The Last Execution (34 page)

“Whichever one you use is the right one.” He chose the same fork she selected, not commenting on her incorrect choice. “And we’re in no hurry tonight. I booked an early reservation. We’re here to relax and enjoy ourselves.”

“But
Chez Joey
? Can we afford this place?”

“Well,” he admitted, “we couldn’t eat here every night.”

“This is delicious.” She moaned softly and dabbed a bit of food from her lip with her napkin. “What’s special about tonight?”

She gazed at him, her face radiant with love and trust. Angels had blessed those innocent, soft brown eyes.

“Don. Are you listening?”

The tension in her voice snapped his attention from the fancy apartment building across the street. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked you what we’re celebrating.”

“Can’t we celebrate being together?”

“Please.” She waved off his question with disappointment in her eyes. “Your mind isn’t here with me.”

“You have my undivided attention.”

“I wish you’d tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I’m fine. I promise.” He stabbed a black olive with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. Ellen was innocent but in no way stupid. Of course she’d noticed his preoccupation. He swallowed, and the bite of food sank like lead to the bottom of his stomach when she narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.

“Something’s going on. You’re distant. Gone at all hours of the day. Not resting.” She tilted her head sideways and studied him. “Are you having second thoughts about us?”

“No...no way,” he stammered. “I’m sorry if I’ve worried you.”

She ducked her head over her salad and ate in silence.

“I do have something to say. I kind of wanted to wait until dessert.” He slid his hand into his jacket pocket and brought out a small velvet jewelry box. Her sharp intake of air ripped right through his heart. Ellen’s eyes brimmed with tears when he opened and placed the box in front her. “It’s not much, but since you’re engaged to be married, I thought you should be wearing an engagement ring.”

Her smile filled him with love and hope. Another dark corner of his heart flooded with light.

****

Monday, May 17, 4:00 p.m.

J.T. knocked on Leigh’s front door. He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets, undecided whether to be worried or pissed. She’d avoided him over the weekend, turning down his offer yesterday to take her and Ethan to the movies.
Movies?
Shit, when had he last been inside a theater. Then she hadn’t come to work this morning. She had a right to know Olivia had finished the follow-up with the widows.

Already short on patience, J.T. walked around back when she didn’t answer fast enough to suit him. He slid his hand across the hood of her car. The cool metal indicted the motor hadn’t ran in a while. He knocked firmly on the back door. Closed curtains and blinds offered no information. His nerves coiled tighter as seconds ticked away, allowing his imagination to run horror scenarios through his mind. He went back up the driveway to the front yard and spotted Leigh across the street.

A tall blond male with the biceps of a body-builder held her undivided attention. Ethan sat on the man’s hip, and from what J.T. saw, Leigh didn’t appear to be in distress. Her laughter drifted all the way to J.T.’s ears, sending heat flashes to his brain, which he refused to believe was jealousy. Satisfied she was okay, he haggled with himself whether to stay or get in the damn ’Vette and go.

“J.T. is here,” Ethan shouted, his arms waving.

The kid wriggled out of the guy’s arms and shot down the sidewalk at top speed. Shit. He was coming across the street without looking or slowing down. Leigh yelled something J.T. couldn’t hear because he was already moving. He sprinted across the yard and road. He reached the small rocket right before he left the curb and snatched him into the air. Ethan’s small arms wrapped around J.T.’s neck and squeezed. He closed his eyes against the emotion when his heart clenched as if the boy’s hands were inside his chest.

The angry frown on the approaching mother ended the tender moment.

“Little man, you’re in a world of trouble,” J.T. whispered a warning.

“On the ground, Ethan,” she demanded.

Leigh knelt and J.T. slid the wide-eyed kid down his leg. Her steely, blue eyes narrowed to slits making him regret dropping by uninvited.

“What’s the rule about crossing the street?” she asked her son.

Head down, he scuffed one toe of his tennis shoe back and forth on the sidewalk. “Not without a grownup.”

