Mine to Hold

Chapter 10

Rumor stood in the middle of the pool house with her heart hammering in the center of her chest. She had no desire to be honest. To relive what had happened fifteen years ago and why she’d been running her entire adult life.

But this was no longer only about her.

People had died.

And now a good man was also being set up.

She couldn’t allow this madness to continue.

If she ran, not only would Tony find her, but the cops would be looking too. That was no way to live.

Knock. Knock.

“The door’s open,” she said.

Emmerson stepped inside. “Tessa and Johnny are gone.”

“I’m sorry she got hurt.” Tears burned her eyes.

“It’s not your fault.”

“You don’t know that because you don’t know what I did.” She glared.

He closed the gap between them, taking her into his arms. “You’re right. I don’t. But you didn’t hit her with your car. You didn’t murder two innocent people. Whatever happened in the past, you’ve been trying to put it behind you. What I need from you now is that truth and we can figure out what to do next.”

“Even if that means you have to slap handcuffs on me?”

“I told you, I’m not into that kind of kinky thing.” He winked.

“Not the time to be making that joke.” She cocked her head.

He kissed her in that sweet, tender way he had that let her know he was on her side and she wanted to hate him for it. She didn’t want him to care about her because she was only going to hurt him in the end.

She pushed him away. “Let’s get this over with.” She snagged the bag with all the money in it, minus what she’d earned on her own. That wasn’t much, but it was hers and she wasn’t going to part with it.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t want to have to explain this twice.” She dragged the suitcase through the door and across the pool deck, doing her best to hold her head high.

Emmerson was one step behind her and he managed to pull out a chair for her, being a true gentleman.

This time, she took the beer Rhett offered and chugged half of it. “Any chance I can cut some kind of immunity deal or something?”

“That’s not something I have the power to do,” Rebecca said. “But something tells me no matter what’s in your past, you won’t need it.”

“I don’t know how these things work, so I have no idea.” Rumor kept one hand curled around her beer, and the other she rested on the bag of cash.

“If what you tell us is indeed criminal, and we have to take it to the next level, we know a couple of good attorneys and of course, we’ll put in a good word,” Rebecca said. “But again, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”

“Not to mention what we dug up doesn’t add up to you being arrested for anything,” Rhett added. “We just need you to fill in the blanks so Emmerson and our mom can do their jobs.”

Rumor nodded. “Can I just start talking without all the questions? It makes me nervous.”

Emmerson took her hand. “Whatever you want.” He kissed her palm.

Damn fucking man was too kind.

She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So, we all know I lied about knowing who Tom Hemming is, but for the record, I never sold drugs for him. Ever. I wasn’t that girl.”

“We believe you,” Rebecca said.

God, she hoped so.

“As I told you, I met Tony while I was in foster care. What I left out was that he was my boyfriend.” Rumor swallowed the bile that smacked the back of her throat, but it didn’t go down. It got lodged there and not even another sip of beer would make it go away.

“We gathered that when we learned you were living with him after you left the system,” Emmerson said.

She cocked her head. “Please, just let me get through this without interruption.”

Emmerson nodded.

“Tony lied to me when we first moved in together. He told me he was done with that life. That he had turned over a new leaf, but he hadn’t. And he kept trying to pull me in. I knew I needed to leave, but I didn’t have any money. It was an abusive relationship.”

Emmerson growled. It was deep, low, and menacing.

“He would tell me we were going out to dinner, only we’d end up doing a drug run first. One day, we went to this guy’s house. I had no idea that Tony planned on not only double-crossing this one dealer, but Tom as well. He killed the guy, right in front of me.”

“Jesus.” Emmerson squeezed her hand.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” Rebecca said.

“It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It came out of nowhere,” Rumor said. “One minute they were talking, the next minute…” She paused, taking a deep breath and wiping the tears away. “Tony collected the drugs and the money. He was even the one to call the cops. He then called Tom and told him that he couldn’t collect because the building was surrounded by the police.”

“That’s convenient,” Miles said. “Did Tom buy it?”

“It was all over the news, so yeah. Besides, Tony was in tight with Tom.” Never in a million years did she think she’d be sitting at a table with two cops and two private dicks, telling this story. But here she was and all she could think about was what cold metal might feel like around her wrists.

“What did you do?” Rhett asked.

