Page 58 of Color of Love

Things with Katie had been good at the start, they were teenagers and had explored and grown together. But when he discovered her lie, their relationship had never recovered. Whenever they had sex, they had never connected in the way he and Justine did. Which was why he wasn’t ready to accept their one-time-only deal. There were too many things he wanted to experience and to show her. And dammit, she still needed someone to look out for her, there were a lot of slimy men out there.

He couldn’t deny it though, she twisted him up inside, it was agony and ecstasy at the same time and he wasn’t sure if he liked it. Maybe it was because she pretty much knew most of his deepest, darkest secrets and still tried to help him, still treated him like a normal person. She had still trusted him with her body. God, he hoped she had enjoyed their first time. He was worried that he’d been too rough or aggressive but he couldn’t help his reaction, another thing that had only happened with her.

Would she want to do it again? He wondered if she would be up for extending their agreement. He had already put her in a difficult position the first time, blackmailing her like the asshole he was. She might be worried that if they continued, they would blur the lines and not be able to separate the roles of lover/psychologist/client. Whatever, he wouldn’t get confused and he wasn’t ready for it to end.

A knock on his office door distracted him, startling him out of his fantasy. He got up to open the door, berating himself once again for disappearing into a daydream and lowering his guard. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Rebelle standing on the other side.

“Rebelle? Is everything okay?” He stepped aside to let her in. He shut the door and ushered her into one of the chairs opposite his desk and then sat facing her. She glanced around the room, her eyes wide, her gaze darting here and there, not settling on anything. Her hands gripped each other in her lap, her knuckles stark white. Clearly something was troubling her, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t thrilled she had decided to put her trust in him.

“Rebelle?” he prompted, and she jolted at the sound of his voice. She nibbled her lower lip nervously, her brow furrowed as she faced him in silence. He didn’t push her: she had something to say but was working up the courage, just like he’d done so many times before. He knew how it felt, to have to control your fear, to harness it and then overcome it by voicing your concerns.

Her expression smoothed, and her eyes shone brightly. “I’m scared,” she whispered.

“What are you scared of, Rebelle?” He kept his voice gentle, but his anger rose by infinite levels, surprising him. He tried to reason that if it were any of his citizens sitting in front of him, he would feel the same. But he’d done some digging after looking into the previous sheriff, he knew exactly what kind of husband Black had been and could only imagine the secrets and scars that Rebelle hid. That was why he felt so strongly about protecting her.

She nibbled her lip again. “I know what you think, but I didn’t kill him,” she said fiercely.

“I never thought you did, not for one second.”

“But there are people who think I did.” She paused. “Dangerous people.”

Blake stiffened. “Have you been threatened?”

She nodded almost imperceptibly.

“Who’s threatening you?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“You don’t know?” he repeated, his brow furrowed with confusion.

She jumped up. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me!” she hissed and headed for the door. “I shouldn’t have come here.”

He leapt up and went after her, being careful not to grab her in case she felt intimidated.

“I do believe you. Tell me everything, start from the beginning,” he said earnestly, peering down into her delicate face and gesturing back to her seat. She reluctantly sat down, gripping the armrest tightly.

“It started after he died.”

“The threats?”

She nodded. “They would turn up at the rescue center in the middle of the night, bang on the doors and walls, shouting abuse. It would last for a couple of hours, upsetting the animals and then they would get bored and leave.” He noted that she said it upset the animals, though it clearly upset her too, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen them. It’s so dark and I just try to stay hidden.”

His anger rose again. No one should have to hide in their own home. He hardened his heart against her words, he had to remain clear-headed. “Do you recognize the voices?”

She shook her head.

“What do they do?”

“They call me a murderer, a whore, the ‘black widow’. At first, they just used to taunt me and make noise. But now their words are filled with so much hate and anger, I don’t think it’s a game anymore.”

He sat in silence, thinking, then, “Did he have a lot of friends outside the men at the station?” he asked, his mind whirring.

“Not really, maybe one or two, no one I can remember.”

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