Bare It All
Page 26
“Obviously not,” Reese denied, “but if you want to keep that narrow view, I won’t debate it with you.”
Logan groaned.
“So much for our truce.” Pepper pushed once more to her feet. “I think I’ll go check on Alice.”
Damn it. Why was it he couldn’t be around Pepper without sniping? Reese got to his feet, too. He even dared to catch Pepper’s arm. “I like matching wits with you, Pepper, I really do.”
“Is that what you were doing?”
“But if you’re going to get pissed every time, it takes the fun out of it.”
“Far as apologies go, that was totally lame.”
“Maybe because I wasn’t—”
She patted his face—a little more firmly than necessary. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll let you off the hook this time, but only because we’re all still out of sorts today.”
“I’m not out of sorts,” Logan denied.
“Me either,” Reese said.
Pepper rolled her eyes and said again, with more feeling, “Men!”
Reese waited until she’d left the room before he dropped into his seat tiredly. “Jesus, but she’s right, Logan.” He rubbed his face. “I’m on the ragged edge, here. Not enough sleep, a trashed apartment and...” He hesitated, but he trusted Logan enough that he had to bring him in. “Alice told me she was once kidnapped.”
Logan sat forward, his injury forgotten. “When? Who?”
He shook his head. “She doesn’t want to share the details, but she says she wasn’t raped.”
Silence filled the room for a moment until Logan asked quietly, “You believe her?”
“I don’t know. I hope that’s true. But whatever happened, it changed her life.” He met Logan’s concerned gaze. “One way or another, I need to find out everything.”
Logan agreed. “She’s still afraid.”
Reese knew Logan was harking back to the moment Alice had walked into his apartment with the gun in her hand. Sometimes it’s better when they’re dead. Never would he forget how she’d said that, the expression on her face at that moment. Reese closed his eyes, sick with some anomalous need. “I don’t have much to go on, but I think it’s possible the threat is still around.”
“That’s why Rowdy visited her?”
No astute man would miss the aura of fear surrounding Alice like a fragile veil. “He suspected things, same as I did.” Reese stared toward the hall. What was keeping Alice?
“She’s safe with Rowdy, you know that, right?” Logan fidgeted, trying to get comfortable. “He’s something of a lost soul, but he’s not abusive, especially not to women.”
“A lost soul?” What a lot of melodrama—but in Rowdy’s case, apt. “He’s been so used to looming over his sister, he probably needs a new target now just to keep himself occupied.” He glanced at Logan. “Since you’ve usurped his position and all.”
“He says he understands, and I know he’s happy for Pepper.” Logan eased back again with a sigh. “Once we’re married we can all get settled into being related.”
Reese moved away to look down the hall, but the bathroom door remained closed. Was Pepper in there with Alice now? What the hell were they talking about for so long? “At first I didn’t like Rowdy sniffing around, but as you said, that was based off jealousy.”
Logan stared at him in disbelief. “You admit it?”
“It is what it is.” And he felt very possessive where Alice was concerned. “And since I can’t always be there with her, it’s nice to know Rowdy can keep an eye out, too.” He’d spent the past few years doing just that for his sister. He and Pepper were as close as siblings could be.
They were steadfast people, unique but with a good moral compass. “She’s been getting by on her own just fine, but now she won’t have to.” Whether or not Alice would appreciate the intrusion, Reese didn’t know—and that was a good reason not to tell her just yet.
“God knows I’ll have plenty of downtime, so I’ll need a way to keep from going nuts.” Logan cautiously flexed his injured arm. “Tell me how I can help.”
* * *
WHILE ALICE WORKED a comb through her tangled hair, Pepper sat on the side of the tub, visiting. She wasn’t a chatty woman, Alice noted. Not intrusive either. She was just...there. Friendly but quiet. Interested but not nosey.
“This is hopeless.” Alice put the comb aside and smoothed her hair with her hands. It was neatly parted again, but continued to pull into wild waves. Making a face at herself in the mirror, she said, “It doesn’t really matter, anyway. We’re going to get soaked again when we leave.”
Pepper studied her. “You want some warm tea or something?” Then she looked struck. “That is, if Logan has tea.” She fingered a thick decorative towel over the towel bar. “I haven’t even looked at the whole house yet.”
“I’m sure you had other things on your mind by the time you got here from the hospital.”
Pepper nodded, swallowed hard, then closed her eyes. “I could have lost him.”
“But you didn’t.” Quickly, Alice sat beside Pepper. She’d done what she could to dry her dress, but it still stuck to her body in a very unattractive way. “I’m sorry he got injured, but I’m so thankful he showed up to help.” Imagining what might have happened otherwise was too painful.
