Love or Justice Read online

  “It’s hard to know what he’s really like. People can do crazy things when they’re pushed to a breaking point. My guess is that he’s probably like this when he’s under stress. I hope you won’t let that influence your decision to testify, Laurie. Even if Evan James is an asshole, Katherine and Easton deserve some justice.” He stroked the back of her neck in circles.

  Laurie nodded her agreement against his shoulder.

  “No, I know that. I do.” She buried her face in his shoulder.

  Satisfied, Dante gave her a gentle squeeze. He didn’t know what else to do to make her feel better, so he just held her.

  Max went outside to walk around the house, and Cheyn moved upstairs to go back to bed.

  David settled by the window again. Dante turned on the TV for some mindless noise. He flipped through until he found an old movie, with Barbra Streisand roller-skating around and singing. It was exactly what they needed.

  “Let’s just watch a movie for a while, okay?”

  Laurie nodded.

  Dante put his arm around Laurie’s shoulders, tucking her against his side.

  Laurie’s head rested on his chest. She fit perfectly beside him, though he tried not to notice, and they passed much of the afternoon that way.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Laurie

  That night, Dante appeared at Laurie’s door, sleeping bag in hand.

  “Can I come in for a minute?” He nodded toward her room.

  “Of course.” Laurie stepped back.

  She felt a jolt of nervousness. Dante looked at her, and she stared up at him. Something inside her trembled. He ran his hand through his hair. He looked at the rumpled bed and then his eyes darted away.

  “Have you thought about what I said last night…with sleeping in the room with you?”

  “Oh, yes.” She looked away, thinking.

  Laurie felt her cheeks flush. It seemed to happen around him frequently. She forced herself to look at him.

  “If you’re uncomfortable with it, then I don’t want—” He coughed and cleared his throat.

  “No, no. You’re just going to end up in here anyway. Might as well start out in here, I guess.”

  Laurie felt her temperature rise exponentially. The thought of Dante sleeping in her room stirred something in her. She was suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings. She ran a dull fingernail along the spine of the book in her hand. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, warming her skin. Laurie could even hear the soft hiss of the wind as it blew past her window.

  “If you have any objections, I don’t want to—”

  “No, it’s fine. It’s completely fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’m sure.”

  Laurie laughed nervously. Dante let out the breath he was holding. They looked at each other for a minute, and then they both looked away.

  “I’ll lay out my sleeping bag.”

  “Do you have anything more comfortable to sleep on?”

  “No. I’ll be fine. I’ve slept on the ground in this and it was just fine.”

  He gave a half smile and she got the feeling he was lying.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’ll sleep better on the floor, knowing you’re okay, then in my bed worrying.”

  Laurie smiled a little. He did care deeply about the people he protected. She wished it was more than that, but she knew it wasn’t.

  “I’m sorry you have to go to all this trouble.”

  “No. Don’t worry about it. No reason to be sorry. What position would you like me in?”

  Laurie stared at him for a minute, wide-eyed. Dante froze.

  “I mean…um. I mean, on the floor.” He waved the sleeping bag at the floor. “Is there anywhere specific on the floor you’d like me to sleep?”

  “Oh, oh.” Laurie giggled a little and Dante let out a nervous chuckle. “No, it doesn’t matter.”

  “Okay. Sorry. I guess this is a little awkward.” He gave her a bashful smile.

  “Yeah, just a little.”

  “It’s much easier when you’re calling out for me in the middle of the night.”

  Laurie looked up at him again, putting her hand over her mouth.

  Dante winced. Then he cringed, his brow furrowing in embarrassment as he turned scarlet.

  “I hope no one is listening to this conversation.” Laurie started laughing uncontrollably.

  “Oh God. I’m sorry! Jesus! I’m such…ugh.” Dante closed his eyes and threw his head back, jamming his hand through his hair.

  Laurie’s laughter got to him, and he started laughing too. They laughed for a few minutes, standing in the center of her room. Laurie held her waist, almost doubled over.

  Dante still held his sleeping bag in one hand, wiping tears from his eyes with the other. Laughing felt so good right now.

  “Maybe we should just go to bed.” Laurie sat down on her bed.

  “Right.”

  Laurie slipped between her sheets, throwing her covers over her.

  Dante spread out his sleeping bag in the corner opposite her, against the wall. When he was finished, he turned off the light.

  “Good night.” Laurie tossed her hair over her pillow.

  “Good night.”

  Both of them lay awake for a while, not moving. The sound of their breathing seemed to echo in the room. They stared at the ceiling, until Laurie rolled onto her side to look at him.

  “Dante?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think they’ll find Kaimi soon?”

  “I’m sure they will—”

  “I mean for real, not just to make me feel better.”

  Dante paused. He rolled over on his side, facing her. Much of him was in shadow, but enough light filtered in from the window so Laurie could make out his face and the clean lines of his jaw.

  “There are a lot of places he can hide on the islands, Laurie. He has many friends, people willing to hide him. But they will find him. He can’t hide forever.”

