Safe from Harm (18 page)

Elle took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I'll give her a call on the way, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you.”

He hoped she was right, because he'd felt for a while now he'd been letting Chris down by not doing more for Jessica and the kids. And although he wanted to respect Jessica's wishes and not make her grieving any harder than it already was, he'd promised Chris when his friend had gotten married that if anything ever happened, he'd look after Jess.

A few minutes later, they were pulling into Elle's driveway. He got out and did a quick scan of the house and the surrounding area, looking for anything suspicious. Except for a few people out and about working on their yards and some kids riding their bikes, the neighborhood was quiet. A typical summer Sunday.

She came jogging up beside him with a small handful of mail and unlocked the front door. “Make yourself at home,” she said, flipping through the mail as she headed down the hall toward her bedroom. “I'll only be a few min—”

A loud thump and a strangled sob made every muscle in Gabe's body tense.

“Elle?” he called as he sprinted for the hallway. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. The mail was scattered all over the floor except for a single letter she held in her hands. And on her lap was a small pile of photos.

“Elle, honey?” he said, crouching in front of her. “What is it?”

She turned her eyes up to him, her expression so stricken, his protective urge made his blood boil with fury before he even took the sheet of paper from her hand. It was a copy of a newspaper article about the car accident that claimed the life of the McCoy family, complete with a photo of the car, torn all to hell by the impact. In the foreground of the picture was a little girl's shoe.

Gabe's hand clenched into a fist and it was all he could do not to punch a hole in the wall. “That
motherfucker
. I'm going to rip his
fucking
head off.”

“Gabe,” Elle said, her voice quavering.

He looked away from the letter to see her holding up the photos, her hand shaking so badly two of the photos fell from her grasp and back onto her lap. Frowning, he took them from her and let fly a string of furious curses. The pictures were copies of crime scene photos. The individuals were horrifically injured, but he could still recognize them as Elle's mother and sisters.

“Jesus Christ,” he hissed. “How the hell did he even get access to these?”

There was only one answer—someone Monroe knew had somehow gained access to the criminal case against the man who'd killed Elle's family. The photos would've been part of the evidence against him. That asshole Monroe had a connection at a courthouse or law office somewhere.

Elle's quiet sobs brought his attention back to her, and he set aside the letter and photos to take her face in his hands and press a kiss to her forehead. “I'm so sorry, honey,” he murmured, his throat constricting with emotion, his heart aching, knowing the kind of pain she had to be experiencing. He moved out of his crouch to take a seat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He held her as she cried, kissing her hair, murmuring endearments to her, knowing it wasn't nearly enough.

“Why would he do this?” she asked as her tears subsided. “Why be so cruel?”

Gabe shook his head. “I have no idea. Maybe in Monroe's mind, it's a way to get back at you for the loss of his son.”

Elle angrily swiped away her tears. “I'm not letting that asshole get to me,” she ground out. Her lips pressed together in a determined line, she got to her feet and stormed to her bedroom. Gabe could hear drawers opening and then slamming shut as he followed her to her room.

He leaned against the doorframe as he watched her tear off her clothes and change into an orange-and-yellow sundress. She looked like a living, breathing flame, the anger radiating off of her magnifying the impression.

“My God, you're beautiful,” he told her, his heart hammering in his chest at the sight of her. Was it really possible this fiery, brilliant, breathtaking woman cared for him, maybe even loved him? What the hell had he done to deserve such a gift?

Her expression immediately softened at his words, her cheeks flushing. “The way you say that makes me believe it.”

“Good,” he said, shoving off the doorframe and walking toward her to fold her into his embrace. “I hope you don't get tired of hearing it because I intend to tell you every single day…if you'll let me.”

Her arms tightened around his waist. “I think I can live with that.”

He held her for several minutes, offering what strength he could. Eventually, she eased out of his arms and sighed. “We should probably go.”

He lifted his brows. “You still want to go to Teddy's party?”

She nodded, but he could tell she was struggling with the idea of putting on a smile when her heart was aching from what that piece of shit Monroe had done. He could only hope the bastard had finally slipped up and they'd manage to get some fingerprints from the letter or the photos that would allow them to at least bring harassment charges against him.

