Retribution Boxed Set (Books One and Two) (33 page)

“No.” He put a hand over hers, wanting to comfort
her.

“Yes, I was. Don’t try to make me feel better.”

“Okay, maybe.”

She half-laughed.

“Seriously, we all do things that have unintended
consequences. Some worse than others. At least you’re away from him now.”

“Yeah.” She sat quietly for a few moments, lost
in thought. Then she stood. “I’m going to go wipe my eyes and let you finish
your dinner in peace.”

“You’ll come back? He hadn’t seen her all day,
and a twenty-minute conversation wasn’t enough.

“Okay. Sure.”

“Good.” He smiled and caught the slight lift of her
lips in return.

By the time Janie returned to the kitchen, Sam
had disappeared. Her glass of wine had been refilled and sat on the counter
along with his as though to remind her he’d be returning. She took both glasses
and headed out the back door to the patio.

Bright stars played peek-a-boo with flighty
clouds, coaxing her to watch their games and lose herself in the dreamy depths
of the midnight sky. She set their glasses on the table and wandered over to
the edge of the patio. Lush trees surrounded the beautiful haven, the soft
grass and shadows beckoned to her. She stepped off the stones, enjoying the
feel of the grass beneath her feet.

Sweetly-scented air, enhanced by the smell of lilacs
filled her lungs. Mild humidity clung to her skin, making her wonder if a storm
would be approaching during the night.

She belonged somewhere like this. Somewhere safe
where she could be herself without worrying if she’d make someone angry. A
place she could make others happy by cooking. Somewhere she could live without
living in fear.

Trying to keep others happy, to keep tempers in
check, to do something the people around her would approve of was damn hard. This
was her life, and she needed to own it.

She didn’t need to be afraid of her feelings for
Sam, either. If she wanted to kiss him and he was agreeable, then she should
kiss him. Paul had been a bad seed, but if she continued to let what he’d done
to her affect her life, then she wasn’t truly free of him.

No one who hadn’t lived through what she’d lived
through would be able to understand. Even she wasn’t sure she understood how
she’d let Paul take complete control of her life. But having her freedom once
again was like having a wet, smothering blanket lifted from her face.

To prove her point, nature sent a soft breeze
wafting over her skin.

Paul would hate it if she kissed Sam. She had a
feeling she’d love it.

Soon, Paul would be a bad memory. She’d testify
against him if that was required to completely have her freedom. And she’d
answer the charges Paul had brought against her, confident in Eliana’s ability
to defend her. She had photos and witnesses. He had a rap sheet. He was lashing
out at her the only way he could now, but the fact was, he couldn’t touch her.

He’d only been able to touch her physically
anyway. Her soul had always been her own.

“Hey.”

The sound of Sam behind her made her jump.

“Sorry,” he said as he approached. “I thought I’d
made enough noise coming outside that you’d know I was here.”

The momentary thunder of her heart settled, and
she absorbed the way his smile melted her fears and replaced them with an
excited feeling that vibrated through her. “I guess I was lost in my thoughts.”

“Guess so.” Sam hesitated bringing up Castell
again, but he wanted her to know he was doing everything possible to keep her
safe. He didn’t want to make her cry again, but he supposed he’d take his
chances. “I didn’t finish telling you everything earlier.”

She stilled and then angled her gaze toward him. “What
is it? Is it bad?”

There it was again. That kick in his heart he got
every time their gazes connected. “No, it’s not bad. That kid, Brent, told us
about a possible drug shipment that might go down. That’s part of the reason I
was so late tonight. I was working with Drug and Vice. It sounds like it could
involve Castell, Elliott and Hardy. We might be able to get all three in one
fell swoop. And if not, at the very least, it may have a domino effect. Take
down one, and the others fall.”

She took a few steps away from him, running her
fingers along the trunk of a massive tree before turning back. “I don’t think
you should trust Brent. His loyalty is always going to be with Paul, especially
if Paul keeps him happy and high.”

“You think he’s more loyal to Paul than to his
own life? He searched her face, enjoying the concern he found there. She was
worried about him, and that filled a hole he hadn’t known he’d had.

“I think if he found a way to save himself in
Paul’s eyes, he’d tell on you.”

