Sam's Folly (Midnight Sons Book 1) Page 20

  “About three hours.”

  “Oh!” She started down the stairs. “Nothing?”

  Sam didn’t have to ask; he knew what she was referring to. “No contact. I think he knows better than to set foot on my property. He wasn’t welcomed on his last visit. I had my hand on the gun the entire time.”

  Nora stepped onto the landing and scoffed. “Yet, you accepted his check.”

  Sam set down his laptop and stood. Strider followed him to meet Nora. Strider wasn’t as outgoing as his sister.

  Nora stared down at the massive wolfdog. “You must be Strider.”

  Strider’s ears perked, but then Arwen nosed her way next to Nora, pushing her brother out of reach.

  “Humph!” Sam snorted. “Looks like you have yourself a bodyguard.”

  “Looks that way.”

  Sam took a step forward, closing the distance. “Yes, I took his check, but — you saw — I ripped it up. I was coming to look for you anyway. From the first night, I knew. I don’t know how, but I just knew you were in trouble.”

  Nora blinked. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m a tracker. My job is to know these things; it’s how I find people. I think like they think.”

  She sighed. “I’m just not sure what’s next, Sam.”

  Sam reached for her hand. He led her to the sofa and pulled her down next to him. “You told me you loved me, Nora, but love isn’t worth anything without trust. So I’m asking you again, will you trust me?”

  Her head dropped, but she slowly raised it and lowered it a couple times.

  “Is that a yes?”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “What choice do I have, Sam?”

  “I don’t want you to feel like you don’t have a choice. I want you to feel safe. I want you to trust me. I want you to want to stay with me.” He touched her cheek. “Forever.”

  She licked her lips. “How ’bout we start with trust? I do trust you, Sam. I know I reacted impulsively, but I see now that you had no idea what Sergio had planned. Hell, I don’t even know if he had anything planned.”

  Sam narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean? He sent Abe after us.”

  “How do we know?”

  Sam huffed. “Nora, I know Abe. He’s an idiot, but he didn’t come up with a kidnapping scheme. Sergio set that up … then paid me so he didn’t look suspicious. You have to tell the authorities what he did.”

  Nora’s back straightened. “I … I … can’t. Sam, please … you don’t know him. If I report him, he’ll never let me live. But if he thinks I don’t know, maybe he’ll let me go. We can try —”

  Sam reached for her, pulling her back to him. “Nora, you’re shaking. Don’t you see? If you don’t put him away for what he did, you’ll look over your shoulder forever.”

  “They’ll … arrest me. He’ll find me … send someone else —”

  “You said we’d start with trust. Please trust me.” He reached behind him for his computer. “Look … it’s all right here. Nevada law. They won’t arrest you, Nora.”

  “Oh, God!” She covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know … How do I even get there? I don’t have a passport … my ID is in the cabin —”

  “I have a plane at my disposal,” Sam offered. “And Vince and Alex will be here shortly with all of your belongings.”

  She stared up at him. “Are you always prepared for everything?”

  Sam smiled. “I’m a Midnight Son, remember? A member of the finest SAR team in Alaska. Yes, I’m always prepared for everything.”

  Dinner dragged and dragged … Apparently, he had released an audible sigh without realizing.

  His mother narrowed her eyes over her coffee cup. “Is there something wrong, Sam?”

  He chuckled. “No … Just tired, Mom.”

  “Oh, so you’ll be retiring right after dinner, then?” His mother lifted an eyebrow, the way she’d done when he was nine and wanted to get in one more dirt bike ride before going to bed. The problem with summertime in Alaska as a kid was that he never wanted to go to sleep.

  “Actually, I was hoping to show Nora more of the property.”

  Vince snorted. “I bet you are. The summer cabins for starters.”

  Daire, Eric, and Alex guffawed along with Vince, but his mother swept her hard glower, pinning each son. “Have you boys been — Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  Alex smiled sheepishly. “You said not under your roof, Mom, so we were merely respecting your wishes.”

  Claire slid back her chair, and Nora immediately followed her lead, picking up Sam’s plate in the process.

