Tiger Bound by Tressie Lockwood Page A

rested his elbows on his knees. When it seemed to cause him pain, he sat back. She almost commented, but his expression kept her quiet. “The sheriff’s office contacted me this morning. They found his truck, with him in it, in the lake.”
    Deja gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Heath. Did they say what happened? Maybe he’d been drinking too much. They need to crack down on people more after they’ve been sucking them down at the bar. I don’t know how many of them have knocked down Brenda’s homemade jams and jellies sign because they can’t keep their vehicles on the road. She’s thinking about just leaving it down.”
    Heath rubbed his neck. She knew he was agitated when he did that, so she kept quiet. “There wasn’t enough alcohol in his system to end up in the lake, and even if there was, he knew how to hold his liquor.”
    “You think that guy killed him, don’t you?”
    He nodded.
    Deja clutched her hands together and dipped her head to close her eyes. This entire situation was a nightmare, and even in her wildest dreams, she couldn’t have come up with the scenario.
    “Listen to me carefully, Deja, without interrupting. Can you do that?”
    She licked her lips. “Yes.”
    “I’m leaving town. I’m going to get answers and find out who my real dad is. I want to know what I am, who Spiderweb is, and what their objective is. Most importantly, I think it would be safer for you if I leave, so they don’t hurt you again coming after me.”
    “I’m going with you.”
    “No, you’re not.”
    Deja stood up. “You’re not leaving me, Heath. I know you’re hurting, damn it, but so am I. We just decided to be together, and I’m not losing that.”
    He rose as well and grasped her shoulders. He shook her, making her head flop about until she looked at him. She’d never seen his anger so close to the surface. Not that she thought he would hurt her, but the way he behaved told her he’d already begun to change.
    “Do you realize there can be no more us?”
    She gasped. “Why not? I know you still want me.”
    “I don’t know what I want.”
    His words could not be a sharper slap in the face. Her eyes burned, but she would not let him see her cry. “Oh so because I’m human, I’m not good enough?”
    “You know better than that,” he snarled. “You’re staying here where I know you will be safe. I’m going to put my ranch up for sale. It will go cheaper than it’s worth because of the house being gone, but it will be a good deal for someone, so I don’t have to worry. For the time being, Mack will care for the cattle until I can sell them off too. The management company will arrange everything.”
    “You already thought of it all, huh? That’s why you were late picking me up from the hospital?”
    “Deja.”
    “Don’t even say it, Heath. I can see you’re determined to dump me, calling it protecting me when it’s more about you running scared.”
    “You know that’s not true.”
    “Do I?” She glared at him, but he released her shoulders and turned away. He cracked his neck, and it was as if the calm descended once more. Heath had made up his mind, and she would not change it. She lowered her gaze to the floor, wanting nothing beyond curling up in her bed and pretending none of this happened. “Are you coming back?”
    He drew her into his arms. She raised her chin, and his mouth came down on hers. Deja clung to him, tangling her fingers in his shirtfront. She pressed tight as she could to his length, imprinting his scent and the feel of his hard-muscled body onto her mind. When he released her, it was too soon. His steps echoed on the bare wooden floor, and the front door opened and closed behind him.
    Deja waited for half an hour and then left her apartment. She walked the few blocks to the bank and stepped inside to wait for a teller. When her turn came, she moved to the window. “Hey, Cathy, I guess you know my ID was destroyed in that