Protective Custody
By Wynter Daniels

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

56,000 words

May 2011

Dear Reader,

I’ve always loved May, because it heralds the beginning of one of my favorite seasons—beach season! I’m fortunate to live close to the Atlantic Ocean, so every year in May, I start dreaming about the sound of waves on the sand, dolphins swimming off the coast, and me, lying in a comfortable beach chair, with a frosty beverage in one hand and my eReader in the other. Part of the fun is, of course, planning what I’m going to load onto the eReader for my beach adventures.

This month of Carina Press releases has provided me with plenty of reading material for my upcoming beach days—not that I’ll be able to wait that long to read them (I do get sneak peek copies in advance, after all). So, with everything from fantasy, to mystery, to contemporary, historical and paranormal romance, it doesn’t matter what I’m in the mood for, Carina Press has something to help me while away the time until I can make my beach dreams a reality.

I’m especially happy to introduce new novelists Maureen Miller, and her romantic suspense, Endless Night, and Diane Dooley with Blue Galaxy, a science fiction romance that’s out of this world (sorry, I couldn’t resist going for the corny joke). Of course, we also have several return authors as well, with sequels you want to be sure not to miss, including Tangled Past by Leah Braemel, South of Salem from Janni Nell, Portrait of Seduction by Carrie Lofty, Maria Zannini’s Apocalypse Rising and Three Wishes from Jenny Schwartz.

These books are only a sampling of the tremendous lineup we have for May, so I hope you’ll be sure to take a look at all of the releases, as well as taking advantage of the weekly sales offered on the Carina Press website. And whatever you choose to read, may it help take you one step closer to your own summer getaway!

We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to generalinquiries@carinapress.com. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

Happy reading!
~Angela James

Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
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Dedication

In loving memory of my grandmother, Gizella Wells, who spoiled me, loved me unconditionally and helped shape me into the person I am today.

Acknowledgments

To my agent, Jill Marsal—thank you for believing in my voice.

Sincere thanks to my editor Kym Hinton for your excruciating attention to detail, your infinite patience and all you’ve taught me about being a better writer.

Contents

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

About the Author

Chapter One

“Watch out for ghosts and goblins. It’s awfully dark out there.” Megan’s new client tipped his chin toward the glass door in the reception area. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t mind.”

Megan glanced at the clock and inwardly groaned. Almost 9:00 p.m., no sense holding him up any longer. “Go home. I’ll be fine, thanks. I bet your kids are still up and want to show you all the loot they got trick-or-treating.”

She shook his hand and waved as he left. With the onset of snowbird season just around the corner, extended workdays were becoming the norm. She’d been at the office nearly twelve hours, finalizing leases, taking calls, showing property and writing up this last-minute listing, and she still had to shut down the computers and the copy machine.

Her growling stomach reminded her she’d worked through lunch, so she snatched a few pieces of candy corn from the bowl on her secretary’s desk. Maybe the shot of sugar would give her the jolt she needed to finish up. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could grab dinner and put her feet up.

After shutting off the electronics and the lights, she entered her office and reached for the pull cord on the miniblinds, mindful of the paper skeleton hanging from it, but movement in the storefront across the street stilled her hand. The building had been vacant for months, since the gift shop had moved to the mall, but there were definitely two people in the display window—a man and woman. She leaned closer for a better look, and her breath fogged the glass.

The woman was young, maybe the man’s daughter. No, her skin was darker than his, perhaps Asian. He had thick dark hair and was tall and bulky. His back was to her, but there was no disguising the vicious slap he dealt the woman’s face or the brute force he used to yank her long dark hair, jerking her head sideways. The woman backed away, shaking her head. He smacked her again, and she stumbled backward, covering her face.

Bastard. Megan gritted her teeth. She should march over there and stop him, but getting in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel or family spat could be dangerous. Her ex-boyfriend had the battle scars to prove that interrupting a domestic assault could be dicey, even for professionals. No, she should call the police. Will would know what to do.

She turned and picked up the phone on her desk but stopped when the man closed his hands around the woman’s neck, strangling her. The woman cowered and struggled to escape.

Megan banged on the glass. Oh God, no. Couldn’t be.

The woman punched and pummeled him, but her slim frame was no match for his bulky strength and broad shoulders. Her strikes didn’t faze him.

Megan pressed closer to the window, unable to look away, transfixed by the terror in the woman’s dark eyes.

The woman shook violently, flailing her arms, fighting for her life.

Oh my God! I have to help her.

Megan’s hands trembled, and she dropped the handset. She couldn’t tear herself away from the gruesome spectacle.

The woman’s movements slowed, and her head leaned at an unnatural angle to her shoulder. He must have broken her neck. She went limp, slumped against him, then slid down the man’s side and dropped to the floor, out of sight.

Megan gasped.

“No!” Frozen in disbelief, she clutched the windowsill. The killer looked over his shoulder toward her, only for a moment, as if checking for witnesses.

She hid behind the window frame, afraid to move, afraid not to. Had he seen her?

Call the police!

Megan chanced a peek from the edge of the window. Shouts erupted as a long line of witches and cat people and princesses marched down the street, carrying pillowcases and pumpkin-shaped baskets. The trick-or-treaters blocked her view of the murder scene.

The murder!

A sickening chill slithered down her spine. She tried to see around the group, but it was no use. After they passed, the window was empty. She shuddered at the memory of the terrified woman’s face, her lifeless body.

Do something!

She bent to retrieve the phone. The electronic chime from the reception area dinged, reminding her she hadn’t locked the front door.

