Unforgiven--Includes a bonus novella Page 5
“The last person you need to be worried about getting too close to me is Hill Gamble.” There was too much history and hurt between the two of us for the gap to ever be bridged. “He’s investigating my father’s murder. He’s Case’s friend. He’s Aaron’s older brother. That’s all he’s ever been to me.” I refused to see him as anything else, even if my heart complained loudly at the thought.
“He wasn’t acting like a friend of the family when he jumped over that bar last night. Just tread lightly, Trouble. You have a knack for finding yourself in bad situations. And take better care of yourself, since you won’t let anyone else do it.”
The biker hung up without saying goodbye, which was probably a good thing. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him Hill had taken care of me and I hadn’t fought it at all. I swore under my breath and let my head fall forward until my forehead banged on the bar in front of me.
Depending on Hill would end badly, so I refused to do it. I’d already learned that lesson the hard way…
Chapter 4
Hill
I’m releasing the body to the family so they can move forward with the funeral. Have you managed to pin down the daughter to ask her if she might have any idea why Lawton was in Austin? Nobody seems to know why he was there or who he was meeting.”
Johnny Hearst was a good cop. Younger than me by several years, he’d moved up the ranks and made it into the Rangers with single-minded focus and determination. I didn’t mind him being the lead on Conrad’s case, because he listened when I had something to add in my role as unofficial consultant. Unfortunately, I was coming up empty when it came to prying anything out of the locals or the Lawton siblings. It was clear the former sheriff had been up to something in his last few days, but figuring out what it was seemed impossible.
Running on minimal sleep and fueled by high-octane coffee, I swore I could feel my bones vibrating under my skin when Hearst brought up Kody. Dragging my hands over my face, I cringed at the sandpapery texture of the scruff.
“No. But Kody isn’t the type to be pinned down, regardless of the situation. I was holding out hope that if I gave her some space and didn’t pressure her, she would come find me.” Wishful thinking. She was so used to running in the opposite direction when she saw me coming, I should’ve known I would never be able to stop chasing her.
“I need a formal statement from her on file. Both the brothers stated all the kids had limited contact with the old man for various reasons. I’d like the sister to confirm.” Hearst leaned back in his metal chair until it was balanced on two legs. He kicked his sneakered feet up onto the table, and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he rocked back and forth.
“If you fall and crack your head open, it’s your own fault.”
The other man shot me a grin, and I silently wondered if there had ever been a moment in my life where I’d been as laid back and carefree as the young investigator. I always felt like I’d been born into the middle of an emotional tornado and the winds had never stopped.
“We know Conrad was comfortable here in Loveless. He had his own little network, had people scared enough of him to look the other way, no matter what he was up to. It doesn’t make any sense to take his schemes outside of town. His reputation doesn’t stretch very far past the Loveless city limits, which makes me think someone or something forced him to make the trip to Austin. I don’t think he went because he wanted to.”
I nodded in agreement, squeezing my eyes closed and rubbing the corners. We’d already gone over Conrad’s property with a fine-toothed comb. There was nothing indicating why he had suddenly taken off for Austin, and no sign he’d been forced out of his home. Conrad was a big, mean son of a bitch. There weren’t many folks I could think of who had been capable of making the man do something he didn’t want to do. This case was one dead end after another, which was frustrating to me as a cop, but even more so to me as a friend of the grieving family.
“Do you want me to take a crack at the daughter? I know the two of you have history. She might be more amenable to speaking to someone without any ties to her past.” Suddenly the legs of the chair hit the floor with a loud thump, and the younger man leaned forward. “I’d like to know exactly how tied into the local motorcycle club she is. That bar of hers was barely hanging on a couple of years ago, then boom, the club shows up in town and her bar is back in the black. Something tells me the timing of those two events isn’t a coincidence.”
No, it probably wasn’t. Especially seeing how protective and proprietary the leader of the club was when it came to Kody. I’d never expected her to stop living her life after Aaron died. In fact, I’d spent many sleepless nights wondering if the relentless infatuation I had for the problematic youngest Lawton would finally go away if she settled down and found someone who made her smile. She deserved a relationship that made her happy. She had earned the kind of love that came without expectations and restrictions. I could never exactly figure out why it felt like my ability to find my own happiness was directly linked to her ability to find hers.
Groaning and climbing to my feet, I stretched my arms above my head and winced as my spine popped loudly. I was getting too old to burn the candle at both ends. Constantly moving so I could outrun my mistakes and the ghosts of my past was starting to take its toll. I was tired in a way that felt suffocating. No amount of sleep was going to chase away the lethargy.
“Give me another day. I’ll track her down tonight and see if I can get her to talk. She might give me some leeway knowing we’re releasing the body and they can move forward with the funeral. Conrad was a grade-A jerk. He was a bully and a dirty cop. But he still managed to bring some really good kids into the world.” I tried to keep my voice even, but I could hear the exhausted, strained rasp in it.
