Too Far Gone

by HelenKay Dimon

  Leah dropped a handful of chips on her paper plate. “I told him to get out of the house.”

  “And did he?” Getting the whole story seemed to be taking way too long.

  Her friends usually talked until they stumbled over each other. Today Sophie and Leah doled out information a bite at a time. Grace had done the same thing earlier. It was like they got together and decided to be extra difficult.

  “I was overruled by the men of the household.” Leah got the sentence out through a clenched jaw.

  Sophie laughed. “Thus explaining her grumpy mood.”

  “Declan is in hiding.” Leah’s eyes gleamed. “But he’ll have to come find me soon or it will be a long night for him.”

  A version of the fight played in Mallory’s mind. She didn’t even need to be there to see Leah all feisty on her behalf. Declan and Sophie probably came up with rational arguments and tried to calm things down. Leah would have blown up. Mallory loved that about her.

  Without parents or a safety net, Mallory had learned to rely on herself. She didn’t ask for anything. Didn’t expect anything. She assumed friends would leave her if things got tough or the road got hard.

  Not Leah. She stuck. She took Mallory in. When Marc Baron, Leah’s father, insisted Leah could find better friends, she fought him. She spent most of her life being afraid of him and his temper, but when she faced the possibility of losing Mallory’s friendship forever, Leah stood up to the obstinate man. The same man who refused to speak with her so long as she dated Declan.

  The friendship meant everything, and one day Mallory would come up with a way to tell Leah that.

  “Again I say, so . . .”

  Mallory jumped in before Sophie could put the rest of her thoughts into words. “We’re over.”

  Sophie frowned. “You and Walker?”

  The comment made Mallory wonder what topic Sophie had been following since she stepped inside Gossamer.

  “The mailman. Our wild sex is over.” When Sophie continued to stare Mallory dropped the sarcasm. “Yes, Walker. Who else would I be talking about?”

  “I’m having trouble keeping up since I didn’t even know you two were dating until a few weeks ago.” Sophie’s eyebrow rose in challenge. “That’s judgment you hear in my voice, by the way. I can’t believe I have to pick this sort of delicious gossip up on the street.”

  “That will teach you to leave town with Beck,” Leah said.

  Just when Mallory got to thinking Sophie was the quiet one, she’d show her formidable backbone. There was more than one reason Beck loved her. Something beyond the whole hot brunette thing Sophie had going on.

  “She hid the relationship.” Leah pinned Mallory with a we’re-going-to-talk-about-this frown. “She knew it was something she should hide.”

  “That’s not true.” For God’s sake, that made her sound like a child. Mallory didn’t accept that. She had her reasons for keeping her private life private.

  “Then why?” Sophie asked.

  “Walker’s vendetta against the Hanovers. Because there was something kind of sexy about having him all to myself.” The explanation sounded hollow to Mallory. Truth was she hated being Walker’s dirty little secret. She also feared losing him, which turned around and happened anyway. “Because I had temporary brain freeze brought on by good kissing. Hell, I don’t know.”

  Sophie’s eyes narrowed. “Oh my God, you really like him. Big-time like him. Maybe more.”

  The book club members stopped talking and started staring at Mallory again. She hated that.

  With a wave, she sent them back to their business and lowered her voice to try to preserve some dignity in hers. “We slept together. Admittedly, a lot.”

  “Hmm.” Sophie swallowed a bite of her sandwich. “I bet he was good.”

  “Sophie!” Leah’s expression held a mixture of horror and whatever was worse than that. The color actually left her face as her eyes bulged.

  Mallory thought that reaction was a bit overboard. By any standard Walker ranked as attractive. He had the tall-dark-and-brooding thing down cold. Add in the mysterious streak and the way he took command of her body in the bedroom and Mallory found him irresistible. Well, almost. She planned on working up a resistance to him over the next few days.