Now the killer was after her. All the air sucked out of her lungs.

Footsteps advanced slowly, louder and louder. Get out!

The creaky floorboards just outside her door warned her the intruder was moments away from discovering her. Gathering her strength, she yanked open the back door, jumped down the steps and raced toward the lakefront, the same way the trick-or-treaters had gone.

They’d long since disappeared, and eerie quiet filled the air. The only sounds were the kabooming of her heart as she ran as fast as her legs would allow and the heavy footfalls that followed her, pounding on the old wooden steps to the asphalt.

Run!

She barely managed to gulp in air as she sprinted. Maybe there’d be late-night revelers still out. Hadn’t some of her tenants complained about local teenagers hanging out at the lakefront?

Please let there be someone.

Veering around a smashed pumpkin, she managed not to slip on the chunks. She said a silent prayer to maintain her strength. Thank goodness for all the morning workouts she’d sweat through. She kept going, past a deserted house, her thoughts focused on escaping the person chasing her.

A few houses dotted the nearby lakeshore, but all were dark, probably rentals that wouldn’t be occupied until the snowbirds came south next month. Hell, a few of them were her rentals, but her keys were back in the office.

As she neared the water’s edge, she spied a squatty palm and ducked into its generous shadow to scan the area. She drew a relieved sigh to find the street empty.

I have to call the police. Will.

She’d just witnessed a murder and now the killer was after her.

Something moved in the grass behind her, and she whipped around. The area was as silent as a secret and completely deserted. She could leave the shelter the tree provided, but what if he was lurking nearby? Surely he wouldn’t just go away. She hadn’t seen his face. Any bulky man with thick, dark hair could be the killer.

Suddenly a bright beam of light blinded her.

He’d found her. She flattened herself against the tree and shielded her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” a booming male voice asked, then paused. “Megan?” He turned the flashlight on his face. Eli Stanton, a competitor who owned several vacation homes in the area. Thank God it wasn’t the killer. He offered her a hand. “Are you okay?”

She let out the breath she’d been holding and, with it, some of the tension from her neck and shoulders. “I will be. I need to use your phone. Right away.” She let him help her off the mulch-covered tree bed.

“I thought you were an intruder or something. What’s going on? Are you spying on the competition?”

“For God’s sake, Eli. Someone was chasing me.”

He rubbed his chin, giving her the once-over. “Can’t blame me for suspecting the worst. Hell, you all but stole that property on South Lakeshore from me.” Chuckling, he shone the light at the ground and led her toward a house ensconced by a high wall of hedges

“You won’t believe this, but I think I just witnessed a murder.”

Eli stopped walking. “Where? What happened?”

She kept moving. Whether he followed or not, there wasn’t time to waste. “Across the street from my office.” Saying it aloud made it more real—and more shocking. Nothing ever happened in Sebastian Springs. The last murder in the area was two years ago and an hour and a half away in a suburb of Pensacola.

“Are you screwing with me? Trying to spook me out of buying another rental around here? Something good come on the market today?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t some idiotic ploy to steal business from you. Can’t you see how terrified I am? I know it sounds crazy, but I saw it with my own eyes. A young woman was murdered.”

He shook his head as they negotiated the narrow walk to the front door. “You feeling all right, Megan?”

She clenched her jaw. “I know what I saw, Eli. This isn’t some idiotic ploy to steal business from you.”

That was sharper than she’d intended. “I’m sorry. I need to call the police right away.” She pressed a hand to her heart. She was safe now.

He pushed open the door, then stopped and faced her. He pulled his brows together and flattened his lips. “Hard to believe such a thing could happen here. You’re sure, huh?”

“Yes. Well, no, not technically. The door was unlocked. I was closing up after a late appointment and—Eli, please. We have to get the cops here. Now!”

He shrugged and ushered her inside. “Okay, have it your way. Phone’s there next to the couch.”

She crossed the small room and reached for the phone.

Eli eyed her as she spoke to the 9-1-1 operator. She turned her back to him, tired of his doubt-filled stares. After she hung up, she crumpled onto the flowered sofa and shut her eyes.

“Can I get you a drink or something?”

She managed a smile. “Thanks. Maybe a glass of water.”

Eli disappeared into another room. She tapped her foot as the seconds stretched into minutes.

He returned with a plastic cup with the logo of a local fast-food joint. “Here you go. Hope the law shows up soon. I’m not used to staying up much later than this. I ran out of Halloween candy, so I shut off the lights and was getting ready to hit the sack when I heard something outside.”

She grasped the cup and swallowed the room-temperature water, but it made her stomach lurch. “Thank you, Eli. I’m sorry to have frightened you.”

“I don’t spook that easy.” Blue flashing lights spilled into the room. Eli lumbered to the window and teased back the faded green curtains. “Here they come now.”

“Thank God.” Every time she saw a cop, she thought about Will. Would he be one of the officers responding?

Fat chance. Detectives didn’t deal with emergency calls. Still, the hope flickered.

She licked her lips and smoothed a hand over her hair. But it didn’t matter what she looked like. Even if Will did show up, she didn’t fit into his world. Love wasn’t always enough.

When Eli opened the front door and stepped outside, she followed. Straining to see the cop through the windshield, she was able to make out that he was black. A pang of regret stabbed at her.

“Evening, folks,” the officer said. “Someone reported witnessing a murder? A Megan Jackson.”

“Yes. I did. The killer came after me. He chased me out of my office a few blocks away.” She glanced at his name badge: M. Guthrie.

