Tick and his brothers. Damn Stanton’s hide for getting involved with her in the first place. Tick had tried to tell him at the beginning that Autry was a woman interested in long-term commitment—not the one for his gun-shy ex-partner-turned-boss.
He struggled to smother the sense of resentment toward Stanton, the bitterness that rose way too easily these days, looking for any excuse.
“Tick?” The natural authority of Stanton’s voice rumbled in his ear and Tick bristled.
“Yeah, it’s me.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, now gritty and stinging with lack of sleep. “What do you need?”
“Go have a talk with Nate Holton.”
Tick dropped his hand. “Why?”
“I want to know where he was last night.” Stanton’s voice hardened. “And if he had anything to do with those notes.”
Delegating was one thing, but some things Tick figured Stanton could handle himself. “Then why aren’t you talking to him?”
A pause hovered. “There are some things Autry and I need to talk about.”
“Things?” Tick let the antagonism trickle into his own voice. “Is that why she’s crying?”
“Nate hit her.”
“What?” His anger blazed deeper, hotter. That little son of a bitch. He didn’t have Helen for a target anymore, so he was turning on his sister?
“Seems Helen called the Holton place while Autry was there. Nate wanted Autry to tell him where Helen was, and when she wouldn’t, he popped her in the jaw.”
“Damn. Want me to arrest him or just put the fear of God in him?”
“Autry says she’s not pressing charges, and we don’t have enough to hold him on the attempted break-in yet. Have Williams over at the GBI lab pull his prints, see if they match up to that partial you took.”
“Will do.” The line went dead and Tick returned the cell to his belt. He grabbed the keys to his truck and jogged from the office. As bad as he hated to admit it, he was looking forward to this little conversation.
Nate Holton had had this one coming for a long time.
Desperate for something to occupy her hands and to provide an excuse not to look at Stanton, Autry pulled open the pantry. “Are you hungry? I could fix us something—”
“I’m fine.” He reached an arm around her and closed the cabinet door. With a gentle hand on her shoulder, he spun her to face him. “You need to put something on that bruise.”
She laid a cautious finger against her cheek. Her lower cheekbone still felt as though it was going to explode. “I will. It’s really not necessary for you to stay.”
He cupped her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Yeah, Autry, it is. We’ve got a lot to talk about. The baby. Us.”
“There’s not an us.” Palms raised, she retreated, until her back met the unyielding cabinet door. “Stanton, you promised you wouldn’t propose again. I’m serious about this. I will not marry you because you feel obligated.”
“Finished?” He rested a hand on either side of her neck and smiled down at her.
“No, I’m not. I cannot believe you think I’d stoop to that kind of marriage, especially after…after…” She swallowed hard, her stomach lifting to a sweet flutter under that grin. “Stop smiling at me like that.”
“Like what?” He leaned an inch closer, his smile widening.
She folded her arms over her chest, T-shirt pulling taut across the tiny bulge of their child. “Like I’m a suspect and you’re holding the evidence to put me away.”
His gaze dropped to her stomach and his smile slipped. He recovered quickly, lifting his eyes to hers again. The long muscles of his throat moved. “Autry, I think the best solution is for you to move in with me.”
Chapter Four
“Are you insane?”
Stanton winced. “No. And you don’t have to raise your voice. It makes perfect sense.”
“To a crazy person. And believe me, buster, I’m not raising my voice, not yet anyway.” Autry threw up her hands and rolled her eyes. “Move in with you? No. Absolutely not.”
He
He struggled to smother the sense of resentment toward Stanton, the bitterness that rose way too easily these days, looking for any excuse.
“Tick?” The natural authority of Stanton’s voice rumbled in his ear and Tick bristled.
“Yeah, it’s me.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, now gritty and stinging with lack of sleep. “What do you need?”
“Go have a talk with Nate Holton.”
Tick dropped his hand. “Why?”
“I want to know where he was last night.” Stanton’s voice hardened. “And if he had anything to do with those notes.”
Delegating was one thing, but some things Tick figured Stanton could handle himself. “Then why aren’t you talking to him?”
A pause hovered. “There are some things Autry and I need to talk about.”
“Things?” Tick let the antagonism trickle into his own voice. “Is that why she’s crying?”
“Nate hit her.”
“What?” His anger blazed deeper, hotter. That little son of a bitch. He didn’t have Helen for a target anymore, so he was turning on his sister?
“Seems Helen called the Holton place while Autry was there. Nate wanted Autry to tell him where Helen was, and when she wouldn’t, he popped her in the jaw.”
“Damn. Want me to arrest him or just put the fear of God in him?”
“Autry says she’s not pressing charges, and we don’t have enough to hold him on the attempted break-in yet. Have Williams over at the GBI lab pull his prints, see if they match up to that partial you took.”
“Will do.” The line went dead and Tick returned the cell to his belt. He grabbed the keys to his truck and jogged from the office. As bad as he hated to admit it, he was looking forward to this little conversation.
Nate Holton had had this one coming for a long time.
Desperate for something to occupy her hands and to provide an excuse not to look at Stanton, Autry pulled open the pantry. “Are you hungry? I could fix us something—”
“I’m fine.” He reached an arm around her and closed the cabinet door. With a gentle hand on her shoulder, he spun her to face him. “You need to put something on that bruise.”
She laid a cautious finger against her cheek. Her lower cheekbone still felt as though it was going to explode. “I will. It’s really not necessary for you to stay.”
He cupped her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Yeah, Autry, it is. We’ve got a lot to talk about. The baby. Us.”
“There’s not an us.” Palms raised, she retreated, until her back met the unyielding cabinet door. “Stanton, you promised you wouldn’t propose again. I’m serious about this. I will not marry you because you feel obligated.”
“Finished?” He rested a hand on either side of her neck and smiled down at her.
“No, I’m not. I cannot believe you think I’d stoop to that kind of marriage, especially after…after…” She swallowed hard, her stomach lifting to a sweet flutter under that grin. “Stop smiling at me like that.”
“Like what?” He leaned an inch closer, his smile widening.
She folded her arms over her chest, T-shirt pulling taut across the tiny bulge of their child. “Like I’m a suspect and you’re holding the evidence to put me away.”
His gaze dropped to her stomach and his smile slipped. He recovered quickly, lifting his eyes to hers again. The long muscles of his throat moved. “Autry, I think the best solution is for you to move in with me.”
Chapter Four
“Are you insane?”
Stanton winced. “No. And you don’t have to raise your voice. It makes perfect sense.”
“To a crazy person. And believe me, buster, I’m not raising my voice, not yet anyway.” Autry threw up her hands and rolled her eyes. “Move in with you? No. Absolutely not.”
He
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