“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” she agreed.
He relaxed, his gaze sliding over her in that very dangerous—very promising—way. “I don’t agree about the sex.”
It was like someone had doused her in cold water, but she couldn’t think of a suitably scathing comeback.
“I might not have the experience you do, but nice doesn’t apply to anything about us.” He stepped closer, dragging one finger across the front of her dress—across her nipple.
She opened her mouth to argu
e... But he kissed her. So long and deep and thoroughly that she had to hold on to him to stay on her feet. Even then, he seemed content to keep kissing her. His hands wandered, igniting her still-shaken nerves, until she knew she was caving. When he lifted his head and his pale eyes locked with hers, her panic kicked into overdrive. She didn’t like the way she reacted to this man. It scared her, how out of control he made her feel.
“This won’t happen again, Patton. There is no us and there never will be. Nice or not, this is over.” She spoke clearly, breaking his hold and hurrying from the cabana before she gave up and threw him on the chaise longue for another go-round. She didn’t run, exactly. That would suggest she had something to run from. But she didn’t look back. She kept her eyes straight in front of her until she was in her car, focusing all of her attention on the curvy roads that put much-needed space between her and Patton Ryan.
5
PATTON STARED AT the girl lying in the hospital bed. He was running on fumes. He’d spent the last two hours trying to get her to talk, give him something—anything. But his patience was wearing thin. He knew Jenny Olsen from previous experience. She was tough as hell—she had to be. But this wasn’t the time to pull that defensive crap. This was different. Jenny could be pinned to some serious charges, and this time, she wouldn’t be the only one who suffered. She had a little boy now. A little boy she’d lose custody of if she was linked to today’s incident. Child Protective Services took the manufacture of methamphetamines seriously.
He repeated, “I’m here to help.”
She rolled her eyes. “I told you. I saw smoke. I ran to the house. Before I got to the porch, the place exploded.”
He nodded. He wanted to believe her. But, with her record, convincing other people wouldn’t be so easy. “You think CPS is going to buy that, Jenny?”
She shot him a hard look. “You’re going to use my kid, mister?” Her lips curled. “Some freakin’ hero.”
“No hero here.” His gaze settled on the burns along her arm. “I’m saying what you’re thinking. If you saw something, it might make a difference.” There had been plenty of evidence of pharms on-site—and manufacturing equipment. For her sake, her baby’s sake, he hoped she’d see reason and give up whatever she knew.
She stared at him. “You know where I live, mister?” She shook her head. “You don’t know shit.”
He’d read her file, but he knew that was not what she meant. He’d never understand her life; he didn’t want to. As dysfunctional as his family was, he’d had one. A tell-you-when-you’re-full-of-shit, praise-you-when-you-earn-it, pick-you-up-when-you’re-knocked-down, invade-your-personal-space-and-your-personal-business kind of family.
Russ was the only exception. None of them had known what he was involved with—until it was too late. Even then, he and Spence had done what they could to cover up their brother’s illegal activities. Patton knew that was one of the reasons he kept going every day, to prevent what happened to Russ from happening to other people. People like Jenny.
He glanced at her, at how young she was. “I don’t think you had anything to do with this, Jenny. But what I think and what the evidence points to—” He let the words hang in the air. She could fill in the blank how she wanted.
“I don’t do drugs. I don’t make drugs. And I sure as hell don’t sell drugs.” She bit out.
“What about your neighbors?”
She pressed her lips together, staring at the wall. “I didn’t know them.” She glanced at him, revealing the first break in her hard-as-nails exterior. “I didn’t want to know them.” He’d seen that look before. She was scared. Too scared to see reason.
He glanced at the clock. He was supposed to meet Zach for dinner in fifteen minutes. The doctor said she wouldn’t be released tonight—her eye was a serious concern. He could only hope a night in the hospital would give her the time to consider her options.
“Are we done here?” she asked, her irritation waning.
“Ultimately, that’s up to you.” He stared at her, knowing she had a big choice to make. But she needed to understand that whatever happened next was her choice. And he didn’t envy her. He wasn’t stupid. She was facing a pile of scary shit either way. If he was lucky, the fear of losing her child would help her make the right choice. “I’ll check on you in the morning.”
He stopped by the nurse’s station on the way out, leaving his card. And did the same thing at the hospital security office. He couldn’t officially give Jenny extra surveillance, but he could ask the guards on duty to keep an eye on her.
By the time he’d climbed into his truck, he knew he didn’t have time get home, shower and change. Instead he headed straight to the Lassiter Botanical Gardens for dinner. A dinner he planned to use to get his deluded little brother to snap out of it. Their family had been through a lot in the past few years. He didn’t know how they’d weather another storm. And that’s exactly what this wedding was—a huge, thundering tidal wave of a storm that could decimate everything in its path.
Not to mention Cady. If Zach married Bianca, she’d be a regular part of his life. He wouldn’t survive that. Seeing her again had been disastrous. Not only was she exactly the way he remembered her—fantasized about her—but now he wanted her even more. If that was possible. She distracted and tormented him. At work, at home, in his dreams... In her arms, her body, he had found a kind of peace. And it scared the shit out of him.
Not that his fixation on Cady was the only reason he was so set against his little brother’s engagement. It was Bianca, too. Bianca Garza seemed like a good girl. But what did he—or Zach for that matter—really know about her? Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but his gut told him something didn’t add up. And his gut was rarely wrong.
* * *
CADY SPUN THE champagne flute, trying not to linger over the empty chair directly beside her. Even Patton’s absence irritated her. Had irritated her for the seventy-two-plus hours since she’d stalked out of Bianca’s engagement party wanting to punch something. She’d put in an insane workout at the gym every evening then went home to work on coding until the early morning hours. But the restlessness wouldn’t leave her. Because of him. Because somehow she’d let him get to her.