The officer glanced at Eli and raised his eyebrows.

She bristled. “A woman was murdered a little while ago, and her killer is on the loose. We have to find him before he slips away and hurts someone else.”

“No need to get worked up, ma’am. I believe you.” Guthrie straightened and gestured toward his car. “Let’s go check it out.”

She spared Eli a glance, then waved at him before sliding into the front seat of the police car and pulling the door shut.

She directed him to her office. Why wasn’t he driving faster? “Can’t you speed up? I watched a man strangle a young woman. She died right before my eyes.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

“It’s okay. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” They hurried from the car.

“Can you describe exactly what you saw, what the people you saw looked like?” He flipped open a tablet and held a pen over it.

Megan wrung her hands. “Shouldn’t you put out an APB or something for the murderer?”

“Calm down, ma’am. One step at a time. Let’s start at the beginning.”

Drawing a steadying breath, she nodded. “Fine. The man and woman were arguing. She had long dark hair and looked Asian. Indian, maybe. She was young. I’d say no older than her early twenties or late teens. The man was much older, white, with dark hair.”

“You say the murder took place here.” He proceeded to the front of the empty store. “Where exactly?”

“Inside. In the display window.” She caught up to him. “I was in my office.” She motioned to it.

“What did the man do?”

“He slapped her and pulled her hair. Then he closed his hands around her neck and…” Megan wanted to scream. Why was he wasting all this time?

“Then what?”

“A group of trick-or-treaters passed by, and I couldn’t see anything for several seconds. I started to dial the police, but someone opened my front door. That’s when I ran.”

He furrowed his brow. “So you lost visual contact immediately after the murder. Did you see the man’s face?”

“Only in profile. And it was dark.”

“You didn’t see him when he entered your office?”

“Well, no. I was in the next room. But I heard him.” He glanced up and down the street. “How did you know it was him?”

“Who else would it have been? I’d already shut off the lights. My office was closed.”

“Not locked, huh? Could have been anybody.”

I will not cry.

“It was him. Please, you have to believe me.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Did he threaten you?”

She swallowed hard. Why wasn’t he taking this seriously? “He didn’t say anything. But there was no one else around. I was in my office alone.”

“You just said a group of trick-or-treaters was going by.”

Her head started ringing with a massive headache. “Yes, but they’d moved past by the time he came into my office. Before you ask, I hadn’t locked the door, because I’d just finished meeting with a client. He and I finished about nine-fifteen. I was getting ready to leave, and I went to close the blinds, and I saw them—that awful man and the girl.”

“Hmm.” He shoved his tablet into his pocket. “Is it possible this client saw anything?”

“No. He was gone.”

He scratched his scalp. “So no one else can corroborate your story.”

“Do murderers usually have an audience? I swear to you I’m telling the truth.”

The cop held his flashlight to the window. “Place is completely empty. It’s hard to build a murder case with no suspect and no body.”

No body? It had to be there. She rushed to the glass and peered inside. The place was one big open room. Nothing. “Check the locks. Maybe they broke in.”

He heaved a breath but walked toward the door. “Everything’s fine here. Not a scratch.”

She led him to the rear of the building. The steel door remained just as undisturbed as the front. She gave it a yank anyway, but it didn’t budge. Nothing appeared amiss in the gravel parking lot. As they returned to the street, her mind swirled with incongruent pieces of the puzzle.

I did not imagine this.

“Maybe those kids played a Halloween prank on you, ma’am.” He shut off the flashlight. “Lots of people think it’s funny to mess with someone that way.”

She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn’t fail her. “I know what I saw, Officer Guthrie. You have to believe me. The killer saw me. He’s going to come after me.”

The cop gave her a patronizing smile. “I’d be happy to drive you home. I’ll even swing by to patrol your neighborhood during the night. Under the circumstances, I think you’re letting your imagination get the best of you.”

She resisted the urge to fist her hands. “A woman was murdered tonight. Right before my eyes.” She bit her tongue, tried to remain calm. After taking a steadying breath, she started over. “She was young, really young. How can you allow that man to get away with this? If you’d only seen her eyes…”

“If a woman was murdered here, where’s the body, ma’am?”

Chapter Two

Crouched low in the passenger seat of his boss’s car, Will McCoy snapped pictures of the couple leaving Room 114 as they passed under the bright security lights. The woman—a bleached-blonde bombshell in a purple dress—glanced both ways before hurrying toward her Mercedes. Her lover took his time strutting across the motel parking lot to a Ford sedan. He probably had less to lose than the woman, whose husband had hired Dawkins Security and Investigations to follow her.

Ed Dawkins crunched on a French fry. “Ninety percent of women are cheaters, Will. Remember that before you go getting too involved with one. And for God’s sake, don’t ever get married. Particularly not to a blonde.” He chuckled and offered a fry, which Will refused. “Oh, I forgot. You have a thing for black chicks.”

Why did Ed always make assumptions? Will fought the urge to roll his eyes. Ed had a prejudiced streak Will tried to ignore. Only he didn’t always succeed. But if it hadn’t been for Ed giving him a shot at becoming a private investigator, he’d have been forced to join his father’s business—a fate worse than death—after he resigned from the sheriff’s office. If I hadn’t made that awful mistake, I’d still be a cop.

The woman’s lover drove out of the lot, and she followed. Will sat up and took a sip of his iced tea. “I dated one black woman. I don’t have a thing for them.” Megan’s face materialized in his head, but he forced the image away. The pain was as fresh as it had been when they broke up six months ago. Ed chomped on a chicken nugget. “Didn’t mean to offend you, buddy. I just figured…” The older man paled, his face growing closer to the color of his salt-and-pepper hair.

