Treat Me (One Night with Sole Regret #8)(63)

Amanda glanced at Tina and licked her lips, her throat constricting as she swallowed.

"Are you actually considering having me arrested?" Tina asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Amanda turned her gaze to Jacob, and he shook his head. He didn't want Tina to wind up in jail. He just wanted her to behave like an adult and come to terms with the fact that he was in love with her sister.

"It was a family squabble," Amanda said. "You know what sisters are like." She laughed as if they got into knock-down drag-out fights all the time. "How about we just let her off with a warning?"

"It's your call."

While Jacob was released from his cuffs, Amanda spoke to the other officer. Tina stared at the asphalt between her shoes, her expression and body language completely unreadable. Jacob could only guess what was going on in her mind, yet he was positive it was nothing good. He walked toward her, rubbing the ache from his wrists as he approached.

"I know finding out about Amanda and me was a shock."

"How long have you been with her?" Tina asked. "Was this going on while we were married?"

"No," he said. "Of course not. We've only been involved for a week."

"So it won't be too big of a deal to break it off with her." Tina's gaze lifted to his, and he saw a brief flash of malicious hatred in her eyes before she smiled.

"I'm not breaking it off with her just because you don't like it."

Tina licked her lips as she stared into his eyes as if searching for answers. Or maybe she was looking for his soul so she could suck it out of him.

"Okay," she said. She turned away from him and toward the nearest cop. "Am I free to go?"

He told her she could leave, and Jacob watched her climb calmly into her SUV and drive away. He wasn't sure why she was behaving so rationally all of sudden, but her model behavior frightened him far more than her uncontrollable rage.





Chapter Fourteen


Amanda leaned into Jacob's side as the police pulled out of the driveway. Her knee and the palms of her hands were still throbbing, but her heart was surprisingly light. Their relationship had survived Tina. If it could overcome her disapproval, Amanda was sure they could get through anything.

She glanced up at Jacob and cringed at the ugly bruise on the side of his head. It was bleeding slightly. "How's your head?" she asked, reaching up to touch it but thinking better of the idea and resting her fingertips against his jaw instead.

"It'll be fine. It's always been like a brick. What about your hands?" he asked. He captured her wrists in his and turned her hands over to gaze down at their abraded palms. "Let's go get you cleaned up."

He took great care in applying antibacterial ointment to her hands and kissed her wrists tenderly. "Thank you for taking Julie away from that mess."

"She'll be worried about you," Amanda said. "You should call her."



       
         
       
        

He bit his lip and nodded slightly. "I should."

"Are you hesitating?" she asked, lifting a cotton ball saturated in peroxide to the jagged gash on his temple.

He released a heavy sigh. "Tina will probably answer," he said. "I don't think I can talk to her right now."

"But Julie-"

"Is what's important." He nodded and dialed Tina's landline number. Amanda held his hand for support while he listened to it ring.

"You have some nerve calling here!" Amanda could hear her mother's harsh greeting from several feet away.

"Hello, Mrs. Lange. Can I speak to Julie?"

"She's very upset," Mom retorted.

"I understand that. It's why I called. She needs to know everything is going to be okay. If you don't let me talk to her on the phone, I'll come over." There was no threat in his tone, but it was obvious he meant what he said.

"Julie," Mom called. "Do you want to speak to your father? If you don't, I'll-"

There was a brief pause and then Julie was on the phone. Amanda leaned closer so she could listen to what her niece said. Julie had been so upset when she'd taken her home.

"Daddy? Are you okay? You were bleeding."

"I'm fine, princess. Don't worry about me. Okay?"

"Why did mommy get mad at you?"

"She doesn't like me to spend time with your Aunt Mander." He gave Amanda's hand a squeeze, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"That's silly, Daddy," Julie's sweet voice came from Jacob's phone.

"I agree, but sometimes grown-ups get mad for silly reasons. So it might be a good idea not to talk about me and your aunt when your mom's around."