Grafted into Deceit

by Sherri Wilson Johnson

  Steven squeezed Marina’s hand and pulled her attention from Iris. “After we finish up at the station, how would you like to do something boring for a change?”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. “You mean you’re tired of fighting criminals and finding drugs together?”

  “More than you know.”

  “I could go for something boring. Of course, with you, I doubt anything could ever be boring.”

  Steven laughed and squeezed her hand again. “Okay, it’s a date, if you’re up for that.”

  “I’m up for that.” That flip flop thing happened again in her heart. “I bet after this stressful situation you could eat a pretzel rod right about now.”

  Steven halted and drew her close to him. “I don’t think I’ll need them anymore.” He captured her lips and her heart in one swift move.

  ***

  As Steven escorted Marina out to his car after taking her official statement at the station, his chest tightened and dread came over him despite the refreshing gusts of wind which seemed to whisk away anything negative from the air. For the past four days, he’d either been with Marina protecting her or been thinking about protecting her. Beyond safeguarding her, his thoughts had been on being with her, on knowing more about her even though John had cautioned him about it.

  Now that the case was solved and Iris and Mack and their gang couldn’t hurt Marina any further, there’d be no need to be with her all the time. Yet, he wanted nothing more. How could he feel like this about someone he’d spent four days with under such crazy circumstances? Had the circumstances created this need to be with her?

  His hand brushed against hers as he opened the car door for her, and electricity jolted through him. Had she felt it too? She brushed her hair behind her right ear and smiled a smile he’d welcome more often than the downcast expression he’d seen this week.

  How this had happened to him didn’t matter.

  It had happened.

  And he wasn’t going to let his usual doubt rob him of the opportunity of getting to know her more. He refused to let discouragement convince him she couldn’t feel the same way about him.

  He shut the car door and jogged around to the driver’s side with determination in his soul. He clicked his seatbelt and faced Marina. She glanced his way with those gorgeous sea-blueish-green eyes and smiled again. His heart threatened to stop right there in his front seat. Was it possible to love someone after a mere four days?

  He cleared his throat and forced himself to be reasonable.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize any of the names on the list you found.”

  “That’s okay. Don’t worry about it. The detectives in my unit will trace the people down and figure out how they are connected to your company, if they are.”

  “I wish I could have been of more help.”

  “What? You helped a lot. You helped us bring down your partner.”

  She shrugged.

  “You’re probably exhausted and want to go home to your fuzzy socks … but would you like to get a bite to eat first?”

  She nodded with a laugh. “Yes, I am exhausted, and I do want my fuzzy socks. But I’m starving. And I wouldn’t mind spending a little more time with my very own personal detective.” A wink sent his heart into overdrive.

  He swallowed down the knot in his throat. Why was his throat this dry? “Yes? How does a steak on the grill sound while viewing the lake out by a firepit at sunset?”

  “Sounds spectacular. You know of a place like that?”

  “I do. My lake house.”

  “Okay.”

  “You’ll come to my lake house?”

  “You’ll cook the steaks?”

  “Absolutely!”

  “Then, yes. I’d love to.”

  “Great. We’ll stop by the grocery store and pick up a couple of steaks and salad because I barely have anything in the fridge.” Steven cranked his SUV and backed out of his parking spot.

  Marina placed her hand on his forearm and warmth penetrated his coat sleeve. “And a sweet treat, please?”

  “We already have something sweet.” Okay, that sounded cheesy, but she was the sweetest thing in his life right now. Judging by the blush on her cheeks, she’d received his compliment in the way he intended it.

  When the steaks were grilled to perfection, Steven pulled them off the grate and carried them on a plate inside where Marina prepared the salad. Seeing her at home in his rustic kitchen sent a wave of something unrecognizable through him. Whatever the feeling, he didn’t want it to ever go away.

  “I love that charcoal smell. It’s my favorite men’s cologne.” Marina slid a slice of cucumber into her mouth then licked her fingers. Steven’s chest burned at the sight of the woman who must not comprehend the effect she had on him.

  Steven laughed and tried to slow down his irrational thoughts. “I’ll make sure and remember that for our first date.”

  “Isn’t this our first date?”

  He grabbed a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese out of a bowl beside the salad and squeezed it into a ball. “Nope. This is the bridge between our professional and personal involvement.” He popped the cheese ball into his mouth and grinned at her, ignoring the weakness in his knees.

  “The bridge, huh? I see.” She placed her hands on her hips. “And when will we have our first date?”

  “If, after tonight, you still want to go out with me, I’d like to do something Friday or Saturday. You’ve probably got family plans for Thanksgiving, so I figured we’d wait till the weekend.”

  “I don’t have plans for Thanksgiving. My parents aren’t coming back from their mission trip for another two weeks, and my sister is who knows where.”

  “No extended family gatherings?”

  “Sadly, no. Everybody is scattered all over these days. We usually do Easter and sometimes a summer gettogether but not Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

  “Would you like to come to Thanksgiving at my parent’s house?” How did these invitations fly out of his mouth before his head had time to think them through? People don’t take dates to family functions before they’ve even had a first date.

