“You should be back in school, not working in a greasy garage,” he snapped as he led her outside to his pickup. “When is your father due back?”
“Hell if I know,” she sighed, biting back her regret at the thought of college. It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to go, dammit. But she needed to eat, too. The two weren’t coming together very well. “He took off last week. Left a note that he’d call. I haven’t seen him since.” Not that she really cared if she didn’t see him anytime soon. Even when he was home she was alone.
Unless he needed money and she didn’t have any to give. Then things really got interesting.
He jerked the truck door open without releasing her arm. She looked up at him, swallowing tightly at the look in his eyes. They were darker than normal, glittering with some emotion that made heat sweep through her body, made her thighs tingle, her vagina clench. For once, he was watching her like something more than a pesky little child.
“What happened last night?” Uh oh. He was using that tone that brooked no refusal. The one that made her heart speed up in her chest, the blood to pump hard and heavy through her veins.
She shrugged carelessly. “Some boys playing pranks, most likely. You know how they are.” He was silent for long moments. “What. Happened.” There was that freaking rumble again. She shivered beneath it.
“Someone tried to break into the house, okay?” She tried to jerk away but there was no getting free of him. “I chased them as far as the main road before I could shoot. Then I shot. Unfortunately, either old Reverend Gregory is into breaking or entering, or I was shooting at the wrong car. I still haven’t figured out how they got away from me.”
She hadn’t been shooting to kill. Just to kind of maim a little. Fortunately the Reverend seemed to have a sense of humor and only demanded a night in jail to teach her a lesson. It wasn’t her first night there. She doubted it would be her last.
“Shoot?” Damn. He was really mad now. “Why didn’t you just call me, Roni? What the hell are you doing with a gun?” His voice had steadily lowered rather than risen. That was never a good sign.
“I know how to use it.” She twisted out of his hold, but was more than aware of the fact that he had let her go only because he made the decision, not her. “Dammit, Taber, I’m tired of those bastards trying to torment me. Every timeReginald leaves they pull the same crap on me.” They were terrifying her. The phone calls Taber didn’t know about. She could never reveal the brief, horrifyingly descriptive notes, either. She paled to think about them. They were graphic, explicit, terrifying.
“In the truck.” She had never heard that tone before. Danger resonated around her and the shiver that washed over her had nothing to do with arousal and everything to do with flat dread.
She did as he ordered, though she watched him carefully. The door slammed behind her and Taber proceeded to stalk—yeah stalk, there was no other word for it—around the front of the vehicle and to the driver’s side.
“What did he do this time?” She assumed he meant her father.
She shrugged carefully. “I don’t know. He came in late last week, threw some clothes in a bag, told me to stay with friends and left.”
“And you’re still at the house why?” he snarled. Man, he was an animal when he was pissed, she thought worriedly. That deep voice was driving her insane, though.
“Where am I going to stay?” Her laughter was self-mocking. It wasn’t as though she had a lot of choices. “I called Sherra, but she wasn’t answering. I called you a time or two, but you weren’t around either. That left the gun and me. The gun is always there.” She didn’t like the look he was giving her. Furious and…hungry. He looked like he was looking for a meal and considered her fair game all of a sudden. He shook his head, amazement flashing in his eyes.
“You have got to be insane,” he finally sighed. “Certifiably insane. Goddamn, Roni, why didn’t you leave a message?”
“How many do you want me to leave?” she yelled back at him. She hadn’t slept in a week; she was hungry and sick of being frightened. “I called three days straight, Taber, and left messages. Why don’t you check the damned machine? Better yet, go do that growling thing at the damned people who haven’t fixed cell phone reception in this county yet. Even your cell wasn’t picking up and by then I was tired of begging you to help me.” Which wasn’t unusual in the small, mountainous area they lived in.
He stilled, his hands clenching on the steering wheel. “There were no messages.” Dangerous, rumbling, he was only growing more furious by the moment.
“Then one of your brothers erased them,” she told him, just as angry. “I left the messages, Taber. I’m surprised you came this morning. When the sheriff said he had to leave a message…”
“There was no message.” His voice lowered further. “The sheriff met me at the garage when I came in this morning.”
She snorted. “Well there you go. Did he tell you he left a message last night?”
“No. But I’ll be asking him about it.” From the tone of his voice he’d be getting answers, too.
Her gaze flickered away from him as he stared at her intently. His eyes were so dark, intense. The look reminded her that she was female, and made her ache for things that often left her blushing when she thought about them. He had rarely looked at her like that. Having him do so now threw her completely off balance.
“You can stay at my place, over the garage.” He started the motor and backed from the jail as he spoke. “There’s a good bed and a small kitchen up there. No one will bother you.” But she didn’t want to be alone. She was sick of it. “Look, just take me back to my house. I’m sureRegi nald will be back soon.”
He snorted at that. “I don’t have time to bail you out of jail every morning, Roni. We’ll go get your things and move you in over the garage. You’ll be going back to school this fall…”
“I don’t have the money yet…”
“I’ll fucking pay for it,” he snarled, his gaze slicing over her, his fury almost tangible now. “Shut the hell up and listen to me for a change before that crazy father of yours gets you killed.” His voice rose with each word. Roni looked over at him warily. She had never heard him raise his voice.
“I don’t need your charity.” She crossed her arms over her breasts, staring back out the windshield, her chest heavy with anger and pain. “I’m a grown woman, Taber. All I needed was the damned job.”
“You’re about to get something you’re going to regret and sure as hell don’t need right now.” Her head snapped around as the truck jerked to a stop behind the garage.