Body Shots (4 page)

“We need to talk about the accident.”

Chapter Three

She went stiff in his arms. Why was she so against talking about the accident?

He released his hold on her and stepped back. “Sierra, it’s the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about but the fact of the matter is
,
we were in a horrific car accident together. Both of us have scars,” he said, tracing his finger along the faded scar on her cheek. “We’ve never talked about what happened. We need our closure on this.”

She turned away from him, leaving him standing alone and frustrated. She was clamming up on him. Damn her! He wasn’t going to let her walk away this time, to ignore the fact that something terrible had happened.

Fuck he felt responsible for her scar. He lived with the fact that he drove the car that disfigured her face on that horrible fateful day. And her turning her back on him only proved she felt the same way. She blamed him too.

“I’m sorry for scarring you. I’ve never gotten over how much I hurt you. You have to believe I never meant for you to be harmed.” He pulled his pants up as he spoke. It was like talking to a wall. She kept her back to him.

“Can’t you at least look at me? Scream at me if it makes you feel better. Tell me I’m a monster and I ruined your life.
Anything, Sierra.
Just don’t ignore me.” He moved closer and touched her arm lightly.

She cringed and turned on him with a vengeance.

“I’ve suffered for many years with my scars, Reed. I don’t blame you. I blame the asshole who hit us. It’s not your fault. We were at a stoplight for Christ’s sake. How would you know the idiot barreling up behind us would lose control of his brakes?”

“I—”

“Exactly,” she said, venom seeping from each word but not for him. “You wouldn’t. You’re not the cause of this scar. Or these,” she said, lifting her shirt.

He gasped.

Sierra quickly turned away from him, sobs racking her body.

“Sierra, I had no idea.” Reed tried to gather her in his arms.

“
Don’t
fucking touch me,” she screamed, pushing out of his embrace. “I don’t want your sympathy. I didn’t want it then and I certainly don’t need it now.”

“I don’t understand. Of course I sympathize with you. I was there. I dealt with the severity of the accident. I just hadn’t realized how much scarring it left you with.”

“Well now you know and you can leave.”

“Leave? Why would I leave?” He stepped closer and she moved further away.

“I don’t want you hanging around just because you feel like you owe it to me. To ease the guilt you feel over what happened. You weren’t the cause of the accident. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. So take your guilt somewhere else. I don’t need it.”

“I’m not leaving. This is ridiculous.”

Banging on the front door startled them both.

“Who is it?” Sierra called out.

“Sheriff McCoy. Open the door.”

She looked at Reed questioningly.

He shrugged. “Damn if I know what he wants.”

He watched as she wiped away her tears, trying to conceal the hurt she felt. She unbolted the lock and opened the door, allowing the sheriff and another officer to enter the bar.

“Sorry to bother you ma’am but I’m here about an assault that took place earlier.”

Reed stepped up behind Sierra, offering her support. She was in no way ready to answer the questions the sheriff had for her. And honestly she’d barely witnessed what took place.

“Yes, Sheriff.
I’m the bouncer who took care of the incident in question. I’m Reed Walker.”

“Well, Mr. Walker, you’re under arrest.”

“What?” Sierra and Reed said in unison.

“You’re under arrest for the assault of Johnny McCoy. You have the right to remain silent…”

Reed tried to argue while the other officer cuffed him. The sheriff continued reading him his rights.

He looked at Sierra helplessly.

“Take him to the office and book him for aggravated assault,” the sheriff said.

“Sheriff this is all a misunderstanding,” Sierra offered.

“What the fuck do you mean aggravated assault?” Reed protested.

“Resisting arrest?” the sheriff asked, crowding Reed’s face.

“No.” What the fuck was going on? Was this some kind of joke? He was trying to stop a situation from getting out of hand and this is how he’s repaid, by being arrested for assault charges?
Fucking great
.

“Sheriff McCoy, I think there’s been some kind of mistake. Reed didn’t assault anyone. He was preventing a raucous from going too far.”

