Defending Sophie Read online

"Well, these are just hand-me-downs, nothing fancy, but over time women have left things, or donated things as they've gotten back on their feet, and I hand them out when there's a need. You'll also find basics in the bathroom. Deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, shower soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. Make yourself at home."

  Clearing the lump from her throat, she replied, "Thank you, Gigi, you're very generous."

  "Nope, no worries. I've got supper to make, why don't you take a nice hot shower and put some clean clothes on. I can show you the washer and dryer when you're ready."

  "Do you need help? I can do...something." She smiled, not knowing what she could do. She could cook but when she did, it certainly wasn't in front of a professional, so embarrassing herself would be certain if she tried. On top of that, she was still a bit jumpy from all this upheaval.

  Gigi turned to exit the room, "Nope, I've got this."

  Just like that she was gone. Looking out the door and across the room she studied Gaige sitting at the desk. His fingers flew over the keys of his laptop, the fine hairs on his arms sparkled in the sunlight that shown through the windows on him. Almost as if he was being blessed by the bright light.

  Suddenly his hands froze over the keys. He read something on his screen and she saw him swallow. Then, slowly, his head turned to her and their eyes locked. "What have you done, Soph?"

  Her heart hammered in her chest and her mouth grew dry. She could feel her pulse pounding in her ears and the look on his face was absolutely devastating. What did he think she'd done? "What are you talking about?"

  He turned his laptop toward her and she forced her feet to move to him. He never looked away from her and that made her nerves tingle. Reaching the desk, she looked at his computer screen and saw her name at the top. Glancing through the document without reading every word, her eyes landed on the most hated word of all. Murder.

  Blinking to clear her vision she stared at that awful text hoping it would go away. Shaking her head, she finally glanced at Gaige. "That's not me. I didn't... I wouldn't ki... No, I didn't kill anyone."

  Her knees shook, her bottom lip quivered, and the fact that she was about to have a meltdown scared her more than anything. Now more than ever, she needed to be strong. Present. Aware. She couldn't be weak. Not now. Not ever, apparently.

  He stood abruptly and gently wrapped his hand around her upper arm, guiding her to his newly vacated chair. Kneeling down in front of her, he collected the clothing still wrapped in her arms, set them on the desk, and then took her hands in his. "We have to talk. About everything. I need to know what we're really up against."

  From her peripheral vision she saw Hawk enter the room from the bedroom, but her brain didn't seem to want to cooperate. Gaige turned to his friend. "Hawk, can you get Sophie some water?"

  "Yeah." He paused for a moment, taking in this weird scene then headed to the kitchen. Within a minute or two he was back in front of her holding out a bottle of water. Gaige gently took it from his friend, twisted the cap on the bottle, and handed it to her.

  Numbly she reached for the bottle and sipped the cool water while she heard Gaige ask Hawk to take a seat, they had to work this all out. Her hands continued to shake as she set the bottle on the desk. Stupid thoughts ran through her head like, 'Don't spill water on Gaige's computer' and 'She should have jumped in the shower right away'. Why was she worried about those mundane things when she'd just read that she was wanted for murder?

  "Come on over here, Sophie." Gaige urged her to stand and she felt as if she'd fall flat on her face, her legs didn't want to move. He picked her up without a grunt or a huff of air, as if she weighed nothing and easily set her on the sofa, taking a seat next to her. Hawk sat in the armchair at a forty-five-degree angle to her and watched silently as Gaige cleared his throat.

  "Sophie's wanted for the murder of Chet Forest, Hawk."

  She gasped. "Chet?" She looked deeply into Gaige's eyes to see if he was lying. "Chet's dead?"

  "Yeah, Soph, he's dead. Didn't you tell me that was the guy who worked in the Medical Examiner’s Office and you asked him for the autopsy report? You thought he was the one who told Killian about your evidence."

  Swallowing what felt like a gigantic cotton ball, she nodded.

  "When was the last time you saw him?"

