Chapter 10
10
T he last place Heath thought he’d spend his off-call evening was back in the sheriff’s station, filling out paperwork. Living right outside of town was great for peace and quiet but shit for finding the asshole who smashed a car window in his driveway. The camera attached to his doorbell hadn’t caught anything, and there weren’t neighbors or businesses around to question.
Not like he didn’t know who had broken the glass. Mitch was sending a message, he just needed to figure out how to prove it was him.
The door connecting the bullpen to the front waiting area swung open. He glanced up to find Dean Kingston, Elsie Sweet, and Clara filing inside.
He shot to his feet and weaved between empty desks, his heart in his throat. “Are you all right? Are the kids hurt?”
Elsie gave Clara a reassuring smile. “Dean and I will be with Owen. I’m sure Heath can bring you back when you’re ready.”
Dean dipped his chin in greeting and kept a tight grip of the leather computer bag draped over his shoulder.
Owen appeared in the doorway to his office. His expression was pinched, and he waved the new arrivals his way.
Dean and Elsie moved forward, leaving Clara behind.
A hundred scenarios of what could have brought Clara to the sheriff’s department ping-ponged inside him until he thought he’d jump out of his skin.
Clara averted her gaze, latching her hands together at her waist. “We’re fine.”
Relief swept through him and threatened to take him out at the knees. “I got your text. Smart thinking to take a photo of Mitch so close to your home.”
She finally met his eye. “I wasn’t sure you got it. You never responded.”
The hurt in her voice tugged at his conscience, and he mentally smacked himself upside the head for not messaging her back right away. He’d planned to, until he’d found the unexpected surprise waiting for him in his driveway. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t get the message until I was almost home, and once I got there, my attention was required elsewhere.”
Frowning, she tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, hating he had more bad news to deliver. “Someone smashed the rear window of your car.”
She closed her eyes and drew in a large breath, defeat clear in the slump of her shoulders.
He ached to touch her, to hold her, to comfort her. Words sat unspoken on the tip of his tongue. Promises to protect her and make sure Mitch paid for every sin he committed. Vows to stand beside her and support her.
But he could do nothing more than stand before her and wish things were different.
When she opened her eyes, the fire sparking from her green irises set him back on his heels. “There’s no need to say ‘someone.’ We both know it was Mitch. Just like I know he was in my house earlier. But now, we’re going to nail his ass to the wall.”
Her determination lifted the side of his mouth. “Okay. And how are we going to do that?”
“I found his computer and gave it to Dean. He uncovered some unsavory things.” Her momentary grin fell. “He wouldn’t show me, but he said it’s bad. He called Owen, and we came right here.”
Bits of information clicked into place. “You said you found the computer at your house?”
“That’s right.”
“And was that when Mitch was watching you?”
She nodded.
“Shit,” he said, rubbing the heel of his palm over his sternum.
“What?”
“If you saw him, he saw you. Which means he saw the computer. His retaliation against your car might be more than anger about being served the emergency order.”
Her expression fell and all the color drained from his face. “He knows we’re aware he’s involved in something bigger. Oh no, what have I done?”
Unable to stop himself, he braced his hands on her shoulders and took a step closer. The smell of lavender and vanilla invaded his senses, but he couldn’t lose himself in the now-familiar scent of her perfume. “You haven’t done anything, you hear me? Nothing. You’ve fought for what’s right. You’re protecting yourself and your kids. If what Dean said is true, then all this is over. Mitch will be arrested, and he won’t bother you again. You won.”
She drew in a shuddering breath. “It’s hard to imagine this will ever be over.”
“You’ve got to believe, okay?”
Uncertainty danced in her eyes, but she nodded.
Someone cleared their throat behind him. Heath turned to find Owen back in his doorway. “Sorry to interrupt. You’re going to want to see this.”
“Dean said I shouldn’t see,” Clara whispered.
“Do you want to know what was on that computer?” he asked, not caring what Dean said.
“Yes. I have to know.”
“Then come on. You can sit and listen, and if it gets to be too much, we leave. Plain and simple. But you have a right to be told what Mitch was doing in your home. But you don’t have to see anything, watch or listen to anything that’s on that computer.”
She offered a weak smile. “Will you stay with me the whole time?”
“Honey, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Her smile grew, dissolving the knots that instantly tied around his gut as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “Thank you.”
Emotion lodged in his throat, and he dropped a hand to the small of her back to usher her in front of him. The burn of a handful of curious gazes singed the back of his neck, but he shook it off. Screw overstepping. Clara meant a lot to him and there was nothing wrong with showing her that.
Once in the office, Owen shut the door. Elsie patted the visitor’s chair beside where she sat while Dean stood behind the desk. The laptop was open, and the knots came back in full force.
“Dean told me what he found, but we need to see the evidence,” Owen said. “As you’ve been a part of this investigation, and with what happened earlier, it makes sense you’d want to know what’s found.”
“Appreciate that.”
“If what Dean’s described is true, it won’t be easy to watch,” Owen said, cringing.
Clara lifted her chin. “No one has more at stake than I do. I deserve to know the truth.”
Heath rested a hand at the back of her chair, her silky strands brushing against his fingers. “You heard her. She stays, which I’m guessing mean that Elsie does, too. They both know what they can handle.”
“I’ll mute it,” Dean said, leaning over the keyboard. “No need to hear what’s going on.”
Nausea pitched in Heath’s stomach. If Dean was concerned with making sure the women didn’t hear what came across the screen, there were limited options to what he’d found. Especially if Mitch had gone to such lengths to hide what had been on his thumb drive.
“It’s up.” Dean’s face hardened into a mask of hatred, and he took a step backward.
