Jordan Summers - [Dead World 01] (17 page)

She spun on the sheriff after they stepped off the
porch, her hands resting on her hips. "Why didn't you question her? She
obviously knew something. Her body language practically screamed liar. You did
notice that, right?"

"What? Maybe I missed
something." Morgan tilted
his head until they were nearly nose to nose. His warm
breath brushed across her cheek
with each exhalation,
causing Red's
nipples to bead in response. Moisture
that
had nothing to do with perspiration trickled be
tween her thighs.

She ground her teeth and clenched her fists to keep
from reaching for him. A few more inches and their lips would meet. Out of
self-preservation, she jerked away, breaking the strange tension coiling around
them.

"The second I told her about the woman's death
she suddenly remembered she couldn't talk to us. Her body language
closed."

"I'm not surprised. Is that
how the tactical team op
erates when
questioning a potential witness?" Morgan held up his hand to prevent Red
from answering. "Your scenario of the way things went down in the house is
not how I saw it. Nancy didn't know anything. Then you tossed the body out
there in front of her and she acted like any other civilized human being would
act—she got upset. She would've vomited if you'd brought the photo image any
closer to her face. Nancy may look stout, but she's as soft as they come on the
inside. She'll probably have nightmares for months. What in the hell were you
thinking?"

Red cringed. Had she caused Nancy
Dupray's reac
tion? She grimaced. It was
entirely possible. She wasn't exactly known for her tact. It also didn't help
that she'd never interrogated anyone before. No one
had lived long enough to answer questions. Red hated
to admit her inexperience. She didn't want Morgan
to
lose respect for her, but she also knew that they
couldn't continue like this all day. Maybe if she
trusted him with this information, he'd begin to trust her. After
a
minute's reflection she said reluctantly, "I'm sorry if
I got carried away in there." Red paused,
knowing that
she had to tell the whole
truth. "Nancy is the first per
son I've ever managed to
question."

Morgan blinked at the news, then his features softened.
"That explains a lot. From here on out, do me a favor."

"What?"

His lips canted. "Follow my lead."

The rest of the day was much
like their first visit to
the Dupray
home. People skittered away from the topic of wild animals and missing
livestock. Red wasn't sure why she'd expected anything different, even with the
sheriff leading the questioning.

On a couple of occasions she'd actually thought Morgan
had cued the townsfolk with a slight nod or tap of his finger, but since it was
so subtle Red couldn't be sure. The question of why hovered in the air. There
was no obvious reason, so therefore she had no real clue.

Red and Morgan drove back to Nuria in silence. She
appreciated the fact that he hadn't said "told you so" after the last
inquiry. Red wasn't so sure she'd have been as gracious.

Night settled onto the town, blanketing it in darkness.
Except for a few scattered solar-powered streetlights and indoor lighting, the
place was like pitch. Red was no closer to discovering an answer than she'd
been the day she found Lisa Solomon's body. If today was any indication of how
things would go, she wasn't sure she'd ever get an answer. Or at least the
answer she wanted to hear.

Red's
three-day break had come and gone without so much as a
single
straight response from the
Nurians. As soon as they saw her coming, people suddenly remembered
appointments or work that
couldn't wait a
moment longer. The ones who couldn't
get away gave pat replies—as if
they'd comlinked
their neighbors and asked
what they should say.

Worst of all, she'd had to contact her grandfather and
extend her leave for another day. He'd been very unhappy to hear the news. It
broke her heart to have
to reject his pleas
to return—but for the first time, she
wanted something more than she
wanted to make him happy.

Red wanted justice for Lisa Solomon.

Standing up to her grandfather had been both
frightening and exhilarating. Here in Nuria she was carving her own path,
making her own decisions
without worrying
about the wrong thing ending up on her permanent record. And it felt good.
Yet with this
small
victory came frustration. Frustration with the
people of Nuria. It ate at her as she climbed out of the
vehicle
once more and dusted off her clothes. If she didn't get a lead tomorrow, Red
knew she'd have to let the case go unsolved. At least... Lisa Solomon's death
would remain so in her mind. It didn't matter what the reports said.

But the thought sickened her. She wasn't accustomed
to giving up. She didn't
want
to give up.

The truth was here somewhere, just out of reach,
hiding in the shadows of ambivalence
...
or perhaps
fear. Red wasn't sure which.
All she knew was that she needed more time, but she had little left.

She shut the vehicle door and headed inside the share
space to her room. Morgan's eyes never left her
back. She could feel the heat of his gaze as it scorched
her
skin.

Red swallowed hard, ignoring her body's immediate
response.

Morgan was growing impatient. Well, impatient wasn't
entirely accurate. More like
aware.
He'd been
nothing but polite while driving them around town and
into the outback areas, but she could sense the
tension
lurking below his calm exterior. She'd offered to go
alone or with one of his deputies to ease Morgan's
dis
comfort, but he'd flat-out refused, snapping at her like
a kicked dog for even making the suggestion.

Not that she could blame him.

She had given him her word that
she'd leave after a
few days if she
couldn't turn up anything. Red knew she'd passed that point, which meant she'd
gone back
on her word. Yet that didn't
exactly cover what was
occurring between them.

Morgan's uneasiness raked her nerves, leaving her raw
and exposed. On more than one occasion, Red had caught him watching her when he
thought she wasn't paying attention. The look he gave her was unsettling and
his consideration appeared to be intensifying with each passing day.

