Unforgiven--Includes a bonus novella Page 22

  “I’m real.” I tilted my head to the side and asked on a chuckle, “Where exactly did she find you?”

  He stuck out a beefy hand for me to shake. “Harris Donner.” He chuckled too and lifted a hand to run it over his wild, vibrant facial hair. “She didn’t. Her brother did. I used to be a professional rodeo clown. Got hurt a while back and was having a rough time of things. Ran into Crew at an event in New Mexico and asked him if he knew of any work for a broken-down clown. Day or two later, I had a bus ticket to Loveless and a job working here. Those Lawtons are a special breed. I owe both Crew and Kody the world. Not going to let anything happen to her.”

  I nodded. “I know the feeling. Been out of town for a while, so I’m glad she has someone watching her back.” Specifically someone who wasn’t part of an outlaw motorcycle club. I shot a look across the busy bar in search of her distinct golden hair. I didn’t see Kody anywhere, but I knew she had to be close by. “Can you tell me where the boss lady is?”

  “She’s been popular tonight. A woman came in looking for her about an hour ago and they went up into her office to talk.” He stroked his beard again. “Pretty gal. Looked enough like Kody to be her sister. But I know Crew only has the one.”

  I frowned.

  Last I’d heard, Presley Baskin was still sequestered away in protective custody refusing to see the Lawtons. She shouldn’t be wandering around without some sort of protective detail. And she definitely shouldn’t be anywhere near Kody, considering the two of them together made the target on their backs twice as big.

  “I’m going to go on up to the office. Nice to meet you, Harris.”

  I took off toward the stairs, taking them two at a time because I was both excited and anxious to see Kody. I had no idea why Dr. Baskin was here, but I knew the reason better be worth the risk the women were taking by being together.

  Just as I reached the top landing, the big sliding door opened and revealed the doctor. A startled expression crossed her face, and she gulped audibly. She blinked those familiar green eyes up at me and lifted a hand to touch her throat nervously.

  “Hello, Special Agent Gamble. I thought you were out of town.” Behind her, Kody was leaning against her heavy wooden desk. Her eyes were locked on mine, and pure, unfiltered happiness started to spread across her features. Her smile when she caught sight of me was bright enough to light up the darkest night. It was almost enough to make me forget why I’d been ready to launch into overprotective cop mode.

  “What are you doing here, Dr. Baskin? You aren’t supposed to be anywhere near Loveless or the Lawtons. Unfortunately, we still don’t have a solid lead on where Ashby Grant is. You’re all still in danger.” I couldn’t keep the censure out of my voice. They were both smart women, Kody savvy and street-smart, Presley a savant and near genius. They should’ve known better.

  “I’m aware she’s still on the loose. That’s why I’m here. I decided recently that I can’t hide from her forever. I’m the one she wants. I can’t stand innocent people being in harm’s way because of me. I came to explain to Kody that I would be turning down all further offers of police protection. This has to end, and the only way it ends is if Ashby has a chance to get to her real target, which is me.” The doctor cleared her throat and reached up to smooth some of her hair back. “Kody called me an idiot. I don’t think I can remember having anyone question my intelligence before.”

  Kody snorted from behind her and I chuckled before reprimanding the doctor.

  “It’s not a smart move. This woman is unpredictable and dangerous. She’s also someone you were close to, and trusted. Your judgment might not be the best when it comes to dealing with her. It’s hard to distinguish between who you thought you knew and the person your former friend really is.”

  The doctor cleared her throat. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for your concern.” Icicles practically hung from every word.

  I sighed. “None of the agencies involved in this case are going to like you dangling yourself out there as bait.”

  Presley cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t love the idea either, but I don’t see what other choice we have. She wants me, and she’ll keep hurting people until she gets me.”

  In that moment she reminded me so much of Kody they could’ve been twins. That determination to do right by others, to put her neck on the line to protect her newfound family…she had Lawton blood in her after all.

  I dragged a hand down my face and stifled another yawn. “This all started over a job?”

