“Maybe not. Might give you some more peace, though. I’ll try to keep them away from you as much as I can.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him. They stared at each other for a moment before he looked away suddenly then stood.
“Got any other bruises or scrapes?”
“Nope, all good.” Well, nothing he needed to know about anyway. There wasn’t much that could be done for the bruise on her hip.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure, Curt.” She sighed. Although it felt nice not to be alone, she knew she had to put on her big girl panties. “I appreciate you coming here to tell me in person but I’m an adult. Don’t feel you have to stick around just because you were married to my cousin. We don’t even know that I’m in any danger.”
He studied her for a moment. “This has nothing to do with my marriage to Amelia. I’ve known you a long time, Jenna. Right now, you’re not thinking properly. But when you are you’re going to realize you need someone on your side, looking out for you. We have no idea who The Brit is or what he might do once he realizes your father has been arrested.”
“You think I could be at risk?” She swallowed heavily, trying to moisten her dry mouth. Would he come after her? How was she going to be able to function knowing she could be in danger? This couldn’t be happening to her. Not again.
“I don’t know. Travis seems to think there’s a possibility, but I think it’s unlikely. However, I don’t want to take any chances.”
She leaned her elbows against her legs and rested her head in her hands. “What a mess.”
“Does your father have someone who’ll step in to take over the company?”
“Yes. The vice-president, Ron, is my dad’s cousin. He’ll be facing a nightmare. I should call him.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that right now. He’s probably got a lot he’s dealing with, and there won’t be much you can do to help. In fact, I suggest you distance yourself from your dad’s company as much as you can.”
“But all those poor people whose jobs could be in jeopardy. Share’s will plummet when this gets out. People are going to lose a lot of money.”
“And they’ll be angry and desperate. That means they might do things they wouldn’t normally do. Like attack someone who’s innocent in all of this.”
She sat back and looked up at him. “You really think I need protection?”
“Yes.”
She rubbed her hand over her face and then she had to laugh. “Just as I’m getting my life sorted out, this happens. Why is it every time I think I have everything worked out something goes disastrously wrong? I don’t think I can deal with this again, with looking over my shoulder all the time, waiting for someone to strike.”
“Look at me, Jenna.” He crouched before her and lifted her chin. She stared into his rich, hazel-colored eyes. A woman could get lost in those eyes. When he stared at her, she felt so important, so special, like she was his sole focus. It was no wonder Amelia had snapped him up when they were so young. She couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to have him love her. Intense, all-consuming and no doubt satisfying as hell.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, understand? Just do what I say, and we’ll get through this.”
She snorted. “You know I don’t do well at following orders.”
He smiled. “I know. You were always trouble.”
“My middle name,” she said lightly. “This feels like a dream. Well, a nightmare really.”
“I know. But we’ll get through it. Together.”
“I have some money my grandmother left me,” she told him. “I can pay you.”
He gave her a look so cold she bit her lip in worry.
“You’re not paying me.”
“But what about Black-Gray? I know you said we’re family, but if a paying client comes along they’ll need to put them first. What if I hire them to look into all of this?”
“They already are.”
“They are?”
“They know how important you are to me. I don’t care about many people, Jenna. My team. And you. That’s it. And you can believe me when I say I’m going to make damn sure nothing happens to you.”
She stared at him, those gorgeous eyes, his chiseled cheeks, his full lips. He leaned forward, almost as though he were going to kiss her. Her breath caught in her throat. This was it, what she’d been waiting for, for so long.
The door suddenly opened, and Curt pulled back, almost falling on his ass in his haste to get away from her. Seeing him so uncharacteristically clumsy might have been funny under different circumstances, but the speed with which he put distance between them was more than a little insulting.
“Hey.” Travis walked in holding a white bag in each hand, the scent of the food wafted in around him, making her stomach turn over sickeningly.
“Roast beef was the special at the diner,” Travis said, putting the bags down on her coffee table. “I’ll get us some cutlery and plates, if that’s okay?”
“Oh, sure,” she said, still feeling a little stunned and hurt.
As he walked away, she looked up at Curt, but he kept his gaze on the food, unable, or unwilling, to meet her gaze.
“Curt, I—”
“Do you want to eat here or at the table?” Travis asked, walking in. He came to a stop. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Curt said. “I’ve just got a couple of phone calls to make. You guys start without me.”
She watched him walk out. He didn’t once turn to look at her.
“Sorry, did I interrupt something?”
She shook her head. “No. Or at least nothing he didn’t want interrupted.”
Travis pulled out some Styrofoam containers, opening two of them. She stared down at the food with no interest.
“I don’t know Curt that well. I worked with him when we rescued you, though, and I figured out very quickly how much he cares for you.”
She smiled, knowing it didn’t reach her eyes. “He sees me as family. Like a cousin.”
“Oh, I don’t think his feelings for you are at all cousinly. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“Like he wants to murder me one moment and cuddle me the next?”
“Well, sort of. I would replace the word cuddle with kiss, though.”
She snorted. “Curt doesn’t want to kiss me. He’s not attracted to me.”
