Texas Sheriff's Deadly Mission

by Karen Whiddon

  Speaking quietly, she filled Larry in on what was going on. Of course, he pushed to go with her. But she told him she wanted to handle this herself and that she’d call if his help was needed. With no choice, he nodded, his frown remaining.

  When she pulled up at the Landshark, she realized Sam had been right about the tensions. Groups of middle-aged men gathered in the parking lot. Right now, it appeared they were simply having a tailgate-type get-together, but combine tempers with alcohol and things could escalate. Especially if Parker walked outside.

  Parking, she got out of her cruiser and walked over to join them. She located Ted Sanders and approached him. “Hey there,” she said, keeping her voice pleasant. “What’s going on here?”

  Ted narrowed his gaze, frowning. “We don’t want trouble with you, Sheriff Coombs. But we intend to run this SOB out of town. Getaway ain’t got room for people like him.”

  “I understand,” she began.

  “Do you?” Ted cut her off. “This is my daughter we’re talking about here.” He pointed toward the group of men, all watching them. “Their daughters, too. I know you’re friends with him, but you can’t tell me it’d be any different if he’d been messaging your little girl.”

  “We don’t know for sure it actually was him.” And then she explained about catfishing and cell phone records, touching lightly—very lightly—on the serial killer. “It’s actually looking like it was someone else using his photograph.”

  Ted studied her for a moment, the indecision in his gaze telling her to be quiet and let him digest what she’d said.

  “Are you sure?” he finally asked. “Because if it isn’t him, then I want to know who the hell is doing this. If, as you mentioned, this guy is trolling for his next murder victim, you’d better get busy catching him.”

  She nodded. “That’s my plan.”

  Shaking his head, Ted walked away and went to talk with the others. Rayna watched as several got on their phones while others climbed back into their pickup trucks and drove away.

  After fifteen minutes passed, most of them were gone.

  Rayna didn’t dare let out a sigh of relief until the last man left. Then and only then did she straighten her spine and walk to the motel office, so she could let David McMartin know, too.

  Though the motel owner started off indignant, after hearing everything she had to say, he allowed he might have been hasty to rush to judgment. “I’ll go and apologize to Mr. Norton right now.”

  “Please wait a minute,” she replied. “I need to apologize first.”

  Chapter 12

  The next knock on his door made Parker tense up. A series of three staccato knocks. “What now?” he wondered out loud. Had Ted Sanders and his gang of pals finally gathered up enough courage and come to confront him? Good. He was tired of staying here in this little room like he had something to hide. Time to get all this nonsense out in the open.

  Turning the dead bolt, he yanked the door open. “What do—?” He stopped, the words dying on his lips. Rayna, the slight breeze lifting her wavy red hair. She wore aviator sunglasses, which definitely made her look like a cop, but were also sexy as hell.

  As usual, his heart stuttered in his chest at the sight of her. Until he remembered and steeled himself to be emotionless despite her charm. He glared at her, seeing his own scowl reflected in her mirrored sunglasses.

  “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” he said, his voice sounding surly, even to himself.

  “May I come in?” she asked, her voice soft, perhaps even contrite. Or maybe he heard what he wanted.

  “Suit yourself.” But he stepped back, making room for her to enter. Once she’d moved past him, bringing with her that vanilla scent, he let the door close.

  “You’re angry with me,” she said flatly.

  He crossed his arms. Since there was no point in denying the truth, he didn’t bother to answer.

  “I don’t blame you.” Digging in her pocket, she retrieved a sealed plastic baggie and handed it to him. “Your phone.”

  After accepting it, he took it out of the baggie and checked the charge before setting it down on the table. “Is there anything else?” he asked, managing to be excruciatingly polite while clenching his teeth. How he could simultaneously want to kiss her and yell at her, he wasn’t sure.

  “Yes.” She lifted her chin, removed her sunglasses and met his gaze. “I’m sorry. I should have known better, especially as sheriff. That’s one of the first things they teach us in the police academy. Stick with the facts and leave emotion and hunches out of it.”

  Gaze still locked on his, she swallowed, the motion of her throat drawing his attention. “And I should have known better as your friend.”

  Friend. He noted the word, but held back from commenting. He’d actually been foolish enough to think that what they’d begun to build together was much more than mere friendship.

  Mistake number one.

  Even now, watching as she tried to find the words to explain away her actions, he still wanted her. Wanted her with an intensity that had him curling his hands into fists to keep from touching her. Mistake number two.

  “Are you going to say anything?” she finally asked.

  “What is there to say?” He kept his voice neutral, revealing none of the emotions battling inside his heart.

  “Accept my apology?”

  “Sure.” He shrugged. “After all, I have to work with you in the continuing effort to find Nicole.”

  Slowly, she nodded. “Look, Parker...” The anguish in her voice had him taking a step toward her before he caught himself.

  “I felt betrayed,” she finally said softly. “After I ended that call with the Sanderses, I let what happened in the past guide my reactions today. I should never had done that. I know better. And I know you.”

