Keeper of the Peace (Graveyard Guardians #2)

by Jennifer Malone Wright

  However, if she had to spend the rest of her life in prison, she would not do it while holding such a grudge.

  He put his arm out and she moved her head onto it, using him for a pillow. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Let’s let it go and just start new.”

  She closed her eyes so that she didn’t have to look at him while she said it. “David, we can’t get back together, not yet.”

  “Fine,” he agreed. “I will just have to take you on dates and try to woo you into loving me again.”

  She opened her eyes and saw that he was smiling. “I already love you. I always have,” she told him.

  He leaned over and kissed her. “Can I stay with you tonight?”

  “Of course,” she laughed. “Did you think I was going to kick you out after that?”

  “I thought it might be possible,” he joked.

  Hannah slapped at his shoulder and then pulled the comforter back so that they could slip underneath.

  “Hannah?” he asked in a more serious tone.

  “Don’t,” she answered and then yawned. “We can talk tomorrow. I just want to lay here and feel your arms around me while I fall asleep.”

  And she did.

  CHAPTER

  11

  DAVID

  He woke to the sound of the shower running and the strong scent of coffee wafting through the air.

  Nope, he hadn’t been dreaming. The spot beside him was empty, so obviously she was in the shower, but he wished that she was lying beside him so he could press his body up against hers one more time.

  A glance at the clock told him it was just after eight in the morning. Shit, he was supposed to check in at the office before heading back into town to investigate the murder some more. He wanted to go up to the labs at the hospital and make sure there wasn’t a mistake on the report.

  He could probably question Hannah about it, since she had performed the autopsy, but he didn’t want to bring up work with her just yet. They had better things to talk about.

  With a yawn, he rolled over then sat up on the side of the bed. He smiled as he saw that there was still a pile of clothes on the floor, including his gun and holster. Pushing away the comforter, he leaned over to pluck his jeans from the pile.

  Just as he grabbed hold of his pants, he spotted Hannah’s shoes. One shoe was flipped upside down so that the bottom of it was exposed. He bent and picked up the shoe, hoping that he wasn’t seeing what he was seeing.

  There, lodged into the tread of Hannah’s nursing shoe, was a tiny pebble. “Oh no. No, no, no.” He mumbled and then glanced back at the bathroom door. The shower was still going, so he grabbed his jeans and sifted through the pocket for his cell phone. Quickly, he swiped the lock and then pulled up his camera so that he could find the picture of the marred footprint.

  Holding it up beside the shoe he tried to compare. Dammit, it was too hard to tell on his phone. Clicking out of the gallery and back to the actual camera, he held up the shoe and snapped a couple of pictures.

  The shower shut off.

  The last thing he wanted was Hannah catching him taking a picture of the bottom of her shoe, so he dropped it on the floor and put his cell phone away. With a little more looking, he found his underwear and slid them on, along with his jeans and tee shirt.

  He wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. There was no way that Hannah could have killed this guy. Well, no, that’s not true. Everyone is capable of murder under certain circumstances. He had a sinking feeling that the tread in the picture was going to match the tread on the bottom of her shoe.

  Shit. What the hell was he going to do? He couldn’t just ignore this, he was a fucking detective. His duty was to enforce the law. So if it was her, he was bound by law to turn her in.

  But, what if it wasn’t her. They had this amazing night and he couldn’t ruin it by accusing her of murdering someone. Yeah, he didn’t see that scenario going over very well at all.

  The problem here was that he would do literally anything at this point, even sacrifice his job, to protect her. He didn’t ever want to see her hurt again.

  “Hey.” She appeared in the kitchen doorway, a slight grin on her face. “There you are. I thought maybe you had left while I was in the shower.”

  God, she looked amazing. She was barefoot with blue jeans and a small, black camisole tank top that showed just enough cleavage to make him want to lift her up and throw her back down on the bed in her room. Her dark red hair was damp and hung down just past her shoulders. It was rare that she wore her hair down. Well, from what he remembered anyway.

  No, there was no way she was responsible for that guy’s death. Not his Hannah.

  Pushing it all back, he decided to worry about that later and enjoy being with her. He turned and took a fresh mug down from the cabinet above him. “I wouldn’t leave like that, not without saying goodbye at least.” He poured her a cup of coffee and held it out to her.

  She accepted it and went to the fridge for creamer. “I … uh, hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “No, you didn’t, but I should have been up long ago. I have to go up to the station for a little while and do some paperwork.” While she was bent over, looking in the fridge, he checked out how nice her ass looked in those jeans. Suddenly he got a glimpse of a tattoo peeking out at him from underneath her tank top on her lower shoulder blade. “When did you get a tattoo? Let me see.”

  She turned and flashed him a grin as he approached her. Then, she turned again and moved her hair aside so that her shoulder was exposed to him. He gently moved her tank aside and got a good look at the tat. Once he saw what it was, a smile spread across his face. “Holy shit Hannah! You had the symbol of the Jedi Order tattooed on you.”

  She nodded. “Yes, yes I did.”

