I scowled. “Levi’s not my boyfriend.”
“No shit. He dumped you in a parking lot.”
I pushed out a sigh. “He didn’t dump me. I was about to call Maeve.” I told him about the kidnapping—how one of the guys had surprised me from behind while the other drove up. “They knocked me unconscious, and when I woke up, I was in the trunk of the car and we were at the warehouse.”
He listened silently while I told him about cutting myself free and calling him.
“Someone burst into the office and took your phone. Who was it?”
“Tim Dermot.”
“What happened to your phone?”
I cringed. This part was tricky. “He shot it. Then he took me out to see Buck, who was wrapping some other guy’s arm. I never heard his name. Wait . . . later they called him Gary.”
His eyes narrowed. “So when did you get shot?”
I lifted my shoulder into a half-shrug. “I wasn’t exactly shot, James.”
“The two stitches on your leg say different.”
I tried to get up again, but he held me in place. “I think I should keep the rest to myself. It falls within that neutral zone.”
“Like hell it does.”
“I’ll tell you this part: they pulled out the wallet of the driver. He’s the guy from Shreveport.”
“Elijah Landry?” After I nodded, he said, “So who was the other one?”
“I don’t know. They didn’t get his wallet.”
“That you saw,” he said. “You can bet they got it. So I still need to know two things: One, what did Reynolds hire you to do, and two, when and how did you get shot?”
“Technically that’s three things.”
He gave me a look.
Groaning, I pushed his arm hard enough that he let me loose. I got out of bed and walked over to pick up my skirt. It was stiff with dried blood, and there was no way in Hades I was putting it back on.
James got up and followed me. “I’m not lettin’ you leave until I find out what happened.”
I groaned and squatted to pick up my shirt, which was dirty enough to have turned a dingy gray. I dumped it and the skirt on top of the dresser, then opened a drawer, looking for something to wear.
“Rose.”
“I told him I wasn’t working for him, especially after he insulted me, and we had a disagreement.”
He stomped toward me and grabbed my arm, turning me to face him. “He shot you because you refused to work for him?” His face turned red. “I’m going to kill him with my bare hands.”
I patted his arm. “Calm down. I handled it.”
“How the hell is getting shot handling it?”
I gave him a glare. “He was trying to intimidate me, James. I had to stand up to him, and I did. He pissed me off, so I told him I was leaving and I started walking out. He shouted at me to stop. When I didn’t, he shot around me a few times—never at me. The last bullet ricocheted off the door when I was walking out and hit me. It was an accident. He nearly pooped his pants when he realized he’d hit me, which confirmed he was only trying to intimidate me. I demanded his respect and insisted that I was in charge of the situation, and he ultimately caved.”
He didn’t answer at first. “You could have been killed,” he finally said. “You need backup.”
I shook my head.
“You have to be smart. Jed and I would never do something on our own. Things can go sideways too fast. I want Jed to stick with you.”
“First of all, you don’t get a say. As of this morning, you and I are no longer associates in any way. And second, last I heard, Jed Carlisle doesn’t work for you anymore.”
He cringed and rubbed his chin. “You heard about that, huh?”
“Yeah. So what was he doin’ with you last night?”
“We got a lead on Scooter.”
That caught my attention. “What kind of lead?”
“Someone at Walmart said they saw him get into a dark sedan last Wednesday afternoon. The driver was a guy with dark, shaggy hair.”
“Average height and build?” I asked.
“And a tattoo of a bird on his arm.”
My eyes widened. “That was the guy who grabbed me from behind.”
“So there is a connection between your kidnapping and Scooter’s disappearance.”
“Yeah . . . looks like it.” I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse, especially since Buck and his men had killed the two men who probably could have told us where to find Scooter. Had they done it on purpose so they couldn’t talk? I turned back around and snagged a T-shirt from James’ drawer, then walked into his en suite bathroom.
“What did Reynolds hire you to do?” he asked, following me inside.
I ignored him as I went into his water closet to pee. He was waiting for me when I came out, still standing there in all his naked glory, which was very hard to ignore.
I lifted my eyes to his face. “I’m gonna take a shower, but I need to wash my hair and I don’t want to smell like you.”
One side of his mouth lifted into a smirk. “I kind of like the idea of you smellin’ like me.”
“So you can leave your mark on me? I expected better from you, James Malcolm.”
He laughed. “Get in, and I’ll be back.”
I’d soaked all my hair when he joined me in the marble tile shower, carrying several bottles I recognized from the night I’d stayed at his house several weeks ago. He’d taken them out of the guest shower. Before I could stop him, he started washing my hair. I closed my eyes and pressed my chest to his as he worked in the shampoo and then grabbed the shower head and rinsed out the lather.
“What did Reynolds hire you to do?” he asked quietly as he worked in the conditioner next.
I ignored the question, and after he rinsed out my hair, I leaned to the side to pick up a bottle of his body wash. I squirted it into my hand and began to spread it over his broad, solid chest.
“How much do you have to work out to maintain this?” I asked with a grin.
He grinned back. “Enough.”
“What kind of answer is that?” I asked, sliding my hands down his abdomen.