Logan groaned.
“So much for our truce.” Pepper pushed once more to her feet. “I think I’ll go check on Alice.”
Damn it. Why was it he couldn’t be around Pepper without sniping? Reese got to his feet, too. He even dared to catch Pepper’s arm. “I like matching wits with you, Pepper, I really do.”
“Is that what you were doing?”
“But if you’re going to get pissed every time, it takes the fun out of it.”
“Far as apologies go, that was totally lame.”
“Maybe because I wasn’t—”
She patted his face—a little more firmly than necessary. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll let you off the hook this time, but only because we’re all still out of sorts today.”
“I’m not out of sorts,” Logan denied.
“Me either,” Reese said.
Pepper rolled her eyes and said again, with more feeling, “Men!”
Reese waited until she’d left the room before he dropped into his seat tiredly. “Jesus, but she’s right, Logan.” He rubbed his face. “I’m on the ragged edge, here. Not enough sleep, a trashed apartment and...” He hesitated, but he trusted Logan enough that he had to bring him in. “Alice told me she was once kidnapped.”
Logan sat forward, his injury forgotten. “When? Who?”
He shook his head. “She doesn’t want to share the details, but she says she wasn’t raped.”
Silence filled the room for a moment until Logan asked quietly, “You believe her?”
“I don’t know. I hope that’s true. But whatever happened, it changed her life.” He met Logan’s concerned gaze. “One way or another, I need to find out everything.”
Logan agreed. “She’s still afraid.”
Reese knew Logan was harking back to the moment Alice had walked into his apartment with the gun in her hand. Sometimes it’s better when they’re dead. Never would he forget how she’d said that, the expression on her face at that moment. Reese closed his eyes, sick with some anomalous need. “I don’t have much to go on, but I think it’s possible the threat is still around.”
“That’s why Rowdy visited her?”
No astute man would miss the aura of fear surrounding Alice like a fragile veil. “He suspected things, same as I did.” Reese stared toward the hall. What was keeping Alice?
“She’s safe with Rowdy, you know that, right?” Logan fidgeted, trying to get comfortable. “He’s something of a lost soul, but he’s not abusive, especially not to women.”
“A lost soul?” What a lot of melodrama—but in Rowdy’s case, apt. “He’s been so used to looming over his sister, he probably needs a new target now just to keep himself occupied.” He glanced at Logan. “Since you’ve usurped his position and all.”
“He says he understands, and I know he’s happy for Pepper.” Logan eased back again with a sigh. “Once we’re married we can all get settled into being related.”
Reese moved away to look down the hall, but the bathroom door remained closed. Was Pepper in there with Alice now? What the hell were they talking about for so long? “At first I didn’t like Rowdy sniffing around, but as you said, that was based off jealousy.”
Logan stared at him in disbelief. “You admit it?”
“It is what it is.” And he felt very possessive where Alice was concerned. “And since I can’t always be there with her, it’s nice to know Rowdy can keep an eye out, too.” He’d spent the past few years doing just that for his sister. He and Pepper were as close as siblings could be.
They were steadfast people, unique but with a good moral compass. “She’s been getting by on her own just fine, but now she won’t have to.” Whether or not Alice would appreciate the intrusion, Reese didn’t know—and that was a good reason not to tell her just yet.
“God knows I’ll have plenty of downtime, so I’ll need a way to keep from going nuts.” Logan cautiously flexed his injured arm. “Tell me how I can help.”
* * *
WHILE ALICE WORKED a comb through her tangled hair, Pepper sat on the side of the tub, visiting. She wasn’t a chatty woman, Alice noted. Not intrusive either. She was just...there. Friendly but quiet. Interested but not nosey.
“This is hopeless.” Alice put the comb aside and smoothed her hair with her hands. It was neatly parted again, but continued to pull into wild waves. Making a face at herself in the mirror, she said, “It doesn’t really matter, anyway. We’re going to get soaked again when we leave.”
Pepper studied her. “You want some warm tea or something?” Then she looked struck. “That is, if Logan has tea.” She fingered a thick decorative towel over the towel bar. “I haven’t even looked at the whole house yet.”
“I’m sure you had other things on your mind by the time you got here from the hospital.”
Pepper nodded, swallowed hard, then closed her eyes. “I could have lost him.”
“But you didn’t.” Quickly, Alice sat beside Pepper. She’d done what she could to dry her dress, but it still stuck to her body in a very unattractive way. “I’m sorry he got injured, but I’m so thankful he showed up to help.” Imagining what might have happened otherwise was too painful.