  “What? He wears those suits. How can I not wonder what’s under there?” Sophie stopped when Leah made a strangled noise but then continued again. “I mean, he’s good-looking. You have to admit that.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Mallory was pretty sure Leah would go to her grave hating Walker and insisting he looked like a troll. That made dating him even harder. Callen hated Walker, Declan hated Walker. Hell, everyone Mallory knew hated Walker. Not exactly the perfect situation for group dating.

  Not that it mattered now.

  “Well, I’m just sorry I’m going to miss how this plays out.” Sophie dragged the chip bag closer to her and started munching.

  Mallory watched one chip after another disappear. Further proof life wasn’t fair. She looked at an empty chip bag and gained a pound.

  Rather than dwell on her skirt size, she focused on the other issue in her life. The one she planned to put behind her.

  “It’s over with Walker.” Yeah, she’d said that already, but repetition was a good thing and it might convince Sophie.

  Leah nodded. “That’s right it is.”

  Sophie performed the perfect eyeroll, complete with a snorting sound. “Don’t be dumb. That man made it sound like he was thinking about coming after you, even if Leah did try to kill him. How are you going to resist that?”

  That sounded like a public declaration, the exact opposite of what Mallory expected from Walker. “He did?”

  “Do not get excited by the idea of him playing the tough guy.” Leah didn’t say “stay strong” but it sounded like she wanted to. Then she turned to Sophie. “And what do you mean by ‘miss how this plays out’? Where are you going?”

  “We’re really not supposed to be back in town. Beck still has to check out a bunch of legal aid offices, so we’re doing this circle around numerous counties and through three states and hitting them all.”

  That sounded so boring. Mallory almost fell asleep during the explanation. “What do you do while he works?”

  “Who do you think is cataloging all the stuff we found in the yard?”

  “Good old Charlie and his equally corrupt mother. Nice of them to steal so much that your job takes months instead of an hour.” Mallory still couldn’t believe the guy ran law enforcement in circles, scammed all those innocent people and died with almost no possessions in his name while his mother sat on a pile of items worth a buttload of money.

  At some point he or his mother, or both, had buried the majority of the items he stole right under their feet. Smart move since nothing about Shadow Hill could be traced back to Charlie. No, grandma Nanette used the insurance proceeds when her husband died to buy the property. She then used the considerable acreage to bury the evidence—literally.

  As if anyone needed further proof that Charlie was an awful person. The only new information was that he took after his mother in that regard. So many people, including Walker, believed Charlie passed that messed-up criminal gene to Beck, Declan and Callen. Mallory knew better. She hoped Walker would get the hint soon.

  “I’m cross-referencing, matching up items with claims and figuring out what is still missing. Just gathering all the information and putting it in one place in a common-sense way took weeks.” Sophie smiled. “I’m kind of good at it. Who knew?”

  The idea of Sophie excelling at whatever she put her mind to was not a surprise to Mallory. Sophie had a quiet determination. She didn’t let ego limit her. When she needed to be in Shadow Hill to hunt for the jewelry Charlie stole from her aunt, Sophie took the only job available—housekeeper. She claimed not to have on ounce of aptitude for it but in truth that didn’t matter. She appreciated hard work and threw in to help whenever possible. She also got B
eck out of the deal.

  Still, sitting in a room looking at paperwork all day made something buzz in Mallory’s brain. Kind of like the same noise static made. “That kind of work sounds awful.”

  “It’s better than going into the office with Beck. I did that one day and after ten minutes of legal talk I wanted to put my head through a window.”

  That sounded about right to Mallory. “Gotta love lawyers. So. Much. Talking.”

  “Like Walker.” Sophie’s knowing look suggested she had access to some special secret.

  “He’s one?” Leah dropped her sandwich on the plate without taking a bite and stared at Mallory. “Does that make him more or less sexy to you?”

  The big brain to go with the other impressive parts of him . . . yeah, that was a win. “You don’t want me to answer that.”