  Presley shrugged, and Kody made a noise. I shook my head and looked at the pretty doctor. “She’s jealous. Dangerously jealous, isn’t she?”

  Presley shrugged. “I guess. We were always pretty neck and neck when it came to job advancement and in school.” The doctor frowned. “She did always seem to be interested in the same men as me, and she always befriended whoever I was spending time with. I never understood it. My mother was always sick, and we struggled financially. Her parents were both doctors, so she lived a very affluent lifestyle. I’ve never considered myself very enviable.”

  I grunted. “We interviewed her family. They didn’t seem very close, or surprised that their daughter was the object of a national manhunt. They did, however, sing your praises. More than once, they mentioned that they were super proud of your success. They seemed very impressed by your recent promotion.”

  The redhead flashed a confused expression and started to move toward me. “I only met her family a few times. They would only know about the promotion if Ashby brought it up.”

  That information was interesting. I was going to have to pass it on to Hearst and ask him to look deeper into Ashby’s background. Something wasn’t adding up.

  A moment later, Presley said her goodbyes and slid around me so she could glide down the stairs. The woman was a contradiction across the board. She was terrified, but brave. She appeared outwardly calm, but there was chaos swirling in her eyes.

  I closed the door behind me as I made my way into the office. I took my Stetson off, tossing it onto Kody’s colorful couch. I’d only taken a couple of steps across the room when Kody suddenly ran toward me, launching herself into my arms. I let out an oomph of surprise, hoping my injured knee was up to the task of keeping us both upright as she wrapped her long legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I held her up with a hand on her backside as the other wrapped around her and held her close to my chest.

  She kissed me hurriedly. It was greedy and messy. Too much tongue and teeth. It was wet and noisy. It was uncoordinated and hungry. It was the kind of kiss that was going to leave lips swollen and achy. It was honestly the best—and only—welcome home I’d ever received.

  Kody’s fingers dug into my shoulders as she clung to me, as if she never wanted to let me go.

  I didn’t want to be separated from her either. Unfortunately, keeping us both standing with a leg and hip that were still healing was proving more difficult than I’d anticipated. I started walking with her still in my arms toward her desk. I didn’t stop until my knees touched the edge, then bent so I could sit her on the top. She kept her legs wrapped around my waist, but lifted her fingers so she could touch my face.

  Her fingers feathered over my eyebrows, traced the slope of my nose, outlined my lips, and dragged across the stubble speckled over my jaw.

  “You look tired.” Her voice was soft and sweet.

  I winked at her. “You look good enough to eat.”

  Her hands cupped my face and her eyes searched mine intently. “I missed you so much, Hill.”

  I lowered my head so I could give her a soft kiss. “Missed you too.”

  “I didn’t think you were going to be back in town until next week. Did something happen with the case?” She looked so hopeful I hated that I didn’t come bearing good news.

  “No. Every lead has been a dead end, and the man-hours searching for her have started getting outrageous. Our boss is considering turning the investigation over to the fe
ds. If that happens, they will be in charge, so Hearst and I have a few days before we know what our roles in the investigation will be.” I reached out to tuck some of her hair behind her ears. I sighed and pulled back so I could hold her face between my hands. “We did uncover something I wanted to share with you, but I wanted to wait until we were actually together.”

  Her eyebrows winged up, and she wrapped her fingers around my wrists, holding me in place. “Oh yeah? Something I’m not going to like?”

  “You’re not going to like it, but I don’t think you’ll be surprised by it. During this whole investigation, we were wondering how Conrad got lured to the junkyard in Austin. We know Grant wanted your dad dead so she could pin the murder on Baskin, and she needed him in Austin—near where Baskin lived. But how did she get him out there? When we finally got a warrant and tossed Grant’s place, we found out she’d looked deep into Conrad’s history after Baskin told her he was her biological father. Grant pulled a lot of your dad’s cases, I mean she went way back, to when he was just a deputy. Seeing how she was a trained medical examiner, she took note of any of the cases that had questionable autopsy results. We all knew Conrad played fast and loose with the law, but it appears to be much worse than we thought.”

