Troy returned to the room with the three women in tow. A slight shake of his head told Kevin, and everyone else present, the snake didn’t slip into the condo on its own.
“So? What’s next?” River straightened in her seat.
Colt crossed his arms over his chest. He hesitated before speaking—a clear sign to Kevin that Colt was aware of the sensitive nature of the subject. “First and foremost, I want to assure you no one here is a ghoul. Not one of us is eager to discuss what happened to your family, but if at any time you think of something that remotely connects them with the more recent incidents, we need to know.”
“Since the shit started last year, I’ve tried to think of a connection, but I always come up blank. The authorities don’t seem to think there’s any link.”
Shayne reached across for River’s hand and squeezed. “Something may come to you at the oddest moment. Don’t fight it, if it does. Trust me. I’ve been there.”
Troy pulled Shayne close. While Kevin hadn’t been on the island when Shayne was in trouble, he’d heard about the hell she’d gone through and why she was so familiar with the tricks the mind could play on someone.
“I talked to your friend, Dan,” Rick said to River.
“Did he add anything to what River’s already told us?” Kevin was curious what her friend could tell them.
“Not much. She was pretty thorough. I did get the names of the investigators who are assigned to the case. I’ll get hold of them tomorrow and find out if they shared everything with Dan. They should have been talking to River directly, but I understand with your friend’s background and his desire to run interference, they agreed to his request.”
“Would you mind going over what you told Rick and Kevin regarding the events behind your move from North Carolina?” Steve asked.
“Is that necessary?” Kevin didn’t want her reliving the unpleasantness again. She’d had a shitty day.
“You know it is. Sometimes things get lost in the translation.”
“I’m fine, but some of it’s not very pretty,” River said, her eyes dancing over the ladies in the room.
“You’ll never meet three stronger women,” Kevin assured her.
“All right, then.” River sucked in a deep breath. “Just short of a year ago, I started receiving little gifts…”
13
River recounted the events that had taken place in North Carolina adding those which had happened in the last two days. When she’d finished, they all had questions, but their inquiries were soft peddled. She was familiar with the process of being grilled. Were these people afraid to push her? After her earlier performance, she didn’t blame them for thinking she might fall apart, but, damn it, it still pissed her off. She may be strung together with spit and bailing wire, but she wasn’t a fragile flower who would fall apart if asked a few straightforward questions.
“Look,” she said after another soft lob from Steve. “I promise. I’m not going to fall into pieces. If you want to know something, ask it. We’ll be here all night at this rate.”
Shayne elbowed her husband, a smile on her face. “See? I told you she’d be fine once she got used to us.”
“Could any of the gifts correlate, in any way, to the murder of your family?” Colt asked.
“Other than the use of a knife, I don’t see any link. Neither did the authorities.”
Despite her assurance, when they got to the subject of the murder of her family, they remained careful with their questions. While River wasn’t made of paper lace, that particular subject was much more difficult to discuss. She was grateful the questions had been brief.
Josie closed her notebook. “I’ve got enough to get me started. We need to get home,” Josie turned to her husband.
“We’ve got a young lady waiting for us,” Steve explained, taking his wife’s hand. The others got to their feet, as well.
“Do you have my stuff?” Kevin asked Gib.
“Yeah.”
“Can a couple of you stick around for a minute?”
“No problem,” Colt told him. Troy nodded in agreement.
“The snake!” How had River forgotten about the snake? Her eyes darted toward the balcony, but the lateral blinds were drawn.
“It’s already in my truck,” Rick told her. “I’ll take it by ‘Ding’ Darling in the morning. The rangers will deal with it.”
River had been meaning to visit the national wildlife refuge. She’d always enjoyed exploring the outdoors, but… But what? Why hadn’t she taken the time to visit the sanctuary?
Steve, Josie and Rick said good night before following Kevin and Gib out the door. “I think Kevin’s making too big a deal over this,” River said to those remaining in the room.
“He’s being cautious,” Colt said. “Let us check into things a bit. If it turns out to be nothing, we’ll be out of your hair—assuming that’s where you want us.”
“Here’s my cell.” Cat grabbed a scrap of paper and scribbled on it. “What’s yours? I’ll text you everyone’s number.”
River hesitated. “The police already have my cell.”
“You have a team behind you now,” Cat explained. “We need to be able to reach you and you, definitely, need to be able to reach us.”
She’d given this group permission to help her. “You’ll need two numbers. I use one for outgoing and one for incoming.”
“What about the other phones?” Troy asked. “I counted at least three additional phones in this place.”
“Four. They’re back-ups. I keep them charged but I’ve never had to use them.”
“Give the rest of the numbers to Kevin. It’s best we have all of them,” Colt said.
Surprisingly, no one questioned her need for the additional phones. Most people would think she was obsessive. This group took it in stride. Maybe they did understand her.
Kevin returned, a duffel bag in one hand and a backpack slung over his shoulder. A red cross was displayed prominently on the pack. Cat and Shayne said their good-byes before departing with their husbands. River was left staring at Kevin’s back as he shut and locked the door.
