No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(84)

“What Maude said on the phone,” she replied, just to have an answer. “I’m shocked Sly would have the nerve to come right out and ask her not to allow Damian Steele access to her property. I mean...I lived behind her for a year. That he believed he could hold sway with her over me shows how delusional he can be.”

“I’m not shocked by that at all,” Dawson responded. “I’m shocked that she was even tempted. From what you told me of your conversation, it wasn’t all that easy to convince her to oppose his wishes.”

“I don’t hold that against her. She’s a fair person. Doesn’t like conflict. And he can be very persuasive.”

Dawson turned off the TV and set the remote on the coffee table. “Regardless of her excuse, I’m encouraged he made that move.”

“Encouraged?” she echoed.

“It shows that he’s worried.”

“I agree.” Turning off the TV seemed to create a vacuum of sound. The sudden silence made her even more self-conscious. She tucked her feet beneath her. Because the box of items she’d picked up at the police station had included only a few things, she was still limited on clothing, so she was once again wearing his sweats with one of his Tshirts. “I wonder what he’ll do when he finds out that Maude’s going to allow it despite his request.”

“What can he do?”

“Treat her crappy from here on out. That’s how he operates. He’s nice as long as you give him what he wants. If you refuse, he tries to punish you.” She pulled the tie from her ponytail and raked her hair back so she could redo it. “I’ll feel terrible if he targets her for petty driving or parking citations he would’ve overlooked before. Now he’ll be searching for any excuse.”

“Did he do those types of things to people when you were married?”

“All the time. He used to laugh when he got the better of someone. It makes him feel powerful.”

Dawson’s lip curled in contempt. “It’s time people quit putting up with his bullshit.”

She drew a deep breath. “Yeah, well, I think he understands that I’m not coming back to him now, don’t you?”

“Would he take you back? After you told him you slept with me?” A faint smile curved his lips. “And that you liked it?”

She wasn’t sure they should be talking about this. Just the mention of their night together made her tingle. “I don’t know. He accused me of cheating on him a lot while we were married. But I never did. I never even dared to have a male friend, let alone a boyfriend.”

“About the other night...”

Her heart started to pound. “Yes?”

He opened his mouth to say something. Then he shook his head. “Never mind. We have a big day tomorrow. We’d better get some sleep.”

“Right. Time to turn in,” she agreed, but when he went upstairs, she didn’t move. She sat there for several minutes, hoping to stifle the desire that had made it almost impossible to stop her gaze from following him wherever he went.

Although she went down the list of reasons she’d be foolish to act on that desire, it didn’t make any difference in the end. All resistance fell by the wayside the moment she passed his room. He was just coming out. She wasn’t sure where he was going, and she didn’t ask. She simply walked into his arms, caught his face between her hands and kissed him as if he was all that mattered in the world.

*

Sly turned off his headlights as he pulled off the highway and crept through the countryside along the canal in his cruiser. He knew the way, had been here three times before.

The route he’d chosen was filled with large potholes, but it would eventually lead him to the rear of Dawson’s property, and getting there without being seen was all that mattered. Chief Thomas had chewed his ass out for what he’d done in the restaurant—and threatened his job if he went anywhere near Sadie again. Thomas wasn’t going to let Silver Springs PD become the subject of the next documentary on the abuse of power—that was what he’d said.

Sly cared about the force, too. The force was his life. But he refused to let Dawson Reed get the better of him. The same held true for Sadie. He’d do whatever he had to. He just wasn’t sure what that should be. Everything that came to mind, everything he imagined, was vicious. And if Dawson and Sadie suddenly went missing, he’d instantly become the prime suspect.

He had to be smarter than that, had to figure out a way to retaliate without putting his own ass on the line.

“You’re going to be sorry,” he muttered. He’d been saying that since he learned about the arson specialist, and his anger had only grown hotter since Maude Clevenger had called to let him know she was going to allow the investigator to come, after all. Sadie had talked her into it; Maude had said she owed it to Sadie to grant the request. Maude had also indicated that if he wasn’t responsible for setting the fire, he had nothing to worry about.

Except he did have something to worry about. He had a lot to worry about. Dawson and Sadie could cost him more than he could afford to lose—his job, the respect of his friends and family, even his freedom.

How dare Sadie work against him. Embarrass him by announcing to everyone in the diner that she was glad to be in someone else’s bed. File a complaint with the police force he worked for. Try to put him behind bars by proving he set the fire.