Unauthorized Affair (Unauthorized #1)(37)
“Do what for you, Dad?”
“Some computer stuff. I just need a little help. One job. It won’t take any time at all.”
“And then you leave her alone forever? You never touch her?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t believe you.”
His father chuckled. To Coleton it sounded like glass breaking. “You should believe me. I’ve changed. You should come see me,” his father said.
“Where are you?”
“The beach house.” Coleton knew his father owned at least five houses, most just outside town. Two of them his mom also had access too. Coleton only knew where a few of them were. But one of them was his childhood home. If he thought hard, he could dredge up memories about that house he thought he’d never try to remember again.
“You might see me, Dad. But I swear to God old man, if you touch her, you’ll pay.”
His father’s voice became hard. “You shouldn’t threaten Coleton. You’ve got a nice life. No one bothers you. It’s more than you deserve after what you did.”
Coleton felt his reserve shatter, just like that. He felt screaming accusations build up in his chest. He felt the desire to pulverize the old man’s face. Serve him up what he’d dished out so many times. He hung up the phone and threw it on the floor of the passenger seat, then used every trick he knew to get himself under control. Jen. Jen wasn’t safe. No matter if he did a job for his father or not. He had to warn her.
He heard a honk and saw the red Firebird slip behind his car. He retrieved the phone from the floor and prayed Jackson came up with Jen’s address before his dad did.
***
Jen drove home in the dwindling evening light, marveling on everything she and Ivy had talked about. She liked Ivy a lot. And she was so happy that Ivy and Ryker seemed to be nurturing some sort of epic love, but was Ivy hallucinating when she said that Hunter stared at her? She’d never seen any evidence of it.
As she pulled in to the driveway of her brother’s house she noticed that Jerry still wasn’t home, and that a strange car was parked in front. Not strange, that’s Coleton’s car.
Her breath caught in her throat. Why was Coleton here? And how had he figured out where she lived? She sat in her car and looked at it, mind racing. Should she be scared? Perhaps just drive away? Drive to Hunter’s place? But he wouldn’t be home. Ivy had said he had to go out of town to help his mother today.
Her mind flashed back to yesterday, when she’d decided he was no more dangerous than, well than one of those adorable sea lion pups. And could she trust that decision? Yes, she decided. She could. But she still needed to be careful. Because not being careful would be stupid and reckless, two things she wasn’t.
Coleton’s driver door opened and he walked to her car. She checked his hands, empty and free at his sides. She looked for evidence of a gun under his clothes and saw none. Of course she couldn’t see the small of his back. She checked his face and froze at what she saw there. Hot fear, misery and something else. Anger? Outrage? At her?
She placed her hand on her gear shift, ready to leave in a hurry if she needed to. “Coleton what is going on? Why are you here?” she asked while he was still five steps away.
“Jen, I need to talk to you. You are in danger.” The anguish in his voice stood out clearly and Jen wondered what in the hell had happened to make him sound so out of character. It scared her. She shifted her car into reverse, the gearshift thunking as she did so.
Coleton heard it and stopped walking. He held up his hands. “Not from me, Jen.” He dropped to his knees, so his face would be level with hers. His voice was low, but Jen heard every word. “I have to leave town, Jen. Maybe for good this time.” He cupped his mouth with his hands so his voice was projected directly to her and spoke even more quietly. “My dad knows you are a cop, Jen.”
Jen felt her muscles tighten and her arms want to draw over her heart. More than Coleton’s words, the look on his face terrified her. He was obviously scared to death for her, and that told her everything she needed to know. Even so, ridiculous responses rose to her tongue. I’m not a cop. Where did you get that idea? Maybe you’re a cop. She cleared her head and bit her lip so as not to spill a completely inappropriate laugh.
“Jen, we really do need to talk. But not here. Can you follow me somewhere?”
“This can’t wait?” What she really wanted was to talk to Hunter. And for none of this to ever have happened.
“No, it can’t.” His handsome face, sculpted into lines of dread, convinced her he was telling the truth.
“Where?”
“Somewhere public. And noisy. A restaurant maybe.”
Jen considered. “OK, but I need to run inside. You go sit in your car and wait for me. Don’t leave your car.”
He nodded and turned around, following her instructions. She checked his back. No gun that she could see. That didn’t mean much though. He could have one in the car.
Jen waited until his door was closed, considered leaving her car running, but knew she couldn’t. She needed her keys. She pulled her phone out of her pocket as she went and dialed Hunter’s number. No answer. Dammit! She left him a short message and considered as she let herself into the house. She ran to her bedroom and grabbed her own gun, eying the holster it was in. No, for this she wanted the bra holster. She found it in the closet, then ran to Jerry’s bedroom to check his window. Coleton was in his car, his body twisted towards the house, watching her watch him, tension visible even in his outline.