Unforgiven--Includes a bonus novella Read online

  “Sorry to keep you waiting.” I reached out a hand for her to shake and immediately took note of her hesitancy to reach for it. Eventually she wrapped her slim, ice-cold fingers around mine and gave a half-hearted shake.

  “No problem. I really don’t know what I’m going to be able to add to your investigation. Like I mentioned to your partner, I don’t know anything about Conrad or the rest of the Lawton family. My mother made sure I was kept in the dark. This was all as much a shock to me as it was to them.”

  I took a seat next to Hearst, making note of the fact that the doctor was sitting facing the front door and her eyes tracked each new entry. She was definitely on guard, on the lookout for someone. We were going to have to dig a little deeper into this woman’s life, and I could tell she wasn’t going to like it one bit.

  “You’d be surprised how helpful even the slightest bit of information could be. Conrad’s daughter mentioned that her dad seemed like he was anxious to get rid of her the day you visited, like he was expecting someone. Did you tell him you were coming to see him that day? Did he know you’d found out his identity before you showed up on his doorstep? What did you talk about?” I had to hand it to Hearst, he was good. He had just the right amount of charm and charisma to put someone at ease, but his mind was quick and he fired off all the same questions I would’ve asked had I been the one in charge of the investigation.

  The redheaded woman stayed cool as a cucumber. Her composure never wavered. “I didn’t tell him I was coming. I found my mother’s safety deposit box that had a DNA test in it. I assume the sheriff demanded proof I was his child before paying her. I asked a friend on the Austin police force to track down his address for me. I don’t know why I thought showing up unannounced was the way to go, but I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at the time. The sheriff did not seem at all surprised to see me, now that you mention it. When I told him he was my father and I would like to repay every cent my mother took from him, he told me there was no need. He also told me he already had enough kids and wasn’t looking for another one. Then he sent me on my way. He made it pretty clear he wasn’t interested in seeing me again.”

  Hearst gave me a look. Without words I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. Someone else had told Conrad that his long-lost daughter knew his identity. That was the only explanation as to why he hadn’t been surprised to see Presley on his doorstep.

  Hearst leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table in front of him. “Did you tell anyone else about Conrad or the blackmail?”

  Green eyes flicked away briefly, indicating silently that she had. For a second I thought she was thinking about how to answer, but a moment later her expression shifted to surprise with a splash of horror. “What is she doing here?”

  Confused, Hearst and I shared another look. Presley climbed to her feet just as a flurry of anger and blond curls stormed up to the side of the table, palms slamming out on the surface with enough force to spill the liquid in all the cups resting there.

  “What in the hell?” Hearst struggled to get to his feet as Kody suddenly leaned down, glaring at the unsuspecting doctor as she got almost nose-to-nose with the other woman. I ended up on my feet, instinctively trying to get between the two women.

  It was easier said than done, because Kody was intently focused on her target. “He left everything to you! The house! The land! His pension! All of it is in your name! What did you do to my father?” Her voice rose with each sentence.

  Kody was causing a scene. Enraged and out of control the way she was now, every eye in the place was on her as Presley fought to gain some space, her hands lifting defensively as she flinched at each word Kody spit out.

  “Goddammit, Kody. You’re going to get yourself arrested. Knock it off.”

  “What are you doing? Are you crazy? This isn’t how grown women act.” The doctor’s voice didn’t rise, but I could clearly hear the panic laced through it. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Kody ignored her words, continuing to crowd her. “Why would he change his will?! Why are you so fucking important to him?”

  Kody sounded unhinged, but I could also hear the pain in her voice. She wasn’t thinking straight, and it was going to get her in massive trouble.

  “How did Kody even know where we were meeting?” Hearst was pushing to get out of the booth as I continued to try to push Kody back a few inches so the other woman could breathe.

  I grunted when I got an elbow in my jaw for my efforts.

  I recalled her surprise visit this morning and her questionable behavior. “She followed me.” It hadn’t even occurred to me to keep an eye out for someone tailing me to the meeting spot. Who was crazy enough to do that? The answer was the woman wiggling in my tightening hold.

  I wanted to get Kody under control before she hurt the other woman, but I couldn’t get a solid hold on her from this angle. She was twisting and wiggling like a fish pulled out of a river.

  Kody kept screaming about Presley getting everything, and the redhead kept repeating that Kody’s behavior was ridiculous. I had no idea how she didn’t lose her temper after getting attacked so outrageously, but she remained calm…until she didn’t.

  Something snapped in the cool doctor, and the next thing I knew Kody was on the floor at my feet, holding her nose as a steady stream of blood trickled down her face. Presley had her fists clenched and her feet placed in a classic boxer’s stance. It was unexpected, and the woman seemed shocked at her own actions, as if she’d only learned self-defense recently.

  Swearing under my breath, I reached down to pull Kody to her feet, slapping a hand over her mouth when she immediately started to protest.

  “I’ll take care of her. You take care of Dr. Baskin. I apologize for the way this interview went.” I also realized it was a good thing I wasn’t in charge of this case, because it would be my ass in my boss’s office getting chewed out for dropping the ball like this.