“I'll let you finish getting ready,” he said, smoothing his hands up and down her arms. He gave her a brief kiss, then went back into the hall to gather up the letter and photos. He found a gallon-sized storage bag in her kitchen pantry and slipped the evidence inside, then made a brief call to his brother.

It went to voice mail, so he gave him a quick summary of what had been left for Elle and let him know he'd be dropping it off at the department for the folks there to check for fingerprints.

He'd just hung up when Elle came out of her bedroom.

She'd pulled her curls up into some kind of configuration at the crown of her head, but a few had escaped to frame her face and tickle her neck. He hadn't thought she could be more breathtaking than when he'd first seen her in that sundress, but damned if she didn't look even more stunning now.

She gave him a cautious look. “Gabe? What's wrong?”

He shook his head a little, trying to get his shit back together. “Nothing. I'm good.”

But he knew that was a lie. He was far from good. He was in love with Elle. He knew he cared about her, admired her, lusted after her with a need that, instead of being satiated, was even greater now that he'd made love to her. But in that moment, he realized without a doubt that he was absolutely and completely in love with her, and no other woman would ever fill his heart the way she did.

Gabe was pale as they pulled up to Jessica Andrews's house. He'd been fine on the way to the sheriff's department to drop off the baggie containing the article and photos. But his mood had rapidly darkened when they'd left there to head to Jessica's. And he kept shifting in his seat, sending sidelong glances her way.

Maybe he was just nervous about seeing his best friend's widow after so many months. She'd called to let Jessica know that Gabe wanted to come with her, but she'd gotten Jessica's voice mail and so had had to leave a message asking Jess to call if she would prefer Gabe just drop Elle off.

Of course, his fidgeting could have something to do with the questions they might get showing up together. Maybe he wasn't ready to go public. After all, their sparring over the years had hardly gone unnoticed.

Well, hell. Now
she
was nervous.

Trying to divert his attention, she took a deep breath and announced, “So Aunt Charlotte is pressing me to take a job offer that came my way recently from the women's center where I volunteer.”

Based on his startled look, her announcement had had the desired effect. “What? What job? You're thinking of leaving the county?”

“I've turned down the offer,” she told him. “But they've asked me reconsider. And Charlotte's just worried after the shooting. She'd feel better if I wasn't with the prosecutor's office anymore.”

Gabe sent a sidelong glance her way. “Okay…and?”

“And what?”

His brows came together in a frown. “And what are your thoughts?”

She hardly knew anymore. The more she'd thought about the offer, the more appealing it became. She loved the volunteer work she did. And her aunt had been right—helping women and children to put their lives back together made her feel like she was making a difference. There were times when she was working on a case that she couldn't help but wonder if she was prosecuting someone who was innocent of the crimes with which he'd been charged. And there were times when she knew without a doubt that someone was guilty but couldn't do a damned thing about it.

Not that her volunteer work didn't come with frustrations. Too many women she worked with went back to abusive spouses or came in again later, after getting involved with yet another bad relationship. But the success stories…well, they made all the frustrations worth it.

“I'm considering it,” she admitted.

Gabe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Elle, you can't let this bullshit with Monroe scare you away from doing something you love. I know how much your job means to you. I could tell even before you told me about why you chose to go into law.”

“I was so lost after my family was killed,” she admitted. “It was the most horrible time in my life. And if I hadn't had Charlotte to help me through it, I hate to think what would've become of me. A lot of the women who come into the foundation don't have anyone like Charlotte to turn to. I can help these people, Gabe. I wouldn't be abandoning my promise to my family—I'd just be narrowing my focus.”

He reached over and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. “I'd certainly miss seeing you in action at the courthouse,” he said with a wink. “You're sexy as hell when you're arguing. Sometimes I just provoked you to see you get mad.”

She laughed. “You're joking!”

He shook his head, a mischievous grin curving his lips—his
incredible
lips she could never taste enough. “Nope. You're adorable when you're angry.”

She shook her head, so many things about him making sense to her now. All those times she thought he was just being a jerk, he'd been baiting her because he thought she was cute when she got mad. “You're incorrigible.”

“Guilty.”

