Until Twyla Read online

  “Alright but keep it down. Twyla’s still sleeping.”

  “I’ll be quiet but shit is fucked, J. Check it. Once Elias left the scene to be transported to county, things took a turn. That back area was lit for shit, but as we were cataloguing the scene, Aurora saw the camera placed a few feet above the door, facing out to the lot. We banged on the door to the bar but got no answer. We’re thinking okay, cool, it’s closed for the night, but we want that footage so we’ll pull the info from the liquor license and give the owner a call.”

  I clench my teeth thinking of what a fucking piece of shit the owner was to Twyla last night. It was pure luck that I was there at all. Nico’s wife, Sophie, had been one block down at a different bar with some of her girls to celebrate fuck-only-knows. Nico, being the over-the-top nut that he is, decided he’d go somewhere close by, just in case. The area wasn’t awful, but there was enough crime that he wasn’t comfortable being more than a stone’s throw away from her. He’d forced me into going with him since Leo was pulling an extra shift from midnight to nine in the morning to take the sting out of the insane price of the Disney cruise he’s taking his wife and kids on next month.

  Because of the assholes in the pool table area, that part of the bar had been loud as fuck. That being the case, we’d chosen to post up in a quieter section. A few hours in, I’d been on my way back from the bathroom when I saw some asshole man-handling a waitress and the rest was history. Looking back, I’m pissed that I didn’t see her earlier in the night. If I had, that guy never would’ve gotten close enough to touch her.

  “I hope you knocked that piece of shit out for not staying in the parking lot until Twyla was safely in her car,” I seethe.

  The way Leo winces tells me I’m not going to like what I’m about to hear. “We got the guy’s address from the liquor license. Come to find out he lives directly above the bar. That’s not what pulled us up short, though.”

  I cross my arms over my chest as I lean back against the counter. “What did?”

  “His full name is Theodore Michael Reichert.”

  Everything slows down as my mind processes what he just said. Theo Reichert’s piece of shit grandson, Elias Kemp, is the motherfucker who attacked Twyla last night.

  “Motherfucker. I assume since Todd was named after him they must be related.”

  Leo nods. “Yep. Elias’s mom and Todd’s dad are brother and sister which makes the two of them first cousins.”

  A soft gasp alerts me to Twyla’s presence. Turning, I see that she’s standing in the hall outside the guestroom. Clad in one of my tees from the police academy, a black pair of my sweatpants and the white socks she got from the doctor, she’s leaning on the cane Dr. Paige acquired for her before we left the hospital just before dawn. Although my clothes dwarf her they do nothing to hide her beauty. Twyla is the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen in my life and every time I look at her, my heart squeezes in my chest. Hurrying down the hall, I lift her in my arms and bring her into the kitchen where I set her down on a stool at the island.

  “You should’ve told me you were up,” I scold. “Your breath smells minty fresh which means you made a pit stop in the bathroom. I don’t want you walking on this foot alone yet.”

  She pats me on the arm and assures me she’s okay as she adjusts herself on the seat. “Todd is related to the person who did this to me?” she asks.

  Leo grimaces as he looks between the two of us before he nods. “Yeah.”

  Twyla swallows nervously as she takes in his words. After a few seconds of silence, she nods like she’s come to a conclusion. “Last night was my third night at the Starlight,” she says. “Both of the previous nights Todd walked the waitresses out to the lot and waited until we were in our cars before he went back into the bar to go to his apartment but last night, not so much. I figured it was because he was so pissed at me for what happened in the pool table area earlier in the night but now… I mean what are the chances that he didn’t walk me to my car and his cousin just randomly appeared in the lot?”

  Twyla’s no cop, but her instincts are great. I like that my girl is sharp as a fuckin’ tack.

  “What happened in the pool table area?” Leo asks.

