by Brenda Novak
The surprise on Stuart’s face told Sophia he hadn’t expected her to take such a hard line. But this was her jail, and she wouldn’t put up with him heckling a prisoner. Especially since Rod had had enough of that kind of abuse while growing up.
“What the hell, Sophia? You’re taking his side?” Stuart complained.
She didn’t care if he liked it or not. It was about time someone in Bordertown took Rod’s side. “He didn’t start this. You did.”
“This is screwed up, that’s what it is,” he said, and stomped out.
In the silence that followed, Rod didn’t speak. He returned to his cot and glared at her as if he suddenly resented her as much as he had before. “I don’t need you to stick up for me.”
“You’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t need anyone.” She unlocked the cell. “But since you’ve already sent my evidence to a lab, there’s nothing to be gained by keeping you in here. I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Let’s go.”
His eyes shifted to the door. “Where?”
“I’m driving you back to the motel.”
No response.
“Are you coming or not?” she asked.
“Will you be staying there with me?”
The shift from anger to lust knocked her off balance again. “No. Whatever insanity possessed me before is gone.”
He came toward her with the restrained energy of someone who used only a fraction of his true strength. “Have you ever slept with my half brother?”
She scowled. She hadn’t even been tempted, but she wasn’t about to reveal that and create a challenge he couldn’t resist. “Every weekend.”
“You’re lying.”
“Either way, it’s none of your business. I’m not getting involved in the family feud.”
“We both want you. That means you’re already involved.”
We both want you. Those words made her heart pound until she could feel every beat in her fingertips. On a very primal level, she wanted him, too. Somehow, the uncomfortable feeling he’d given her fourteen years ago had transformed into a powerful attraction.
“You don’t want me,” she clarified. “You want to punish Stuart and anyone else you blame for how miserable your life was when you lived here.”
“And you’re the weapon. Is that what you think?”
“That’s what I think.”
As he gazed down at her, she had to acknowledge that he was even more attractive up close.
“Poor beautiful Sophia,” he murmured, and when she didn’t pull away, he lowered his lips to hers.
Sophia told herself to stop him. This kiss wasn’t motivated by anything as tender as his “beautiful” compliment sounded. Deeply angry, he was trying to see if he could get more than she’d give Stuart. And once she accommodated him, he’d no longer be interested. Chances were he’d brag about the conquest tomorrow.
She wouldn’t allow him to make her look like a desperate idiot. She’d rather survive the rest of this difficult year without that kind of humiliation. But daring to kiss a wildly handsome man who was, in some ways, a stranger, made the experience all the more alluring.
“What, are you hoping Stuart will walk back in and see this?” she muttered against his warm lips.
“Hell, no. Then I’d have no chance of rounding first base.”
He was teasing her; she could hear the humor in his voice, but there was enough underlying tension to let her know he was at least half-serious.
“You have no chance now,” she said, but she didn’t balk when he drew her up against him. She slid the fingers of the hand not holding the keys into his thick hair and closed her eyes as he parted her lips.
When he touched her tongue with his, she felt her knees go weak. This was a dangerous indulgence, but one that was too welcome to refuse. When was the last time she’d been kissed? It’d been more than a year—before she’d found out about Dick’s underage lover. It seemed even longer because Dick’s kiss couldn’t compare to Rod’s. The strength Rod held in check, the contours of his firm body, even the way he moved his lips, threatened to drown her in bone-melting desire….
Only when she accidentally dropped the keys and they clattered on the floor did she realize she was getting too carried away. Summoning what resistance she had left, she let go of him and, under the guise of reclaiming the keys, stepped back. “I’ll take you back to your motel.”
The pupils of his eyes had nearly swallowed the colored irises—and he’d lost the teasing quality of a moment earlier. “As long as you bring your handcuffs.”
He shouldn’t have touched her. He’d thought getting her to assent to his kiss would finally douse the hunger that’d been burning in his gut since he was fifteen. Instead, feeling Sophia’s lips yield beneath his had whetted his appetite for deeper intimacy. He knew now that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d made love to her. Maybe that was because he wanted to best his white half brothers, as she said, but she was also the culmination of his boyhood fantasies, the prize he’d been denied. And he was pretty sure if he could have her just once, he’d be able to close that terrible chapter of his life.
That alone was worth the trip to Bordertown. Worth facing Bruce, Patrick, even Stuart. Especially Stuart. If Rod had his guess, Stuart hadn’t been able to get anywhere with Sophia. Her reaction to him would’ve been very different if they’d been intimate.
“So will you let me help with the investigation?” he asked as she drove.
“Will I really hear from the governor if I don’t?”
“It’s a distinct possibility.”
Her radio crackled; she turned down the volume. “So even if I say no, you won’t leave.”
“Nope.”
“Great.”
He pretended to be insulted. “That’s harsh.”
“You’re surprised I’m not happy about it?”
“Confused. Now that we’ve made nice, I can’t see why you’d be so eager to get rid of me. You seemed to like me well enough a few minutes ago. After the Taser part, of course. I liked you better after that part, too.”