Will mentally kicked himself for opening his mouth. Ed couldn’t help it if he’d been raised in a time when racism was commonplace, particularly in the South. Truth was, the guy made an effort to be open-minded. “I can see why you’d think all women cheat. Most of our clients are men, right?”

“Nearly all of ’em. Soon as you put in a few years on this job, you’ll start to recognize the suspicious husbands coming into the office before they even tell you why they’re there.”

Ed started the engine. “Just take my advice. Don’t let a woman get her hooks into you too deep. Women are poison. Love ’em and leave ’em, my friend. That’s the way to go.”

Will was tempted to ask if Ed’s wife was included in the poisonous category, but he already knew the answer. Ed had twenty years on Veronica. The woman was a gold digger through and through. But in Ed’s eyes, she could do no wrong.

The ring of his cell phone cut through the silence. His breath caught at the number on the display. Why would Megan call him? Could she have reconsidered? Maybe she wanted to give them another chance. Ask him to forgive her for calling it quits.

As if he’d hesitate for an instant. He cleared the cobwebs from his throat and answered. “Hey.”

“Hi, Will.”

Shutting his eyes, he pictured her pretty face. He turned away from Ed as if that gave him a shred of privacy. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better. It’s been a rough day.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I…I’m scared.”

He sat up straighter. “Why? Where are you?”

“Home. I saw a murder tonight, Will.” Her voice cracked, cutting through him like a jagged knife.

“You weren’t hurt?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. I just… I’m shook-up.”

If anything had happened to her… He couldn’t bring himself to even imagine what that would do to him. “I’m about twenty minutes away. What do you say I come by?”

He picked up the relief in her sigh. “Yeah. That’d be good.”

“I’ll be there soon as I can.”

“Thank you.”

He shut his phone, replaying the sound of her voice in his head.

“Everything okay?” Ed shot him a glance, then returned his eyes to the road.

“I don’t know. My—a friend witnessed a murder tonight. She doesn’t want to be alone.”

“A murder? Around here?” He gunned the engine. “Put on the radio. Maybe there’s something on the news.”

Will hit the button on the dashboard, but he was more interested in making it to Megan’s house than in the details of the crime. He prayed they’d reach the city lights in the distance quickly.

“So who is this lady? More than a friend?”

Will counted Ed as one of his closest confidants, a lot like a father, or at least an uncle, since Ed had been his training officer at the sheriff’s office, but he’d always kept the details of his love life to himself. Why mention that he imagined Megan’s pretty face when he lay awake in bed, stroking himself? Why say he didn’t want any other woman, only her? “Nah. Just an acquaintance, really.” Although technically he and Megan weren’t more than friends. Not anymore.

“Hmm. And she calls you when she doesn’t want to be alone. Interesting.” He exited the highway. “You know I’m grooming you to be my business partner someday, right?”

“So you’ve said.” All he could concentrate on was Megan. Only a few more miles to the office. And his pickup.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but the man I choose to help me run my operation will be single.”

“Excuse me? This from a married man?”

“Exactly. If I could do it all again, I’d run the other direction when I met Veronica. But from that first moment—” he groaned, “—it was all over. That woman will be the death of me. We can’t have two pussy-whipped schmucks running things.”

Deafening silence stretched between them. He shifted in the seat, itching to get out.

“Antsy?” Ed shot him a smirk. “You seem awfully anxious to be with this friend.”

He didn’t want to play this game. “She’s frightened, Ed. Give me a break.”

Ed held up a hand in surrender. “Whoa. Take it easy. I’m just messing with you, son. Jeez.”

“Sorry.” He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. What man wouldn’t be concerned about a woman he’d loved?

Still love.

Didn’t matter that she’d broken his heart. He couldn’t turn off his feelings just because she’d left him. What if he let her down or made a wrong decision that caused her to get hurt? Or worse.

A man died because of me.

He banished the painful memory.

They stopped for a red light. Will needed to get to her, had to make sure she was okay.

The air grew stifling. The instant Ed parked the sedan Will shoved the door open and jumped out. “See you tomorrow, buddy.” Without waiting for a reply, he jogged across the street and climbed into his truck.

He made the ten-minute trip to Megan’s in less than six. The moment he parked in front of the old cracker-style house, memories climbed into the cab and settled in. He’d spent some of his happiest times here. With her. Circumstances aside, there was something so warm and comfortable about being here again. Like coming home.

Her porch light illuminated a jack-o’-lantern wind chime hanging over the steps. He popped a cinnamon candy into his mouth and got out of the truck. Megan opened her door before he’d made it to the porch. Standing in the foyer, silhouetted against soft yellow light from inside, she glowed like an angel. Her straight hair had grown to skim her shoulders. Her jaw was tightly set, betraying her worry. She hugged herself, stiff and unyielding.

Until he crossed the threshold.

“Thanks for coming over.” She practically jumped into his arms, then softened into him, burying her head against his chest.

Tentatively, he circled his hands around her, rubbed along her back, over her gentle curves. He fought the lush sensations flooding him, but his cock had other ideas. Her hair fell forward, strand over glossy black strand. She pressed her ripe body to him, and he pictured her full, rounded breasts and those crimson nipples, hard as pebbles. Her vanilla scent drifted to his nose, roped all remaining clarity and dragged it away.

