Читать книгу Dark Tide - Susan Sleeman - Страница 12

TWO

Shaken, Gina let Derrick hurry her through the spitting rain to his SUV.

“Normally I’d wait for the police to arrive,” he said as he opened the passenger door. “But your attacker is still in the area, and it’s better to move you to a safe location.”

She climbed in and settled Sophia on her lap. Her hands trembled as she tightened the Pooh blanket around the sleeping child.

She’d opened her eyes in time to see Lilly’s killer in the alley. He’d come close—too close. The sight of him had frightened her enough to close her eyes again and lean farther into the man shielding her. If not for Derrick...

A shudder claimed her body and she forced the thought away. He had responded and he was here now. That was all that mattered.

She watched him run around the front of his vehicle, the streetlight highlighting his sandy-blond hair. He carried himself with more confidence than she remembered, and when the creep had closed in on them, she’d seen an internal strength Derrick hadn’t possessed in college.

Jaw clamped tight, he slid behind the wheel and jerked his door closed with a resounding thud. He was angry or irritated or both. He didn’t say a word but cranked the engine and shifted into gear. Sophia stirred and Gina stroked her back. How close Gina had come to losing her.

She bowed her head. Thank You for keeping her safe, Father. Please keep watching over her. Over us.

Derrick clicked on the signal, drawing her attention.

She looked around. “Where are we going?”

“We’ll start by driving around to make sure we’ve lost him. Then head to my place to regroup.” He turned onto a major street.

Gina suddenly realized Sophia wasn’t in a car seat. “I’m grateful for your help, Derrick, more grateful than you know, but I don’t want to take Sophia on a highway without a car seat. Can you please stay on side streets?”

“I won’t leave the area,” he said, not bothering to look at her.

He clearly wasn’t glad to see her, but then she’d expected that reaction. She hadn’t expected this terrible remorse for asking for his help when she’d treated him so poorly to well up and bring tears to her eyes. Being a stand-up guy, he had no alternative but to come to her rescue. She knew she’d put him in a difficult position.

Could she let him assist them under those conditions? Could she afford not to, despite the way she felt? Given any other choice, she’d handle this herself as she did everything else in life, but she couldn’t risk Sophia’s life.

Like it or not, she needed him to protect them. Plus he could help find her brother, Jon’s, killer.

She glanced at the set of his jaw, his rigid posture. Still, she wanted him to choose to help them and not feel forced into it by his chivalrous nature. Now that the immediate danger had passed, she needed to give him an easy out.

Praying he wouldn’t actually take her up on her offer, she faced him. “You could drop us off at the nearest MAX station and I can—”

“You’re kidding, right?” He whipped his head around to stare at her. “A man kills your friend then comes after you, and you think I’m going to drop you off at a public train station? Un-be-lievable.”

“Once you’re sure he hasn’t followed us, we should be safe until I can find another investigator.” She tried to imbue her voice with her usual confidence, but she couldn’t manage it.

“Look.” Derrick tightened his fingers around the steering wheel. “I get that you don’t want to be around me, but I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know you’re okay. So sit back and relax while I keep a watch on the streets.” He jerked a hand free and cranked up the heater.

Sit back and relax—right. Like she could unwind when a man had tried to kill her. Twice. Or chill out in any way with Derrick at her side. She’d gotten what she’d wanted, though. He’d willingly agreed to help them, but that meant they’d be thrown together and clearly he still had an effect on her.

Sophia shifted and Gina knew she owed it to the baby to at least try to calm down. If she didn’t, she’d burn out, and Sophia needed her. She concentrated on the heat flowing under the dash. The temperature had dipped a good ten degrees below normal February temperatures from what she could remember of her college days in Oregon. She moved her soaked shoes under the flowing air, then settled deeper into Derrick’s jacket and inhaled his woodsy scent clinging to it.

She drifted back to their college days. To that last day. Breaking up. Saying goodbye. Her heart a mass of pain.

What would her life have been like if she hadn’t broken things off with him? Would Derrick have stood by her when Jon died, leaving Gina to raise Sophia alone, or would he have run like her recent ex-fiancé, Ben?