They entered the western section of town, which was Rod’s favorite, even as a boy. “I like your body,” she admitted. “I don’t know about the rest of you.”
She was trying to offend him, to put him off, so he merely smiled. “I can accept that.”
“You’re kidding,” she said with a laugh. “Only a guy would be willing to settle for so little.”
“I admire your honesty. Besides, I’m not asking for a commitment.”
She stopped at a traffic light. “One night is enough to get me in trouble. I’ve made too many mistakes in my life already. I don’t need you to be another one.”
“You’re looking at this too seriously. Starkey was a mistake. I’d be a…temporary fling. You wouldn’t even have to take me home to meet your parents.”
His words strengthened rather than lessened her resolve. Before this moment, she hadn’t actually thought it out, hadn’t decided that she was searching for the love of her life. But his offer made her realize that she was tired of all the Mr. Wrongs and, as much as she longed for an all-consuming escape, she wasn’t really interested in a cheap fling. She wanted to find someone she could bring home to her parents—if she had the type of relationship with her parents where that would be expected, of course. “Thanks for the offer, but…I’m not sleeping with you.”
“We’ll see,” he said with a shrug.
“That’s your response?” she asked, incredulous.
He conjured up an innocent expression. “You don’t like it?”
“You don’t find it a bit cocky?”
“We’re being honest, remember?” He motioned toward the light. “It’s green.”
“Got it,” she grumbled, and accelerated.
“Living in a small town can make you a little sex-starved,” he said.
She turned the radio down even further. “How do you know I’m sex-starved?”
“Process of elimi
nation. You’re not married. And you don’t have a boyfriend. What’s a girl like you supposed to do?”
“Just because I don’t have a husband or boyfriend, doesn’t mean I’m sex-starved.”
“It’s not as if you can take care of that kind of craving via a casual encounter. The chief of police has to protect her reputation.”
She smiled. “Now you’re starting to get it.”
“No one would have to know about me. Provided we can get the door you broke to stay closed, that is,” he added.
“The door’s fixed. I called Leland after I booked you, told him what happened. I didn’t want to be responsible if your stuff got stolen. So he took the lock off the laundry room door.”
“Leland’s the manager?”
“You never knew him?”
“No, but it’s nice of him to accommodate us. That means we’ll have all the privacy we could want.”
“Until tomorrow, when you tell everyone what we did.” He began to interrupt, but she wouldn’t let him. “I can’t imagine you’d really keep your mouth shut—not when you have such good reasons for wanting others, like Stuart, to find out.”
He wouldn’t do that in a million years, but she didn’t know, did she? “That really wounds me.”
“Yeah, well, even if you don’t tell, there’s no such thing as privacy in Bordertown. You, of all people, should understand that.” She turned into the Mother Lode and stopped in front of his unit. “Besides, we have a killer to track down, which means we can’t afford any personal involvement. Getting the bad guy has to come first.”
“Can’t you wait until tomorrow to make me a coworker?”
“Nope. You wanted in, right?”
“Is this where you start talking about ethics?”
“I’m pretty sure we’ve been talking about ethics all along but, just to clarify, we can’t get involved.”
“Damn it! And here I was, hoping to make a sex tape.”
She rolled her eyes. “You really know how to break down a girl’s defenses.”
“I try.”
“Indiscriminately?”
“Sometimes.”
Letting the engine idle, she gave him a wry smile. “Forgetting sex for a moment, what lab has that cigarette butt?”
“One in San Diego. They’re reputable. If there’s any DNA, they’ll find it.”
“And you’ll share the profile with me as soon as you have it.”
“Of course. I already told you I would.”
“Wonderful. It’s been interesting. Have a good night.”
He didn’t get out. He’d finished teasing her about going inside with him, but he had other questions. “What does your gut say?” he asked. “Is it Leonard? Is he killing people in an attempt to get back at the woman who told on him for forcing her to have sex?”
“That’s my best guess. I suppose it could be a rogue border patrol agent or a disgruntled rancher— Charlie Sumpter comes to mind. But I’ve found no proof of either.”
“I’ve never met Leonard, but…his trailer looked like shit and didn’t smell much better. Seems he’s had a lot in his life go bad lately. That could cause the mildest of men to snap.”
“Exactly. Although, to be fair, his marriage was on the rocks before I ever learned about Rosita Flores. It was just a matter of time.”
“That’s the Mexican woman’s name? Rosita?”
“Yes.”
“How old was she?”
“Barely eighteen.”
He remembered his father telling him about Sophia’s former boyfriend. “That must’ve sounded a bit too familiar.”
She sobered instantly. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying he was in a position of authority, and he took advantage of that with a teenager, like the preacher who used to be your boyfriend.”
“Who told you about Dick?”
“Bruce.”
“You mean your father.”
“Bruce,” he repeated.
“Yeah, well, next time I see him I’ll have to thank him for airing my dirty laundry.”
“He likes you. He’s hoping you’ll marry Stuart.”
This evoked an incredulous laugh. “There’s no chance of that.”
“You’re sure? He’ll be a wealthy man someday.”