He looked his mother in the eyes with an expression of pure innocence.

“And I didn’t.”

“Don’t you try that lame excuse on me. You were going to.”

J.T. decided now might be a good time to intervene. “Sorry if I interrupted anything. Everyone at the office was worried you were sick. I told them I’d check on you.” He knew—she knew—he was lying through his teeth.

He cared about her and didn’t see that ending any time soon.

She shot him a frigid look and then went back to her conversation with Ethan.

“Go wait for me with Rob. I’ll be there in a minute.” She turned Ethan by the shoulders and pointed him toward the weightlifter. “And cross that street after you look both ways.”

Tears rimmed Ethan’s eyes when he looked back over his shoulder. J.T.’s temper flared. The last thing he wanted was for to Ethan cry because of him.

“Shit, Leigh. I didn’t mean to get him in trouble.”

“I know.” She lifted a shoulder. “I’ve been worried he’d get too attached to you. What are you doing here?”

J.T.’s skin sizzled at her remark. “Excuse me? Too attached?”

She glanced back at the man talking to Ethan. “I can’t discuss this right now.”

Cold and distant, her gaze flitted every direction but at J.T.

“The hell you can’t. You had to have expected me. Besides...” He bit back his words. No way would he tell her how miserable he’d been all day, not while standing on the sidewalk with
Rob
waiting for her less than a block away. “I thought you might want to know that none of the widows received offers of help.”

“I didn’t imagine the conversation. Somebody needs to tell Jason.”

“And tell him what? You really think he’d believe it?”

The soft lines around her mouth deepened. The gentle blue eyes had darkened to a steel gray. Word by word, she was building a wall between them. Shutting him out. Refusing to let him help. How could he convinced her to depend on him? He
needed
her to need him.

“Sorry to have bothered you.” Grasping at the remnants of his pride, he inched backward. “I’ll see you around.”

Her head moved a fraction. He’d been coldly dismissed. J.T. spun on his heel, crossed the street, and got in his car. By the time he drove away, Leigh had rejoined the man and Ethan. Who the hell was Rob?

****

Monday, May 17, 5:00 pm

Leigh dug her fingernails into her palms. She’d forced herself not to run into the middle of the street and chase after J.T.’s car. Steeled herself not to cry out for him to come back.
Keep moving. Do not look back.
Dammit. She couldn’t fathom a life without him.

If only for a brief respite, she longed to feel his hands stroke her back, and to listen to his strong heartbeat while she rested her head on his chest. But she didn’t have the luxury of falling into his arms and losing herself in his strength. His penetrating eyes had searched her face looking for answers. Her heart begged her not to send him away. Her brain said it was for his own good. His career was his life, who he was. She wouldn’t drag him into her plans.

Earlier, Dede and her husband Rob had listened patiently to the sordid details of her assault and Jason’s current plan to take her to court. Leigh had chosen her words carefully. Not a hint of her plan to leave town filtered its way into the conversation.

Running went against every moral fiber of her being, meant turning her back on years of upholding the law. Maybe she wouldn’t have to go underground. She’d be ready just in case. She prayed never to have to make that decision.

“Everything okay?” Rob’s face was the picture of worry when he and Ethan met her on the sidewalk. “Even though the guy wasn’t Carrington, I wasn’t leaving you out here alone. His scowl made me nervous.”

“He only looks mean. Thank Dede for me. Ethan loves riding to school with her instead of taking the bus.” She reached down and took Ethan by the hand. “We are walking to the street, stopping at the curb, and looking both ways before we cross. Aren’t we, kiddo?”

Rob said goodbye and went back to his yard work, leaving her and Ethan by themselves.
We’ve been alone for a long time. We can do it again.
She pushed the pain from her shattered heart deep inside. Out of reach.

