Bare It All
Page 77
“I shot him in the chest, and he...died.”
Reese tried to pull back, but Alice held on. She wasn’t ashamed of killing Murray. She had no regrets in that regard.
But regrets with Reese...yes, she had plenty of those. “I’m sorry,” she said in a rush, wanting him to understand. “It wasn’t my secret to share. I wouldn’t have shared it now except that I don’t want you telling an inaccurate story.”
The turbulence gathering in his eyes made her uneasy.
“Reese...”
Logan tapped on the driver’s side window, making Alice jump.
With a low curse, Reese squeezed his eyes shut and put his head down.
Not looking at her.
He opened his fingers, releasing her hand, so she withdrew it. The chill of rejection sank in, but she would not second-guess her decision to be honest. Not anymore.
Not with Reese.
Rather than sit there waiting for him to make up his mind about...whatever decision he needed to make, Alice opened her door and got out.
Logan and Pepper looked at her with curiosity. “Everything okay?” Logan asked.
She wasn’t sure. Reese might need time to come to grips with her disclosure, so she started around the hood, saying, “It might be best if we just wait inside.”
Logan frowned. “Wait for what?”
She reached out a hand, hoping Pepper would join her. She didn’t want to go in that police station alone. “For Reese to—”
Shoving open his car door, Reese emerged like a turbulent storm. His gaze pierced her, stopping her in midstep. “Don’t even think it, Alice.”
She thrust up her chin. “Or what? You’ll arrest me?”
Scowling fiercely, he opened his mouth, then shut it again.
When Rowdy pulled up, Alice felt incredible relief. Maybe she’d get a second to talk alone with him, to ask his advice on how to—
“No, goddamn it.” Reese slammed the car door so hard, it drew attention from other people in the lot.
Pepper murmured, “Uh-oh,” at the same time that Logan whispered, “Shush.”
Shoulders bunched, Reese strode over to her, clasped her chin and lifted her face. “No, Alice.”
Refusing to be cowed, especially with his friends standing right there, Alice stood her ground. “No, you won’t arrest me?”
Grim humor brightened his green eyes. “Actually, that part’s still up in the air.”
Pepper snorted.
Logan said in reproach, “Reese, for God’s sake.”
“What I meant,” Reese said, ignoring the others, “is that you will not continue to look at Rowdy as a damned confidante.”
How dare he try to order her around that way? Her friendship with Rowdy was not an illegal activity. “I will if I want to,” Alice said as she pulled away.
Pepper interjected, saying, “Rowdy? Seriously?” She applauded. “Perfect choice, Alice. I’ve always found my brother to be completely reliable.”
Now Logan scowled. “I’m reliable.”
“Yes, you are.” Pepper patted his chest. “But I don’t want Alice coming to you for private talks.”
Logan blustered. “I didn’t mean her.” And in an aside: “No offense, Alice.”
“None taken.”
“I meant you,” Logan told Pepper.
“Of course.” She cuddled up against his uninjured side. “We are getting married, after all. Oh, and that reminds me, Alice. We’ve set a date. Can I still count on you to attend the wedding?”
Alice made a point of not looking at Reese. She could feel his pulsing anger as he stood there beside her. “Absolutely, thank you.”
Logan looked at her, looked at Reese and laughed.
Reese didn’t find it funny. “Shut up, Logan.”
Alice bit her lip. She should have told him sooner, of course. He needed time to order his thoughts, to adjust to the new information. Not that she thought he’d actually arrest her. And she wasn’t even sure he could. After all, Murray had needed killing, and she’d led a mostly quiet life since then, at least until Cheryl...
Reese shook his head. “The path your thoughts take.”
Did he know her thoughts?
“You’re like an open book, Alice.” Then, under his breath he added, “At least most of the time.”
Wide-eyed over his observation, she wondered what to do next—and Reese took her hand. It reassured her, and she started to smile up at him.
Just then, Rowdy joined the ranks. Alice looked him over from his dark T-shirt, well-worn jeans and scuffed brown work boots, up to the eyes he had squinted against the bright sunshine.
Keys jangled in his hand as his long legs brought him closer. He took in the various expressions and asked, “Fireworks?”
“A little, yeah,” Logan told him.
Grinning, Rowdy hauled Pepper right out of Logan’s hold and hugged her off her feet. “Kiddo, what did you do now?”
“Not me,” Pepper said, and she pointed at Alice. “Her.”
Maybe going into the station alone wouldn’t be so bad after all. Alice took a step toward Rowdy, but Reese wasn’t letting go. “No, you don’t.” He brought his arm up to her shoulders and locked her in close to his side.
Then he just stood there.
Looking a little mean.
Logan lifted a brow. “What are we doing?”
“Looks to me like he’s going quietly insane,” Rowdy said. He tipped his chin at Alice. “Is this your doing?”
