Defending Sophie Page 4

  "Okay. It seems we have a lot to talk about. I did some research on Kate. She had quite the record and she was on opioids."

  "No, she wasn't."

  "They were in her system, Sophie. It's in the autopsy."

  "She didn't take them. Whoever killed her must have put them in her system. Injected her or forced her to take them. She wasn't on them. She maybe should have been, but she wasn't."

  "Why should she have been?"

  His brows were bunched together, concern on his face. But his eyes never looked away from her.

  "After she was raped she was...different. Despondent. Heartbroken. Maybe just broken. But, I stayed with her to make sure she would be okay; I cooked, cleaned, and helped her get through every day. She went back to work, right away even though she would have rather been anywhere else. She didn't take any pills. Nothing."

  "Okay. So, how about this, we go back to the cabin and grab a bite to eat. We can talk while I make sure your shoulder is good and immobilize it. Then, we'll get some rest. You look like you could fall over from exhaustion. Did you sleep last night?"

  She shook her head, "I tucked myself into an alcove at a bakery to get some rest. I walked about 11 miles yesterday to get away from here after I was attacked."

  "Shit." She watched a silent message pass between Gaige and the man upfront by way of the rearview mirror. Gaige looked back at her, then said, "I'm sorry, I should have introduced you. Sophie, this is Hawk. Hawk, Sophie."

  "Hi, Hawk." She hated sounding so weak. She needed to get her mojo back.

  "Hey, Sophie. We're here now and we've got this, okay?"

  Dammit. Tears sprang to her eyes. It was such a relief to have people she could trust help her. She simply nodded.

  Hawk turned into the driveway of a little house tucked into the woods on the edge of town. It didn't look lived in, the lawn needed care, the windows were dirty, and the area around looked unkempt. Weeds had taken over the landscaping a long time ago. But it also looked to her like a place no one would come looking for them, so there was that.

  "Honey, we're home." Hawk called out and she couldn't help it, a chuckle escaped her.

  "Okay, let's get inside."

  She and Gaige exited the truck, then Hawk pulled the SUV forward and around the back. The sound of a garage door opening reached her ears, but Gaige was ushering her into the cabin.

  The inside looked like a place her grandparents would have loved if they were still alive. Frilly yellow curtains still hung in the kitchen window and the light pine cabinets and green counter tops practically yelled "retro".

  Gaige began pulling food out of the freezer, and opening boxed items to toss into the microwave. Despite the great breakfast and cake she'd had, her stomach growled.

  "Do you still like oranges?"

  Her eyes held his, her brows high on her forehead. He remembered.

  "Yes. Do you still prefer apples?"

  He pulled a gorgeous shiny red apple from the bowl on the counter and held it up for her to see. The smile on his face was mesmerizing and comforting.

  Meals in the microwave, Gaige began peeling the orange for her. "Do you miss him?"

  She didn't have to ask who, he was their link to the past. Her brother, Tate. "Yes. Everyday. How about you?"

  "Damn, Soph. I miss him so fucking much. Anytime something good happens in my life I want to pick up the phone and call him. Then I remember that I'll never be able to do that again."

  "Yeah. This past couple of months I needed him so bad. I talked to him and Kate and asked them both to be with me. To help me."

  They were silent for a few moments, then Gaige chuckled, but it wasn't happy, sadder more, than anything. "Isn't it ironic that Tate and Kate are finally together?"

  "Sad, too. They couldn't seem to get together in life, only in death. She really had a thing for him."

  Surprise colored his face. "She did? Did she know he pined away for her, too?"

  Huffing out a breath. "No. She thought he wasn't interested so she loved him from afar. I knew though. I used to catch him staring at her. I'd catch her staring at him, but they were both too stupid to make the move. Or, I don't know, afraid maybe?"

  "Hmm." Gaige said no more.

  The backdoor opened and Hawk filled the room with his body. "Wyatt said he's found Sophie's other phone. It's on base in the Medical Examiner’s Office and Morgue complex."

