Chapter 35
When I woke, pain radiated everywhere. I let out a loud moan and within seconds, James was standing over me, worry on his face.
“It’s okay. You’re safe.”
I glanced around and realized I was in a hospital room. It took me a few moments to remember what had happened, and I panicked. I tried to sit up, but James held my shoulders down.
“Harper,” he said, gently. “You’re safe.”
“They’ll find me here. They’ll kill me.”
“Who?”
“Keith. Brad Huffington.” I continued to fight against him, sending a shooting pain through my side. “The Little Rock police. They’ll figure out we know they’re involved and kill me.”
He leaned in closer. “Do you think I’d let that happen? You’re safe. They think your name is Amber Beachum.”
I stared up at him in confusion. “But I was stabbed. There would be a police report. Someone will want to interview me.”
“The Feds took over the case.” When I still looked confused, he said. “I called my handler. They took care of it. I checked you in as Amber Beachum, and they told the LRPD they’re in charge of your case and the LRPD isn’t to get anywhere near you.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because I asked them to. And they owe me.”
I closed my eyes. “What did it cost you?”
“Nothin’,” he said, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Now stop worrying. I didn’t go to all that trouble of gettin’ you out of there to just let you die in a hospital.”
I looked up at him, tears swimming in my eyes as everything came rushing back.
He softly cupped my cheek. “It’s over. Nicole is dead. So is Gerald Knox.” He made a look of disgust. “And I had nothin’ to do with his death. The state police and the Feds took him out when they surrounded Knox and his men during the exchange.”
I let that sink in for barely a second before I asked. “What about the girls?” My stomach twisted with anxiety.
“Safe.”
“And Wilhemina? Do we know about her?”
“At Knox’s private club. I guess the women lived there so they never left the premises.”
He looked into my eyes. “Sorry about Knox. I know you wanted to kill him.”
“Turns out Nicole was the mastermind,” I said, closing my eyes. “She just let her husband and son take the credit.”
We were both silent for a long moment before I said, “I think she hurt girls in that room.”
He didn’t say anything, just waited to see if I’d continue.
“She said she hadn’t played in a long time. Then she said she was used to girls younger than me.” I opened my eyes. “She was a sadistic… evil…”
“She’s dead. You killed her.”
I slowly nodded, letting that sink in.
“And if you hadn’t killed her, I would have done it myself,” he said, fury in his eyes. “For what she dared to do to you.”
Images of what she’d done flashed in my head, making me shudder.
“You’re safe,” he said, stroking the top of my head. “I promise.”
I looked up at him, hating to bring this up now, but it was important for him to know. “Knox thought I was someone called the Lady in Black.”
Surprise and worry flashed in his eyes.
“Then he realized it wasn’t me. Nicole said she knew it wasn’t me, because it would have been impossible for me to get to Fenton County with my LRPD schedule.”
His stared at me in disbelief.
I gave him a soft smile. “Nicole realized I’d figured out who the Lady in Black was.
I denied it, but she saw the moment I put it together.
She planned to slash me with her knife until I gave her a name.
” I grabbed his forearm. “I didn’t tell her, James.
And I never would have. I was prepared to die to keep her safe. ”
“You couldn’t know who she was,” he whispered.
“I know,” I whispered back. “I know.”
For the first time since I’d met him, he looked like he wasn’t sure what to do.
“I will never tell, James,” I said, tightening my grip on his arm.
“I’m not even saying her name now. But I know her identity, just like I know she’s the woman you loved.
” I hesitated, wondering if I should confess the next part, but I was going all in.
I whispered, “Just like I know she’s the mother of your daughter. ”
Pure panic filled his eyes, and he started to take a step back, breaking free of my hold.
“No one told me,” I insisted, finding the strength to sit up, worried he was going to leave. Pain shot through my side, stealing my breath, but I ignored it. “I figured it out a couple of nights ago when you told me you’d loved someone.” I grimaced. “I told you I’m a good detective.”
He didn’t say anything.
“It doesn’t change anything,” I pleaded. “It doesn’t change how I feel about you. And I know why you don’t want anyone to know. I swear to you, James, I’ll keep your secrets. I will protect them.”
He was silent for several seconds, then he sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms carefully around me. “Thank you.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, tears burning my eyes.
His hand stroked the back of my head. “How’d you figure out the last one?” he asked.
“The photo on your mantel,” I said, still leaning into him. “And the timing. And you said she made a decision that you couldn’t live with. That seemed like it fit the bill.”