  She licked her dry lips before responding, trying to recall the last time she saw Chet. "About four days ago I think. I went to see him at his office in the Medical Examiner’s Office. I asked him if he could get me Kate's autopsy report. I told him that she didn't kill herself. I said I had proof that it was a set up to make it look like she did. He told me he'd see what he could do, but then two men tried to grab me at my apartment complex and I had to run. I knew then he must have said something to Killian, but I still wasn't able to confirm it."

  Hawk leaned forward, his forearms on his knees. "When was Chet murdered?"

  "Three days ago."

  "That was the day I called you." She whispered.

  Gaige nodded, his lips formed a straight line and her heart began pounding again.

  "I didn't do it, Gaige. I'd never do...that." Nervously she tucked her hair behind her ears and wracked her brain. "How? How was Chet murdered?"

  "The report doesn't say. I'm going to see what I can find out. But, for now, we need to have that long awaited conversation."

  Chapter 18

  He saw her spine straighten and her hands balled in her lap. She swallowed then looked him in the eye.

  "Okay."

  "First, and foremost, I'd never betray you, Sophie. If I would have known Tommy was accused of raping Kate, I would have gone to Uncle Jeff’s and I’d have handled this differently. I still have to find out what has gone on in their house since that day."

  "I realize that now, I just got freaked out when I heard where you'd gone." She lightly cleared her throat. "My trust levels are at an all-time low I guess."

  He kept his eyes trained on hers, it was the best way he knew to convey honesty. "With good reason. But, Sophie, we're here to help you. We came here for you. No one else."

  She blinked rapidly and he saw her eyes glisten, but she composed herself and shyly said, "Thank you." Turning to Hawk she repeated her thanks.

  Hawk leaned forward again, his forearms on his knees, his eyes locked on Sophie and said, "You're welcome, Sophie. You mean a lot to Gaige and therefore you mean a lot to all of GHOST. Our whole team volunteered to come here and help out. The rest are standing by at the compound, waiting for instructions on how they can help. That's the honest to goodness truth."

  Her eyes widened and she relaxed her back just a bit, then she looked into his eyes once again. "I don't know how I'll be able to repay you, Gaige, but I will."

  "We didn't come here for payment. When I asked the team if anyone wanted to join me, as Hawk said, the whole team volunteered. When I told them it was pro bono, not one person backed out."

  "Wow. I don't know what to say."

  "Let's start with the basics. How is your shoulder today?"

  "It's sore, but it's healing, I think. It isn't worse than yesterday, so that's a good sign."

  "It is. Now, tell me what you know about Kate's rape."

  She squirmed a bit on the sofa, and inhaled a deep breath, held it a moment, then released it slowly.

  "Kate and Tommy were dating. At least, they'd gone on about three dates. She told me they hadn't had sex yet, neither of them rushing it. She really liked Tommy."

  She closed her eyes for a moment, then continued. "They went out that night, I think it was a Wednesday, and there was a place he said where he liked to eat, just out of town off the highway, called Kickers. It's a bar and restaurant and they're known for their ribs and home cooking. She was excited to go ‘cause he was sharing things about himself. She thought that was a good sign that they were progressing as a couple."

  Her cute little nose wrinkled and she bit her bottom lip. "She dressed in jeans and a bright yellow button up blouse. She l
ooked beautiful, but she always did. Her blond hair had been recently cut into an adorable bob and her blue eyes sparkled when she talked about Tommy. She was smitten."

  Wriggling on the sofa to push herself back into the cushions a bit, he watched her face. This was difficult for her to share. He'd bet she hadn't told anyone, except CID.

  "Go on, Soph." He gently pushed her to continue. It was too important to know everything that happened up till now so they could figure out which direction to take from here.

  "Tommy came to Kate's apartment, I was still there, so I took off. They seemed excited to be together, happy and nothing seemed off. Not until around 7:30 the next morning when Kate called me. She was crying and asked me to come over. I just lived across the parking lot from her, so I ran over right away."