Owen rounded the desk and sucked in a sharp breath. “Sick bastard. Clara, you can testify that this is Mitch’s computer?”
Clara latched her hand with Elsie’s. “Of course.”
Owen flicked his gaze to Heath. “You don’t have to see this if you don’t want.”
He glanced down at Clara. Her eyes were wide and filled with questions—filled with fear. What was on that screen might haunt him for the rest of his life, but he’d gladly take a bullet for her. Gladly shield her from seeing something she’d never forget by seeing himself.
Steeling his nerves, he gave her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder then joined Owen in front of the screen.
And what he saw was enough to make him want to kill a man.
* * *
Children.
Scared and abused children. Tortured and battered, used and mistreated for what? Entertainment? Perversion? Profit?
She might not have seen what was on the computer with her own eyes, but Heath had told her enough to make her sick. And now she couldn’t stop wondering if he’d laid a hand on one of her babies.
There wasn’t a word in Clara’s vocabulary that could accurately describe what Mitch had downloaded on his computer. It didn’t matter if it was for his twisted entertainment or if he played a hand in creating this nightmare, there was a special place in hell for anyone involved in the fate of those innocent children.
And if one of those kids was her own, she’d give anything to be the one to stick the final nail in his coffin.
But there was nothing she could do except head back to the shelter with Elsie and Dean and wait.
Mrs. Collins opened the front door before they reached it and spread her arms wide.
A sob caught in Clara’s throat, and she fell against the older woman, melting into the gentle embrace.
“Come on inside, sweet girl,” Mrs. Collins said, guiding her into the foyer. “I have a fire going. The perfect place for a chat. Elsie, Dean, do you want to join us?”
Dean stood next to Elsie with his arm hooked snugly around her shoulder. “It’s up to you, babe. I’m wiped, but we can stay if you want. Or I can leave you to talk and come back to pick you up.”
Elsie leaned against him, her own exhaustion clear as the bags hanging under her hazel eyes. “I think I’d rather go home with you, if that’s okay with Clara.”
“Of course.” She peeled herself away from Mrs. Collins long enough to hug Elsie then gave Dean a quick squeeze. “Thank you for everything. Both of you. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from Heath.”
They said their goodbyes then Clara followed Mrs. Collins into the library. She fell into the comfortable couch, wishing she could disappear into the plush cushions.
Mrs. Collins placed the baby monitor on the coffee table then settled in beside her. “Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head. “Unless you can tell me how I was ever stupid enough to get caught up with such a horrible man, I don’t think there’s anything you can give me right now.”
“Honey, we all make choices we wish we could take back. Choices that when we look back on them, we wonder what in the world were we thinking. Mitch is a bad man who knew how to hide the worst parts of himself. He waited until he had you where he wanted you then started to let those parts shine through.”
“Avery hugged that stuffed dog. Every night when she slept, she held it close to her heart. And the whole time it held this secret. Disgusting secrets about other children whose lives were being destroyed. I've never wanted to kill anyone until now. To see someone suffer the way I want to see Mitch suffer.”
Mrs. Collins grabbed her hand and anchored it in her lap. “I understand why you’d feel like this. Anyone would. But you can’t fester in this hatred. You can’t let him dim your shine. Your kids deserve to have a mother filled with love and happiness and kindness. If you let these horrible feelings take root in your heart, it will kill some of your goodness and the world will be worse off. Mitch will win. We can’t let that happen.”
Another thought she’d kept buried for years simmered at the surface, and she couldn’t ignore it any longer. “How can I ever trust another man? How do I know someone else I let into my life won’t do the same things Mitch has done?”
“There are no guarantees on anything in this world. But the lessons you’ve learned will stay with you. Trust might be hard to come by, but when you meet the right person, I’m convinced you’ll know it.” Mrs. Collins’ eyes narrowed, and her lips curved slightly at the corners “Is there someone in particular you have in mind?”
She wrinkled her nose, irritated with herself for even giving voice to the idea. She should have known Mrs. Collins would see right through her. With all the chaos surrounding her life, romance of any kind was the last thing that should be on her mind. But logic couldn’t erase every conversation, every interaction she’d had with Heath.
Couldn’t make her forget the way he made her feel when he was near. Safe and happy and the rush of excitement she’d thought would never return.
“Maybe, but I’m not at a place to talk about it yet.”
“I’m here if you change your mind. All I’ll say is trust yourself, your instincts. And don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable. Especially where Heath Sterling’s concerned. He’s a good man.” Mrs. Collins stood and placed a motherly kiss on her forehead. “I’m off to bed.”
Clara sat for a moment and stared into the dancing flames in the fireplace. She couldn’t deny the way Heath made her feel and, if she were being honest with herself, she didn’t want to. Over the last few months, she’d come to anticipate seeing him in the diner, giddy like a schoolgirl when she saw his face. He’d been nice to her, but more than that, he’d shown kindness to her children.
Her gut said she could trust him, but it was her heart she was worried about. If she was wrong, it wasn’t just her that would be affected.
Chalking it up to a problem for another day, she stood and flicked the switch to turn off the gas fire. She grabbed the monitor, double checked the lock on the front door, then dragged herself upstairs. The day had been long, filled with enough twists and turns to leave her completely disoriented. Her arms ached to hold her children. The rest of her body craved a decent night’s sleep.
She slowly opened the door, not wanting to wake the children. Darkness greeted her, only the moonlight peeking through the curtain to light the space. Davey’s soft snores echoed off the high ceiling. She shut the door, prepared to ready herself for bed, when the floorboard creaked on the other side of the room.
Electricity crackled in the air. The hair on her arms stood on end, and dread curdled in her stomach as she found herself face to face with the devil himself.
Mitch smirked. “It’s about time you showed up.”