Sam shook his head. “I’ve been in this business a
long time, long enough to know when an informant may flip. He was scared that
we talked to him. Very scared. Personally, I think he’ll skip town and find a
new source.”

She sighed, but didn’t turn away. She stared at
him as though torn by her thoughts.

“What is it?”

She started to speak, then stopped.

He lifted his brows, urging her to continue.

“These guys are bad criminals.” She folded her
arms in front of her in a protective gesture as though she’d need a shield from
the backlash of her next words. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Not for my sake.”

A laugh escaped him, and she frowned. “Janie. It’s
not like I’m a rookie here. I’m a trained police officer.” He closed the
distance between them and placed his hands on her arms, rubbing the slight
chill from them. “I’ve had hours and hours of training on how to deal with
people like these guys. Paul might have been able to push around an unarmed
woman, but he’s not going to do that to me.”

“I don’t know.”

He lifted her chin, forcing her to stare into his
eyes. “My shot is deadly, and my instincts are killer. He’s the one who should
be afraid.”

She dropped her arms, and he realized he’d more
or less pinned her against the tree. Only inches separated their bodies. The
side of his foot rested against hers.

He stepped away, closer to the house, trying to
rein in his feelings. He pretended he hadn’t caught the look of disappointment
in her eyes when he’d walked away. What the hell was he supposed to do? They
both felt the attraction, but it didn’t seem right to act on it. Not with her
just coming off a bad relationship. Or…was that exactly what she needed? A man
to show her that not all guys were jerks?

“Are we going to practice tonight? She moved forward
in a predatory way, reminding him of the mountain lion he’d once come across in
the Blue Mountains.

“I don’t think so.” His reserve concerning her was
stretched too thin already.

“Come on.” She gripped his wrist, holding him
like he’d done to her before. “Try to get away.”

His skin heated. He released a careful breath. He
couldn’t understand why she pushed his limits. She had to know she played a powerfully
seductive game, had to want him close like he wanted her.

He slipped from her grip, but instead of moving
away like he’d taught her to do, he grabbed her hands. Being careful not to
hurt her, he twisted her and bent her arms until he had her in a defenseless
position. The sensual scent of her shampoo assaulted his nose, and the feel of
her soft body against him made him instantly hard. “Like this?” he said.

Her breath came in soft gasps. For a moment, he
was afraid she might freak out, might think he and Paul had something in common.
So much for his intent to treat her with kid gloves. He held his breath,
waiting for her to react.

Instead of fighting, she pushed into him, her
body heat scorching him through his jeans and t-shirt. “Teach me how to do that,”
she whispered.

“No.” His mouth was against her ear, the silky
strands of her hair caressing his cheek. “If you get into trouble, I want you
on the defense, not the offense.”

“Then I’ll ask Christian to show me.”

She’d pushed his buttons perfectly. He turned her
around, still holding her against the rough bark. “I don’t want you this close
to Christian.”

“Why not? Her darkened eyes teased him, and he
knew she’d brought up Christian on purpose. She wanted him to kiss her. He
could tell by the way she slid her tongue along her bottom lip, by the way she
kept sneaking glances at his mouth.

Oh hell. He had a beautiful woman in his arms on
a starlit night. He’d have to be a monk to resist. “Because I don’t want
Christian doing this.”

He lowered his mouth to hers, every inch of him
turning to molten lava, burning him from within. She tasted like the wine
they’d consumed earlier. And something else. Sweetness? Heaven? All his desires
mixed into one?

With his palms, he framed her face, then plowed his
fingers into her soft hair as he plundered her mouth. Her tongue teased him,
drawing him farther inside her warm recesses.

She fisted the sides of his t-shirt as a soft
moan escaped their kiss.

He ached to have more of her and slipped an arm
around her, molding her to him. From the moment he’d met her the night Xander
had been shot, he’d wanted to do this. Months had passed since that night. He’d
only seen her the one time, but he hadn’t been able to forget her.

When she leaned back, drawing in a deep breath,
he stared into her heated gaze. That was no simple first kiss. The taste, the
feel of her had shot through him like a high velocity round through a Kevlar vest,
leaving his senses reeling.

He took a step back, though he didn’t completely
release her. Then he dropped his arms. He needed distance if he was going to
regain control over his actions.

