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  He opened the passenger door to his car then closed it once she was safely inside, noticing that Robert was still trying to reclaim his sure footing. Andrew rushed around the car and slid into the driver’s seat, dropping the bat at his feet as he started the engine. One glance in the rearview mirror showed Robert crawling to his feet and heading their way.

  “This isn’t over,” he yelled, stumbling toward them. He reached the back of the car and pounded on the trunk. “You think you’re through with me? You’re worthless, Sarah. Worthless and stupid. You’re nothing without me. I’ll kill all of you!”

  Andrew jammed the car into gear and sped away before the maniac had a chance to make good on his threat. He didn’t let up on the accelerator as he sped away from Sarah’s neighborhood. He’d always had a heavy foot, but today his speed was purposeful. He had to get his sister as far away from that man as fast as possible.

  As he hit the interstate, his adrenaline rush began to cool and his heart rate slowed back to normal. He pushed air through his lungs as he checked his mirrors. There was no sign of Robert following them.

  He glanced back at Sarah through the rearview mirror and his heart kicked. She looked so pitiful. It had been only three days since he’d last seen her but she had fresh injuries—a black bruise forming around her left eye and a gash on her swollen lip. And he was sure more bruises were hidden by the baggy clothes she wore. He bit back his anger. “Are you okay?”

  She looked ready to fall apart at any moment, but she hugged herself tightly and nodded. “I’m all right.”

  He couldn’t forget the terror that had ripped through him when he’d finally gotten her messages. He’d been locked down working on a case and hadn’t charged his phone all night. When he’d finally checked it, he’d found six voice mails from Sarah, each one more hysterical than the previous. She’d been alone with Robert, terrified, with no one to help her.

  Help me, Andrew.

  I need you.

  I’m scared.

  Her last call had been from the hospital early this morning to let him know she was okay and that Robert had been arrested, but by the time he’d arrived at the hospital, Sarah had already left, choosing to return home. He’d promised to be there for her, but when it mattered, he’d dropped the ball.

  But how had she ended up with Jessica Taylor?

  He’d long suspected Jessica had friends on the police force who alerted her when they spotted a woman in trouble. He turned to look at her. She was known to be quick to respond, to offer help. He couldn’t deny her passion for her cause. Nothing deterred her from helping those in her care. She was always ready and willing to stick her neck out to help another woman in need. Usually that sort of behavior would strike him as irrational and impulsive, but with his sister’s safety on the line, he was glad for Jessica’s gutsy determination and passionate devotion to her cause.

  She gingerly touched a place on the side of her head. Her hand came back with blood.

  Alarm flooded him. “You need to go to the hospital.”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine. You’re bleeding.” He pulled to the side of the road. “Sarah, hand me my gym bag.” He dug through it and found a clean towel then pressed it against Jessica’s wound, his hand cradling her face. Her skin was soft, softer than he would have ever imagined, softer than he’d expected it to be, given her tough exterior. His fingers brushed her lips accidentally and she trembled but refused to look at him. In fact, she did all she could to avoid looking at him despite how close their faces were.

  His gaze perused her heart-shaped face and the slender, regal line of her neck. Strands of long blond hair framed lovely brown eyes and full, pink lips that had never cracked a smile, at least not while he was around.

  Everything about her was alluring.

  She finally locked eyes with him. “I said I’m fine.” She pushed his hand away.

  Everything but her holier-than-thou attitude.

  He sat back in his seat but held the towel out to her. “Use this to stop the bleeding until we get to the hospital.”

  “I said no hospital. We need to get your sister to the shelter.”

  “You need stitches.”

  “Sarah is my priority. Head downtown,” Jessica instructed him.

  “Fine.” He didn’t bother arguing with her. They’d butted heads enough times for him to know that once Jessica Taylor made up her mind there was little chance of changing it, especially when it concerned the safety of someone she’d vowed to protect.

  She directed him toward an area off State Street. Tucked between a printing company and a storage facility was a brick office building with the painted title “Dean’s Den” on the front. He parked and Jessica jumped out of the car, obviously intent on proving she wasn’t hurt. She wobbled a bit but waved off any offer of help. He opened the back door and helped Sarah out. He put his arm around her, noting as he did her small frame. She’d always been petite, but today he could feel her bones. When was the last time she’d eaten?

  At the front door, Jessica rang the bell. “Because this is an emergency shelter, we have a lot of different safety measures. This is one of them. No one comes in or out without signing the log.”

  The door opened and a dark-eyed girl who looked to be no more than twenty let them inside.

  “This is my assistant, Mia. If I’m not available she can handle anything you need,” Jessica said. “Mia, this is Sarah and her brother. Sarah is going to be staying with us.” Jessica continued to spout information as they walked down the hall. “We also have a state-of-the-art alarm system, security monitors and safety glass for the windows.”

  “Sounds like prison,” Sarah muttered beside him.