She lifted her face toward him, dropped her gaze to his lips. God, he wanted to kiss her, to feast on her sweet mouth. Her lips parted, and a wisp of moist air escaped. He breathed it in and yearned for more. Heart pounding, he glimpsed her white teeth. The memory of those teeth scraping along his rigid cock made him tremble with raw need.

But this wasn’t the time. She was afraid. And she’d called him.

Grasping her shoulders, he held her at arm’s length. “Let’s sit down and talk.”

Heat rushed to Megan’s face. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Will. God, she was acting like a hormonal teenager, throwing herself at him. He’d come over as a favor, as a friend. She backed away and shut the door. His T-shirt emphasized the sexy V from his broad shoulders to his slim waist. She’d forgotten how tall he was, how his commanding presence put her at ease. “Come into the living room. Want a drink or something?”

“I’m good, thanks.” That deep, resonant voice wrapped around her. He followed her to the sofa. “Tell me what happened tonight.”

She clasped her hands on her lap, still shaky. Will took the wingback chair. She drew a calming breath before she spoke. “Well, I had a late appointment, a new client. When he left, I went into my office to close the blinds and noticed something in the empty shop across the street.” She told him the rest, then wiped away a tear.

“I should have called the police while the man was strangling her, but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was like a deer mesmerized by headlights.”

“I understand. You’d be surprised how often that happens to witnesses. Logic trumps reality for a few seconds. Bear in mind that even if you’d called the moment you realized what was happening, that woman would probably still be dead.”

“If I’d acted more quickly, maybe they’d have caught the guy, who knows? He could be a hundred miles from here already.”

“You can’t beat yourself up over maybes.” He moved to the couch and covered her hands with his. She breathed in his unique scent—a blend of cinnamon and his piney cologne.

She met his stare. God, she could easily get lost in those moss-colored eyes. “The perpetrator is probably long gone. They rarely take the time and the risk to come after witnesses who might not have seen anything.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Why don’t I drive you over to your grandmother’s house? No sense in you staying here alone when you’re afraid.”

“I had to move Gram into an assisted-living place a while ago.” She’d come to terms with her decision, yet the admission brought a streak of shame.

He rubbed her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Is she okay?”

His concern touched her, especially since Gram had never hidden her disapproval of their relationship. “She’s adjusting. I wasn’t comfortable with her living alone anymore. She forgot to take her medicine too many times, and she refused to move in here with me. Said she didn’t want to burden me. It’s been three months.”

“It’s probably for the best. If she’d come to live with you, she’d be alone all day while you’re at work.”

“You’re right.” She fought the sudden urge to feel his arms around her.

“I have an idea.” He got up and rubbed his hands together. “I think I should spend the night.”

A rush of enthusiasm lifted her mood, but she tamped it down. “No, Will. I appreciate the offer, I do. But I’ll be fine. I guess I just needed to talk to someone who doesn’t think I’m a lunatic with a macabre imagination.”

“Let me sleep on your couch. It’ll make me feel better knowing you’re safe.” He crooked an eyebrow. “Come on.”

She stood. “No, but thank you. I’ve infringed on your time enough. Plus I need to be at the office early in the morning. My regional manager may drop in.” A lie, but she didn’t trust herself to have him so close. Not again.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be tonight, Megan.” He glanced around the room. “Unless your boyfriend would mind.”

“Huh?” Her stomach knotted. Could he be referring to Jerome? “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“So there’s nothing stopping me from camping out in your living room.” He sat and draped his arm over the back of the cushion.

But he wouldn’t stay on the couch. She’d invite him to her bed before he could say good-night. “No, Will. I’m sorry, but you have to leave. I feel a lot better. I’ve checked all the windows and doors. Everything is locked up tight. I’ll be fine.” Taking her chances with a murderer was tame compared to risking her heart on Will again.

“Have it your way. Promise me you’ll call me if anything goes bump in the night.”

She nodded as she walked him to the door. “Thanks again for coming by. I’ll let you know if anything comes up about the murder. Since the police didn’t take me seriously, I plan to do a little investigating.”

“Don’t you dare.” He threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her close for a way-too-chaste kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll phone you tomorrow, and we’ll discuss the case. Maybe I can help. I want you to promise me you won’t go snooping around. That’s a great way to get hurt.” He hesitated, then kissed her cheek, and heat bloomed in her belly. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you, Megan.” The desire in his stare threatened to undo her, but she had to be strong. She’d already hurt Will enough.

She let him out, then leaned against the door and wished she’d let him stay.

Will drove around the block, then doubled back and parked close to Megan’s house. He’d have preferred to stay inside, but this would have to do.

Yeah. Like I’d have been able to concentrate on anything besides her sweet body.

Forcing back a rush of need, he gripped the steering wheel. Regardless of the obstacles in their path, he missed her. And he suspected she missed him too.

But what if his instincts failed him like they had on that cold, rainy night? A man was dead because of him. He flashed on the worst night of his life. Torrential rain obscuring his vision, a man in a drenched sweatshirt running from a gas station. A lone gunshot that destroyed one man’s life and sent his own on a path he’d never intended. He forced the painful images from his mind.

Megan deserved someone who wouldn’t screw up at a critical moment. He prayed he could keep her safe.

Tomorrow he’d call a couple of his old buddies at the sheriff’s office. He didn’t have much pull there anymore, but he did still have a few friends. Maybe he could convince Kenny Horvath to open an investigation.

Damn. He missed the SO. Locking up criminals was a hell of a lot more rewarding than spending ten or twelve hours a day tailing crooked employees and unfaithful spouses. By the end of each exhausting day his back ached and his legs were cramping. Good thing boredom wasn’t fatal.

