Unforgiven--Includes a bonus novella Read online

  Being pampered sounded unbelievably nice.

  “I never thought I would hear you say you cared about me.” Even in my dreams she never opened up about her feelings. She was always so guarded and evasive.

  “Yeah, well, it was time. I’m so tired of being angry at everyone and everything. I have more to tell you, but it can wait until you get out of here.” She looked a little nervous.

  I was reaching for her to pull her down for a kiss, because that was the only way I could think to convince her that nothing would change, even when all her skeletons were out of the closet, when we were rudely interrupted.

  “Lucky bastard.” Kody and I both started at the sudden addition of another voice. Hearst sauntered into the room, looking smug and overly pleased with himself. “If I’d been a couple of minutes quicker, I could be the one playing doctor with a hot blonde.”

  Kody snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. “In your dreams, city boy.”

  Hearst chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t look so good in cowboy hats, and that seems to be a requirement to score around these parts.” The humor fled his face, and his gaze danced between the two of us. “Can you give me a minute with the hero? I need to talk to him about the case.”

  Kody grumbled about being left out of things, but reluctantly agreed to leave the room for a few minutes.

  Once again I pulled myself into a painful sitting position, aggravated at the inconvenience of this case when things were finally starting to come together with Kody.

  “Did you find the doctor who gave the cops the false information on Dr. Baskin’s friend, Ashby Grant?” I launched right into the important questions.

  Hearst nodded. “I did. Turns out the doctor and Ashby Grant got close while Baskin’s mom was in the hospital for treatment for her kidney disease. Grant was there pretty regularly. He admitted to having a personal relationship with Grant, and to lying about the severity of her injuries to the police. When I pressed him, he admitted that she was barely scratched up, but she asked him to make it seem like she was seriously injured if anyone, especially Dr. Baskin, asked how she was doing.”

  I could barely wrap my head around it. “This woman seriously ruined her best friend’s life and tried to make her think she was going crazy because she was jealous over a job promotion?”

  Hearst shrugged. “Got to find her so we can ask her. Dr. Baskin keeps insisting it can’t be her, but all signs are pointing in that direction. This friend was the only person she confided in once she found out about the Lawtons. She trusts Grant implicitly. Dr. Baskin seems to be in denial. Also, Case went and talked to Conrad’s attorney. He asked to see the original will written up by his father. The lawyer got antsy. Case pushed and found out the copy of the will the Lawtons were presented wasn’t the original. Seems someone paid the attorney a visit and got him to make the changes, further implicating Dr. Baskin in Conrad Lawton’s murder. According to Case, the attorney had a much younger lover who encouraged him to change the will. It shouldn’t surprise anyone the woman’s description matches Grant’s.”

  I let out a whistle. “She’s diabolical, and very thorough.”

  Hearst nodded. “Yeah. Still haven’t figured out how Grant got Conrad to drive out to Austin in the middle of the night, but if her pattern persists, it might’ve been some kind of promise of a sexual liaison. She’s good at getting what she wants through sex and seduction. I’m going to e-mail all the info we have on Grant to you so you can read it while you recover. I’ll get you a picture and you can show it to Kody. Don’t know if Kody will still be a target, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” I was stating the obvious.

  Hearst gave me a grin and reached out for a fist bump. “Sounded to me like she’s not going to let anything happen to you either.” He arched an eyebrow at me and lowered his voice as he said, “I’m happy for you, partner. But there are some things about your girl you’ve got to know.”

  I held up my hand before he could go on. “I know. She told me she’ll tell me everything.”

  And I had to have faith that whatever it was, it wouldn’t be bad enough to break us apart.

  Chapter 17

  Kody

  I’m sorry the place is kind of a mess. I don’t spend much time here.” I cast a frantic look around my small, one-bedroom apartment, realizing I couldn’t remember the last time I’d tidied up, let alone cleaned the place. I worked such odd hours at the bar, it was common for me to spend the night on the couch in my office. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go back to your motel?” I had been surprised when he asked me to take him to my place once he was discharged. If I’d had more warning, I could’ve at the very least made the place look habitable.

  Hill peered into the dimly lit room, eyebrows shooting up in obvious disbelief at the stark surroundings. “You sure you live here?” A furrow formed between his gold-colored brows. “This looks exactly like the apartment I had when I was in college. Where are all your colors?”

  He wasn’t wrong. The place did sort of resemble a bachelor pad. I hadn’t done much to decorate because I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying. I always told myself that once the bar business steadied I’d set some money aside and buy myself a house, but neither of those things ever happened. Days slid by, and I avoided trying to turn a place I hardly visited into a home.