Reese tried to pull back, but Alice held on. She wasn’t ashamed of killing Murray. She had no regrets in that regard.
But regrets with Reese...yes, she had plenty of those. “I’m sorry,” she said in a rush, wanting him to understand. “It wasn’t my secret to share. I wouldn’t have shared it now except that I don’t want you telling an inaccurate story.”
The turbulence gathering in his eyes made her uneasy.
“Reese...”
Logan tapped on the driver’s side window, making Alice jump.
With a low curse, Reese squeezed his eyes shut and put his head down.
Not looking at her.
He opened his fingers, releasing her hand, so she withdrew it. The chill of rejection sank in, but she would not second-guess her decision to be honest. Not anymore.
Not with Reese.
Rather than sit there waiting for him to make up his mind about...whatever decision he needed to make, Alice opened her door and got out.
Logan and Pepper looked at her with curiosity. “Everything okay?” Logan asked.
She wasn’t sure. Reese might need time to come to grips with her disclosure, so she started around the hood, saying, “It might be best if we just wait inside.”
Logan frowned. “Wait for what?”
She reached out a hand, hoping Pepper would join her. She didn’t want to go in that police station alone. “For Reese to—”
Shoving open his car door, Reese emerged like a turbulent storm. His gaze pierced her, stopping her in midstep. “Don’t even think it, Alice.”
She thrust up her chin. “Or what? You’ll arrest me?”
Scowling fiercely, he opened his mouth, then shut it again.
When Rowdy pulled up, Alice felt incredible relief. Maybe she’d get a second to talk alone with him, to ask his advice on how to—
“No, goddamn it.” Reese slammed the car door so hard, it drew attention from other people in the lot.
Pepper murmured, “Uh-oh,” at the same time that Logan whispered, “Shush.”
Shoulders bunched, Reese strode over to her, clasped her chin and lifted her face. “No, Alice.”
Refusing to be cowed, especially with his friends standing right there, Alice stood her ground. “No, you won’t arrest me?”
Grim humor brightened his green eyes. “Actually, that part’s still up in the air.”
Pepper snorted.
Logan said in reproach, “Reese, for God’s sake.”
“What I meant,” Reese said, ignoring the others, “is that you will not continue to look at Rowdy as a damned confidante.”
How dare he try to order her around that way? Her friendship with Rowdy was not an illegal activity. “I will if I want to,” Alice said as she pulled away.
Pepper interjected, saying, “Rowdy? Seriously?” She applauded. “Perfect choice, Alice. I’ve always found my brother to be completely reliable.”
Now Logan scowled. “I’m reliable.”
“Yes, you are.” Pepper patted his chest. “But I don’t want Alice coming to you for private talks.”
Logan blustered. “I didn’t mean her.” And in an aside: “No offense, Alice.”
“None taken.”
“I meant you,” Logan told Pepper.
“Of course.” She cuddled up against his uninjured side. “We are getting married, after all. Oh, and that reminds me, Alice. We’ve set a date. Can I still count on you to attend the wedding?”
Alice made a point of not looking at Reese. She could feel his pulsing anger as he stood there beside her. “Absolutely, thank you.”
Logan looked at her, looked at Reese and laughed.
Reese didn’t find it funny. “Shut up, Logan.”
Alice bit her lip. She should have told him sooner, of course. He needed time to order his thoughts, to adjust to the new information. Not that she thought he’d actually arrest her. And she wasn’t even sure he could. After all, Murray had needed killing, and she’d led a mostly quiet life since then, at least until Cheryl...
Reese shook his head. “The path your thoughts take.”
Did he know her thoughts?
“You’re like an open book, Alice.” Then, under his breath he added, “At least most of the time.”
Wide-eyed over his observation, she wondered what to do next—and Reese took her hand. It reassured her, and she started to smile up at him.
Just then, Rowdy joined the ranks. Alice looked him over from his dark T-shirt, well-worn jeans and scuffed brown work boots, up to the eyes he had squinted against the bright sunshine.
Keys jangled in his hand as his long legs brought him closer. He took in the various expressions and asked, “Fireworks?”
“A little, yeah,” Logan told him.
Grinning, Rowdy hauled Pepper right out of Logan’s hold and hugged her off her feet. “Kiddo, what did you do now?”
“Not me,” Pepper said, and she pointed at Alice. “Her.”
Maybe going into the station alone wouldn’t be so bad after all. Alice took a step toward Rowdy, but Reese wasn’t letting go. “No, you don’t.” He brought his arm up to her shoulders and locked her in close to his side.
Then he just stood there.
Looking a little mean.
Logan lifted a brow. “What are we doing?”
“Looks to me like he’s going quietly insane,” Rowdy said. He tipped his chin at Alice. “Is this your doing?”