Waste of time to think about it.

Sure, they’d loved each other in college, but she’d soon learned that he couldn’t commit to a long-term relationship. Why, she wasn’t sure, and it didn’t matter. Men who couldn’t commit and broken promises were the story of her life. Starting with her minister father, whose church was more important than her. Always more important. Then Derrick and Ben.

Three strikes and she was out. She was over trying to find a man who’d be there for her. So over it.

It’s been nine years. Maybe Derrick changed.

Didn’t matter. Not even if she was interested. And after Ben’s recent rejection, she wasn’t interested in any man.

Besides, Derrick had likely gotten over his commitment issues and was married with kids. She glanced at his hand to see if he wore a wedding ring, but he’d dropped it from the wheel and out of view.

Just as well.

She didn’t need to be pondering his marital status anyway. She turned away and watched the lush scenery as they drove around the area. After fifteen minutes, Derrick pulled up to a long row of garages for houseboat owners. He pressed the remote clipped on the visor, sending the end door rumbling up. Once inside, he sat staring ahead, as if unsure how to proceed. The awkward silence grew, and she searched for something to say. But what could she say?

Sorry I bailed on you, on us, but now that I need you, please be there for me.

Hardly.

He drew in a long breath and exhaled as if he needed to fortify himself just to look at her before swiveling to face her. “If I’m going to help you, I need to ask a few questions.”

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. Did he intend to ask about their past?

“Tell me about tonight. About your friend. Give me exact details.”

She rubbed hard calluses on her fingers from playing violin, the feeling familiar and comforting as she recounted the terrifying ordeal on Lilly’s boat as matter-of-factly as possible. “I can’t be positive the woman he shot was Lilly, but she’d never willingly leave Sophia alone.”

“Must’ve been hard to lose her like that.” He lifted a hand, reaching for her as if he planned to touch her then dropped it to his knee.

“I keep hoping she survived.”

He lifted his hand again, and she was surprised at how much she wanted to feel his comforting touch, but he dug out his phone instead. “Kat’s husband, Mitch, is a homicide detective. Dani has already called him about your attack. If you give me Lilly’s address, I’ll have him head over there instead of to the mall.”

“Homicide?” she asked, hating the finality of the word. “But what if I was wrong and Lilly’s alive?”

“Even if she survived, which from the scene you described is not very likely, the investigation will be handled as an attempted murder, which means Mitch will work the case.”

His brutal honesty when she wanted comfort felt like a slap in the face, and she jerked back.

“Look.” His eyes softened. “I’m sorry for being so blunt, but I don’t want you to hold on to unrealistic hope.”

He was right. She had to face this just like she’d faced Jon’s death and the attack in San Diego. Like she’d faced leaving Derrick so long ago. With courage and bravery. Sophia was counting on her. She had to be strong.

She rattled off Lilly’s address and Derrick phoned his brother-in-law. She listened to his conversation and heard the professional lingo of a former cop roll off his tongue. She pictured him as an officer who would be compassionate, caring, yet hard-nosed and one who would fight for justice. For the downtrodden, as he’d chosen to do early in life after the drunk driver who killed his birth parents got off with a slap on the wrist. He’d even majored in criminal justice in college.

Though she hadn’t been in touch with him since college, she’d kept tabs on him through mutual friends. She knew about the years he’d served as a police officer—and the decision he’d made to leave that career behind after his adoptive parents were killed. Along with his twin and his three adopted siblings, he’d formed a private investigation agency, first to find the people responsible for their parents’ deaths, and then to help others in need. And now he was helping her.

“Thanks, Mitch.” He disconnected and stowed the phone. “He’ll check out Lilly’s house. We can wait inside to hear back from him.” Derrick paused and seemed to consider his next words carefully. “I don’t think we were tailed, but we’ll pretend we’re on a date again while we walk in. Just in case.”

She opened her mouth to protest, and he flipped up his hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t kiss you again. But I am going to put my arm around you, and you’ll have to suffer my touch one more time.” He jerked open his door and quickly climbed out as if he needed to get away from her.