  “I got it,” Sam started, but Nora flashed a glare almost as lethal as his mother’s. He relinquished his grip and watched as she followed Claire into the kitchen.

  Sam quickly hopped out of his chair, scooping up his brothers’ plates. He didn’t want his mother and Nora alone too long. No telling what his mother would convince Nora to do next … Take her bed for the night … Nope. He wouldn’t be able to take it. Not just because he wanted to be near her, but because he wanted to make sure she was safe. And no way could he sleep next to Nora — the way he wanted to — in his mother’s bed.

  “Thank you, dear, but I’ve got the dishes,” said his mother as he entered the kitchen.

  “Are you sure? Because I feel great after that nap you made me take.”

  Claire Belgarde did something Sam hadn’t seen in more than twenty-one years. She turned and hugged Nora. “I’m sure. I think my son wants to show you around the property.”

  Sam was shocked. Not that he introduced a lot of women to his mother, but the few he’d brought home — three to be exact — had never made it into his mother’s tight circle. Maybe she’d known he hadn’t been serious. Except for Daire’s mother. Claire had loved Ava like her own daughter — until she’d gone off the deep end.

  “If you’re sure …” Nora said, dipping her head.

  “I’m sure. I’ve got four other sons capable of washing dishes.” Claire spoke loudly enough that it was clear she was talking to the men in the dining room.

  Sam winked as he took Nora’s hand, leading her out the back door.

  “Where are we going?” Nora whispered.

  Sam reached the last step and turned her toward him. “God, I feel like a teenager who can’t wait to get his girlfriend alone.”

  Nora smiled. “You missed me?”

  “You have no idea. I think I stared up at that closed door a thousand times. My mother’s smart. She knew if you were in any other room, I would have joined you. But not her room.”

  A trace of pink stained Nora’s cheeks. She lifted her hands to her face — hiding, he realized — to play off what was obviously happening inside her to cause that reaction.

  Sam moved her hands. He wanted to see her, especially when she was sweet and vulnerable, something Nora wasn’t, no matter how much he wanted to rescue her. “You really are shy, aren’t you? But that first day we met … you didn’t seem …”

  Nora blew out a breath. “It’s all a show, Sam. That first day and night, you were nothing more than every person I’ve ever met — an opponent, someone I needed to stay one step ahead of. I wasn’t always that way. Definitely learned behavior. But with you …” She dropped her head.

  Sam nudged her head up. “With me …”

  “I don’t know, Sam. I guess I feel like myself again. Although, I’m not sure that’s such a great thing, since I’m feeling insecure.”

  “Insecure?” Sam shook his head. Of all the things Nora could be feeling, insecure wasn’t the one he’d guess. “I don’t understand.” Sam sat down on the last step and pulled her beside him.

  Nora sniffed.

  “I’m sorry,” he offered. “Is it too cold? We don’t have to be outside. I just wanted to be alone with you.”

  She sniffed again. “No … I’m fine. It’s just …” She sighed. “Your family is so wonderful. I’m afraid that I’ll bring issues and then you’ll hate me. I don’t
deserve this —”

  Sam wrapped his arms around her, cutting off her words. “Oh, honey, you still think I just threw out a bunch of lines, don’t you? Can’t you see? I’m head over heels in love with you. At this point, bring on the army! I’ll take on all of them. And … I don’t think you realize how much my family will back me up. Even my mother. Trust me, ain’t no one taking you from her.”

  “What do you mean? Why would your mother care about me? She doesn’t even know me.”

  “Nora …” Sam couldn’t help but laugh. “I haven’t seen my mother hug another woman in …” He stopped, not sure if he should talk about Daire’s mom but realized he had to. “Not since Ava, Daire’s mother. I swear, I think Ava hurt my mother more than she hurt me. If that’s possible.”

  “I don’t understand …”

  “If you had five boys, you would. My mother loved Ava … Heck, I’d been going out with her since the tenth grade … Then, three months after we graduated high school, she delivered Daire, then hightailed it out of Alaska. Like I said, it was hard on me, but my mother … Well, she got a newborn baby out of it, but also a slap across the face from the girl who she thought would someday be her daughter-in-law.”

