Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (reading women .txt) 📕

go. He already told me that nothing I say is going to change his mind. He did agree to have an alarm system installed along with some cameras. My firm is working on getting someone out here to do that, hopefully today."

"And Michelle?" Jenna asked. "Please tell me she's going with us."

Michelle, although frightened, hadn't liked the idea of leaving Tom all alone in their home. Jenna didn't like it either but Knox was going to drag her out of there is she tried to stay. Frankly, she thought her brother was crazy to want to stay here after the fire this morning.

"Tom agreed to send your sister to Miami for a business trip. I think she'll be safe there."

Jenna sunk down onto the mattress, sighing in relief. She'd been afraid that Michelle was going to be as stubborn as Tom.

"Thank goodness. Now I only have to worry about my brother being burned alive."

"You won't have to worry about that either if we can get the security system set up here."

Knox sat down next to her, reaching over to hold her hand. Their fingers laced together and she instantly felt better just knowing he was with her. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen if he could help it.

"Did Detective Bauer leave?" she asked, cushioning her head on his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her waist. It felt good to have someone to lean on when everything seemed out of control. "He was certainly in a mood, wasn't he?"

"I'm getting the distinct feeling that he hates his job. A whole lot. At this point, I wouldn't take it personally. I think he simply doesn't like police work."

"Then he should find another job."

"Probably, and he may be doing that for all we know. In the meantime, I'll deal with him plus the police from the local jurisdiction. He seems happy to let me do whatever the hell I want so I'm not going to complain too much."

"And after we set up house in Tremont? What happens then?"

"We talk to that Brett guy, plus I need to talk to my brother, of course. They're both going to need alibis for this morning."

"And for the break-in at Lori's home."

"That too. Basically, I'm going to crawl so far up my brother's ass he's going to wish he was an only child. Hell, he probably already does. We've never seen eye to eye on anything."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"That day at the prison for my dad. We barely spoke because he pisses me off by simply existing. I swear every time he opens his mouth he says something that grinds my gears."

"Because he's like your dad."

Jenna didn't make it sound like a question because she was pretty sure of the answer.

"He's far too like our father. Sadly, he doesn't see anything wrong with that."

"Do you think he'll tell you the truth?"

"Eventually, but he won't be happy about it. I can tell when he's lying, which is why he avoids me as much as I avoid him."

She ran her hand up Knox's arm, squeezing his shoulder. "You know...you know that I don't want it to be your brother? I don't. Not really. It's just...he's the one that I knew about."

Knox nodded, his expression grim. "I get it. He looks suspicious. If he wasn't my brother, and I didn't know him the way that I do, I'd believe that he was guilty too. I don't think that he had anything to do with Lori's disappearance. I've said that before. But I do think he might know more than he's letting on about that last day. That I would believe."

"I know you'll find out who did this. I know you'll find Lori."

She didn't say the last part of the sentence out loud. Dead or alive. At this point, Jenna was aware that the odds weren't in their favor.

Knox turned toward her so she could look up into his blue eyes that were dark with emotion. Her heart drummed against her ribs, so loud she was sure that they could hear her downstairs.

"I will. And I'll protect you. I promise you that."

Leaning closer, he brushed her lips with his own. She reached up and pulled him down to her, their kiss soft, sweet, and long. Despite all the chaos around them, she was falling for this man. She wasn't scared or nervous about it. It seemed right and natural.

Knox Owens just might be her future. It was certainly something to look forward to when all of this horror was finally over.

After hugging her brother and sister goodbye, Jenna had climbed into Knox's SUV and they'd driven directly to Tremont. The ride had been uneventful and she'd found herself dozing off at one point, her head lolling against the window. She'd woken when the vehicle came to a stop.

"You needed the rest," Knox said, leaning over and dropping a kiss on her temple. "I'm glad you were able to sleep.'

Stretching in her seat, she yawned widely, her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe I actually slept. I thought it would be the last thing I would be able to do."

He smiled, pushing open the driver's door. "Maybe you felt so safe with me, you were able to relax."

That might be it. She hadn't been scared with him next to her. She didn't think a big truck was going to come out of nowhere and run them off of the road.

"But you didn't get to sleep, and you have to be just as tired. Now I feel bad because I should have helped drive."

"I'm fine. I'm used to living on little sleep.