She reached for the suitcase and opened it, showing off all the money she’d stolen from Tony. Or Tom, depending on how one looked at it. “Once we got home, I waited for Tony to pass out. I took the money, went to the corner, and made an anonymous call to the police about all the drugs Tony had and that I thought he might have had something to do with Ollie’s murder.”

“From your personal cell?” Emmerson asked.

“Yeah. But I broke it right after and tossed it so no one could track me.” She blinked.

“That’s smart and while Tom didn’t have a big operation back then, he does now. And he’s got crooked cops and politicians in his back pocket,” Rebecca said.

“That’s how they found out you made the call.” Once again, Emmerson kissed her hand. “Tony went to prison because of that tip you gave the police.” He pointed to the bag of money. “Neither he nor Tom care all that much about that cash. It’s small potatoes to them these days. But they do care about what you did. They care about the fact you put Tony in prison and fucked with Tom’s operation.”

“But how did they find me? I’ve been careful. I don’t stay anywhere for very long. I try to use cash and?—”

“Same way we tracked your journey across the country,” Miles said. “Thing is, Tom has been setting up shop in Miami for a while now. You simply made it easier for them by coming here.”

“What happens to me now?” Rumor asked.

“In terms of what?” Rebecca asked.

“I was there when that man was murdered and I did nothing.” Rumor tugged her hand free. She couldn’t stand another second of Emmerson’s kindness.

“Not that I ever want to see human life taken, but he was a bad man selling drugs. He’s off the streets and Tony went to prison,” Rebecca said.

“And the money I stole?” Rumor asked.

“What money?” Rebecca stood and closed the suitcase and zipped it shut. “I don’t see any cash. You boys see any cash?”

“No, ma’am,” Emmerson said.

“You listen to me, Rumor.” Rebecca lowered herself and took Rumor’s hands. “I’ve been a police officer since I was twenty-one years old. I trust my instincts. I know when someone is lying to me and I knew you weren’t telling us the whole truth at times. I know you’re telling it to us straight now. I get why you did what you did and if I were in your shoes, I might have done exactly the same thing. Right now, my job is to nail these bastards to the wall. Your job is to live your life without having to do it in fear. When you drove into town, there was a sign welcoming you to Lighthouse Cove. Do you remember what that sign said?”

“Everyone needs a safe harbor to sail into,” Rumor whispered.

“That’s right. And we’re your safe harbor.” Rebecca squeezed her hands. “There is nothing in what you told me that would make me want to haul you in for any kind of questioning or arrest you. All I ask of you now is that you don’t leave town. That you work with us and let my son protect you because I’m ordering him both as his mother and his boss to stay at your side twenty-four seven until we arrest Tony and Tom and take down their drug ring. Deal?”

“I can do that,” Rumor said. “I don’t want to see anyone else die because of me.”

“Don’t let me ever hear you say that this is your fault again.” Rebecca arched a brow. “Just because you’re the one who pissed them off doesn’t mean you’re responsible. If it wasn’t you, it would be someone else. Assholes like this don’t need much of a reason to flex their tiny muscles and kill people.” She stood. “Now, I have work to do.” She turned her attention to Emmerson. “You’re stuck to her like glue, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Emmerson nodded.

“I’ll be in touch.” Rebecca squeezed Emmerson’s shoulder before marching off around the side of the house.

“Who was that woman and what did she do with our mother?” Rhett raised his beer. “Damn, that was wild.”

“I like this side of Mom.” Miles smiled. “Almost makes me want to be a cop and work for her.”

Emmerson laughed. “Trust me, once this case is over, she’ll be back to her old self.”

Rumor leaned back, nursing her beer. She didn’t know if she wanted to join in with the boys and laugh.

Or bury her head and cry like a fucking baby.

A phone buzzed.

All three men pulled theirs out.

“I’m out of here,” Rhett said.

“Me too.” Miles stood.

“Who texted you? Because I didn’t get one.” Emmerson frowned.

Rhett waved his cell in front of Emmerson. “Why, Mother, of course. She doesn’t want us to overstay our welcome.”

Emmerson stared at the phone for a moment. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Emmerson muttered. “Lucy Ann has a big fucking mouth and our mother is a piece of work.”

“Later, Mr. Saucy.” Rhett practically ran around the side of the house and Miles was on his heels. Both men were laughing so hard that Rumor couldn’t help it, she laughed too.

“I’m glad you can find humor in something.”

“Nothing about today has been funny.” She waggled her finger. “Except that.”

“Um, you falling in the pool was actually kind of hysterical.”

