Sweet Anger(80)

“She feels strongly about this.”

“Hell, I feel strongly about it, too. The first thing I did this morning was notify the station’s attorney. Management was backing her all the way. The lawyer could have gotten her out on bail within hours, but no.” He thumped the glass on the table for emphasis. “Stubborn brat that she is, she uses her one phone call to tell me not to do anything until tomorrow.”

“Did she give you a reason?”

“She said as long as she was going to do this, she was going to make it amount to something. She didn’t want to go through the motions and then buy her way out. I think she wanted her sources to see that she was willing to suffer in order to protect them.”

“That’s admirable.”

“Admirable, hell!” he shouted. “She has to spend a night in jail! And what does McKee think about it? Huh? How could he do this to her?”

“It’s his job.” Bonnie resignedly turned off the burner beneath the skillet. Pinkie wouldn’t be in the mood to eat for a long time. “I would imagine that McKee’s feeling much worse about this than you are.”

She came to stand beside his chair. With a hand on either side of his face, she guided his head to her breast and pillowed it there.

“No one feels worse than I do,” he mumbled. “Even whiskey’s not making me feel any better.” He shoved the glass away and turned his face into Bonnie’s maternal warmth. His arms went around her waist.

She smoothed her hand over his head. “Don’t worry about Kari. She’ll be fine. McKee won’t let anything happen to her. He loves her.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

Pinkie moved his head against her breasts. “I’m glad you’re with me tonight, Bonnie. I need you.”

Above him, Bonnie’s eyes closed and she compressed her lips tightly against a glad cry. She wondered if he could feel her heart expanding with love and joy. “If you married me, you could have me every night. And every day. I’d be yours all the time.” She positioned the crown of her breast against his mouth and rubbed it back and forth over his lips. “I’m good for you, Pinkie.”

Through her clothes he could feel her nipple pouting with pleasure from the moist caress of his mouth. “And I’m good for you.”

She tilted his head up until he was looking at her. “You’re very good for me.”

He pulled her onto his lap. “Well, since we’re so damn good for each other, why don’t you make an honest man of me?”

He stopped her laugh with a kiss.


The ringing sound echoed through the long dim chamber, and Kari sprang to a sitting position. Her muscles were sore from being held tense for so long. She was still cold and had lain in one position beneath the blanket for hours trying to ward off the horror of the place.

But it was the sound of heels striking the concrete floor that sent a new thrill of fear coursing through her. With a steady cadence, they came closer to her cell.

The visitor cast a long shadow on the floor. She stared at it with increasing panic. It stopped directly in front of her cell. The jingle of keys could barely be heard over the pounding of her heart. Her visitor turned his head back toward the warden’s desk and the light fell on his face.

“Hunter!” she exclaimed breathlessly.





Chapter Fourteen





HE STEPPED INTO THE CELL. IN ONE SWIFT MOVEMENT, SHE vaulted off the cot and launched herself into his arms. His embrace was encompassing. He held her tight against him, repeating her name like a religious chant and nuzzling the side of her neck.

“Are you all right?”

“Hold me, just hold me,” she whispered frantically.

“For as long as you want.”

They clung to each other. Neither spoke. Nor did they move. She pressed as near him as she could without actually becoming a part of him. His body was strong and warm. It was her security in this living nightmare. The minutes passed silently.

Within his embrace the darkness began to lift and the feeling of entrapment receded. She could breathe again without the sensation of impending suffocation.

At last, she eased herself away from him. “What are you doing here?”

“Officially I’m questioning a prisoner. Unofficially I’m rendering aid and comfort. And love.” He kissed her mouth softly. “Have you eaten?”

“Sergeant Hopkins brought my dinner a while ago. I didn’t want it.”

“I’ll go get you something.” He started to leave, but she clutched at his arm and snuggled against him again.

“No, don’t leave me. Please don’t. Hold me.”

He maneuvered his way to the cot and lowered her onto it. He sat on the edge and gazed down into her shadowed face. Purposely he had requested that Sergeant Hopkins not turn on the lights. He had access to jail cells for the purpose of questioning suspects. But that wasn’t his reason for being in this particular cell at this particular time of night. He was going beyond the limits of his office and, at the risk of appearing downright furtive, would rather be exceeding the limits in the dark.