Keeper of the Peace (Graveyard Guardians #2) (18 page)

Hannah resisted another grin. It wasn’t
truly about Lucy wanting his type, it was about the fact that the
two of them shared some sort of crazy bond. Lucy and Jack being
apart had proven to be more dangerous than them being together.

A phone rang.

“It’s me.” David pulled his cell from the
pocket of his jeans. “Oh crap, I’ve got to take this. I’m sorry.”
He apologized as he stared at the screen and the phone rang again.
He stood and left the room as he answered the call. “Foster.”

Left alone with the sheriff and his wife,
Hannah stood and offered to help clean up.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, dear.”

Hannah began collecting some of the dishes.
“Nonsense,” Hannah responded. “You cooked, we clean.”

Darcy smiled and shook her head. “Well, if
you insist.”

Another phone rang, this time it came from
Frank’s pocket. “That’s me this time.” He swiped at his phone and
headed out of the room.

“Oh the life of a law enforcement officers
wife. You know they never stop working? Being off duty is not
really off duty for them.”

Hannah nodded. “I’m beginning to understand
that.”

After a few moments of cleaning up the
kitchen they heard raised voices from the other room.

“Good Lord, what is going on in there?”
Darcy threw her dishtowel down and hurried out of the kitchen.
Hannah dropped the dishes she had into the sink, following right
behind her. She couldn’t think of any reason right off the top of
her head why David would be arguing with the sheriff.

“I already knew this was going to happen,”
David was telling Frank.

“Dammit kid, you can’t hide evidence like
this.”

“It’s our case now, we can handle it however
we want.”

The sheriff snorted. “You aren’t handling
this one like a cop and you know it.”

“What’s going on?” Darcy screamed, shoving
her tiny frame between the bodies of the two men.

“I thought you would understand,” David
accused Frank in a sad voice, “you know why I didn’t say anything
right away.”

“What?” Darcy yelled. “Say anything about
what?”

Hannah had been watching the interaction
between the two men and a sinking feeling began to grow in her
stomach.

They knew.

Confirmation of her thoughts came when both
of them turned their heads toward her.

Frank spoke first. “One of the seniors at
the center called and said they saw Hannah running from the crime
scene.”

Darcy furrowed her brows. “So, that doesn’t
mean anything.”

“No, it doesn’t,” the sheriff shook his
head, “but she still has to be questioned and she is now a
suspect.”

“Well I don’t see why you guys are arguing
about it.” Darcy stared at her husband, confused.

“They found a piece of fabric at the crime
scene that matches the description of what Hannah was wearing that
day. David knew from other evidence that she was there.”

Hannah’s felt her stomach flip flop. Okay,
so he knew already. How come he didn’t say anything? David met her
gaze and started toward her. “I didn’t want to say anything until I
knew more about why you were there.”

Hannah moved her lips, but nothing came out.
It was here. The time had come already. “He attacked me.” Hannah
managed to get the words to stumble out of her mouth.

David nodded as did the sheriff. “We know,
but right now, you probably shouldn’t say anything more,” David
explained to her.

For some reason, she had thought she would
have more time. She thought that maybe she would wake up and the
whole thing would be a nightmare. But no, here was her long lost
love telling her that the time was up.

David tore his gaze away from her and
glanced at the sheriff, then Darcy and then back to Hannah. “I have
to place you under arrest now, Hannah.”

CHAPTER

16

AIDEN

“Oh, fuck yeah!” The blonde Aiden had picked
up at the coffee shop in town was now bent over the ugly ass desk
in a cheap hotel room. She was a yeller, but that was all right
with him, it wasn’t like he was trying to hide or anything, she
could scream about how awesome his fucking was all day long.

He gripped her hair in his hand and thrust
into her even harder, the more she cried out with pleasure the
harder he pounded.

“God damn, yes! Fuck me harder.” she
ordered, breathlessly.