  “And your mother thinks …”

  Sam straightened. The shock in Nora’s eyes made it clear she wasn’t ready for the next step. “I’m not saying my mother assumes you will be her daughter-in-law, but … I think she just likes having another woman around, and she obviously likes you. After all, she’s the one who told me to go after you.”

  “But I thought …”

  Sam released a long breath. “I told you, Nora; I was already planning the hike. I’d searched all over town and couldn’t find you.” He stood, taking her hand again. “Come on … They really are nice cabins.”

  Before heading to the vacation homes, Sam stopped by to check on Strider and Arwen. Strider loosened up when he saw the rubdown Nora offered Arwen. Within seconds, Nora went from stranger to new best friend.

  After a few minutes of back and forth wags, wiggles, and attempted licks, Sam reached into the siblings snack bucket and tossed a few treats to the other side of the barn so he and Nora could make their escape.

  “Hurry!” He grabbed Nora’s hand again and led her along a plowed walkway.

  Nestled at the back of the property sat the eight cottages bordering their lake. Each bungalow not only overlooked the lake, but also had a view of the white-capped mountains from the second-story porch.

  Sam used the code to open the keybox. He retrieved the key and led Nora inside.

  The rental wasn’t as small as the dry cabin in the woods, but it was definitely quaint. Inside, the downstairs contained a couch, fireplace, dinette, a kitchenette, and a small washroom. Upstairs, a double bed, two wingback chairs, a small dresser, and a clothes rod were the extent of the furnishings.

  What the tiny house lacked in amenities, it made up for in peace and quiet. For newlyweds or people who wanted to get away, it was perfect.

  “This is … Wow!” Nora darted up the stairs. “Perfect. I could live here.”

  Sam followed, catching her around the waist as she opened the sliding glass doors. “Be my guest. Only you need to book now because these babies fill up starting next week.” Sunlight glinted off the white-capped mountains. Geese flew overhead. The first sprigs of spring dotted the lake’s edge. “I think it’s going to be a beautiful summer.”

  Nora turned in his arms. “I think you’re right.” She peered up at him, a question in her eyes. “Did you … umm … you know … stock up?”

  Sam struggled and failed to keep the smile off his face. “I wish I was enough of a gentleman that I could say no, but that’d be a lie.”

  Nora laughed. “Why else would you bring me out here? After all, it’s apparently a hot love-nest for you and your brothers.”

  Sam sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. “Not me, Nora. I just … I haven’t had the desire … until now. But …”

  She tilted her head. “But … what?”

  As much as Sam knew it’d ruin the evening, he had to know. “What happens tomorrow? You said tomorrow you had to leave … but then you said we’d start with trust. So, what’s your decision?”

  Nora scrunched up her nose. “So, I have to tell you what I’m going to do tomorrow before we do anything tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s blackmail, Sam.”

  He pressed his lips to her neck, inhaling. “Actually, it’s extortion, but with good intentions.”

  “Semantics.”

  Sam leaned back. “Nora, I’m not looking for just a couple nights with you; I want it all. The only way we can have that is if you’re free from that man.”

  Nora gulped. “You’ll stand beside me?”

  “Of course I will. Honey, if it’s what you want, you’ll never be alone again.”

  She pushed him back and straddled him, then leaned over and kissed him. Her long hair brushed his neck and shoulders. “It’s what I want, Sam.”

  Sam flipped her to her back. “Good. That’s what I want too.” He lifted the hem of the sweatshirt. “And to get you out of these gray sweats. You look much better in bronze.”

  Chapter 21

  ~ Nora ~

  Nora stood planted, her heels practically melting into the hot Nevada tarmac.

  Promises uttered in the throes of passion quickly faded in harsh sunlight. Especially hundred-degree blazing-white sunlight. Normally, Las Vegas weather didn’t bother her, but that’s because she usually arrived from Los Angeles. After several weeks in Alaska, Vegas felt like Hell warmed over.