She arched her brows, a hurt look washing over
her face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

He could picture Paul punishing her for pushing
boundaries, and anger flashed into his veins. “Don’t apologize for going after
what you want. And never,
ever
apologize for kissing me like that.”

Her sad expression turned confused. “Then why are
you backing away?”

“Because if I stay, if you kiss me like that
again….” He nearly groaned remembering the taste of her sweet lips. “I’m not
going to be able to stop until I’ve kissed every inch of you. And I don’t think
you’re ready for that.”

Her lips formed into an “O”, and then she smiled.

“Exactly,” he said. “I’m going to catch me another
of those cold showers. See you in the morning.”

Liar, he whispered under his breath once he was
inside the house. He blamed her for keeping them from taking the next step, but
it was as much his fault as hers. She wasn’t the kind of woman he could love and
then leave, and he needed some time to adjust to those kinds of feelings.

The next morning, Sam padded into the kitchen,
irritated and horny as hell. Thoughts of Janie had haunted him throughout the
night. He’d either stared at the dark ceiling wondering if he should have taken
things further, or he’d slept and dreamt about kissing her bare skin. Heaven
and hell, both. A morning shower hadn’t helped. Perhaps a good workout would. If
he’d been at Hunter’s, he would have forced the guys into a cutthroat game of
basketball just so he could kick some ass.

He’d poured his first cup of hot coffee when his
phone buzzed. Noah’s name appeared on his screen. He’d told the precinct he
wouldn’t be in much that day since he’d worked extra hours that week and had
more planned for the following day. “Yeah?” he answered. It was his best
attempt at being cordial under the circumstances.

“Castell’s been released.”

“Fuck.” A serious throb echoed through his head
and kept on pounding. He hoped this news wouldn’t send Janie into a tailspin.

Silence came across the phone. “Sam?”

“Yeah? He couldn’t think beyond predicting
Janie’s reaction.

“This could be a good thing. If we bust this drug
shipment, it’s better if Castell’s physically there, right?”

Sam closed his eyes, trying to get back in the
game. If Janie hadn’t been sequestered at his house, if he wasn’t half in love
with the woman, he
would
think this was a good thing. In fact, he might
even be anxious about the prospect of taking down a couple of badass criminals.
“No, you’re right. I’m just fighting off a killer headache this morning. Brain
isn’t functioning.”

“Did your date turn into an all-nighter?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You left work last night in a big hurry and now
you have a hangover. I’m wondering if your date ended up being a little more
than you’d expected.”

Noah had
no
idea. “Nice try,” he responded.
“No late night date. No hangover this morning. Just a headache.”

His partner chuckled. “Okay, man. I just wanted
to let you know the latest. Still no word on the missing Singleton woman?”

“I haven’t heard anything new.” He hated lying,
even if it was by omission, but he didn’t have a whole lot of choice in the
matter.

“I hope she’s in deep hiding. Apparently, when
Castell walked out of the hospital, he said something about finally being able
to go after what was his.”

Sam caught himself before he swore again. “I hope
she’s out of his reach, too. More than that, I hope we can nail this bastard
before he has a chance to hurt anyone again.”

Sam had barely finished his coffee and had figured
out what he intended to say to Janie when his phone rang again. This time
Ryan’s name showed on his screen.

“What’s up?”

“Glad I caught you.” Ryan’s southern accent came
across the line. “Somebody just kicked up the heat in the case you’re working. Singleton’s
attorney, a Ms. Conway has been desperately trying to reach Xander and Nicole
since yesterday afternoon. Apparently, the judge in the civil suit against
Janie is considering allowing service by publication for the summons and
complaint since she can’t be located by phone or at Xander’s address. Xander
asked me to keep tabs on his personal phone while they are away, and let me
tell you, this woman is adamant. Ten messages within five hours. I would have
called you sooner, but I didn’t check his phone until this morning. She said if
Singleton doesn’t show, the case will still go forward. And you and I both know
it’s in Janie’s best interest to show.”

He cursed again. “Could this day get any worse?”

“I don’t know.” His friend paused. “Could it?”

“Not much.” Sam massaged his temple. “Thanks for
letting me know. I may have to rethink my strategy.”

