Now he knew he could, and in his heart, he had. But more, he had a family, and that family was in danger.
Like Adam, he wasn’t willing to let Walters have any more lucky breaks. One way or another, that bastard had to go down.
Chapter 16
Deke Walters kept his head down and his hat pulled low. The damn phony mustache was itching like crazy. He was probably allergic to the fucking glue.
If he could just hold his shit together for a few more hours, he’d be back in Texas, where everything was familiar, and where he belonged.
The plane he was about to board would take him to Philly, and then he’d change planes and fly on to DFW. He’d used nearly all of the last of his money paying for the ticket, and it pissed him off that he couldn’t afford a more direct route. All he had left was a couple of bucks to buy something to eat.
Jer had fixed him up with the phony ID, which was why he had the damn mustache on in the first place. He’d also fronted him enough money to get there and back, but after nearly getting nabbed in Wildwood Crest, Deke had gotten scared that somehow the cops would be watching the Atlanta airport. So he’d hitchhiked here to Richmond. Three hundred fucking miles, walking and thumbing, until a trucker had picked him up outside of Baltimore and dropped him off nearly at the terminal.
He could have maybe caught a flight in Baltimore, but truth be told he felt more confident of himself down here in the South.
The boarding gate opened, and Deke got to his feet, eager to board, eager to get the hell home.
He was more than eager to get his hands on that fucking whore. He had no way of knowing how far behind her he was. While waiting to make a move on dear old Auntie Margaret yesterday, Deke had hung around the beach, chatted with a couple of old geysers, trying to discover if Ginny was actually there, or not.
He’d played it up big-time, telling them how he’d had a fight with the missus and she’d hightailed it to the coast, to kin. Deke laid it on thick, saying how remorseful he was, how much he missed his wife and kid, working to get those two old farts to feel sorry enough for him that they’d give him the details he’d needed.
One of ’em had recalled a pretty brunette with a brat who’d spoken like she was from the South. Hell, he said he’d seen her, the kid, and a couple of dudes playing in the sand just the day before.
Deke knew with a certainty deep in his gut that one of those dudes had been the Sheriff of Lusty, Texas. And if he wanted his woman back, then Lusty, Texas was likely where he had to go.
He was able to grab himself a sandwich and a coffee while he waited for his flight, courtesy of Auntie Margaret’s purse.
He’d gone through her wallet and scooped the measly couple of twenties she’d had there. Stupid bitch owned a fucking hotel on the ocean. She should have had more cash than that on hand.
He joined the lineup, boarding pass and phony ID at the ready. The clerk looked a little frazzled, and only gave him, and the documents, a passing glance.
Before long, Deke was strapped into his seat, his duffel bag stowed above his head. He didn’t much care for flying, and that was the God’s honest truth. Give him a pickup truck and an open stretch of highway any day.
As the plane began to taxi, he sat back, closed his eyes, and calmed his nerves by visualizing the moment when he finally got his hands on Ginny Rose.
He couldn’t imagine that sheriff would want to keep her around very long. Hell, she wasn’t even a good lay. No, that sheriff would be tired of her soon enough, if he wasn’t already.
What Deke needed to do was figure out where he had her stashed—the man had to go to work sometime, and the minute he left her alone, Deke would be there.
Hell, for all he knew the dumb bastard might be pleased as punch that Deke was willing to take her off his hands.
He’d get Jer to help him scout out Lusty, Texas. They had to have a hotel or a motel or
someplace
there where they could stay. Maybe he’d get lucky and score an abandoned piece of property at the edge of town, away from nosy neighbors and prying eyes.
Yeah, that would be perfect. And what with all the fucking foreclosures across the country lately, there were empty houses all over every-fucking-where. He’d probably be able to score a place, easy as pie.
Yeah, some secluded place out of town. That would be best. That way, no one would be able to hear his sweet little Ginny scream.
* * * *
Ginny closed the cell phone and took a moment to release the tension she’d carried since Adam and Jake had given her the news about her aunt.
Maggie really
was
all right, thank God. And thanks to her men for having had the foresight to see to it that Maggie had protection. She felt just a little bit ashamed of herself, because it had never even occurred to her Maggie could have been in danger.
Ginny’s stomach felt sick when she realized the truth.
Everyone
around her was in danger until that son of a bitch was caught!
“You doing okay there, baby?” Adam stood close, his question soft.
Ginny looked up and gave him the best smile she could muster. “I’m okay. And so is Maggie. She’s just waving off what happened, more mad than anything. Bastard ripped her off for forty bucks, too, apparently. I think she’s more pissed about that than being attacked.”
Adam sat beside her and slipped his arm around her. Standing at the other side of the kitchen, Jake finished putting on a pot of coffee and turned and leaned against the counter, facing her, his arms folded across his chest.
She batted down the irritation that welled up. They both were making her feel like a bug under a microscope the way they continued to stare at her like that.
“Okay, so you know that Maggie’s all right. So, what’s got your panties in a twist? What’s bothering you?”
Jake’s question snapped her temper. “What makes you think there’s anything bothering me? Boy howdy, a person can’t even have her own thoughts around this place anymore. You know what? I think maybe it would be best, all around, if Benny and I just went on back home.” She gave each of them a good frown, and nodded once, hard, for emphasis.
Neither man said anything for a long moment, though they did look at each other. That silent communication between them just made her even madder.