She slid a glance his way, the mention of his seeing her in court suddenly giving her pause. “Gabe, do you realize that if…if things continue between us, I'd have to recuse myself from any of your cases. And probably your brothers' cases, for that matter.”

He glanced away from the road to send a frown her way. “Okay. Would that be so bad? It's not like there's a shortage of crime in Fairfield County.”

She blew out a breath, trying to figure out how to answer that question. “No, but it would dramatically affect the kinds of cases I get. Let's face it—you and your brothers tend to get the big ones. If there's something major going on, the Dawson boys are typically on the other end of it.”

“Don't make a career decision based on me,” he said. “Or
us
.”

Elle's stomach sank. God, what had she been thinking? Of course it was way too soon to be thinking in the long-term where she and Gabe were concerned. They were supposed to be taking things slowly, day by day. That had been her own suggestion. Now she'd just made it sound like her entire career would be decided by her relationship that was all of about two days old.

She closed her eyes, feeling the heat of her embarrassment flooding her cheeks. “Gabe, I didn't mean… I wasn't implying…”

Damn it!

She couldn't even figure out how to dig herself out of this one. She totally sounded like one of those clingy, desperate women who started planning their weddings after the first date and then went psycho when the guy turned tail and ran.

He chuckled. “Hey, Elle?”

She groaned. “Yes?”

“It's okay. I know.”

She dared to send a glance his way. “You know what?”

“I know you want me.” When she laughed and smacked playfully at his arm, his grin widened. “Ow! Hey, it's okay. I know I'm adorable, too. You just can't help yourself. Don't worry about it.”

“Have I
mentioned
you're incorrigible?” she shot back, grinning, glad he wasn't going to make a big deal about her reference to a future.

He cocked his head as if considering her question. “Nope. Don't think so.” Then he offered her a wink.

For several minutes, they rode in comfortable silence, hands clasped. Then he said softly, “Hey, Elle?”

“Yeah?”

“I want there to be an us,” he told her. “I just don't want us to be what makes you decide whether or not to take a job. I want you to do whatever's going to make you happy. I just hope whatever you decide that maybe…
maybe
that future will include me.” He shifted in his seat, his neck growing red. Then he coughed, clearing his throat before adding, “Anyway, thought I'd throw that out there.”

Elle didn't know what to say. Her heart swelled with so much joy and panic at the same time, she wasn't sure exactly how she felt. Okay, actually, that was a lie. She knew exactly how she felt.

She was in love with Gabe Dawson.

Her girlhood infatuation had evolved over the years, in spite of her own efforts to keep her feelings in check. And now, after allowing herself to peek behind his cocky, self-assured facade, she knew without a doubt she was head over heels in love with the man beside her.

But after her earlier gaffe, there was no way in hell she was going to admit it right then. Instead, she settled for leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek and left it at that. It was actually a relief when they arrived at Jessica's house.

But when she unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door handle to get out of the Charger, she realized Gabe wasn't moving. Concerned, she took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Are you sure you want to go inside with me? You can just drop me off and I'll catch a ride home with someone else.”

He frowned. “What? Why would I do that?”

“I don't know… I just…” She forced a smile. “Never mind. Let's just go.”

Gabe got out and came around to open the door for her, keeping her hand clasped firmly in his as they made their way to the front porch. She twined her fingers with his as he raised his other hand to knock, but the door swung open before he had the chance.

* * *

Jessica Andrews had been crying, her dark eyes puffy and swollen. On a sob, she threw her arms around Gabe's neck, hugging him tightly.

“Thank God you came!” she sniffed as she ushered them in. “I didn't realize the police had called you.”

“They didn't,” Gabe informed her, his head still reeling from the conversation with Elle in the car and now the added mystery of why Jessica was clearly upset. “We came for Teddy's party. Elle left you a message…”

She cast a glance between him and Elle, her eyes widening a little. “Oh God, the party. Of course! I'm sorry. It's just been… Everyone's out in the backyard. My sister's handling everything. I just… I couldn't.”

Elle put her arm around Jessica's shoulders and led her to the sofa. “What's going on, honey?”

She snatched a Kleenex from the box on the side table and dabbed at her eyes. “I got a letter in the mail yesterday, but I was so busy getting things ready for Teddy's party I didn't open it until this morning.”