  "It's not. I tossed it in the dumpster at my apartment building."

  "It's not there now."

  Chapter 8

  Gaige stood and tossed their microwave food containers in the garbage and tossed the three forks into the dishwasher.

  "Okay, we need to talk about what's going on, Soph. Tell me what kind of trouble you're in."

  He watched her throat constrict as she swallowed and the expression on her face changed to one of fear. "You already know that Kate is dead." Her fingers played with a crumb on the table and her shoulders slumped forward. "I told Chet that she didn't kill herself. I said I had proof that it was a set up to make it look like she did."

  "Okay. Who is Chet?"

  "He works in the Medical Examiner’s Office on base. I went to him because I've known him for a few months and he always seemed like a straight up guy. I wanted a copy of the autopsy report to see if I could tell that it had been doctored and why."

  "Did he give you a copy?"

  "No. I saw the report Kate's parents received. It said just as you mentioned that she had opioids in her system and that she eventually died from respiratory arrest."

  "And, why don't you believe that?"

  "She didn't have a car, Gaige. She had one three years ago, but it kept getting broken into on base. She got sick of fixing broken windows and trunk lids. So, she sold it and we either used my car or Uber when we needed to go somewhere. Plus, she wasn't on drugs. Any drugs."

  Gaige stood from the table and grabbed his laptop from the duffle he'd set on the chair in the living room. Coming back to the table he lifted the lid and began typing.

  Hawk leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his massive chest, but Sophie continued to look at the table. Defeated was the word he'd use to describe her. She looked defeated.

  "The title was in her name."

  "It wasn't hers, Gaige. That title was forged. I'm telling you she didn't have a car."

  Shifting his chair to scoot closer to her he lowered his voice. "Sophie, so far we have a dead woman with opioids in her system and a death by asphyxiation in a car not hers but no proof. What proof do you have that you mentioned to Chet?"

  Dropping her hand to her lap, she took a deep breath. Finally looking into his eyes she whispered, "I don't have any. I was hoping if I could figure out that the autopsy report was manipulated I'd be able to find the proof. I didn't count on Chet telling anyone what I said."

  "Okay. So, let's get some sleep and talk about this in the morning. We're all running on lack of sleep, and we need clear heads to work through this. First, let me take a look at your shoulder and make sure you don't need more medical assistance than what I can supply you."

  He walked back to his duffle and pulled out the medical kit he always had with him. Bringing it back to the table, he opened it up then turned to Sophie.

  "I'm going to need to see your shoulder, Soph."

  He saw the pink color her cheeks and his heart went out to her. She seemed like a scared little girl. But, her story had more holes in it than Swiss cheese, and he still wasn't sure what they were up against.

  Hawk stood then, "I'm getting some shuteye. See you two in the morning."

  "Take the back bedroom Hawk, Sophie can have the first bedroom. We can secure that one to make her feel safe easier."

  Hawk looked between them. "Where are you going to sleep?"

  "I'll take the sofa. I've got some work to do and that way I won't keep anyone awake."

  Sophie said, "That doesn't seem fair, Gaige. I can sleep on the sofa."

  "Nope. First of al
l, for safety reasons, it's better if you're in the interior bedroom. There's only one window and we can close the blinds and curtains to make sure no one can see in. That's the paranoid me wanting to make sure we're secure. Further we can block the window from opening with a board. Second, I really do need to get a bit of work done before I can sleep and out here I won't keep anyone awake."

  Hawk nodded and left the room. Listening to his footsteps which were surprisingly quiet for a man his size, Gaige waited until the bedroom door closed.

  Turning to Sophie he nodded and she slowly began unbuttoning the top button of her shirt. His heart sped up and he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remember, people could change and Sophie may not be the Sophie he remembered. Also, he still didn't know how much shit she was in. But still, he owed Tate to keep his sister safe and he'd do just that, if for no other reason than his dead best friend.