“A better one than the answer you’re givin’ me.” His voice was tight, and his body tensed as I moved down between his legs. After I made sure he was well-washed and completely turned on, I slid my hands down to his butt cheeks and pulled him against me.
He growled and pushed my back against the tile wall, spending several minutes letting his mouth roam over my body until I was panting.
“What do you want, Rose?” he asked in a husky, commanding voice.
“You,” I said, tugging him to his feet. “Now.”
He grabbed my uninjured thigh and hooked it around his hip as he entered me.
I released a loud moan and wrapped my arms around his neck to hang on as he lifted me off the ground.
He kissed me while he worked his magic until I was begging him for more. He gave it to me—and then some—until I was spent and satiated and in desperate need of a nap. He still had me pinned to the wall, his face buried in the curve of my neck.
I played with a damp piece of his hair that stuck out, overcome with sadness. Part of me desperately wanted to continue this, but I couldn’t—and deep down I knew that. “James, we have to talk, and I need you to be sensible and honest.”
He stayed like that a few seconds, nestled against me, before he finally lifted his head. I worried he’d shut down to protect himself, but emotion swirled in his eyes.
I tightened my hold around his neck. “This conversation might be more manageable if we weren’t so . . . intimate right now.”
He held my gaze, not budging. “It seems to me it’s the best time to have it if you want honesty. It’s the only time we’re truly honest with each other. If you’re more concerned about me being sensible, then we should get dressed. For us, the two don’t seem to go hand in hand.”
I stared into his eyes, torn, but I finally said, “I
need your honesty more.” I hoped good sense would follow for both of us.
A soft smile lit up his face. He thought he’d already won this conversation.
“Let’s say we keep doin’ this,” I said. “How do you see that happenin’?”
“We used to meet on Tuesday nights. We’ll just change the location.”
“We met for an hour. That’s enough for you?”
His face lowered to my neck, and he began to kiss and nip. “I’ll need way more than an hour.”
I pushed his face back up to look at me. “So for how long? And where would we meet?”
He turned serious. “We can meet here. It’s the safest place. And I want you all night.” He practically growled the last part and a thrill shivered through me.
His eyes lit up. He’d noticed.
“So once a week? That would be enough?” I asked matter-of-factly.
“Hell, no, it’s not enough. I’d have you in my bed every damn night if I could.”
“But you can’t, can you? You’re not even here every night. When you brought me here before, you said you only come twice a week.”
“Then you should do the same.”
“Until this has run its course?”
“How soon do you think it will take for this to run its course, Lady?” There was an edge to his voice that I couldn’t interpret.
I made a slight gesture toward him. “We’re here for honesty. Are you sure you can handle it?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’m about to lay my heart bare for you, James Malcolm, and I need you to do the same.”
Some of the softness left his eyes. I knew where this path would lead, yet I had to travel it anyway. My self-respect demanded it.
“I’m not the kind of woman who has flings. I thought I could try it with you, but maybe we have too much history. Too much respect for each other. I’m fallin’ for you. Hard. When I tried to convince you to start something, you told me that I was the kind of woman who needed a family and kids. Part of me isn’t so sure anymore. How can I go back to a quiet life after seeing the things I’ve seen, doing the things I’ve done? The thing is, deep down, I still want those things. Not right now, but down the road that’s what I want—what I need. But it’s not just me here, James. You’re an equal part of this, and I need you to be honest with me and tell me what you want.”
“You want to hear me say that I want to get married and have kids and put a picket fence around this place so we can play house?” he said with an undercurrent of anger. “Because I already told you that’s not me.”
“No. I want you to tell me the truth. What do you want for your life? Where do you see yourself in ten years? Twenty?”
“This is the only life I’ve ever known.”
“I know. I know.” I ran my fingertips down the side of his face. “But is it what you want for the rest of your life?”
“What I want is irrelevant. Wheels have been set in motion that can’t be stopped.”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe that’s true.”
“Then you’re livin’ in fairyland. There’s no walkin’ away from the kind of life I’ve chosen, Rose. I keep tellin’ Jed that, but he’s got his head up in the clouds over Neely Kate. Love makes people stupid. It makes them believe the impossible.”
That caught me off guard. “You think Jed’s in love with Neely Kate?”
“That’s what you pick up on?”
He tried to set me down, but I clung to him like a monkey to a tree, and pain shot through my thigh from tensing my leg.
His face softened. “You shouldn’t be in the water this long. It’s not good for your stitches.”
“No. We’re finishing this conversation.”
A scowl covered his face.
“I know this is unfair. We’ve had one night together, and I’m that stereotypical woman who’s already demanding more, but my heart’s on the line, James. Either way, I’m probably gettin’ hurt—I know that. But I need to know what you see for us. Do you see us meetin’ twice a week for six months? A year? Five?”
