AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A chill swept over her despite the suffocating heat in the small kitchen. A dead body that needed to be investigated meant only one thing—the woman from the night before had been murdered.
Owen sat back down and slid a clear glass across the table. She reached for it and her fingers brushed against his, sending a ripple of excitement through her body. Yanking back her hand, she smoothed her palm over Nora’s soft curls and dropped her gaze to the edge of the rounded table. She needed to keep a level head right now, not get lost in a stupid fantasy about a handsome deputy sent from heaven to save her. Real life had provided her with enough heartache, she didn’t need to set herself up for disappointment in her daydreams as well. Besides, one thing she’d learned long ago, the only person she could depend on to save her was herself.
“You gonna drink the water, or what?” Lewis chuckled and clicked his tongue.
“Marie,” Owen said, reclaiming her attention with his velvety smooth voice. “I need to know why you’re here.”
“That’s none of your business, boy. You want the video feed from my cameras, fine. But there’s no need to drag this poor girl into your mess.” Lewis pushed up from the table and stormed out of the kitchen.
Marie bit into her top lip and darted her gaze between the two men. Trouble was the last thing she wanted to start, but the tension buzzing in the room reminded her of the time she’d stumbled upon a hornet’s nest.
Owen watched Lewis until he disappeared into the shadows then turned his full attention on her. “He’s a stubborn old man, always has been. But if he shot someone, I need to know. You said he helped you last night, now let me help him. Tell me what happened.”
Her mind spun. Lewis had saved hers and Nora’s lives and given them shelter. She didn’t want to cause him grief. But if Bill was out there, she needed someone on her side, and someone with a badge could be the ticket she needed to finally be free of a man she despised.
The only problem lay in what Bill would do if arrested. She’d entered into their arrangement to protect her sister—and keep her mom out of jail—but if Bill were threatened by the authorities, all of the sacrifices she’d made could be for nothing.
Not to mention the risk of him fighting for custody over Nora. She’d rather live the rest of her life under his abusive thumb than be forced to leave her baby with him.
Unless they had enough to put him behind bars.
Marie took a sip of water and let the cool liquid slide down her throat. Setting the glass aside, she straightened her spine and rested her gaze on Owen’s broad shoulders, unable to retell the events of the previous night while looking into his eyes. “The man I live with—Bill—came home drunk from the bar last night. He has a temper, and when alcohol’s involved, it’s always worse.”
“Is he responsible for the bruise on your jaw?”
The kindness in his voice lifted her gaze to his and squeezed her heart. She’d never reported the violence she’d suffered at Bill’s hand, but if she were going to confide in this man, she might as well confess it all. “Yes.” The word croaked from her still-dry throat, and she took another sip of water.
Owen shifted in his seat and moved his clenched jaw from side to side. “So, you left after he hit you?”
She dropped her gaze again. “No. He hit me two nights ago. I left because he brought home another woman, and he hit her. I needed to get Nora out of there.”
“Geez,” Owen muttered.
A heavy thump on the table made Marie jump in her seat. She glanced up to find Lewis glowering at his grandson.
“Leave her out of this.”
Owen sighed. “Pappy, I need to figure out what kind of mess you got yourself involved in, and I don’t have time to waste.”
Lewis nodded toward the tapes he’d tossed on the table. “You got what you came for. Go do your job, boy.”
“I’m trying to do my job.” Owen shot to his feet and towered over the older man.
Lewis jabbed a finger at Owen’s chest. “Your job doesn’t concern her, that baby, me or anything that happened here last night.”
Marie flinched, waiting for tempers to boil over.
Leaning forward, Owen gently curled his palm around Lewis’ bicep. “If you shot a man, I need to understand why. Then I need to find him.”
Owen’s tenderness melted her bones. She’d never witnessed a man use a calm hand and a steady voice instead of raised fists and shouting.
With Nora snug in her arms, Marie hoisted herself from the chair and both men studied her. “Lewis, I appreciate you saving me last night, but he’s right. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”
Lewis snorted, and Owen silenced him with a hard look.
Marie sucked in a deep breath, needing to press forward. “I ran away, and Bill followed. He caught my ankle and pulled me to the ground. He would have killed me, and probably Nora, for running. Lewis showed up, shot his gun, and Bill released his grip. I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. This old man hadn’t only saved her and her baby’s lives, he’d shown her the first act of kindness she’d experienced in a long time.