  I hauled a still-fighting Kody out of the building, pausing to flash the badge to a couple of watchful state troopers who’d witnessed the whole altercation.

  Once outside, I muscled her against the side of my truck, taking a quick look at her nose to make sure it wasn’t broken. Kody was still struggling in my hold until I used my sleeve to wipe up the streaks of blood.

  “She’s got a solid right hook for a doctor. What were you thinking? You can’t just do whatever you want, Kody. You know better than this. What are you going to do if you end up in jail? How’s that going to look for Case? Come on now, you’re better than this.”

  She pushed against my chest until I stepped back. “I’m not better than this. Even if you want me to be.” She looked down at her feet and took a deep breath. “Why did he love her, Hill? Why be good to her when he was nothing but terrible to us? What’s so great about her? He was her dad for a day, mine for thirty years, and she gets everything.” Her voice caught, and I watched as she practically deflated in front of me. She slumped back against the truck and looked up at me with wounded eyes. “Why couldn’t he love us, Hill? What was so wrong with us?”

  I sighed and reached out to push some of her unruly hair away from her face. “Nothing is wrong with you. Conrad was wrong. He was a bad guy, Kody. You know that. You shouldn’t let him still control how you feel now that he’s gone. That gives him power he doesn’t deserve.”

  She tossed her head back and looked up at the sky. “Why do I even care? I don’t want to care.”

  “I don’t know why we care. We just do.” If I could have stopped caring about her to the point of distraction, I would’ve done it years ago. “I’ve cared about you from the moment we met.”

  She wrinkled her nose at my words, then groaned and lifted her fingers to touch it. “It hurts.”

  I chuckled. “Good.” She was lucky all she’d gotten away with was a tender nose.

  “Hey, Hill.” I looked down at her expectantly. “I’m glad you care about me. I know I don’t make it easy.”

&nb
sp; I forgot how to breathe for a second. I tilted my hat back so I could see her face clearly. “I’ve never minded a challenge.” I’d always believed you had to work hard for the things you wanted most in life.

  “I’m sorry I screwed up your interview.”

  I couldn’t tell her it was okay, because we both know it wasn’t. “You’ve got to start using your head. You’re still reacting without thinking things through. It’s going to get you in trouble you can’t get out of one of these days.”

  “You think?”

  “I know.” And it scared the hell out of me. What if I wasn’t there to pull her out of the fire?

  “Thinking things through can be highly overrated.”

  Maybe she was right, because what she did next made it impossible for me to form a single coherent thought.

  Chapter 9

  Kody

  Reckless impulses were sort of my thing. I was real good at acting on them, even if the end results weren’t going to be in my favor.

  I bought a failing bar on a whim.

  I fell in love with a troubled boy when my life was already a chaotic mess.

  I crushed on that boy’s older brother, even though I knew it was wrong.

  I got into business with a bunch of bikers because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

  And, possibly the most irresponsible and outrageous thing I’d ever done, I kissed Hill Gamble in the parking lot of a truck stop because I couldn’t stop myself.

  It would take the threat of bodily harm for me to ever admit to anyone else that I’d always wanted to know what it would be like to kiss Hill. That was a secret I planned on taking to my grave. When I was younger, I imagined it would be fun to shake Hill up a little, to watch some of the stony sternness crack and fall away. He was always so in control, so sure of himself and his actions. I was forever wondering if anything ever shook the stoic facade. After everything we’d been through, I now wondered if the man knew how to take pleasure in anything, if he ever took a moment to enjoy the small things in life…like a simple kiss.

  Only this kiss was anything but simple.

  The minute our lips touched, all the wiring inside my head and my heart short-circuited. The icy shell that kept the center of my chest nice and cool immediately started to melt, sending a warm, slippery sensation all the way through my body and making my fingers and toes tingle. My hands fisted Hill’s perfectly pressed shirt, and I wasn’t sure if my intention was to push him away or pull him closer. It was pretty much how I felt about the man all the damn time.

  Luckily he took the choice out of my hands when one of his wide, warm hands landed on the base of my spine, pressing at my waist until I could feel the metal of his zipper and the undeniable heat and stiffness of the flesh behind it. The shock of encountering obvious evidence of Hill’s arousal should have been like a bucket of cold water poured over my rapidly rising desire. This was wrong. We were impossible. But all I could think was that I wanted to get closer, to feel more, to take more and give everything. My all-consuming thoughts forced out a gasp that parted my lips against Hill’s.

  A moment later I felt the brush of his fingers against my cheek, and his thumb lightly traced the outline of my jaw as his quick, nimble tongue darted inside the cavern of my mouth. Suddenly his tongue tangled around mine, appeasing my curiosity over how the man would kiss. It wasn’t controlled or restrained at all. No, it was wet, wild, and breathless. He kissed me back in a way that made me wonder if he’d been secretly fantasizing about this moment for as long as I had. There was a bite of desperation in the way he tried to taste every single part of my mouth. There was a hint of possession in the way his hand held my face still and tilted slightly back so he could devour my lips, turning my head when he wanted to come at me from a different angle. And maybe there was even a shadow of fear lingering between us. His hands were shaking, his heart racing, and I felt like I wanted to cry. But neither of us moved away.

