Busted

Staring out at the street, she breathed slowly. After a minute passed, she said, “You make me lose my mind, Barnes.”

“Same goes.” He cupped her cheek, guided her face back until they were looking at each other yet again. “What’s wrong? Where did you go?”

“I didn’t go anywhere.” She hooked her fingers through his belt loops and tugged him close, giving him a wicked smile as she arched against him. “Why would I want to do that anyway?”

He rubbed his finger across her lower lip. “You’ve been disappearing half the day.”

“No, I . . .” Ressa stopped, heaved out a sigh. “It’s nothing, Trey. It’s just . . . that complication stuff.”

Observant eyes studied her. “You sure that’s it? Nothing I said? Did?”

“No.” She rose up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. In case that wasn’t enough, she pressed her lips to his, said it again. “No.”

She eased away, but he didn’t let her go far. “Then what is it?”

She laid her cheek against his. “It’s just . . .” She blew out a breath. “Trey, I just have stuff in my head. It’s not you, I promise. It’s just . . . all that complication stuff we keep talking about. We should probably have that talk soon.”

Tension held him tight as he turned his face into her hair. A moment or two passed before he spoke again. “Yeah, maybe so. Because this sure as hell isn’t going to get any less intense on my end.”

Something that might have been fear, might have been delight, twined through her.

“So. We talk soon.” He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

“But I do. I need to get her to bed. We’re meeting Mama in the morning for breakfast. Besides, I don’t think you and I need to talk about spending the night with each other yet. At least not when there are kids around, anyway.”

She kept telling herself that as she drove away a few minutes later.

It was even the truth.

It didn’t do jack to untangle the knot inside.

And nothing could help with the bigger, uglier knot of fear that wedged itself deep into her gut.

“Stop worrying,” she told herself.

It wouldn’t do any good anyway. Wasn’t like she could change the outcome of anything.

Chapter Twenty-two

Whatever you find, I hope you keep that in mind.

Those words had managed to do two things—stir his curiosity and make him check her out. Travis hadn’t really pla

Well, not right off the bat.

If somebody struck him as off? Well, then, that changed things.

Ressa, if it hadn’t been for the interlude in the library, he wouldn’t have gone nosing around, at least not right away. Even though she had managed to set his instincts off.

He liked her. She was blunt and fu

So, she clearly didn’t trust law enforcement types. She wasn’t the only one, and plenty had a reason not to.

And if she hadn’t said anything in the library, he would have just made himself let it go. Now, though . . .

It had been four days since she’d been over with that doll of a little girl. Each day, he’d had to force himself not to go digging anything up. He didn’t have a reason to. She wasn’t doing anything, right? Just dating his brother.

His rich brother.

His single brother.

His widowed brother who really didn’t have that much experience with women.

That was the nagging little voice of evil, that red devil that rode his shoulder.

The other voice, well, he couldn’t call him an angel, but maybe it was the voice of common sense, he spoke up and reminded him, You like her. Trey’s not an idiot. He’s got decent instincts, even if maybe he has been out of the game awhile—or never even in the game to begin with. Just let it go.

Yet Ressa had all but told him there was something in her past that he wouldn’t like. That meant Trey wouldn’t like it. And she hadn’t told Trey, either.

Why was she keeping secrets?

It didn’t take much time at all to figure out just what she’d been warning him about.

By the time he was done checking everything out, his head was pounding and he didn’t know if he wanted to warn Trey . . . or just find Ressa and tell her to get it over with.

*   *   *

“About damn time you talk to me. What did it take, Mama fussing at you?”

Ressa closed her eyes at Kiara’s words, trying to ignore the stab of guilt. She didn’t need to feel guilty. Yes, it had taken Mama Ang nudging her, but she’d called, right?

“I’m calling, right, Kiara?” she asked softly. “How are you doing?”

There was a faint pause, and then finally, she said, “I wa

A headache settled at the base of Ressa’s head. “K, we’ve talked about this. You saw her not that long ago. You can see her at Thanksgiving. But—”

“Damn it, Ress! She’s my baby. I want to see her!” Kiara’s voice skipped, hitched. That heavy, harsh, needling whine underscored those words.

Ressa closed her eyes to the pain and focused on what mattered—Neeci. She used to allow it, whenever Neeci wanted it, whenever Kiara wanted it. And Neeci had nightmares. Used to wet the bed all the time, cry all the time. The counselor had suggested maybe they try something different.

It had broken her heart, but in the end, Ressa knew it was the right thing.

Neeci was a child and she needed more stability than Kiara could—or would—ever be able to provide. She needed to be safe and secure, and she needed something that Kiara just couldn’t offer.

“We’ve talked about this. If you want to write her a letter, you’re more than welcome to. You’re welcome to do a phone call, if you remember the rules. But you’re not going to put her through this.”

“I’m not putting her through anything,” Kiara half shouted. “She’s my little girl and you are not her mother.”

“No.” Ressa steadied herself. “I’m her guardian. You signed away parental rights and there’s nothing you can do or say to change that, Kiara.”

There was a faint pause and then finally, Kiara said, “Yeah. You’re her fucking guardian and I’m the one who’s in here. And whose fucking fault is that? But it may not stay that way. Not forever.”

Guilt twisted inside. “Kiara . . .”

“Don’t!” Kiara shouted.

In the background, voices raised.

“What does that mean?” Blood started to roar in her ears.

A harsh, bitter laugh drifted through the phone. “We’ll talk next time you’re out here, cuz. I’m not telling you on the phone. But you and Mama Ang need to come out here, and soon. Since you don’t have anybody to leave my baby with, you’ll have to bring her.”

“I don’t think so.” Ressa gripped the phone tighter.

“Well, you don’t have much choice,” Kiara said, her voice sly. “There are things I have to tell you and I need to tell you both. So what else are you going to do?”

“I’ll make arrangements.” Ressa set her jaw, her mind automatically flashing to Trey. “I already have somebody in mind. Kiara, what’s going on?”

“You’ll do anything to keep my girl away from me,” Kiara said. Sullen temper underscored her words. “When you going to be here?”

Sighing, Ressa skimmed a hand back over her damp hair. She still needed to deal with her hair, needed to call Mama Ang now, needed a drink. “Look, I’ll talk to Mama Ang. See what I can work out. I’ll let you know.”

“Yeah. Fine. Whatever.”

“Kiara . . . I love you.”

Kiara said nothing, for the longest time. And then she murmured, “I know.”