by K. Webster
Nothing but a red flashing light, denying me entrance.
After a few more tries, I let out a frustrated sigh and go back to painting the trim on the door frame that leads to her bedroom.
“Kasper, I’m…” she trails off behind me. “Here’s your sandwich de miga. Untoasted.”
She shoulders past me, giving me a whiff of her sweet shampoo, and sets the plate on her dresser. I walk over to it and watch her as she sits on the bed.
“I’m sorry. I was just desperate for that number,” she says in a wobbly voice.
I shrug as I take a bite, chewing as I talk. “Damn, this is some good shit. That code didn’t work anyway. It’ll work for his phone but not the door.”
My words cause her to shudder and she seems to snap out of her daze, her eyes wide and blinking rapidly. “I can’t believe I almost had sex with you.”
Ignoring her words, I eat another bite of my delicious as fuck sandwich. “I’m going to get you that code.”
Her eyes dart to mine and her plump lips part open. “You are? How?”
I crack my neck before meeting her eyes with a serious gaze. “I’ll pay attention. Logan is secretive but I’m observant. Give me some time.”
She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I say with a dark laugh. “You’re going to owe me big time.” She’ll definitely owe me more sandwiches de mi-something-or-other-in-Spanish. That’s for damn sure. “I just haven’t decided exactly what I want yet.”
And the smile is gone.
My heart thunders in my chest and I get high on the power I hold over her.
Fucking high as a kite.
What can I say? Old habits are hard to break.
“How you doing, buddy?”
Rhodes doesn’t look up from staring at the floor. His elbows are on his knees and he’s fixated on the carpet. “Okay.”
But he’s not okay. My friend is losing his mind a bit. How could he not? He hasn’t returned to work yet, and I’m not sure he’ll ever be ready.
“Where’s Amethyst?” I question as I peek in the kitchen.
“Gone to get food.”
I locate a bottle of vodka from the freezer and a couple of shot glasses before making my way back into the living room. We don’t speak as I fill them.
“Oh,” he says in an absent manner while knocking back his glass, “I checked up on that pipe with Dad. Definitely commercial grade. They use them in a lot of the commercial properties here in the mountains because they’re thick and solid and can withstand the test of the elements here. He doesn’t understand why it would be in Logan’s house though.”
I narrow my eyes at him as I swallow the cold liquid that burns like hell going down. “Hmmm. I don’t understand either.”
“You know who would know, right?” he asks as he slides the shot glass across the table to me. “Donovan Jayne.”
I dread having to talk to him again. He’s fucking depressing to be around. It’s been a week since I’ve seen him last, despite my duty to follow him. I’m not sure he’s even left the lodge once.
“Why? Because he knows commercial buildings?”
He shakes his head. “No, because he knows Logan.”
I’m still pondering his words and have decided I’ll go have a chat with him tomorrow at the lodge when the front door swings open. Amethyst breezes in with her arms loaded down with bags. When she sees me, her eyes light up and her lips curl up into a breathtaking smile. The stress of the week seems to melt away in her presence.
“Nice seeing you here, Kaspy,” she chirps as she carries the bags into the kitchen. I rise from the couch and stalk after her like a lion hunting an antelope. “Did you ever find what you were looking for with that file?” Her eyes flicker over her shoulder to make sure Rhodes doesn’t hear. “With Nadia and what you think she might know about your sister?”
“No,” I grunt, “but I’ve been going over to their house a lot and plan to eventually get answers.”
She smiles. “Let me know if I can help.”
“You have enough on your plate. Don’t worry about me.” I lean my hip against the counter and watch her unload the bags. “How are you anyway? How is he?” I question in a low tone. “He looks like shit.”
Her smile falls and I instantly regret asking. She sets the bags on the counter to hunt for plates. Tonight she’s wearing a fitted black sweater dress with some sexy-as-fuck lacy knee-high socks that stick out above her knee-length boots. Her blonde hair has been swept off to the side into a loose braid. This woman is sexy and cute all rolled into one package.