  “Anyway.” Sophie made the word last for about ten syllables. “Beck shifted his schedule around to be here for a few days. He says he has stuff to discuss with Declan and Callen and a bunch of things to figure out as to Walker.”

  “I don’t like the sound of any of that,” Leah said.

  “Me neither.” To Mallory that meant Walker was staying in Sweetwater, at least for a short time. She needed him gone. Her will when it came to blocking him was not very strong. Despite everything, she really cared for the guy. Like loved him, except she refused to use that word or think that word for more than a second or even let that possibility seep into her brain.

  “Take it up with Beck. I’m too busy trying to figure out which diamond rings Charlie may have pawned and which ones he buried.” Sophie went back to eating her sandwich and grabbing chips between bites.

  “I really hate Charlie.” Really, she did. She never met the guy and didn’t have to. Some days Mallory wanted to dig his body up and punch him. He’d died before he ever saw a trial. Before he mended things with his children. Before he told the truth and gave some relief to his family and his victims.

  Not that there were any signs of him wanting to make amends at any point. The guy was a complete selfish bastard. His sons may have inherited his good looks and charm . . . well, some of them. But they didn’t get his ability to destroy without conscience. Thank God.

  The chime rang out above the door. Mallory finished chewing before glancing up to welcome the newcomer. Then she froze.

  Walker sauntered right in, bringing the cool wind behind him. He moved up the aisle, nodding in welcome to the women around the store. Gathering attention as he moved.

  He was a man who commanded attention. You had to work not to notice him. He towered over six feet and wore a dark suit that skimmed his body and showed off his muscular but lean frame.

  His steps were sure and he looked forward, never breaking eye contact with her. It was that intense focus, the way he honed in on her and made her feel like the most important woman in the room, that attracted her first. Then he wooed her with meals and visits to the store. He used to come near closing time and join her upstairs to watch television or talk about how wrong crime shows got everything.

  She’d lasted exactly four days before dragging him to bed. He didn’t hesitate to show her what he liked—being in charge—and she’d loved every minute of it.

  All those memories and thoughts ran through her head as his dress shoes clicked against her hardwood floor. Drops of water gathered on his suit and glistened on the ends of his hair. He wiped a hand through the strands and it all fell back into place.

  Perfect, as always. How the hell was she supposed to develop an immunity to him? She couldn’t look at him without going breathless.

  From the way Leah jumped to her feet and tried to glare him into stopping, she clearly did not suffer from the same affliction. “What are you doing here?”

  “Visiting Mallory.” He stopped next to her chair and stared down at her.

  “You’re not welcome,” Leah said in a voice loud enough to stop all of the conversation in the store.

  Walker never broke eye contact with Mallory. “Tough.”

  Leah dropped back into her chair. “Tell me again why you ever slept with him.”

  That was not a mystery. Mallory had a long list of “pros” on that score. “I could but you won’t like hearing about most of the information on that list.”

  “Right.” Leah held up a hand before grabbing for her water bottle again. “Save it.”

  Sophie took a softer, quieter approach. “But she has a point. What are you doing here, Agent Reeves?”

  “Call me Walker.”

  “And the answer is?” Mallory nearly bit through her cheek waiting.

  He glanced around the room. This time he gave the customers a wave. “For one of the few times in my life I’m causing a scene.”

  Mallory pushed down the whirling in her stomach. “Why?”

  He didn’t hesitate. “For you.”

  “That’s charming.” Leah was being sarcastic, but it kind of was. More than one woman in the room went starry-eyed.

  Which meant Mallory had to put an end to the visit right now. “Don’t make me call Police Chief Darber.”

  Walker actually smiled. The guy rarely smiled. “The police around here don’t scare me.”

  “The guy might be older but he does carry a gun.” Seemed logical to Mallory.

  “So do I.” Walker shrugged and his jacket moved.