She glared at him, obviously upset by the implication that she could be that shallow. “Get out.”
“One more question. What did the preacher have to attract you that Stuart doesn’t?”
At first, he figured she wasn’t going to answer, but she surprised him. “I thought he had a conscience, for one,” she said. “He was religious, the opposite of Starkey. I suppose I thought the grass would be greener on the other side, as the saying goes.”
“But he cheated on you and broke your heart.”
“That pretty much sums it up. Thanks for the recap.”
“I guess what I really want to know is if you’re over it.”
She didn’t regret losing Dick, didn’t want him back. But that experience had certainly left its mark. “I’m getting there.”
“You’re dating again?”
“I’ve gone out a few times. Why?”
“Just curious.”
“About my love life?”
“I’ve been wondering if that kiss in the cell was your first since the preacher.”
“Does it matter?”
“If the answer is yes, you’ve been keeping yourself on a pretty tight leash.”
“It’s a small town. I don’t have a lot of options, as you’ve mentioned.”
“Not a lot of discreet options,” he clarified. “But there’s one.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a laugh.
He opened the door. “Tell me something.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. “What?”
“Did your stepfather ever get away with…you know…anything?” The color drained from her face, which made Rod’s muscles tense. “Because if he did, I’m going to break his jaw.”
She frowned. “Let me save you the trouble. He didn’t get away with anything. I wouldn’t let him.”
Was it true? Or was it another defense mechanism—like the one that kicked in whenever someone asked him about the Dunlaps? I don’t care about them…. I hope I never see my father again…. I don’t have a father….
“Can I break his jaw for trying?”
He expected her to tell him no, for her mother’s sake if not for any other reason. But when he saw tears in her eyes, he realized just how alone she must’ve felt in those days. And just how tired and battle weary she was right now.
Clearing her throat, she glanced away. “That’s enough catching up for one night. I’ve got to go.”
He nearly reached over to squeeze her hand. But he didn’t want her to think he pitied her. He knew from experience that pity was worse than contempt or anything else. So he got out and let her leave.
12
Sophia wasn’t sure why she’d told Rod about her stepfather. Except for Starkey and her mother, no one knew. Even her brother, Tyler, who would only feel too guilty for not being there to protect her. And it wasn’t as if she could go to her real father. After the divorce, he’d been on the verge of a complete meltdown; she couldn’t break his heart with something like this.
So why had she exposed the truth to Rod Guerrero? And why did the past seem to be so present tonight? She’d mostly forgotten that terrible year and a half, hadn’t she? Of course she had. She and her stepfather were now on speaking terms. When she attended holiday gatherings at her mother’s place, they were polite to each other. They’d never be close, but she had no business dredging up the past when they’d all moved on. The fact that she felt the need to do so didn’t make sense.
But her reaction to Rod didn’t make sense, either. So what if he was good-looking? She’d known other good-looking men who didn’t affect her in the same way. Was she drawn to him because he could so easily identify with her pain? Because
they were both struggling to overcome an earlier period in their lives that dealt with this town and its people? Or because she hoped for his understanding, maybe even his forgiveness, for standing him up at such a vulnerable age, when he’d already been going through so much?
Maybe it was a mixture…
Wrapped up in her thoughts and the lingering memory of Rod’s kiss, she almost didn’t notice the pickup parked behind the Mexican restaurant across the street. Even after she spotted it, she didn’t think much about it until the headlights came on. Then she realized that someone was inside, and got the strangest feeling that whoever it was had been watching her. She also got the impression he—or they—didn’t mind if she knew it.
Pulling a U-turn, she swung around to see if it was Stuart. It hadn’t looked like his truck, but she’d just caught a glimpse of the front grille before turning. And watching her like that was something he might do, especially if he was still angry at her for siding with Rod at the jail.
Once, when she’d gone over to Starkey’s to pick up Rafe, she’d come out to find Rod’s half brother sitting in his vehicle as if he’d followed her there. When she stopped to ask what he was doing, he’d said he was in the area to see a friend who lived nearby. But the only person Stuart knew who lived that close to Starkey was Ellen Broomsfield—someone else they’d gone to high school with. Sophia had never known Stuart to hang out with Ellen, or even be kind to her. Ellen weighed at least three hundred and fifty pounds and was virtually a recluse. A friend like that would be an embarrassment to Stuart. Sophia couldn’t imagine him visiting her.
Still, that incident hadn’t really alarmed her. Not the way this one did. The earlier one had happened in the light of day and before she’d known they had a killer in their midst. There was also the fact that she hadn’t been tempted to stay and take off her clothes for Starkey, so it hadn’t felt like such an invasion of privacy.
What if she’d decided to spend a few hours at the motel? She wouldn’t have wanted Stuart or anyone else to know about it. Although she didn’t plan on getting intimate with Rod, she wanted to feel as if she could make that decision without someone creeping around behind her, taking notes—whether she was on duty or not. Because she was always on duty. There was so much responsibility involved in being chief of police, her private and professional lives had merged. There wasn’t any other way to live if you were a small-town cop.
