The bell on the office door announced Jed’s arrival. When he walked through the door, his eyes locked on Joe’s.
My brother got to his feet and stepped around the edge of Rose’s desk to intercept him. “Just because I’m lettin’ her go with you doesn’t mean I approve of this… relationship, but if anyone’s capable of keepin’ her safe tonight, it’s likely to be Skeeter Malcolm’s right-hand man.”
“Hey,” Witt called out. “I could protect her.”
“You’re not supposed to be carryin’ a gun, now are you?” Joe asked with a glare.
Witt shot darts with his eyes.
“I’ve got it covered,” Jed said. “No one will get to her.”
“I’m not a toddler, you know,” I said getting irritated. “I’m somewhat capable of taking care of myself.”
“We know that,” Joe said. “But we don’t want to take a chance, so humor me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
I had to admit that I felt better knowing they were watching over me. It felt like a step backward from the strong independent woman I’d become, yet I saw no other way around it other than to confess it all, and selfish person that I was, I still wasn’t ready to go there yet.
Jed turned to face me. “You ready to go?”
I glanced down at Joe’s laptop.
“Don’t worry about that,” Joe said. “I’ll take it with me.”
“And Chad Manchester’s computer?” Jed asked.
“I’ll take it too,” Joe said. “I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep tonight. I might try callin’ Kate from the number she called Neely Kate from.”
“You think she’ll answer?” Witt asked.
“Honestly?” Joe asked. “I doubt it. She’s more obsessed with Neely Kate than worried about dealing with me.”
“I want to know what you find out about Manchester’s murder—and if you hear from Kate,” Jed said. “So keep me in the loop.”
Joe gave a curt nod.
Jed reached for me, and when I looked up at him, the concern in his eyes stole my breath. But I quickly recovered and grabbed my purse out of my drawer.
“Is your bag in Joe’s car?”
“I’ll get it,” Joe said, then headed out the door.
Witt stood and closed the laptop lid, then stripped the gloves off his hands and stuffed them in his pocket. “Well, it looks like my work here is done for the night.” He gave Jed a hard stare. “I’d tell you to take care of my little cousin, but that seems redundant, so all I’m gonna say is see you later.”
I shot Witt a parting glance, and he lifted a hand to give a short wave and walked out the door.
Joe grabbed the side of the door as it was closing, pried it back open, and then rolled my bag through the entrance, holding on to the handle. “Take care of her,” he said in a thick voice.
I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his back, hugging him tight. “I trust you, Joe. I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
He squeezed me for several seconds, then let go and headed to the back of the office and into the restroom.
I glanced over my shoulder as he shut the bathroom door, swamped with guilt. If I were a better person, I’d go turn myself in right now, but I was sure I’d drag him into this too. And Jed… my heart ached at the trouble I could get him into. I hadn’t the foggiest idea what to do to protect them both.
Jed wrapped am arm around my lower back. “Are you hungry? Can you wait a bit?”
I grimaced. “I ate something earlier, so I can wait.”
He gave me a smile that lit up his eyes. “Good. Then the surprise first.”
We walked out of the office, and I quickly locked the front door in case someone tried to go in while Joe was indisposed. I’d given Joe a key, so he’d be able to lock up again.
Jed stood behind me as though he were a human shield. Then he ushered me to his car, where he opened the passenger door and practically shut it behind me as I climbed in.
It wasn’t until he’d driven a few blocks that I noticed the dark sedan behind us. “Jed,” I said in alarm. “We’re bein’ followed.”
He stared straight ahead. “I hired ’em to.”
“You hired someone to follow us? Skeeter’s men?”
“No, although I suspect they would have done it. They’re loyal to me too, but things are still pretty strained between Skeeter and me, so I thought it best to hire my own.”
“You hired security guards?”
“I’ve been planning tonight for two weeks, and nothing or no one’s gonna take that from me—from us.” He shot me a dark gaze, and the lust in his eyes caught me by surprise.
“I almost want to ask what you have planned,” I teased. “But I kind of like not knowin’.”
“Good, because I’m not tellin’.”
“You told me to dress up, but not only am I wearing shorts, I’m covered in gravel dust, to boot. I need a shower.”
“You can take one at my place, but you could wear a paper bag as far as I’m concerned. I only wanted you to dress up to make it more special for you.”
“Are we still goin’ to dinner?” I asked.
“Yeah, but you’ll still be able to change and get ready.”
“Are we goin’ up to Magnolia?” I asked, dubious. I doubted that far enough away to evade Kate.
“No, I’ll tell you where we’re eatin’ in a little bit. For now, you just focus on the surprise.”
I sat up straighter in my seat. “Is the surprise at your apartment?”
He chuckled. “You’re just gonna have to wait and find out.” He turned on the radio after that, more likely to keep me quiet. Jed tended to prefer the silence while I preferred to fill it.
I hummed softly to a country song, staring at the man next to me.
I loved him. I was as sure of that fact as I was sure that Miss Mildred would butt into everyone’s business. He’d put himself in a precarious position for me and I wouldn’t let him pay for it. “I won’t let them arrest you.”
He turned to me with narrowed eyes. “What are you talkin’ about?”
“The body in the basement. Digging up Pearce Manchester. Everything…” My heart raced just thinkin’ about it. “I’ll protect you, Jed. I won’t let you pay for what I’ve done.”
He reached over and curled his hand around mine. “Neely Kate, stop.”
“But Jed—”
His hand tightened. “Do you remember what I told you in Ardmore? I fix things and I’m damn good at it. Trust me, Neely Kate. Neither one of us is goin’ to jail.”
I nodded, even if I didn’t quite believe it, but for now I’d let it go. I didn’t want to ruin the night he had planned.
Ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of a building with three garage doors on County Road 75, just outside of city limits. The sign out front was covered with a tarp.
“Wait for me,” Jed said as he got out.
The dark sedan pulled in behind us as Jed walked over to the driver’s side and said something to the driver. The two men in the front seat gave curt nods before Jed came back to our car and opened my door.
How much did hiring two men cost? More guilt heaped onto my overflowing pile.
Shake it off, Neely Kate. You can roll around in the guilt tomorrow. Tonight, I was going to revel in every bit of what Jed had planned.
“What are we doin’ here?” I asked.
He grinned as he took my hand and tugged me out of the car. “I want to show you something.”
“Are we supposed to be here? Can we get arrested for trespassin’?”
He stopped and examined me with worried eyes. “You must really be spooked to ask me that. The Neely Kate I know would go inside as big as she pleased.”
“That Neely Kate doesn’t have a sadistic sister stalkin’ her, a dead body in her basement, and a Dallas crime ring tryin’ to kidnap her.”
He reached for my cheek and cupped it lightly, searching my eyes. “I should have never left you. If he’d gotten you…” His face paled. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothin’ to be sorry for,” I insisted, trying my best to shake it off. “And I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.”
“He almost got you.”
“Granny says almost only counts in horseshoes and rocket launchers.”
A slow grin lit up his eyes. “I think it’s hand grenades.”