Except, he did just try to kiss you, right?
“No? He’s very protective of you. From what I gather, since the death of his wife, he hasn’t had any sort of long-term relationship with a woman. Yet, he was so frantic today when he thought you might get hurt that he punched a guy to get to you.”
She wished she could believe he cared about her that much. “When Amelia died, Curt was devastated. He wasn’t always like this—so cold and hard. Once, he knew how to laugh and have fun. When I was little, I thought I’d marry him when I grew up because he’d give me all the ice cream I wanted.”
Travis smiled.
“But I was just a silly kid. Curt looks at me and sees someone he needs to protect, to look after. He has a white knight complex.”
“Curt? While I might agree he’s probably protective over anyone he cares about, I don’t think he reacts this way to just anyone.”
“Well, like you said, you don’t know him very well. And these are special circumstances.”
“True. It’s not every day the woman you love is in danger. And you seem to get yourself into trouble more than most.”
You are way too innocent and naïve to ever be someone I’d get involved with.
“Curt has made his feelings towards me very clear and while he cares about me, it’s nothing more than that. He definitely doesn’t love me.” Not that way anyway. “And I don’t go around looking for trouble, you know.”
“No? If you were my woman you’d never have been allowed to go to Sudan alone. If I couldn’t have gone with you, then you wouldn’t have gone.”
She wrinkled her nose at his arrogan
t announcement. “It’s just as well I’m not your woman. And I’m not Curt’s woman either.”
Travis shook his head. “I expected him to be the stubborn one. Didn’t realize you were just as bad.”
“I’m not stubborn, just realistic. And can we please stop talking about this? Curt doesn’t want me. I don’t want him.”
Liar. Liar.
“That so? You’re saying I didn’t interrupt a near kiss between the two you before? Sorry about that, by the way. My brothers will tell you, I have the worst timing.”
“It’s kind of weird talking to you about this, considering we barely know each other.”
“I don’t know. We were together during an intense situation. That tends to build bonds between people, don’t you think? And I don’t discuss ménages with just anyone, you know.”
“What? We’ve never talked about ménages.” What was he talking about?
“We have. I’m crushed you don’t remember our conversation in Sudan. Of course, you were telling me you didn’t want to participate in a ménage with me. Perhaps you’ve changed your mind? I have a brother, and we like to share.”
Was he serious? There were lots of ménage relationships in Haven. They were almost the norm around here. But that didn’t mean she wanted that sort of relationship. And certainly not with Travis, although, she had the feeling he was playing with her. Trying to gauge her reaction. She frowned at him. She didn’t like games.
Her phone rang. Saved. Thank God.
She jumped up, ignoring the way her body protested and grabbed her phone off the table.
“Check who it is before you answer,” Travis warned.
She nodded. “It’s the sheriff.” She answered the phone. “Hey, Jake. What’s going on?”
“Jenna, just wanted to check on you. Everything okay?”
“I’m fine. Just had some dinner and I’m about to go to bed.”
“Travis and that other guy with you?”
She nearly rolled her eyes when he referred to Curt as “that other guy” as though he didn’t know his name.
“Yes.”
“Want me to get rid of them?”
She looked over at Travis thoughtfully. “Not yet. But I’ll save that as an option.”
“You do that. I don’t want them bothering you.”
“Thanks for calling. Oh, have you heard how Mrs. Childs is? It’s too late to call the hospital.”
“Yeah, she’s got a broken hip and a concussion. Gonna be in the hospital a while.”
“Oh, no. Poor thing.”
“Apparently her biggest concern is Daisy and who will take care of her. I better go. Sleep well.”
She placed her phone down.
“What did the sheriff want?”
“Just checking in. Mrs. Childs has a broken hip and a concussion. I’ll send her flowers tomorrow.” She yawned. “I’m going to go to bed.”
“You haven’t answered me yet. Running away?”
She narrowed her gaze. “No. I just assumed that was a joke.”
“It wasn’t.”
Holy hell. So, it wasn’t some game?
“You make that offer to a lot of women?” Maybe it was some sort of weird pickup line. Did women actually say yes to a ménage with Travis and his brother?
Hell, yeah, of course they did. And she was probably nuts for not immediately saying yes.
But why her? He didn’t seem like the type to have a different woman in his bed each night. Well, his and his brother’s bed. Wasn’t his brother one of the guys who’d been part of the team to rescue her? Yep, she remembered now. The big guy. What was his name? Jace?
Christ, one would be more than she could handle, but the two together would eat her alive.
“Nope,” he told her. “Just the special ones.”
Before she could answer, Curt returned.
“Everything all right here?” he asked, looking back and forth between them suspiciously.
Travis leaned back. “All good. Just discussing ménages.”
“What?” Curt’s face filled with thunder, and she glared at Travis. Was he trying to deliberately rile Curt?
“Travis is just being an idiot,” she said hastily. “I’m going to bed.”
Curt was still scowling as she walked past him towards the stairs. She needed some space. Now.
Reaching out, he grabbed hold of her arm.
