Sea Haven 01 - Water Bound

hand over hers. “We don’t have to have him here, Rikki.”
    Blythe glared at him. “Rikki, think about Jonas, not the other police officers you’ve been around. Every time he’s been near you, how has he treated you? How has he looked at you? Don’t superimpose the past on a man who isn’t like that. He doesn’t have preconceived notions about anyone.
    Jonas is his own man and he weighs the facts before he makes up his mind.
    He believes in giving people chances, and if you’re honest with yourself, Rikki, you’ll admit I’m right about him.”
    Lev caught Rikki’s chin in his palm. “Look at me, lask ovaya moya. ”
    His voice was tender, his gaze loving. “I’m right here with you. Blythe, Judith and all the others know you didn’t start those fires. I know you didn’t.
    Does anyone else really matter? We’re you’re family. We’ll stand by you.
    I’m not wild about bringing the sheriff into this, and if you really don’t want him, I can handle this for us.”
    “No!” Blythe was adamant. “Think about what you’re asking him to do just because you’re afraid, Rikki. Levi wants to stay here with you. If violence occurs, he might have to go, and somehow—and I’m not psychic—
    I think he’ll protect you with every means at his disposal. No matter what either of you say, I believe he is the Russian missing from that yacht. And if he doesn’t want anyone to know, then there’s a pretty good reason.”
    “Don’t do that to her,” Lev said sharply.
    Rikki swallowed hard and reached for Lev’s hand, clinging hard.
    “I’m not trying to scare you, honey,” Blythe said, ignoring the dark menace in Lev’s voice. “I just want you to think rationally. I know it’s hard to let Jonas into our circle, but he’s a good man. If you trust me, I’m asking you to extend that trust to him. Levi deserves to start a life without anything hanging over his head. Whoever is out to kill you used a gun tonight. Do you really want Levi to have to use one as well?”
    “I won’t need a gun.” Lev’s quiet voice spoke volumes.
    Blythe shivered, but she looked straight at Lev. “I believe in second chances. We all need them. If this is your chance, then you have to start it right.”
    Rikki rocked for a few more minutes, making a strangled sound of distress that broke Lev’s heart. Blythe sat back and waited and he took his cue from her. Rikki had to find her own way. She’d been doing it for many 252

    years, and whatever physical response it took to help her get there, he was willing to let her work through it. She wouldn’t want interference. She was independent and that state of mind was hard-won. She deserved whatever time it took for her to work it all out.
    Rikki flapped her hands in front of her face and blew on her fingers as if the tips were burned. “You can call him, Blythe. But he knows about the other fires.”
    “Maybe he does, Rikki,” Blythe conceded gently, “but that doesn’t mean he’s not willing to give you the benefit of the doubt; otherwise, don’t you think he would have come to me and warned me?”
    Rikki rocked for a few more moments, but her hands settled while she frowned, thinking it over. Lev found himself breathing normally again at the sight of that little frown. Her brain was functioning again, driving out the chaos. Rikki was very fragile, and he would always have to be alert to the fact that their home would need absolute routine and balance. He had been prudent, although for a moment or two, the urge to pick up Blythe and chuck her right out the door had been very strong.
    Rikki chewed on her lower lip until Lev was afraid she’d draw blood.
    “Maybe you’re right. He stopped me the other day and he was nice. He could have been mean and he didn’t give me a ticket.”
    “Then let’s call him and ask him to go out and take a look at where this man has been watching the house and the damage he’s done tonight,” Blythe encouraged. “If you want, I can talk to him. I can tell him I was with you when the fire started.”
    “You know the cop is going to want to talk to Rikki,” Lev said. His tone was level, but he meant it as a reprimand. Blythe meant well, but he objected to misleading Rikki. The cop was going to want to talk to all of them if he was any kind of a lawman.
    “Perhaps.” Blythe shrugged. “But even if he does, Rikki knows him.
    And she knows me. I’m not about to let Jonas intimidate her, which I’m certain he never