Page 74 of Deception

It was a complication she didn’t want in this investigation. Not if she could help it, at least.

“I need you . . . to check me out first.” Olive’s voice sounded dry and raspy as she said the words.

She pulled her eyes open again, and her vision cleared.

Jason stared at her, concern in his brown eyes.

“Ollie . . .” Hesitation marred his voice.

She sent him a pleading glance. “I’m pretty sure the cut looks worse than it actually is.”

Jason stared at her another moment before releasing a slow puff of air. Then he leaned closer, resignation in his gaze.

He gently tugged the collar of her shirt and squinted as he examined her injury.

He frowned again before saying, “You’re right. Maybe the cut isn’t as bad as it initially looked.”

That was a relief.

He opened the glove compartment, pulled out a first aid kit, and grabbed some gauze. After squeezing some antibiotic ointment on it, he began to treat her wound.

As he did, Olive’s breathing slowly evened out and her thoughts became clearer.

Her most pressing question at the moment was, “What are you doing here, Jason?”

“I . . . I just wanted to be here with you,” Jason admitted. “I asked you to take this case, and the thought of you being down here in Texas . . . the place we fell in love . . . I just wanted to be here too.”

His words warmed her heart, though she didn’t want them to. Still, he’d been her first love. Even if they didn’t have a future together, she could still cherish those memories.

As he pressed some gauze to her wound, the pain snapped her from her thoughts.

“I guess it’s a good thing you did come here, or I’d be?—”

She sliced a finger over her throat. Then she tried to laugh it off, but the movement made her body hurt too much. Instead, she squirmed with pain.

Jason’s expression tightened, and he didn’t respond. He clearly didn’t find it funny.

Instead, he stared at her neck. “Maybe you don’t need to go to the hospital. But you’re pretty beaten up.”

“Take me back to my hotel. I’ll get cleaned up there. A warm shower and some pain pills will help. I should be okay. Sore but okay.”

He gave her another look as if he still wanted to argue. Instead, he nodded and started the Range Rover.

They had a lot to talk about. She had so much to say, so many questions to ask. But she wasn’t sure she was in the right frame of mind to start any of those discussions now.

First, she needed to clean herself up and get her racing thoughts under control.

On the drive, Olive noticed Jason stealing glances at her, worry in his gaze.

She wanted to reassure him. But talking hurt too much right now.

Her body ached. Her lip was swollen. She’d probably have a bruise under her eye and on her cheek where that man had punched her.

Then there was the cut on her throat. A burst of pain shot through the area every time she moved. If he’d gone just a little deeper . . .

Emotions clogged her throat. She couldn’t think about that. She needed to focus on the facts.

Who had that man been? What had he been doing in her old house? Had he followed her there? What did he want?