Laying Down the Law (13 page)

“Will be fine. Don’t you worry.”

“Good. Didn’t want anyone hurt on account of me.” She stirred, becoming aware that she sat sprawled across Colt’s lap as he sat in the dirt on the side of the highway.

Scrubbing a hand across her face, she wiped away her tears.

“Better?”

She nodded and offered him a smile, although now with the adrenaline leaving her system, she felt every ache and was weary to the bone.

“Let me get you up.” Colt gently slid from under her, then stood and picked her up from the ground.

She grabbed for his shoulders. “I can walk.”

His gray eyes met her gaze. A dark brow lifted. “Do you want to?”

She ducked her head and blushed. “Not really.”

“Then let me take care of you.”

She liked the sound of that, however foreign the sentiment in her life. She’d never had anyone say that to her before. Still, pride made her blurt, “I’m not hurt. Not really. Just a little bruised.”

He didn’t answer as he strode away from David’s car. The detective lay prone on the ground, an EMT kneeling beside him. His mouth was bloodied, his gaze on her, hatred radiating from his cold blue eyes.

She shivered and snuggled closer to Colt’s chest.

“Don’t you worry about him.”

“Hey, Colt.” A man dressed in a dark suit approached, his features flinty until his gaze fell on her. He gave her a nod. “She okay? She need medical attention?”

“She’s fine, Billy.”

“Taking her to the station?”

Colt’s arms became rigid bands around her. “Yeah, heading there now.”

But she knew he hadn’t been thinking that, not by his tone. He’d forgotten for a moment that she was still in deep trouble.

Billy’s hard gaze didn’t blink. “I’ll follow you.”

“Great.” Colt approached one of the deputy’s trucks, which was when Zuri realized why he was so familiar. Wade Dalton had been one of Colt’s running buddies in high school.

Wade, looking older and more handsome than the last time she’d seen him, held open the door to the back seat. “Zuri,” he said, nodding to her. Then to Colt he said, “Want me to drive you two?”

Colt leaned down and set her on the seat. “Scoot.”

Surprised he intended to ride with her in the back, she moved quickly, her gaze never leaving his as he ducked inside and sat. He reached for her hand and he held it between both of his as Wade put the car in gear and pulled onto the highway.

Chapter Twelve

After pulling down the yellow crime-scene tape from the door, Zuri unlocked her apartment with the spare key the super gave her and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her then leaned her back against it, glancing around.

The air was musty. Dust lay on the surface of the bureau sitting near the door. She glanced around and her heart fell to her toes. Her apartment was trashed. Couch cushions were tossed, drawers emptied on the ground. Nothing was as she’d left it. Whoever had searched her apartment, Houston PD or the FBI, maybe both, had left no stone or pillow unturned.

“What a mess.”

After days in custody, she’d finally been released on her own recognizance, even though David Satterly still swore up and down she’d been a part of the robbery, that
she’d
recruited him. The prosecutor hadn’t bought his story and instead had offered her immunity from prosecution for her testimony. A bad cop was more newsworthy than a greedy bank teller.

Colt was sure she’d be cleared in the end. Once all the facts were sorted out.

Colt.
She sighed. He’d been a rock—hiring the best attorney money could buy, hovering every time she was led away for questioning. She was sure his stolid presence had worked in her favor, swaying the investigators. How could a stalwart man like Colt Triplehorn get involved with someone unsavory? In the end, she was sure he’d tipped the scales in her favor. That and the fact that despite a thorough search of her home and financial records, they hadn’t found any proof she’d been in league with the detective.

With just his word against hers, they’d jockeyed for a deal. One she’d been too exhausted to protest. Like Colt had said, the truth would come out in the end, and she’d be cleared.

In the meantime, she was out of job. And likely wouldn’t find another with the investigation hanging over her head.

Colt didn’t see the problem. Which was why, without telling anyone where she was going, she’d taken a cab from the FBI building straight home.

She needed time to think, which she could do while she cleaned up her apartment. Pushing away from the door, she rolled up the sleeves of the blouse Colt had bought her. After he’d seen her dressed in the jail’s white jumpsuit, he’d sent Tommy on a mission to buy her clothes.

Zuri shook her head. The man had so much money all he had to do was snap his fingers and things happened. She wished she could snap her fingers and make this mess go away, but she wasn’t a Triplehorn. If she didn’t shake the stain of her arrest, she never would be.

Dragging her feet, she headed straight into the living room area and picked up pillows from the floor. When she bent to replace the chair’s cushion, she noted a long gash cut into the bottom, stuffing pushing out. Her hands shook as she reached down to push it back inside. But it was ruined. Everything was ruined. She dropped it to the carpet, leaned her head against the sofa and cried.

Colt heard her sobs as soon as he pushed through the front door. Moving quietly, he entered, noted the mess and guessed the cause of her sorrow. He’d have spared her this, but she’d given him the slip. Tommy had followed her to the apartment and called him to let him know where to find her.

For whatever cockeyed reason, Zuri had begun to withdraw from him. Pulling away the moment she realized her problems were going to linger for a while. He suspected that she worried about hurting his reputation, that she’d be a burden, but they hadn’t had the privacy to talk about what was weighing on her mind.

Coming up behind her, he knelt and reached for her upper arms. He pulled her back against his chest then wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay, Zuri.”

She didn’t fight him, but also didn’t cling. She lay limply against his chest, her body shaking with her deep sobs. “You can’t know that. You’re a sheriff, you can’t want this.”

You can’t want me
was what he heard. He tightened his fingers on her upper arms and gave her a gentle shake. “Don’t tell me what I want.” It came out more harshly than he intended, but it seemed to do the trick.

