Page 51 of Protect and Serve

“Cade’s with him in the hospital. He asked me to come get you.”

“Of course. Let me grab my purse.” Though her mind spun and every nerve screamed, she bolted into the office, grabbed her things and raced back to Dustin. He escorted her to his truck, which was parked in the drive. She hopped in and when he slid into the driver’s side and started the engine, she asked, “How bad is it? What happened? Will he be all right?”

“He’ll be fine.” For some reason, Dustin smiled. She imagined it was supposed to be comforting, but it wasn’t. In fact, there was nothing comforting about him. It hit her hard and strong just then, the difference in the two men. She wasn’t sure what it was, because they were both good-looking. Both pleasant and funny. But with Charlie, well…with Charlie there was magic. There was no other way to put it. Dustin was like a cardboard cutout next to him.

As he headed down the driveway, Claire fished in her purse for her cell phone, thinking to call Charlie to meet them at the hospital, but before she could, Dustin took it from her and tossed it in the backseat. “You won’t need that,” he said.

Something in his tone chilled her to the bone, but that was nothing to the apprehension that curled in her gut when he turned right onto the main road. She stared at him. “Where are you going?” Town was the other way. Unless—oh my God—Cody had been medevaced to Dallas. “Which hospital is he in?”

Dustin’s only response was a chuckle, which was inappropriate at best and foreboding at worst.

“Dustin!” she cried, but he only put his foot on the accelerator. The truck lurched forward. She grabbed the console for purchase and glared at him. “What the hell is going on here?”

He glanced at her and what she saw in his eyes made her stomach heave. Cold determination with a maniacal glint.

Good God. Had she ever thought him pleasant?

“See, that’s what I love about you, Claire. You are so sweet and trusting. So…easily led.”

Easily led? Where on earth had he gotten that idea?

“There hasn’t been an accident, has there?” While relief swamped her, it was overshadowed by a growing disquiet. Why would Dustin lie? What was he up to? What the hell was going on?

“Oh, there was an accident all right, Claire, my dear. But it was one of your own making.”

Hell. His tone was decidedly…creepy.

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you think I would just sit back and let my woman fuck another man?”

“I am not your woman.” When would he get it through his thick skull that—

“And to think. All I had to do to win you back was tie you to the bed.”

Something cold lodged in her belly. She stared at him as shock raced through her, burning in her veins. Charlie would never have told anyone what they’d done. So how did Dustin know? How could he have—

All of a sudden, the realization hit and it mortified her, infuriated her beyond sanity. “You were the one who came into my room when I was in the hospital.” And hell. “You set up a camera? In my room?” The truth of it was galling, horrifying and mind-numbing. Her fury paralyzed her.

“Well of course I did. Someone had to keep an eye on you, Claire. Apparently your brothers aren’t up to the task.”

“Dustin, you had no right—”

He slammed on the brakes—she pitched forward until her seat belt caught—and whipped around to glare at her. “No right? No right? I have been faithful to you, Claire. For years. I’ve waited patiently for you to come around. To realize how perfect it was between us. You cannot deny you still have feelings for me—”

“I don’t!”

He ignored her. “We were almost there. Almost back together…when he came to town.”

“We were never back together, Dustin. Not even close. I meant it when I ended it. I don’t love you.”

“Shut up.” His snarl hit her like a wave, enrobed in his rage as it was. It took some effort, but he calmed himself and forced a smile. “We’re together now, my dearest. And we will be forevermore.”

Okay. That was it. Enough. The car was stopped, so she fumbled for the door handle and yanked.

Nothing happened.

He tipped his head and surveyed her with a look of doting condescension on his handsome features. It was chilling. “I suspected you might be upset at first, so I disabled the mechanism.” He said it so calmly it sent shivers down her spine. “But no worries. You’ll come to see that this was for the best.”