  He takes notes while Twyla and I take turns explaining what went down. When we finish, he asks Twyla to describe the exact series of events that happened over the course of the rest of the night. Seeing that she’s upset, I sit at the counter next to her and take her hand in mine. She holds tight as she tells Leo everything. While she talks, I do my best not to go stiff or to start cursing. Hearing her recant what happened to her is a reminder of how close she came to being kidnapped or worse last night, and it makes me fucking sick. Now that I’ve found her, I can’t lose her. After Leo is through asking Twyla questions, he gets me to do my witness statement as well.

  When he’s finished, he closes his notebook, crosses his arms, and leans on the counter. “Everything you’ve both told me backs up what we already knew. The exterior camera at the Starlight wasn’t functional, which is damn convenient for Todd. He probably thinks the camera he had not working means he can get away with this, but he’s wrong. The auto body place behind the Starlight with the chain link fence surrounding their parking area had a ten-camera security system installed on Tuesday. We hit the jackpot there because five of the cameras face the chain link section—which means three of the five have direct views of the bar. Todd went out to the lot and spoke to his cousin last night. We’ve got him dead to rights pointing his finger at Twyla’s car.”

  Murder. I’ve sworn to protect and to serve, but right now, I want to end Todd Reichert just as badly as I wanted to shoot Elias Kemp last night.

  “He purposely put a fuckin’ bullseye on her?” I seethe.

  Leo grimaces as he nods. “We don’t have audio but what we do have makes it damn clear that this wasn’t random. I’m sure when we find him he’ll try to spin some bullshit but you and I both know there’s no such thing as that kind of coincidence.”

  Twyla’s hand squeezes mine like she’s trying to draw strength from me. I gently squeeze back so she knows I’m here for her no matter what.

  “Do you have any idea where he is?” she asks Leo.

  “I don’t, but Aurora took the footage to the chief and filled him in. We’ve got an APB out on Todd now and within the hour a local judge will have signed a search warrant for Theodore Reichert’s home and offices. If he’s harboring a fugitive, we’ll take his old ass down too.”

  Chapter Six

  Twyla

  Leo left after he finished filling us in and I can tell by the way Jensen is leaning against the counter studying me that he’s concerned about how I’m taking all of this. For the most part I’m shell shocked. I worked at the Starlight for three stinking nights and because of that my life is now in chaos.

  “I know this is fucked but I swear to you, you’re safe here, and we will find that motherfucker,” he vows.

  “I’m not scared,” I answer. I realize it’s true as the words come out of my mouth. I feel safe and secure with Jensen, and his house is like an extension of him. When we got here last night I expected to feel weird since I’ve never been here before but that didn’t happen. Instead, it was comfortable. He’d carried me through the house for a quick tour last night, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that having my arms wrapped around his muscular shoulders wasn’t a thrill.

  I paid close attention as he walked me from room to room not only because I was interested but also because I had the strongest feeling that he wanted me to like the house. It wasn’t hard to fall in love with it. The single-story, three bed and two bath home is set back from the road and has a long driveway. He brought me in through a side door that opened into a large utility room and led out into the kitchen. The cabinets are painted dove gray and the glossy white quartz countertops are super clean. The same is true for the gleaming stainless appliances. The walls are a pale slate color, the stools at the island are black, and the r
ound table in the breakfast nook area is a dark gray. Aside from the fact that the space is lovely and clean, the next thing I noticed was the lemony fresh scent. Jensen may be a bachelor but he’s definitely not a slob.

  Jensen beamed with pride when I told him the house was awesome. “It had a shit layout when I bought it so I took it down to the studs, opened it up, and brought it back over the course of eighteen months. I finished my last project—the guest bathroom—three weeks ago. Talk about perfect timing. You’ll love the walk-in shower.”

  When we got to the hall bath, I understood just what he meant. Like the kitchen, living room and master suite, the hall bath is done in gray tones. Talk about fifty shades. It might sound bland or something, but I love it.

  “You’ve got to be fucking exhausted,” he says.

  I shrug one shoulder. “I’m the worst kind of tired. I’m exhausted but I can’t sleep because my brain won’t turn off. I was already awake when I heard you and Leo out here talking.”

  He nods like he understands. “You need to divert your attention to something else. How about we hole up in the living room and watch a movie or something?”