Ginny didn’t even know
why
she was so angry. She just was.
“This is
your
home.” Jake’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if she hadn’t just tried to bite his—and Adam’s—heads off. “Yours, and Benny’s.”
“And sweetheart?” Adam used a single finger under her chin to turn her face toward him. Much to her chagrin, she found she couldn’t look away from him. “Getting all bent out of shape because you’re afraid for us, for everyone in your life because that bastard is still loose, well, it’s okay. But trying to push us away? Sweet baby, Jake and I aren’t going anywhere. We love you, and you love us. And we’ll get through this, all of us, together.”
Oh God. That was what she’d just tried to do—although she hadn’t tried very hard. She wasn’t mad. She was terrified, and not for herself, but for her men.
She gulped, hard. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, to either of you.” She looked from Adam to Jake, and found they both looked blurry. She didn’t want to cry, damn it, but found the tears came, regardless. “Next to my Benny you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’d
die
if that bastard hurt either one of you.”
“He’s not going to hurt either one of us, baby, for one very good reason.” Adam reached over and gently wiped her tears.
“The man—and I hate using that noun for him—is a bully,” Jake said. “He’d never come at either Adam or me.”
“Benny!”
Adam nodded, and then said, “Yes, Benny’s a likely target, as are you. But you need to know that everyone at the school is on alert. We have someone watching the playground. We’ll take him to school, and bring him home again.”
Ginny sniffed back her tears, and looked from one to the other of her lovers. “I don’t want him to worry. I don’t want him to know about Deke. About what he did to me before or—” She had to swallow over the lump in her throat. How could she explain to the men she loved how deeply ashamed she was of herself for having gotten into such a relationship in the first place?
Benny was just a little boy, one who as yet didn’t understand what a despicable thing she’d done when she’d left him at
Lusty Appetites
. She’d told him that Kelsey was a good friend and would watch him for a few days, and he’d accepted that, because he was such an easygoing kid.
“He never has to know.” Adam kissed her, a light chaste kiss. “And no one is ever going to tell him any of the things I can see you’re thinking about yourself. Sweetheart, you’re way too hard on yourself.”
Jake uncrossed his arms and put his hands in his pockets. “The kids at the school are all taught to be cautious, and to be aware of the dangers that exist in this modern world. And, he’s a good little guy. He follows the rules. Adam and I will help you protect him, and Adam and I will continue to protect you. Okay?”
Ginny closed her eyes and fought for control of her emotions. She nodded, but she needed to say something, and she wanted to do it without her voice breaking.
When she felt just a bit stronger, she opened her eyes. “Thank you. Thank you for thinking to have someone there for Maggie. I didn’t think of it.”
“Hey.” Jake strode over, bent over the table and planted a loud kiss on her lips. Then he stood back and gave her that grin she so loved. “Cops and lawyers. We’re supposed to think of all the angles.”
She felt the corner of her mouth tilt up, even though she wouldn’t have thought, as little as a few minutes ago, that she could feel much like laughing.
“I guess I have to reckon that the two of you, between you, will be able to figure more angles than most.”
Adam appeared to consider that for a moment. “That would probably be a wise assumption.”
“Is there anything else I need to know at this time?”
“Only that, in a convoluted kind of way,” Jake said, “Walters’s traipsing off to the shore and making a move on Maggie like he did was a good thing.”
Ginny’s jaw dropped, and she knew she looked like a fish out of water. She snapped it shut and shook her head. “Boy howdy, you
are
a lawyer. Now how do you figure that was a good thing?”
Adam swallowed his laugh. “When Maggie bashed him with her snow globe, she broke the skin, and so the globe had some of his DNA on it. That’s solid evidence for a court of law, and while it’ll take a couple of weeks for the testing to be completed, that’s something.”
Jake came over and sat on her other side. He reached out for her hand, and linked his fingers with hers. “Also, just her testimony as to who attacked her is enough to upgrade the BOLO the state of Texas has issued on Walters.”
Adam took up her other hand, and Ginny nearly sighed at the sense of warmth and connection that filled her.
“I spoke to Peter just a while ago,” Adam said. “It’ll go through official channels, but he’s got the word out to some of his colleagues in the Justice Department. The pressure’s on to issue a federal warrant. That opens up more resources.”
“Okay, you’ve convinced me. All of that is kind of good.”
“We’d tell you not to worry, but that would be a waste of breath. Of course you’re going to worry, and of course you’re going to be scared. But we’re doing everything we can, honey. It’s just going to take time.”
“All right, then. I’ll try not to fret overmuch—or take your heads off when I get edgy.”
“Baby, if you want to snip at us, you just go ahead and do so.”
“That’s right, honey. We live to serve.”
Ginny felt wonder and gratitude fill her. How could she have ever even imagined there could be such men as these in the world? And, imagining, how could she ever have hoped that they would love her, and her son, the way they did?
“Thank you. I do appreciate that.” She more than appreciated that, and them. She loved them—likely beyond all reason.
Jake nodded. “Good. Now, the coffee’s ready. Can I pour you a cup?”
Ginny looked from him, to Adam. Neither man had any intention of going in to work today—they’d already told her that. She cast a quick glance at the clock on the wall. It was barely noon hour.
Benny wouldn’t be out of school for a few hours yet, which meant they had the house to themselves.