Heat scorched her cheeks. It wasn’t like that.
Rather than defend herself, she said, “If you’ve come to lecture me, I don’t want to hear it. I’m not the one who assumed things that weren’t true.” She stroked the horse’s neck, avoiding Zach’s gaze.
He snorted. “I wouldn’t have assumed if you hadn’t given me a reason to assume. You never once corrected me or denied it. In fact, almost everything you’ve told me has been a lie. And now I think I know why.”
Her gaze snapped to his. She couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes, but it made her heart stop. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She jerked her gaze away.
“Why didn’t you run?” he asked softly. “You could have been long gone by the time I got back here. I figured you would be.”
She swallowed, forced herself to meet his gaze. “Because I couldn’t abandon Curtis. And because I knew that even though I pissed you off, even though I hurt you with the lies,” she lowered her gaze, “you would never harm me, that you would still protect me, and that I’m safer here with you close by than out there on my own.” She chanced a quick glance at him.
An emotion she couldn’t decipher flashed across his face before he hardened his features into an inscrutable mask.
“What makes you think I would protect you now that you’ve used me?”
She drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled. “Because you’re a good man.”
Something flickered in his eyes—Hurt? Anger?—then disappeared. “Still trying to play me, aren’t you?” His gaze narrowed. “That line won’t work on me anymore.”
“It’s not a line,” she whispered. “It’s the truth.”
They stared at each other.
Meg needed to get away from him. Now. Maybe she should have run when she had the chance.
She slid off Prince’s back on the opposite side to where Zach stood. She led the horse to the gate, relieved she’d ridden bareback today, for it made it easier for her to dismount.
“Meghan Elizabeth Gardner,” Zach said softly, following her. “That name fits you better than Kim.”
She stiffened. Meg tried to ignore him, but when he stepped up next to her and reached out to open the gate for her, she leapt back, bumping into her horse.
Zach frowned. “Why are you so jumpy Meghan?”
No one had called her that for years. The sound of her name on his lips made her pulse quicken. Without answering, Meg dragged Prince into the corral and turned the horse loose. Her heart pounding, she headed for the small barn to hang up the horse’s bridle, hoping Zach wouldn’t follow.
But he did. Of course he did. He wanted answers. She had a feeling he wouldn’t let her go until he got what he was seeking.
He entered the barn behind her. The building was too small to be considered a true barn and contained no horse stalls. It was more like a shed where she kept her tack and some yard items, like a lawnmower, a weed whacker, a shovel and a rake. Her two saddles sat on stands near the wall. Various bridles, halters and other tack hung from nails on the wall above the saddles.
She hung up Prince’s bridle and stepped up to the small, square-shaped window in the south wall directly behind her. She turned her back to Zach, wishing he’d go away. But he moved up behind her, his heat, his scent, his very presence consuming her. The barn was too confining of a place to be alone with him. She couldn’t breathe with him standing so close. She spun around to face him.
“Like I said, the deal’s off and I’m not telling you anything.” She glared up at him.
“Oh, you’re going to talk all right,” he said softly, taking a step closer to her, forcing her to lean back against the wall. “I can think of all kinds of ways I can torture the truth out of you.”
All the blood seeped out of her face. She swallowed hard, unable to take her gaze off his. He was a former Marine. She imagined he knew all sorts of ways to torture the enemy. And right now she was the enemy because she’d lied to him. She’d hurt him.
“Seeing as how you don’t like people in your personal space, I can torture you by getting too close.” He took another step forward, leaned his hands against the wall on either side of her, and lowered his head until his face was mere inches from hers.
Her heart pounded harder, faster. She sucked in a breath. Her gaze never left his.
“Talk to me,” he ordered, his gaze hard on hers. “Tell me why you left Spokane in a rush.”
She shook her head. “No.”
He lifted a hand toward her. She froze, her gaze following his hand as it headed toward her face. “Seeing as how you don’t like to be touched, I figure I can torture you by touching you here…” He gently trailed his finger down her cheek. She shivered and turned her face away.
“And here…” He removed his hand from her cheek and gently ran a finger down her arm, making goosebumps spring up along her skin.
“D-don’t,” she whispered, jerking her gaze back to his.
“And here…” His voice grew husky. He lifted his hand from her arm and gently trailed a finger down her throat, heading toward her breasts, pausing at the top of her cleavage. Meg’s breathing grew rapid. She couldn’t move. Her knees went weak.
“S-stop it,” she whispered, begging him with her eyes. “Don’t do this. Please.” She thought she might faint. She gasped in a breath. “Okay, you win. I’ll tell you whatever you want.”
Satisfaction glimmered in his eyes. “This is pure torture for you, sweetheart, I can tell. But dammit, it’s a far worse torture for me.” He stepped back abruptly and she sagged against the wall, breathing heavily. “I can’t do this to myself,” he muttered, swearing softly. He turned away from her and drew in a ragged breath.
Meg stared at his broad back, unable to move. She struggled to get her breathing under control. Had touching her affected him as much as it had her?
Slowly he turned back around, his gaze hard once again.
