Tribal Law (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Selena watched her sisters depart, trailing behind their mother toward her father's room. They passed Gabe who was heading in her direction. Selena's mother only nodded at him in passing. Gabe continued on, turning his attention to Selena and fixing her with an intent stare that straightened her spine. His grave expression only increased Selena's rising panic. She
had
driven that truck. It had been loaded with barrels of chemicals used in making drugs. What if Ronnie was dead and there was no one to corroborate her story?

Selena's breathing came so fast she grew dizzy again and had to drop back down on the sofa before she fell. Tiny spots swirled before her eyes like snowflakes. Maybe she should tuck her head between her knees.

“Selena?” Gabe said, his voice serious. “I have something I need to discuss with you.”

The slammer, she thought. Handcuffs, police lights, her name in the paper beside her father's. She couldn't go to jail. But maybe Paula and Carla could take over her morning route now that their truck...

“Selena?”

Her head popped up from her hands and she stared at him. He was standing right before her so she had to crane her neck to see his face. What was he saying?

“Are you listening to me?”

She hadn't been. She'd been too busy wondering what she'd look like in an orange jumpsuit.

“He made me drive. Hare. He had a gun. It wasn't my fault.”

The harder she scrambled for solid ground, the farther she slipped backward. It was like running on ice.

Gabe cocked his head. He looked so handsome in his blazer and jeans. He's cinched up his turquoise-and-silver bolo and removed his hat. He gave the Stetson a little spin and then dropped it on the sofa beside her, brim up. Then he offered his hand. She took it, hoping he wasn't going to slap a steel handcuff on her wrist. Instead, he led her to the window. Her knees were a little rubbery, but they carried her. They were on the fourth floor and so the windows gave them a view of the parking lot and emergency room entrance beyond. The world down here at lower elevations was completely devoid of snow, and the trees and vegetation ringing the lot all looked dry and thirsty.

He kept hold of her hand.

“Shouldn't you be back at the crime scene?”

“Yup. I should be. I ought to be leading the investigation and fending off the Feds who are trying to take over. I should be helping Clyne take on an FBI field agent who looks like she could eat us for lunch and who happens to be the woman who adopted my little sister. I should be looking for a fugitive. But I'm not, because this can't wait.”

“I didn't know about the drug stuff. Swear to God.”

Gabe actually smiled and her heart did that little twist it always did when he looked at her like that. She had to squeeze her free hand into a fist to keep from reaching out to caress his handsome face. Selena noticed the fatigue now, there in the circles beneath his dark eyes.

“Selena, I want to start with an apology. Five years ago, when you said it wasn't going to work, I should have argued. I should have fought for you. But I was afraid.”

Afraid? Had she heard that right? Gabe Cosen was not afraid of anything or anybody.

“I don't believe it.”

“It's true.”

She angled her head, trying to understand. “Afraid...because of your reputation?”

He nodded. “That was part of it and I'm ashamed to admit that. After I arrested your father, I was more concerned about what others would say about us. That our relationship would compromise the trial. I was so sure that I couldn't do my job and have you. I thought I had to choose.”

And he had picked the job. She lowered her head.

“It's an important job,” she managed to say.

“No, it's not. Not as important as loving you. Selena, I thought my work was everything. But seeing you almost go over that cliff, well, it shook things into place. The job is nothing if I lose you. You don't threaten me or make me vulnerable. You make me...” He switched to Apache. “Sunflower Sky Woman, you are my heart.”

Tears leaked down her cheeks. “I am?”

He nodded. “And I'll spend the rest of my life trying to earn your forgiveness for the time it took me to recognize what you knew all along.”

“You're not here to arrest me?” she asked in a quavering voice.

He blinked down at her and then he had her by each elbow, his touch light and firm. His scent filled her senses and made her dizzy with need.

“Arrest you? Selena, I'm trying to propose to you.”

“Pro...pr...” She couldn't get the word out.

Gabe released her and sank to one knee. She looked down at him with amazement as he reached around behind his neck and under his collar. He untied the medicine bundle he always wore. Then he held the small beaded leather pouch in one hand. She knew his mother had made it for him. She had made one for each of her boys when they were still too young to undergo the initiation into the Black Mountain tribe.