I didn’t know if Kody had calmed down since I’d last seen her a few days ago, but I knew for certain my heart couldn’t handle seeing her so close to the edge again. I’d been giving her time, but I’d also needed the distance so I didn’t do something I knew I would instantly regret. I was careful to stay on the other side of the invisible lines Kody drew between us, but I couldn’t stop myself from crossing them when her hurt was visible and screaming out for someone, anyone, to do something about it.
“One day, Gamble. I’m tired of banging my head against the wall. We’ve given the family more leeway than we would anyone else in the same situation, since you vouched for them, and because of Case Lawton’s spotless service record. But something’s gotta shake loose, or this case is going to go cold.”
Hearst clapped a hand on my shoulder and reached for the open laptop on the table in front of him.
“I think we’re done for the day. I’ll update the bosses. Get some rest. You look like shit.” He bumped his shoulder against mine and walked out the door, sneakers squeaking on the linoleum floor. I’d never worked with a Ranger who didn’t wear cowboy boots or polished dress shoes. Hearst was a different breed, but he got the job done.
And he was observant as hell. I’d learned a long time ago how to hide the soul-deep exhaustion I lived with. It annoyed me that the younger man had no problem seeing through the iron mask I’d worn since I was a child.
I swore under my breath, but the swearing almost immediately turned into a yawn. I blinked bleary eyes and headed out of the small conference room. The motel where Hearst and I were staying had let us take it over and turn it into a makeshift office. The motel was by no means five-star accommodations, but it wasn’t the worst place I’d had to stay during an extended investigation. And even if it had been roach infested and falling down around me, it would still be preferable to the house where I’d grown up and where my brother had died. I avoided my parents’ place like the plague. I wish I could say the same for the memories tied to that house. Those were never too far out of reach.
I nodded absently to a couple as I walked down the hallway, and lifted a hand to rub my eyes again. It would be nice if I could catch a quick nap, but if I wanted
to try to catch Kody before the bar got busy, then I needed to shake off the dull fog hanging around my head and get my ass in gear. I had my doubts I was going to be welcome, especially after the way I’d strongly “encouraged” her staff to stay late and clean the bar. But I had a job to do, and giving Kody her space was no longer an option.
I drew to a sudden stop, nearly tripping over my own feet, when the profile of a figure sitting against the closed door of my motel room came into sight. While I wasn’t currently undercover, I wasn’t exactly making the fact that I was back in Loveless known. The last thing I needed was for either of my parents to show up and make a scene. The only people who should know my exact whereabouts were the employees of the motel, Hearst, and Case. The long legs, unruly blond hair, and sharp green eyes glaring up at me didn’t belong to any of those people. I had no idea why Kody was sitting on the floor in front of my room, but I couldn’t stop the way my heart lurched at the sight of her.
I took the last few steps required to get to her. I braced myself against the railing dividing the walkway from the parking lot and crossed my arms over my chest while we silently sized one another up. She looked a lot better than she had the other night, but any of the softness she’d shown toward me while drunk was long gone. Her green gaze was as hard as glass, and her pretty, plush mouth was pulled into a tight frown.
“I promised Case I would come and talk to you before the funeral, so here I am. Let’s get this over with.” Kody pushed back against the door to my room and levered herself up to her feet.
She was wearing a pair of coral-colored jeans and a bright teal top. It should’ve looked garish and tacky, but for some reason, all the bizarre color combinations she favored worked for her.
“Case tell you which room was mine?” That would make me feel a lot better than the motel staff randomly giving out the information to anyone who asked for it.
Kody nodded. “He called and told me one of the reasons we haven’t been able to lay Dad to rest yet is because you haven’t interviewed the whole family. I was properly chastised for being a brat and told him I would come talk to you as soon as I could get away from the bar.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped the toe of her silver cowboy boot on the concrete. “I don’t have all night.”
I dipped my chin down and tried to hide a yawn. “Give me five minutes. We can meet at the diner across the parking lot. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and keep the questions quick.”
Kody gave a stiff nod and moved to the side so I had a clear path to the door. I pushed off the railing I was leaning against and sucked in a surprised breath when the ground tilted suddenly and my vision went blurry for a split second. I must’ve lost my footing, because the next thing I knew, small, soft hands were braced on the center of my chest, keeping me from toppling over. I blinked rapidly and slowly gave my head a shake.
Instinctively I wrapped my fingers around Kody’s slim wrist and tried to ignore the way her pulse was racing underneath my touch.
I cleared my throat and took a step back. “Sorry about that. I guess I need that cup of coffee more than I realized.” I let go of her when she gave her hand a little tug.
Kody’s gold-tinted eyebrows furrowed into a frown as she cocked her head to the side. “When was the last time you slept? And I don’t mean a nap.”
I shrugged and fished the key to the room out of my pocket. “I’m in the middle of an investigation. I left in the middle of another one to come back to Loveless. I’m used to the lack of sleep. Strong coffee is enough to shake most of the cobwebs loose.” I grunted when I felt her slight weight bounce off my back as I stopped once I was inside the room. Surprised, I looked at her over my shoulder.
Kody pushed her wild fall of hair out of her face and scowled up at me. “How effective can you be at your job if you’re practically a zombie? Everyone is all up in my face because I’m not taking great care of myself lately, but what about you? You look terrible.”
