Page 59 of Rescued Faith

Still, his voice haunted her.

You’re pretending right now. Pretending I don’t matter to you, that you don’t care. But you can’t fool me, Penny. There’s something here between us. Something good. Something real.

How could he understand? She wasn’t pretending. She was protecting.

Obviously, they had chemistry. That was never the issue. But when it came down to it, she could only rely on herself. Fathers who were supposed to protect fell apart when their wives died. Big sisters were busy with their own lives. Bosses that weresupposed to look out for their employees couldn’t be counted on either. She couldn’t lose herself again. Depend on him so much that it ached when she wasn’t with him. An acute ache. A soul-deep ache that would overtake her. Weaken her. People got hurt that way.

Shegot hurt that way. What fool would put herself in that vulnerable position again?

Bryce was more persistent than most, she’d give him that. And working with him wasn’t so bad. If she kept the personal stuff out of it. So that’s what she would do. Work with Bryce. Close this case. Keep it clean.

Sure, maybe life on the road was getting old. If she could handle working with Bryce without falling for him, maybe she could look at staying around Last Chance more. Seeing her niece and nephew more. Jude’s offer to stay did spark something in her. She didn’t want to go back to being a fed again, but she liked it here. She could have enough work and use this as her home base.

But she couldn’t let Bryce kiss her like that again. He had to have better offers out there. Someone content to keep house for him and?—

Jude’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Please state your name.”

Emma, in her tight club attire and curly hair that had earlier been neatly pulled back but was now a mess from her little cat fight, answered back with an expletive.

Penny moved to the one-way glass and watched. Jude didn’t react. She should be more like that. Calm, cool, and collected.

He set a bottle of water in front of Emma. She glared at him.

“Emma Renee Kemper. Born in Maricopa County, Arizona. Your brother is Vince Kemper, currently in federal custody.”

“You’re a bunch of pigs.”

Jude continued reading off his tablet that was also recording the conversation, acting like he hadn’t heard the insult at all.

“Your mother, Priscilla Kemper, died when you were ten. No known father. So you and Vince were moved into the foster care system.” Jude looked up at this point. “That had to be difficult.”

“What do you care?”

“Believe it or not, I do care. You’re already an accessory to attempted murder and arson and a number of other charges. You’re already going to prison. But we can work together and see about reducing your sentence.”

“If I rat on Alonzo or my brother? Is that what you want? Lemme save you the trouble. I’m not a rodent.”

Alonzo. Must be the boyfriend’s name.

“You think you’re being loyal to them by not saying anything? You’re going to take the fall for Alonzo?”

She leaned in and sneered. “He’d do the same for me.”

“You think he loves you?” Jude tilted his head, his face still void of expression.

“I know he does.” She fell back against her chair, a confident smirk on her face.

“He has a funny way of showing it. Leaving you to face all the consequences? Scurrying away in the night?”

That’s right, Jude. Keep poking.

“I’m not stupid.” Emma sat straight again.

“Never said you were.”

“Then don’t sit there judging me like I am. Or like I don’t know what you’re doing. You want to drive me away from Alonzo, pit me against him so I’ll turn. But it won’t work. True love means sacrificing for the other, and that’s what I did. I made sure he could get away.” Her hands fisted. “That was always the plan if it came down to it.”

---