Chapter 14 #2
“She didn’t have anything to do with the abduction.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that I’m alive because of her.
That kind of assistance deserves some payback, don’t you agree?
Or, at least, a bit of gratitude.” Instead of showing her gratitude, he’d watched as she was loaded into the back of a patrol car.
Will not happen again. She will not ever ask for my help when I stare at her and do nothing.
Because…
He’d sworn something was breaking within him as she got into that patrol car. As he watched her through the glass of the window.
His chest had ached. Burned. He’d wanted to punch through the glass and get to her.
I will never again stare at her and do nothing while she needs me.
Sloane was…different. He was different with her.
Joshua glanced upstairs. “You’re moving her in here.”
“For the time being, yes.” For the time being and maybe, for longer.
Forever. A tempting thought. “She could become a target, and I want to make certain that nothing happens to her.” He’d already briefed Joshua on the shooting at the station.
“Any sign of Debra yet? She’s supposed to be coming this way. ”
“She’s not going to approve, either.”
No shit. “Don’t recall asking for anyone’s approval.” Mild words.
But Joshua flushed. “I…”
“You were looking out for me. You know I value loyalty.” In fact, he tended to be fanatical about it in his life. “I know what I’m doing with Sloane.”
“Are you sure?” Joshua’s worry was plain. “Because I did some Googling on her, boss, and her parents were murdered by her boyfriend. The guy said she asked him to do it and—”
A stair creaked.
Preston turned his head at the sound and saw Sloane.
She’d already gone halfway down the staircase.
He made a mental note that Sloane could get dressed very quickly.
She wore jeans that clung to her hips. A white blouse with a scooped neckline.
Sneakers that somehow looked elegant on her. Light makeup. Hair still wet.
Gorgeous.
He was pretty sure he’d always think she was gorgeous.
“I tried to dress for the grave,” Sloane told him. The delicate chain and the lily pendant adorned her neck.
“Oh, God.” Joshua gulped. “How is she joking?”
Because that was who she was.
A smile was on her face, but the smile did not reach her dark eyes. He wondered if she’d always presented a mask to the rest of the world, or if she’d started doing it when she was sixteen years old.
As for him, Preston had always worn a mask.
Even before the attack when he’d been fourteen.
When you knew something was wrong deep inside, you hid it from the rest of the world.
He’d definitely hidden the truth from his adoptive parents.
They’d thought that they’d lucked up and gotten the perfect son when they’d brought him into their lives.
They’d been wrong.
They learned the truth, later.
“I’m not joking.” Sloane slowly descended the staircase as her fingers slid over the banister. “Preston and I are heading out to our grave site. We’re going to conduct a full search.”
“Preston?” Hushed.
Preston’s head turned back to Joshua.
“You’re not really leaving, are you? Right after someone tried to shoot you?”
Like he’d let a little shooting stop him from bringing down the jerk.
“I have a team of bodyguards who will be keeping an eye on me.” Frankie would be driving him for the foreseeable future.
But Frankie wasn’t his only protection. Preston had arranged for Noble Garrison to come in from Charlotte.
Noble would be watching from the shadows.
Close, but unobtrusive. Both men had been on his payroll for a while.
He just hadn’t anticipated needing them on his trip home to Cashiers.
His mistake.
Preston did not intend to make any additional mistakes.
He’d put in the orders for both men to assume guard detail when he’d been in the hospital last night. It had taken a bit of time for the men to arrive in town, but they were present now. From this point forward, they would be searching for threats.
“Maybe you should just, you know, stay in for a while, Lie low, ” Joshua advised. Sweat beaded his forehead.
Not happening. “Not my style.”
Sloane had reached the landing. “Ah, we meet again.” Her focus seemed to be on his assistant.
Joshua took a step back.
Sloane advanced on Joshua as she held out her hand. “How about we start over? I won’t rage at you for getting me tossed into the back of a sheriff’s car. You won’t conduct unauthorized searches of my belongings ever again. Deal?” Her fingers wiggled.
Joshua stared at her fingers the way he’d probably stare at a snake that he thought would strike him.
“I know Debra Tooni is your aunt.” Sloane kept her fingers outstretched. “I know you’ve been Preston’s personal assistant for the last year. I know that you are very loyal, Joshua.”
She knew plenty. Because of her research.
“I like loyalty. I get that you were trying to protect your boss. That’s good.” She did not drop her hand. “And I do expect that you won’t turn on me again. Because I’m fine with one reset.” Her head turned. Her gaze landed on Preston. “But I draw the line at two.”
