Part 31 (2/2)
”h.e.l.l, yes, I'm personally involved,” Adam roared. ”I love her, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have gotten the job done.”
She whirled around. ”You love me?” she cried out.
Adam didn't even spare her a glance. ”Stay out of this, Genevieve. You're wrong, Ryan. You gambled with her life. I could kill you for that.”
”You can't love me. I'm going to Paris.”
Both Ryan and Adam turned to look at her. She turned around and ran to the jail. Her mind was made up. She would get her satchel and leave for Kansas immediately. As soon as she had given Thomas his money, she would catch the next train to the coast.
She was in such a hurry she didn't give the sheriff time to open the door for her. She ran ahead, but when she reached the cell, she discovered she didn't have the ring of keys with her. She must have dropped it along the way.
She didn't realize she was still crying until the sheriff handed her a handkerchief.
”There ain't no need to carry on so,” he said.
”I lost your keys,” she wailed.
”I've got them right here,” he said. He moved forward and reached for the lock. ”I found them in the middle of the street where you dropped them. I sure don't understand why you needed to lock up your clothes though. Did you think someone would steal them?”
She shook her head, then nodded. Neither she nor Adam had told the sheriff the money was in the satchel, and she was too weary now to explain much of anything.
The front door opened then, and Adam came inside. He had to duck so he wouldn't b.u.mp his head on the doorframe. He was frowning, but it didn't make any difference. He was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
”Make him go away,” she whispered to the sheriff.
”I've got to have a reason to make him go away, ma'am,” he replied as he swung the cell door open.
She ran inside to get the satchel but turned when Adam spoke to her.
”What's come over you? Why are you so upset?”
She couldn't believe such an intelligent man could be so obtuse. She stared up at him through the bars and tried to make herself stop crying.
”You almost got yourself killed because of me. You were willing to die for me, weren't you? You're good and n.o.ble, and I'm not worthy of your love. Your mother would never have forgiven me if anything had happened to you.”
”Nothing happened, sweetheart.”
She wiped the tears away with the back of her hands. ”It's time for us to go our separate ways. Go home, Adam.”
”Genevieve...”
She ignored his warning tone of voice. ”My mind's made up.”
Adam smiled. She should have known then that he was up to something, but she was too distressed to think about it. She sat down on the cot and folded her hands in her lap. She had just been through a horrible ordeal, and every time she thought about Adam putting himself in the thick of it, she was overwhelmed with tremors.
She didn't think she would ever recover.
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