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Clay was still seeing stars. The pain in his head had him almost sick to his stomach. But he forced himself not to move, to look at the man standing far too close to Bailey for comfort.
He recognized him, of course. But the how and why Lou Moore was there hadn’t registered.
That didn’t matter. What mattered was that Bailey was still between them.
Clay wrapped one hand around her arm. His gun had to be around somewhere.
Lou turned, came more into the light.
The light reflected off of the .45. Clay bit back his curse.
He hoped to hell that Lou wouldn’t point it at his own daughter.
What did the man want? “Lou, what in the hell are you doing here?”
“Clay!”
Bailey shifted in front of him, blocking him bodily. He pulled himself up to a seated position.
Clay grabbed for her, then pushed, putting a few feet between them.
Clay had to get to the .38 on his ankle. Somehow.
“Don’t move!” Lou waved the gun around in a way no experienced cop ever would. That told Clay exactly what mind-set the man was in. Lou had spent more than ten years on the TSP. If he was in control of himself, he wouldn’t be moving like he was.
A man out of a control was far more dangerous than one who wasn’t.
And Bailey was stuck in between them.
***
Bailey didn’t know what to do. “Just go, Lou. Leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that. He’s ruining everything.”
“He’s not done a thing to you. Or to me. I don’t want Jake like that.” She never would. Jake would always be her big brother. And anyone seeing how he had comforted Celia tonight would understand exactly how he felt about Bailey. About Celia.
“You will. Once Addy’s gone.” Wild eyes turned to her. Anger, confusion, determination—madness—all were on his face.
Bailey fought the fear. She had to keep him talking. The longer she kept him talking, the better chance they had to find a way to subdue him. Instead of just sitting on Clay’s hardwood floor five feet into his living room. “Why?”
“Because you don’t need to be with a damned cop. They ruin everything.” His yell echoed off the walls. Bailey fought the urge to flinch.
Lou was losing control. Rapidly.
“Like you did when you stole from people? When you took bribes? I’ve read your file.” Every paragraph, every report, everything to find out why he had made the choices he had. Until she’d just given up, knowing she would never have the answers.
“Bailey—I didn’t mean to leave you and your momma alone like that.” Lou paced in front of her, covering six feet, then turning around and going back. But the gun never wavered again, constantly pointed at Clay’s heart.
“You didn’t mean to leave her. I know you didn’t want me. Mom told me when I was twelve how you felt about me.” He had never wanted her. They’d taken precautions, but her mother had gotten pregnant anyway. And her mother had loved her.
Of that, Bailey was one hundred percent certain. Even if Lou hadn’t.
“I was wrong, kiddo. I had a lot of time to think. To realize what I was missing with you. I can’t be with you now. We both know I got to go away for a little while. But I can do what I can to make sure you have a man who will treat you right, make you happy. Not wear you down like I did with your momma. I ruined things in so many ways back then. And he...he’s just like I was. I can’t let you repeat your momma’s mistakes.” His tone had changed again, like he was going back in the past. Was that the way his mind was working? Was he regressing so much he couldn’t see her as the woman she was now?
Bailey had a feeling that was exactly that. It wasn’t truly about him wanting something that was best for her. It was about him making atonements for how he had hurt her...or hurt her mother. It was once again his selfish wants, rather than her needs or desires.
Just like it had been back in April when he had almost let her die. Just like it had been when she’d been a girl.
Bailey bit back the rush of anger.
Anger would lead to stupid decisions. She looked at Clay quickly. He was reaching for his ankle and the weapon she knew was there. She shifted her body more to the left to block his movements from Lou.
She’d taken that holster off of Clay herself the night they’d slept together. Unless someone miraculously dropped out of the sky, that .38 was their only hope. “That was your choice. Clay won’t do that to me. And I won’t do that to him. Whatever happens between us, I know that. Clay will never hurt me.”
The exact opposite. She knew deep in her soul that the one thing he wouldn’t do was hurt her deliberately. He’d do anything to protect her. Anything.
Include get between her and a madman with a .45. She tensed when he pulled the weapon free.
“Damned right I won’t.”