Falling to Pieces (4 page)

My father’s eyes narrowed on me. “Did you put her up to this?”

My mouth dropped. “You’re asking me this after she did everything in her power to embarrass Rose at dinner?”

Mom’s face hardened. “If I had used everything in my power, that girl would have crawled out of here on her hands and knees. Don’t take my suggestion as a confirmation nor acceptance of this girl as a suitable wife for you. But if life hands you lemons, you squeeze the hell out of them to get what you want. Why should this be any different?” Her gaze turned to Dad. “In this case, she might help Joe garner more votes. The lower socioeconomic-class voters will feel an affinity with her, much more so than Frank Delany’s wife. And we both know that the spouse—or in this case, potential spouse—is just as important as the candidate.”

My father paused as he considered her words. “You might be right.”

My pulse pounded in my head.

Encouraged, Mom continued. “She will need to be schooled. We’ll teach her proper manners and improve her look without making her too made-up.”

I glared. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with how she looks!”

She rolled her eyes. “Stop thinking with the appendage in your pants for
once
in your life, Joseph. We’re giving you want you want, even if on a trial basis, so show a little appreciation. We’ll see how she does and how the voters react. But I’m warning you, if she doesn’t help your campaign, she’s history.”

I took several shallow breaths.

“She’ll have to stop associating with half that town though. Most are derelicts and imbeciles. She’s hired the town drug addict, for heaven sakes. She’ll need to fire him at once, lest she tarnish what little she has left of her reputation.” A tiny smile curled up her lips. “That will be a condition of acceptance for us. If she can’t follow this rule, then she is done before she even starts.”

Conditions. Of course. When had I ever been given any gift from my parents that didn’t come with conditions.

“She can continue to work at her nursery, but on a more limited basis. She’ll be expected to campaign with you at least half the time.”

“Anything else?” I asked in a sarcastic tone.

“She will be expected to meet our standards of behavior and dress. If she does not comply, she will be removed.”

“Be removed? You make her sound like a vase of dying flowers.”

Her brow lifted with a sardonic stare. “An appropriate analogy if I ever heard one.”

“You expect me to discard the woman I love if she doesn’t live up to your political expectations?”

Her eyes turned cold. “Yes.”

“If she doesn’t work out, keep her as mistress,” Dad volunteered.

“A mistress? I would never belittle her by keeping her as a
mistress
.” I spat in disgust. “She deserves a hell of a lot more than that.”

“Then you better hope she works out.”

“Am I done?” I asked sarcastically.

Dad snorted. “You are far from done. You’ve only just begun.”

Mom waved her hand dismissively. “Go. I know you want to go to her tonight and you need to get this ironed out before we make your official announcement tomorrow.”

My father pushed his chair back. “But I expect you back by eleven tomorrow morning. And tell your girlfriend that she is indefinitely on call until this campaign is in the bag.”

The closer I got to Henryetta, the more nervous I became. What I had originally seen as a victory I quickly realized was a thorn-covered crown. There was no way Rose would agree to any of it.

I was going to lose her anyway.

I stuffed down my fear. I would tell her the truth and let her decide. I couldn’t make her agree to anything, but I knew she loved me and would do anything for me. Even in my desperation, I knew it wasn’t fair to ask, but I’d finally found the one person I couldn’t live without. I wasn’t ready to give her up without trying.

When I pulled onto Rose’s street, the police car in front of her house sent a new fear coursing through my blood. I parked in front of Mildred’s house and ran across the street as Ernie walked out Rose’s front door.

“Where is she?” I choked out.

He shot me a surprised look. “The hospital.”

I stopped in my tracks, panic flooding my head. “
What happened
?”

“She was kidnapped. She’d called 9-1-1 but by the time we arrived here, she was already gone. The assistant DA called and told us she was at Reverend Pruitt’s house.”

“Is she okay?”

“I didn’t see her, but she didn’t go in an ambulance so that has to be a good sign. Deveraux took her.”

Mason
. My anger simmered. What the hell was he up to? But I knew. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out.

“What about her dog?”

