Free Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden

fourteen years overdue, but I owe you an apology for what happened after Michael—”
    The mention of Kate’s little brother brought a stab ofguilt and sadness so fresh it was like it was happening now. And along with it, all the anger, resentment, and helplessness he’d felt at having his entire world go ass up because he was too dumb to stay away from Kate Beckett. He’d done what he could to make the best of a bad situation, but there was no denying that the senator’s revenge had changed the course of his life, changed him in ways he never would have seen coming. And he had no interest in dredging up the rage, the humiliation, and the gut-wrenching pain of Kate’s rejection and ultimate betrayal.
    “This is Tim’s office,” Tommy said, cutting her off as he indicated the glass door that read “Greaves Property Management LLC” and reached past her to push it open.
    This time she did touch him, putting her hand on his chest to stay him. It sent a pulse of heat straight to his groin, making him go heavy and thick as he imagined her hand elsewhere. “Please, you have to know that I hated what my father did, and I felt—feel—terrible about how much trouble he caused for you and your family. I should have done something.”
    Tommy looked meaningfully down at her hand, then back at her face to pin her with a hard stare. Hot color flooded her cheeks as she snatched her hand away and took a couple awkward steps back. “Like you said, Kate, it was fourteen years ago. Water under the bridge. And I landed on my feet eventually.” He should have left it at that. But a little demon inside urged him to go in for just one dig. “Really, the only person to blame is myself. I should have known better than to mess with a sixteen-year-old virgin who wasn’t worth the trouble.”
    Her only reaction was a tightening of her lips, a flush of hot color to her cheeks. Nevertheless, Tommy felt mean and small. Swearing under his breath, he pulled the door to Tim’s office open and ushered Kate inside.
    Within an hour Tim had them set up in an empty storefront on First Street, nestled between Ike’s and Mary’s Cafe. Tommy hooked Kate up with the print shop down the block to produce thousands of flyers with Tricia’s information, then left to gather special communication equipment from his house and swing by the rec center to retrieve the folding chairs and tables they would need for the volunteers who would man the phones.
    By the time Tommy returned two hours later, the crew from the phone company was already on-site installing several phone lines. No small feat considering it often took days, sometimes even a week to get a phone line installed around here.
    But Kate’s arrival had immediately raised the profile of the case, and the guys at the phone company knew they’d get nothing but bad press by dawdling.
    Jackson Fuller showed up and helped Tommy unload the tables and chairs from his truck bed. “You should be home,” Tommy said.
    He responded with a curt shake of his head. “I can’t just sit at home and do nothing but stare at the front door, hoping Tricia will walk through it.”
    Tommy balanced one side of the table and backed his way in the door while Jackson took the other. “What about Brooke? Shouldn’t someone be home with her?” he asked.
    Jackson grimaced and helped Tommy unfold the legs and set the table upright. “She won’t come out of her room. Tracy says she hasn’t touched her food. She blames herself.”
    “Do
you
blame her?” Though Kate’s voice was pitched low, it cut like cold steel through the din of men working and metal chairs sliding around.
    Tommy turned to face Kate, and he wondered if Jackson could sense the tension in every fiber of her body.
    “No,” he said tiredly as he ran a hand through his hair. It was already sticking up all over his head, as though he’d run his hands through it dozens of times already. “Of course, I wish she’d been more considerate of her