  I took a deep breath before continuing. “There were several cases, involving mostly women and minorities, where the cause of death was marked as questionable, but Conrad closed them as accidental deaths with no further investigation. Grant must’ve threatened to make the documents public if Conrad didn’t agree to meet with her. Your dad, being the kind of guy he was, probably didn’t believe a woman was capable of setting a trap for him, and he walked right into it.” I sighed and dropped my forehead so it touched hers. “Decades of cases are going to have to be looked at now. Your father’s entire career is about to be turned inside out and judged. The corruption he fostered while in charge is about to be laid out in front of the whole world.”

  Kody was quiet for an agonizing moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was a little harsh, but steady. “I’m an idiot. I really thought maybe he went that night because he cared about Presley. He was a cop, he must have looked into who Grant was before going to meet her. I thought maybe he figured out Grant was dangerous, and went to protect Presley. Even now, I want to believe he had a heart, although I never saw it. I really hoped he died because he was finally doing the right thing for someone. I guess I should’ve known better.” She blew out a breath that tickled my lips. “He wouldn’t have gone that night if he didn’t have something he wanted to keep hidden. All his misdeeds finally caught up to him, and he paid the consequence. It’s sad, but it all makes perfect sense.”

  Karma really was a bitch, and there was no outrunning her.

  I huffed out a breath and shifted my position so I could rest my cheek on the top of her head. I used to dream about what it would be like to have someone to come home to…what it would be like to have her waiting for me, instead of me being the one waiting endlessly for her.

  “I know she killed your father. I know I can prove it. I think her plans fell apart when pinning Conrad’s murder on Baskin didn’t work. Then she tried to make it look like Baskin ran you over in the parking lot, but that stunt didn’t kill you. All it did was prove that Baskin is innocent in all this. Grant’s back was against the wall, and she lost it. Now she’s trying to torture Baskin. I honestly believe she wants to hurt her. Leaving protective custody isn’t a good move.” I sighed. “I wish I could find Grant. I want to put the woman behind bars so you didn’t have to have a cop car sitting in your parking lot and a giant guarding your front door. I don’t want you living under any kind of shadow anymore. I want your days to be spent in the sun.”

  Kody wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I winced as the squeeze reminded me my ribs were still healing.

  She made an apologetic face and immediately lightened her touch. “I’m happy to say all the shadows cast by the past are gone. You chased them all away. Thank you for finding the person responsible for killing my father. As soon as you catch Grant, I know you’ll put her away for good.” I felt her smile against the hollow of my throat.

  She was right. That was exactly what I was going to do.

  I moved my head so I could seal my mouth over hers. This kiss was slower, softer. I teased her tongue out to play with mine, her flavor bright and sharp on the tip of it. I’d spent a lifetime putting space between the two of us, but now all I wanted was to get as close to her as humanly possible. Now that I knew what it felt like to fall asleep with her in my arms, and wake up with her unruly curls spread out over my chest, being away had been torture. I missed her dirty looks and smart mouth. I missed the way her freckles popped across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose when she blushed. More than all of that, I missed the way she reached for me in her sleep and the way she held on so tightly it seemed like she was scared I might slip through her fingers.

  “I never resented having to travel for work before, but these last few weeks have been hard. Never realized I hated sleeping alone until I reached for you and came up empty.” I kissed her again. “When things settle down, we need to talk about where this thing between us is headed. I want to always be able to come home to you, Kody.” Home. Not her nearly empty apartment or my sterile condo. I wanted a place we created together.

  She smiled against my mouth and shifted her hands so she could start working open the buttons of my denim shirt. “I want you to come home to me too, Hill.” She moved her head so she could drag her lips up the side of my neck, stopping when she got to my ear. Her teeth tugged on the lobe, her tongue darting out and soothing the little nip. “But right now, I want you to show me how much you missed me.”

