The man dropped his eyes to his thigh, refusing to bring his gaze back to hers. “Sometimes women don’t realize the signals they give off. Perhaps this man thought you wanted him to do this.”
She narrowed her eyes and forced him to look at her. “I don’t know what kind of sick games you play with women in their beds, but if I want a man to put his hands on me, I have the fortitude and the vocabulary to express that. This had nothing to do with a late-night rendezvous gone wrong. This person entered my home uninvited with the intention of killing me. Now, are you going to sit here wasting my time asking nonsensical questions, or are you going to be useful?”
Aja wasn’t having any of this son of a bitch’s victim-blaming nonsense, and she sure as shit wouldn’t let him off easy. Someone had come into her home and put their hands on her. That was not acceptable.
“I’m not sure what you want me to do about this, Ms. Everett. You said yourself, you didn’t see his face or recognize anything about him. How do you expect me to find him?”
Jackson moved from his post leaning against the counter. The way tight lines pulled his smooth brown features into a flat expression showed he wasn’t too thrilled with the sheriff either. She shook her head again, silently begging Jackson to stay where he was. She’d deal with Hastings. She’d dealt with plenty of men in her tenure as an attorney. Hastings was chump change compared to them.
“I expect you to do your job, Sheriff. Or isn’t protecting a tax-paying, voting member of this community part of your job?” He flinched at the question and was poised to respond, but she held up her finger to cut him off. “You may not like me or the people I have working here, but I don’t have a bit of a problem using my resources as a high-powered attorney, or nepotism as the niece of a sitting county judge, to out you as an unprofessional and negligent asshole. Trust me, Sheriff. No one is better at shit-stirring than me, and I know too many mainstream media outlets that would love a story like this. You want to take that chance?”
Hastings narrowed his eyes into slits and stuck his tongue in his cheek as if he were attempting to keep it otherwise occupied so he couldn’t speak.
Good. Because I’m done playing with you.
“We’re a small operation, Ms. Everett. I don’t have the capacity to investigate this the way it should be.” His shoulders slumped, and he rubbed the back of his neck as if the muscles there were too fatigued to hold up his head. “I’m gonna have to call in the Texas Rangers for this.”
She folded her arms and leaned back. “I guess you’d better make that call then.”
Hastings dropped his eyes before standing. He leveled a cursory glance at Jackson, and when the response was the flexing of his large muscles, Hastings made a quick beeline for the exit, closing the door soundly after himself.
“I really wish you would’ve let me handle that guy.”
Aja held up a hand, stopping Jackson. “Jackson, you can’t fight my battles with Hastings for me. If I let you, the moment you leave, everything will fall to the status quo.”
She glanced over at him, her chest full of sadness and her throat tight with regret. He would leave. That was a fact. And when he did, he’d take the incredible sensation of safety and desire with him.Don’t get used to it, Aja. It’s not here to stay.
“I have worked harder than most people to push through the bullshit people lob at you when you’re a woman, especially a Black woman. I’m not about to let this son of a bitch think he can handle me with a few threats. Him shirking his responsibilities to protect me, my workers, and this ranch stops today.”
She was serious. This place was where she went to heal and where she wanted others to heal. She couldn’t let this go any longer.
“If Hastings reports this to the Rangers, how will it impact your investigation? Will they be able to get a team out here to examine the scene?”
He pushed off the counter, taking the seat next to her at the kitchen table. He leaned in, placing his hands on the outer portion of her thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It won’t impact us. They’ll get the request in Austin and put it in the system. I’ll let Austin know we’re running an undercover investigation, and no details should be disclosed to the sheriff other than they’ll send someone out when they can.”
A weight lifted from her chest. This entire business was wearing on her nerves. And with the amount of stress she’d carried for the last eighteen months, she didn’t think there was much left to fray. “What about evidence? How long can my room go unprocessed?”
“It won’t. We already started some preliminary measures. Now, we’ll do a full canvass. We came prepared for this.”
She squared her shoulders and looked him directly in the eye. “Good, because I’m tired of walking in the dark. I need to know who this bastard is.”
She stood and walked to the broom closet, pulling out a spray bottle of household cleanser and a fresh pack of nonabrasive scrubbing pads. She knew the kitchen was spotless. She didn’t go to bed unless it gleamed like a bald man’s shiny head. But as she sprayed the counter with cleanser and scrubbed like her life depended on it, she felt her anger bubble over and spill from her in the form of fat, abundant tears. She was so busy scrubbing the nonexistent stain that she didn’t hear Jackson move from across the room. She didn’t notice he was standing behind her until his heat enveloped her and his hand was resting on top of hers, stilling it, as he took the nonabrasive pad out of her hand.
“You’re gonna wear a hole in the counter if you keep that up. Don’t let Hastings upset you like this. There’s no reason to be afraid or to let him bring you to tears.”
Aja whipped around, bracing her hands against the counter, looking into his eyes. “Afraid? I’m not afraid, Jackson. I’m mad.” She threw the scouring pad down on the counter and slammed her hand against it with a solid thud.
She was ready to allow her anger to consume her when she noted the smile tugging at the corners of Jackson’s mouth. It drew her attention to how perfectly full and plump his bottom lip was. She might be pissed off, but she didn’t think there was a level of mad she could reach where she didn’t want to nibble on it. “Why is this funny to you?”
“Oh, I’m not laughing at you. I’m feeling sorry for that poor fool Hastings. Because if he could see all the fire in your eyes right now, he’d be terrified.”
Her anger receded enough for a brief chuckle to escape her lips. “I want this over. I want my life back. I want to feel safe on my land again. I want to lie in my bed expecting the handsome man I fancy to make love to me and not worry that some creeper will show up instead.”
Jackson’s hand moved from her forearm to her upper arm, rubbing a comforting stroke there before he tugged her into his embrace. He held on to her, much like he had a couple of hours ago after rescuing her. There was something soothing about the way he held her, as if his arms and chest formed their own kind of paradise made especially for her.Good Lord! What is it about this man?
“You’ll get your life back, Aja. And I will champion you every step of the way. My job is to keep you safe.” He leaned back, staring into her eyes. His eyes were dark, but there were still sparks of something hot and dangerous that flickered in them like an open fire. “If that means staying at your side every minute of the day, I’ll make that happen.”
Her skin tingled with that promise, electricity sizzling as it jumped from one nerve ending to another. How could the promise of safety be so sexy? Her nipples pebbled underneath her tank top and robe. Even with two layers of clothing, they were so sensitive that she was certain she might embarrass herself if she didn’t extricate herself from his embrace.