“What’s the code,” he asked, fingers poised over the touchscreen pad next to the doorframe.
The simple question shook her. She’d spent half her time on earth wrenching back control of her life—learning to be strong and independent. In giving him the code, was she taking a large step backward? Depending on others always hurt in the long run. Raking her fingers through her hair, she stared back at him.
“Something wrong?” Kevin abandoned his place by the door, moving faster than a big man should. A second later, she felt the heat from his body.
“I don’t know if this is all a good idea. I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“I think you’d give Cat a run for her money when it comes to stubbornness. We went through this earlier today. It’s not a good idea for you to deal with this on your own. If it was the single attack on the beach, that would be one thing, but two assaults in one day? Smart people don’t take chances.”
It was childish, but his insinuation that she would be stupid to refuse help, grated on her. He held his position, eyes narrowing as he waited for her response. He had the warmest brown eyes—like melted caramel. Her blood slowly heated—not from anger but something else—a growing desire. She jerked away from his touch, walking past him to set the alarm. Desire had no place in her life. Avoiding emotional entanglements saved heartache. Now wasn’t the time to explore the effect he had on her.
“I’ll get you some sheets,” she said. “Sorry, but the couch is all I have to offer.” Despite their earlier response to one another, she had no intention of sharing her bed with him.
“That won’t be necessary,” he stated. “We don’t sleep when we’re on duty.”
So, she was a job. That’s how she wanted it, wasn’t it? Still, there was a twinge of disappointment mixed with a bit of anger.
“Good night, then.” She abruptly turned away.
<
br /> “Hang on a second. I want to take a look at those cuts on your face.”
“They’re fine.” She didn’t want his touch. She craved the sanctuary of her workroom.
“I’m the medic here,” he said, grabbing the green Army backpack.
River let out a loud huff, giving up on the argument. He was determined and she was too emotionally exhausted to battle with him. She pulled out a bar stool and slid onto it.
“I can’t figure out how to approach you,” he said, placing the medical kit on the breakfast bar.
“Excuse me?” Approach her? What did that mean?
“You go from scared, to angry, to cordial in zero to sixty.”
“Some people think I’m a certified lunatic.” She shrugged. “It ain’t much fun from this side, either. You’re free to walk out the door if you don’t care for my company.”
“That wasn’t an insult. I’m trying to tread a path which doesn’t trigger you.”
“Nobody is pleasant all the time. It would be boring.”
“True,” he agreed, turning toward the sink to wash his hands.
“Can we get on with this? It’s not brain surgery.” She was being snippy and rude. She’d run the gamut of emotions tonight. She could understand his confusion. She wasn’t used to them either. Being alone she was able to control her environment and, therefore, her reaction to it.
Kevin glanced over his shoulder as he continued to wash his hands. “It’s in the vicinity, I assume,” he smiled.
Damn. The man wasn’t just hot, he had a sense of humor. Didn’t she have enough on her plate right now? She didn’t need to be fighting this attraction, too. The timing sucked.
His fingers stroked her temple as he pushed her hair aside to examine the knot from her meeting with the door. The action wasn’t intended to be sensual, but the touch sent shock waves over every inch of her skin.
“That bump will be there a couple of days. How’s the headache?”
“Almost gone,” she said, wishing he’d touch her again. Not good.
He cleaned the scratches left by the doormat. After he finished with one side of her face, he removed the bandage the doctor had applied to her other cheek. He studied the wound, applied antiseptic ointment then replaced the bandage with new gauze and tape.
“Did you take your antibiotics?”
It was easier to talk with him when he was all business. “Yes. I’m not a child, you know.”
“Far from it,” he smiled.
“Are we done now?” River slipped off the stool. “I’d like to get some work in tonight.”
“You should rest,” he scowled.
River shook her head. Being alone was so much easier. You didn’t have to explain your actions to anyone.
“I rested earlier. I’m behind on my projects.” She should finish the jeweled mask, but she couldn’t bring herself to lay her hands on it. She needed to get past that ominous feeling soon, but for tonight she’d work on the design details of the seashell mask.
“River?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry.” It wasn’t unusual for her mind to wander, but in her defense, she didn’t usually have people around who noticed. “You need me for anything else?”
His head cocked as he scrutinized her. It was hard to tell if he was concerned or wondering how far off the charts she was from normal. It didn’t matter.
“No,” Kevin answered. “I’ll be out here if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” She considered it an accomplishment she didn’t tell him she’d been doing fine before he came along. But after today, having some security nearby would allow her to concentrate on her work without jumping at every little noise.
She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and was stunned to see the amount of food which had been left behind. “Help yourself to anything in here. I’m sure as hell not going to eat all this.”
The woman was a puzzle. He hadn’t been kidding about her mood swings. That she had them wasn’t surprising with her history. He hadn’t figured out how to approach her without setting her off. It probably wasn’t possible to avoid all the traps. Besides, she’d survived the last fourteen years in better shape than most would have managed, but today had sucked. If she slipped a few rungs on the ladder, she’d deserved some slack.
