Read Online A Twist of Betrayal by Allie Harrison - Free Book Online
Authors: Allie Harrison
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way. I won’t screw up any evidence. I won’t go driving off, and I won’t hinder the investigation.”
Steve nodded, accepting his word. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
Dan walked past the get-away car, pointedly ignoring its presence and looked in the direction he’d heard them go.
“I’m coming for you,” he whispered, his words lost to the sounds around him. “I’ll fix this with whatever it takes. I’ll look for you forever, Jus. Just hang in there, honey.” He envisioned her face as if she were standing before him. He thought he could even see snow falling into her hair. In the same vision, he saw the eyes of the man who had taken her. “And I’m coming for you, too. I should have never let you get away in the first place.”
Then, he turned and confronted Chief Watson. He had no choice but to go to work. Treat this as any other investigation. If he couldn’t do that, he had to at least put on the appearance that he could.
Steve stepped close to him. “I guess I can’t convince you to let me take you home and get some food into you.”
“No, you can’t. Tell me everything,” Dan said. He refused to let either of them see how hard it was to keep control.
“Maybe it would be best if you stayed out of the investigation,” Chief Watson said.
“Forget it,” Dan snapped.
The chief let out a heavy sigh and muttered, “How did I know you were going to say that?” He looked at Dan square in the eye. “All right, I’ll fill you in. But the second you interfere with this investigation because you’re thinking with your heart and not your head, I’ll toss you in a cell just to keep you out of the way, understand?”
“I understand,” Dan said.
The chief explained about the robbery, how the robber had even taken jewelry and wallets from customers, and the way Justine was dragged across the parking lot. It took all the will Dan possessed to stand still as he listened. And he had to close his eyes when he heard about Justine being struck with the assailant’s gun. So that was how the blood got on her face.
Then Dan met Steve’s gaze. “You let her go with him?” he asked, his voice filled with accusation.
“Dan—” the chief tried to intervene.
“What would you have rather I’d done?” Steve asked. “Shot her?”
“Shot him!” Dan yelled.
“I would have had to shoot past Justine,” Steve explained, as though an explanation was really necessary.
“You could have shot out his damned tires so he couldn’t drive,” Dan said, hardly able to control the anger that boiled through him like lava.
“He had a gun pointed at her the whole time. I couldn’t take the chance.”
“She’s my wife!”
“She’s my friend,” Steve said.
“Am I going to have lock you in a cell?” Chief Watson asked. There was no anger in his voice, no emotion, nothing but that underlying tone of authority that Dan could never ignore.
Dan let out a painful sigh. “No.” His throat was so tight, the single word hurt. He chuckled bitterly. “Look how close I was, too. And I didn’t even have my gun.”
Watson continued as if Dan hadn’t spoken, explaining what else was being done and the help that was on the way. As he finished the explanation, his expression softened and his eyes filled with something that looked like pity or sympathy. It was a look Dan hated and he wanted to punch the look off the chief’s face.
Then the chief tried to offer an encouraging smile. “We’re going to get her back.”
“Yeah,” Dan muttered, wishing he could have a guarantee with those famous last words. He turned and looked toward the get-away van. He wished he knew how to actually do his job, instead of just going through the motions. He wished he could ignore the frustration that ate at him like a small animal with sharp teeth and the fear that rushed through him. It was the fear that was the hardest, keeping him hurting with its coldness.
He looked through the window of the van, doing his
Steve nodded, accepting his word. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
Dan walked past the get-away car, pointedly ignoring its presence and looked in the direction he’d heard them go.
“I’m coming for you,” he whispered, his words lost to the sounds around him. “I’ll fix this with whatever it takes. I’ll look for you forever, Jus. Just hang in there, honey.” He envisioned her face as if she were standing before him. He thought he could even see snow falling into her hair. In the same vision, he saw the eyes of the man who had taken her. “And I’m coming for you, too. I should have never let you get away in the first place.”
Then, he turned and confronted Chief Watson. He had no choice but to go to work. Treat this as any other investigation. If he couldn’t do that, he had to at least put on the appearance that he could.
Steve stepped close to him. “I guess I can’t convince you to let me take you home and get some food into you.”
“No, you can’t. Tell me everything,” Dan said. He refused to let either of them see how hard it was to keep control.
“Maybe it would be best if you stayed out of the investigation,” Chief Watson said.
“Forget it,” Dan snapped.
The chief let out a heavy sigh and muttered, “How did I know you were going to say that?” He looked at Dan square in the eye. “All right, I’ll fill you in. But the second you interfere with this investigation because you’re thinking with your heart and not your head, I’ll toss you in a cell just to keep you out of the way, understand?”
“I understand,” Dan said.
The chief explained about the robbery, how the robber had even taken jewelry and wallets from customers, and the way Justine was dragged across the parking lot. It took all the will Dan possessed to stand still as he listened. And he had to close his eyes when he heard about Justine being struck with the assailant’s gun. So that was how the blood got on her face.
Then Dan met Steve’s gaze. “You let her go with him?” he asked, his voice filled with accusation.
“Dan—” the chief tried to intervene.
“What would you have rather I’d done?” Steve asked. “Shot her?”
“Shot him!” Dan yelled.
“I would have had to shoot past Justine,” Steve explained, as though an explanation was really necessary.
“You could have shot out his damned tires so he couldn’t drive,” Dan said, hardly able to control the anger that boiled through him like lava.
“He had a gun pointed at her the whole time. I couldn’t take the chance.”
“She’s my wife!”
“She’s my friend,” Steve said.
“Am I going to have lock you in a cell?” Chief Watson asked. There was no anger in his voice, no emotion, nothing but that underlying tone of authority that Dan could never ignore.
Dan let out a painful sigh. “No.” His throat was so tight, the single word hurt. He chuckled bitterly. “Look how close I was, too. And I didn’t even have my gun.”
Watson continued as if Dan hadn’t spoken, explaining what else was being done and the help that was on the way. As he finished the explanation, his expression softened and his eyes filled with something that looked like pity or sympathy. It was a look Dan hated and he wanted to punch the look off the chief’s face.
Then the chief tried to offer an encouraging smile. “We’re going to get her back.”
“Yeah,” Dan muttered, wishing he could have a guarantee with those famous last words. He turned and looked toward the get-away van. He wished he knew how to actually do his job, instead of just going through the motions. He wished he could ignore the frustration that ate at him like a small animal with sharp teeth and the fear that rushed through him. It was the fear that was the hardest, keeping him hurting with its coldness.
He looked through the window of the van, doing his
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