*        *        *

Janie woke late the morning following her kiss
with Sam. She’d actually roused several times since sun up, but she couldn’t
bring herself to get out of bed and face the day. Luckily, it was Friday, and
she wouldn’t have to see Sam until later that evening.

The allure of a moonlit evening the previous
night had stolen her common sense, and, all though she didn’t regret their
kiss, it did make things more awkward. She’d only known she wanted to be held
in his strong arms and taste his sensual mouth, and forget about the ugliness
in her life. Sam had been everything she’d dreamed about, but real life had to
follow that kiss. The fact was, they were stuck in the same house together, had
to see each other every day, and their kiss seriously complicated things.

Sam was right. She wasn’t sure she was ready for
the feelings and emotions that came along with a new relationship. And would
there really be a relationship? She had every intention of leaving town as soon
as the whole mess blew over, regardless of whether or not Paul ended up in jail.
He’d get out eventually, and he still had plenty of contacts who could make her
life hell. Or end it completely. She couldn’t stay in Portland and hide from
Paul forever.

Releasing a groan, she rolled from her bed,
straightened the sheets and had the comforter pulled halfway up the mattress
when a knock sounded on her door.

She opened it, surprised to find Sam looking
better than morning coffee, sexy in ripped jeans and a tight gray t-shirt. Her
appreciation lasted a second before it was replaced by a sliver of fear. “Why
are you home?”

“I’m flexing the extra hours I’ve been working. I’ll
be putting in some work time tomorrow, too.”

With her anxiety quieted, her thoughts jumped
back to the attractive man standing before her. Realizing she still wore her
pajamas, she crossed her arms in front of her.

He cleared his throat. “Can I come in?”

Janie paused for a moment and then moved aside. Everything
seemed sexually charged and awkward now. The constant electric attraction
running between them made it impossible to relax. It was a relentless push-pull
kind of thing that left her nervous, excited and uncertain. No wonder she’d
caved to it the previous night. It was difficult to constantly fight such an
overwhelming force.

“Sleep in? Sam walked past her, stopping well
inside her personal space. He seemed confident and in control, and she was sure
he affected her far more than she did him.

“Yeah. I had a restless…night.” She might as well
have confessed that she’d thought about him into the wee morning hours. “Couldn’t
sleep.”

“Me, either.”

His admission sent her emotions spinning. She
shifted on one hip, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Paul’s out of the hospital.” His words punched
through her false sense of security.

“Oh…”

“He appeared before a judge, but he posted bail.”

“Do judges normally grant bail to dangerous men?”

“As far as violence goes, he has a clean record. The
DA tried to keep him behind bars, but with no priors and jail space tight,
that’s hard to do.”

She tried to ignore the tremors emanating from
her gut. “Now what?”

“They’ll set a court date.”

She’d known this moment would come, but it still
took her by surprise. Her head grew suddenly light, and she grabbed the doorframe
to steady herself.

He reached for her, but he didn’t actually touch.
“He’s not going to find you, Janie. I won’t let him hurt you.”

She met his gaze, wishing she could be as certain
as he was. “I know.” She let go of the doorframe and stood straighter, needing
to control something. “I wanted this. I wanted to be away from him. I’m not
going to say he doesn’t scare me, but I’m determined to be free of him.”

“Good. Stay strong and stay smart. Men like him
are counting on their victims to be weak.”

“I’m
not
a victim.” How many times did she
have to say that? “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” Though
she’d done a poor job up until now. Emotion welled from within, and she sunk
her teeth into her bottom lip hoping the pain would override her fear and keep
her from embarrassing herself further, but it wasn’t helping.

She’d already painted herself as a pathetic
person who allowed others to control her. That’s what people saw when they
looked at her. But she was
not
that person. She’d been looking for the
unconditional love that had eluded her for most of her life, and when she’d
first met Paul, she’d believed he could have been the person to give it to her.
She’d been committed to their relationship, and he hadn’t started out as such a
beast. They’d had some good times, before times turned bad. Unfortunately, no
one knew this side of things but her.

“Thanks for letting me know.” She turned away,
hoping he’d leave.

“Hey.”

She looked at him, trying to smile, but failed.

