Only His (Fool's Gold #6)(72)

She sucked in a breath. “The police broke in and one of the customers in the bank screamed he was going to shoot and someone fired, then they all fired.”

She hadn’t known a gun could be so loud. The sound had filled the small bank, echoing until it had seemed to explode in her head. The subsequent gunshots had seemed to go on forever.

She’d stood there, waiting to be killed—ignorant enough to think dying together would be romantic.

She dropped her gaze to her hands again. “There was so much blood,” she whispered. “I didn’t know how much there could be.” She didn’t have to close her eyes to see him lying there on the bank floor. She remembered that someone was screaming and the sound hurt her ears. It had taken so long to realize that person was her.

“They arrested me. My lawyer tried to get me to say it was Ronnie. After all, he was dead and couldn’t say I was lying. But I wouldn’t do it. I told them everything and then I pled guilty. I didn’t want to have to face those people again at trial. I was sentenced and that was it.”

She shifted on the chair, fighting tears. “Sandy came to see me. She was heartbroken. She kept saying it was her fault and I had to tell her it wasn’t and I was so afraid she would abandon me, but she didn’t. Not even when they sent me away.”

Finally she looked at him. His face was carefully blank, his eyes expressionless. Better than jumping to his feet and calling her a murderer, she supposed, but not by much.

“They sentenced me to twelve years. I served nine. I was twenty-seven when I got out. That was nearly ten years ago. Sandy was sick and I stayed with her for the next couple of years, taking care of her until she died. She left me everything. I sold her little house and took the money and somehow found Fool’s Gold. I bought this place.”

She folded her arms over her chest again. “If I could take it back, I would. If I could give up my life so Ronnie didn’t have to die like that… Such a waste for both of us. We were kids, but we still should have known better. I know I was lucky. The bank manager was shot but recovered and I had Sandy looking out for me. She never gave up on me. I don’t know why. Anyone else would have walked away.”

She paused, hoping he would say something. He didn’t. Feeling uncomfortable, she added, “I learned my lesson. Obviously. Everything is different now, but I still carry that with me.”

“I can see why.” He rolled off the opposite side of the bed and started dressing.

She stood, careful to put the chair between them. Instinctively she knew she was going to need protection.

He pulled on jeans, then dragged on his sweatshirt. Finally he looked at her and swore. “I thought you’d been with some guy who beat you. I thought you were a Mafia princess or some crap like that.”

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t let him know how his words cut through her.

“You don’t have some noble past,” he growled. “You’re a criminal. An innocent man could have died because of you. A guilty man did die. That’s not anything I want to be a part of.”

He stepped into his boots, grabbed his jacket and was gone. Seconds later, she heard the front door slam and the uneven sound of his footsteps on the stairs.

She began to shiver. Not that the room was chilly. Instead the cold came from inside. It swept through her until she trembled so much she could barely stand.

She’d known what would happen if she ever told the truth. Known how it would end. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised.

Tears filled her eyes. As she brushed them away she wondered if she would ever get to leave her past behind. Not that she wanted to forget. She would pay for what she’d done for the rest of her life and she deserved that. But somewhere along the line she’d changed, and she’d hoped that her future might change, too.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE CONSTRUCTION SITE was pure chaos. Tucker stood beside the trailer and stared at what had once been a relatively quiet, orderly work area. Now there were police, state troopers, private security and tourists everywhere. The cleared area by the mountain had become a makeshift parking lot that overflowed with cars and trucks. Heidi Simpson had set up a stand selling her goat cheese, along with water, soda and sandwiches. He understood the need for everyone to make a profit, but wished they would all go away and leave him alone.

He felt his phone buzz in his shirt pocket and pulled it out.

“Janack,” he said.

“You’ve made it to CNN,” his father said. “I can’t decide if I’m proud or horrified.”

“Let me know when you decide,” Tucker told him. “I know where I stand.”

He went into the trailer so he could hear more easily, and shut the door behind him.

His father chuckled. “I can hear it in your voice, son. Bad?”

Tucker slumped into his chair. “I keep telling myself it could be worse. At least the find is at the far end of the site, just past our property line. We’re not legally involved. As soon as the gold is taken away, things will quiet down. In the meantime, we’re moving our equipment and men as far away as possible.”

“Sounds like you have it under control.”

“Nevada does. She volunteered to coordinate with the town on this.”

“Always good having a local around.”

“It is,” he said absently, thinking Nevada’s value went past simply being local.