Meg cleared her throat. “Okay. Obviously you know who I am now. I’m sorry I had to deceive you. I didn’t want to, I just…just wanted to protect you.”
He eyed her with disbelief. “From what? I’m a cop.”
“You don’t think I know that?” She hitched in a breath. “I never wanted to hurt you, Zach. If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from me.”
“You don’t think all your lies haven’t hurt me?”
She flinched. “I’m sorry.” Why did the thought of hurting him hurt her so much? Her heart squeezed.
He stared at her, hard. “I only know what was in the record. It’s what wasn’t in the record that I’m curious about. Can you tell me about that?”
“No,” she whispered. “You won’t believe me.” She wasn’t telling him. He could torture her all he wanted. Telling him would only mess up her plans.
He sighed. “You’re an attorney.”
She jerked her head in a quick nod. “Yes.”
“Why aren’t you practicing law anymore? Why did you go into hiding?”
“I had no choice,” she whispered. She’d known he would have questions, but she still hadn’t been prepared for this…interrogation.
“You’re on the Missing Persons list. Why did you run?”
She pulled her gaze back to his. “It’s not against the law to leave town and not tell anyone where you are. I haven’t committed a crime.”
His face filled with frustration. “Dammit, what are you hiding from? Why did you run away?”
Her heart raced. She didn’t want to answer him. “What makes you think I ran away?”
He raised a brow. “You changed your identity and your appearance. If you’re not hiding, then what the hell are you doing?”
She stared down at the floor. Should she tell him? Could she trust him? No. But she could test him, see what he knew. And then decide whether or not to tell him anything else.
“Because of the bounty,” she whispered at last, lifting her gaze to his.
Something flickered in his eyes, then was gone. He knew about the b
ounty. The only way he could know about the bounty was if he was one of them.
So why hadn’t he turned her in yet?
Terror gripped her. He was up to something.
She couldn’t tell him anymore. It was too dangerous.
Run Meg!
“Are you a fugitive from the law?” he asked.
Meg couldn’t breathe. She had to get away from him. She tried to move past him, but he blocked her exit.
“Answer me.”
She puffed out a breath. “You could say that, I suppose.”
A dark brow shot up. “You suppose? What does that mean? Talk to me.” He leaned down until his face was almost touching hers.
“How did you know about the bounty?” she whispered. She held her breath while she awaited his response.
He hesitated. “You just told me.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You already knew.”
She darted underneath his arm and raced for the door.
Run Meg! He’s one of them!
He swore softly behind her. The wooden floor of the shed creaked as he thundered after her.
Meg sprinted out the barn door and across the yard, heading for the back porch. If she could get inside her house, she could lock the door. Lock him out.
Her heart thundering, she ran.
Zach caught her just as she reached the porch steps. Snagging her good arm, he spun her around. She reared back against the railing as he leaned close, his big body blocking any chance of escape. Breathing hard, she stared up into his face.
“What’s the matter with you?” His gaze held hers. “Why’d you just run?”
“You’re one of them.” Her throat clogged. She swallowed hard. “You lied. Let me go.”
His brow arched up. “I lied? You’ve got that all wrong, sweetheart. You’re the liar.”
She squirmed against the rail, trying to ease away from him. “Please. Let me go.” She hated being called a liar. It was what she’d been accused of, taunted with, over and over, fifteen years ago, when she’d told the truth. No one had believed her.
Liar. Liar.
He moved closer, his body almost touching hers. Her heart pounded. Her breathing quickened. Awareness crackled between them. Heat flushed her cheeks. She’d never been so aware of a man’s closeness before, so aware of his hard, muscular body. She shivered with unexpected longing. Dammit, how could she yearn for a man who scared the hell out of her?
His gaze flickered down to her heaving chest, then darted back to her face.
“Not until you tell me what you’re talking about. I’m one of who?”
“One of them,” she whispered. “You want to collect on the bounty.”
Zach took a step back, but he kept his arms on the rail on either side of her head. “Tell me about this bounty. I’ve never heard of it.”
“Liar,” she whispered. “When I mentioned it a moment ago, I could tell you already knew about it. You’re one of them.”
He studied her for a long moment without speaking. “Curtis told me about the bounty right before I came out here to see you. But he didn’t tell me what it was about or who posted it. That’s how I knew.” His gaze hardened as he stared at her, daring her to argue. “And that’s all I know. Tell me about the bounty, Meghan.”
Was he telling the truth? She drew in a tremulous breath. How would she be able to tell if he was lying?
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
His gaze tunneled into hers. “How can you ask me that when you’ve told me nothing but lies since the night we met?”
Heat swam into her cheeks. “I had to lie to protect myself. And my lies didn’t hurt anyone. I’m not a threat to anyone. You are.”
His face darkened. “I’m a threat?” His soft words belied the anger on his face. “How so?”
A tic hit her then. “Bad, bad, bad cop.” Her arm twitched, once, twice.
He stepped back suddenly, removing his hands from the railing. Meg stumbled forward and almost fell. Righting herself, she glared up at him.
“You think I’m a bad cop?” he asked, his words filled with disbelief.
Meg didn’t know what to think. She was confused. And scared. She just wanted to run far away from him.
