Jerald gentled his voice. “Daphne, this isn’t like the movies. This is real life. You can’t keep quiet and pray Scorsini goes away or forgets about you just because you don’t say anything. If you don’t tell the truth, there won’t be a damn thing anyone can do to protect you. Or at the very least they’ll charge you with either obstruction or with complicity for not turning him in. If you tell the truth, we can help you. We can protect you.”
“I can’t!”
Jerald forced his voice to stay calm. “Honey, you have to tell me what you know. Do you know who that man is and how he got there?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her hands had gone cold and they trembled in his. “Please don’t make me tell you.” She broke down sobbing. “Please don’t make me!”
Alan started to reach for her, but Jerald picked her up and carried her to the sofa. He sat, keeping his arms wrapped around her as she cried.
“Shh. You have to tell me,” he whispered into her hair. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
She tightly clung to him, as if she was in the Gulf, drowning in the stormy waters. “I heard him say he was going to kill me next!” she cried.
Alan crowded close, his arms around both of them. “Tell him, baby. I promise you, we won’t let you go through this alone.”
Her voice hitched. “Paulie shot him…he didn’t know I saw…thought I was asleep…heard him tell…other guy they…would kill me later…his dad’s orders.”
Jerald tucked her head under his chin and rocked her. “Shh, it’s okay. We won’t let him hurt you. You’re safe, but you have to tell me everything.”
She finally did, crying and sniffling and sobbing her way through it until she lay in a crumpled heap on the couch, both men holding her as she blankly stared at the dark TV. “He’s going to kill me,” she whispered. “He will. I know it. No matter where I go, he’ll find me. I don’t have anywhere to go.”
“He will
not
hurt you,” Jerald promised. “We’ll keep you safe. You’re going to stay here with us and once he’s behind bars for good, then we’ll figure out what’s next. But you are not going anywhere until after the trial, at least.” He realized what he’d said and looked at Alan.
His lover wore a sad smile.
“Thank you,”
he mouthed.
Jerald nodded.
Alan tapped him on the arm to get his attention.
“See, I told you so,”
he mouthed.
Jerald rolled his eyes.
“Bite me,”
he mouthed back.
Alan grinned, then winked.
“Tonight?”
* * * *
Jerald made a couple of phone calls. They got Daphne dressed, giving her one of Alan’s button-up shirts to wear over a pair of her shorts. With her sandwiched between the men in Jerald’s official truck, Jerald drove them to the sheriff’s department. When they arrived, two detectives waited to interview her and Alan. Jerald stayed with her at her request, then they interviewed Alan alone. They even showed her an autopsy photo of the man, and a picture of his clothes.
“Is this the man you saw murdered, Ms. Peres?” one of the detectives asked.
She nodded as she swallowed back her bile. “Yes. I’m pretty sure. And that’s what he was wearing.”
Two hours later, they gathered all three together to talk. “We’ll coordinate with the federal prosecutor’s office in Tampa about this,” the lead detective said. “We can’t risk jeopardizing their case against the Scorsinis. Where can we get in touch with you, Ms. Peres?”
Jerald spoke up. “She’s currently without a permanent address. You can reach her through me. I’ll take responsibility for her.”
One of the detectives arched an eyebrow, but he noted the report. “Why is that, Major?”
“Right now, we’re the only friends she’s got. We’re damn sure not sending her away so Scorsini’s goons can hunt her down.”
“The reports will stay sealed for now. Her identity is safe.”
“Not for long,” she sullenly groused.
“We can talk to the feds about putting you into protective custody, Ms. Peres.”
She anxiously shook her head. “No, I don’t want to. I want to stay right where I am.”
They left the sheriff’s office and headed for Aripeka. On the way, Jerald detoured and pulled into a drugstore parking lot. He reached behind the seat and rummaged through a bag for a notepad and pen. “Daph, write down what Alan needs to buy for you to do your hair.”
“What?”
He pointed. “Your hair color. You need to dye your hair. Scorsini’s guys, if they come after you, will be looking for a blond with long hair.”
“I can go in and get it.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you on surveillance video. I’m not taking any chances.”
She jotted down the information and Alan went in for it. After, Jerald drove them back to Alan’s, where he checked his watch. “I need to go patrol. I’ll be back later.”
Alan and Daphne got out of the truck. Alan walked around to the driver’s door and stuck his head through the window. He kissed Jerald goodbye. “Dinner?” Alan asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
“Duh.”
Jerald smiled and waved before pulling out of the driveway.
Alan unlocked the front door and escorted her inside. “How long will it take to do your hair?”
“About thirty minutes. Then I take a shower to rinse it out.”
“Go get it done, kiddo.” She carried her supplies into the bathroom while he took care of paperwork before he made them some lunch.
When she emerged, her hair damp, he stared, stunned.
“Well?” she asked, her voice sounding nervous.
Alan thought she looked gorgeous. The blonde color had not suited her at all, her darker eyebrows betraying her unnatural color even more than her dark roots.
“It’s you. It looks really good on you. Promise me you won’t go back to being a blonde?”
She smiled, maybe the first open smile he’d ever seen from her. “I promise. I hated it anyway. I only did it because Paulie told me to. Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“I want to cut it shorter. Can you come do it for me?” It still hung below her shoulders.
“Of course.”
He followed her to her bathroom. After combing it straight down her back, he took the scissors. “How short you want it?”
“You know that hard bone at the base of my neck?”
He reached out, felt, and found it. “Yeah.”
“To there. Then it’s still long enough to pull it back into a ponytail.”
