Saving amanda, p.8
Saving Amanda, page 8
Carter stepped closer to Amanda and waited for Mrs. Hunting Horse to go into the house, leaving Keme outside with Amanda and Carter.
Keme came down the steps, away from the door. “Why are you really here?” Keme asked in a hushed tone. “Did Tara send you?”
Amanda shook her head. “No, she didn’t. She doesn’t know we came.”
Keme glared at her. “Then you’ve been talking to her? What did she say?”
“Only that Tobi didn’t commit suicide,” Amanda said, her voice low so as not to carry to the house.
“He didn’t,” Keme said. “Neither did Allison or Ryan.”
“Then how did they die?” Carter asked.
Keme met his gaze. “I don’t know. But they didn’t commit suicide. And if they were on meth like they’re saying, they didn’t take it willingly.”
“If not, then who gave it to them?” Amanda asked.
“What else did Tara say?” Keme demanded.
“Nothing. That’s why we came to you. If someone is threatening you and the other members of the Young Wolves, you need to tell someone. If not me, then the police.”
“No,” Keme said, his eyes widening for a second before narrowing again. “I don’t know of anyone threatening us. You need to leave now. My father will be home any minute. He doesn’t like it when people show up here.”
“Keme, if you know something that can stop what’s happening, tell us.” Amanda reached out to touch the teen’s arm.
The young man flinched and stepped away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Leave now. If you’re not afraid of my father, then be aware of what he’ll do to us for allowing you to stay as long as you have.”
“That’s it? You’ll sacrifice every last one of your group members to keep a secret?” Amanda shook her head. “Tara is your girlfriend. Do you want to see what happened to her brother happen to her?”
“No,” Keme spat out. “You can’t understand.”
“Then help us understand,” Amanda said. “Tell us what’s going on. Maybe we can help.”
“You can’t help.” He shook his head. “You need to leave.” He held out his arms and herded them toward Carter’s truck. “Leave before—” He looked over their shoulders to the road behind them and muttered a curse. “Fuck. Now, you’ve gone and done it.”
“Done what?” Amanda turned around, her eyes blinded by headlights heading their way.
Keme held up his hands. “I can’t help you. You’ll have to work this out on your own.” He took several steps backward.
An orange pickup roared to a stop, kicking up dust and gravel.
The driver pushed open his door and climbed out, swaying slightly. “Who the hell are you, and why are you on my property?”
Carter turned to face the man. “You must be Oscar Hunting Horse.”
“I sure as hell am, and you’re trespassing. Get the hell off my property before I shoot you.”
“We were just leaving,” Amanda hooked her hand through the crook of Carter’s arm. “Weren’t we, darling?”
“We were.” Carter didn’t take his eyes off Oscar, who stood between them and Carter’s truck, smelling of booze.
The man was big, mean and drunk. Not a good combination.
Carter steered Amanda wide of the angry Hunting Horse, hoping to get her out of there before the jerk did something stupid. “Sorry to disturb you.”
“You’ll be sorry, all right.” Oscar cocked his arm and threw the first punch.
Carter gave Amanda a shove in the direction of the truck and brought his arm up to deflect the blow. Oscar’s fist glanced off Carter’s temple, barely grazing his skin.
The next time Oscar threw his fist, Carter was ready. He ducked the blow, grabbed the man’s arm, twisted it around behind Oscar’s back and shoved it up between his shoulder blades. “Amanda, get into the truck.”
“But—”
“Get in the truck,” he said between gritted teeth. “Mr. Hunting Horse and I are having a conversation.”
“The hell we are,” Oscar yelled. “Let me go.”
“Not until you promise to behave.” Carter watched Amanda get into the truck and close her door. Once she was securely inside, Carter loosened his hold on Oscar’s arm at the same time as he gave the man a hefty shove, sending him flying forward.
Off-balance from the hold and the booze, Oscar hit the ground on his hands and his knees. He bellowed and came back up swinging.
Once again, Carter spun him around and jacked his arm up between his shoulder blades. “Are you going to quit swinging long enough for me to leave your property? Otherwise, I can stand here all night. Your choice. Take your time making your decision.” He pushed the arm up higher, making the man rise on his toes to relieve the pain.
“Okay, okay, I won’t swing again,” Oscar called out.
“Don’t fuck with me, Oscar,” Carter whispered into the man’s ear. “I’d hate to embarrass you in front of the women.”
The man grunted for a few more seconds before finally saying, “I promise. I won’t swing. Just get the hell off my place,” he said, his voice strained.
“That’s what we’ll do.” This time Carter gave the man a gentle push and released him.
Oscar spun to face him, rubbing his arm. “You have only as long as it will take me to get into my house and grab my gun to be gone.”
“Take a shot at me or my fiancée, and I’ll break both of your arms.” Carter didn’t move, holding Oscar’s stare until the other man looked away.
Carter nodded toward Keme, turned and walked toward his truck. He fully expected Oscar to charge him from behind. The man must have realized Carter wouldn’t tolerate another attack and left him alone.