He remained silent, but his arms tightened slightly, yet stayed loose enough to not hurt me.
“I have questions,” I said, leaning back slightly to look into his eyes, “but I’m not going to pry. You can tell me when you’re ready.” I gave him a half-smile. “And when we’re somewhere more private.”
He placed a tender kiss on my lips. “Thank you.”
“I guess the Feds are going to be all over the LRPD’s involvement in Knox’s finances.”
He held my gaze. “They don’t know about the police involvement. I took that part out of what I gave them.”
I stared at him in confusion. “Why would you do that?”
“To give us a chance to bring them down ourselves. But I only bought us a month before they start investigating the LR police. I’ll need to get an extension so you have time to heal.”
“If you didn’t tell the Feds, then who are you getting an extension from?”
He held my gaze. “It’s how I got Dani’s charges dropped.”
I sucked in a breath, then instantly regretted it. “You went to Mason Deveraux.”
He gave a curt nod. “I did. I gave him all of it, but I asked him to give us a chance to dig into the cops.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because you need to find out what you were on to that scared them enough to discredit you and destroy your career. And I’m going to help you do it.”
I started to tell him he didn’t have to help me, but he’d already told me he would.
I could still hear Nicole’s voice in my head, telling me my mother wished I’d been kidnapped and murdered instead of my sister. And that my father hadn’t wanted me to come home. I still believed something in me made me unlovable, so my brain grabbed the only explanation that felt safe…
What James felt for me was lust. If he wanted to help me, he was probably getting something out of it too.
It was easier to believe that then to think someone could really love me. Believing that was much too dangerous.
I also recognized it was fear talking. Fear of rejection, like I’d been rejected before. Fear of being hurt. I knew deep down I wasn’t unlovable.
But it was one thing to know something and another to truly believe it.
“Okay,” I finally said. “We can start in a couple of weeks.”
“No,” he said sternly. “They’re not going anywhere and they have no idea we’re onto them. We’re going to take two months.”
“Two months?” I asked in disbelief. “What are we going to do for two months?”
“I was thinkin’,” he said in a husky voice as his lips hovered inches over mine. “Maybe it’s time to take a vacation. I can’t remember the last time I took one. If ever.”
“So we’ll start when you get back from vacation?”
He chuckled against my lips. “Like hell I’m leavin’ you behind. You’re comin’ with me.”
It took a second for that to sink in. Part of me thought I should protest, but I couldn’t figure out why. “Where are we going?”
“Maybe somewhere warm with a beach. But if there’s somewhere else you want to go, we can go there instead.”
The urge to protest was strong, but for once, I was going to accept something good. “Okay,” I said. “A beach sounds great. But no crowds if possible. I don’t know if I can handle a lot of people right now.”
He kissed me tenderly, then lifted his head. “I’ll take care of everything.”
I drifted off to sleep soon afterward, and when I woke, I saw Louise walking into the room.
James rose from his chair and dipped his chin. “Deputy. I’ll let you two have some time together.”
Louise watched him walk out of the room and turned back to me.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, starting to panic. If Louise knew, then the LRPD could find out.
“Malcolm called me,” she said. “He told me you were here under an alias, but he wouldn’t tell me how you got injured.”
“Huh.” I was genuinely shocked James had called her, but then I wasn’t. He knew she’d worry about me.
“I heard there was a human trafficking ring takedown early this morning,” she said. “They’re saying it was massive.”
“You don’t say,” I murmured weakly.
“What a coincidence you got stabbed and beaten early this morning.”
I grimaced. “Little Rock isn’t as small as people think.”
“I know you can’t confide in me for some reason,” she said. “Which has to do with your alias, but I’m not stupid enough to believe you weren’t part of it.” She paused. “You and Malcolm.”
“We might know a little bit about it,” I admitted, then I added, “We’re going after the LRPD next. But James won’t consider it for a couple of months.” When she looked surprised, I added, “Because of this stupid stab wound.”
“I still want to be a part of it,” she said.
I nodded. “As long as you agree to work with James.”
She hesitated, then made a face. “I’m going to have to defer to your judgment on that one.”
“Thanks.”
“So…” she said, “You and Malcolm?”
“Me and Malcolm. He’s not who I expected.”
She gave me a tight smile. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I had no idea what I was doing, but being with James felt more right than anything ever had. I was going to enjoy it while I could.
Read a bonus chapter of James meeting with Mason Devereaux.
Any Rose Gardner fans will WANT to read this chapter.
Read the first chapter on the next page…