She loved J.T. with every fiber of her being. But the small hand in hers, gripping her fingers, trusting her to protect him, came before her wants or needs. Regardless of the cost to her personal feelings, her primary purpose in life was to keep Ethan safe. She straightened her shoulders and started down the sidewalk.
Finish
laying out the plan, and pray it’s never used.

“Let’s go to the bank, son. Mom needs to make a withdrawal.”

****

Tuesday, May 18, 1:30 a.m.

Leigh squinted at the caller ID before she held the phone to her ear. “J.T.?”

“The sniper hit. You want in?”

“Yes.” Without thinking, she scrambled out of bed and slid on the jeans she’d tossed across the chair a few hours ago.

“Are you sure?” The chill in his voice sliced through the air space.

“Yes. Text me the address. I’ll meet you.”

“Not necessary. I’m not far from your house. I’ll be outside.” He disconnected.

“Shit,” she muttered while she called Dede. Leigh stared at the phone. She should call him back. Not ride with him. She shouldn’t get that close. Not when she wanted him to hold her so bad, she physically hurt.

She dashed to the bathroom and splashed water on her face, dragged a comb through her hair, and slipped on a headband. Her heart lurched when she slid the chain holding her badge around her neck. She closed her hand around the cool metal she’d always been proud to wear and squeezed. The rumble of his car easing up her driveway drew another expletive while she raced into her bedroom and pushed her hand under the pillow for her Glock.

The sound of a key in the lock followed by the soft chime of the alarm indicated Dede was letting herself in and punching in the code. Leigh holstered her weapon and hurried down the hall.

“God, you’re a lifesaver.”

Dede’s tousled hair, sleep-heavy eyes, and pink warm-ups gave her the appearance of a teenager instead of a rock-solid thirty-something friend who came whenever Leigh called.

“Yeah, I know. Be careful.”

“I will.” Leigh gave her a quick hug before heading outside. “I’ll call later this morning.” Closing the door quietly, she waited until the deadbolt slammed home and then jogged out to J.T.’s waiting car. She bit her lip to stop the tremble. Would this be her last call as an officer of the law? How many more before the court hearing?

She buckled up and assured herself riding with J.T. wouldn’t be a problem. Then the subtle scent of his cologne slammed into her senses, and her heart flipped its usual cartwheel. Without warning, tears flooded her eyes. Damning herself, she questioned her sanity for getting this close to him. His call, coming in the middle of the night, had caught her off guard. She angled her head, studying his profile. Missing him already.

“What’s wrong?” J.T. broke the silence as he maneuvered the car through traffic.

His tone, laced with hurt and anger, sliced open her heart with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“You’re on the verge of tears. Arms wrapped around your belly like you’re having an appendicitis attack.” His voice was low, growling like an injured animal. “Hell, yeah...nothing’s wrong.”

The Corvette charged onto the loop at the pace of a hungry panther, and its driver fell mute. He’d given up trying to talk, and Leigh’s guilt kept her from trying to make peace.

He’d warned her not to get involved with him. In fact, at one point he’d been quite adamant. Her disappearing wouldn’t be more than a blip on his radar. Was she glad he hadn’t fallen in love with her? Her chest grew heavy. She’d longed to hear him say the words at least once.

The crowd around the crime scene prevented them from parking close. All four major news networks had already arrived and set up lights and cameras. She and J.T pushed through the crowd. When they reached the perimeter, an Atlanta cop signed them in and then motioned them under the tape.

“Straight down the walk in front of the Georgian Towers Apartment.” The cop directed them toward a small cluster of people.

“Thanks.” Leigh turned when J.T. caught her arm. She looked into the familiar scowl, with deep furrows between his eyes and hard-set jaw. “What?”

“I know this address.” He glanced ahead at the building and back at her. “I have a friend on the force. He sent me information on Carrington—”

“You had someone pry into my life?” Confusion muddied her thoughts. The fact he’d snooped shot hot coals through her blood. Now wasn’t the time to kick his butt, she’d do that later. “That’s not a subject to discuss right now.” She whirled and stormed away.