Kaspy most certainly likes this package.
“He’s okay. I’m fine. We’ll get through this. I’m just trying to stay strong for him all of the time.”
I frown and reach for her hand. When she slides it into my open palm, I pull her to me. She lets out a soft cry the moment I hug her tight. Pressing a kiss into her hair, I murmur, “You don’t have to stay strong around me. I know what you’re going through.”
I feel the air release from her body as she sags into me, her face buried against my chest. I inhale her hair while I stroke her back with my fingertips. After a couple of minutes, she stops crying and tilts her head up to look at me. Her cheeks are flushed and wet. The tip of her nose is red and matches her bloodshot eyes from crying. But it’s her mouth I fixate on—plump, glossy lips parted just so revealing her two front teeth.
Dipping down, I press a soft kiss to her lips. When I go to deepen the kiss, she smiles against my lips and pulls away.
“Take me on a real date and you can have a real kiss.”
With that, she turns away from me and starts dishing out food, her ass jiggling with every movement. If a date gets me a real kiss, I wonder what’ll get me balls deep in her pussy.
“How’s Rhodes today?” Logan questions as he plops down in the chair across from my desk.
I scratch the stubble along my jawline with my thumb before meeting his gaze. “He’s here. Not talking much but has been anchored to his desk all day working on his backlog of casefiles.”
“Understandable,” he mutters, his eyes flitting to my pen—the same pen he fucked Nadia with. “Any word on Donovan? What’s he up to?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back in my chair and raise an eyebrow at him. “What happened to you two? You two were tight for ages and then one day you stop speaking?”
A flash of anger glimmers in his eyes before he masks it away with an expression of ease and retrieves my pen from the holder. I watch with irritation as he plays with it. “Ever since Nadia came along, he sort of faded into the background. Kind of hard to be friends with someone who obsesses over their stepdaughter. Doesn’t leave much for us to shoot the shit about. Besides, we’re both busy lately.”
“So you stop talking to him but then shack up with his stepdaughter behind his back? Pardon my French, Chief, but that’s fucked up.”
He laughs, cold and without humor. “He’ll get over it.”
I’m rolling my eyes when Amethyst’s sunny disposition fills my doorway. For a moment, I forget about the asshole in front of me because I get swept up in her light.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she says with a grin, “but I just wanted to say hi. I came to check on Jason and thought I’d pop in to see you too.”
Logan clears his throat and I jerk my head to see him flashing her one of his signature charming grins that disarms every woman in this town. Jealousy ignites within me and rages through me like a wildfire.
“I’m Amethyst Gardner, Jason Rhodes’s sister-in-law. And you are?” she probes, her eyes twinkling.
“Chief Logan Baldwin. Pleasure to meet you, doll.” He winks at her as he takes her hand and shakes it for an unnecessarily long time.
I rocket to my feet and then stalk around my desk. Her hand is forced from his when I smash her to me in a bear hug. A sweet giggle fills the room and when I glance over at Logan, his face is impassiv
e. But I can tell by the clenching of his jaw, he’s annoyed she’s spoken for.
Is she, though?
Spoken for?
Something radiates through me. Pride. Protectiveness. Hell, maybe even possessiveness. Whatever it is, I don’t want him touching her. Or fucking looking at her.
A throat clears from the doorway and I release her to find Donovan Jayne standing in the doorway with a shit-eating grin on his face. Logan’s grumble behind me tells me he isn’t so happy to see him here.
“Why are you here?” Logan bites out.
Donovan steps into my office and Mayor Lee Dunaway follows him inside. “Well, Chief,” Donovan says with a smirk, “the mayor and I were checking out some commercial properties together when he asked if you were coming to his birthday party tonight at my lodge. I told him you were probably much too busy with my Nadia to come, but we’d stop by to invite you anyway.”
