Strip Tease (Protect and Defend 1.50)

“I thought you were going to try and help get those charges dismissed.”

“This sort of thing takes time. And I don’t know if I can, what with Diaz killing himself. Christ.” Nate shook his head, agony written all over his face. “Thank God he didn’t hurt you.”

Emotion made his voice crack but she ignored it, ignored the surge of answering emotion within her chest. Damn it, she needed to focus on Ginger.

“She would’ve gone willingly. She would’ve answered every single one of their questions. Why did they have to arrest her?” The tears came now, fat ones rolling down her cheeks and she swiped at them furiously.

She hated to cry, hated to look vulnerable, especially in front of a man.

A man who looked like wanted to do nothing but yank her into his arms.

“Everything’s changed, Janelle. Billy’s dead. They might be walking around with smiles on their faces, but they’re pissed. They wanted to watch him go down. Damn it, I wanted to watch him go down.” Nate swallowed hard. “Are you all right?” His voice turned gentle, his eyes full of concern.

She shook her head, shook off his sympathy. The very last thing she wanted. “I’m fine. It’s my sister who’s the emotional mess. The one who’s sitting in the back of a car with handcuffs on.”

“Listen, I’ll do what I can to get her out of there, but I can’t make any promises.”

Janelle threw her hands up in the air. “Of course you can’t!”

“Janelle.” His voice was sharp, his expression raw. “Please. I didn’t mean for it to happen this way, no one did. But once the federal government became involved, I had to wash my hands of this case.”

She knew what he said was true, but she was still mad. And she had to take it out on someone.

Unfortunately, Nate was her target.

“If she has to go to prison, I don’t know what she’ll do,” Janelle murmured.

Nate’s gaze softened. “I know, sweetheart. You’re worried about your sister, I understand. I’ll do my best to help her. I’ll talk to someone. I promise.”

Janelle lifted her chin. “I don’t know if I can believe your promise.”

He flinched as if she hit him. “They’ll want to talk to you too,” he reminded her, his voice cold. “You were in there with them. You heard what they said.”

“Fine, so I’ll talk to them. But not now.”

“Janelle, they won’t let you leave until you talk to them, trust me.”

“Stop saying trust me! How can I trust you when you didn’t protect my sister like you promised?”

Nate stared at her as if she lost her mind. Tentatively he reached out and touched her forearm. “You’re angry with me.”

“Yes!” No.

She wasn’t angry at him, she was angry at everyone. Angry at her sister, for getting into this mess, at Billy for killing himself, at the cops, who didn’t seem to give a shit.

“I can’t take this.” Janelle jerked from his touch and turned away. “It’s too much.”

Billy’s earlier words rang through her head, coupled with her own doubts. His accusations about Nate using her to get to Ginger. She’d been able to ignore them, but now they returned with a vengeance.

“Don’t do this.” Nate grabbed her again, cupping her shoulders. Turning her around, he forced her to look up at him with a little shake. “Don’t run away from me now.”

“Were you using me to get Ginger?” Had she been living in a lust-filled fog since she’d been with him? Believing Nate might have actual feelings for her?

“Of course not. I care about you, Janelle.”

She stared into his dark eyes and desperately wanted to believe him. But she was exhausted after the adrenaline rush of the last few hours. Exhausted and scared and so freaking worried, she didn’t know what to do.

“Don’t shut me out because you’re too scared to face the truth.” He pulled her closer, embracing her within his strong arms and she breathed in his warm, familiar scent.