His eyelids grew heavy. He slapped his cheek to wake himself. A barn owl hooted nearby. He’d shut his eyes, but only for a moment.

He woke with a start and checked the time.

Shit.

He’d been asleep more than an hour. Anyone could have slipped past him. He grabbed a flashlight and his gun from the glove box, then silenced his phone and shoved the gun into his waistband. Dry grass crunched as crossed the yard.

A scratching sound near the porch sent his pulse racing. He fingered his weapon and approached the house. His blood ran cold. A severed head lay in a pool of dark liquid on the porch.

Chapter Three

John Jarity scrolled through a dozen sites before finding what he sought. He tore his gaze from the computer for a second and checked the open doorway to make sure his wife was still asleep. Ruth Ann had an annoying habit of waking in the middle of the night and tiptoeing through the house in search of him.

Wrinkled-up bitch.

Just in case, he shut the door to the study. For good measure, he locked it too. His shoulders and neck ached. Too much tension. Releasing some of the pressure would do him good.

He returned to the desk and loosened his belt. Clicking on a thumbnail picture of a nude woman, he grinned. The image enlarged, and so did his cock. The girl was about seventeen or eighteen with long black hair and smooth, toffee-colored skin. Her tits were small but high with dark brown buds.

He unzipped his pants and slipped a hand inside his boxers. Cupping his balls, he leaned closer to the screen and hit the link for video. The girl yanked on those delicious nipples, then slid a hand between her legs and rubbed herself.

He reached for the bottle of oil in the desk drawer. His eyes never left the screen as he dripped some liquid over his cock. The girl peeled back the lips of her shaved pussy and showed him her nub.

So fucking hot.

He pumped his shaft as she spoke softly in a foreign language. But he knew what she was saying—that she wanted to suck him off, then let him fuck her any way he liked. Even in her ass, like his prude of a wife never had. He stroked faster and licked his lips as she dipped her fingers deeper into her hot slit.

The door handle rattled, blowing his concentration all to hell.

“John? Why is this door locked?” Ruth Ann asked. “I know you’re in there. What are you doing?”

Son of a bitch.

His hard-on lost steam. God, he hated her. “I’m working, honey. Go back to bed.”

Her deep, practiced sigh filtered through the door. “I wish you’d come to bed. You got home awfully late. You must be exhausted. Why don’t you take one of those sleeping pills your doctor gave you?”

Gritting his teeth, he stared at his flaccid penis. “I’m fine, Ruth Ann. I’ll be there soon.”

Another sigh. “All right.”

Her footsteps receded. He slammed his fist on the desk. If that stupid Nisha hadn’t tried to blackmail him, he wouldn’t have to resort to pathetic online porn. He zipped his pants, then clicked out of the website.

What he needed was a new maid. Ruth Ann had been whining all week that she couldn’t manage the household alone. As if straightening her own goddamn house and doing a few loads of laundry was so overwhelming. All she did every day was sit on her ever-widening ass, attend this charity event or that one and tinker with that silly jewelry Nisha had taught her to make. That was what started all the trouble in the first place.

He picked up the phone and dialed his brother’s number.

Harvey answered on the third ring. “Yeah?” His voice was barely a whisper, weak and pathetic. Hadn’t their father instilled anything in him? Elmer Jarity, a drill sergeant by trade, had regularly roused his sons in the middle of the night and made them perform grueling physical tasks. Dig a ditch in the backyard, do a hundred sit-ups or move a log from one end of the property to the other. Made a man of John, but not Harvey, apparently.

He’d taken up the task of toughening up his brother after their father’s death, yet Harvey still questioned his authority. Wasn’t as if he enjoyed kicking his brother’s ass, but someone had to keep him in line. Harvey would be a damn pussy if left to his own devices. He’d spend every day in his yard planting flowers like a fucking fairy. It was embarrassing that they shared the same genes. “I have to talk to you about your trip.”

“Huh? What time is it?”

John rolled his eyes and huffed. “Wake up. This is important. I need you to pick something up for me in Sri Lanka. Something special.”

“You mean someone?” Harvey lowered his voice.

“Yes, I mean someone. I have to replace that ungrateful Nisha. I hope to hell you pick some better ones this time. Make sure the families are dirt fucking poor, understand? And desperate.”

“Listen, John, I’m not going to help you again like I did tonight.”

That’s because you’re a pussy, Harvey. “Things just got out of hand. Won’t happen again.” He opened his browser and returned to the porn site. Then he clicked on a photo of another girl he’d love to fuck. “You know what I like, right? Long hair, small frame, no older than nineteen or twenty. A girl who’s too shy to make eye contact. And at least two or three more to make it profitable. I’ll cover whatever it costs for the necessary paperwork and enough rupees for the families. Understand?”

“Yeah, I know. But what about that black woman who saw you? What if she goes to the cops? She could blow the whole thing wide open. The last thing we need is the ICE on our backs.”

“Calm down. I have a plan.” He reached into his breast pocket, fished out a business card, then read her name again. He had way too much at stake to let some busybody screw it up. But he couldn’t just walk into her office and put a bullet in her head. No, he had to go about this wisely, cautiously. He sure as hell didn’t want to tie himself to another murder. One way or another, Megan Jackson would be silenced.

***

Megan checked the clock for the hundredth time. Night shadows crept across the ceiling, and the wind whispered lonely strains that filtered through her windows. She pulled the covers higher, clear to her chin. Why had she insisted Will leave? Maybe she’d have managed to rest if he’d slept on the couch.