Carter got into his truck, shifted into reverse and backed away from the house, watching Oscar the entire time.
The man stood where he’d left him, glaring.
When he felt he was far enough away from the toxic man, Carter spun the truck around and drove off the Hunting Horse property.
“Well,” Amanda said, her voice breathy, “that went better than I expected. Though we don’t know anything more than when we started.”
“No, but one thing is certain.” Carter glanced in his rearview mirror as the dilapidated house disappeared. “They’re scared and probably into something that’s way over their heads.”
Chapter 7
“Where to?” Carter asked.
“It’s getting late. As much as I’d hoped to get answers today, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to continue our investigation.”
“Do you have a plan?”
She sighed. “I say we talk to every member of the Young Wolves until we find someone scared enough to talk.”
“Oh, I think they’re scared,” Carter said. “Too scared to talk.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. And we can’t keep an eye on all of them.”
She gave him directions to the little house she was living in at the end of one of the streets in town. Her backyard was a field of prairie grass with endless stars at night.
As Carter pulled to a stop in front of the little cottage, it dawned on Amanda just how small the house was. It was fine for one lone woman with its one bedroom, one bathroom and a living room-kitchen combination.
She slipped out of the truck and fumbled for the keys in her pocket. When she tried to fit the key into the lock, she dropped it twice.
Carter scooped the key off the ground the second time it fell and slipped it into the lock. “It’s going to be all right. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She laughed. “I don’t think so.” Amanda walked into the little living room and tipped her head toward the couch that was no more than a love seat. Certainly not big enough to come close to accommodating Carter’s length.
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said. “You can have the bed.”
He shook his head. “I can sleep on the floor. I’ve slept in worse places.”
She shook her head. “No. I can fit on the couch. You’re helping me; the least you should get out of this is a decent night’s sleep.”
He took one step, closing the short distance between them, and pressed a finger to her lips. “Do you always argue?”
She stared up into his eyes, her mouth tingling from his touch. “No.”
“Then accept that I’ll sleep on the floor.”
She nodded, her lips brushing against his finger, sending ripples of sensation throughout her body. Amanda spun and dove into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
She stood with her back to the door for a long time, willing her pulse to return to normal. When it finally did, she gathered her usual nightgown and stood in front of the door.
She liked to shower at night before going to sleep. But that meant stepping out of the bedroom to get to the bathroom—and facing him again.
Her pulse kicked into high gear again as she twisted the knob and opened the door.
She frowned.
The living room was empty.
When she turned toward the bathroom, the door opened, and Carter stepped out, wearing only his jeans, moisture dripping from his dark hair onto his naked chest.
Amanda’s mouth went dry. She ran her tongue across parched lips and stared, unable to drag her gaze from his brawny physique.
“It’s all yours,” he said.
“Mine?” she whispered. His body was all hers? Amanda shook her head to clear the haze of lust. “Oh, the bathroom. Okay.” Her cheeks burned. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Do you have a couple of blankets I can use?” Carter asked.
“In the closet in the bedroom. Top shelf.” She ducked into the bathroom and closed the door, her face on fire. “Mine?” she muttered. “What did you think he meant, dumbass?”
“Did you say something?” Carter called out from the other side of the door.
Amanda clapped a hand to her mouth. “No.” Under her breath, she added, “Nothing repeatable.”
“I thought you were talking to me when you said dumbass.”
“No, not you.” Could she make a bigger fool of herself? “All me. Did you find the blankets?”
“Not yet,” he responded. “I was more intrigued by the conversation you were having in the bathroom.”
“Jerk,” she murmured.
He chuckled. “I’ve been called worse.”
His laugh made her reevaluate her stupid remark. Amanda shook her head, twisted the lock on the door and then untwisted it. Whatever happened would happen. Not that he would be so rude as to barge into the bathroom while she stood naked behind the shower curtain.
Maybe he would if she invited him in to join her.
“He’s not that into you, Amanda.”
“Do you always talk to yourself?” Carter asked through the thin door panel.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She pulled her blouse over her head and tossed it in the laundry basket. “I don’t always have someone listening to my private conversations with myself.” Unhooking her bra, she draped it over the towel rack, kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her jeans and panties. As she stood naked in front of the mirror, she studied her reflection.
“Ah, who am I kidding? Your body is unremarkable.”
“That’s a matter of opinion,” Carter said.
“Do you just have super hearing or something?” Amanda demanded.
“No, but I can hear everything you say, except when you actually whisper. Then I have to strain a little.”
Amanda covered her private parts with both hands and realized how stupid that was when he was on the other side of the door and couldn’t see it. “Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop?”
“Anyone ever tell you your door does little to muffle sounds? In case you didn’t remember, this room is so small I can hear a pin drop on the other side.”
“Okay. Point made.” She turned on the faucet to drown out the sounds of her continued muttering. Once the water was warm, she stepped into the shower and leaned her head back, letting the water wash away the worry and the road grime from the long day of travel. Had it only been one day since she’d driven out to West Yellowstone and back, spoken with Tara and had a run-in with Oscar Hunting Horse?
