Chapter 14 #2
Deflection. That’s one thing I was damn good at. And I certainly didn’t want to talk to him about my parents. I would end up like some weepy child, weak and snivelly and no one was allowed to see me at my worst.
Even Darlene had only seen the tip of the iceberg.
There were a dozen reasons why I was private, but the last thing I wanted to admit to anyone was how atrocious my fears were. And the stupid fantasies I’d had of someone watching me. Which wasn’t true.
“Just don’t. Okay?” He continued to crowd my space, driving me crazy with his attentiveness and pretending like he cared.
“I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Huffing, I tried to pick up my pace, but there was no way I could get away from him. That’s when something snapped inside and I stopped on a dime, spinning around to face him and throwing a finger into his face. “Why the hell can’t you leave well enough alone?”
Viper jerked to a stop, the wild expression on his face highlighting his utter confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Where’s your truck, huh? Were you spying on me?”
“I repeat, what are you talking about?”
I slapped my hands on my hips, pacing back and forth. “You just had to invade my privacy by seeing the barn. Didn’t you? When I asked you to stay away you ignored me. That makes you a bastard.”
He reared back, his mouth dropping open.
“First of all, I don’t remember you telling me to stay away.
Second, I took the back road, not knowing where it went.
When I noticed the river, I climbed out.
Sure, I saw the damn barn. The building is half burned.
A rafter fell when I was standing by the riverbank.
That’s a safety hazard, completely dangerous.
Think about the dogs running around inside. They could get hurt.”
“Dogs? You mean dog. As in one dog. My dog. Sailor doesn’t belong to me. Neither do you.” Christ. I didn’t even know what was being shot from my mouth, I was so out of sorts.
Because of seeing the building or because of him?
His eyes darted back and forth, his jaw in a tight clench. “What in the hell is this about? Yes, Sailor is my dog but… I don’t get it, lady. You invited me to stay here. I was exploring the property.”
“Yeah?” I took a step closer.
“Yeah.” He also took a step closer.
“Well, you shouldn’t have. Like you said, the area is dangerous.”
His laugh was harsh. “Exactly. What the hell is going on here?”
“Nothing. Not one damn thing.”
“What happened with the barn? Why was it on fire? What are you hiding about that fire?”
“Hiding? Nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
The dogs were barking, jumping around us. The scene was chaotic, challenging.
Nerve-racking.
The man made me crazy. And hot.
And wet.
I started to walk away and he made the mistake of grabbing my arm again, so I swung around.
“Okay. Fine. You’re right. Something is wrong, but I’m not the one hiding anything. You are.”
As his expression shifted into something highlighting anger, he closed the distance.
“Me? What about you? Your parents died in that fire and not from an accident. Right? Someone intentionally set that fire. That’s why the building still stands.
The investigation is still active, the arsonist on the loose. Right?”
“Leave it alone!” My finger was pressed against his chest.
“No, I will not. You’re keeping secrets.”
“You are. How about the fact you were just released from prison?” As soon as I tossed out the question, his entire demeanor changed, his eyes hardening as much as his jaw.
“What?”
“Yeah, you heard me. You forgot that little tidbit of information when I mentioned you could move in, which might have been something for me to hear about from you instead of several other people.”
More barking, paws on Viper’s jeans.
Then on mine.
“You didn’t ask.” Now he sidestepped me, trying to walk away.
Was he kidding me? Furious as a wet hen, I grabbed his arm, my fingers barely making it halfway around the circumference. But I was so frustrated I found the strength to yank his massive body back by maybe an inch.
Enough he was suddenly in my face, backing me away by a couple of steps.
“So, I’m asking,” I huffed, trying to keep from falling on my butt. I could see several emotions in the deep reflection in his eyes. He wasn’t used to be challenged by anyone.
“So am I. Your parents were murdered. Right?”
“You killed a man. Right?”
He shook his head, but not in a way of telling me I was wrong. He was showing me how frustrated he was with me. “Damn it, woman, you drive me insane.”
“And you are perhaps the most annoying, arrogant man I’ve ever met.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“You want to know the truth?”
I blew hair from my face. “Always.”
“Then everyone is right. I killed a man with these hands.” He lifted his arms, his hands open and his fingers flexed.
When he stood at his full height, his eyes searching mine, I could easily sense he was expecting, maybe even hoping for words of retribution. That was the only way of easing his guilt. “Why?”
A simple question he hadn’t anticipated. “I had my reasons.”
The flash of pain in his eyes was a dead giveaway that whatever the reason, he’d been forced to take such an extreme act. “I’m so sorry.”
Caught off guard, he didn’t move for an entire ten seconds. But as before, the mask of steel that had been his protection was once again slipped into place.
“No, Grace. I’m a terrible person and I’m sure whoever told you what happened also mentioned that you should stay away from me. And that I was dangerous.” He continued backing away, his eyes pinned on mine and completely unreadable.
“Two people did.” I didn’t share with him that I didn’t listen to what anyone had to say.
“But I know better in that you’re not a terrible person.
You’re kind and loving. The way Sailor reacts to you, Ellie May.
That tells me something. That tells me everything I need to know.
Whatever happened, you had a life and death reason to take a life. ”
Viper stopped moving, fisting his eyes. I knew the action. I’d done so a dozen times myself. Trying to shut out the world, the pain and the memories. “That isn’t enough, Grace. You should stay away from me. Your godfather is right.”
I’d be damned if he didn’t try to walk away from me again.
How in the hell had the conversation gotten so turned around?
I chased after him, jumping in front and smashing my palms against his chest. “You are not going anywhere until this conversation is finished. Since you know all about my godfather, then let me tell you something. He said no such thing. He told me to follow my instinct and that’s what I plan on doing.
Damn it. If you weren’t so freaking hardheaded, you would have figured out you could trust me.
And that I wouldn’t judge you because I’m not that kind of woman.
But no, you just assumed I’d believe everybody else. That’s bullshit.”
Oh, the man was going to drive me insane. I couldn’t take it any longer, turning and heading toward the house.
There was no sound, no hard boots on the ground following me.
Just the dogs barking, whining that they weren’t getting enough attention. Well, hell. I felt exactly the same way.
In the next three seconds, my world was brought to a standstill when Viper swung me around, slipping one arm around my waist and the other fisting a handful of hair.
“Lady. Did anyone ever tell you that you could drive a man into sheer madness and that you talk entirely too damn much?”
He was close, his hot breath skipping across my face. I clung to him, twisting his shirt in my hands. “You just did.”
“Then you better listen.” As he crushed his lips across mine, I melted into his arms. The kiss was hard, urgent, and unforgiving.
This was undoubtedly a mistake, but in my mind, it was the best mistake I’d ever made.