He upended the pouch. Into his palm tumbled a clear, naturally faceted stone, the claw of a bear, the tooth of an elk and a familiar diamond engagement ring. He plucked the solitaire from his palm and returned the other sacred objects to his medicine bundle. He had kept her ring here, beside his heart, all these years.

He held the ring between his thumb and index finger, extending it to her.

“Selena, will you marry me?”

She reached for the ring and then hesitated.

“Selena, I have thought about you and dreamed about you and longed for you every day since I took this back. I need you. Please take it.”

“Me?” she squeaked.

“Yes. I need your wisdom. Your love for your family. Your pride. I am not weaker with you. I am stronger because you give me balance. I need more than my job. I need joy, too. Be my joy.” He offered the ring. “Say yes.”

“But your reputation. You're the chief and I'm...”

“A hero. A miracle. The bravest woman I've ever met. I know why you gave this back, Selena,” he said, lifting the ring. “It was to help me in my career. And, fool that I was, I let you and it worked. I've done well. But none of it matters without you.”

“What about your job?”

“I don't need it. I need you. I told Clyne the same thing when I resigned.”

She stepped back. “You did not!”

He nodded. She stared at him, in shock. He'd resigned his job as chief of police for her. But she didn't want that. Everything she had done was to prevent that very thing.

“Can you take it back? Your resignation?” she asked.

He smiled. “If that's what you want.”

“I do.”

He held up the ring and the diamond flashed in the light.

“I love you, Selena. Be my wife.”

She offered her left hand and he slipped the ring over her knuckle. It still fit.

“Is that yes?” he asked.

“Yes!” She threw herself into his arms and he stood, sweeping her into a spin as he whooped for joy. Then he lowered her until their lips met. Her toes curled with the delicious pressure of his mouth possessing hers. He deepened the kiss, rocking her over his arm so she arched back, letting his tongue dance over hers. Finally, when she had begun to tug his shirt from the waistband of his jeans, Gabe groaned and set her aside.

It took a moment for the cloud of lust to recede and when it did, she leaped back into his arms again.

“We're engaged,” she chirped. “Again.”

“But this time we're getting married. The sooner the better.”

The phone on his belt vibrated and she glanced at him. He didn't reach for it.

She lifted her eyebrows.

“What? I have a second in command. He can handle it for a few more minutes.” He offered his hand and said, “Let's go tell your parents.”

And then it made sense. Why he'd wanted to speak to her father and mother.

“You were asking them for my hand, weren't you?”

He nodded. “I can't believe you thought I was here to arrest you. You have a guilty conscience.”

She grinned up at him and they walked down the hall. “You know what would be great?”

“What?”

“If you gave me something to feel really, really guilty about.”

Gabe blew out a breath. “I'd like that. But after we get married.”

She groaned. “Killjoy.”

“Hey. This time I'm doing it right. I want that marriage certificate and a church service and a reception with the entire tribe so that everyone knows you are mine.”

Everyone?
That sounded perfect to her.

“Oh, so you
are
here to detain me.”

He grinned. “I'm taking you into custody—my custody.”

“I deserve it.” And then Selena kissed him again.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
SMOKE AND ASHES
by Danica Winters.

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Smoke and Ashes

by Danica Winters

Prologue

He looked down at Heather Sampson as he pulled the matchbox from his pocket. The box dropped from his hand, spilling matches onto her bedroom floor in a heap of deadly promise. Crouching down, he scooped them back into the container, careful to move quietly, afraid that at any second she would awaken and find him standing over her.

Her eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted, as if she waited for a kiss from her Prince Charming. She should have known better. There was no such thing as Prince Charming. There were only toads and a precious few men like him—men who worked to make everything just.

The sad truth was that there was no justice in marriage—at least not in any of the marriages he had witnessed. No. Marriage was one lie after another. One hurt feeling masked with a fake smile, only to have another lie strip it away. It was an endless cycle of pain.

What was the point? What was it all for?

As far as he could tell, it was for nothing more than ego and some idealistic hope that if they acted happy, if they faked it well enough, maybe they could finally believe it themselves.

He was here to make her a martyr, not that she would understand, but this was his chance to show her and the world what her marriage truly was—nothing more than smoke and ashes. A fire that had yet to burn itself out. But at last the time had come. The hour was here for him to stoke the flames and let them consume every crumb of her failing marriage.