  “Regardless of your job, you assumed I was guilty without even having all the facts,” he pointed out, finally revealing some of the hurt he felt. “You didn’t even question me. Just marched on in here, hurled accusations, demanded my phone and told me it’s better if I cooperate. As if I was a stranger you’d arrested on the street. As if you didn’t know me at all.”

  “I did.” Nodding, she continued to hold his gaze. “And I’m admitting I was wrong. I’ve already talked to Mr. McMartin, as well as Ted Sanders and his friends. They’ve all been made aware that you weren’t the one contacting the teenagers at the high school. Clearly, someone wanted to make it look like you were.” She took a deep breath. “We will get to the bottom of this, I promise you.”

  “I’d rather you find Nicole,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s my top priority.”

  “Agreed.” She put her sunglasses back on, hiding her eyes. “But I have a feeling the two might be intertwined. Whoever is contacting these young girls might be looking for his next victim.”

  Horrified, he stared. “That occurred to me, but since so far every woman he’s murdered is from out of town, I figured whoever was doing this might be trying to throw you off his tracks. Because it seems he tends to grab women just passing through, women who won’t be instantly missed. Why would he risk exposure by changing his method of operation?”

  “That’s a good point. We thought the same thing. Right now, I don’t have an answer to that.” She finally turned away, hand on the doorknob, about to go.

  “Wait.” He hated the desperation that clawed at him. “Admittedly, I’m an outsider, but what exactly are you doing to find this guy?”

  “We’re already working around the clock trying to locate Nicole.” An evasive answer. “We’re hoping to use this new information to get a lead on who’s behind this.”

  He wanted specifics. “Like what, set up a sting operation? Have someone acting like a teenager contact this person pretending to be me?”

  She grimaced, her mirrored glasses firmly in place
. “That’s one possibility. Like I said, we’re working on it. I promise I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.”

  “Thanks.” An awkward silence fell. He wasn’t sure what else to say. He moved to go past her, so he could open the door and show her out.

  At the same moment, she turned to go, nearly colliding with him in her haste. Instinctively, he reached out to steady her, his hand grazing over the soft skin on her arm. That small touch nearly undid him.

  “Parker...” She looked up at him, lips trembling. Heaven help him, but desire for her nearly broke his resolve, despite everything.

  Something of his longing must have shown in his face. She lowered her sunglasses and took a step toward him, eyes huge. He saw his own raw need reflected back in her eyes.

  “No.” He dredged up strength from somewhere and twisted away. “We can’t. Keep in touch if you hear anything new on the case.”

  The finality in his tone had the desired effect. She nodded, professional Sheriff Rayna back in place. “Will do,” she said, letting herself out the door.

  The lavender-vanilla scent of her lingered long after she’d left and made his mouth go dry.

  That night instead of sleeping, he thought about calling her at least twenty times. He resisted, knowing they couldn’t go back to the way things had been and simply pretend nothing had happened. Part of him wanted to—oh, how he wanted to—but he knew he couldn’t take that awful sense of betrayal if it happened again. Once had nearly destroyed him.

  To his surprise, Rayna called him right before he’d decided to give up, turn off the lights and go to bed.

  “Are you busy?” she asked, the tremor in her husky voice making her sound slightly nervous.

  “I’m glad to hear your voice,” he blurted out, wincing after. “I was just about to go to bed.”

  “I should, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep,” she said. “I decided to go for a walk but instead I got in my car and went for a drive. And well... I ended up at your motel.”

  His damn stupid heart skipped a beat or two. “Are you—?”

  “In my car in the parking lot. I didn’t want to just show up uninvited and unannounced.” Her self-conscious chuckle, still low and throaty, had his body stirring.

  Right then and there, all his resolutions went up in a blaze of pure lust.

  “Come on in.” He didn’t even hesitate. “Another hour of sitting here alone and I’m going to go crazy.” Craving her. He didn’t say that out loud, but he figured she knew anyway.

  “On my way.”

  Ending the call, he stared at his phone in disbelief. By the time she tapped lightly on his door, he was already hard. One deep breath, two. Steady. He opened the door and she stepped into the room, her wild, fiery hair matching her eyes. He met her halfway, claiming her mouth with his. The taste of her, sweet and sultry, filled his mouth, her scent swirled around them.

  No words were needed. Kisses, caresses, these were enough.

  Somehow, they shed their clothes. Apparently, she needed to feel his skin against hers as badly as he did, because the instant they were naked, she pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top of him. She stopped short, hovering close but not close enough. More than anything, he yearned to pull her up and over, so he could drive himself into her wet softness.

  Instead, she gave him a sexy smile. “Wait,” she said. So he did.

  With eyes half-closed, he watched her take his arousal in her small hands. She peered up at him, grinning, and then lowered her mouth over him.