She shifted Sophia to her shoulder, and as she stepped down from his SUV, she grabbed his jacket. When she joined him at the door, he took the jacket and covered Sophia then slipped his arm around her back. His warmth seeped into her body and, she hated to admit, the attraction she’d felt since the first day she’d seen him in psychology class seeped into her heart.

He didn’t seem to notice. His eyes alert and watchful, he hurried them through the lot and across the gangway to a floating home much larger than Lilly’s boat. Inside, Gina took a moment to look around. She’d once thought floating homes were cramped like a boat, but in Derrick’s home, floor-to-ceiling windows made the room look large and inviting. The spacious kitchen with full-size appliances and connected to a large family room made it feel like a regular house.

He crossed to a gray sectional and shoved a padded ottoman into the corner. “Your daughter should be fine on the sofa as long as one of us is in the room.”

“About that,” she said, feeling a need to clarify. “Sophia is my niece—Jon’s daughter. His wife died in a car crash when she was seven months pregnant, but they were able to save Sophia. I stepped in to help raise her. When Jon also died a few months ago...” Feeling no need to elaborate, she quit speaking.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” His words carried an understanding that came from losing his parents when he was not even eleven years old.

“Thank you,” she said and quickly moved on before she started getting weepy. “I’m thinking the man who attacked me tonight is the same man who killed Jon. I was hoping you’d help me find him.”

Derrick ran a hand over his damp hair that curled at the edges and seemed to mull it over. She caught sight of his bare ring finger and immediately squelched the joy that knowing he was single brought.

“Since this is going to be a long discussion,” he finally said, “I’m gonna put on a dry shirt and get one for you before we get started.” He didn’t wait for agreement before turning away. As he climbed the stairs, he pulled out his phone and called his sister Dani.

True to course, he phoned his twin whenever he had a big decision to make. Apparently he hadn’t changed after all. After her unexpected reaction to discovering he was single, she’d best watch herself or she’d find herself falling for him all over again.

And she’d be hurt again. After so much pain in her life already.

She pressed a kiss on Sophia’s downy curls. A moment of sadness lingered for all they’d both lost. Her sister-in-law dying, Jon’s murder. Now Lilly.

Tears Gina had kept at bay since last night burned at the back of her eyes, and she hugged Sophia tighter. When she heard Derrick pad down the stairs, she forced down her grief.

If she’d learned anything from her father’s lack of affection and from men who couldn’t put her first in life, it was never to let them see her vulnerability.

After settling Sophia on the sofa, Gina watched as Derrick came into the room wearing a body-hugging T-shirt and a deep scowl. One hand shoved in his pocket, he carried a worn flannel shirt in the other. When he got close enough, he tossed it to her as if he hated to think of touching her again.

“I’ll keep an eye on Sophia while you change. There’s a bathroom down the hall.” He tipped his head at a hallway near the far end of the family room.

She clutched the nubby fabric that smelled just like him and hurried to the bathroom, where she stripped off her shirt. Her eyes drifted to the mirror and fixed on the large purple bruise on her shoulder courtesy of last night’s attack. She quickly slipped into Derrick’s shirt and hugged the comforting fabric close. She didn’t like their past issues adding turmoil to this already difficult situation. Still, she lifted her head and prayed that Derrick would stay close by so the man who’d put this ugly bruise on her shoulder and likely killed Jon and Lilly wouldn’t come anywhere near her or her beloved little Sophia again.

* * *

“C’mon, Dani,” Derrick whispered under his breath as he made a cup of tea for Gina. “Get here already.”

Gina’s tea was nearly ready, and if he lingered in the kitchen any longer, she’d figure out he was stalling so he could avoid her. It was for her own good. He couldn’t look at her and not remember what they’d once had. Something he still wanted in his life but couldn’t grab hold of.

After her traumatic day, the last thing she needed was to deal with their past. She deserved to be treated with kid gloves right now. Her situation roused all his protective instincts and he wanted to be there for her, but he didn’t know if he could do it.