  “I could try to tell you I was going for a shabby-chic look, but I think it’s pretty clear I got stuck on the shabby part.” I reached for his arm so I could pull him into the room. He was moving like Frankenstein’s monster, all stiff legged and slow. He insisted he was well enough to be discharged from the hospital, even though I’d wanted him to stay for at least one more day. He was black and blue from his hips down, and he winced every time he took a deep breath. But Hill wasn’t having it. He wanted out of that hospital bed. I personally thought he wanted to leave in part so he wouldn’t be ambushed by his parents again. And I couldn’t blame him for that. “Go lay down on the couch. I think the only thing I have in the fridge is bottled water. I’ll grab you one so you can take your pain meds.”

  The couch was a hand-me-down from when Case moved in with Aspen, so it was one of the few nice pieces of furniture I owned. But it had come from a bachelor’s home and was big, black, and leather. I could see why Hill was wondering where the colors in my home were. I would typically never own something as neutral and boring as a black leather couch.

  Hill slowly made his way across the room, flopping down on the couch with a groan. “I hate the water pressure at the motel. The walls are too thin and the sheets are scratchy. Normally I can sleep anywhere, in any conditions, but taking it easy for a few days until I’m back on my feet sounds pretty great.”

  I snorted and turned to get his water. “I’m on the sixth floor. Getting up here is not easy.”

  He chuckled and tossed his head back as he closed his eyes. “You’re right. I just wanted to see where you live. This is the first time you’ve let me come over.”

  I managed to avoid answering by sticking my head in the fridge. I never had anyone over. Usually, if I wanted to spend time with my family, I went to one of their perfectly acceptable homes. If I wanted to see friends, I usually met up with them at the bar. The last time I’d had a place that felt like a home, one I wanted to show off and protect, was when I lived in the run-down trailer with Aaron. It was the first place that felt like mine. A place without memories of my mother and without the tarnish of my father. When Aaron died, my idea of home went with him.

  Walking back toward Hill, I told him, “You’ve been in my office at the bar. That’s more of a peek into my personal space than this apartment is.”

  He rolled his head on the back of the couch, giving me a look I couldn’t really decipher. “I had my condo in Dallas professionally decorated. Every time I’m there I feel like I’m staying at a fancy hotel. I didn’t pick out any of the colors for the furniture. The designer told
me she was going for something edgy and modern.” His eyebrows winged up. “Do I look like an edgy or modern type of guy? It cost a fortune, and I pretty much hate everything about it. I’m never there, so I’ve never bothered to change it.”

  Hill had never really had a concept of what home should be either. At least I’d had my mom around—even if it was too briefly—to give me enough of an idea that I could recognize what a home should be. Because even black and blue and slightly grumpy, Hill made my sparse and soulless apartment feel full of life and light. He did more for those four walls than any number of throw pillows ever could.

  I sat down across from him on the oversize ottoman that came with the couch and asked, “Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?” He’d mentioned hating the bedding at the motel, so I definitely needed to change my sheets and find my fluffiest blankets for the bed. If he wanted to be pampered, I was going to do my best to make that happen.

  He shifted, letting out another groan. “Help me get my boots off, and maybe give me a hand getting into the shower.” He rubbed a hand over his flattened hair.

  I frowned at him. “You aren’t supposed to get the stitches on your leg wet for a few days.”

  He shrugged. “It’ll be fine. Not the first time I had stitches. But I think my ankle is more swollen than I thought. Might need a crowbar to pry these boots off.”

  When Case brought him a change of clothes, he’d had the foresight to bring sweats and T-shirts, stuff that was easy for Hill to get on and off with his banged-up ribs. Apparently the man didn’t own anything but cowboy boots, though. He’d even scoffed at Hearst when he offered to loan him a pair of Nikes. It sounded like he was regretting that decision now.

  I carefully lifted his injured leg onto my lap and started to pry the snakeskin boot off his clearly swollen foot. I winced every time he flinched. It took a solid five minutes to free his foot, and once we were done, Hill was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and his lips were flattened into a tight, fierce line.

  I smoothed my palm up the back of his calf, feeling the muscles quake and quiver from strain. He might be putting on a brave face, but he was in more pain than he was letting on.

  “Take your pain meds. Let me go make up the bed and grab some stuff to help you clean up. Let’s save the shower for when you can actually stand on your own two feet.” Not that I would mind getting wet and naked with him in the small confines, but if he fell over, he was too big and heavy for me to get him off the ground.

  He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “Sponge bath?”

  I rolled my eyes at his expression. “Something like that. But don’t get any ideas. You can hardly move right now.”

  Something silver and bright lit up his eyes, and he chuckled. “All I have is ideas when it comes to you, Kody. You’ve taken up every single one of my daydreaming hours for longer than you can possibly know. I could be on the brink of death and still be having all kinds of ideas about you.”

  Well…wasn’t that the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me? I bent down and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. He usually towered over me, so it was rare that I could reach that particular spot. I never would’ve imagined Hill was so good with his words. Maybe I should’ve started listening to him a lot sooner.