He carefully cut, doing his best to keep it even. When he finished, another three inches of her hair lay on the floor.
She smiled as she checked it in the mirror and ran her hands through it. “Perfect! Thank you.”
He left to put the final touches on lunch while she finished her hair. He heard the hair dryer run for a few minutes. When she walked into the kitchen, his jaw dropped.
She’d done a little more trimming, creating long layers on the sides. “It’s not perfect,” she nervously said, “but it’s how I used to always wear it before I met Paulie. I should get to a stylist at some point, let them even it out for me.
“It’s gorgeous. I wouldn’t recognize you.”
She sat at the table. “Let’s hope no one else does, either.”
Jerald almost didn’t. When he walked in a little before seven and saw her standing at the kitchen counter, he stopped and did a double-take. “Daph?”
She nervously smiled. “Yep.”
Alan laughed at Jerald’s reaction. “I know. Huge difference, right?” Jerald nodded.
She’d been cute before. Now she looked beautiful, enhanced by her natural shyness. She obviously had no clue how pretty she looked.
“Good difference,” Jerald agreed. She blushed again. He stepped forward. “Is that your original color?”
“This is darker than normal, but that’s okay. My roots won’t show while they grow in. Once it gets long enough, I’ll dye it a color close to my own. I had him get a really dark brown, almost black, to hide the blond. I wasn’t sure how light it would turn out. My normal color is a light reddish brown.”
* * * *
After dinner she returned to her bedroom to watch TV, leaving the men alone. Alan wrapped his arms around Jerald. “What would you like to do now?”
Jerald didn’t want to move from that spot but knew they still had things to do. “You need to come home with me.”
Alan rolled his eyes and let go of Jerald. “We are
not
having this argument again.”
Jerald smirked. “Well, we are if you want to help me move some of my stuff tonight. I can’t drive two vehicles. And if you help me pack my clothes, it’ll go faster.”
A wide grin slowly spread across Alan’s face. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it. But it’s late. If you want to start this project and want me sleeping here tonight, you have to help me. I want to get my clothes and uniforms moved over. I’ll get the other stuff later.”
Alan kissed him, crushing Jerald’s lips with his. “Let me go tell her we’ll be back soon.”
“Well, hurry up. I’ll wait for you in the truck.”
He walked outside while Alan scurried down the hall. Yeah, he had it bad for Alan. He supposed he’d better learn how to deal with this sooner rather than later. He couldn’t let Alan watch out for her alone. Alan hated guns, despite growing up a cop’s son. Alan only tolerated him bringing his work sidearm into the house because it meant he’d spend the night.
Someone around here has to be armed if we’re hiding a mobster’s ex-girlfriend.
He’d have to work on her about the protective custody issue. Maybe he could gently talk her into it. That would be the safest option for all of them, especially her. If he tried to force the issue, it would only piss Alan off.
And admittedly, if he spent more time around her, that meant more time to talk her into protective custody. Although now that he knew she wasn’t a scam artist, his attitude toward her had changed for the better.
Alan burst out the front door with a beaming smile on his face. He jumped into Jerald’s truck. “Let’s go!”
Shaking his head and laughing, Jerald started the truck and pulled out.
Chapter
Nine
Daphne awoke early on Sunday before Jerald and Alan left for the marina. She wouldn’t be tap dancing any time soon, but her feet felt a lot better and she didn’t need the rolling chair anymore.
“Can I make you lunch or something to take with you?” she asked.
Alan gave her one of his mouth-watering smiles. “Thanks, sweetie, but that’s okay. Already done.”
“What about tonight? Can I cook dinner? I feel sort of useless. I’d like to do something to earn my keep.”
The men exchanged a glance. “Sure, if you feel up to it,” Alan said. “Feel free to raid the freezer. There’s lots of stuff in there.”
“What time do you think you’ll be home?”
“Should be around six. We’ll call if it’ll be later.”
Once they left and she had the place to herself, she ate a little breakfast, made another pot of coffee, and turned on the music.
She dusted the house first, even though it didn’t really need it. She vacuumed the floors, mopped, cleaned the bathrooms, and did laundry.
That took her as far as noon.
Jerald stopped by a little after one to check on her and found she’d alphabetized Alan’s extensive DVD collection.
He smiled. “You a little bored?”
“I just want to be useful.”
He tipped his head. “Follow me.” The night before, he and Alan had dumped all his clothes into the third bedroom, which doubled as Alan’s office. “If you want, you can hang my stuff. Alan cleared out a couple of drawers and some closet space for me in his—our bedroom.” He looked like he almost blushed a little. “If you want to, that is.”
“No problem.” Actually, it relieved her. That he asked for her help for something like this meant he’d accepted her to a certain extent.
He smiled. A genuine smile, not a “cop trying to put her at ease” smile. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“Do you want something to eat?”
“No, I’m okay. Just wanted to check on you.”
“Did Alan ask you to, or is it more boyfriend brownie points?”
He grinned. “You are a ballbuster, aren’t you?”
“I have my moments.”
Alone once again, she started on her new project. Alan’s taste in clothes ran to casual, casual, fishing guide boat wear, and…more casual. With a few pairs of jeans, and exactly one suit that could be worn to a wedding or a funeral.
More surprising was Jerald’s wardrobe. He owned several expensive, tailored suits, dress slacks and shirts, clothes an executive would wear.
Another surprising layer to Major Carter.
When the men returned home that evening, she had beef stew, a huge salad, and biscuits waiting for them. They ate first, then she refused their help cleaning up. “Nope, go take a shower or whatever. This is my job.”