“No wonder I’m exhausted.” She poured shampoo into her palm and lathered her hair. Using the suds from her hair, she spread them over her body and down between her legs.
Her core quivered and heated.
The door was unlocked. All she had to do was mention that fact to Carter and let him decide what he wanted to do. She opened her mouth to announce that the door was unlocked. Before she could, the hot water heater ran out of hot water, and she was hit with a blast of tepid to cool spray.
So much for inviting him into the shower with her.
She rinsed quickly, shut off the water and grabbed a towel. After drying off, she dressed in her nightgown and brushed the tangles out of her damp hair.
A glance in the mirror reminded her of just how thin the nightgown was. Amanda could see her nipples through the fabric. Great. She wouldn’t have to announce that she was horny, her nipples would do the work for her.
Shoulders back, she marched out of the bathroom and immediately crossed her arms over her chest.
Carter had made a pallet of blankets on the floor and tossed one of the throw pillows from the couch onto the pile of blankets. He stood at the window with the blinds open, staring out at the night sky. “It’s a beautiful night,” he said.
“We have a lot of those on the Wind River Reservation. It’s nice to be where you don’t have to listen to traffic twenty-four-seven. Even nicer to see the stars. Most people who live in large metro areas also have to deal with light pollution. We have few security lights.”
“A blessing and a curse, all in one?” Carter asked.
“Yes, it means people can get away with more under the cover of the dark.” Amanda’s mouth twisted. “Gang activity is rampant, and crime is ridiculously high.”
Carter’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Sounds like paradise. Why stay?”
Amanda snorted. “They need help. Especially the young people who have their whole lives ahead of them. They need to know there are other choices besides crime, drugs and alcohol.”
“That’s a big job to tackle.”
“Tell me about it.” Amanda shook her head. “I can’t even manage what’s going on right now.”
“You aren’t the police or a detective. You shouldn’t be tracking down a murderer.”
“Our police force is horribly understaffed. The Medical Examiner and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are labeling the deaths as suicides. No one cares what happens to us.”
“No one but you.” Carter reached out to tuck a drying strand of her hair behind her ear. “You have beautiful hair,” he said.
Her heart beat faster. “Thanks. When I was a teen, I bleached it blond. I thought it would make people like me more.” She shorted softly. “It didn’t. I was still the foster kid from the rez the families had to put up with to get the additional money from the government. It took forever for my hair to grow out to its natural color.”
Carter’s brow wrinkled. He leaned back and studied her face and hair. “I can’t picture you as a blonde. You look beautiful just the way you are.”
No one had ever told her she was beautiful the way Carter said it.
Joe told her she was smart and looked good, and that she should be proud of her heritage.
Carter looked at her as if he were hungry and she was the meal.
Her heart racing, she was so very tempted to ask him to join her in her bed.
How wrong would that be? His job was to protect her, not make love to her. That would put him in an awkward position. The last thing she wanted was to be awkward with Carter.
Naked, yes.
Awkward, no.
With a sigh, she turned toward her bedroom. “I’m still willing to take the couch if you get tired of the cold, hard floor,” she said over her shoulder.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “Will you?”
She shot a narrow-eyed glance over her shoulder. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “No reason. I’ll be here if you need me.”
Her eyes narrowed more. Was she supposed to read something into his words? Geezus, she was terrible at flirting and sexual innuendo.
As she entered her room, she muttered to herself, “Why can’t I just say it?”
“Say what?” he asked behind her.
“Nothing. Abso-freaking-lutely nothing.”
He chuckled. “Did I make you mad?”
“No, of course not.” She stood in the doorway to her bedroom, on the verge of…
Something.
“Have you ever been so knotted up inside you felt like you might explode?” she asked.
He nodded. “Many times.”
“How did you loosen the knot?”
“Either by going for a run, or if a run was out of the question, I would say exactly what was on my mind. You know… get it off my chest. Are you feeling that way?” He crossed to stand in front of her. “Say what’s on your mind, Amanda. You’ll feel better.”
“What if what’s on my mind involves admitting to feelings someone else might not agree with?” She shook her head and started to turn. “Never mind.”
Carter grabbed her wrist to keep her from walking away. “Say it, Amanda. If you don’t, you’ll be awake all night, wondering what would’ve happened if you had.”
She loved how strong his hand was around her wrist and wished he was holding it pinned to the mattress while making love to her.
Amanda swallowed hard. If she said that out loud, he might laugh, or worse…feel sorry for her. “No. I can’t,” she whispered
“Then let me.” He cupped her cheek in his hand and tipped her face up, forcing her to look into his soulful brown eyes. “You have eyes as black as the darkest night that sparkle when you’re passionate about something. I’ve thought about your eyes all day and wondered how they’d sparkle in the throes of a different kind of passion…making love.”
Her eyes rounded. “You have?”
He nodded. “After my wife was murdered, I swore I’d never give my heart to another woman. I’m not promising I’ll give it to you. I’m not sure I can. But I can’t ignore what my body is feeling when I’m close to you. I want to touch you. To feel your skin against mine. But I can’t act on my feelings,” he said.