He pulled out and hauled her up into a
standing position, then reached down, gripped her legs and sat her
on the desk. After her ass was safely on the desk, he pulled those
gorgeous legs up and placed them on his shoulders.

She leaned back and braced herself with her
hands. Her wavy blonde hair was no longer the perfect hairdo she
had entered the room with, her skirt and button up blouse were
laying on the floor by the door and her eye makeup was smeared
underneath her eyes. This chick shouted fuck me, even fully clothed
and waiting for a latte. All he had to do was wink at her and he’d
had her within his grasp.

He did not, however, fail to notice the
wedding ring on her finger. It was not like you could miss that
gigantic diamond anyway.

He guided himself inside her and continued
to fuck her. He knew that when they were done here she would go
home and fuck her husband, but it would never be the same. Now she
would be wishing it was his cock instead of her husbands.

Ah, their sex life probably wasn’t that
great anyway if she was so willing to do a guy she picked up in a
coffee shop.

Just as he felt her getting ready to come,
his fucking phone went off.

“Shit!”

“Let it ring.”

He couldn’t let it ring. It was the Empress.
Couldn’t that bitch ever call when he wasn’t in the middle of sex?
It was like she had some kind of radar that said ‘Aiden is having
sex, call him right now and interrupt.’

“Ugh, Dammit!” Aiden pulled out and reached
for his phone.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The blonde
angrily swept some hair out of her face.

He ignored her and flopped down onto the
bed, “Hello?”

“Aiden, why haven’t you called me yet?”

“I can’t really talk about it right now.” He
explained to the Empress, hoping that she would get the hint that
he was around people.

The blonde eyed his still hard cock and
waltzed over to the bed. “Is that your wife?” she whispered as she
crawled up onto the bed and straddled him.

He shook his head.

“Seriously, Aiden. This was a simple task
and should be done by now.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve taken care of it and will …
oh God!” He couldn’t help the outburst, but blondie had slid
herself right down onto his cock, taking the length of him inside
of her.

“What is wrong with you?” The Empress asked
with surprise clear in her voice.

“Oh, fuck! I … I stubbed my toe.”

“Jesus, Aiden. Call me back when you can
contain yourself. I want a call within the hour.”

“Yes, yes. I can do that,” he quickly agreed
as blondie rode him, moving her hips back and forth, and rubbing
her nipples as she stared down at him.

“Goodbye, Aiden.” There was a click and
Aiden had never been relieved to get that bitch off the line.

Blondie leaned over, so that she could
whisper in his ear, “Sit still and enjoy.”

And he did, he gripped her hips and let her
ride him until they both reached their orgasm. Afterward, there was
no lying side by side and cuddling. There never was. He rolled over
and reached for his jeans, while she searched for her clothing and
then made an attempt at fixing her hair and makeup.

Neither he, nor she, spoke. They didn’t need
to. Both of them seemed to understand this was a one-time thing
that was not going to happen again. But, as she was leaving, she
turned to him and offered a smile and a weak “Thanks.” Then, she
was gone.

Aiden knew he had to get back to the Napa
compound and also call the Empress back. This little shit-hole
hotel charged by the hour and he didn’t want to pay for any more
time than he had to. Damn, it was strange having to watch where his
money went.

He checked out and pulled out his phone as
he headed for the SUV. With the push of a button the Empress’s line
was ringing through.

“Aiden.”

“Empress.”

“Is your
toe
better now?”

“Why yes it is, thank you for asking.” He
knew she didn’t care and she also knew that he hadn’t hurt his toe.
He was a soldier, a killer, he didn’t cry over a stubbed toe.

“Have you spoken with Jack?”

Yup, that was the Empress all right,
straight to the point. “Yes and he refuses to come back.”

She sighed and he could just see her shaking
her head. “I thought as much. I figured he should have the chance
to come and see his father though.”

“I’m sorry. I tried to convince him it was
the right thing to do.”

“I am certain you did. In any case, you can
tell me about the Keepers and how they are getting on when you get
back. Get your things together, you can be on a flight in the
morning. I will send you further details.”