  Laurie nodded. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling again. Dante rolled onto his back as well, listening to the faint sounds emanating from the TV downstairs. Max and Cheyn hated silence during their watch. He and Laurie listened until sleep took them both.

  ***

  Dante

  Dante woke up hearing a low moaning sound.

  “No, please.” Laurie tossed on the bed.

  Dante rolled over. He watched through half-veiled eyes. He didn’t want to wake her up unless he had to, and he hoped she would pull out of it.

  “Please, don’t. I promise I’ll testify. I promise, just don’t make me leave, Mr. James.” Laurie clutched at the sheets.

  Dante’s blood started to boil. He had never hated a victim’s family before, but this was a good time to start. He opened his eyes. The moonlight streamed through the blinds, falling on Laurie’s bed in rectangles.

  Her hands knotted and twisted in the sheets. She had already kicked her blanket off, and it sat in clumps and waves at the foot of her bed.

  He watched Laurie’s face contort in pain, as she rolled to face him.

  “No! No! Please! He’ll kill me!”

  Dante got out of his sleeping bag. He couldn’t listen to her like that. He sat down beside her on the bed, and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

  “Laurie, no one’s going to hurt you. Evan James can’t make you leave. I’ll keep you safe.”

  She whimpered a little. He took her face in his hands, stroking her flushed cheeks with his thumbs. She sniffled, but quieted. He didn’t think she woke up at all. He waited a little while, and her breathing returned to normal. He brushed the hair back from her face. Then he untangled her hands from the sheet. They were relaxed and limp as he placed them on her stomach. He gave her a last look, filled with a mixture of longing and concern, as he stroked her arm. Then he went back to his sleeping bag, yawned, and fell asleep.

  Another hour passed and Dante woke up abruptly to Laurie begging an
d pleading, clutching at her sheets again.

  “No! No! Dante! Please! Don’t!”

  Then she let out a piercing wail. He was up and at her side.

  “Laurie, wake up. Wake up!” He shook her. Laurie woke up with a gasp. Then she grasped his arms and began to sob.

  “Hey, hey. Don’t cry.” He smoothed back her hair. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He sat down on the bed, leaning against the wall. He pulled her onto his chest. He rubbed her back, held her tight, and murmured words to calm her. Nothing he said worked. Wave after wave of tears descended from her eyes, and she gasped and sputtered with them. She clung to him, her hands digging into his shoulders almost to the point of pain. He’d seen her cry before, but not like this.

  “Laurie, what’s wrong? Talk to me. What happened?”

  “I…dreamed you were shot. You were dying.” She started sobbing again.

  He gathered her closer, and rocked her.

  “I’m okay, Laurie. I’m fine. Take a deep breath.”

  She gulped in air; she was crying so hard. She wasn’t listening to him. He took her face in his hands and pressed his forehead to hers.

  “Take a deep breath, Laurie. That’s it. Good. Another. Good.”

  He held her face close to his for a little while as he coached her through a few calming breaths. He wiped away her tears. Her crying slowed. Without thinking, he kissed her forehead. Then he tucked her head under his chin.

  “This one really scared you, didn’t it?” He stroked her hair.

  “Yes.”

  He pressed another kiss to the top of her head, and tightened his embrace. It touched him that his death would be so upsetting to her. They hardly knew each other, but God, his shirt was half soaked in her tears from just dreaming about it. He ran his hands over her hair and down her back. She lay awake in his arms, her fingers tracing patterns over his chest. He put his hand over hers.

  “Try to go back to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”

  “I don’t think I want to.”

  Dante smiled, holding Laurie, her hand cradled by his. Dante had every intention of getting up and going back to his own bed. But he never made it there.

  In the morning, he woke up late. He found himself sleeping with Laurie on his chest. He had somehow moved into a prone position with her. His arms draped protectively over her torso. She seemed at peace, her jaw relaxed, her brow smooth.

  He ran his hand through her wavy hair. He brushed it back from her face. Then his hand traced a path down the side of her angular jaw. He watched her eyelids flutter open. They focused in on him. Confusion crossed her face, then a flash of recognition. He stroked her jaw with his thumb.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to sleep here. I was going to go back to my bed after you fell asleep.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No. It’s not okay.”

  “No, it is. After the nightmare I had, I wouldn’t have slept at all if you’d left me.”

  He heaved a sigh. Then he looked down at her. Her body pressed against his, warm, soft and sweet. Too sweet. And too accessible. Half of his brain yelled at him to get up, to get out of there. The other half wanted nothing more than to cover her mouth with his. Desire settled hot and heavy in the pit of his stomach. Now he couldn’t get up, or she would see how much she affected him. He brushed his fingers through her hair.

  “Morning,” he said with a smile.

  She smiled back and chuckled.

  “Morning.”

  She laid her cheek back on his chest. They laid there like that for a few minutes.

  Dante wrestled for control of his body, while he said a silent prayer for the bedspread that hid his desire from her. He looked at the clock. He didn’t want to move yet, but someone would come looking for him soon. This was not where he wanted David to find him. He thought of everything unpleasant and unsexy, while he stared at the ceiling. He didn’t dare look at the gorgeous woman beside him. He thought of ice cold showers, every painful hangover he ever had, and every unattractive woman that ever hit on him. Finally, finally, he felt he could get up without embarrassing himself.

