Chapter 22
Iwas reading in bed when a soft knock came from the front door. I glanced at my phone. It was only nine o’clock, and early to be in bed, but I was planning to get up at the crack of dawn so I could start painting the walls in the living room.
Getting up, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and tiptoed to the door shirtless, not wanting to disturb Gemma in case she was asleep. When I opened it, Mags was standing in the dark on my doorstep, still clad in the sexy black dress she’d been in when I’d seen her at the community center.
“Mags? Are you okay?” I kept my voice low as I drew her inside.
She looked gorgeous, but just one glance at her pale cheeks and stricken expression meant all I could focus on was what might have happened to her. Something was clearly very wrong.
“I saw Spike.” She matched the low volume of my voice. “The scary drug dealer is here, looking for me. He was at the jam session.”
My gut clenched. “Did he see you?” I demanded.
“No. I hid, then slipped out.”
“Come in. You’re shivering.” Drawing her inside, I couldn’t help but glance at Gemma’s closed door. My first responsibility was to keep her safe, and by bringing Mags inside, I could be inviting trouble in too, putting Gemma in danger.
But no, I wouldn’t let it come to that.
“You’re cold. Sit down. I’ll make you a hot cocoa.” Fetching a blanket, I wrapped it around Mag’s shoulders then gave her upper arms a vigorous rub. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now. I’ll keep you safe.”
I’d keep them both safe, her and Gemma. No matter what.
“I shouldn’t be this cold,” she said. “I was fine before.”
“You’ve had a shock.” I sat her down on the couch, then went to the kitchen to make hot cocoa. By the time I handed her a steaming mug, I was glad to see she’d stopped shivering and regained a little color.
“I didn’t think he’d come all this way.” She cupped her hands around the mug. “It’s only ten thousand dollars. Why would he come here?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I promised. “We’ll go to the sheriff.”
“What can the sheriff do, though? He can’t arrest Spike for coming to Tennessee. It’s not a crime.”
“If the sheriff can’t help, I’ll meet with Spike and sort everything out.”
If I had to, I’d pay the drug dealer ten thousand dollars to get him to leave Mags alone and keep him away from Gemma. But the idea of giving a man like him money left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I’d grown up around violence, and had the potential for it inside me, though I’d sworn never to use my fists in anger. Maybe it was time to consider breaking that vow.
I went to fetch the hot cocoa I’d made for myself, and when I walked back into the living room to join her on the couch, her gaze traveled down my body.
“Is that what you wear at night?” she asked. “Gray sweatpants and no shirt?”
I frowned, confused by her question, but at the same time relieved to hear a little bite return to her voice. “I don’t wear clothes to bed. I put these pants on when you knocked. Why? What’s wrong with them?” I squinted one eye at her. “You’re not going to tell me sweatpants are the same as flannel, are you? At this rate, I won’t have anything left in my closet.”
“Gray sweatpants aren’t at all like flannel.” She lifted the cup to her lips and spoke around it, her gaze on my torso. “What’s wrong with them is that there’s nothing wrong with them.”
I put my mug on the coffee table. “What are you saying?”
“You used to work behind a desk, right? So how come you look like that?” She waved her hand up and down my body. “Did you live at the gym? Do you take steroids? Did you get bitten by a radioactive rhino?”
Understanding came to me in a rush. “This house only has fireplaces for heating. In winter, it gets freezing, so I’ve been chopping a lot of wood.”
The house’s lack of heating had been a blessing in disguise last winter, as the choice between freezing to death or getting up regularly to put fresh wood on the fire had kept my mood from being totally swallowed up by the darkness. And all the exercise I’d gotten from the chopping had helped as well.
Now it was paying off in other ways. The compliment was nice to hear. It made me feel warmer than the hot cocoa had. But I didn’t want to stand around shirtless if it was going to make her uncomfortable.
“I’ll put on a shirt,” I said, moving into the bedroom.
“Don’t get dressed on my account,” she called to me.
I grabbed a clean T-shirt anyway, and pulled it on.
When I came out of the bedroom, she said, “I don’t want you to meet with Spike. He’ll probably be armed.”
“Who says I’m not?” I took a seat on the couch next to her.
She shook her head. “You’re not going to confront him. You’re not dying on my behalf, and you’re not killing anyone either.”
“Then we go to the sheriff.”
She took a sip of her cocoa and swallowed with a frown. “At first I didn’t call the cops because I promised Eric I wouldn’t. But I’ve been trying to figure out what they can do for me. If I tell them he’s here to intimidate me until I give him money, will that be enough to arrest him? If all they can do without proof is give him a warning, it’ll only make him more dangerous.”
“Sheriff James is a good man. Anything he can do, you can be sure he’ll do it.”
“But it’s my family that could be in danger. What if I go to the police and he retaliates by hurting my sisters?”
She made a good point. But if Mags didn’t go to the sheriff, I’d be forced to deal with Spike myself. And how could I do that without endangering Gem?
My eyes went back to Gemma’s door, some primal part of my brain needing to make sure it was still closed and she was still safe.