  I grin and look over my shoulder to the huge black leather sectional. The idea of spending a few hours lounging on the sofa with Jensen sounds pretty damn good.

  “Let’s do it.”

  “Can I talk you into a trip to McDonald’s first?” he asks. “I’m craving pancakes and hash browns.”

  “You don’t need to ask me twice,” I laugh. “I could take down some breakfast burritos. Crap, I should’ve asked Leo while he was here—how do I find out when I can get my wristlet and keys back? I should stop by the bar and get my car.”

  Even thinking of going back there makes me nauseous, but it’s unavoidable.

  “No need,” Jensen replies. “Leo put your wrist thing and keys on the hooks in the laundry room and your car is in my driveway. He had it dropped off when he got here.”

  That’s the best news I’ve heard yet today. “Yes!” I exclaim as I pump my fist. “My gym bag has clean clothes in it.”

  Gripping the handle of the cane I got at the hospital, I maneuver myself forward on the seat so that I can get down. Before I set one foot on the floor, Jensen picks me up. The feeling of rightness in his strong arms mixed with the warm scent of his cologne and something that’s just him takes my breath away. I force myself not to wiggle in his arms as heat spreads through my body.

  “I can walk,” I murmur.

  He laughs as he walks us through the kitchen and into the laundry room. “I know you can, but Dr. Paige said to keep your weight off the foot and until you’re healed up, that’s what we’re going to do.”

  “That’s too much work for you,” I argue.

  “It’s less work than I want to do for you,” he says.

  My pulse zings at the implication in his words. Something is between us and I know I’m not the only one feeling this. Stopping at the hooks on the wall, he chuckles when he sees my key ring. Even if this weren’t his house, meaning he knows all the keys on his hooks, I’m pretty sure the two-inch cursive T that’s covered in hot pink glitter would clue him in as to which set of keys belong to me. He picks up his keys at the same time and then locks the door after us when he walks out the door.

  When we get out to my car and he opens the driver’s door, he bursts out laughing as he sets me down on my feet. Knowing that he’s laughing because of my super fluffy purple seat cover, I jab him in the side with my index finger and give him a fake stern look.

  “You don’t need to be jealous of my awesome seat cover. I’m happy to buy you one for your Jeep,” I joke.

  “I’m not laughing at the seat cover,” he says. “I’m just thinking of how much John’s wife is going to love you. She’s all about pinks and purples too. You two are going to get on like a house on fire.”

  During the times we were alone in the emergency room last night, I’d asked Jensen a lot of questions about his job. I did it for two reasons—first, I’m interested in him and what he does, but also I needed to take my mind off the reason I was in the ER to begin with. Because of the time we spent talking, I know John is his partner. He and his wife, Mallory, have been married for five years and they have three kids, all who call Jensen Uncle J. The look of pride on Jensen’s face as he talked about those kids melted my insides. There’s something so hot about men who aren’t terrified of children.

  “She sounds like a blast,” I smile. “Maybe she’ll want furry seat covers too.”

  This makes him laugh harder. “Her driver’s seat has a faux-fur neon pink wrap. John got it for her last Christmas. There’s nothing he won’t do to make her smile, which includes decorating her car for Christmas. I’m talking twinkle lights, a wreath, and window stickies.”

  “Twinkle lights?”

  Grinning, he gestures to the roof of my car with his chin. “She drives a minivan that has a roof rack. Easy to decorate with battery operated lights.”

  “You say this like you know that from personal experience,” I tease.

  “It was a two-man job,” he admits.

  I know I’m smiling at him like an idiot but I can’t help it. Jensen is pretty much the most unique single man I’ve ever met. He’s kind, caring, considerate, concerned, ultra-protective, likes children, and helps his friends do romantic stuff for their wives. I’ve always assumed guys like him only existed in urban legends and romance novels, but he’s the real deal.

  I stare at him in silence as he leans across the driver’s seat, opens my glove compartment, and pulls out the iPod I told him was there. Getting out of the car, he shoves it into his pocket and smiles down at me. “That’s it for the car except for the bag in the trunk, yeah?”