  When he opened his eyes, Sophie had opened her shirt and struggled to pull her arm free from the sleeve. Seeing she had a tank top on underneath, he took a deep breath and knelt down before her to help tug the sleeve down her arm. He watched her face and noticed a wince, but nothing more. Not sure if that was toughness, lack of pain or both, he decided to proceed carefully. When he saw her swollen shoulder and the angry bruise around the swelling he had to tighten his jaw to stem the anger he felt at what she'd endured. It was bad enough seeing the bluing welt on her cheek and slender jaw. He'd watched her eat during supper and he knew it was tender to move, but she never whined, just ate the small amount she could and remained stoic. It was one of the things he'd always admired about her all these years. Any time he'd seen her, she managed a calm stoicism about her. Like the little soldier she was.

  Repeating his ministrations from earlier he kneaded the area gently and had her move her shoulder. She did what he asked without complaint. In the end, he determined that she had a severe contusion on the bone of her shoulder. "I have some pain meds with me. They won't knock you out but will help ease the pain so you can sleep."

  "I don't want them."

  "You need to rest, Soph."

  "I don't want them. I don't want to be drugged. I can't. Not now."

  Nodding, he understood. "Alright. But if you change your mind, you just need to ask. Okay?"

  "Yeah." Her voice was so soft. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her and tell her everything would be okay. He couldn't though, he didn't know if he could make that promise.

  "Okay, hon. Why don't you go to bed? We'll have a conversation in the morning."

  He stepped away from her and walked to his duffle. Pulling a white t-shirt from it, he brought it to her. "You can sleep in this, it'll be more comfortable. Bathroom is between the two bedrooms down the hall. While you're in the bathroom, I'll secure the window in your room."

  "Thank you." She took the t-shirt from him and hesitated. Then she wrapped her left arm around his waist and hugged him. "Thank you for coming to help me."

  Heart hammering, his skin grew clammy as his arms gently circled her petite body against his. He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome. We'll work hard to get this straightened out."

  She turned and headed to the bathroom and Gaige headed to the garage to look for a board to secure the window. This would probably be the toughest job he'd ever been on, one way or another.

  Chapter 9

  Hesitating for all of thirty seconds, Sophie decided to jump in the shower. She didn't think either Hawk or Gaige would barge in, but taking your clothes off left you in the most vulnerable position. Still the call of feeling clean again won out. The shower she'd taken this morning was so incredibly brief that while it did a bit to clean off the surface dirt, she hadn't felt totally clean at all.

  She lay Gaige's t-shirt on the counter, and turned the water on to warm while she looked around. Noticing that the house hadn't been cleaned in a long time, a layer of dust covered everything but she hoped there was some shampoo stashed away somewhere. Opening the tall cabinet next to the shower, she saw the towels and took one from the middle of the pile. Checking the bottom cabinet, she sighed when she found an older bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner. Hallelujah. She didn't even care what brand. Setting them on the ledge of the tub, she began shrugging her blouse from her good shoulder and let the material fall from her injured arm. Unsnapping her jeans and pushing them down her legs was a bit challenging but nothing she couldn't handle.

  Finishing her undressing the hardest thing was removing her bra, but she managed. Pulling the shower curtain back to step in, she thought again, grabbed her clothes and brought them into the shower with her, she was at the end of day two with them and she'd sweated a fair amount yesterday.

  Showering, shampooing, and running shampoo and water over her clothes she enjoyed a little longer shower, and for the first time in a while allowed a genuine smile to appear on her face. Feeling clean and safe again, or at least safer, she agreed with Gaige that a good night's sleep would help them all devise a plan in the morning.

  Stepping from the shower she dried herself and her hair the best she could with her shoulder pain, then pulled another towel from the cabinet and opened it up on the long counter. Laying her wet clothes on top, she rolled them up in the towel and lay it on the floor. Stepping on it to sop most of the water from her clothes, she then grabbed her clothes in her wet towel and set it on the counter while she donned Gaige's t-shirt.