“Now that’s just kicking a girl when she’s down.” Rumor tilted her head. “Calling a man saucy, on the other hand, could be seen as a compliment.”

“Not when it comes from their mother, and you didn’t see the text.” He smacked his forehead. “Stick around long enough and you’ll find out just how embarrassing my family can be.”

“Now I want to know what the text said.”

“Nope. I’m not telling you that.”

“Come on. It can’t be as bad as the whiplash I have from this conversation. I mean, I’ve gone from being terrified of being arrested to… to… I don’t know… being comfortable again. It’s weird.”

“Weird?”

“Do you have any idea what it’s been like for me these last few days? It’s not like I wanted to do this to you. Or keep all this shit from you. While I always worried Tony would get out of jail one day and find me, I didn’t think he’d go on some killing spree, try to frame me for it, and then try to make the cop I was sleeping with an accessory.” She waggled her finger. “And there’s that part. I freaking slept with you.”

“Because that’s a bad thing?”

“I didn’t say that.” She sighed. “But for fifteen years I’ve followed the letter of the law. No speeding tickets. No parking tickets. I’ve kept my nose clean and avoided the police.”

“I’m not the enemy.”

“This isn’t coming out right.” She lifted her beer and finished off the rest of it before waving it in front of him. “I need another.”

“Sure thing.” He rose, sauntering over to the outdoor fridge. He pulled out two more, twisted off the tops, and set one in front of her before settling back down in his chair.

“Please understand why I moved around so much.”

“Seriously, I get it. I do. You were afraid. I would be too.” He tapped his finger on her knee. “The cop in me doesn’t agree, but Emmerson, the man, totally understands.”

“I can appreciate that. Thank you,” she said. “Now, the text, because I’m not letting you off that easily.”

He dropped his head to the table and groaned. “Why do you need to know?”

“Because I would bet this suitcase of cash that it has to do with me and if that’s the case, I have a right to know what it said.”

“You’re not going to like it.” He sat up taller. “And I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you either.” He reached for his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Asking my brothers to send me a copy of the text in question. That way you’ll get the full picture of the insanity that is my family.” He tapped away at his screen.

They waited for a minute or two in silence until his phone buzzed.

“Here you go. Read it for yourself. But fair warning, you might not ever look at my mother the same way again.” He placed the cell on the table. “Or me for that matter.”

She snatched it quickly before he changed his mind.

Rhett: Not sure why you want this, but if you tell Mom I was the one who sent it you, I’ll deny it. “If you two boys don’t leave Mr. Saucy and Miss Saucy Pants alone right now, I’ll come haul your asses out of there myself. That man needs to get laid. He’s too fucking uptight to work with and she looks like she needs it as much as he does.”

“Oh my fucking God.” Rumor set the phone, screen down, on the table. “What kind of look was I giving her?”

“No idea, Miss Saucy Pants.” He laughed.

“I don’t think I like that nickname.” She poked him in the arm. “But she’s right about one thing.”

“I’m terrified to ask what that is.”

“You can be uptight.”

He set his beer on the table and stood. He yanked her out of her chair and heaved her to his chest. “Well, I know one way to fix that.”

Resting her hands on his shoulders, she stared into his dark, smoldering eyes. “Well, you have been ordered to be glued to my hip.”

“That may be true, but I want it stated for the record.” He reached down, curling his hands under her thighs and lifting her off the pool deck, wrapping her legs around his waist. “That I want to be with you and that has nothing to do with anything other than I really like you.”

“Not to sour the mood or anything, but did you like me an hour ago?”

“Yes,” he said. “I didn’t like that you were withholding information, but I didn’t believe for one second that you were involved. I just didn’t understand why you couldn’t trust me to tell me the truth. Now I do.” He kissed her softly. “Just please, no more secrets.”

“That goes both ways.” She arched a brow. “I want to know what’s going on with this case. It concerns me and I don’t want to be left in the dark.”

“My mom won’t tell us everything. Not even me. My job now is to make sure nothing happens to you, but what I know, you will know.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Anything else? Because I’m really uptight.”

She laughed. “No. You can take me to bed now.”

“Yes, Miss Saucy?—”

She covered his mouth. “Don’t say it. Not if you want to get laid.”

“But it’s true. You are saucy.”

“You can say it if I can use the handcuffs.” She winked.

“Never going to happen.” He kissed her. Hard. It was filled with passion and intent. Maybe this was her safe harbor after all.