Cowboy Famous: Book 4 (Cowboy Justice Association) (31 page)

The sound of sirens in the distance but growing closer alerted him to the fact that firemen would soon be swarming the scene. He had to do everything he could to shut down this situation now so they wouldn’t be heading into a dangerous stand-off.

“Get down on the ground, Gordon.”

Griffin’s teeth were gritted together and he could see Jared and Reed moving closer and surrounding their suspect. Gordon finally appeared to be cognizant of the fact that he had three cops with drawn guns on him. His eyes were darting back and forth as if looking for somewhere to escape.

“There’s nowhere to go. It’s all over. Get down on the ground.”

There was no sound but the rustle of a few leaves as Gordon weighed his options, none of them good. For a moment it looked like the man might run, and Griffin tightened his hold of the firearm. Instead Gordon fell to his knees, his shoulders shaking with heavy sobs.

Jared and Reed kept their guns on Gordon as Griffin holstered his weapon and then pressed the man to his stomach. Cuffing his hands behind his back. Heaving a sigh of relief, he exhaled the breath he’d been holding as he’d waited for Gordon to decide what he was going to do.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he let Jared and Reed deal with the prisoner while Griffin stood to coax Jazz down from her perch in the tree.

“C’mon, Hollywood,” he crooned. She was barely visible through the thick cover of greenery, but he could see her pink blouse and part of a bare leg. “We’ve got him. It’s safe, honey.”

A small movement in the branches, then her pink tennis shoes, and then the bottom half of her tiny frame. So slowly he almost went up after her, she climbed down from the tree. Once on a lower branch, he held his arms out to her.

“I’ve got you, honey. Just jump. I’ve got you.”

The trust on her face as she did as he asked almost did him in. He didn’t deserve that trust. Hadn’t earned it with how he’d handled this case but she’d given it to him anyway. His chest didn’t feel big enough for his heart as he cradled her trembling body to his own.

His throat tightened painfully and he carried her down the hill to where fire trucks and an ambulance had arrived. If he stayed anywhere near Gordon Schofield, Griffin was going to do something that would definitely get him fired. And maybe some jail time. He knew his friends would handle Gordon.

“Griffin, I–” Jazz broke out into a coughing fit, her shoulders shaking.

“Easy, honey. Let these guys help you and then you can tell me all about it. I know Gordon killed Casey and Sandy.”

He kept his tone low and soothing and her head dropped onto his shoulder. By the time the EMTs ran to him with a stretcher, he didn’t want to hand her over.

He never wanted to let her go.

Chapter Twenty-Four

J
azz luxuriated in the steamy water of Griffin’s bathtub, sinking down to her chin. She had three butterfly bandages on a nasty gash on her forehead, a black eye, minor scrapes and cuts on her legs and arms, and a myriad of bruises. But she was alive.

She’d been kept overnight at the county hospital for observation as she’d sucked down quite a bit of smoke. They’d given her a pain pill and she’d slept for hours, only waking this morning when the nurse had bustled in to help her dress.

She’d been horrified at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. They’d tried to clean her up last night but she was still dirty and sweaty. Her hair had burned where sparks had fallen on her head and at least six inches would need to be lopped off. The purplish shiner on her eye was puffy and sore but it could have been much worse. She was grateful Griffin and his friends had saved her. Some bruises and a haircut seemed minor, really.

Even now as she ran the events of yesterday through her mind, it seemed like a really terrible dream that suddenly turned out okay. When Griffin had shown up, Jazz hadn’t believed it was real. Perhaps she’d dreamed him up out of her subconscious? That her fear had conjured up the man she loved just when she needed him most? It had been too good to be true.

Then as it had dawned on her that she wasn’t hearing things, that it was real and Griffin was truly there to save her, she’d been afraid to make a sound in case she distracted him. The thought seemed silly now as Gordon would never win over Griffin, but at the time she hadn’t wanted to take the chance.

“I have to go back to the office, honey. Just for a little while.” Griffin was standing in the doorway of the bathroom. He’d been great about picking her up from the hospital and making her comfortable today but she knew he’d rather be anywhere else. He’d made it very clear when they’d first met that he didn’t do the caring and nursing thing. “Ava and Presley are here to keep you company. Madison is going to check in later today. She’s a doctor.”

“I’m fine. Where is Gordon?”

For some reason, she still needed to hear that he was behind bars. Logically she knew he wasn’t going to break out of jail, but emotionally she needed the reassurance.

“He’s in jail,” Griffin said, his tone gentle. “That’s where he’s staying until the county authorities come get him. Hope Lake doesn’t have the facilities to keep a prisoner more than overnight. He won’t come near you again, I promise.”

“I know,” she said in a small voice. She hated being like this, being scared. Griffin probably felt as though he was obligated to care for her. She needed to get over this and start standing on her own two feet.

When he’d pulled her from that tree yesterday, she’d almost told him how much she loved him and that she didn’t want to be a star anymore. Today she was glad she hadn’t. In the emotion of the moment, he might have said it back whether he really felt it or not. She didn’t want to have to wonder if he’d said it out of duress. There had to be a better time to tell him.

“You’ve been in the tub awhile, are you ready to get out? I can help you get dressed. You won’t want anything rough on your scratched skin so I was thinking you could wear one of my t-shirts.”