  Mallory got a peek at the side holster. So freaking hot. There was just something about a man who protected for a living. Sure, he’d gotten sidetracked with his hunt to find evidence against Callen, which was really more personal than business, but at heart Walker defended and investigated and tried to make things right.

  Mallory had lived the other side of protection. The part where you worried about the landlord who came to the door and hoped your relatives didn’t decide leaving you somewhere would be more financially beneficial than having to feed you. She spent her life in a sort of hiding, trying not to stick out or draw attention because that could mean being sent away. Again.

  Not one to share her life story, she’d given Walker little peeks into her childhood but no real information. She’d planned to reveal more . . . but then he left town without telling her and the things she wanted to say to him suddenly included a lot of profanity.

  She called on the well of anger now, pushing out the whole wanting-to-strip-him-bare thing. “Walker, this is my business. I don’t want you waltzing in here, bringing trouble.”

  He nodded. “Fine.”

  That was almost too easy. “Good.”

  “Looks like we have an agreement.” Leah asked. “Why are you still here then?”

  “To make something clear to Mallory.” His voice rang out clear and steady through the store. He didn’t whisper or try to hide.

  No, he was right this was new. This time Walker didn’t try to keep things quiet. Mallory didn’t know if she should welcome or dread the change, but she did want to hear what he had to say. Clearly the whole store did, since the customers seemed to be holding their collective breath.

  That only made her want him to get to it. “Say whatever you’re going to say.”

  “I’m going to fix this.” He reached out and touched her hair. Just a brush of his fingertips then his hand was gone. “Us.”

  The words and the intimate caress sent a shiver spinning through her. “There is no ‘us.’”

  “Wrong.” His focused stayed centered on her. “I’m not sure what we are or what we have, but we need to figure it out. Without hiding or ignoring it.”

  She wanted to lean in. Bring his hand back but she couldn’t let him know that. “I don’t think—”

  He winked at her. “Yeah, don’t.”

  Then his hands were on her forearms and he lifted her out of her chair as if she weighed nothing. He had his arms around her waist and his mouth over hers. The blinding kiss shattered her control. Took her resistance and spiked it against the floor.

  His warm mouth covered hers and his palms moved up to frame her face. Her
heartbeat roared in her ears as the world fell away until only the two of them stood there. His arms. His lips. His firm thighs against her.

  She grabbed on to his shoulders and held on. Kissing him touched off something primal inside her. Her skin flushed hot and she had to beat back the need to climb all over him.

  He saved her a heap of embarrassment by pulling back. His hand cradled her chin and his thumb traced her lips. “You want honesty, disclosure and wooing? You’ve got it.”

  She tried to form words. The first couple attempts amounted to little more than puffs of air but then she kicked something half intelligible out. “You’re only here for a few days.”

  He frowned at her. “Since when?”

  Either this was news or she’d lost the ability to understand sentences. “What are you saying?”

  “We’re not over.” He dropped one last firm kiss on her mouth before lowering his hands. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Her mind refused to work. “For what?”

  “That’s the day we start a second time.”

  Leah glared at him. “And if she doesn’t want to?”

  “I’m betting everything I have and everything I am that she does.” And with that he walked back down the length of the store and out into the rainy afternoon.

  Chapter Six

  Walker roamed the perimeter of the open backyard area of the Shadow Hill property. He meant to make the journey alone, take some time to think things out and work on a Mallory strategy, but Grace tagged along. So much for that idea.

  The rain stopped falling but gray puffy clouds blanketed the sky. Wet grass squished under his feet. Maybe the suit and dress shoes weren’t the best choice for this venture after all.

  “You made quite an impression with the ladies in town today.” With her arms crossed above her growing stomach and her quilted jacket pulled tight around her, Grace matched her stride to his.

  “It seemed like a bold gesture was needed.” He slowed his steps. Despite her being tall and athletic, his walk equaled her running and the last thing he wanted was for her to slip and fall.