Gabe had a feeling he knew what was coming.

“All that was inside was a copy of a newspaper article about Chris's death,” she continued. “But someone had typed a Bible verse at the bottom.”

“Do you still have it?” he asked, struggling to keep the fury out of his voice.

She shook her head. “No, I sent it with Mike Dandridge when he came by this morning. You remember Mike, right?”

Gabe nodded. “Sure. He's a good guy and fantastic cop. And he was a good friend to Chris. I've worked with him a few times on cases. How about I give him a call and see if they've processed the letter for prints?”

Jessica nodded and sniffed, wiping at her eyes. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

Gabe sent a questioning glance to Elle, and when she nodded and turned her sympathetic smile to Jessica, he got up and slipped outside to the porch and dialed Officer Mike Dandridge. The officer answered on the second ring with a cheerful, “Yo.”

“Hey, Mike, how's it hangin', man?”

Mike groaned. “Dude. Just got off my shift and have to go sweat my balls off directing traffic at the megachurch on Harding so I can pay my friggin' bills. Same shit, different day. Whaddup?”

Gabe cringed, knowing well that most of the officers he knew had to work side jobs, doing security at concerts or taking traffic details just to make ends meet. He'd certainly done his fair share of shit work a couple of years earlier, when he'd secretly been paying some of his brother Joe's bills while Joe was recovering from the wounds he'd received in Afghanistan.

“Sorry, man,” Gabe told him sincerely. “I won't keep you long. I was just following up on the letter Jessica Andrews handed over to you this morning. Was wondering if you'd been able to get any prints off it.”

“Nah,” Mike told him, clearly frustrated. “Whoever sent it did one helluva job keeping the letter clean. And it wasn't mailed, so there's nothing to go on there. You at Jessica's now?”

“Yeah, stopped by for Teddy's birthday party and found out about the letter,” he told his colleague, scanning the sun-drenched suburban street. It was too hot at that point in the afternoon for many people to be out and about working on their yards or washing their cars, but there were a few. “You talked to the neighbors already? They see anybody?”

“Nobody we talked to saw anyone dropping off anything in Jessie's mailbox,” Mike assured him. “Neighborhoods aren't like what they used to be, man. People aren't paying attention to what's going on around them anymore. Makes it a helluva lot harder to canvas the neighbors.”

“I hear ya.” Gabe ran a hand over his hair, irritated the local PD hadn't had any better luck than they'd had in nailing Monroe. “Jess wasn't the only one to get a letter like that. Elle McCoy got one, too.”

“That blows,” Mike said. “You know who it is?”

“Can't prove it,” Gabe admitted, “but I have a feeling it's a guy named Jeb Monroe.”

There was a slight pause before Mike ground out, “That's the fucker whose son killed Chris.”

Gabe's chest tightened at his words. “Yeah.”

“What do you need from us?” Mike asked. “I'll talk to my captain, let him know what's going on. We'll give you whatever assistance you need to bring down that bastard. You just say the word, Gabe, and you got it.”

Gabe felt that familiar warmth that had nothing to do with the summer heat and everything to do with the brotherhood that existed in the law enforcement community. The various departments sometimes had their differences, but when it came down to it, he always knew he could count on the others serving behind the badge. “Thanks, Mike. Just let me know if you get anything at all or if you hear of any other suspicious incidents.”

“You got it, man.”

When Gabe went back inside, the blast of cool air that greeted him was a welcome relief. Jessica's and Elle's gazes snapped toward him, their expressions questioning, hopeful. “Mike's going to keep me posted, but right now they don't have anything.”

Jessica's expression fell and she fought back tears. “Thank you, Gabe. I appreciate you trying.”

He resumed his seat and reached out to take Jessica's hand. “Anything like this happens again, I want you to call me. You know you could've called me this time, too. I would've come right over.”

She lifted a brow. “Oh really? You
would've
? Because you've been
so
concerned about us since Chris was killed? I know I told you that I needed some time, but it's been a
year
, Gabe! You haven't even
called
.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she seemed to regret them. “I'm sorry. That was a shitty thing to say. I heard about what happened at the courthouse a few weeks ago.” She glanced at Elle. “To both of you. I'm sure it's been rough for you.”