Griffin didn’t wait for her to answer. He reached down, his strong hands under her arms, and lifted her from the water until she stood on the bathmat. Wrapping a thick towel around her, he pressed a chaste kiss to the undamaged side of her face, and then proceeded to gently dry her skin. His touch was so tender she almost cried and had to swallow back a sob.

“Wait here and I’ll get you something to wear.”

Griffin disappeared out of the bathroom so she tucked the towel around her and reached for her toothbrush. She wasn’t so helpless that she couldn’t clean her own teeth.

She was done by the time he returned and he very carefully, avoiding her scraped skin, slid the panties up her legs and pulled the soft cotton shirt over her head. Several sizes too big, it hung to her knees. She couldn’t hold back a giggle at the irony of the situation.

“What’s so funny, Hollywood?” His lips had curved into a smile.

“You,” she admitted. “Normally you’re taking those panties off, not putting them on.”

“That’s true, but I don’t think you’re in any shape to be playing bedroom games. But I promise when you get better I’ll take them off.” His fingers brushed her cheek. “It’s good to see you smile, honey.”

“It’s good to be smiling.” It did feel good. She didn’t want to wallow in the events of yesterday. Something bad had happened to her but she was standing here alive and well with the man she loved. “I’m okay, Griffin.”

“I know you are.” He nodded in a somber manner. “But you had a traumatic experience yesterday and you’re all banged up. Maybe taking a day or two to heal wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

Griffin barked with laughter. “Since you asked, telling you. Remember what the doctor said. Take it easy.”

Looking down, her hands were wrung together tightly. She slowly pulled them apart and took a deep breath. “I will. I promise. Now tell me about Ava and Presley. I met Ava that one day, but I’ve never met Presley. What is she like? What are they both like?”

“Ava is now completely normal since she’s finished her book. You’ll really like her—she’s a real sweetheart. Presley is too, although much livelier. She really keeps Seth on his toes.”

“It’s nice of them to keep me company today.”

It was an understatement to say that Jazz didn’t want to be left alone.

“I’m sorry I have to go in to the station.” Griffin’s expression was troubled and she tried to wave away his concerns but he stubbornly shook his head. “No, I mean it. I’m sorry I have to go but there’s paperwork that need to be filed and formal statements. Gordon is talking and I need to be there for that.”

“I know you have to work. I can take care of myself.”

“After what you’ve been through you should let yourself be spoiled a little. In fact, Ava brought some fresh fruit and yogurt. She thought it might be easy on your stomach.”

They’d tried to feed her at the hospital last night and again this morning, but Jazz’s system had rebelled at the mere thought. Her insides were still twisted into knots of fear.

“That was thoughtful,” Jazz said instead as he shoved his hat on his head. She had to squelch her desire to beg him to stay and hold her all day long. “What time will you be home?”

She shouldn’t have asked but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted him close by.

“As soon as I can. I’ll call and check on you later.”

Griffin pulled her into his strong arms, his warmth and scent enfolding her protectively. She sighed and rested her head on his broad chest. For the first time this morning she felt completely safe. He stroked her back and hair but then reluctantly pulled away with a sigh.

“Go to work. I’ll be okay,” she assured him, feeling crappy about his conflicted expression. He wanted to go and she was making this difficult. “Why don’t you introduce me to our guests?”

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, they walked toward the living room. She’d be fine today. She’d talk girl talk with her guests and pretend that everything was exactly the same as it was before yesterday. Before she was afraid. Afraid that Gordon would kill her.

And terrified that Griffin didn’t love her.

*   *   *   *

“Jazz can stay with us,” Griffin’s mother insisted, her voice loud enough the whole damn station could probably hear. “Since you have to work, it’s the perfect solution.”

Griffin intended to get through work and get back to Jazz as quickly as humanly possible. He wasn’t hanging out here at the station house for fun. As for Jazz going to stay with his parents, that was far from a perfect solution. He needed her to be in his home.

“Once I get done with these statements I’m heading home. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Jazz, Mom. Ava and Presley are staying with her today and I’ll try and stay home with her tomorrow if I can. We’re fine.”

His mother crossed her arms over her chest and lifted an eyebrow. He knew that look and he was about to get cross-examined like a suspect. He’d learned at the feet of a master.

“Pardon me for pointing this out, my son, but since when do you
take care
of people? I’ve seen you shun your siblings for daring to cough in your presence. You’ve shuttled girlfriends out of your life for having the nerve to sneeze or perhaps cry and need comfort. Are you sure you’re equipped to handle a needy young woman who has been terrorized by a serial killer and physically hurt? Are you prepared to comfort her, son? She’s going to need that after what she’s been through.”

The bustling station house had gone dead silent in the wake of his mother’s sharply worded questions, but Griffin wasn’t intimidated. He knew exactly where his mother was coming from. Everybody in the station could go pound sand. He wouldn’t fuck this up.

Calling on all the patience he might still have inside after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, he stood up straight and tall. He wanted his mother to know he was damn serious about this. About Jazz.

“I’m ready and willing to give Jazz whatever she needs to get through this. She’s my woman and my responsibility. I’m working here as hard and as fast as possible so I can get home to her. If she needs to cry, I’ll be there with a shoulder. If she needs someone to fix her soup, I’ll do it. If she needs someone to scare away monsters under the fucking bed, I’ll do that too.”