  Jessica, obviously hearing that comment, led them to a window overlooking the common area where several women were gathered around the coffee table while a small child played with blocks on the floor nearby. Jessica’s face softened as she addressed Sarah’s concerns. “We have a large kitchen, a play area for kids, daily Bible study plus a weekly support group. We’re currently housing five other women and four children. You’re not a prisoner here, but it is safer for you to remain inside as much as possible.”

  Sarah nodded her understanding then turned back to staring at the child. Having always wanted children, she had a soft spot for them.

  “Would you like to see the rest of the facility?” Jessica asked.

  Before Sarah could say yes, Andrew stepped in. “We don’t need the tour. I’m taking her home with me.”

  Jessica’s eyes pierced him as she looked his way. “That’s a bad idea. We have the resources to protect her. Isn’t that what you want?”

  He wasn’t in the mood to argue. He’d made up his mind. Sarah was not staying. But before he could voice his objection, Sarah spoke.

  “She’s right. Robert doesn’t know about this place. He won’t know to look for me here.”

  “Sarah, I can protect you.”

  “Staying here sounds a lot safer than being locked up in your apartment. Besides, what about your job? What will I do when you have to go to work? I don’t want to be there alone. At least here I have other people to talk to.”

  He took her hands and squeezed them reassuringly. “We’ll work all that out. I want you to come home with me.”

  She looked to Jessica then slipped her hands from his. “I think this is the best choice for me right now. What if Robert returns and you’re not there...like you weren’t last night.”

  All the air left his lungs at her statement. He’d promised to keep her safe and he’d already failed her.

  Jessica motioned toward Mia. “Will you show Sarah to a room?”

  Sarah turned to go with the girl then ran back to Andrew and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, big brother, for everything. I love you.”

 
The urge to pray for her safety flooded him, a leftover remnant of his old life. He shoved that urge back far down in the depths of his soul. Who would he be praying to, anyway? An absent God that didn’t hear his prayers? Or a God that heard but allowed bad things to happen anyway? Prayer had done nothing to save the woman he’d loved, and he wasn’t going to depend on it for his sister’s safety, either.

  He turned to face Jessica. Was he really ready to depend on her to make sure Sarah was out of harm’s way?

  Jessica, at least, unlike God, had never let him down.

  * * *

  Jessica saw his pained expression as Sarah disappeared around the corner. That look of protectiveness caught her breath as she realized this entire situation was too familiar for comfort.

  Overprotective brother.

  Vulnerable sister.

  And a dangerous, obsessed abuser.

  She’d been here before, and it had not turned out well.

  “So what do we do now?” Andrew asked turning back to her.

  “Now we wait.” Jessica motioned him into her office. Once there, she kicked off her heels and enjoyed the coolness of the concrete floor on her tired feet. She slid into her desk chair and watched as Andrew swept her office with a critical eye. It wasn’t much. Everything from the couch to the bookshelves had been donated, but Jessica had tried to give the room a homey feel with a few throw rugs and photographs. She’d tried to do the same throughout the shelter. Donated didn’t have to mean trashy.

  “What do you mean we wait? Wait for what?”

  “For Robert to make his move.”

  “What kind of move?”

  “Generally one of three things happen—he’ll decide it isn’t worth it and move on to someone else—”

  “I like that.”

  “Or he’ll see the error of his ways and agree to go to counseling and anger management classes.”

  She smiled at the way his expression changed from optimistic encouragement to disgust and loathing.

  “I don’t care for that one, either.” She finished her list. “Or he’ll continue escalating, in which case we’ll have to make different arrangements for Sarah.”

  “You forgot the one where he goes to jail and stays there.”

  “I wish it were that simple.” She folded her arms and looked at him. He wasn’t some ordinary person off the street. He was a prosecutor. He knew better than anyone how the system worked. “You of all people know we’re not going to get more than a misdemeanor charge for this assault.”

  He pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning his elbows into his knees and letting out a long, weary sigh. “I know. But I also know he won’t stop. He’s—what did you call it—escalating.”

  “I agree.” She’d caught the evil intent in his eye. They hadn’t seen the last of him yet. “Tomorrow morning we’ll take Sarah down to the precinct so she can give her statement and swear out a complaint against him. She refused to do it at the hospital. It’s not much but it might keep him confined a little while longer. I will also notify the police that he violated his restraining order.”

  “Do I need to be there?”

  “No.”

  “Good. I’ve got court in the morning.”

  “Really?” She marveled at how clueless he was. “Didn’t you tell Sarah you could protect her if she went home with you? How were going to do that from the courthouse?” She could see his mind working, searching for an answer. Finally, he looked at her, his face set and determined. “I would do anything to get her away from that man.” He locked eyes with her. “Anything.”

  A shiver raced up her spine at his determination to protect Sarah. Anything was a dangerous mantra to live by.

  “Why didn’t you call me? I could have intervened before now.”

  He pulled his hand through his hair. “I thought I could handle it. I tried to talk to her. I tried to convince her to leave him, but she wouldn’t.”