  Tucking her hair behind her ears, he watched her fingers, though they were slender, he knew from the work she did they were strong and he knew from holding them they were soft.

  She looked into his eyes, her deep brown irises glinted in the waning sunlight streaming in through the window. Her lush lashes framed her eyes perfectly. Even with the fine lines around her eyes and mouth, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. He'd thought so from the moment they met.

  She took a deep breath. "She was crying, her hair was disheveled, and she was wearing her robe. She cried, "He raped me." But couldn't say much more. She pointed to the bedroom floor where her cute yellow blouse lay with a large rip down the front, and three of the buttons missing. She had bruises on her wrists where his hands held hers together and she had a bruise on her jaw."

  She absently rubbed the yellowish mark on her own jaw with her fingertips before returning her hands to her lap. He glanced at Hawk who sat staring straight ahead, as if imagining what the scene must have looked like, though his jaw was clamped together tightly and his fists were balled.

  "Was Tommy still there?"

  Shaking her head, she replied, "No, she said she'd just screamed at him till he left. He kept saying he didn't do it, he didn't remember anything and she was enraged. She was raped and he denied having anything to do with it, despite the fact he was the only one there with her."

  "Did she say how Tommy looked? Were his clothes ripped? Did she scratch him anywhere?"

  "No, she didn't remember it at all. She said she didn't even remember leaving the bar that night. And she remembered feeling weird about that because she only had one drink.”

  Hawk leaned forward again. "Sophie, did you take Kate in for tests? Did they do a toxicology report on her?"

  "I took her to the hospital and they did a rape kit. They took blood but we never got the results. About a week after that was when things started happening to Kate. She was continually harassed in our unit, the men calling her a liar and a cock-tease. She couldn't believe the guys would do this. She said she felt raped all over again. When she went to our superiors they said they'd look into it, but nothing changed. After the third week she got mad. She told me she wasn't going down without a fight. She had a stellar career in the military and she wasn't going to let one asshole ruin it. There were so many things that just didn't add up."

  She rubbed her forehead with her fingers, her brows drew together, and he could tell she was puzzling everything out in her mind.

  "The harassment seemed off base. Other than Colonel Taylor being Tommy's father, why would our unit get involved? We tried getting information on the investigation from CID, but they just kept blocking our attempts telling us it was an open investigation or they were still waiting on lab results which seemed ridiculous to us after all that time. She then went to the local police and told them what had happened and that CID wasn't investigating or, at least, didn't seem to be and she was being harassed. They told her it was a military issue. Her next step was going to be to see an attorney who could help her out. She told CID afterward that she had seen the local police. Two days later, she was dead and a month later I'm on the run."

  Chapter 19

  This was hard. She'd only told CID this information so far. Everyone else seemed too risky to say anything to. After all, look what happened to Chet. Her stomach twisted and she wrestled with whether she was hungry or nervous. Probably a little of both.

  Gaige watched her and she wondered why he was here for her at all. Tate was gone, and though he probably felt like he owed it to Tate to help her, he didn't.

  When he spoke to her, his deep sexy voice felt like a warm blanket wrapping around her shoulders on a chilly day. Her nipples puckered when he looked into her eyes and spoke. It was a heady combination. If only...

  His voice softened. "What about Tommy? Did CID interview him?"

  "I don't know. They'd never give us that information. They just kept saying when their investigation was complete they'd be in touch. It was so damned frustrating.”

  His eyes darted to Hawk's and she swallowed to moisten her parched throat.

  "Look, Gaige, Hawk, here's what I do know. Kate wasn't on drugs. Any drugs. Her parents came after she died and I helped them clean out her apartment. We didn't find anything more than a bottle of aspirin and over the counter meds for cramps when she got her period. There was nothing anywhere. And, the garage that Kate was found in wasn't hers. It belonged to some guy in our apartment complex. It wasn't her car. The garage had been pried open, and the car backed in. And, my hunch is that the autopsy report will show there wasn't any carbon monoxide in her lungs or blood. That's why I went to Chet."