  I left him on the couch to do what I could to make my bedroom as comfortable as possible. At least I had a nice king-size bed, even if I rarely used it. I also had a closet full of fancy linen from my soon-to-be sister-in-law. Della never seemed to know what to get me for birthdays and holidays since I wasn’t into makeup or skin-care products. Our styles were also polar opposites, so she settled for getting me things that would help make my sparse space homey. It was probably a good thing she never came over, because I’d yet to use any of the luxury items she gave me.

  I found a big beach towel to throw over the couch, and grabbed a washcloth and my least flowery-smelling body wash. It took me longer to track down something to put clean water in, so by the time I made it back to the living room, Hill had managed to strip himself down to nothing more than a pair of obscenely tight black boxer-briefs. I bit the tip of my tongue to hold back the gasp that wanted to escape at the sight of his bruised body. The marks had darkened over the last couple of days. I couldn’t believe he was moving as well as he was. His torso and injured leg looked like they’d been trampled by a herd of wild horses. I gulped when I imagined what would’ve happened to me if he hadn’t reached me in time. He literally saved my life and was acting like it was no big deal, kind of the way I’d acted when I overheard him telling his mother he’d been in love with me since we were kids.

  Clearing my throat, I helped him move so I could get the towel under him, and the words I’d been holding back every time we were together started to pour out of me. I still believed there wasn’t much I could offer him, but the truth was the only thing he’d asked me for.

  “When Aaron died I threw myself into running the bar. I had zero experience in running a business and no idea how to turn a profit. All I knew was that I needed a distraction, and I wanted to use the money my mom left for me to do something for myself. I was hoping I’d get lucky and be a natural, but I wasn’t. By the time I’d renovated the barn into the bar and restaurant, I was almost broke. I had no clue how expensive a liquor license was, or what kind of bill would come with insuring a place like the Barn. I was in over my head before the first customer walked through the door. Both Case and Crew offered to help, to buy portions of the business to keep me afloat, but I told them no. It was my money. My project. My way to prove I could make it on my own, because after losing Aaron, I swore I was never going to get close to anyone ever again. It hurts too much when you have to let them go.”

  I dropped a squirt of body wash into my palm, added a little water to work up some lather, and focused on dragging my hands across his well-defined chest. I was careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his ribs, but chased the shine of sweat along his collarbone and down under his arms with the washcloth. His breathing remained steady and even, but goose bumps lifted on his tanned skin as I leaned closer to him.

  “I was desperate…and stupid. I thought I could ask Shot for a loan. I knew who he was from him constantly butting heads with Case when the club moved into town. It was a dumb idea, but the only one I had. I don’t know why Shot took me under his wing, but he did. He told me a loan was a bad idea and offered me another way to get my hands on the money I needed to keep the bar open and operational.”

  It took every ounce of courage I had to meet Hill’s gaze. I wasn’t surprised to find the gray had gone stormy-looking. The white lines around his mouth were more prominent than before, and I could see he was trying really hard not to say anything.

  “Shot has a private distributor I buy very, very expensive alcohol from. Customers can come and order it from me. All the booze goes along with a certain bet, and I pass along that information to Shot.” I sighed. “Technically I get a cut of all the liquor sales, and a set fee for keeping the operation running every month. The more I move, the more I get paid. At the beginning it was the only way I could pay the bills. The bar is doing much better now, so I don’t have to move as much product, and after all the trouble Crew got into with the bookie back in Vegas…” I shrugged. “I know I need to cut ties, but I haven’t figured out a way to tell Shot. I really owe him more than I can say.”

  I grabbed Hill’s hand, refusing to let it go even as he tugged on my hold. I ran the washcloth up and down the firm muscle and braved another look at him. His face was flushed, his breathing was no longer even, and I could tell it was taking all his self-control not to launch into a lecture.

  “That’s racketeering, Kody. If the feds ever look into the club more closely, you’d end up going to jail. No matter how small a role you play or how close you are to the crime, you’re still involved. I can’t believe you’ve been so careless. How can Case look the other way while you’re playing bookie for a biker gang?”
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  “Club. Not gang.” The protest was automatic. “Case pretends not to know. Crew knows because I had to tell him. I never wanted to compromise Case’s position, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice at the time. I’m always very careful about who I do business with. Having Shot and his crew involved has always worked to keep me insulated. I know you’re angry, and disappointed, but you have to understand the mind-set I was in. I was willing to do whatever it took to make it on my own.”

  “Including selling yourself to the president of an outlaw biker club?” The words were nasty, and so was the expression on his face.

  “I didn’t sell myself, I never would. You know that. I’m going to let your attitude slide right now because I know this is a lot to take in. But you should know me well enough to know that if you continue to treat me like garbage when I’m trying to be transparent, it’ll be the last time I’m open with you. Shot and I became friends when business picked up and we were seeing each other pretty frequently. We became more than friends briefly, because we were both lonely and not looking for anything serious. I’ve always been able to rely on him in a pinch, and he’s never cared about the fact I’m a Lawton.” Or that I was a handful with a less-than-stellar reputation.