  Challenge accepted.

  While she finished opening my shirt, I kissed her breathless, using my body to force her backward so she was lying atop scattered paperwork. My shirt hit the floor, and her hands shifted to my belt and the opening of my jeans. I worked my hands under the hem of her gauzy tank top, sliding it up her rib cage and along the sides of her breasts. She shivered slightly under my palms, the caress getting bolder the more of her I uncovered.

  I left her lips to nibble my way down the side of her neck, dragging my tongue over her pulse point, which fluttered in excitement.

  She shot a look at my naked chest, eyes skimming over my side. I’d taken the soft bandage off a few days ago, so the healing bruises were starkly visible against the rest of my skin. Purple, various shades of blue, and yellows all blended together from under my armpit down to my waist.

  “You look like a Van Gogh painting.” She gingerly dragged fingers over the colorful skin. “Does it still hurt to breathe?”

  Since she’d shifted and lifted herself slightly off the desk, I reached behind her and unhooked her pretty, lacy bra. She gasped a little as it slid down her arms.

  “It hurts, but not like it did.” And definitely not badly enough to stop me from making this a reunion to remember. “Even the worst wounds heal if they have enough time.”

  She gave me a look but didn’t say anything as I reached for the button on her shorts. She silently complied when I urged her to lift up so I could maneuver her shorts and panties over her hips and down her legs. I left her propped on the edge of her desk as I pulled my belt free of the loops and worked the front of my jeans open. My breath hitched when her hand reached out and her fingertips skimmed over the arrow of hair that darted below my belly button and disappeared into the top of my jeans. I stepped between her legs, forcing her to tilt her head back so I could get at her eager mouth.

  I kissed her with every bit of longing I’d felt, not only over the last two weeks, but all the years we’d been apart. She wanted me to show her how much I missed her, so the way I touched her, the way I kissed her, was full of hunger, yearning, and the aching need for more.

  “Being away from you hurts. It always hurt, but now it’s impossible to ignore. My heart aches.” I reached out so I could run the backs of my f
ingers across her smooth, freckled cheek, then down her neck and across the swells of her breasts.

  “I never expected you to be so good with words.” She worked her hands between the two of us and tugged on my jeans, working them down around my hips. “Also never expected you to be a no-underwear kinda guy, but I’m pleasantly surprised by both. I love all the new things I’m learning about you, Hill.”

  I laughed under my breath. I met her glittering green gaze and told her truthfully, “Not a lot of time to take care of laundry when I’m on the road.” But I was going to have to go out of my way to keep surprising her if the result was making her soft and dreamy-eyed when she looked at me.

  I brushed my fingers over her nipples, watching as they puckered in reaction. I grinned and lowered my head so I could drop a light kiss on the tip of each pretty peak. She curled her leg more firmly around my waist as her heel dug into the top of my ass. I kissed my way down between the center of her breasts and in a straight line down over her stomach, until I could dip my tongue into the little divot of her belly button. Her nails dragged up my back, and her hips shifted restlessly against the desk. I kissed my way back up her body until I got to her parted lips. I devoured her mouth, licking my way inside and nipping at her lower lip until she gasped my name on a short breath.

  She was devouring my mouth and demanding satisfaction with her hands as they raced over as much of my skin as she could touch, where I had her pinned to the desk with my weight. She pulled me closer with her heels in my backside and wordlessly asked for what she wanted by lifting her hips and slowly grinding all her soft, warm parts against my rock-hard and rigid one.

  I winged an eyebrow up at her. I freed my hand so I could make a circle in the air.

  “Turn around.” I gave her a smirk. “I’ll surprise you again.”

  She returned my lascivious look with a curious one of her own. I took a step backward so she could slide off the edge of the desk and turn around so the long, elegant line of her back was facing me. I swept her hair away from the nape of her neck and placed a careful kiss on the sensitive spot. She shivered and turned her head to peek at me over her shoulder.