He used the facilities at the end of the hall. The light from her workroom squeezed under the closed door and out onto the tile floor. How often did she work late?
Ignoring his urge to tell her she needed rest, he returned to the living area and opened the sliding glass door, stepping out onto the small deck. She’d hadn’t shut the horizontal blinds to the slider in her workroom. He’d have to discuss that with her. Leaving them open at night wasn’t wise under the circumstances. From his current position, he could see her clearly, leaning over the drafting table, pencil in hand, sketching away. Her hair cascaded over her shoulder, blocking his view of her face.
Feeling like a voyeur, he directed his attention toward the surf. He spotted the lights from a few boats still out on the water. Hopefully, they were anchored for the night. The water could be a dangerous place after dark, particularly if there were novices behind the wheel. Other than the boaters, Kevin didn’t see any other sign of life. The smell of salt air wafted in on a breeze. The island had a way of settling him. His friends admitted it had the same effect on them. Cat often mused there were mystical spirits in the waters surrounding Sanibel. It was the Irish in her, he suspected, which gave her that magical take on the island. Whatever it was, his former teammates had found peace and love on this small spot of land. Did the island have the same effect on River? Is that what drew her here when she was forced to move?
He glanced back at the workroom and the woman who was so thoroughly involved in her creation. She deserved some peace. Kevin hoped Cat’s musings were right.
Leaving the sliding glass door open, he settled into the sofa. River didn’t own a television. He’d noted that earlier, but now he wondered why. Was it another way to retreat from the world or did she simply prefer the silence? Stretched out on the couch with the cool sea breeze drifting through the opened door, he understood the appeal. Still, it would have been nice to turn on a sports channel and watch a replay of a football or basketball game. It was going to be a long night.
Through the evening, Kevin had scrolled through so many online sports and news pages, his battery weakened. He moved to the breakfast bar with his phone charging, now playing video games. The last time he’d checked on River via the balcony, had been over an hour ago and now it was 2:00 a.m. The healer in him wanted to force her to get some rest, but common sense told him it would get him nowhere.
She had a front row seat in his head tonight. Not surprising since he was responsible for her safety and security, but security was sharing that seat with his carnal instincts. Shit. He was screwed up and she was more than a little screwed up. Wouldn’t they make a lovely couple? Knowing that didn’t stop him from picturing her stretched out across rumpled bedsheets, thoroughly exhausted and satisfied.
Taking a gulp of ice-cold water, he considered dumping the liquid in his lap. He needed to get his mind on something else. There wasn’t much to work with regarding her stalker. The information he had was minimal. Personally, he had a hard time believing it didn’t have something to do with the murder of her family. What were the odds that so many unconnected events happen to one person? She appeared convinced that was the case—or had someone convinced her of it? Kevin was anxious to hear what the team dug up when he talked to them tomorrow—or today, considering the time.
After rinsing his face in cold water from the kitchen sink, Kevin started searching for the coffee. She had a coffee maker, therefore, she had to have coffee. Right? He found the makings then started a pot. He also figured River had worked herself hard enough today. He’d given her room—aware she didn’t like to be pushed or crowded. In addition to the hour, she’d been under a lot of stress today. It was time for her to shut it down for a whi
le.
Bracing himself for an argument, he tapped on the door, but received no response. He softly called her name. Still nothing. Half fearful, he cracked the door open. River’s head rested on her arm stretched across the desk. A mechanical pencil was still in her hand, trapped between two slender fingers. Her left hand dangled at her side.
He quickly noted her breathing was even and her color was good. She was exhausted and had every right to be. Brushing the hair from her face, he waited for a reaction. She remained oblivious to his presence. Slipping the pencil from her fingers, he placed it in the holder. When that action didn’t elicit a response, he gingerly lifted her into his arms. She surprised him when she rested her head against his shoulder, snuggling into the crook of his neck.
He carried her into her bedroom but was loath to put her down. He wanted to simply hold her for a while… God, he was being stupid. He tenderly laid her on the bed then tossed the other side of the comforter over her. The activity hadn’t awakened her which put a fine point on her need for rest. She snuggled her head into the pillow just like she had his shoulder. If things were different, he’d crawl in next to her and pull her into his arms, keeping her safe. He wanted to get to know her—both as an individual and as a lover, but things weren’t different.
14
River groaned as she awoke. The fact that every muscle in her body ached shouldn’t have surprised her. She’d been slammed to the ground twice yesterday. Falling asleep at the drafting table hadn’t helped, but she wasn’t in the workroom now. She tossed back the comforter. Did she need to add sleepwalking to her list of odd behaviors?
The blinds had been shut, but the sun was still streaming through the slats. The clock at her bedside told her it was mid-morning. If she didn’t hurt so much, she’d feel refreshed from the solid, dreamless, sleep. It was normal for her to work until exhaustion overtook her. There were times that meant days without sleep, but she’d discovered dreams were rare when she finally succumbed. A sleep pattern that would be normal to most, tended to have her waking up during the night covered in sweat after sprinting through a thick forest in her dreams.
Run, River, Run Page 8
