Chapter 29 #2
“That was the last time I ever acted too out of line,” she continued.
“It was the last time I ever saw the cage too. But then you came to town and I told you about the dime bag in Dillon’s car.
When I did that, I knew there was a chance you’d link it to my dad, and I…
I hoped you would. Maybe he always knew I’d try to run from him, and that’s why he’s been so careful, why he’s never let me see any drugs or anything. But then Dillon messed up.”
Her heartbeat hammered against her throat as she waited for him to reply. His silence was deafening.
“Please say something,” she croaked out.
“I’m gonna kill him.” His voice came out gritty with anger.
Panic shot through her. “No, you can’t react. It’ll only make things worse.”
Letting out a breath, he turned back to face her. “Sorry, not literally. I’m just furious. I knew he was bad, but Jesus Christ, Claire.” He firmly clasped her ankle. “I have to report this.”
“No, you can’t, Seth. It’s too late, there’s nothing I can do.”
“You were a kid—Missouri has extended statutes of limitation for child abuse. There’s still time to charge him.”
“I have zero evidence.”
“Your word is evidence.”
“And it’s my word against his.” She tossed the pillow aside and repositioned on her knees, on the defense.
“You think I’ve never looked this up before?
Even if he was somehow found guilty, he’d get a slap on the wrist, serve a year, and get out on good behavior.
He didn’t leave me with any permanent marks and even the emotional stuff, I’d have a hard time proving, and people have not believed me before, and—”
Seth cut her off by pulling her into his arms like she was made of nothing. He adjusted her onto his lap, bridal style, and buried his face in her hair. “I’m sorry.” He held her tighter. “You weren’t asking me to be a cop. You don’t have to explain anything right now.”
Her emotions spilled over. She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing. He was so strong, so sturdy beneath her. “I just want you to tell me you believe me.”
“I do believe you.” He pulled away and smoothed her hair behind her ear. “Is that what you’re afraid of? You think if you try to leave town or betray him in any way, he’ll do that to you again?”
With her throat tight, Claire nodded. “All he wants is for me to stay in line, never ask questions, and give him grandsons. I don’t think he gives a damn about me or Clementine. He only wants to keep his name alive.”
“You’re an adult now. You have more power than you think.”
“No, I don’t. Not unless I can get something on him.”
“It shouldn’t be your job to do that. The cops should be helping you. I can help you. I can take you to Kansas City and you can start a new life there, get your own place. There are resources.”
If she were any younger and less jaded, maybe it would’ve felt like a golden ticket, but it didn’t. “I don’t want to be in your life as some burden or some victim, Seth.”
“You’re not. It takes a lot of guts to go through all that and still want to fight. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
She appreciated his words, but her brain still fought her on them. Of course she wanted to run away, especially with Seth. It’d be a dream come true, but that was all it was. A dream. A dream which could quickly turn into a nightmare.
“Even if I did leave, he’d find me. I’m not gonna leave Fairview to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”
“What’s your plan, then? You’re gonna keep acting like everything’s fine while you live in fear?”
“I thought you said I didn’t have to explain anything…”
“Yeah, but…”
She angled herself back so she could see his face, then traced her fingertips along the square of his jaw, feeling its soft grit. “I know you want to help, but I think I have to just… bide my time, spy on them, try to gather more evidence. Isn’t that what you’d do?”
“Yeah, but that’s my job… what you’re talking about is dangerous…”
“I know that.”
“At least get Chief Wells involved. You can trust her.”
Claire didn’t want to talk anymore. She didn’t want to think anymore. She repositioned herself so she was straddling him, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
“Claire,” he protested, his voice husky. His strong hands gripped her waist, so wide they practically engulfed her as he held her in place. Lust filled his gaze again, so she kissed him. He kissed her back, but pulled away to say, “Hey, we’re still talking…”
“Shh, it’s okay,” she breathed out, then slipped to her knees in front of him, holding his stare the whole time. Once she was firm on the floor, she trailed her hands along his bare thighs, and to her benefit, his body betrayed him.
“That’s not fair,” he murmured, but he was helping to hold her hair back as she positioned her mouth to take him in. “I dreamed of you like this.”
She looked up at him with a devious smile, appreciating his eyes on her. Only her. “I dreamed of you too.”
There were so many problems she had to work through, so many truths she had to face.
But she didn’t have to deal with any of them right now.
As far as Claire was concerned, there was no place on Earth that felt safer than his arms.
But when the sun peeked through the curtains, pulling her from her sleep, the first thought that crept into her dreary mind was that their time was coming to an end.
Seth’s warm, naked chest was pressed against her back as he spooned her, softly breathing.
He hadn’t woken up yet, and she didn’t move, not wanting to disturb him.
Memories of last night burned through her like hot smoke.
Four times. That was more than she’d had in over a damn year.
It was like she was making up for an entire life of infrequent, lackluster, or straight-up bad sex in the span of ten hours.
She’d thought the type of intimacy she craved as she got older was a girlish fantasy, but things really could be that good.
Better, actually, than anything she could’ve imagined.
Of course, between all that, he’d tried to press her for more information about what she’d told him, till she eventually asked him to stop and he respected her enough to listen.
That left them time to lay together and talk about anything between being tangled up in each other.
She liked those moments the most. Hugging him.
Hearing him talk. She could listen to his voice forever; it’d been her lullaby last night.
Seth stirred behind her, and she shimmied back into him. His breath was warm against her neck as he held her closer. When she felt him tuck between her thighs, she shivered and opened her legs, allowing him to slide against her skin.
“Seriously?” she murmured. “How do you still have more in you?”
He grinned against her neck. His voice was thick with sleep as he said, “You just drive me crazy.”
His hand found its way to her throat as he angled himself to kiss her, effectively turning her to mush yet again.
Okay, maybe once more.
Then she had to go.
Really this time.
Claire tugged her shorts back on, perched on the edge of the motel bed as the early sun poured through the gaps in the curtains.
On the other side of the room, Seth, red-faced but fully-clothed, punched a code into a small safe he had.
She watched as he took out his gun and quickly, expertly checked the magazine, then did a few other clicky things with it. Making it safe to carry, she assumed.
“What happens now?” she asked.
“I have to take some statements, finish up some paperwork, then head back to KC tonight,” he said, holstering his weapon.
“You really have to leave?”
He turned back, all soft eyes. He appeared before her and offered his hands; he was so sweet, it made her heart hurt. He pulled her to her feet and steadied her.
“Let me talk to Chief Wells. Your dad’s already under suspicion for his connection to Trevor and the heroin thing. Your statement about what he did to you as a kid only adds to that. If I can loop Chief Wells in, she can get a headstart on the investigation.”
“Please wait. Let me just… calibrate. It’s a lot to take in.”
Although his face was disappointed, he nodded, then trapped her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her. “I want to see you again before I leave, okay?” he said. “Give what I said some thought. We can talk more later.”
“Okay,” she croaked. She didn’t want to leave him.
“I’ll be thinking of you, beautiful,” he spoke into her hair, and she hugged him even tighter.
“I’ll be thinking of you too.”
As he finally set her down, she managed to hold her tears in. He planted a soft kiss on her mouth, then pulled away, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. She couldn’t help but smile up at him, all teeth.
“Don’t get started on that again,” she teased. “I’ll go first.”
“Okay.” He kissed her again. “I’ll text you later.”
As much as it pained her, Claire pulled herself from him.
They exchanged one last smile before she opened the door and slipped into the bright morning.
Stepping out of who she was with him last night, and back into who she had to be today, made her feel a type of longing she’d never experienced before.
It’ll all be okay, she tried to tell herself. I’ll see him again soon.