  “Why did you pick the Jedi Knights, of all the symbols you could have picked?”

  “Because, the Jedi is a protector, a guardian of sorts.” She faced him again.

  He stared into her eyes. “For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old republic.”

  Hannah narrowed her eyebrows. “For a guy who grew out of all of this, you sure quote Obi-Wan Kenobi, pretty well.”

  He sighed and shook his head in mock resignation and then pulled his tee shirt over his head. There, in almost the exact same spot as Hannah’s tattoo, was a duplicate of hers. “I got this because officers of the law are supposed to be keepers of the peace. Like you said, protectors … guardians.”

  He felt her fingertips move gently over his tattoo. “I think this fits you perfectly.” Her voice was soft and sincere.

  He spun around and grasped her still lifted hand, pulling her toward him. “Well, why did you pick this particular symbol?” He asked, letting go of her hand and gripping her waist.

  She pressed against him, reaching up and putting both arms around his neck. She looked up into his eyes and he saw something she was holding back. But, as quickly as he saw it, it was gone. “I guess I just have a thing for guardians and protectors.” She chuckled.

  “Prove it,” he growled, and then reached down, pulling her legs up so that he was holding her. He turned and set her on the counter. Damn, she was so beautiful, even more so than she was before he left. He leaned down, one hand on her thigh and the other resting softly on her back, and kissed her.

  She returned the kiss, so he knew that last night was not some fluke from all the tequila she had consumed. She moaned beneath his lips and their kiss deepened, becoming more urgent by the second.

  He wanted her again.

  To his pleasure, she apparently wanted him too because she ran her soft fingertips over the muscles on his chest and then slid in between the waistline of his pants and the sensitive skin underneath. His cock suddenly jumped and pushed hard against his the confines of his jeans.

  Their lips separated and they were both breathing hard. Pushing him forward just a bit, she looked up and met his gaze. Then, she sli
pped off of the counter and quickly unbuttoned her own jeans. She let them fall to the floor, stepped out of them and then went for the button on his.

  Once his pants were off, she went for his cock, taking the hard length into her hand. He threw his head back and groaned. Damn, she had a way with those hands. The mere touch of her almost sent him over the edge.

  He turned her around and helped her take off the little black tank top. She raised her arms for him as he gripped the edge and lifted it over her head. She braced herself on the counter, to keep her balance, which in turn pushed her ass up against his cock.

  Holy fuck, she was perfect. He looked down at her magnificent ass, clad in only a pair of silky pink panties. “I’m going to take you right here,” he told her, pushing himself hard up against her.

  He reached around and found her nipple, grazing the hard nub with his forefinger. She arched her back and moaned. “You better,” she whispered huskily.

  Without wasting anytime, he hooked his finger around the slick material between her legs and pulled it aside. She moaned again and wiggled her ass, begging him to be inside her. Using his knee, he spread her legs apart just a little bit more and then pushed into her.

  She cried out, arching her back and thrusting her breasts forward. Watching her was what he wanted. Hearing her cry out with such pleasure, a feeling that he was giving her, had him coming almost immediately.

  Gripping her hips, he kept thrusting, wanting to see and hear more.

  Finally, he felt the hot walls inside of her clench hard against his cock with her orgasm. That did it. He threw back his head and erupted within her.

  His legs practically turned to rubber and he fell into her, pushing her down onto the counter. “My God, you are amazing,” he whispered, his lips grazing her ear.

  She chuckled, “no, you are.” She backed up, forcing him to get off of her and then turned around so her fantastic front was plastered against him.

  He nuzzled her neck and closed his eyes, taking in the scent of her. “Ugh, I have to go to work or the chief is going to tear me a new one.”

  She placed both hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. “Go to work. I know you have things to do.”

  He stepped back and reached for his pants again. “Do you have to work today?”

  “No, I’m off today and tomorrow.” She was gathering her clothes off the floor as well.

  “Well, I’ll be back in town later today, can I swing by?”

  She nodded, but her eyes took on that distant look again.

  “Is there something you need to tell me?” he asked

  She shook her head. “No, why?”

  “Because I can tell there is something going on and I’m having a hard time believing its work issues.”

  “What makes you think I’m holding back?”

  “Two reasons. One, I used to know you pretty well, so I know your expressions … they haven’t changed much. Two, I’m a detective, it’s my job to know when people are lying to me.”

  “I … I’m not lying,” she stammered.

  He held up his hands. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to push you and I didn’t say you were lying, I just think you aren’t telling me something.” He paused for a few seconds, “You know that you can tell me anything, right?”

  Holding her clothes in her arms, she offered him a small smile. “I know, David.” And then she hurried off into her room.

  Aw shit, had that been too much? Had he scared her off before they even really got started again? Dammit, if she really had done this, she needed to tell him. But … maybe it really was something else that was bothering her and he was completely on the wrong track.

  He followed her back into the bedroom and went for his holster and gun. She was looking through her drawer and just as he glanced over at her she produced a new pair of panties to put on.

  “I’m going to take another quick shower. Did you want to take one before you leave?”