Yep, message received. Those words weren’t just for Joshua. Preston understood that they were for him, too. His head inclined toward her. No additional resets necessary.
Joshua took her hand. A fast shake and then he let her go. “I-I just want to protect him.”
“Of course.” Her head had angled back toward Joshua. “That’s what I want, as well. To protect Preston. Look at that, would you? We have the same goal.”
Joshua did not appear convinced that they had anything at all in common. He darted his way to the front door. Paused near the threshold and called back to Preston. “If you need me, you know I’ll be close.”
Joshua should have been on vacation. The whole visit to Cashiers should have been a break for them both. But things weren’t working out that way.
The door clicked closed behind Joshua. Preston threw the lock into place. With his back to Sloane, he said, “Got the message. One reset for me.” Preston glanced over his shoulder. “If I screw up again—”
That beaming smile of hers flashed. “I have faith that you won’t.”
He didn’t let her smile blind him. He focused on her eyes as he faced her fully. “Why would you have any faith in me?” Especially after he’d let her gorgeous ass get taken from him. Won’t happen again. Will not.
A man could learn some very important lessons when bullets started flying. Lessons like…
I couldn’t get to her fast enough. Couldn’t block her with my body fast enough.
He’d been ready to take a bullet for her. So that meant something—it means I want to protect her, keep her with me, no matter what she may have done.
“Why do I have faith in you? So many reasons.”
Uh, huh. “Let’s start with one reason, angel.”
Her nose crinkled. “I’m not an angel. Pretty sure we’ve covered that before.”
You are one to me. “Waiting for that one reason.”
“Well, fine, then. Let’s start with one.” A bit of a dramatic pause. “Because you hired Joshua.”
Hell. Her research had been thorough.
“I’m sure that Debra came to you, didn’t she?” Musing. “And asked you to help her nephew. After the car crash that killed his girlfriend, he was devastated. On a suicide watch. The guy took it extra hard because he was driving. He blamed himself.”
Yes, Joshua had blamed himself. The kid’s guilt had been eating him alive. Sometimes, guilt could destroy you from the inside, out.
“Her side of the vehicle took the impact,” Sloane continued, and there was sympathy underscoring her words. “He dragged her out, not knowing that her back was broken. Not knowing that she was literally dying in his arms.”
What if those bullets had hit you today? What if you’d died in my arms? Preston took a step toward her.
“It broke him when he lost her. Joshua flunked out of college. Couldn’t hold down a job. He was spiraling, and Debra knew it. So she came to you. You gave him a fresh start.”
“I gave the kid a job. Don’t make it out like I did some big, good deed.
” He hadn’t. It had just been a job. “I owed Debra. She did a lot for me and my parents over the years. Hell, she still does a lot.” She pretty much gave him an all-access pass to the sheriff’s department and the town whenever he wanted it.
“Getting her nephew a job was no big deal.” He found himself closing more of the distance between them. “Joshua is smart. He’s dedicated.”
“Dedicated to you.” A careful emphasis. “I know hero worship when I see it.”
A bark of laughter came from him. “I’m no one’s hero.”
Her stare studied him carefully. “That’s still up for debate.”
No, it wasn’t. It hadn’t been debatable since he’d been a teen. Time to change the subject. “You heard what Joshua said about you.”
“Yes, I was eavesdropping on the staircase.”
He almost smiled at her. A real smile. But he caught himself just in time. He liked the way she flat-out admitted to eavesdropping. Now, if she’d just keep being that honest with him—
“I never told Cody to kill for me. We should be clear on that.” She stared him straight in the eyes. “I never asked my former boyfriend to kill my parents. I never wanted anyone to kill my mother and stepdad. I loved them.”
Preston stood right in front of her. His hand rose, and he brushed back a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. A thick, soft lock of hair. Slightly damp still.
“I want to be honest with you.”
“Great. Fabulous. I want you to be honest.” Lies didn’t appeal to him. She appeals to me, though. Everything about her.
Her dark gaze searched his. A slow, steadying breath eased from her. “There is something else you need to know about your biological father.”
His back teeth clenched. He stepped back, letting his hand fall from her. She’d already told him a few truths. Maybe it was time for him to repay the favor. Maybe neither one of us should lie. “I knew the Last Breath Killer was my father. Before your big confession.”
Her eyes widened.