“I’m sorry about barging in here in the middle of the
night,
ma’am but we’re taking your friend here down to the station. If you want to bail him out that’s your business.”

“No Sierra!” he demanded. “I’ll be fine. Do
not
come bail me out.”

Reed shook his head disgustedly. No sense in getting her involved in this stupid situation. He was sure once they got to the station and heard his side of the story it would all be cleared up.

They dragged him out to the waiting car and threw him into the backseat. He wanted to threaten them with an assault charge but knew he was better off if he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t need to add any other charges in case this one stuck. As the police cruiser pulled away he spied Sierra staring out the window at him. He cursed himself for the sadness that filled her eyes. There was so much more to say but that opportunity was over. Thanks to some smart-ass punk he was being carted off to jail.

Unfuckingbelieveable
.

* * * * *

Sierra paced the length of the bar wondering what had just happened? First they were in a heated discussion over the accident and then next thing she knew the police were here dragging him off to jail. She knew there was the possibility that Sheriff McCoy would be pissed about his son being thrown out of Crimson Nights but she thought his anger would be geared toward her, not Reed. He was only trying to help her and now he was in trouble. She had to go to the station. She had to bail him out. It was the right thing to do seeing as how he saved her bar from becoming ransacked. Yes, she had to bail Reed out, even if he told her no.

Locking the doors she headed to her car and drove in the direction of the station. With any luck she would have him out within the hour. God, she prayed Sheriff McCoy would come to his senses.

Getting Reed released wasn’t as easy as she expected. It seemed the sheriff wanted to hold him for questioning in another incident. Sierra knew this was personal. There wasn’t another incident.
Just someone who stood up to his son.
Someone who didn’t care that he was the sheriff’s son.
Someone not afraid of the repercussions from throwing Johnny’s sorry ass out on the street.
Honestly, Sierra was happy Reed had been there and threw him out. Johnny could be quite the troublemaker when he wanted.
Always getting drunk and belligerent.
Something she didn’t need in her bar. For the most part Crimson Nights was a small quiet bar, where people came to listen to good music, dance, hang out with their friends. It was a relaxing atmosphere.
Except when Johnny and his friends came around.
He constantly leered at her and frankly it gave her the creeps. But she ignored it because of who he was. Everyone knew if you messed with Johnny you’d be on the sheriff’s shit list.

Besides she knew what Johnny was capable of and Sierra didn’t do rowdy or fights. She left that for the other bars in the area. Johnny was the exception. She hadn’t had the guts to kick him out. She allowed him to do what he pleased for the most part, afraid the sheriff would pull her liquor license if she screwed with his son. And the sheriff proved her point. He would screw with you if you messed with his son. Luckily, he hadn’t sought revenge on her but she didn’t feel good about him going after Reed.

Reed was the most honest-to-goodness man you could ever meet. He wouldn’t
cause
anyone harm, he protected his own. But she wasn’t his. As much as she wished she could be, she wasn’t and couldn’t.

“Ms. Allen?”

Sierra looked up to see a young officer looking at her questioningly.

“Yes.”

“They’re ready to release Mr. Walker.”

“Oh, thank you.” She stood and shook the officer’s hand.

“You can meet him right down the hall.” He pointed to where she should meet Reed.

“Thank you again.” She hurried down the hall to find Reed. She didn’t want to spend another minute in this place.

They were
uncuffing
him when she walked into the room. He was
agitated,
she could tell by the way green specks flared in his brown eyes. But he remained silent.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Most definitely.”
He turned to the officer who released his handcuffs. “I’m still free to go, right?”

“Yes but don’t leave town.”

“Not likely to.”

Sierra wondered how he was going to stay in town. He didn’t live in her small town. It was a fluke he was here in the first place. He lived two towns over. He had to leave to get home.

They walked to her car in silence. Sierra had a million questions running through her head but afraid to ask any of them. What happened in there was his business and if he wanted to share it with her he would. Until then she’d wait.

“Are you okay?” she asked, once they settled in her car.

“Fine.
I wish you hadn’t come down and bailed me out.” He stared out the window.