  I thought I heard him swear under his breath, but it was possible it was just my name. He often said it like a curse. I thought he was going to move away, be the rational, reasonable one…like he always was. But he never lifted his head. Never gave me an inch to breathe. It felt like he was trying to consume me, devour me, absorb every single sound and sigh. It did my ego good to know Hill was as caught up in the moment as I was. It was a revelation to know he could indeed lose his head when something powerful moved him.

  I used my hold on his shirt to pull him even closer and worked my arm up around his impossibly broad shoulders. I liked the solid, strong feel of him. Liked that he seemed unbreakable, because I knew what it was like to love someone fragile, and I never wanted to go down that road again. I instantly wanted to sink into the heat and warmth emanating from his big, hard body. It was addicting to me, since I was always cold. I let my tongue engage in an erotic duel with his, my body reacting instantly when he used his teeth to nip at the curve of my bottom lip and the tip of his tongue to soothe the sting. I knew the flavor of him would likely linger forever.

  There was a bitter tang of coffee on his tongue, and behind it something with a hint of spice and bite. The flavors made me tingle and seemed so different from Hill’s generally cool and composed personality. There was heat hidden inside him. No wonder he always made me melt. I had to fight back a moan when his wide palm slid up my back and gripped the back of my neck. My nipples tightened to painful points where they were pressed against his chest. My knees felt like they were made of Jell-O, and there was no ignoring the way all my most private and sensitive places were suddenly tingling with awareness. I was fighting the urge to rub against the man like a cat. I wanted him to pet and stroke me in all the places that were clenching and fluttering. I was always telling him to put his clothes on because it was unnerving and bad for my self-control when he walked around half-naked. Now I wanted to pop the buttons on his shirt off one by one and trace every line of muscle and every divot of his corded abs with my tongue.

  The spot inside me having the biggest, most dramatic reaction to the kiss was my heart. Usually frozen solid and numb, the dead little thing now felt like it was on fire. Encased in flames. Glowing and illuminated. I wondered if Hill could feel it. If he had any idea how long it’d been a lonely, dark place. Some things were too hot to touch, and my reaction to Hill was one of them.

  I dug my fingers into his silky hair at his nape, under his now-askew hat, and tugged until he lifted his head. His gray eyes glittered with silver shards when they met mine, and his handsome face was flushed. It was hands down the most ruffled and unkempt I’d ever seen the man, and possibly the most attractive he’d ever looked. Well, next to how hot he’d looked mostly naked and wet that morning. That was an image I was never going to get out of my brain. I wanted to take pride in the fact that I was the one who did this to him, that I was the one who shook him up and forced him to feel. But panic was steadily rising up inside me.

  I pushed Hill back and jumped a few feet away. I touched trembling fingers to my kiss-swollen lips and watched the man across from me slump back against the side of his truck, posture defeated and resigned.

  I cleared my throat and looked down at the toe of my purple sneaker. “I need to get back to the bar. I only asked Lorenzo to watch it for a little while. He’s still mad about the deep clean, so I better go before he lets the locals take over.”

  I was running away. There was a lot going on inside my head and heart that I didn’t want to process at the moment, the kiss with Hill now being at the top of the list. I also didn’t want to give him the chance to be the one to walk away first. It was my turn to leave him hanging…confused and wondering what had gone wrong. I cringed at how callous my thoughts were, at how defensive I was being. One of these days we really needed to address what had happened between us in the past. I needed to know why he’d disappeared when I needed him most, but that would mean coming clean about how I felt about him. That would mean I’d have to face the fact that I really, really needed him in m
y life. I wasn’t sure I was ready to be that honest with him, or myself. Not to mention I’d once again let my emotions get the better of me and lashed out in front of Hill. As usual he was the one who’d pulled me back from the edge and protected me from my worst enemy…which happened to be myself.

  I’d deal with my surprise half sister and the fact that my father had left everything under the sun to her another day. That problem seemed much easier to tackle than the one staring at me with curious gray eyes.

  Hill grunted his response and moved to lower the brim of his hat so I couldn’t read his expression. I was both thankful and irritated that he didn’t try to stop me when I turned on my heel and started to march my way over to my Jeep.

  “Kody.”

  I stopped at the raspy sound of my name. I hesitated before looking over my shoulder at him.

  The silver shine in his gaze had dulled out, and his expression was back to being hard and unreadable. “You and your brothers don’t have many good memories, aside from your mom, in that house, and you all took those with you when you left. I’d guess Conrad knew none of you wanted anything to tie you to him or his legacy after he was gone. Dr. Baskin is a stranger. A stranger with his blood. He didn’t leave the house to her as a gift. It was a gift to you and your brothers. That woman isn’t going to be torn open going through the house, cleaning out all traces of your old man. She isn’t going to have to relive every horrible mistake and choice he made where you guys were concerned. I don’t think he did it to hurt. I think he did it to help.”