Holding Strong
Page 136
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“Cherry?”
She nodded dumbly, then caught herself. “Denver is with fans. I don’t want to bother him just yet.”
The men shared a look.
Feeling guilty, she scowled at each of them. “I’ll tell him. It’s not like I’m keeping secrets. I just—”
“You’ve got me curious, I’ll give you that,” Logan said. “Come along, then.” With a hand at the small of her back, he urged her forward, knowing exactly where to find the office.
Before they’d taken three steps, Denver was there. He didn’t call a halt, just put his arm around her and kept pace.
When Cherry faltered, he said, “Armie got me.”
“I told him not to!”
Denver bent and kissed her forehead. “He did the right thing.” They entered the office. Denver held the door until the others were inside, then closed it. He watched Cherry until she started to fidget.
“I think I know what Carver wants.”
“Other than you, you mean?” His gaze went to the detectives. “He enjoys threatening her.”
Cherry rubbed her forehead. “I don’t want to go into the whole thing, but the important part is that Carver and his family deal drugs.”
Logan straightened. Reese frowned.
“I used to live with them. They were my foster family.” She shared the town in Kentucky. “Everyone knew they were dealers but as far as I could tell the cops were part of it.”
Going behind the desk, Logan rummaged over the surface until he found a pad and a pen. He scribbled some notes. “Go on.”
Inhaling a shaky breath, she nodded. “Carver used to take liberties. With me.”
“Cherry,” Denver prompted.
Yes, she realized she had to own up to all of it. “He tried to...to molest me. Maybe rape me.” She shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure what his intentions were, other than bad.”
Denver pushed away from the door, came over to stand behind her, and put his arms around her. Very close to her ear, he asked, “Would it be okay if I summarized things for them?”
Grateful that she wouldn’t have to, Cherry nodded.
Denver hugged her for agreeing, then in short, succinct sentences, he told of the trouble she’d had with Carver and his brothers, the threats that had been made since his return, and his own plays to cut the man out to force him out of hiding.
The sympathy she felt from Logan and Reese nearly choked her. She forced her chin up, her shoulders back, and met their gazes.
“Carver came after me for a reason. I knew he wanted something, but I didn’t know what. I was never involved in any way with the family business. Other than taking the money when Janet sent me away, I was never told anything about it.”
Reese took the paper from Logan. “We have the address. I can have local cops—those not from the area—check into things.” Gently he added, “Not all cops are on the take.”
“I know that,” she assured him. “I trust the lieutenant, and I trust both of you.”
“The cops you can trust,” Logan said, “far outnumber those you can’t. But I understand your reluctance to involve anyone in or around the area where you used to live.”
“Thank you.”
Reese studied her, his eyes narrowed and one side of his mouth kicked up in interest. “You’ve figured out what it is, haven’t you?”
Denver’s arms tightened. “Cherry?”
Lacing her hands over his where they crossed her waist, she nodded. “It finally just occurred to me.”
Denver turned her, stared into her eyes, and let out a breath. “Let’s hear it.”
She never liked talking about her time with the Nelsons, especially not Carver’s warped pursuit. But she wouldn’t cower. Not anymore. Looking at Denver made it easier than looking at the cops. “I told you I would hide from Carver when he was in one of his moods.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t explain that I hid outside. Sometimes all night. I’d found this old rusted-out truck in the woods.” Her hands started to shake—until Denver held them. “You could barely see it from all the weeds and vines growing over it. The inside was empty except for a seat. I’d crawled in there one night when Carver was looking for me. For over an hour I could hear him calling my name. Even after I figured he’d left, I was afraid to come out so I stayed there all night.”
Looking pained, Denver nodded once to encourage her.
“Even with the bugs and a few snakes that I had to chase off, I decided it was a good place so I went back during the day and cleaned it out the best I could.”
She nodded dumbly, then caught herself. “Denver is with fans. I don’t want to bother him just yet.”
The men shared a look.
Feeling guilty, she scowled at each of them. “I’ll tell him. It’s not like I’m keeping secrets. I just—”
“You’ve got me curious, I’ll give you that,” Logan said. “Come along, then.” With a hand at the small of her back, he urged her forward, knowing exactly where to find the office.
Before they’d taken three steps, Denver was there. He didn’t call a halt, just put his arm around her and kept pace.
When Cherry faltered, he said, “Armie got me.”
“I told him not to!”
Denver bent and kissed her forehead. “He did the right thing.” They entered the office. Denver held the door until the others were inside, then closed it. He watched Cherry until she started to fidget.
“I think I know what Carver wants.”
“Other than you, you mean?” His gaze went to the detectives. “He enjoys threatening her.”
Cherry rubbed her forehead. “I don’t want to go into the whole thing, but the important part is that Carver and his family deal drugs.”
Logan straightened. Reese frowned.
“I used to live with them. They were my foster family.” She shared the town in Kentucky. “Everyone knew they were dealers but as far as I could tell the cops were part of it.”
Going behind the desk, Logan rummaged over the surface until he found a pad and a pen. He scribbled some notes. “Go on.”
Inhaling a shaky breath, she nodded. “Carver used to take liberties. With me.”
“Cherry,” Denver prompted.
Yes, she realized she had to own up to all of it. “He tried to...to molest me. Maybe rape me.” She shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure what his intentions were, other than bad.”
Denver pushed away from the door, came over to stand behind her, and put his arms around her. Very close to her ear, he asked, “Would it be okay if I summarized things for them?”
Grateful that she wouldn’t have to, Cherry nodded.
Denver hugged her for agreeing, then in short, succinct sentences, he told of the trouble she’d had with Carver and his brothers, the threats that had been made since his return, and his own plays to cut the man out to force him out of hiding.
The sympathy she felt from Logan and Reese nearly choked her. She forced her chin up, her shoulders back, and met their gazes.
“Carver came after me for a reason. I knew he wanted something, but I didn’t know what. I was never involved in any way with the family business. Other than taking the money when Janet sent me away, I was never told anything about it.”
Reese took the paper from Logan. “We have the address. I can have local cops—those not from the area—check into things.” Gently he added, “Not all cops are on the take.”
“I know that,” she assured him. “I trust the lieutenant, and I trust both of you.”
“The cops you can trust,” Logan said, “far outnumber those you can’t. But I understand your reluctance to involve anyone in or around the area where you used to live.”
“Thank you.”
Reese studied her, his eyes narrowed and one side of his mouth kicked up in interest. “You’ve figured out what it is, haven’t you?”
Denver’s arms tightened. “Cherry?”
Lacing her hands over his where they crossed her waist, she nodded. “It finally just occurred to me.”
Denver turned her, stared into her eyes, and let out a breath. “Let’s hear it.”
She never liked talking about her time with the Nelsons, especially not Carver’s warped pursuit. But she wouldn’t cower. Not anymore. Looking at Denver made it easier than looking at the cops. “I told you I would hide from Carver when he was in one of his moods.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t explain that I hid outside. Sometimes all night. I’d found this old rusted-out truck in the woods.” Her hands started to shake—until Denver held them. “You could barely see it from all the weeds and vines growing over it. The inside was empty except for a seat. I’d crawled in there one night when Carver was looking for me. For over an hour I could hear him calling my name. Even after I figured he’d left, I was afraid to come out so I stayed there all night.”
Looking pained, Denver nodded once to encourage her.
“Even with the bugs and a few snakes that I had to chase off, I decided it was a good place so I went back during the day and cleaned it out the best I could.”