What’s a guy supposed to do in a situation like this, God? Should I run as fast I can in the other direction? Let her find someone else to help as she offered to do?

He looked over the large island to the family room, where she changed Sophia’s diaper. She wore his shirt buttoned up to the neck, giving a break to her black attire. A music major in college, she’d worn bold colors and bright patterns to complement her artistic flair. Never black. Maybe she’d changed, or maybe she’d dressed this way not to draw attention.

She got up from the couch, Sophia in one arm, and held out the dirty diaper. “Do you have a trash can outside for this?”

He nodded and before he could offer to dispose of it for her, she settled Sophia into his arms. “I’ll be right back.”

He gaped after her and jiggled the baby. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d held a baby. Wouldn’t even take half of his fingers. Maybe he should put her on the sofa. Wouldn’t want to break her or anything.

He was moving cautiously toward the family room when the patio door slid open.

Dani stepped inside and her jaw dropped. “You didn’t mention a baby.”

“I didn’t know what to tell you.” He quickly off-loaded Sophia onto Dani and sighed out a breath of relief. “She’s Gina’s niece. Her brother, Jon’s, child, but she has custody of her.”

Dani arched a brow.

“I’ll make sure she explains it when we question her. Just be patient.”

“Me, patient?” She laughed and dropped onto the sofa. She put Sophia on her lap and cooed at the child. Eliciting no response, Dani patted her chubby hands together, something Derrick would never think to do.

“What’s your name, little one?” Dani asked in a high voice.

“Sophia,” Derrick answered.

“Well, hello, Sophia.” A goofy smile claimed Dani’s face. With looks like that, it wouldn’t be long before she had a family of her own.

Sophia grinned, revealing one tooth on the bottom, and despite Derrick’s lack of knowledge about babies, he found himself smiling back. Until the door opened. Then he tensed and waited for Gina to join them. He heard water running in the guest bath and knew she’d stopped to wash her hands. When she did enter the room and spotted Dani, a quick flash of unease crowned on her face. She probably thought Dani would let her have it for bailing on him all those years ago.

Maybe she would. Although Dani was his twin and they often thought on the same wavelength, he never knew what was going to come out of her mouth.

“Hello, Dani.” Gina marched purposefully across the room. Her strength even in the face of potential adversity didn’t surprise him in the least. Her vulnerability in the car, though—that’s what got to him.

Dani looked up, and Derrick could feel her demeanor change from across the room.

“Gina.” A sharp edge cooled her voice. “Long time no see.”

“It has been a while for sure.” Gina’s tone was far warmer than Dani’s, but then she didn’t have a twin brother who’d been summarily dumped. “I didn’t realize you were coming over.”

Dani cast an irritated look at Derrick, who shrugged in reply.

“No biggie,” he said. “It just didn’t come up.”

The teakettle trilled from the kitchen, and he escaped his twin’s glare to turn it off. He poured steaming water over a fragrant chamomile tea bag Dani had left in his cupboards. He kept an ear on their conversation—it seemed to be centering on babies and Dani’s recent marriage—and carried a mug for Gina and Dani to the family room.

“You mentioned your brother had been murdered,” he said, directing them away from the baby talk so they could create a plan to keep Gina safe. When her smile fell, he instantly regretted his blunt choice of words.

As he sat next to Dani, she socked him in the arm. “Tactful, sport. Real tactful.”

Normally he’d spar with Dani, but she was right. He was going out of his way to deny the attraction he still felt for Gina to the point of being rude. But what else could he do? He couldn’t follow his interest and pretend things would be different this time. She’d hurt him when she’d left, but he’d hurt her first when he hadn’t been able to commit long-term. Nothing had changed in his life. He still choked at the thought of a lifetime commitment.

So he had to get a handle on his feelings. How, he didn’t know. The only thing he did know for certain right now was if he let this connection that still existed between them continue to get the best of him, he’d hurt her again. And no man worth his salt would intentionally hurt a woman—or stand by and let her get hurt. So if someone really was after her, he’d have to protect her.

No matter how much it would hurt to have her back in his life...and then let her go again.