“Yes, Empress.”

“Till then.” She clicked off the line,
leaving him standing there, staring at the phone with surprise.

Dammit. He thought he was going to have more
time here. He rather liked this area and it was nice not to be
right under the thumb of the Empress all the time.

He stepped up into the vehicle and turned
the key. Well shit, it looked like this was just one more thing
that wasn’t going his way.

CHAPTER

17

DAVID

The look in Hannah’s eyes as he told her he
had to arrest her made him sick to his stomach. She had nodded and
held her hands out. “Do you ... need to, like, cuff me or
something?” she asked, glancing from him to the sheriff.

“Not unless you’re going to try and run. Are
you going to cooperate, Hannah?” He kept his voice soft, and what
he hoped was non-threatening.

This shit made him hate his job. He had
never before hated his job. He loved being a cop, but he’d also
never had to arrest the one person he loved more than anything in
the world.

“Yes.” Her voice was smaller than he’d ever
heard it. “I’ll cooperate.”

“Okay, let’s go get in the car.” He moved
toward her, but didn’t touch her. He didn’t want to freak her out
even more than she was already.

“But, we need to help clean up first.”

Darcy stepped forward and took Hannah’s
hands in her own. “Don’t worry about that, honey. You go on and get
all this cleared up. I know everything will turn out for the best
and the faster you get this part over with, the faster it will be
over.”

Hannah met her eyes and nodded. “Thank you,
and thank you for having us over for dinner. It was wonderful.”

“You go on now, dear. David and Frank are
going to help you as much as they can.” Darcy patted the top of
Hannah’s hands and then released them. “David.” She turned and
opened her arms wide.

He hurried into her embrace, needing
reassurance and comfort for the moments to come. “You take care of
her, understand.”

“I will,” he promised.

“And call me if you need anything, or if you
don’t. You’re always welcome here.”

He tightened his arms around her once more
before letting her go. “Thank you.” After placing a kiss on her
cheek, he shook hands with Frank who nodded. “You want me to go
with you?”

David shook his head. He needed to talk to
Hannah alone before they got to the station. This was one moment
that he was actually happy the station was a good half-hour drive
away from Summer Hollow. “We’re all right.”

He guided Hannah toward the front door. The
sheriff and Mrs. Davis followed them out and stood on the porch
while he helped Hannah into the passenger seat of the Chevelle. She
got in and sat down, her eyes lowered as if she didn’t want to look
at him.

“I’m sorry, David.”

He patted her leg and then bent down to give
her a kiss on the cheek. “We can talk about it on the way
there.”

He jogged over to the driver side and slid
behind the wheel. The next part was probably going to be the
hardest for him. After releasing a long sigh, he put the car in
gear and turned the car around. When they were finally headed down
the long driveway, David glanced over at her. “I have to tell you
your Miranda rights now.”

She nodded as she stared straight ahead. “I
know. Go ahead.”

With each word that passed his lips, David
fought the urge to vomit. She sat there silently the whole time,
staring out the window and nodding that she understood.

“All right Hannah, it’s time to tell me
everything.”

She finally turned her head to look at him.
Tears had pooled at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill
over. “Don’t you already know?” she accused.

“All I know is that you’ve been upset about
something and holding it back and this.” He reached over and
flipped open the folder sitting between them. The picture of the
footprint was on top. “Now turn to the next one.” He instructed,
after she had given the first one a good look. Her gasp told him
that she knew it was her shoe.

“David …”

“I’m sorry, Hannah.”

She didn’t say anything, but he knew she was
holding back her temper and going over things in her mind. “I heard
you tell Sheriff Davis that you didn’t tell anyone. Does that mean
you haven’t shown this to anyone?” she pointed at the photo.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you turn me in?”

Instinctively his anger flared. Did she
really think he would turn her in without talking to her about it
first?
Well duh asshole, of course she did. You left her to
become a cop, so yeah … she thinks you care more about your job
than her
.