Shattered Trust (Colorado Trust 4)

“He looks like Dad,” he stated flatly. The undisguised dislike on Jordan’s face surprised Marley.

“I can see it now, too,” Justin agreed. He turned to Marley. “What was that about in there?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Though her imagination came up with a few guesses, and she didn’t like a single one of them.

“Was he working late?”

“Must’ve been. Chuck said he’d returned for some paperwork and found him unconscious in the basement.”

“Did Chuck say if he saw anyone else?”

Marley shook her head. “He didn’t mention anything and I had no reason to ask.”

“I’ll call him.”

“I’ll talk to Nate in the morning,” Marley reminded him.

“We’ll talk to him together,” Justin corrected. “And I’ll still call Chuck.”

Marley began to argue, but one look at his expression, and she decided to save her breath. Wouldn’t matter anyway, she’d just get here before him tomorrow. Right now, she needed a long, hot shower and her bed. To be held in his arms again wouldn’t be so bad either, but she couldn’t go there.

“Fine. Goodnight.”

Nate’s warning echoed as she started for the exit. He’d clammed up the moment he’d seen Justin and Jordan in the room. Her mind told her one of them could be the ‘he’ Nate referred to; instinct told her no. Still, if it wasn’t Chuck, then who’d been at the job site with Nate?

Was it possible his accident hadn’t been an accident at all? A shiver of apprehension left her chilled. Who would want to hurt Nate? And why would he warn her to be careful?

The disintegrated roof truss that had almost crushed her at the Forrester job site a couple weeks ago flashed in her mind. She’d never come so close to death. Could Justin have deliberately orchestrated the cable break to look like an accident? Or Jordan? And if so, why?

Hugging an arm across her front as she stepped out into the cool night air, she rubbed from elbow to shoulder with her free hand to warm herself. It didn’t help when she thought again about Jordan’s reaction to seeing Nate.

No. She didn’t want to believe it. Too many lives had been put in danger, including Justin’s. Their involvement in her accident made no sense.

What about Nate’s?

“Marley, wait up.”

Justin’s voice made her flinch but she didn’t slow down. He caught up a few steps later. She looked back over her shoulder for Jordan. As if reading her mind, Justin said, “Jordan went home.”

She continued toward her truck. “I thought he was your ride.”

“I’m going home with you.”

Marley stopped. Justin took another step forward before turning to face her.

Be careful. Nate’s warning echoed in her mind, and she lifted her chin. “Says who?”

“Says me. Says your brother,” he added. When she would’ve argued that, he said, “I heard him in there.”

“Maybe he was talking about you.”

“He wasn’t.” His gaze didn’t waver from hers.

“Easy for you to say, but I don’t know that.” Looking into his eyes, though, she did know. She felt it deep inside as surely as she knew her own name. Her jaw clenched in frustration as she brushed past him. “It’s only been two weeks.”

“You don’t think you can trust me?” She heard the frown in his voice as he fell into step alongside her.

She shook her head, not to answer his question, but in denial of the feelings she refused to acknowledge. They weren’t realistic after such a short period of time. “It’s not long enough. It’s just…not long enough,” she muttered to herself.