The inferno could have it all.

He walked out of her bedroom and made his way downstairs, where the glorious scent of gasoline filled the space. Unlike the others, Heather's house would go up in a flash. In one giant fireball the whole charade would be over—the secrets, the lies, the fake smiles and the hurt feelings. It would all be gone and all her pain could be for a higher purpose.

The night air blew into the house, diluting the gas's perfume. He made sure to leave the door open as he stepped out and walked toward the garage. A puddle of gas sat on the sidewalk, just waiting for him.

He struck the match.

It was so much easier this way.

The fire's smoke curled skyward, creating a trail that led to the heavens. If he had his way, life would be better and she would be free.

Chapter One

A few days earlier

The note had been simple. Two little words. Two haunting, terrifying and humbling words. Words that had the power to rip out Heather's heart.

I'm leaving.

The paper sat on the kitchen counter where David had left it, a glass of water as a paperweight. The condensation on the glass had dripped down, leaving a ring of water. Like her tears, it was long dried, but it would never disappear.

She fought the urge to turn around and leave the kitchen, lunch be damned for the second day in a row, but the pressures of the day and her nagging hunger drove her forward, past the stained note on their newly installed granite countertops to their perfectly polished stainless-steel fridge.

David had been adamant that they have the finest of everything—the finest appliances, the finest table, all the way down to the silk table runner they'd had specially made and shipped from India. Now, in the lifeless kitchen, the bloodred runner made the entire room seem like a picture out of a home decor magazine, but nothing like a home.

None of it had ever really mattered, not when all she was left with was an empty kitchen and anger in her gut.

Opening the fridge, she was met with its cold, stale air. The only contents were a single bottle of Perrier and a half-eaten piece of week-old cheesecake. God, she loved cheesecake. The way it melted on the tongue, leaving behind the luxurious texture of butter. David hated for her to have it, complaining it made her gain weight.

She grabbed the plate and folded back the plastic wrap. David could hate the cake and her all he wanted. He had made it clear he was
leaving
. If she wanted to eat cake, she could. He wasn't here to stop her.

Grabbing a fork, she stabbed the tines into the cake and lifted it to her mouth. The scent of cream cheese filled her senses, making her mouth water. David would have hated this defiance.

She threw the fork and the uneaten bite into the sink and dropped the cheesecake, plate and all, into the garbage bin. David would come back. He always came back. And when he did, he would know she had gone against his wishes.

She stared down at the garbage. David would notice the plate was missing from the stack of exactly eight.

She had every right to be angry, but she would pay if he thought she had done something to intentionally upset him.

Reaching into the bin, she retrieved the plate and scraped the cheesecake off the edge. She couldn't disappoint him no matter how much he disappointed her.

She stood at the sink and washed the plate as she stared outside. There had been so much more that she had wanted to do with her life. When she'd been young she had dreamed of helping people, of being a nurse. She smiled as she thought of her old teddy, Mr. Bear, who'd always stood in for a tragic victim of some terrible accident. She would use Band-Aid after Band-Aid fixing his wounds. Now he sat at the top corner of her closet, a reminder of a path not taken.

Because of David, she had given up everything,

There was a knock on the door and she set the plate in the drying rack. Reality was calling. Grabbing David's note, she stuffed it into her pocket.

There was another knock, this time harder, more urgent.

“Coming.” She made her way out to the living room.

Looking in through the window in the door was her neighbor Kevin. He smiled and his eyes lit up as he saw her. As he moved, his sexy, prematurely graying hair sparkled in the sunshine. Heather tried not to notice the wiggle of excitement she felt at seeing him.

She opened the door. “How's it going?”

“Great, but I need your help,” Kevin said. “I just got called to work. Do you think you could keep Lindsay for a while?” He pushed his daughter out from behind his legs.

Lindsay clutched the straps of her pink backpack. “Hi, Mrs. Sampson.”

“Hi, sweetheart. Why don't you come in?” Heather dropped her hand onto the girl's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I'm glad you're here. I got a bunch of new craft supplies. There's a new bracelet designing kit you'll love. And I needed a friend today.”

“Awesome!” Lindsay beamed.