It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but considering she was the second person in an hour to say the exact same thing, maybe I needed to do a better job at hiding just how run down I was.
“I’m going to change my shirt and splash some water on my face. After we talk, I’ll come back and try and catch a couple hours of sleep.” I figured she would run the other way when I told her I was about to start taking my clothes off. Instead she wordlessly followed me into the small motel room, reminding me that all she ever saw me as was Aaron’s older brother and that she was still reckless when it came to her own safety. She shouldn’t be following any man into his motel room so casually, even one she’d known forever.
Throwing my Stetson on the bed, I tried not to react as she closed the door behind her. Sighing, I made sure there was nothing she shouldn’t see relating to her father’s case lying around and started to unbutton my shirt. I’d had the patterned button-up on for over twenty-four hours and was ready for a T-shirt and a cold beer.
“Neither Case or Crew have any idea why your old man might’ve been in Austin the night he was killed. I know he tended to have a soft spot for you. You have any clue why he made the trip out of the blue?” I pulled the tails of the shirt out from my jeans and crouched down to dig through my open suitcase for a somewhat clean tee. Once I found a black one I shook the button-up loose and stood so I could make the switch. “Conrad wasn’t much of a sharer, didn’t like anyone in his business, but maybe he mentioned something in passing, something he wouldn’t say to the boys?”
The question was greeted with absolute silence. Surprised, since she was in such a hurry and was never particularly fond of my company, I turned to see what had her distracted, and was stunned to find her staring at me wide eyed, her mouth slightly open.
Lifting an eyebrow, I asked, “Kody, did you hear me?”
Her mouth snapped shut with an audible click, and even in the dim light of the room I could see her blush. “Uh. What are you doing?” She waved a hand at my exposed chest and slammed her eyes closed. “Put a shirt on.”
I snorted and pulled the black cotton over my head. “I told you, I needed to change.”
She cleared her throat loudly. “Oh…umm…I wasn’t listening. I’ll just meet you over at the diner.”
She turned on her heel and fled the room so fast I was surprised she didn’t leave a cartoon-style cloud of smoke behind her.
That woman was difficult to figure out. Grumbling at the never-ending day and the embarrassment of nearly falling in front of Kody, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and debated running a razor over the stubble that was fast approaching full-on beard status. Deciding it was better not to keep Kody waiting, I snatched my hat back up, hurried out the door, and made my way to the diner.
The place hadn’t changed at all since I’d left town. In fact, I was pretty sure the waitress and the guy slinging hash in the back were the exact same people who had run the joint when I would bring Aaron here after a football game for milkshakes. I was greeted by name as soon as I stepped in the door, and had no problem picking Kody out of the crowd. She was ensconced in a booth toward the back, a carafe of coffee already on the table in front of her, as well as a plate of onion rings.
She looked up at me from under her thick lashes when I slid into the seat across from her, the vinyl squeaking under my weight. I was tired, but even so, I didn’t miss the flush on Kody’s face or the way her bright eyes briefly skimmed over my now-cotton-covered chest. Before I could let my mind run wild with possibilities, her expression shifted to one of practiced indifference as she pushed a dark coffee mug in my direction.
“Dad didn’t have a soft spot for me. He just knew if he treated me half as badly as he treated Crew and Case, they would make his life miserable. They protected me my whole life, from Dad, from everyone.” Her voice was low, and her eyes darted around nervously. I realized she was worried about her personal business getting around town. I could have kicked myself. I should have known the last place she would want to talk about this
was in a crowded place filled with locals. The diner was a breeding ground for gossip.
I nodded to let her know I understood and matched my tone to hers. “When was the last time you spoke with Conrad?”
Her lips twitched into a frown as she wrapped her hands around the mug in front of her. It was close to a hundred degrees outside, but she looked like she was freezing.
“I went to see him the week before Hayes’s graduation party. I told him he better do something to congratulate his only grandchild before Hayes left Loveless for college. I told him he should try and make an appearance at the party, or at the very least send a card stuffed with money. I warned him that Case would completely disown him if he didn’t acknowledge Hayes’s accomplishments.” She lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “He told me to mind my own business. Actually, he seemed like he was in a pretty big rush to get rid of me that afternoon. Usually, when I made the trip out to the farm, he tried to rope me into stocking his fridge and cleaning the place from top to bottom.” A sneer crossed her delicate features. “You know, woman’s work he wouldn’t lower himself to do.”
“Did he mention if he was expecting visitors, or if he was planning on going somewhere?” Conrad’s body had been found the night before Hayes’s graduation party. As far as we knew, Kody was the last person who had seen the former sheriff alive.
“He didn’t say anything, really. He bitched about Hayes going out of state for school, but that was nothing new. He was one of those people who thought there is no life worth living outside of Texas. If you left Loveless, you were a traitor in my dad’s eyes. If he was having problems, he wasn’t the type to share. He always thought he knew best and could handle anything without help.” She rolled her eyes and slumped down in the booth. “He always had more enemies than he did friends.”