Embattled Hearts 1 (11 page)

“I’m totally fine. Better than fine. Just relishing the feeling.”

“I’m very happy for you too.” Shannon could feel a heavy blush work up her neck and into her cheeks. “I worried that you…couldn’t, ahh, do that.”

In mortification, she turned her face away, back to the fireplace. John chuckled softly behind her, and squeezed her even tighter.

“Shannon, you’re adorable. Thank you for worrying about me.”

“I worry about all you guys,” she told him firmly.

“I know.”

With a last glance behind her, Shannon reluctantly slid off the couch. The chill of the room raised goose bumps on her arms. She retrieved the spare blanket from the floor and wrapped it around her. Outside the frosty windows, the sky was beginning to lighten, so she knew it had to be almost six. Time to start the day.

Turning to look at John, she saw he was once again on his back, with his arms folded behind his head. The homespun quilt rested below his pectorals, and Shannon had a difficult time making eye contact, with all the visual candy screaming at her. John’s twinkling dark eyes told her he was not unaware of her problem, and he almost seemed to be…preening. Her eyes flicked south, and she moaned at the erection she could see even under the heavy quilt. It took a monumental effort to drag her eyes back up to his chest.

Clenching her teeth, Shannon spun away.

“I’m going to take a shower. Breakfast will be ready in half an hour.”

*****

John chuckled outright as Shannon swept down the hallway, blanket corner trailing behind on the floor. The happiness he felt inside seemed almost out of proportion to the situation. What had actually happened? They had talked, then slept together on the couch for a few hours before he got a hard-on and scared her away.

So what?

So, big what.

For the first time in six years, he had slept with a woman.

Kind of.

And she had responded. That one small arch of her spine had made him feel ten feet tall.

Kind of.

It had made him forget, for one infinitesimal moment, that he wasn’t even six feet tall anymore.

So, where did they go from here? It was obvious there was desire on both their parts, but was it enough? What if he couldn’t perform once he got it up? And if he did get it up, would she expect a relationship? Gratification for the moment was all well and good, but what if the relationship did not survive? The two of them had to work together every day. What would happen if they fell through? Hell, even thinking the word “relationship” gave him cold chills.

The questions chased each other around in his mind for several minutes. Finally, he devoted a small sliver of time to imagining the best-case scenario. But with his limited relationship experience, he had no real idea where exactly it could go. It was not as if he had great role models, either. The only somewhat working marriage he had seen had been Duncan’s parents, Meredith and Joe. They had been together for almost forty years. They still got along fine, and seemed to genuinely care about one another. It was a fact they both loved Duncan. That was very apparent. But John had never really paid much attention to their relationship dynamic.

He reached for his clothes on the floor under the end table and dragged them up beside him as he sat up. Pushing his legs to the floor, John dressed and transferred himself to his chair, then rolled into the bathroom to relieve himself and clean up. By the time he returned, he heard Shannon in the kitchen rattling pans. After checking the security cameras again, he took a deep breath. There was a chance she’d be pissed or aggravated at him for taking advantage.

John rolled into the kitchen and parked himself at the open spot at the table.

Shannon glanced at him as she moved about the kitchen. Within a few seconds she brought over a cutting board with two big potatoes on it.

“Would you slice those for me?”

John stared in bemusement as she retreated. Nothing made him angrier than people who wanted to do everything for him. Women who looked at him in pity as they held a door open for him really pissed him off. Or men who smirked as he rolled into the handicapped stall of public restrooms. Why couldn’t they keep their noses to themselves?

Shannon, on the other hand, had never treated him as if he were disabled. Not once. Several times,
he
had held the door open for
her
, not the other way around. Although, he did concede, she had held doors for him on occasion.

It surprised him that he only just now thought of that. She
had
opened doors for him. Why did it bother him when other people did it, but not Shannon?

Maybe because she treats you as an equal, not as someone who has to have the door opened for them.

“Come on, John. I need those potatoes.”

With a wave of his knife, John quit daydreaming and started peeling.

*****

They didn’t get as much snow as was predicted, though there was some to shovel Monday morning. The storm had moved slower than expected and would arrive later in the day. Shannon scraped the ramp and walkway clean while John watched. Actually, he glowered from the front porch.

At the driveway, she used a broom to clean a path to the driver’s side of his pick-up. She assumed she would just ride with him today. She stomped her way to John, trying to knock as much snow from her boots as possible before she went inside.

John looked thoroughly pissed when she stopped in front of him. “What’s wrong?” she asked, winded from her exertions.

He didn’t say a word, just turned and rolled into the house. Confused, Shannon followed him. “What?”

“Nothing Shannon. Just…nothing.”

Shannon pulled off her snow boots and shoved them in the closet. Obviously he was pissed that she was the one shoveling snow. Well, he’d just have to suck it up, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

Shannon didn’t say anything, just walked to the bedroom to change into her work clothes. She needed to get into a different frame of mind.

W
ork was different that day. All the guys on shift came to her to tell her they had her back, and if she needed anything to let them know. It made Shannon’s heart warm with gratitude that they would tell her that.

Then Duncan told her there would be no charge for any of the services rendered.

“You’re part of the family,” he told her. “I wouldn’t charge my little brother for anything.”

Shannon almost cried. Instead, she just hugged him.

“Don’t get too excited,” he warned her. “We need to have a meeting, and we’re going to have to dig into what happened years ago.”

Shannon nodded that she understood. Whatever it took to be done with this mess.

