Page 73 of Desperate Justice
“I have sisters. And cousins. I also know my city, Ally. And soon as I did a little checking on Diana and where she went, I got suspicious.”
“Di is not a drug dealer! It’s a coincidence. Nothing more.” Allison’s fingers curled tight around the sheet’s edge. Talk about a mood spoiler.
“She’s closely connected to one, one of the biggest in Florida, Ally.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Open your eyes and stop denying the truth.”
Swatting his hand away, she scowled. “My eyes are open, Rafe. You can’t get Hernandez on your own, so you put my sister under surveillance, for what reason? So you can force her into becoming a CI like I did?”
A shadow crossed his face, confirming her suspicions. His mouth compressed.
“I told Diana it would be in her best interests to cooperate with the FBI.”
Rage uncurled inside her. “Best interests? You mean your best interests. What’s next, asking my parents to spy for you at the local grocery store? Checking the melons to see if they’re stuffed with drugs? Is that what this is all about?”
She gestured to the bed. “You wanted me to sleep with you so you could get me to spill all the tea about my sister.”
His dark brows drew together. “Of course not. I had no intentions of...”
“But your timing is awfully coincidental, Agent.”
She felt like the biggest fool. And here she thought Rafe had feelings for her. His lovemaking had been passionate, tender and exciting.
Even another one-night stand with chauvinistic Dan Johnson was better than this. She knew where she stood with Dan. He didn’t coax her into bed and then try to get her to turn state’s evidence.
He gently clasped her wrist. “Listen to me, Ally. What happened between us was a long time in coming. We both know it. We both wanted it and it has nothing to do with your sister being a suspect.”
There was a softness in his deep voice that made her want to believe him. “I could no more resist making love with you than I could stop breathing, Ally. My feelings for you are separate from my actions toward your sister.”
How could she believe him? “My feelings and yours don’t matter. Family is family. I have to protect my sister. Her happiness and her future are at stake.”
Rafe made an impatient sound. “Always Diana. Why do you sacrifice your needs for your sister? I get it about your dedication to the job. I’m the same. But every time your sister coughs, you panic. She’s an adult, Allison.”
“An adult you think is a drug dealer.” Muttering a few choice curses in Spanish, she slid out of bed and grabbed for her clothing on the floor.
As she threw on her clothing, he left the bed. Naked, he padded across the carpet toward her. Allison tried to ignore how delicious he looked nude, the smooth muscles working under taut skin...
Remembering how he’d slid inside her and how amazing it felt.
“When are you going to stop protecting her and let her face consequences on her own? You can’t defend her forever.”
“She’s my sister and I always stand with her.”
“Even when you don’t fit into her world?”
Ouch.
“Who are you to judge me? Or what I’m really like?” She picked up the pretty pink denim jacket with the flower print. So feminine and tailored. She paired it with a white silk sleeveless blouse and her hot pink jeans. Wearing it today, she’d felt pretty and desirable. Di had helped her pick out the outfit back in Miami.
Diana’s voice still rang in her head.
“Layer, Ally. The secret of wearing a bold jacket like this is to wear it with confidence, let it shout out to the world you’re a woman of worth, a hot babe! You need a white shirt underneath it, as to not diminish the jacket’s flare. Or you. Stop hiding behind scrubs or T-shirts and baggy shorts. You’ve got a great figure and beautiful hair. You’re a dynamo!”
A lump clogged her throat. For all the problems her sister could cause, Diana was the only one who truly believed in her potential. The only one who saw beneath the layers she’d built up to protect herself from those who could hurt her. The only one who thought she could be beautiful.
“I’m not judging you, Allison,” he said slowly, pulling on his black boxers and a T-shirt. “I’m trying to make you see reason. Diana may be in trouble, deep trouble.”
Allison crumpled the pretty jacket in one trembling hand. Now he was trying to placate her. Well, she wasn’t going to be soothed with flattering words.
Better to be angry than clinging, pining away for a guy, waiting for him to call and finding out he’d ghosted her. Because he only wanted her for sex, not a relationship.