  Marina picked up the knife and chopped a carrot into bite-sized pieces. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “It wouldn’t be an imposition.”

  She glanced up at him while halting the knife. “But wouldn’t it be weird to bring me? I mean, we haven’t even had our first date yet. And your mom might not have enough food. Plus, they know me from when I went out with Mark. He brought me to your birthday party at their house.”

  “It wouldn’t be weird.” He arched his left eyebrow. Had he heard her right? “They know you already? Mark brought you to my party? Why don’t I remember you being there?”

  She laughed. “Well, remember I used to have blonde hair. But probably you don’t remember me being there because you had a platinum-blonde tootsie on your arm.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “No, you did.”

  “You remember that?”

  “Yes, because I actually admired you secretly back then. You know, “older brother more responsible” type of thing?”

  “You did, did you?” He leaned over and gave a little peck to her cheek. “Well, I’m sorry to say I must have been blind at the time not to notice you. And I’m glad God has brought me a second chance to never forget you again.”

  Marina leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll come to Thanksgiving dinner.”

  “Awesome! Do you want to eat outside on the screened-in porch or on the patio with the firepit?”

  “I’d love to eat out on your double-decker floating dock, but I’m afraid it’d be too cold out there.”

  “And windy. But we could take a blanket and go sit out there with our hot chocolate or coffee after we eat.”

  “Sounds awesome. Except I still feel a little vulnerable. What if someone is still watching me? I wouldn’t want a shooter to hit me without an ounce of effort.”
/>   Steven walked around the island and wrapped his arms around Marina from behind. Bending his knees to meet her height, he placed his chin on her shoulder. “You’re safe.”

  Even though Marina nodded, Steven could feel the tension in her shoulders. Her fear hadn’t subsided. He’d have to do everything he could to make sure she was safe.

  As they ate in the glow of candlelight in the breakfast nook, Steven drank in the chance to distract Marina from her worries while learning as much about her as he could. “There’s something I have to know.” He tried to pull off his most serious detective look, but Marina’s smile spread across the table to him, and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.

  Slicing off a piece of steak, Marina paused and glanced up at him. “What’s that?”

  “Jigsaw or crossword?”

  Marina crinkled her brow and cocked her head to the right in obvious confusion. Then her eyes brightened as she caught his meaning. “Jigsaw, 100%. You?”

  “Jigsaw.”

  “Yay!” She pumped her arms in the air in victory. “Nothing I like better than curling up by the fireplace in the winter, putting in a romantic comedy, and doing a jigsaw puzzle.”

  Steven groaned and washed down a bite of steak with his sweet tea. “Romantic comedy? Don’t you mean a shoot ‘em up bang ‘em up action thriller suspense movie?”

  In defiance, she folded her arms across her chest. “No, I do not.” Marina seemed to release her fears as they chatted, the walls she’d built to protect herself seemed to crumble to the floor.

  “We’ll have to talk about that when the time comes.” What else could he ask her to keep the positive momentum going? Choosing a cherry tomato out of the bowl and popping it into his mouth, he asked, “Dog or cat?”

  “I prefer dogs, but I do love my neighbor’s cat, Simba. You?”

  “Dogs, all the way.”

  “Okay, well, let me ask you something, Detective Pennington. Beach or mountains?”

  “That’s easy. Beach.”

  “I love the beach too. Besides, the mountains have bears.”

  Steven chuckled. This girl was more of a delight every moment he spent with her. “So you don’t like snakes or bears?”

  She nodded. “Right.”

  “Introvert or extrovert?”

  “Steven, I’m an extrovert. Although you wouldn’t know it because you haven’t gotten to see that side of me this week. Just you wait!”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Steven closed the file on his desk and grunted. Something didn’t feel right.

  “What’s wrong, partner?” John swiveled from side to side in his chair across from Steven as he entered data into the computer.

  “This case.” He tapped on the folder. “Something about it doesn’t seem finished. We got Iris and Mack. We got Kemar and a couple other dudes. But ...”

  “But?”

  “First, Marina feels like she’s not safe yet. Second, the volume of drugs we seized in that operation were more than what you’d expect out of some small fry.”

  “So you’re thinking they’re part of something bigger and that something else will happen?”

  Steven wiggled his computer mouse and kept his computer from going into screen saver mode. “I’m thinking we’ve missed a key element here. The buyer. Who were they selling to?”

  “Based off the evidence, they are the top of the pyramid, and they sell to the local dealers.”

  Then why didn’t Steven feel peaceful? “That doesn’t sit well with me. I think they were manufacturing for someone bigger.”

  John rubbed his hand down his face and sighed. “Not sure we can find out who that could be. The drugs are locked up in evidence, and all operations have been shut down.”

  “Can’t help but think someone will come after Marina for what they deem rightfully theirs.”

  “If they do, we’ll catch them.”

  “I hope so.”

  Tossing a pencil across his desk and onto Steven’s pile of paperwork, John changed the subject. “Speaking of Marina, how did Thanksgiving dinner go with your parents?”

  Steven leaned back in his chair and grinned but didn’t answer John. Thinking of Marina was one surefire way to distract him from his suspicions.