  I nod. “Yep.”

  After closing the driver’s door he walks around and opens the trunk. When he returns, he gestures to the large duffel slung over his arm. “Baby, this pink is so bright I’m pretty sure it can be seen from space.”

  I give him a silly look. “Don’t mock the bag. It’s the first one I’ve ever had that no one has mistakenly grabbed. I traveled so much with my parents that losing luggage was a constant thing—and then I got this set. In addition to the duffel there are two large rolling suitcases and a smaller overnight bag. Haven’t had any luggage issues since.”

  “I’m thinking that’s because no one else would want neon pink luggage with bright white Eiffel towers and black flamingos all over it. This pattern doesn’t even make sense.”

  “Exactly! It’s practically one-of-a-kind,” I tell him.

  He laughs as he opens the rear door to his Jeep and tosses my bag onto the seat. Coming back, he hoists me into his arms and carries me to the passenger door of the Jeep. After opening it, he sets me down in the seat.

  “I was always told the French have great taste,” he says as he buckles me in. “That pattern makes me think I’ve been lied to.”

  “The luggage isn’t from France,” I laugh. “I got it from a store in the Silk Street market shops in Beijing.”

  After he gets into the Jeep and starts it, he turns and looks at me. “Right now I feel like the luckiest asshole in the world that after all the places you’ve been in the world, you decided to drop anchor here. If you hadn’t, we would never have met. What made you choose Tennessee?”

  I grin as he puts the engine in reverse and starts to back out of the driveway. “My dad bought a map of the world and a dart. I threw the dart, it landed on Tennessee, and the rest is history.”

  He’s looking back over his shoulder but he stops the car and turns back to me when I say the thing about the dart.

  “You’re telling me if that dart had landed on Greece, you wouldn’t be here right now?” he asks incredulously.

  “I don’t think so. Something about this felt right. I don’t know how to explain it, really. Before I threw the dart and it landed on Tennessee I’d already told my dad I wasn’t going to pick up and move somewhere because of a silly game. But then it
landed, I saw where it was, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t know anything about Tennessee so I started doing research and eventually narrowed it down to the Nashville suburbs. I felt drawn here in some way. Aside from that, the idea of settling down in the country I was born in held a great deal of appeal.”

  My eyes widen as he throws the car into park, takes off his seatbelt, and leans over so that he’s face to face with me. I shiver when he cups my cheeks in his warm hands. “I’m so fuckin’ glad your dart landed here,” he says. As he speaks I feel his breath against my lips and I shiver.

  He isn’t even kissing me and it’s already the most sensual thing that has ever happened to my lips. My breath catches when he uses his hands to hold me steady. Ever so softly, he moves his lips back and forth over mine. It’s the ghost of a touch, but that’s enough to make my core clench with need.

  “Fuck,” he growls, just before he sets his lips against mine and goes in for a real kiss.

  Fuck is right. Jensen Reed kisses me like I’m the most important thing in the world to him, and I can’t help the way I melt into him. Restrained by my seatbelt I can only wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold on as he slides his tongue into my mouth. The taste of him is deliciously intoxicating, and the way our tongues dance together feels magical. When he lifts his head I’m flushed, breathless, and very turned on. Groaning, he rubs his thumbs across my cheeks as I let out a disappointed mew.

  “If we don’t leave right now I’ll have those sweatpants you’re swimming in on the ground in about five seconds. Ten seconds after that I’ll have you riding my dick, and once I’m in you, babe, I won’t give a fuck that we’re sitting in my driveway. Once I get my cock in you, the outside world won’t exist.”

  Did I say I was breathless before? Apparently there’s a whole other level of breathless, because right now I’m breathing so hard it sounds like I need an inhaler. No one has ever spoken to me in the blunt way Jensen just did. Far from being off-putting, I’m more turned on than I’ve ever been in my life. I haven’t even known him for a full day yet and I know that if he were to push my sweatpants down, I’d climb onto his lap without a lick of hesitation.