But the hole in her heart would have ached even more. God, she’d done her best to move on after she’d broken up with him. Memories of Will refused to stay locked away.

Gram had been furious when she’d called it quits with Jerome, said she’d thrown away her chance at happiness. But Megan refused to pretend. Jerome was an empty shell. A good-looking man with no ambition, no brains to speak of, and most important, he wasn’t Will. What she and Will had shared was the real thing. At least it had been for her.

The creaking of floorboards cut through the silence and had her holding her breath.

Waiting.

Listening.

Trembling, she peeled back the covers and sat up. She stood, mindful of the noisy springs in her antique bed. A grating sound drifted through the air as if someone were dragging a rake along the wooden shingles outside the house. She patted the night table for her cell but didn’t feel it.

Damn it. She’d left it in her purse. Her hands trembled so badly she wouldn’t be able to hit the buttons.

She tiptoed out her bedroom door, all her senses sharp. Footsteps crunched in the dry grass outside.

Oh God. She slapped her hand to her mouth, afraid she’d be discovered. A shadow stalked past the narrow windows flanking the front door. She tried to draw air into her lungs but only managed a single ragged breath.

It’s him.

She stifled a terrified cry.

A quick flash of yellow light skimmed the window. Heart pumping full throttle, she raced to the kitchen phone.

Speaking softly, she gave the operator her address and begged her to send help right away.

She gasped at a pounding knock on the front door.

“Megan, it’s Will.”

Relief settled over her. She clutched her chest and let him in.

Will’s hair was damp and tousled, and he looked pale. He shut the door, then scooped her into his arms and held her tight. Exactly what she needed to banish the ghosts. She allowed herself several seconds of his comfort before backing away.

“What are you doing here?” She folded her arms over her chest.

“I’ve been watching your house. I couldn’t leave you here alone. You don’t always know what’s best for you.” He squared his shoulders and jutted his chin forward, giving him an authoritative air, smug even. And sexy.

“You scared the hell out of me. I was terrified that someone was trying to break in—Oh crap. I need to call the cops and tell them never mind.” She hurried to the kitchen and hit Redial.

“What’s your name, ma’am?” a male officer asked.

“Megan Jackson.” She leaned against the pantry and took in the six-plus feet of sexy man at the other end of the short hallway. She swallowed the rush of desire.

“Miss Jackson, that would be the second call you’ve placed to nine-one-one in less than four hours. Now you say everything is okay?”

She ignored his patronizing tone. “Yes, sir.”

“Okay. Have a nice night.”

She hung up the phone and shook her head. “They think I’m crazy.” She strode toward Will and caught his gaze raking over her body.

“Since you were the only thing that went bump in the night, I think it’s fine for you to go.”

“Not a chance.” He circled her and entered the living room. “I’ll be right here. A blanket and pillow would be greatly appreciated.” With that, he plopped onto the sofa.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but the notion of Will staying over sent a wave of excitement through her.

Can I resist him?

His pull enticed her like a siren’s song. “I’d insist you leave, but I know you too well.”

“Yes, you do.” He lifted one eyebrow suggestively.

They knew each other in the most intimate of ways. Memories assaulted her every sense—the look of molten lust in his green eyes, the feel of his skin, the taste of his mouth, the guttural sound of his carnal release, the scent of their union.

Raw need swamped her, weakening her knees. She gripped the doorknob tighter to steady herself. Her nipples hardened under his stare. She had to escape his presence, or she might make a fool of herself. “I…I’ll get you a blanket. And a pillow.”

She tamped down on her libido and walked to the linen closet.

He is only here to protect me.

She had to get hold of herself, stop reacting to him like a horny teenager. After retrieving the bedding supplies, she plopped them on a chair. “Here you go.” As fast as she could, she left the living room, then closed herself in her bedroom.

She crawled into bed and yanked the covers high. If she didn’t get some sleep, she’d be worthless at work tomorrow and too exhausted to prove a crime had occurred.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on clearing her mind. Only she kept picturing Will’s handsome face. His thick sandy hair and sparkling eyes. The comfort she’d found in his embrace confirmed what she’d been thinking for months—she still had feelings for him. Nothing she did seemed to diminish those feelings.

When she’d needed to confide in someone, Will had been the first person she’d called. Certainly not Jerome, the guy she’d dated after Will, not Betsy, her secretary. Not any of her friends.

Will.

She ought to quit dwelling on him. Gram would never approve of her being with Will, and Megan couldn’t disappoint her. She owed her all she had, everything she was. Even if she could convince Gram to give him a chance, Will’s mother had made it clear she wasn’t welcome in Will’s life. Maybe she should have told him, but what was the point? She refused to further damage his already troubled relationship with his parents.

Her growling stomach reminded her of the meals she’d missed. She tried to ignore the persistent rumbling by rolling onto her side and squeezing her eyes shut. No use.

She threw back the sheets and huffed. Another stomach pang roared.

With a sigh, she climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen. She grabbed a banana and ate it while she peered out the window into the inky night, thinking about the poor girl who’d been murdered. What had her life been like? Who had loved her? Who would mourn her?

The fruit turned to lead in her stomach. She sank onto one of the bistro chairs and leaned her chin on her hands. The girl’s frightened eyes flashed before her, begging for help. Megan owed it to the young woman to see that her killer was brought to justice. Maybe Will would know where to begin to solve the mystery. He was a cop after all.