  Gaige's phone rang and he reached over to the desk where it lay next to his computer. Glancing at the screen he looked her directly in the eyes. "I have to take this, it's Tommy. I need to find out what's going on with him."

  Swallowing the gigantic lump that instantly formed in her throat, she wrapped her arms around her middle and nodded once. Gaige moved to sit at the chair in front of the desk, but he turned the chair to face in her direction.

  "Tommy, what's up? Sorry I wasn't able to stay and see you this morning."

  She watched his face, his handsome face. His eyes were the color of the grass late in the summer when the color deepened to a dark green. Fine lines had grown at the corners of his eyes since she'd seen him last, which was so many years ago. She assumed GHOST and its missions kept him up until all hours and the worry of keeping his team working, safe, and happy probably weighed on him, too. And he was doing it all alone. No one to help him bear the burden. No one to share that burden with, discuss it with, and make plans with. So much like her it was pitiful. Neither of them had found someone to spend their life with. Neither of them had really lived a full life. At least not in the sense that they had jobs they loved, and a family to come home to. Not everyone wanted or needed that, but for most people that was the definition of living a full life.

  "Where can I meet you?"

  Her ears began picking up the conversation again. He was going to meet Tommy? "No, I'm not really staying anywhere right now, so you'll need to come up with a place."

  He turned to his computer, tucked his phone against his shoulder and his ear and began typing. "I see it, I can be there in a half hour."

  Tapping the screen on his phone he looked at Hawk. "Call the compound, check in, and have someone rent us a new vehicle and tell the rental agency where to pick up our other one."

  "You're not going to see Tommy alone are you?" Hawk asked, concern in his voice.

  "No, I'll need you to come with me." He turned to her. "Sophie, I need to ask you to stay here with Gigi until we return."

  "Gaige, I'm not a helpless..."

  "I know." His hand raised to ward off her anger. "I need to deal with Tommy and find out, first of all, if this is a set up. If it is, I don't want you to get caught in the middle. If it isn't, he claims he's in trouble and needs my help, I may be able to get information from him that can help us out."

  He waited for her and it melted her heart a bit. He wanted her permission.

  He quickly moved from the desk chair to sit next to her on the
sofa. "Take a nice long shower. Dress in clean clothes. Have a nice woman to woman chat with Gigi and we'll be back as soon as we can."

  Oh, she could stare into his eyes forever. His strong jaw and short dark blond hair made the rest of the package appear rugged and so damned alpha, but she could almost see his soul in his eyes. He was honest and true.

  "Okay." She agreed. Though, the thought of a shower gave her goosebumps.

  Hawk stood up and left the room as he pulled his cell phone from his back pocket. She could hear his voice from the bedroom he'd be sharing with Gaige. It was deep and smooth as he checked in, but she didn't listen to the actual words.

  Gently taking her hands in his, Gaige hesitated before saying words she'd always wanted to hear from him. "Sophie, I'm here for you and I won't let anything happen to you. We're a team, the three of us. We're on the same side."

  Her heartbeat sped up and she could still smell his scent. Musky and masculine, all the running they'd done today hadn't washed away the aroma of him. His body felt warm pressed against her arm, his knee against her leg. She watched his lips, the full bottom lip spread into a soft smile and butterflies took flight in her tummy. Then he licked his lips quickly and chuckled, but his words were serious.

  "You need to be careful looking at me like that, Sophie. You'll never know how many times I've dreamed about you looking at me just like you are right now."

  What? Was he kidding? What the hell... She leaned in and softly touched her lips to his. She'd thought about kissing him for twenty-ish damned years.

  His lips were soft and instantly molded to hers. His head tilted slightly and their mouths fit together like long lost puzzle pieces, locked into place. Moving her lips slightly against his she felt a little sigh escape her throat and he swallowed. Almost as if it was too much.

  Pulling away slightly she watched his face to see what he was feeling. He looked bewildered. Surprised even. When he spoke, his voice was raspy. "I don't know why you did that, but I've dreamed of that kiss for a long damned time.”