  Sliding it over her head she closed her eyes as his scent surrounded her. Oh, all the times she'd remembered the way he smelled. Subconsciously she'd sought out men who smelled like him, or similar to his scent. It was the first thing she'd noticed about her ex-husband, Brad. When she asked him what cologne he used, he replied, "Cattleman." A shiver had run all the way through her body.

  Taking a deep breath and grateful his t-shirt covered her body almost to her knees, she twisted the knob on the bathroom door and quickly ducked into her room. Opening the closet, she was relieved to see hangers. Hanging her wet clothes on the hangers, including her bra and panties, she lay the towel under them to catch any dripping water.

  Walking to the window, she gently pulled back the curtains and blinds to see that Gaige had wedged a section of 2 x 4 between the bottom window and the top sill to keep it from opening. She smiled that he worked so quickly and thought she'd need this to feel safe. Though in his line of work, no doubt he'd dealt with hundreds of women in need. Her stomach tightened and coiled with jealousy, though she had no right. Now she was just a job to him as well. She'd have to figure out a way to repay him. Though he'd probably say no, she'd still figure out a way.

  She left the light on, darkness was too scary right now. Laying in the bed and pulling the covers up to her chin, she looked around the room, memorizing every crack and corner.

  Not sure when she fell asleep, Sophie looked around the room. What had woken her up? She sat up, listened, then heard a door close. Her heart began racing, she jumped from the bed, grabbed her panties, they'd dried but not completely, but they'd have to do. Checking her bra, it was still wet, as were her jeans and shirt.

  She walked to the door and listened but didn't hear anything. Turning toward the window, she walked over, pulled the piece of 2 x 4 from it, and walked back to the door. At least she'd have something if she needed it. She was still pissed at herself for not grabbing her gun when those asshats broke into her apartment and tried grabbing her. She was caught so off guard that her only thought had been to run.

  Quietly turning the door knob, she pulled the door open and listened. Tapping sounded and she instantly recognized the sound of keys on a computer and realized Gaige was still working.

  Making her way quietly down the hall, her ears hyperaware, she neared the entrance to the living room. There sat Gaige on the sofa, his long legs propped up on the coffee table in front of him, crossed at the ankle, his naked feet in full view. Even his feet were sexy.

  His head turned when he saw her, his smile beautiful, his green eyes bright des
pite the dark circles under them.

  "Hey, what are you doing up? Are you in pain?"

  She shook her head, "I heard a door close."

  He patted the sofa next to him, "Come sit. Unless you're planning on bludgeoning me to death."

  Her brows furrowed briefly until she remembered the 2 x 4 in her hand, and she felt her cheeks heat. "Sorry, I didn't know if someone was breaking in."

  He chuckled. "No, sorry, it was me. I ran out to the garage to grab my phone cord from the vehicle."

  Sitting next to him, she looked over at his computer screen and her heart hammered, her throat constricted and her hands began shaking.

  "Why are you researching Captain Killian?"

  Chapter 10

  Listening to the water running in the bathroom and the thought of Sophie slathering soap on her naked, wet body, almost became too much. Better to get some work done than torture himself with images that drove him crazy. Taking his laptop into the living room, he pulled off his boots and socks and lay them on the floor next to the sofa. Mrs. James would have a field day in this place. The dust alone would have her salivating for a good cleaning.

  Placing his bare feet on the coffee table, he set his laptop on his legs and opened the top. First order of business was to check up on Reed Killian. The issue with him now was if he was a Captain, he'd have access to records, including his own. Manipulating them, while it could be tracked and get him in a shitload of trouble, there was little doubt the bastard would do it. He wanted to rise to the top so fucking bad, there was no doubt he'd do anything to get there.

  Mentally noting when the shower shut off and closing his eyes for a moment as thoughts of naked Sophie fresh from the shower, her long dark hair touching and pressing against that luscious smooth body of hers. Damn, he probably should have had someone else come on this mission and he should have stayed home. The bathroom door opened and he saw a flash of sexy leg and long dark hair scoot from the bathroom to the first bedroom. Within seconds the fresh scent of shampoo and woman wafted down the hall to his nostrils and he thought again that he should have stayed home.