  He tapped Laurie’s back.

  “All right. Time to get up.”

  Laurie rolled off him and sat up. She hugged her knees, her hair hung like a curtain over her shoulders. She rested her chin on her knee, watching him.

  Dante walked barefoot over to the bathroom, clothes in hand. When he came back out, she was in the same position.

  “You okay?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

  “Yeah, just waking up.”

  “All right. I’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”

  He turned and headed for the door.

  “Dante?” she said as he reached for the doorknob.

  He turned toward her.

  “Thank you for being there for me. You don’t have to do everything you do for me, and I know it. Thank you.”

  Her words made him smile. His chest lifted. Before he even realized what he was doing, he walked back to her bed. He caught her chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up to meet him.

  “You deserve nothing less.” He caressed her cheek.

  She blushed and looked away.

  He stared down at her, sitting on her bed, hugging her knees. Her hair was splayed out, her cheeks flushed attractively. He couldn’t explain what he felt looking at her. He knew he needed to leave, or he was going to get himself into more trouble than he could get out of. He traced his hand down to her shoulder and upper arm in a lingering caress. Then he turned and strode out of the room.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Laurie read all through the morning and afternoon, while Dante wrote a report on the Evan James visit. He titled it “The guy who I almost killed and why I wanted to kill him, but didn’t.” He erased it and put an official title on the report before he sent it. The title was too long anyway.

  Mostly, Dante watched Laurie read a book. He could see it was a book on justice from the title. He guessed it was from one of her law classes. She would find a comfortable position on her back, propped up by a pillow. Then she would turn on her side and read like that for a while. Then she would sit on the couch facing forward, cross-legged. After a while she would start all over again. He didn’t know why he was watching her read, but after he finished his report, he started looking into the kind of classes she would have taken at her college this semester. He tried to find something online that would be comparable.

  David’s cell phone rang. He seemed embarrassed to be called at work as he checked the number.

  “Boss? It’s my wife.” David looked up, worry tightening the lines around his eyes.

  “She’s pregnant, David. Take the call.” Dante nodded.

  “Yeah, okay.” David flipped the phone open and rushed into the kitchen.

  Laurie sat up on the couch. She put her book down. She toyed with the remote but didn’t turn on the TV.

  “Can’t hear him from here?” Dante smirked.

  “No.” She smiled. “Can you?”

  “Is eavesdropping ethical, counselor?”

  “It is if your friend is about to have his first baby!” she hissed.

  Dante chuckled, and her eyes glowed.

  David walked back into the room. His hand with the cell phone floated down to his side. He stared out the window, wide-eyed, his breathing shallow.

  “Everything okay, David?” Dante put the laptop down.

  “My wife thinks she might be in labor, but it’s too early. She’s not supposed to have the baby for another month and a half!” His brow furrowed.

  “Well, babies can come early sometimes. I was a month early. Is she going to the hospital?” Laurie hung over the back of the couch.

  “She’s waiting for the doctor to call her back. Then her mother’s taking her.”

  “I thought her family was all back home?” Laurie clasped her hands together.

  “Her mother flew in a
fter I left for this assignment. She didn’t want Mary to be by herself during the last trimester.”

  David started pacing.

  “Are you excited to have your first child?” Laurie beamed at him. She rocked back and forth on the couch.

  “Yeah. I’m…” David stared at the end of the couch.

  “Really nervous?” she supplied.

  David laughed.

  “Yes. I mean. I could be a father tonight. A father!” He threw out his arms.

  “Don’t get too excited yet. Sometimes a woman can have a false alarm this close to the delivery.” Laurie put up a hand of caution.

  “I know, but she said she was in a lot of pain. Like a contraction. Her water hasn’t broken, but I hope she’s okay.”

  “I’m sure her mother is taking good care of her.” Dante leaned back in his chair.

  “It must be hard to be away from her.” Laurie propped her chin on her elbow.

  “Yes. It’s been hard. I mean, I love my job.” David glanced at Dante and back to Laurie. “You’re a great lady, Ms. Laurie. But it’s been tough being away from her, especially now.”

  “It must be difficult to give up being with the one you love for your job. It’s a tough sacrifice to make.” Laurie sat back on her knees and ankles.

  “I don’t think of it that way, Ms. Laurie. It’s a privilege, you know. To protect you. Well, to protect a witness. You’re making the world a better place, right? Keeping bad guys off the street.” David continued to pace.

  Dante smiled, watching the two of them. David sounded so young. He could picture David as a kid, watching a cop movie, deciding what he wanted to be when he grew up.

  “Yes, David. Soon you’ll have a baby to make the world safe for.” Laurie leaned forward onto the couch again.

  “I will! I’ll have a baby. I’m having a baby.”

  His eyes unfocused as he stared out at the volcano in the distance. His brows were arched, his face a shade or two paler than usual. He began to scan the horizon, as if he was trying to see Mary through the trees.

  “How many babies do you want to have?” Laurie raised her eyebrows at him.