Zuri stiffened. Her sobs subsided. When she reached up to pry his fingers from her arm, he let her go. She crawled forward on her knees then turned to face him.

Her expression nearly killed him.

Her soft brown eyes were large in her face, her lashes wet and spiked. Her chin wobbled. Gone was any hint of stubborn pride.

At a loss for what to say next, he took off his cowboy hat and raked a hand through his hair. “Billy says I can take you home.”

“This is my home,” she said, her voice thick and raw.

He shook his head. “You’re not stayin’ here.”

“I have work to do. A mess to clean up.”

“I’ll hire a cleaning team. You don’t have to do this.”

“It’s my own damn mess.” Her chin firmed, lifted.

Now there was the hint of starch he’d hoped to find. “Then we’ve got ourselves a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“I have a job. One that requires I be in Caldera County to perform.”

“There’s nothin’ stoppin’ you here.”

“Sure there is. You see, Billy says you’re my responsibility.”

“They released me.”

“With promises from me to make sure you met your court dates. And he expects to contact you in the meantime at my home.”

“You’ll just have to tell him my plans changed.”

He almost smiled. Her eyes gleamed, not with tears, but with anger. Something he could work with.

Slipping his cuffs from his back pocket, he dangled them from a finger. “Now, we can do this the easy way…or…”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You wouldn’t.”

“I will if I have to.” He held out his other hand. “Gonna come peaceably?”

He read relief in the lowering of her shoulders, but not defeat.

Her glance cut to the side. “I’ll need to pack.”

“There’s not a thing you need. I have a suitcase in the truck. All those pretty things Tommy bought you.”

“I’m not some charity case.”

“Never wanted you to feel that way,” he said honestly. “Didn’t mean to ride roughshod over you these past few days, but I wanted this over. For us to be able to move on. Fact is, I need you, Zuri.”

“I’m not right for you. Not—”

“Don’t say you aren’t good enough.”

Her eyes filled. “You know what I came from, what I’ve been accused of. Folks can’t be that forgiving, not in Caldera.”

“Folks will learn to judge you by the company you keep, by the good things you do.”

A tear escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you, Colt. I couldn’t stand that.”

Colt reached out a finger and wiped the tear away. Then he cupped her face between his hands, locking her gaze with his. “The only way you’ll hurt me, Zuri-girl, is if you let me walk out that door alone.”

She drew in a breath, opened her mouth to speak, but then came up on her knees and flung her arms around his shoulders. “I’m so glad you said that. I wanted to give you an out, but it would have killed me to say goodbye. Guess I’m selfish.”

Colt held her close, smiling into her hair. “Guess I’m selfish too, because I wasn’t jokin’ about those cuffs.”

“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

Tugging on the back of her hair, he forced her head back. “If you come home with me, you’re gonna live under my roof. My rules.”

Her lips curved. “Didn’t mind your rules so much the last time.”

“Glad you’re so eager. But I’ve got this ring that’s been burnin’ a hole in my pocket for twelve long years.”

“You kept it?”

“Belonged to my grandmother. I wasn’t gonna throw it away. It’s been waitin’ for the right girl to come home.”

“Your rules?” she said, arching a brow.

“You have to come home as my wife.”

“Think we can leave out the whole I’m-in-your-custody bit when we tell our kids about this?”

“Don’t you want to be the coolest mom ever?”

She laughed and sprang against him, kissing his mouth.

He caught her against his chest…felt her heart thudding against him, his own racing to catch up.

When she pulled back, she held up her hand and fluttered her fingers. “I want to see it.”

He grinned. “You haven’t said yes.”

Dropping her hand to her thigh, she wrinkled her nose. “I’d have said yes twelve years ago, but you still haven’t asked.”

Colt couldn’t help it. He laughed.

Zuri giggled.

A door opened and closed. “Holy shit,” came Tommy’s voice. His footsteps drew near. “Zuri, you better say yes quick. No way is
Mrs.
Triplehorn gonna have to clean up this mess.”

Colt laughed harder.

Zuri leaned into him, her body shaking with laughter.

When he got his mirth under control, he shifted onto one knee and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small jeweler’s box and opened the lid, glancing at the sparkling diamond inside before turning it toward her. “Zuri Prescott, will be my wife?”

Her glance fell to the ring with a soft gasp. “It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice soft and uncharacteristically high.

“She still hasn’t said yes,” Tommy whispered.

“I’m thinkin’,” she murmured, her gaze still glued to the ring.

“What’s there to think about, sugar? He’s crazy about you.”

“His rules…”

Colt chuckled. “I promise they won’t be anything you can’t live with.”

Her gaze narrowed then darted up to his face. “I’d still like to hear them.”

Since he didn’t really have a list, he cleared his throat. “We have an audience…”

His brother’s breath gusted on a laugh. “Your audience ain’t leavin’ now.”

Zuri waggled her eyebrows. “We’re all waitin’ to hear.”

Colt aimed a glare at Tommy’s grinning face then turned back to Zuri. “My rules. No other man but me for the rest of our lives.”

She appeared to consider that one for a long moment, then nodded. “Agreed.”

“No clothes between us when we lay together.”

“
Wherever
we lay together?”

He didn’t know how that made a difference, but he nodded.

“Agreed.”

Tommy snorted. “Man, you’ve got no imagination.”

Colt snorted. “No panties when I take you out on a date.”

Zuri’s eyes widened. “Colt, you said that in front of Tommy. Now, he’ll know!”

“Yes, I will,” Tommy said, laughter in his voice. “And won’t that be fun.”