Red wasn't a fool. She knew what it was, because she
felt the sexual tension thrumming through her body, too. It slithered beneath
her skin, wrapping its talons around her insides until she could barely
breathe. It was only a matter of time before they did something they'd both
regret. Or at least she would. Afterward.

Even as the thought entered her mind, Red had to admit
that regret wouldn't really factor into sex with Morgan Hunter. But it would
cause complications. Ones that until now she'd never had to face.

In the past, sex had always been a physical release
from the stress her job brought. She'd never used it to connect emotionally
with a man. Not that she had a deep emotional connection to Morgan, but she did
like
him. And that fact alone made the idea of sex with the sheriff
extremely dangerous.

Red knew that meant she'd have to
be extra vigilant
around
him and not give into her baser instincts—no
matter how badly her body craved his touch. That would mean ignoring
the strong line of his lightly stubbled jaw, pretending not to notice his firm
lips when they puckered over the mouth of the canteen,
and avoiding the heated looks that came from his am
ber gaze.
The warmth from his eyes alone could sear the clothes off her body.

That last thought had Red aching. She squeezed her
thighs together and grunted, ignoring her body's
steady throb. Damn, she needed to close this case and
get out of
Nuria fast.

Morgan had watched Gina's sashaying ass until it
disappeared inside
the share space.
He was losing it. There was no doubt in his mind. He'd barely kept his hands to
himself today. It was only a matter of time now.

The longer he escorted her around town, the less
control he had over his urges. It was as if a veritable army of fire ants had
taken up permanent residence under his skin, biting and attempting to gnaw
their
way out. No amount of scratching
could alleviate the
itch or ensuing discomfort.

A man shouldn't have to walk around hard as a pike,
which explained his foul mood all day. Sitting in the cab of the vehicle had
been downright painful. Morgan needed a woman. Bad. Unfortunately, with Gina's
arrival, not just any woman would do.

Damn her tactical team hide!

It didn't help matters that the town was watching
them, waiting for him to make his move. How much
longer
would they be patient? He didn't know. The fact that the full moon would rear
its pale head in a few days' time didn't help either. What would he do then? He
was barely hanging on as it was. Throw the moon into the mix and he'd never be
able to right the urge to touch her, lick her—and ultimately fuck her.

Morgan's cock grew harder at the mere notion of
parting her thighs and partaking of her warmth. For a moment his vision blurred
as the wolf tried to slip past him and take control. After several gulps of air
and a firm grip on the steering wheel. Morgan managed to calm down.

He knew he should've assigned one of his deputies to
accompany Gina, but the thought of another male staring at her lush body,
relishing her musky scent, or tasting her moist lips made him slip from sane to
murderous in seconds.

He was alpha, damn it. And that meant something, even
if Gina didn't know it.

The lights were off in the water exchange and the
place appeared
to be locked down
tight as Red approached. She slipped her palm onto the pad and the door slid
silently open, allowing her access. She was headed for the stairs when mumbles
coming from the exchange area caught her attention. Red paused. She could just
make out Jesse's gruff voice.

"She's here about a murder. Asking questions all
over town."

There was a pregnant silence.

"I was shocked, too. Rumor has it some woman
was found in the dead forest half eaten. Perfect
place
for one, you know? Can't hear screams in there."

Red listened hard for a reply, but caught nothing.

Jesse spoke again. "My thoughts exactly. We both
know what she's looking for. How long has it been since we've seen trouble like
this? Twenty years? Fifty? My mind's not what it used to be."

Unintelligible whispers followed.

"The sheriff knows what needs to be done. He'll
do what's necessary, once he stops thinking with his cock and starts thinking
with his head. I've never seen the man so wound up over a piece of tail. She's
a good girl, but she's still IPTT."

There was another pause.

"You're right." Jesse nodded. "It might
be time for a change in leadership. We need someone whose priority is the
town. We can't have an outsider nosing around in our business. She might find
out."

Red ignored the remark about Morgan and willed them to
go on.
Keep it coming.
Just a little more and maybe she'd have some
answers.

She stepped silently trying to edge closer. Red
could just make out Jesse's eye-patched profile.
The other person stood behind a pillar blocked from view.
A panel under
Red's foot squeaked.

The conversation stopped as Jesse swung around, her
one-eyed gaze piercing the darkness. Red sank into the shadows, pressing her
body flat against the wall until she all but blended into her surroundings.

"It's not safe to talk here," Jesse said.
"The walls have ears." She led whomever she spoke with out a back
door.

Red glimpsed the broad shoulders of a man, but she
couldn't tell who he was. She'd been unable to hear his voice, which was odd,
considering her acute
sense of hearing. The
urge to follow was overwhelm
ing, but she'd already blown the perfect
opportunity to learn something new.

No matter.

Red continued up the stairs to her room, hope blooming
inside of her for the first time since her arrival. Something strange was going
on in Nuria and she wasn't about to leave until she found out what.

chapter
nine

She is beautiful, in her own
unique way
. Not
like
the others. Different. Her red hair
glistens like copper in the sunlight. I've seen her here before with the old
woman, cooing and fussing, lavishing her love freely. They have the same color
eyes. Green. Reminds me of grass, from the pictures I've seen.