Logan rises to his feet and I can see the battle warring within him—a war between being Mr. Fake Ass and ripping Donovan’s head clear off his shoulders.
“Chief,” Lee says, extending his hand to my superior. “I’d love to have you and the future missus at my party at the Aspen Pine Lodge. It starts tonight at seven. There’ll be dinner, drinks, and dancing. Melena, would love to meet Miss Jayne. You know she’s always trying to rope the women in this town to help her with all those charity events she holds. It would please me if you could come. Heck, Lieutenant, you and your girlfriend here are welcome, too. I’ll have them reserve places at my table for you all. What do you say?”
Logan’s fake grin falters as he ponders the mayor’s invitation. He doesn’t like sharing Nadia with the eyes of anyone, but he’s also smart enough to realize keeping her hidden away from everyone will raise eyebrows. And if anyone ever gets wind that he hits her, his reputation as the city’s good ‘ol boy police chief will be dragged through the fucking mud.
“It’s a bit last minute but I’m sure we can make it,” Logan responds with a tight smile.
“And I wouldn’t miss it, sir.” I reach for Amethyst’s hand and squeeze it. “Would you like to come with me?”
She offers me a tentative smile and I decide it’s my favorite thing in the entire world. Her smile. In a room full of people I’m in no mood to be around, she draws everyone in with her sweet smile. “Is this a date, Lieutenant?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.
Despite her outward smiles, I sense the sadness within her. It practically rolls off of her in waves. She’s still hurting over losing Ashley. I want to pull her into a hug and ignore the world around us until her pain lessens.
With my eyes on Logan, enjoying the annoyed glare on his face, I answer her. “I know you’re probably not in a mood to party but I’d like for you to come with me. And who knows, maybe you could make a new friend here in town. Nadia’s around your age.”
When I look back at her, a flicker of understanding flashes in her eyes. The file. The plan. She wants to help. “I’d love to get out of the house for an evening. A date it is then.”
Flashing her a grateful expression, I squeeze her hand once more. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Donovan is a meddling prick,” Logan complains as he pushes a file across the desk to me. “Dunaway couldn’t give two shits if I were there or not. But Donovan’s up to something. I want you to keep an eye on him at the party. He’s probably trying to get to Nadia.”
His eyes darken at the mention of her name. He pulls his phone from his pocket and types in the same six numbers as before. I’m not sure what his phone controls but it has something to do with Nadia. Lately, my hate for her has dimmed to almost nothing. Now that I’ve been around her on several occasions, I’m starting to feel sorry for her.
What if it were Kasey in her shoes?
I’d fucking kill Logan for even looking at her wrong.
But Nadia?
They’re the same age. Both with a fiery, strong personality. Two women who attract the wrong types of men in droves.
I’m not sure why my hate has waned, but it has. I’ve been clinging on to it for so long that I feel empty and incomplete without it. Maybe it’s Amethyst who’s making it too hard to remain in the shadows now that I’ve been blinded by her light. My heart’s just no longer one hundred percent in it. Logan has already fucked her up beyond repair. Not to mention, I despise the fact that she’s been spending the past decade looking for my sister too. Perhaps she’s not the evil villain I’ve painted her to be. And that notion fucking scrambles my brain.
“You can’t keep them away from each other forever,” I tell him pointedly. “She’s his family and he’s stubborn as hell. Do you really think he’ll sit by idly while you sweep her off her feet and marry her?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose and grunts, frustration wrinkling up his forehead. “I don’t trust him not to try and coax her away from me. She won’t go, but he’ll try.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I lean back in my chair, affixing him with a serious stare. “Are you good to her?”
The fucker has the audacity to smirk. “I’ve given her more than she could ever dream of. Nadia’s not going anywhere. But Donovan’s stupid enough to try anyway and it pisses me the hell off.”
“Hmmm.”