  Hell yeah he would like to shower with her. “I’d love to, but I have to swing by my apartment before I head over to the office. I’ll change and shower there.”

  He did, really, really want to shower but he knew that if the two of them were naked in a room together again that he would never make it to work.

  “All right.” She hurried over and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you when you get back to town.” She pulled away and headed for the bathroom again. “Be safe out there, detective.” She smiled as she closed the door behind her.

  “I will,” he called back.

  He didn’t want to leave her, but several minutes later he was on the highway headed out of town.

  On the drive, he called Mrs. Davis and made plans to have dinner with her and the sheriff at six. She told him she had a turkey already thawed and if she put it on right away it would be done in time. It was really nice to hear her voice and he realized that he couldn’t wait to see her.

  Then, his thoughts turned to Hannah again. The night had gone far better than he thought it would, but at the same time, he was worried about her. This whole deal with the pebble was something he was going to have to check out and he was terrified that it was going to match up.

  Under any other circumstances he would have confronted her about it. The problem was he didn’t want to scare her off when he finally got close to her again. He didn’t want her to think that he had pursued her because of the case.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Well, first things first, he had to check the photos.

  Before going in to work, he swung by his apartment, which was in a cheap complex in a shitty part of town. He hated the place, but didn’t want to spend any more money than he had to in order to live in a place he didn’t even want to be.

  He could probably get a place in Summer Hollow now, or close by, and drive to work every day. Hannah drove to Santa Rosa for work, lots of people commuted.

  After a quick shower, he threw on a new pair of jeans and a different white tee. Over the top of the tee shirt he slid on a black long sleeved button up shirt. He wished he could opt out of the jacket, but he had to wear one to cover his gun. Not that he was hiding it, but people have a tendency to freak out when they see a guy walking around with a gun.

  He spent less than twenty minutes in his apartment and then he was out the door again.

  He pulled into the station, parked his Chevelle next to one of the patrol cars and stepped out into the sweltering summer heat. He checked to make sure his phone was in his pocket before heading in to face the music.

  “What the fuck, Foster!” The chief didn’t even take him into his office. He laid into him right in front of everyone who happened to be in the area.

  “I told you, I slept in, I’m sorry,” David apologized.

  “And you’ve never heard of a telephone, you know, one of those little gadgets that allow you to speak with someone and let them know what you’re doing?”

  “Yes, sir, I know what a telephone is.”

  “Do you need someone to show you how to use it?”

  “No sir.”

  “Why didn’t you answer the last ten times you’ve been called today?”

  “My ringer was off. I was sleeping.”

  The chief closed his eyes and let out a long, frustrated breath. “I think you’re full of shit, Foster. You were on the shit list when you got here, this kind of shenanigan is not helping your case any.”

  “I’m sorry sir, it won’t happen again.”

  “It better not. Now go get some fucking work done and check in like you’re supposed to.”

  The chief stormed away, grumbling about assholes and common sense. David let out a long breath and headed over to his desk, ignoring the stares and comments from the other officers along the way.

  Once he was at the computer, he took out his phone and uploaded the photos of the footprints and the ones of Hannah’s shoe. He hit print and waited. He didn’t want to look at any of them until they were all printed out and he could see them all a
t once.

  After the longest ten minutes ever, he lifted the stack of photos off the printer and brought them to his desk. One by one he flipped the photos, laying them on the flat surface. He turned the picture of the footprint and then finally the one of Hannah’s shoe with the pebble.

  Fuck. It was a match.

  The tread pattern and the placement of the pebble was exactly the same.

  He dropped his head into his hands and closed his eyes. What the hell was he going to do now?

  One thing was for sure, he had to talk to Hannah about it now. He gathered all the photos off of his desk and put them in a file folder.

  “I’m heading to The Hollow, Chief,” he called out as he passed the open door of his office.

  “Just answer your god dammed phone, Foster!”

  “Roger.” He pushed open the glass doors and a blast of heat hit him hard, after being in the air conditioning so long, he instantly broke a sweat. “Ugh.” he jogged to his car and leaned in to start his baby up. There was no way he was getting in there until it was a few degrees cooler inside.

  As he stood there, leaning against the door of the Chevelle, he suddenly felt prickles on the back of his neck. He reached up and rubbed where he had felt it, but then he was overcome by that strange feeling that people get when you’re being watched.

  He scanned the area, looking for anything unusual or anyone that might be watching him.

  Nothing.

  Must be the stress. He tried to shake the feeling as he opened the door and slid behind the wheel.

  CHAPTER

  12

  AIDEN

  Aiden arrived at the Napa compound around noon. The sun was high in the sky and it was hot, but it was a dry hot, not the sticky heat that he was used to in Florida.

  The taxi pulled up to the gates, informing whoever answered the intercom that he had Aiden as a passenger. Aiden had to show his ID to the camera lens and then the gate swung open. The long driveway leading to the house had vineyards on each side of it, but you could still see the mansion in the distance, rising above the grapes and the stone wall surrounding it.