John disappeared as soon as they came in the door, and she didn’t see him for several hours. Which was fine. By the time this was all over, they would probably be sick of each other. But she couldn’t help but glance up every time she heard a sound in the hallway or office.

Lunch was a mediocre affair in the break room. Chad came in and sat with her to eat his own sandwich, but they avoided talking about Michael or anything that had gone on. He did tell her about the group of them going to the bar, and Zeke talking to a girl.

“Did he really?” Shannon was impressed.

Chad nodded and told her they planned to go again next Saturday.

“Good, you all need to get out and be social.”

When two o’clock finally rolled around, she was nervous and anxious to be done with the meeting. Then she was angry at herself. There were just trying to help her.

Duncan had papers spread across his desk when she walked in, and his computer had several different screens up and running. He hung up the phone when he saw her.

“Hey, Shannon. Have a seat. I just called the other two in. They’ll be here in a minute.”

Chad came in first, with John bringing up the rear. Shannon tried really hard not to stare at him too long, but it was obvious he noticed. His eyes flared with something hot before he looked away and guided his chair to the other side of Duncan’s desk. Chad handed Duncan a file folder, then sat down in the chair beside Shannon. Patting her knee, he smiled his charming smile.

“Don’t worry, babe. We’ll be done with this in no time.”

Shannon didn’t know if he meant the meeting or the situation they were in, but she smiled anyway.

“Okay, Shannon,” Duncan leaned forward and steepled his hands together in front of his face, “I know this is difficult, and John has filled us in a bit on what happened, but in your own words, could you tell us about Michael Gerbowski? What you did, how you met, all that. And take your time. We’re not going anywhere.”

Shannon nodded, reassured. Taking a deep breath, she launched into her tale. Most of the things she had already told John, but she filled in what she knew of the police and psychiatric reports gathered in the investigation. She told them about the whispers she had heard about her not being the first one he had done this to, but nobody being able to substantiate the rumors. Duncan took notes, and asked questions here and there, but mostly stayed quiet. John rolled over to the window to watch outside.

“So, nobody has a key to your house?” Duncan asked finally.

“My parents do, but they’re several hundred miles away. I have a spare here, taped to the inside drawer of my desk if I need it, and yes, I checked, it’s still there. Hasn’t been moved. Tape hasn’t been broken. And my neighbor Lisa has one, because I have a tendency to lock myself out.”

Duncan nodded his silver head, appreciative she seemed to know what he was going to ask. Shannon could tell him she’d been through these interviews before, but most of the other times nobody could help her. She clasped her arms under her breasts and rubbed at her cool skin. She really hoped it didn’t get to the same point this time.

“Well,” Duncan said finally, “you’ve told us about everything we’ve already discovered. The only bit I have to add is that I talked to the Warden at the Ohio State Pen. He says Gerbowski has very few visitors, and is generally a good inmate.” He turned to John. “He said that they do have metal detectors going in and out.”

John turned his chair with one hand. “So, the can didn’t come from the prison, then?”

Duncan shook his head. “If it did, I don’t know how.”

John scowled and crossed his arms over his expansive chest.

Shannon could tell by the look on his face he had hoped for a lead. A visitor they could investigate. Something.

“Well, we’ll keep the investigation going on the can. They did find something else of interest. There was a rose petal inside the can.”

Shannon actually felt her face pale. “A rose petal?”

“Yes.”

John pivoted until he could reach a hand out to her knee. “Does it mean something to you, Shannon?”

“Well, kind of. Mike used to leave roses in places he knew I was going to be.”

John’s mouth tightened and his gaze shot to Duncan’s across the desk. But Duncan didn’t appear ruffled. “For now I suggest you file a police report, just to get these strange occurrences down on record.” He winked at her. “Just in case somebody breaks into your home and gets shot trespassing.”

Shannon’s gaze shot to John. He had the most threatening grin on his face she had ever seen, and she had to laugh out loud.

“Bloodthirsty?”

He winked at her, out of sight of the other men. Warmth coursed through her. It was the most intimate thing he had ever done in the company of others, and it warmed her heart.

The meeting broke up, and Shannon did as she was instructed and called the police to file a report. The officer arrived within just a few minutes. He was polite and oozed charm, and he noted everything down diligently. John stayed in the meeting room with her, to explain that the evidence had already been turned in and to fill the officer in on the steps LNF had taken in the investigation.

Shannon did not miss the look of pity the officer cast at John when he first walked in and saw John sitting at the end of the table in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, John didn’t miss the look either, and Shannon recognized the signs of an impending blow-up. His square jaw was clenched, and his eyes were squinted.

To make things worse, Officer Wilkins flirted with her, just a bit. Shannon tried to respond unemotionally to his questions, and did not acknowledge in any way his flirting. Maybe if she ignored the advances, he would get the hint. Actually, she was getting angry on John’s behalf. The officer completely ignored him, even going so far as to step into her line of sight to block her view of him. Shannon shifted just a bit to the opposite leg, where she could watch her boss out of the corner of her eye.

But the officer didn’t get the hint. As the interview drew to a close, Officer Wilkins removed a business card from his breast pocket. He scrawled another number on the back of the crisp white card.

“Ms. Murphy, here are my work numbers and email. And I put my personal cell number on the back, you know, just in case something comes up and you need to talk.”

If Shannon had been any other woman, she probably would have taken him up on his advances, because the officer wasn’t bad looking. Dark hair and kind eyes, but he
knew
he was cute, and that was very off-putting. Her eyes drifted to John. He looked ready to blow up. Shannon actually felt a shiver of fear for the officer.