He changes the subject. “Talked to the DA about Dale. Slam dunk case. With Dale’s prior convictions and record coupled with the accident where he killed both Rhodes’s pregnant wife and the bar fly he was fucking named Gina Ratliff, he’ll rot in prison. How’s your mom holding up?”
I grit my teeth. I’d wanted to strangle Dale after what he did but there was never an opportunity. Prison just seems like too easy of a sentence after all he’s done. “She’s fine. I spoke to her on the phone a couple of times this week. All she does is rehash the entire fight she’d had with Dale beforehand as if the accident is somehow her fault. Thank fuck she’s been staying away from The Lounge though. I think she’s depressed but after some time away from him, maybe she can get her shit straight.”
“What about Rhodes?” he questions. “He holding any hard feelings toward you?”
Frowning, I shake my head. “No, he knows how much I hated that asshole. He just wants justice for his wife and baby.”
My phone beeps and I pull it up to see I’ve received a text from Amethyst.
Ames: I’m going to try and buddy up to her tonight when I meet her…I’ll fish for information about your sister.
Her text has my calm demeanor faltering and I sit up quickly to reply back.
Me: Let it go, A. I’ll get my answers eventually.
Logan, noticing my distraction swivels in his chair to face his safe behind his desk. From over my phone I pay attention as he types in the six numbers—six numbers that are different than the ones he types on his phone. Exactly backwards to be exact. My first instinct is to drive right over to see Nadia and try this code on the door. But, a part of me, the old me, still wants something in return for it. I may not necessarily want to fuck her or even ruin her, but I really want for her to remember something about that day. Anything.
Ames: Black or red? I’m at the mall and trying to decide on dresses.
I lift my gaze from my phone and see him move a file to pull out a small handful of hundred dollar bills. After he shoves the file back into place, he slams the safe shut and jerks his head to look at me.
But my eyes are back on my phone responding back to Amethyst’s text.
Me: Whichever one shows more skin…
Logan clears his throat and narrows his eyes at me. Curiosity is killing him. It’s painted all over his face—his eyes nosily trying to read what’s on my screen. Tucking my phone into my front pocket, I raise an eyebrow at him.
“What’s with the money?”
He grunts as he stands and shoves it his pocket. “Nadia’s going to need something to wear. I’m going to take her shopping. I want eyes on Donovan before the party. Make sure he isn’t planning something stupid.” His hand motions toward the do
or and I take my cue to leave.
“Donovan’s always up to something. He likes to win,” I tell him as we exit his office. He closes the door behind him and locks it.
“Well, I like to win too,” he says with a smirk. “And this time I will win.”
Donovan strides from the lodge, a glare marring his features, as he approaches my car. When he taps the glass, I roll down my window.
“Don’t you think you should go get ready for the party instead of following my ass around all day? Doesn’t that fucker have better things to worry about than me?” he demands and crosses his arms over his chest. “Besides, I thought we talked about this. You said you’d help me.”
“No, I said I’d see what I could do. Anyway, I’m about to leave to go change and then pick up Amethyst. He’s my boss, Donovan,” I tell him with a shrug. “I have to do what he says.”
He leans into my car and scowls. “Fine. Whatever. It doesn’t matter because I have a plan.”
My brows shoot up. “What sort of plan?”
“I need to get her alone so I can talk to her. Logan’s gotten inside her head, and I want to find out what it is he’s using against her. If this is some blackmail bullshit, I’ll pay him off. I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out from under his roof and back under mine.” He begins pacing next to my car.
“I doubt he’s blackmailing her,” I say carefully, “but I have seen them together. He’s kind of possessive. Do you think he hurts her?”
I’ve done it.
I kicked the angry hornets’ nest.
Donovan’s gaze snaps to mine with a murderous glare. “What are you saying? Do you know something you’re not telling me? Is he fucking putting his hands on her?” he snarls in a furious rage, his shoulders heaving with each breath he takes. “So help me. If she has one single bruise—”
“I’m not saying he does hurt her,” I lie. “But I’m asking what if he did?”