“That little thing that looks like an overgrown rat? It was shut up in the bathroom, barking loud enough to wake the neighbors.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I loved that dog as much as Rose did. “Thanks. Make sure she’s okay, and I’ll be back later.”

I got in my car and made a quick call to Detective Taylor who filled me in on the basic facts during my short drive to the hospital. Jonah Pruitt’s secretary was actually his mother and had confessed to murdering the elderly women. She’d also kidnapped Rose with the intention of killing her. But Mason had figured out where Rose was and had reached her in time.

How in the hell did Rose get mixed up in that?

But that was Rose. She’d been in more scrapes in the four months since I met her than any other person I knew. How in the world could I make her part of my campaign? Especially with her visions?

Fear washed through me making me numb. I was going to lose her.

Anger quickly swooped in to replace my fear. Anger at Rose for putting herself in danger. Anger at Mason for being there for her when I couldn’t. Anger at my parents for their ultimatums and expectations. But most of all, anger at myself. I had no one to blame for the position I was in but me. If I hadn’t lived the life I had, my parents wouldn’t have leverage to hold over my head.

My anger raged to a boiling point by the time I got to the hospital. When I approached the emergency room desk, I snarled, “Rose Gardner. Where is she?”

The receptionist looked up startled. “I’m sorry. We can’t share that information.”

I pulled out my wallet and flashed my state police badge. “Happy?
Now where the hell is she
?”

Flustered, she stood. “She’s in the back.” She opened the locked door and stood to the side as I barged through.

“Where is she?”

“Exam room four.” Her voice shook. “But she might still be in X-ray.”

I stormed down the hall, stopping outside room four when I heard voices.

“Everything go okay?” Mason’s voice was clear as an aide opened the door, giving me an odd look as he left the room.

“It was fine.” Rose answered, sounding tired. “They said they’d tell me the results soon.”

Mason was still with her. But why wouldn’t he be? When we’d worked together in July to get her out of lockup, it had been obvious that he had an interest in her that wasn’t platonic. Amazingly enough, after I’d asked him to stay away from her, he’d complied until Rose put two-and-two together. And after she knew about our arrangement, he probably figured all bets were off. But now that I’d gotten the deputy sheriff position, I’d be the one with her. I’d be the one she could rely on.

Only I wouldn’t be. I’d be running for the state senate and Fenton County was outside the district I was running in.

My anger resurfaced.

I had my hand on the wooden door, ready to barge in when I heard Rose say, “Mason, you don’t have to stay with me. Go home and go to bed.”

“Someone has to make sure you get home okay,” Mason’s voice was warm and reassuring.

And that was the icing on the cake. The last reminder that he’d be the one to watch out for her when I was gone. I shoved the door open. I might lose her, but I hadn’t lost her yet. “Yeah, that someone is me.”

Rose looked up startled, while Mason turned a cold stare on me. I could handle Mason Deveraux. He was
nothing
compared to my father.

But when I got a good look at Rose’s face, I stopped in my tracks. She was bruised and dried blood covered the side of her face, neck, and chest, and the slip she was wearing. I forced myself to take a breath. “What happened?”

She offered me a tight smile. “Oh, you know. The usual. Kidnapping, attempted murder.”

She could have been killed and I should have been with her but instead, I was listening to my parents and their damn expectations. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Really. Just bruised and banged up.”

This was never going to work. Finding her like this was proof enough. All it would take would be one incident like this to cause a scandal and my parents would toss her out onto the street, probably making sure to ruin her before she even landed just to ensure she’d never be back. Grief and panic bolstered my anger. “How did this happen. Again? Why can’t you leave these things alone?”

Rose looked shell-shocked, making me feel like an even bigger ass.

Mason stood, turning at a defensive angle. “I don’t like how you’re talking to her.”

Mason Deveraux was protecting Rose from me? It was all I could do not to beat the shit out of him. “What are you still doing here? When did it become the job of the prosecuting attorney to hold a vigil with a victim?”

“Joe,” Rose said, her voice tight.