  “Well?”

  “Greater than I’d anticipated. Mom was happy to see her again and didn’t care that she’d first gone out with Mark. Dad was his usual charming self. You know us Pennington men.”

  When Steven had taken Marina home that night, he’d kissed her with an unanticipated longing. When she’d reciprocated, he allowed to sink in the belief that he’d picked the right woman for the first time.

  “Yeah, I know you Pennington men. Did you kiss her?”

  Steven grinned again. Remembering the kiss sent warm shivers down his spine. Could shivers be warm? He’d have to be careful not to kiss her too often because the chemistry between them could prove quite dangerous.

  “That explains your distraction today.”

  Steven cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck then let his hand trail down to his aching shoulder. The gunshot wound a constant reminder of how close he’d come to dying. “No, it’s the case. I want to go to the jail and talk to Iris.”

  “Wait till the D.A. has everything put together for her trial. Then we can go.”

  Steven shrugged. He couldn’t shake the feeling more danger was headed their way.

  Shutting down his computer and stacking a few files in the bin on the corner of his desk, John asked, “What are you doing tonight? It’s Friday, you know?”

  “I’m taking Marina out for our first date.”

  “Yeah you are. All right, man!” John clapped, and several officers in the hallway outside their office turned their heads in curiosity.

  John’s support meant the world to Steven. Sure, he’d pursue Marina if John didn’t approve, but his approval made it much easier. “We’re going out to the bed and breakfast at the O’Reilly ranch for Ms. Lottie’s cooking.”

  “We’re heading to Sharon’s family’s house for the weekend since we saw my family for Thanksgiving yesterday. This will be our last road trip before the baby comes. Make sure and call me if you need anything.”

  “I will. You guys be careful.”

  ***

  Marina gripped the steering wheel and leaned closer to the windshield. The fog blocked her view of the road. She should’ve waited until morning to come back to the office, but after her date with Steven, she didn’t feel like going home and sleeping. A ridiculous amount of energy flowed through her, and she could stay up all night and use the time to figure out her business woes.

  Clicking on the wipers did nothing to clear the windshield, so Marina turned on the defroster. Still she had minimal visibility. Even though she reduced her speed and took the upcoming curve and bridge with extra attention, her efforts proved in vain.

  Fright gripped her by the throat when a deer crossed the road in one leap and pummeled the front of her car before she could swerve and miss it. Over the hood and through the windshield the deer came, which sent Marina’s car into a tailspin and off into the ditch on the other side of the bridge.

  Not again!

  When the car came to a stop, Marina’s forehead smacked the steering wheel and sent her head rebounding against the headrest. The jolt could have snapped her neck in two, and its intensity silenced her scream.

  As the minutes passed, Marina fought against unconsciousness. Would Steven come rescue her this time?

  No. How could he rescue her when her phone never had reception out here? She’d have to go for help.

  Clutching her forehead, she opened her eyes, but when her gaze landed on Jason Burney’s bloodied face, she screamed while struggling for the door handle. She had to get out of here. Before she could free herself from her seatbelt, Jason’s lifeless body fell from the windshield and landed on top of her. Marina swatted at his body and screamed until her throat burned with
acid.

  Then she lurched and fell out of bed onto her bedroom floor trapped by her tangled covers and thoughts. She gasped and opened her eyes as her injured ribs caught the brunt of her fall. Another dream.

  Ten days had passed since the arrest of Iris and Mack, but even the thrill of several dates with Steven hadn’t helped her relinquish her fear. Real enemies were easier to arrest and stifle than whispers of insecurity and doom for what the future held.

  Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.

  As Marina pulled herself up off the floor, careful not to hurt her ribs or ankle again, peace washed over her. Even if her future held danger and unsure days, God would be by her side protecting her. He’d sent Steven to guard her during the scariest moments of her life and had blessed her with more laughter and calmness over the past week than she’d ever imagined possible. Although she didn’t deserve Steven, she accepted his offered affection and longed to return it with all her heart.

  In the bathroom, she brushed her hair and pulled it back in a clip while basking in the thought that fourteen days ago, love had been the last thing on her mind. It hadn’t seemed feasible. Solving her mystery held utmost importance in her heart then. Holding on to past hurts had seemed easier than letting herself accept love. Now, she wanted nothing more than to spend every available moment with Steven. And not only because he offered her something she hadn’t had in years—if ever.

  It was because of the tender way he helped her see herself through God’s eyes. Loved. Accepted. Cared for and protected.

  Marina washed her face and let the cool water refresh the weary spirit produced by the dream. In two hours, Steven would pick her up at the office, and they’d go back to the O’Reilly ranch for dinner with Rex and Cora along with Phil and Kathryn Tagliaferro, who were preparing to return home after spending two weeks at the Southern Hope for their honeymoon. Both being attorneys, they’d given Marina excellent advice about her business arrangement with Iris.

  As Marina applied her makeup and dressed for her date, the steps needed in dissolving her partnership with Iris roamed around in her head. What a relief their contract with each other included an expulsion clause for bad behavior and illegal activity. Marina could dissolve the partnership without issue. But what would she do from here?