Shit. Every bit of what she’d been through during
the past weeks reared its ugly head, and she could tell by his expression she
wasn’t hiding it very well. The pretense of being strong had been a
poorly-built façade.

This time, when he reached for her, he didn’t
hold back. He took her hands and tugged, but she resisted.

She wanted to fall into his arms, to hide there
for a bit, but that would be showing even more weakness. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. I can see it.” He tilted her
chin up, delving into her soul. “It’s okay to be scared, you know. It’s okay to
let me help you.”

“I’m not very good at that.” She hadn’t had much
support throughout her life, and then the one person she did trust turned out
to be someone she shouldn’t have. She blinked rapidly, feeling herself caving
to his persistence despite her will. She slipped her hands from his and headed
to the desk where she’d placed her phone. She sat, needing something to steady
her, something to help give the impression of control. “I’ll be fine.” She
tightened her emotions before looking at him again. Her lips couldn’t produce a
smile, but at least she wasn’t crying. “It took me by surprise. That’s all.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but she’d left
him no choice. “If you’re sure…”

She nodded quickly. She wasn’t sure about
anything other than needing space to give her time to regain her equilibrium. Everything
about Paul seemed to knock her off balance. But it wouldn’t always. She’d move
beyond this.

A few seconds of silence passed between them. He
acted like he wanted to say more. Finally, he sighed and said, “Look, I have to
go into the office today for an hour or so. I won’t be gone too long. When I
get back I wonder if you’d be opposed to getting out of this house for a while.
I think it would be good for you, and God knows I wouldn’t mind blowing off a
little steam.”

Escape was exactly what she needed. “Where would
we go?”

“I don’t know. I’ll think of something. Just
dress casually. Good shoes, and I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

After Sam left, Janie fought to keep from
worrying about the latest turn of events.

Paul was free. He was back on the streets, and he’d
be looking for her. If not because of the information he thought she might
have, then definitely because she’d defied him, not to mention, she’d stabbed
him. He’d be looking for round two in their fight, and there was no doubt in
her mind, only blood would satisfy him.

That would have to be his problem. Not hers. She
firmed her resolve as she headed for her closet to find something appropriate
to wear. He might want blood, but he wasn’t getting hers. Not if she had
something to say about it.

She’d told Sam she wasn’t a victim, and she
wasn’t. She had brains, and she had options. First chance she got, she’d have
Christian take her to the bank, and she’d get the items from her safe deposit
box. She’d drain her bank account so she’d have plenty of cash in case she
needed to get out of town fast. Then she’d wait to see what happened with the
case.

Waiting for Sam to arrive back home was hell on
Janie’s nerves. Christian was still asleep after being out most of the night at
his bar, and she hated doing nothing. Idleness gave her fears time to fester,
and she wasn’t having any of that. She dragged out ingredients for a flourless
chocolate cake they could all eat for dessert that evening.

Sam walked in just as she pulled it from the oven.
She’d tensed when she’d heard the door shut. Probably would every time until Paul
was behind bars or until there was enough miles between them. But the security
alarm hadn’t sounded, and it only took Sam a few seconds to find her.

“Something smells good,” he said with a huge
smile on his face. She loved that she could bring joy to people through her
creations. In return, their reactions brought her happiness as well.

“Chocolate cake.”

He walked toward her. Every inch of distance he
closed between them increased her pulse. His arm brushed hers as he leaned in
and took a great whiff. “Should we eat it now?”

She laughed. “No. We’re going to have it after
dinner.”

He stood, looking down into her eyes as another
shiver raced through her. She didn’t particularly want to feel attracted to
him, to any man for that matter, but there it was.

“We might not get back until late.”

“Then we’ll have it then.” He was so close, and
all she could think about was the taste of his kiss. Would he ever kiss her
again, or would he maintain his distance? Right now, there wasn’t much space
between them. If she reached out, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t push her
away.

“Fine.” He surprised her by placing a quick peck
on her lips. “Give me a second to let Christian know that you’re with me, and
I’ll be ready to go.”

She stood, stunned, but the gentle wings of happiness
fluttered inside her.

A few minutes later, he reappeared. “Let’s go.”

“Did you decide where we’re going?”

“For a ride.” He took her hand and led her to the
garage, holding the interior door open for her. She headed for the passenger
side of the Charger.