado returned.

  “That’s my brave girl.” After dropping a kiss on her head, he stood, picked up the remote, and handed it to her. “Here you go. I won’t be gone long.”

  She glanced up at him. “Are you going to take care of Nina now?”

  He let out a slow breath. “Yes, I definitely am.”

  * * *

  Nina gave Teague a tired smile as he entered his living room and dropped down next to her on the couch. “Is Keely asleep?”

  “Yes, and Coco is curled up by her feet, just to make sure she doesn’t leave again. Between exhaustion from her trip and the drama that played out at your house earlier, Keely was asleep before I finished reading her favorite story.”

  “I bet. She was a trouper, helping clean up the mess with the adults.”

  He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “It was nice of Paige and Quentin to spend their evening restoring order and dining on takeout pizza with us.”

  “We help each other out. That’s what we’ve always done. If Leah and Ryan weren’t out of town, they would have joined us.” She leaned her head back against the cushions, wincing when she bumped the tender spot. “As it is, Leah was a little freaked out when I talked to her on the phone. The similarities to what happened to her last fall hit a little too close to home.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We dug up a time capsule our fifth-grade class had buried twenty years before. Unfortunately, someone had hidden a roll of film in it that exposed a really twisted local group. Leah had the film, and they nearly killed her trying to get it back.”

  “Jesus.”

  “Yeah, it was damn scary, but the cult members are all in jail now.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He frowned. “Who would have thought a town like this would harbor a bunch of freaks.”

  “I know, right?”

  “So, the fact that your house was searched brought back a few awful memories for your friend?”

  Nina nodded. “For me, too, if we’re being honest. I’m starting to believe I have something in my possession someone wants, and I don’t have a clue what it is.”

  Teague released her hand to slide his arm around her and pull her close. “Is that the official police theory?”

  “Chris is leaning in that direction. He thinks if this psycho simply had a thing for me, he would have . . . done something about it while I was helpless.”

  Teague tightened his grip. “I can’t begin to describe how angry that idea makes me.”

  “I had a few uncomfortable moments while I was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, wondering if he’d come back for me.”

  “This little shit deserves a slow, painful death, just for scaring you.” His voice grew tight. “So much for the alarm system providing protection.”

  “I went out to get my mail.” She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “I guess being on alert twenty-four seven isn’t practical, but maybe the creep found whatever it was he’s after. Maybe he won’t come back.”

  “I’d certainly like to believe that’s true. You don’t remember finding anything unusual?”

  “No. Chris questioned me about that, but I can’t think of anything.”

  “He doesn’t like me much.”

  “Huh?” Nina turned to stare up at him. “Who doesn’t like you?”

  “Officer Long. I’ve been on the receiving end of a few cool stares. I’m not sure if he thinks I’m the one who trashed your house, or if he’s jealous of my relationship with you. I told him we’re dating.”

  “Oh.” She rubbed her thumb over the faded denim covering his knee. “He asked me out, sort of casually, after the trouble Leah went through.”

  “Did you say yes?”

  “Not exactly. We ended up on one awkward group date together a few months ago, but I wasn’t interested in pursuing anything more personal.”

  Teague covered her hand with his warm palm. “Well, that would explain his attitude.”

  “His sister is a friend of mine. He’s actually a really nice guy. Just not my type.”

  “What is your type?”

  “You.”

  He pressed her back against the couch, then lay down beside her and cupped her chin in his hand. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Smart. Caring. Hardworking. Hot.”

  He ran his lips up the side of her neck, sending heat rushing straight to her core.

  “Especially hot.”

  He raised up on one elbow. “Stop. You’ll give me a swelled head.”

  She wiggled against him. “Too late. I think I already have.”

  “You’re right about that.” He kissed her, taking his time to thoroughly explore her mouth before he pulled back. “Want to go upstairs?”

  “Keely—”

  “Isn’t going to wake up. Anyway, I’m not letting you go home alone after what happened.”

  “I won’t say no to that. My nerves are shot.”

  He stood and pulled her to her feet. “You’d be inhuman if they weren’t. Honestly, I feel a little more confident under the assumption this asshole wants something other than you. Since he went out of his way to search your house without harming you more than necessary, maybe he isn’t inherently violent.”

  She grimaced when her heel bumped against the coffee table. “Ouch. He’s determined, that’s for sure.”

  “Careful.” When Teague flipped off the lamp beside the couch, darkness enveloped them. “Do your feet hurt? Want me to carry you?”

  “I can walk.”

  He tucked her close to his side as they climbed the stairs together. Pausing in the hallway, he peeked into Keely’s room, which was illuminated by the dim glow of a Cinderella night-light. “She’s sound asleep.”

  Nina waited in the doorway while he pulled up the covers that were bunched down around the dog. Once he returned to her side, she pressed her face against his shoulder. “I’m sorry Keely’s first night home was such a disaster.”

  “Not your fault. Anyway, she was thoroughly entertained by Quentin and his jokes. The guy is good with kids.”

  “He has a laid-back, teasing attitude they can relate to. I expect when he has a couple of his own, he’ll be the fun parent.”

  “That was Jayne’s role. I’ve always been the serious one. The cautious dad. The disciplinarian.”

  She wound her arms around his waist after he turned on the bedside lamp in his room. “Your daughter will grow up knowing she has boundaries. But her independent spirit probably means she’ll test them.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He bent to kiss her. “I should take a quick shower. If you need anything . . .”

  “I have a toothbrush, so I’m good.”

  While the shower ran and steam filled the room, Nina washed her face and brushed her teeth. Eyeing the shadowy figure behind the opaque glass, she was tempted to join him but resisted. If Keely woke up . . . She touched the puka shells around her neck and smiled. After rinsing her mouth, she headed back into the bedroom, stripped off her cloth
es, then slid into bed.

  The water shut off a minute later, and she turned on her side to face the bathroom door. Teague came out wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. The man was incredibly gorgeous, all hard muscle and damp skin. But it was the wealth of emotion in his eyes that melted her heart.

  The towel fell to the floor with a soft plop. When her breath hissed out, his lips curled in a smile before he reached over to turn off the light and climb into bed beside her.

  She cuddled close. “I thought we weren’t going to make a habit of this after Keely got home from her trip.”

  His chin came to rest on top of her head. “We aren’t, but tonight I need to hold you and know you’re safe.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, the moral support you’ve provided.” She pressed a kiss to the tough skin of his chest, still moist and smelling like soap. “That means a lot.”

  When her hand drifted lower, the muscles of his abdomen contracted, and his breath rushed out. “I care about you, Nina.” He rolled her onto her back and pressed her into the mattress. “Maybe more than I’ve been able to put into words. I—”

  She touched a finger to his lips. “You don’t have to say anything more. Your actions tell me everything I need to know.”

  He kissed her finger, then her lips, building her need to a fever pitch. As he slid inside her, she quit wondering why she’d stopped him from speaking his mind. Words she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear, or maybe fear that he wouldn’t truly mean them. It was easier to simply enjoy.

  Their breathing came in harsh gasps as they pushed together toward release. Wrapped up in Teague, all she wanted was to forget her problems—not create new ones. When she came apart in his arms with a soft cry, all she cared about was the here and now. Better than anything she could have imagined.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nina adjusted the neckline of her off-the-shoulder white peasant blouse and sipped her margarita through a penis-shaped straw. The bachelorette party was in full swing. They’d taken over all the window tables at Castaways and kept the cocktail waitress assigned to them hopping as the live band warmed up in the far corner.