  She got up and walked around the desk, towered over him as he sat. “What you did, Counselor, was to put me and your sister in jeopardy because you’re dealing with a psychology you don’t understand.”

  “I put you in jeopardy?” He rose from his seat. “You placed yourself in a dangerous situation that you didn’t need to be in. But that’s nothing new for you, is it? Everyone in town knows you thrive on putting yourself at risk.”

  “You’re the one who put me at risk when you didn’t get Sarah to the car like I said. You should have been out of the house and in the car before that situation had a chance to escalate.”

  “What kind of man would I be if I left you to fight that maniac alone?”

  Indignation swept through her. How dare he turn this around on her? “Don’t give me that macho bravado spin. You wanted him to see you leave with Sarah. You wanted him to know that you were going to stop him.”

  “I did what I had to do to protect my sister.”

  Without her heels, she had to look up at him, but that didn’t stop her from locking eyes with him and issuing a stern warning. “Your form of protection is going to get someone killed.”

  She didn’t realize she was yelling until a voice from the doorway interrupted their conversation. “Children, children, behave.” They both turned at the reproach. Her friend Margo was standing in the doorway. She’d been the first friend Jessica made when she came to Jackson from Atlanta. She’d been instrumental in helping start and fund the shelter. Slim and athletic, she didn’t need the badge or gun at her hip to exude authority. It flowed from her personality.

  Margo stepped between them. “I’m calling a time-out for you two kids. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.” They both spoke in unison then turned away.

  She glanced at Jessica and smirked as if knowing how childish Jessica felt at that moment. Margo always treated her like a mother hen and now she’d caught her playing tug-of-war with the school yard bully.

  “Margo, this is Andrew Jennings. Andrew, this is my friend Detective Margo Stephens.”

  He held out his hand but all Margo returned was a cold stare. “I know who you are. You let Tim Meadows slide with a three-month probation on misdemeanor assault.”

  He pulled his hand back. “We almost didn’t get that. As I recall, Mrs. Meadows refused to testify about how she received her injuries. All we had to prosecute was the bystander he punched.”

  She turned back to Jessica. “What’s he doing here?”

  “I’m helping his sister.” She saw the surprised look Margo gave her. “Sarah needs help, regardless of who her brother is.”

  Margo’s eyes widened and she rushed to Jessica’s side. “You’re bleeding.”

  Jessica touched the spot on her head. The pain had already faded from a jackhammer into an ice pick jabbing into one spot on her temple. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

  “I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”

  She pulled away from Margo’s grasp, hating being treated like a child for the second time today. “No, I’m going home. I can’t wait for a long soak in a hot bath. After that, I’ll be fine.”

  “Well, where is your car? It wasn’t in the parking lot.”

  She’d forgotten. They’d left in Andrew’s car. “I had to leave it.”

  Margo sighed. “Give me the address. I’ll go get it and bring it to you after my shift ends.”

  She scribbled down the address and handed it to Margo along with a spare set of keys.

  “I’ll take you home,” Andrew offered.

  Margo turned to him. “She is not going anywhere with you, Counselor.”

  Usually, Jessica didn’t allow anyone to know where she lived, but Andrew wasn’t just anyone. She knew him and despite their differences on past cases, he wasn’t the type to hand out her private address.

  Plus
his offer would save her from the loving rebuke Margo was sure to give her on the car ride to her house.

  You have to be more careful, Jessica.

  You have to think about your safety, Jessica.

  Her friend meant well, but Jessica was too tired and too sore to argue tonight. “Thank you for the offer, Andrew. I accept.”

  Margo shot her a curious look but didn’t belabor the point. “I’ll see you later, then.”

  Jessica let Mia know they were leaving then walked with Andrew to his car.

  But as he opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside, she realized how uncharacteristically quick she’d agreed to let him drive her. She’d trusted him so easily and not only because she knew him in a professional sense. She’d seen beneath the shell of the man he projected to the media and the courtroom and she’d caught a glimpse into his soul. Since the moment he’d pulled Sarah into his arms, ever since she’d seen the protectiveness in him, her opinion of him had been altered. He was no longer just the spoiled rich golden boy of the D.A.’s office. He was more than that now. He now possessed a quality that made him even more attractive than good looks or charm or expensive suits could ever do.

  Or had he always had that quality and she’d just never noticed?

  She recalled that moment in the car when he’d touched her face, his fingers gentle and nimble on her wound. He’d leaned so close she could hear the pounding of his heart and feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. Her heart fluttered at the memory just as it had at the moment.

  She blew out a breath and turned her head away as Andrew started the car and drove.

  Maybe getting into the car with him again wasn’t such a good idea. She had to remain strong and in control. She wouldn’t allow herself to become one of the many women falling over themselves to get Andrew Jennings to notice her.

  TWO

  Jessica directed him toward a subdivision outside of town. The neighborhood seemed quaint and quiet with rows of older houses. Jessica pointed to a white single-storied house with a large front porch as hers.

  He parked in the driveway, then shut off the engine.