She was almost killed tonight and she was trying to downplay it. And Mason Deveraux was standing there encouraging her. “She doesn’t think about the consequences of what she’s doing, and you damn well know I’m right.”

Mason tensed, moving closer to her. “Are you suggesting that she brings this on herself?”

He was still trying to protect her.
From me
. I forced myself to calm down. “I’m saying she’s going to get herself killed if she doesn’t stop and think about her own safety.”

Mason took several breaths and looked like he was about to punch me. “Perhaps if you were actually here to witness what goes on in her life, you’d see that she did nothing to bring any of this upon herself.”

He wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know, but it still didn’t set well. Especially when Mason was the one who had replaced me. “You’ve made damn sure you’re close at hand, haven’t you, Deveraux?”

Mason’s eyes narrowed, his own rage riding close to the surface. He moved next the bed. “I’m not doing this to Rose tonight. She’s been through too much trauma.” He kissed Rose’s forehead, and it was all I could do to not tear him away from her and toss him out the door. “You know how to find me if you need me.”

“Thanks, Mason.” She smiled at him with gratitude.

Of course she looked at him with gratitude. From what Taylor told me, Deveraux had literally saved her life. What was going to happen to her when I wasn’t with her? When I had to walk away from her. Because I knew that was the decision I ultimately had to face, even if I wasn’t ready to do it yet. The fact remained that if Mason hadn’t saved her, I wouldn’t be standing here needing to make that decision. I’d be going to her funeral.

I turned away, unable to face the love of my life and the man who would almost certainly replace me. “Thank you.” It was all I could do to keep from breaking down. I cleared the lump from my throat. “Thank you for saving her.”

Mason moved to the doorway and stopped in the threshold. “I’ll always be there for Rose when she needs me.”

His words only drove the knife deeper.

When he left, I sat next to her, wondering how physically hurt she really was. I couldn’t imagine losing her, yet I couldn’t find a way to avert this disaster. I picked up her hand, the ring on her finger filling me with sadness. “You’re still wearing my ring.”

“Yeah.”

I blinked to keep from crying. “What happened tonight?” She didn’t answer me and I stroked the back of her hand. “Detective Taylor said Jonah’s mother kidnapped you and threatened to kill you.”

She shifted, uncomfortable talking about it. “That sounds about right.”

“I told you that Jonah Pruitt was trouble.”

“Jonah Pruitt is the furthest thing from trouble I’ve met in ages. He’s just as much a victim as those poor women are.”

One more piece of evidence that proved I had to let her go. There was no way she could turn her back on someone who needed help, and I was a bastard to even consider asking her. “You collect them don’t you? You can’t help yourself.”

She looked up in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“The outcasts. Bruce Wayne. Jonah Pruitt…”

She sat up, a fire in her eyes. “If you add Neely Kate to that list, I’m liable to hurt you.” Her gaze leveled on me. “When did you get back to Henryetta?”

“Just a few minutes ago.”

She glanced at the clock. “But it’s almost two in the morning. Have you been with your parents this entire time?”

“Yes.” I knew I had to tell her what happened but I couldn’t bring myself to do it yet. Not here. Not now. But it was inevitable. I had to be back in El Dorado by eleven tomorrow.

“You’re running for the senate aren’t you?” Her voice was so quiet I could barely hear her.

I remained silent, not trusting myself to speak.

“What about us?”

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lose her. I’d fight this. I’d find a way to salvage this mess. I picked up her hand and gently kissed her palm, my will to fight blazing a path through my body. “What about us? I still want to marry you, Rose. Nothing’s changed there.”

“I’d make a terrible politician’s wife, Joe. What if I have a vision at an important event? What if people ask me about my education?”

“Not everyone is like my parents.”

She started to cry, and I wanted to kill my father, strangle him with my bare hands. He’d done this to her. To us. But that didn’t help Rose. I wiped the tears from her cheeks, careful around her bruises. “Don’t cry, Rose. Nothing’s going to change the way I feel about you. I don’t care what anyone says.” But I knew it didn’t matter how I felt. My parents didn’t care.