“Why? It’s the least I could do.”

“Yeah.
You’ve suffered enough because of me. You don’t need to add this mess to the list.”

She reached out and touched his leg. “I’m here because I want to be. No one made me come down here. And no one makes me do anything I don’t want to do. You’re here because of me.”

“I’m here because I chose the wrong person to kick out of your bar.” He turned to her. “But you know what? I’d do it again if it prevented a fight from breaking out. What that kid did tonight was wrong. You don’t throw your drink at anyone, specially a lady.”

A twinge of jealousy coursed through her veins at the mention of the drink incident. Was he interested in
Lita
? Is that why he picked a fight with Johnny McCoy? She could definitely see why a man would be interested in her. She was beautiful.
Flawless.
Everything Sierra wasn’t.

“Hello, Earth to Sierra.”

“What? Oh…sorry. What did you say?”

He intertwined their fingers. “I said, thank you.” He kissed the tips of each finger.

She melted under his touch. “You’re welcome.”

“Can you take me back to my truck and I’ll be out of your way, finally.”

She put the car in gear and hit the accelerator. He was ready to leave. Would this be their last goodbye? Would she finally have the closure she’d been looking for?

“I thought I heard them say you can’t leave town.”

He laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“I think the kid watched too many cop shows growing up. I mean seriously. Do you think they can’t find me? I’m not that far away. They have all the details from my license, including my home address.”

Sierra didn’t find this humorous. She was afraid for him. What if they had meant it? What if he left and they brought him back to jail? Then what? She shook the thought from her mind. What was really going on in her head? Was she panicking? Afraid if he left town he’d leave her for good?

That was the way it had to be, wasn’t it? Those were the boundaries she set up when she allowed Foul Play to play in her bar.
One night.
One night for closure.
Now he was sitting in the passenger seat of her car and Sierra wasn’t so sure she was ready for the closure she thought she was seeking all along.

“Why don’t you stay at my house,” she suggested.

Her fingers wrapped around the steering wheel tightly waiting for his answer. Had she really offered up her house to him? The idea of having him in her house, in her bed was ludicrous. It was bad enough she’d allowed him to fuck her in the bar. Bringing him home would make it that much more personal. A level she wasn’t ready to go to with anyone, not even Reed Walker.

“The sun will be coming up soon and I’d like to get some sleep. Are you sure you don’t mind me crashing at your place?”

“Not at all.”
She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Reed was coming home.
To sleep in her bed.

* * * * *

“Nice place you have here,” Reed said, as they entered her apartment over the bar.

“It works for me.”

“I’m sure it does.” It was small but not too small for one person. And she had the best commute to work. “Do you like living over the bar?”

“You mean because of the noise? I’m in the bar most of the time anyway, so it doesn’t bother me. And if I happen to have the night off I deal. It’s my bread and butter.”

He nodded in agreement.

“Please feel free to sit.” She pointed to the couch.

With all her overstuffed decorative pillows, he wondered how she sat on the couch. Being polite he took a seat. She was offering him a place to crash after all.

“If you like you can sleep in my bed and I’ll take the couch.”

“Oh,” he said, surprised. He was hoping to have her wrapped in his arms. Not another room away from him.

“What is it?” she questioned.

“I just thought… I hoped that maybe you would…”

“Would what?”

“Let me hold you,” he confessed. He didn’t care if they didn’t have sex. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms, close to him. But he could see she was struggling with the idea. Why? Why didn’t she want to be close to him?

“Reed, I…” She patted her legs and sprang off the couch. “It’s not that I don’t find the thought of being in your arms appealing, it’s just that I’m tired.”

She was lying. He saw the way she averted her eyes when she spoke. It wasn’t about being tired.

“I promise I won’t take advantage of you. You can keep your clothes on. I just want to hold you.” This time he lied. His cock grew stiff just thinking about her being in his arms. He wanted to slide inside her and pump his seed into her over and over until they were both too sore to move. But he would do the gentlemanly thing like he said and just hold her.