“Did you eat some dinner?” he asked, surprising her.
“Yep.”
“Not much,” Travis added.
The rat.
“I’m fine. I’m not very hungry. I just want to go to bed. Before you guys leave, just lock up, will you?”
Curt looked over at Travis. “Jenna, we’re staying here tonight.”
“Oh, but I only have one spare bedroom. The hotel is way more comfortable than my old couch. There’s really no need for you to stay.”
“I’m staying,” Curt said firmly. He turned to Travis. “You can stay at the hotel.”
“Bit late to head out now. One of us can take the couch,” Travis replied. “Means we can get an early start heading back to Dallas tomorrow.”
“I’m not going back to Dallas tomorrow,” she told them.
“What?” Curt looked at her in surprise. “Why not?”
“I’ve got commitments here. I can’t just up and leave my job without notice. I have patients to see. I have things to do this weekend.”
“What about your mom?” Travis asked. “Won’t she need you?”
Guilt stirred inside her. “When she’s not self-medicating, she’ll spend her time complaining about how hard this is on her. I don’t need that. Not right now.”
“The feds will want to talk to you,” Curt told her. “They’re going to have questions.”
“But I don’t know anything.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Travis said. “And staying here won’t shield you from all of this. They’ll find you here. Just like the reporters will.”
“Look, I get that you guys need to go back. I’m not stopping you. I’ll be safe here. This town looks after its own. Especially the women.”
“Despite its name, this isn’t some safe haven where nothing bad happens,” Travis told her. “Not so long ago, I was here trying to help capture a serial killer who’d fixated on one of the women who lives here.”
Was he talking about Laken?
“And didn’t I hear about his girlfriend holding a gun on another one of the town’s women?” he asked.
“Yes, but those were extraordinary circumstances,” she said. “That doesn’t happen every day.”
“I’d hope not,” Curt muttered. “I don’t trust the men in this town.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m sure they don’t think much of you, either,” Travis said with a grin. “I think Curt doesn’t like the way some of them look at you.”
What did that mean?
“They’re nosy. And they act protective, but you got hurt today.”
“That wasn’t anyone else’s fault except for that purse snatcher’s,” she told him. She rubbed her forehead. “I’m tired of arguing. I’m not ready to go to Dallas yet. If the two of you want to stick around, that’s up to you. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Good night then.”
Curt gave her a nod and Travis winked at her.
Dear Lord, help me. Maybe everyone was right. Trouble really did like to follow her around.
Curt frowned as he watched her walking away. He hadn’t thought about the fact she might refuse to return to Dallas. Although it was typical of Jenna to worry about inconveniencing people, he’d figured she’d want to get to Dallas quickly to support her parents.
“Surprised you, didn’t she? I didn’t realize she was such a stubborn thing. She seemed so sweet and docile before. This is a pleasant surprise.”
Curt turned to him. “What’s that mean?”
“Well, you might like the obedient type, but I like a little bit of brat in my subs.”
Curt gaped at him then stepped forward and pointed at Travis. “Jenna is off-limits.”
“Says who?”
“Me.” Just the thought of Travis setting his sights on Jenna made his blood boil. Jesus, did every man who met her want her? He guessed he couldn’t blame them. Hell, yes, he could blame them. She was his.
“So, you do want her? Strange way to go about it. All you’ve done since you’ve gotten here is argue with her and upset her.”
Curt ground his teeth together, although he couldn’t really argue. There was something about Jenna that sent his emotions into overdrive. She brought out the caveman in him, which he acknowledged had always lurked beneath the surface, it was just that he usually had better control over himself.
“And Jenna isn’t a sub.”
“No? You sure about that?”
“Yes, I am.” Why the hell did he get the feeling that smug bastard knew something he didn’t?
“You don’t have to stick around. I’m perfectly capable of looking after her myself.”
Travis leaned back against the couch. “Oh, I think I’ll stay for a bit. This town is kind of growing on me.”
It was? Curt thought he was mad. This place would drive him crazy in a week.
“Want to toss for the couch?”
“Sure,” Curt said pulling out a coin. “What’ll it be?”
“Heads,” Travis replied.
He flipped it. Heads. Wonderful.
Travis rose from the couch. “Great. Wasn’t looking forward to trying to sleep on this tiny thing. Good night.” He slapped Curt’s shoulder as he went by. “Oh, Curt?”
“Yeah?” Curt snapped without turning, his gaze on the short, lumpy couch.
“Claim her soon. I don’t think I’m the only one who’s interested.”
Fuck.
Chapter Nine
The dark was closing in around her. Suffocating her.
Something scratched at the walls of the dark hut. Rats. At least she told herself it was rats. God knows, it could be anything. She wouldn’t know.
A sob worked its way out of her. She should have been all cried out by now. She couldn’t afford to cry anymore, she was already dehydrated.
Sometimes she thought it would be easier to just give up and let herself fade away. What if the worst was yet to come? What if the beating she’d received was just the start of it? What if they planned on hurting her again? Or…God…raping her?
To Save Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 7) Page 12