“Thank you so much, Heather. I don't know what I'd do without you.” Kevin reached out. “Lindsay, can I get a hug before I go?”

Lindsay threw herself into her father's arms. Kevin closed his eyes and squeezed her as if no one was watching. “Love you, honey. Be good, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.” Lindsay let go.

“Don't forget you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in your backpack if you need a snack.”

Lindsay nodded.

Kevin turned to leave and Heather couldn't help but glance down at his black uniform pants. As he moved, they seemed to hug the muscular shape of his body. Warmth rushed through her.

“Wait,” she called out to him, hoping to see his handsome, slightly mischievous grin one more time. “Where's Colter?”

He looked back and the grin reappeared, making the heat in her core intensify. “He had baseball this afternoon. He should be done in time for the Millers' barbecue. You going?”

Weeks ago David had promised they would go, but now, with everything that had happened between them, he would never agree.

“I'm not sure.” Heather forced a tight smile.

“I hope you do. It'd be nice to catch up.” Kevin paused. “I'll be back to pick her up as soon as I can.”

Heather nodded. “No rush.” She needed all the excuses she could get to keep from having to focus on her life, and a nine-year-old girl and her much-too-handsome father were the perfect distractions.

“Thanks!” Kevin rushed off, heading toward his white truck that was emblazoned with the golden words
Fire Inspector
.

Heather pasted a smile on her face as she closed the door. Everything would be okay. “You ready for some fun, Lindsay?”

“I need to do my homework. It's due tomorrow.”

“Homework? You only have a few weeks of school left.”

Lindsay shrugged as she sat down in her regular spot on the couch. She took out her worksheets. “It shouldn't take long.”

“You need me to go over it with you?” Heather silently wished she could help.

“Nah, I got it. Thanks, though.”

Her hope deflated. “Okay. I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know if you change your mind. When you're done we can make those bracelets.”

“Okay,” Lindsay said, sounding preoccupied.

Heather walked back into the lifeless kitchen, picked up her cell phone and unlocked the screen. She tapped in David's phone number and when the phone rang her stomach twisted with nerves. He would pick up, wouldn't he?

It rang again.

“Why are you calling?” he answered.

“No ‘hello'?” Heather asked, trying to keep her anger from seeping into her voice. “I thought maybe by now—”

“By now what? That I'd want to come back to the house?” David growled. “Listen, Heather. We can't keep doing this. Did you get my note?”

Her fingers moved to the letter in her pocket. “I did, but I was hoping—”

“What?” he interrupted. “That I didn't mean it?”

“David, we can work this out. We just need to go to counseling. I would do it for you.” She pulled the note from her pocket and flattened it on the island.

“If we went to counseling that would imply that there's something to save. At this point, Heather, just seeing you makes me sick.”

Her knees gave out under the weight of his words and she fell onto a barstool. “I'm sorry, David. I didn't mean—”

“Sorry doesn't cut it, Heather. I told you that you weren't allowed to talk to Andrew anymore. I see the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you. You're having an affair.” David paused. “Don't you care how it makes me look that you're sleeping with another doctor?”

When she'd seen Andrew at the Easter fundraiser for the American Heart Association, he'd been overly friendly—maybe even approaching flirtatious with her—but it had been nothing more than banter. If David hadn't kept bringing up the incident, she would have forgotten it by now, but David wouldn't let it go, no matter how much she pleaded.

“I'm not. I never—”

“If you're not having an affair, then why did I see you talking to him outside the hospital the other day?”

She stared at the wrinkles in his note. “He stopped me. He just wanted to ask about you. I told him you didn't want me to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen.”

“Was he trying to find out the next time it was safe to come into our house and screw you?”

Hot, unwelcome tears rolled down her cheeks. “It was nothing like that. He just wanted to know if you're okay.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Nothing. I didn't tell him anything.”

“Do you think I'm stupid? That I don't know when someone's lying to me?”

“I promise. I never lied. Just come home,” Heather said, her voice like that of a trapped animal. “Tonight's Brittany's barbecue. Please, you have to go...”

“First you have an affair, and now you want me to come home? You are nothing, Heather. Why would I want to be seen with a woman like you?”

She crumpled his note in her hand. She wasn't weak...but it was hard not to be crushed when the world around her was collapsing.

Copyright © 2016 by Danica Winters