Mags followed my gaze, and she made a sharp sound, her mouth twisting. “Shit. You’re worried about Gemma, aren’t you?” Putting her mug on the coffee table, she stood. “I didn’t think of that. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come here.”
“Yes, you should have.” I stood too, putting my arm around her waist to stop her from rushing out. “Sit down. I can keep both you and Gem safe.”
She was chewing on her lip. “But it’s not fair to drag you into my mess.”
“I’m glad you did.” I was surprised to find the words coming out so forcefully, and even more surprised by the realization that I meant them so wholeheartedly, with no reservations. “Of course I’m worried about Gem. But I won’t let you deal with this guy alone. We’re in this together, no matter what.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you.” She put her hand on my chest. “If Spike did anything to threaten Gemma, I’d never forgive myself. But thank you for saying that.”
I drew her into a hug, squeezing her tight for a moment. With both my arms around her, she seemed so vulnerable, I could hardly bear it. Rage simmered in my gut, a primal anger that whispered the need to commit acts of violence against the man who’d threatened her. Part of me wanted nothing more than to tear his limbs off.
“Sit down.” The anger made my words hard, so it came out sounding like an order. “Finish your cocoa.”
She sat obediently, then picked up her mug and took a sip.
I sat next to her, thinking dark thoughts about my family’s history of violence, and the uncomfortable realization that murderous urges were closer to my surface than I’d ever wanted to believe.
Mags’s gaze was on my face while she sipped her cocoa. When she swallowed, she looked as though she wanted to say something. But after opening her mouth, she closed it again and gave a little sigh.
Finally she nodded to the living room walls. I’d spent the day sanding them and coating them with a stark white primer. “You’ve started painting.” Her tone had become artificially bright.
I turned to glance at them. “That’s just the primer. Gemma helped me picked a shade, so that’ll go on next, after I’ve sanded the floors.”
“Well, it looks better already.” She drew the blanket tighter around her body. Her mug was poking out of her blanket cave and she had both of her hands wrapped around it.
“You’re still cold?”
She gave a little shiver. “Must be the fright of seeing Spike. I’m still trying to calm down.”
“First thing is to get warm.” I stood and took the mug out of her hands. “Get into bed. Go on.” I nodded toward my bedroom, cursing the fact I’d put some of my painting equipment into the spare room.
She blinked up at me. “Into bed?”
“You’re sleeping here tonight, and I won’t hear any arguments.” I steered her into the bedroom. “Take my bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“But I can’t stay here. When I went out tonight, I left Zeppelin at my place. Freud and the chickens would be fine without me for one night, but Zeppelin needs to go out to pee.”
“I’ll go and get Zeppelin. It’ll only take me a few minutes.” I was already grabbing my shoes. “While I’m gone, get into bed. Grab yourself a T-shirt or whatever you want to sleep in from out of my drawers.”
I brushed off her protests, left quickly, and drove to her place while keeping my eyes peeled for anyone on the road. I thought about calling the station, but Sheriff James had been at the community center earlier, so he was off duty. He’d be home by now, probably in bed, and he was the only one I trusted to take me seriously. A Baxter asking for help from the sheriff’s department was unheard of.
Mags would be safe at my place tonight, and we could go and see the sheriff first thing in the morning.
I let myself into her place, checked the cat was safely asleep on the bed, and collected Zeppelin, locking all the doors and windows behind me. Once I was back at my place, I rapped gently on the bedroom door. “Mags?” I called softly through the closed door.
“Come in.”
On hearing her voice, Zeppelin wagged his tail and nosed at the door. As soon as I opened it, he rushed in, tail wagging. He jumped straight onto the bed and tried to lick Mags’s face. She pushed him aside, smiling.
She was in bed with the blankets pulled up under her arms, and it looked like she was wearing one of my old T-shirts. Her long dark hair was splayed across the pillow. My heart beat faster to see her in my bed, and I could only wish she was there under better circumstances.
At least she was safe. That was the important thing.
“Feeling warmer?” I asked, staying at the door.
“Much warmer. Thank you, Cy.”
“Do you need anything? Water? More cocoa?”
“Nothing, thanks.”
“Then I’ll say good night. Call out if you need?—”
“You should sleep here tonight,” she interrupted. “It’s a big bed.” She patted the space beside her. “Get in, Cy. The couch is far too small for you.”
I shook my head. She’d had a bad fright and I wasn’t about to take advantage of that. “I’ll be fine.”
She bit her lip. “Honestly, I’m still a little freaked out. I’d rather not be alone.”
I hesitated, torn between wanting to comfort her, and wanting to do the right thing. “Zeppelin can sleep with you,” I said. “I’ll be right outside the door. Nobody will be able to get in.”
“It’s not the same. I’ll still feel alone.”
“Mags, you’ve had a scare. It wouldn’t be right for me to get in bed with you when you’re?—”
“You’re trying to be chivalrous,” she interrupted. “And that’s nice. But if you turn off your southern-gentleman setting, we’ll both sleep better. There’s plenty of room in here, and nothing has to happen.” She held up both palms. “I promise I’ll be good and keep my hands to myself.” A lopsided smile peeked out. “Unless you want to be bad?”