“Honestly, Rose, I don’t know.” He sounded defeated. “I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you. I’ve never needed anyone until you, and I don’t know what to do with it. I thought if I stayed away from you, I’d get over you, but it didn’t work. Last night, I told myself that if I had just one night with you, I could burn you out of my system and we could go back to normal. But I was stupid. So stupid.” He lifted his hand to my face, smoothing the wet hair from my cheek. “I’m addicted to you, and now that I’ve had a taste, I want you even more. And that makes you dangerous.” Instead of sounding harsh, he sounded resigned.
“And yet you still want to keep seein’ me?”
“Everyone has a weakness. Turns out mine is you. Like you said, I’m hopin’ this will just run its course.”
“Wow,” I said sarcastically. “That’s romantic.”
His gaze held a hint of challenge. “You said you wanted honesty.”
“Yeah,” I said softly. “I did.” I’d known going into this conversation that there could be no good outcome, so why was I so disappointed? Maybe James was right. Maybe being in love made you believe in the impossible. Only, I wasn’t in love . . . right?
“I want to keep seein’ you,” he said, fondling my breast. His tone was dark and commanding. Last night, he’d discovered that tone turned me on, and he was using it to his advantage.
I squirmed, but I saw right through what he was doing. He wanted to get me all hot and bothered so I’d agree to whatever he wanted. And damned if he wasn’t close to succeeding. “You want to burn me out of your system hard and fast.”
He instantly stopped caressing me, his eyes dark. “That’s how you see this?”
I held his gaze. “Isn’t it?” I could see that there was probably some truth to it.
“Dammit, Rose.” He buried his face in my neck again. “I don’t know what to do with you.”
“Do you really think I’m like a drug?” I asked softly. “If you use me enough, you’ll get your fill and be ready to move on?”
He shook his head. “I told you love makes people stupid.” Then he put me down, grabbed a towel, and walked out of the bathroom.
I was pretty sure that was the closest I’d ever get to hearing James Malcolm say he loved me.
Chapter 14
After I got dressed, I found him downstairs in the kitchen, standing in front of his open laptop with a coffee cup in his hand. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a dark gray T-shirt that clung to every muscle, reminding me of what I was giving up.
I, on the other hand, was dressed like a hobo. He’d left me a pair of his shorts that had a drawstring, and the T-shirt I’d picked out practically came to my knees. I looked like I was playing dress-up, but I sure wasn’t putting my old clothes back on. I couldn’t help thinking that he’d strategically planned for me to look as unsexy as possible.
He cast a sad glance at me. “I have coffee. I can make us some eggs and bacon.”
“Only if you want it.” We were delaying the inevitable, and it was hurting even more than I’d expected.
He reached for his phone and tapped on the screen, then set it down again and looked at me. “Now that we’re dressed, it’s time for the sensible conversation.”
He gestured to one of the bar stools at his counter, and I sat down while he grabbed a coffee cup and filled it up, adding cream and sugar. A hint of a grin lit up his eyes. “Sensible conversations this early require coffee.”
I accepted it and gave him a tiny smile back even though my heart was breaking.
“I need to know what Reynolds asked you to do.”
I groaned. “Not that again.”
He leaned forward, resting his hands on the counter. “You asked me where I saw myself in the future, but your dream of a nuclear family aside, where do you see yourself? How does the Lady in Black play into it?”
I sat up straighter
. “I don’t know.”
He stood. “Do you want to do errands for men like Buck Reynolds?” His tone was strained, and I could see he was trying to understand my motivations instead of just barking orders at me . . . which he knew from experience never worked.
I set the mug on the counter. “No . . . I don’t know.” I looked into his eyes. “I returned that necklace to Buck to help the county. You know that. What he’s asked me to do could help the county even more.”
“What if I told you that I’m certain he took Scooter? And that the kidnapping was his elaborate ploy to get you to do his dirty work?” His tone was more emphatic, but he was still restraining himself.
“I had a vision, James. Buck Reynolds isn’t behind either of them.”
“Forced or spontaneous vision?”
“Forced. But I was careful.” Mostly.
“What did you blurt out?”
I grimaced. “It doesn’t matter. He had no idea what I was doin’.”
“You’re certain he doesn’t know you have visions?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure what he thinks I did for you, but he knows that I like investigatin’.”
“So he wants you to investigate something?”
I groaned. “James . . .”
He took a step closer. “Rose, if you do this, others will ask. You have to know that. Especially if you distance yourself from me.”
“I would never do anything to hurt you. Never.”
“I know!” he said, getting more frustrated. “It’s not me that I’m worried about getting hurt!”
“Jed taught me some self-defense. And I’ll start carrying my gun. Not in my purse,” I said, thinking on the fly. “I’ll use the thigh holster he gave me.”
“Do you want to work for the others?” He sounded incredulous.
I ran a hand through my damp hair. “It depends.”
He exploded. “Depends on what?”
“On what they want, James. If it’s for the good of the county, then maybe I do.”
He stalked up, looming over me. “What does Reynolds want you to do?”
I wondered if I should just tell him, but I suspected he’d think it was too dangerous and have Brett or Jed follow me everywhere. “James, you can’t keep me from doin’ this, just like I can’t stop you from bein’ the king of Fenton County.”
For the Birds: Rose Gardner Investigations #2 (Rose Gardner Investigatons) Page 14
