Convicted Read online

  Her agonized whisper cut him to the core. With one smooth move, Deacon pulled Lisa into his arms and onto his lap. She didn't fight him.

  "No," he said. "You're not crazy. And all this stuff that's been happening to you is not your fault. It's just someone with a sick sense of humor trying to rattle you for some reason."

  She put her head on his shoulder, letting him hold her. "A lot of people seem to think it's you."

  That didn't set well with him at all. "Like who?"

  "Terry," she mumbled. "My parents."

  "They don't like me anyway," he told her. "And Terry's jealous."

  She nodded against his neck. "Don't you think he has the right?"

  "To be jealous--sure," Deacon said. "But not to go around accusing me of stalking you."

  "He hasn't gone around accusing you of stalking me." The soft touch of her breath on his skin was driving him nuts.

  "I have an idea," Deacon told her. "Let's not talk about Terry any more, okay? Or your sister. Or your parents."

  She pulled away to meet his gaze. "You'd rather talk about what kind of koi to put in the pond?"

  "I'd rather," Deacon said, "not talk at all."

  Her mouth was sweet and welcoming, and she returned his kiss eagerly. It had only been a little over a week since the last time he'd had her in his arms, but it felt like an eternity. Suddenly he couldn't have been happier to be working late.

  She sighed when he left her mouth to press kisses along the curve of her jaw and down the sweet slope of her neck. He leaned forward, twirling the chair to allow him to press her back against the top of the desk. She didn't protest, which made him bolder.

  Deacon pushed the pile of papers onto the floor, not caring if they crumpled. There wasn't much room on the desk. Lisa bumped her head on the computer monitor. She let out a muffled groan.

  "What are we doing?" she asked him.

  Even though her eyes a little glazed from passion, he could see she wanted a real answer. "Kissing?"

  She craned her neck to look around the office, then raised her eyebrow at him. "At work? Not very professional."

  He saw her eyes flicker to the shelves, and he remembered. The surveillance camera. He'd grown so used to just hanging his shirt over the lens, he'd forgotten about it. Lisa's wary glance told him she knew about it, though, a thought that suddenly brought back a whole lot of bad feelings he'd thought he'd forgotten, too.

  "You're right," he said.

  The change in his tone and manner must have confused her, but she didn't question him. Instead, Lisa just got off the desk, and straightened her hair and clothing. She bent to pick up the scattered piles of papers, putting them back into order.

  She spoke to him with her back still turned, so he couldn't see her face. "I am sorry about all this, Deacon. I really would like us to start over. Everything is just crazy right now."

  "Sure," he told her like he didn't care. He reached down to pick up his shirt from where it had fallen and hung it back up over the lens.

  When she turned back and saw what he had done, she let her eyes linger on his for one long, silent moment. Then she turned and gathered the rest of her things. Her voice was soft when she spoke.

  "I'm going home now," she said. "Will you call me tomorrow? I...I'd like to go out with you. Do something. If you still want to."

  He felt as though he were being tested. "Sure."

  She nodded, and he wasn't sure if he'd passed or failed. "Talk to you tomorrow then?"

  "I'll just finish up here," he replied.

  She leaned over to brush her lips against his cheek. "Goodnight, Deacon."

  After she was gone, Deacon turned and flipped up his middle finger, right to the camera. Nobody would see the gesture, of course. The shirt would prevent that. But doing it made him feel better, and he gathered up his own things and left.

  * * * *

  Allegra's car was in the driveway when Lisa got home. For one moment Lisa seriously considered turning the car and driving away. It was late and she was tired, and cowardice wouldn't get her anything but more grief.

  It was as though her sister hadn't moved out. Dirty dishes filled the sink, crumbs scattered the counter, and a carton of milk sat on the table next to a half-filled glass. Lisa carefully hung her keys on the hooks by the door and slung her purse over the back of a chair.

  "Allegra?" There was no sense in avoiding the confrontation. Lisa mentally girded her loins as she went to the living room.

  Her sister wasn't there. Lisa climbed the front stairs. The door to her room was closed, just as she'd left it. The hall bath light was on and the door open, but it was empty. Lisa went through the dark and empty spare room and knocked on Allegra's door.

  "You're going to come in anyway, so why knock?" came the disgruntled reply.

  Lisa pushed open the door. Except for the double bed, dresser and rocking chair, the room was completely bare. Even the open closet held nothing but a few lonely hangers.

  "Wow, Al," was all she could manage to say.

  Allegra fixed her with an arch look. "Don't pretend you're not happy to see this, Lisa."

  Lisa crossed to the rocker and sat down. "We need to talk."

  "I have nothing to say to you," Allegra said. "Go talk to your boyfriend. Oops, I forgot. You dumped Terry, didn't you? So go talk to your convict lover."

  "I was worried about you," Lisa began, but Allegra cut her off.

  "Just shut up!" Her dark hair swung in lank strands over her shoulders. Her hands clenched at her sides and she took a step toward Lisa, her pretty face scowling. "Shut up!"

  Taken aback by her sister's ferocity, Lisa got up from the chair. "Okay. I'll go."

  "I'm really doing it, you know," Allegra whispered so softly Lisa wasn't sure she'd heard her right.

  "What?"

  "Moving out," Allegra said in a normal tone. "Moving out of here. And I know you're happy about it!"

  She was happy, there was no denying it, but Lisa felt too guilty to say so. "It's probably for the best, Al."

  Allegra sneered. "Sure. Then you can have this place all to your self for your little sex parties."

  Every time she almost felt sorry for her sister, Allegra had to go and make sordid accusations that annoyed her. Lisa took a deep breath, not wanting to lose her temper. "Don't even go there."

  "You never wanted me here." Allegra pouted.

  That was true, too. "That's not true." The lie slipped from Lisa's mouth easily enough, but that didn't make it any more convincing.

  Al snorted. "Right. Sure. Whatever. I had to beg you to let me move in with you so I could get away from that house, that other house..." She stopped, her voice drifting into silence. Her dark eyes blinked rapidly, as though she were remembering things. Her tongue flickered out to run along her lips.

  "And you took the best room for yourself," Allegra cried suddenly. She pointed her finger at Lisa. "And you got to pick what kind of furniture we had. And you didn't share your butter!"

  "What? Where the hell did that come from?" Lisa paused in the doorway, stunned.

  "I wanted to use some butter to make a grilled cheese, and you said I'd have to start buying my own!"

  "Why shouldn't you buy your own?" The conversation was beginning to border on ridiculous.

  "Because we're sisters, and we should share!" Incredibly, Allegra was crying. Real tears slid down her cheeks and dripped from her chin.

  Lisa didn't know what to say. Her sister was frequently melodramatic, but these tears seemed genuine. "You're moving out because I wouldn't share my butter with you?"

  The look of scorn Allegra shot her was enough to make Lisa wince. "Please. Like I can't buy my own goddamned butter?"

  Lisa shook her head in disgust as she started out the door. "You know what, Al? I'm not going to do this with you. I'm tired, and I'm going to bed."

  "I shared everything with you!" Came Allegra's cry at Lisa's back.

  Lisa turned. Allegra had sunk onto the bed, her tear-streake