  Then again, it could be the fact that she was staring at the police station, ready to place herself as a witness to a homicide committed by a billionaire who could have her killed with a snap of his fingers. He didn’t even need to snap; he could just give one of his cronies the look. She’d seen plenty of men — women too — hauled from Sergio’s presence. She’d never fathomed that he’d actually had those persons killed.

  Sam stepped around the front of the rental car and wrapped his arm around her waist. As hot as it was, his touch — support — felt good. “I’ll stay beside you every step of the way, Nora.”

  Nora inhaled deeply. “Yeah … but you don’t have Arwen or your rifle to protect me from the predators here.”

  “It’s been a couple weeks, and we haven’t heard a word from him, so maybe he’s not going to chase you.”

  Nora peered up at him. “Even better reason not to go through with this.”

  Sam turned her to him. “If they have a John Doe from the same timeframe as the murder, they’ll probably make an arrest. If they don’t have enough probable cause for an arrest, they’ll file it away, and he won’t be the wiser. The detective seemed interested in what you had to say. Either way, you’ll have cleared your conscience and we’ll be able to move on. I’m really looking forward to visiting Argentina, and from what you told me about your mother and grandmother, they won’t be pleased if there isn’t a ring on your finger.”

  Nora stared down at her bare finger. It had only been a month ago she’d been wearing Sergio’s ring, praying for the day she could remove it. While Sam hadn’t officially proposed, he’d made it clear on several occasions that he wanted her forever, and she’d made it clear that she wouldn’t be comfortable thinking about forever until she cleared up her past.

  “Nora?”

  She blew out the breath she’d sucked in. “You’re right. Let’s go. The faster I do this, the faster we can get out of here.”

  Sam smiled. “You don’t want to hang out in Vegas a few days?”

  “No way. This is his stomping ground. If he isn’t searching the southern half of the continent looking for fighters, he’s here, setting up fights.”

  Sam nodded. “Understood. Let’s go.”

  As promised, Sam stood beside her the entire way. From entering the station, to announcing their arrival, to waiting for the detective to me
et them in the lobby, Sam had remained linked to her via hand or arm, whichever was practical. Presently, they sat in hard black vinyl chairs, Sam’s fingers intertwined with hers, his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand.

  Detective Martin Gil would be with her in a few minutes, the lady behind the glass window had said. Nora searched her brain for the name. Had she known any Martins or Gils? Either name could have a Latino origin, but she wasn’t sure. God, she hoped he wasn’t Latino. She just couldn’t trust her information about Sergio to another Latin male. Even though Sergio was about as far removed from the Latino community as one could get — hell, he didn’t even speak the language — Latinos were fiercely protective of their own. While that was often a good thing, in her current situation, it scared her to death.

  A buzzer sounded and the door across from them opened. A bronzed arm held open the door. “Nora Molina?”

  She and Sam were the only ones waiting. Not a good start. Sam stood, pulling her up with him.

  “I’m Nora,” she said to the thirty-something dark-haired, well-built man wearing khakis and a white polo. Damn. Had to be a Latino.

  The man waved his clipboard, motioning her forward. “I’m Detective Gil.” He raised his hand when Sam started to enter. “Are you a witness?”

  “No, sir. I’m here for emotional support.” Sam said to play up the scared part, the reason she hadn’t stepped forward sooner.

  “You need to wait here,” Gil said. “She’ll only be a few minutes.”

  Nora’s chest tightened, but she mouthed, “It’s okay.”

  The man let the door swing closed on her words. “Follow me,” he said.

  Nora followed, her eyes straying to the receptionist and then a dispatch station. Several men and women sat in chairs facing a switchboard of blinking lights, headphones haphazardly on their heads, as they chatted.

  The detective opened a plain gray door marked INTERVIEW 1. “Have a seat.”

  He left the room, and Nora felt every fiber of her body heat up. They’re going to arrest me. Oh, God! I can’t go to jail. I’ll be a trophy up for grabs. She heard about fighters who’d ended up in prison. Whether they wanted to or not, they ended up fighting — for their lives.