So she did just that.
Racing up the porch steps, she ran for the back door. Terrified of being caught. Afraid he was one of them.
She had to get away.
Her heart in her throat, Meg reached for the handle on the screen door.
* * *
Zach stared after her in disbelief. When had she become so afraid of him? What had he done to frighten her so much?
That damn bounty.
He thundered up the steps after her, slamming the screen door shut as she tried to open it.
Meghan cried out when he wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her back against him. She squirmed and struggled, trying to break free, even using her cast as a weapon as she pounded it against his chest. Dammit, she was turning him on. All her struggling made him extremely aware of her soft, curvy body against his and reminded him how much he wanted her. It took all his willpower to not push her up against the house and kiss away all her lies. Kiss her until all she could think about was him and the passion he knew smoldered between them, just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt.
“Stop running from me,” he whispered in her ear. “Stop fighting. I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t know anything about the bounty. Don’t you think if I’d already known about the bounty and wanted to collect on it, that I would have taken you in?”
She stopped struggling as his words sank in. She went limp, panting hard. Zach set her down on the porch, but he didn’t let go of her. He was afraid if he did, she’d just run again. Besides, he liked touching her, liked feeling her soft curves beneath his hands. A jolt of desire surged through him, heating his blood. He dropped his hands.
“Tell me about this bounty that’s got you so afraid of me all of a sudden.”
She shook her head. A tear trickled down her cheek. “If you haven’t heard of it, that means you’re an honest cop.” Her breath hitched again and she turned away from him. Zach kept his body planted between hers and the porch steps in case she decided to flee again. He leaned one hand against the screen door so she couldn’t escape inside the house.
An image of him pursuing her through the forest flashed through his mind. Catching and subduing her, trailing soft kisses all over her hot little body, hearing her pant his name with breathless need…made him rock hard with longing. He almost wanted her to flee again so he could catch her.
Shit. Get your mind out of the gutter.
He cleared his throat. “Why do you say that?”
“Because it’s not broadcast over the regular channels. It’s secret. Only criminals or bad cops know about it. Why do you think Deputy Bailey took me out of the jail? He wanted to collect on the bounty.”
“How much is the bounty?”
“Ten grand.”
“Who posted the bounty?”
She hesitated, her gaze bouncing to his, then away. “Larry Cummings.”
What? No way. But what if she was telling the truth this time? He digested that for a moment. “Does this bounty have anything to do with the accusation you made against Sheriff Cummings fifteen years ago?”
Her gaze flicked up to his. Her cheeks flushed. “Yes.” She backed up a step, coming up against the railing.
“You accused the man of murdering your parents,” Zach whispered. “That’s a pretty serious accusation.”
She glared at him. “It wasn’t an accusation. It was the truth.”
Zach studied her face. She held his gaze defiantly. “The assistant district attorney wouldn’t take the case because the coroner ruled your parents’ deaths a murder/suicide. There was no evidence to implicate Cummings.”
A tear trickled down her cheek. “Larry bragged to me that he killed them. Yes, no one believed me. But at least it put Larry in the spotlight
where he didn’t want to be. It had to make some people question what kind of man he truly was.”
Zach stared into those big turquoise eyes, but he could find no signs that would indicate she was lying. She was dead serious.
Damn. If she was telling the truth, then the Spokane County Sheriff had posted an illegal bounty out on her. Could the man really want her dead? Why now? Fifteen years was a long time to hold a grudge. Why hadn’t he gone after her sooner? Zach couldn’t hide his skepticism.
“The prosecution didn’t have any concrete evidence,” he said. “So you went to the media. You were mocked and ridiculed for trying to implicate a man of authority in your parents’ deaths. The media made you out to be a liar, a bratty kid who wanted attention, a vindictive girl who tried to slander an upstanding county official with your ridiculous lies.”
Her expression hardened, her gaze narrowing on him. “That’s why I didn’t tell you who I was. I knew you’d jump to conclusions and judge me without knowing me. You’re going to believe whatever you want, anyway. I’m done defending myself.” She turned her face away.
Zach sighed. He hated to admit she was right. If he’d known who she was from the beginning, he probably wouldn’t have believed anything she said and most likely would have prejudged her. But had she been telling the truth? Or had she been a vindictive girl trying to get attention?
Zach rubbed his tired neck muscles. “Why did you go into hiding? Did he threaten you?”
She turned her head and met his gaze again. “The private investigator I hired to follow him was found murdered in his home. I have no doubt Larry tortured him before killing him, and that he made the guy talk. Larry knows I’m investigating him and he wants me to stop. That’s why he put out the bounty.”
Zach swore softly. This was worse than he’d imagined.
“And your husband?”
Sadness filled her eyes. “He disappeared the same day the P.I. was murdered. I knew it wasn’t a coincidence, so I fled.”
Zach believed her. He cleared his throat. “Were you telling the truth fifteen years ago? And why in hell are you investigating Cummings now?”
She glared at him. “Yes, I told the truth fifteen years ago. And I’m investigating him now because I plan to take the bastard down. He won’t get away with what he’s done.”
Deceived (Unlikely Heroes Book 3) Page 18