  Groaning, he tried like hell to keep himself still. But as she moved her impossibly perfect mouth, stroking him with her tongue, his body moved of its own accord and pushed into her. He wanted more, needed more, but not like this. This had him on the verge of losing control too quickly, too soon.

  With a growl, he arched up, grabbed her arms and flipped her so she lay under him. Covering her with his body, nearly mad with need, he pressed himself against her, teeth clenched, hoping for enough self-control to take it slow.

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, smiling sweetly as she arched her body up into his. “I want it hard and fast and deep. Now.”

  Damn if he didn’t oblige her.

  She met him stroke for stroke, her wildness feeding his frenzied desire. They came together, he following her the instant she began shuddering, her body clenching his. After, they held on to each other, reluctant to let go.

  “Will you ever forgive me?” she asked, mouth pressed against his chest, her soft voice a combination of both forlorn and satisfied.

  “I’m working on it.” He gave her an honest answer, while he breathed in the scent of her hair, helpless to resist the lure of her.

  “Thank you.” She moved her mouth over his skin, featherlight presses of her lips. “I know I should have stayed away, given you time, but—”

  “Rayna.” Raising her chin, he kissed her, cutting off her words. “I’m glad you didn’t. I don’t know what it is, this thing between us, but it’s strong. More than physical, I think. Or at least that’s how it seems to me,” he amended. For all he knew, she could feel completely different.

  “Same here,” she told him, pulling him close for another lingering kiss. “Logically, I should totally stay away. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I know how badly I hurt you and I’d do anything to make up for it.”

  Horrified, he recoiled, looking askance at her. “Is that what this is? Your way of making reparations?”

  She frowned. “Is that really what you think? After the crazy passion we manage to generate between us? Seriously, Parker. I’m not here as some sort of repayment of a debt. I came because I wanted you. Needed you. As you can see.”

  This made him relax. Somewhat. He hated being vulnerable, yet that was how he felt around her. His emotions raw, open and exposed.

  “Don’t ever doubt me again,” he ordered, tightening his arms around her. “Because I honestly don’t know if I would survive it.”

  She nodded. “Me, neither. I know better than to jump to hasty conclusions. You deserve better.” She bit her lip and looked down.

  “I do.” At her startled look, he laughed. “Seriously, though. If I’d been in your shoes, I might have taken that same leap of rapid logic.”

  Unsmiling, she shook her head. “You’re not the sheriff. I am. That’s not the kind of mistake I should be making, whether with you or with some stranger I don’t even know. As a law enforcement professional, I’ve been taught to look at evidence. Instead, I let emotion overrule my training. I assure you it won’t happen again.”

  “It better not.” He kissed her. Neither of them spoke for a while after that.

  * * *

  Leaving Parker sprawled out on the motel bed was harder than she’d thought. More than anything, she’d wanted to curl up next to him for the remainder of the night. But she had her home and her family to get back to, so she’d said a reluctant goodbye and slipped out the door.

  Driving back to her house, she sank into a weird combination of self-doubt and contentment. Despite experiencing pure joy with Parker, she still questioned her own judgment. Should she be spending time with him? Rationalizing, she knew doing so on her own time was her right. What the two of them did after hours was their own business and hurt no one.

  Except she’d managed to cause a great deal of hurt. She knew Parker well enough by now to understand how badly her distrust had cut him. All she had to do was to imagine the tables turned and her betrayal punched her in the gut.

  Where did they go from here? Had they ever had any kind of future together? If so, did they still? She wasn’t sure. Hell, she didn’t even know what she wanted, except never to hurt him that way again.

  At least she’d tried to make it better. After a disastrous day, she’d sucked it up and gone and apologized for her horrendous mistake. She hadn’t been sur
e how he’d react—she wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d thrown her out. Instead, Parker had seemed to actually accept her apology.

  Or had he? The passion that blazed between them at the slightest provocation did tend to muddy the waters a bit.

  Head aching, she pushed away all self-doubt and over analysis. Now she had work to do. In addition to attempting to locate Nicole and find out who’d murdered two women, she also needed to learn the true identity of whoever was stalking high school students, before something awful happened. Instinct told her all three were linked.

  Ever conscious of a ticking clock, she called Sam. He picked up on the second ring. “I see you worked things out with Parker,” he drawled. “I couldn’t help but notice you leaving his room a few minutes ago.”

  “Couldn’t help it, huh?”

  “I was still sitting outside at the pool,” he pointed out. “What’s up?”

  “I need your help,” she said. “I know you’re retired and all, but this thing just keeps growing by leaps and bounds. First, we’re looking for a missing woman. Next, we’re finding bodies and asking for the FBI’s help in finding a serial killer. And now we’ve got someone messaging teenage girls. I can’t help but think not only is this all tied together, but if we don’t catch this perp, everything is about to get worse really fast.”

  “I agree. And I’ll be happy to help, but Rayna, it’d be best if I stay in the background. If folks around here think they see me showing up and taking over, they’re going to lose all confidence in you. Understand?”