She headed to the living room and found him still asleep. Will’s gun, flashlight and wallet lay on the end table by his head. She started to leave but stopped at his sharp intake of breath.

“Hey.” His voice, husky with sleep, wrapped around her and drew her closer.

“Hi. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Sure I did.

He eased up and patted the cushion alongside his legs. “Siddown.”

When she did, he curled his fingers into her shoulders and massaged. She prayed he couldn’t hear her heart hammering. The extravagant sensation of his hands on her flesh pulled all the tension from her body. She shouldn’t lead him on, but she couldn’t resist being close to him. Her nipples puckered, and her sex pulsed with long-denied yearning. She squeezed her thighs together.

Will kneaded behind her neck, then combed his fingers along her scalp. “You have the softest hair. And you always smell like vanilla, so damn sweet.”

A whisper of delight shimmied over her skin. She held perfectly still and willed herself to find the strength to stop him. He shifted his leg against her back, and the spot where they touched sizzled with electricity.

“Megan.” He said it like a prayer, full of reverence and emotion.

She shut her eyes and pretended this was all a dream. He brushed his lips along her neck. Then he turned her toward him and kissed her cheek, her forehead, finally her lips. He cradled her head and moaned into her mouth. A tsunami of yearning flooded her veins. She couldn’t get enough of his cinnamon taste. He circled her tongue with his, glided it over her teeth and explored every inch of her mouth.

Like a long-lost lover.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to the moment. Nothing else existed while she and Will touched. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and stretched out alongside him.

He hovered over her, stared at her with smoldering eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

She didn’t dare admit how she’d pined for him for the last few months. Or that she pretended they were still together when she peeked at the photo of him hidden in her wallet?

He skimmed his hand along her waist and settled it on her hip. She cupped his cheek, craving him so badly that her fingers shook.

He hesitated as if waiting for permission to proceed. She moved his hand to her breast. He strummed her needy nipple, then lowered his head to the other breast and bit the erect peak.

A pleasured moan broke from her lips as her hunger grew to a ravenous need. She arched her back, squirmed to dissipate the building heat between her thighs. Will yanked the spaghetti straps aside and slid the fabric away. His hand on her naked breast and his mouth on her nipple undid her. He licked and swirled and sucked and drove her mad with lust.

Everything fell away. No fear, no angst, no guilt. She caressed his powerful arms, those hard, bulging muscles on his shoulders and his back. He trailed his tongue through the valley between her breasts and down her stomach, lowering her nightgown along the way. Sliding between her legs, he dotted soft, wet kisses on her thighs.

Quivering sensations rolled through her as Will raked his teeth over her skin and nipped nearer to her core. Gripping the side of the cushion, she braced for the onslaught of delight.

He didn’t disappoint. Taking his time, he teased a finger gently over her intimate lips. She shuddered with anticipation like a simmering volcano. Her juices slicked her sex. Erotic energy crackled in the air.

She bit back a gasp when he rubbed his thumb along her cleft. Shifting lower, he dipped his head closer to her sex. He swiped his tongue along her folds, and she bucked, unable to remain still as liquid lust coursed through her.

He looked up at her face and grinned. “You taste like sugar, just like I remember.” His gaze tracked down her body. “Delicious.”

The amorous sentiment made her passion spike. He pulled up so they were face-to-face, then covered her mouth with his and treated her to a slow, sultry kiss. She detected her cream on his tongue as it swirled around hers.

Will slipped long, possessive fingers into her entrance, singeing her sensitive flesh. He stroked and rubbed and touched her like he lived inside her head. Shock waves vibrated through her body. Wonderful pressure engorged her sex. She climbed toward the precipice of release.

She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut as the deluge of pleasure hit. The rapture gripped her with a dizzying intensity. Waves of bliss had her twisting and moaning and shaking.

Will drank in the erotic sight of Megan’s orgasm. She gave herself over completely to her joy. Watching her got him as hard as granite. She writhed beneath him until her climax ebbed. Then he set a hand on her stomach and stilled her with another kiss.

A heavy thud set his senses on high alert. Megan must have caught it too, because she remained perfectly quiet and widened her eyes.

What the hell?

He grasped her shoulders and whispered, “It’s all right.”

He picked up his forty-five and the flashlight. Maybe he should have told her about the rubber head someone had left on her porch, but she’d been so frightened already when she let him in. He eased off the couch and held a finger to his lips. She righted her nightgown.

Will stepped toward the window.

Megan started to follow, but he pointed to the couch, and she stopped. At least she knew to obey his instructions when it mattered. Probably the only time she ever had.

When he reached the window, he parted the drapes less than an inch. Only darkness greeted him, but the thump repeated. Glancing at Megan, he gestured toward the door, and she nodded. The damn floor creaked with each step. He eased open the door. A strong gust of wind blew a few leaves into the foyer. Seconds after he crossed the threshold, he discovered the source of the noises. A loose wood shingle dangled from the overhang. He let out the breath he’d been holding.

His gaze fell to the porch, where he’d discovered the Halloween prop. If only he hadn’t fallen asleep, he’d have caught the culprit and put an end to this whole thing.

Another screwup.

He phoned his friend Kenny and left a message asking him to check the grisly prop for fingerprints later. That taken care of, he started inside the house to break the news to Megan. Much as he hated to frighten her, he had no choice but to tell her.

She waited next to the door. Damned if her mussed hair and wrinkled nightgown didn’t remind him of what they’d just done. He wished they could have finished.

He threaded his fingers through hers as they strode to the living room. “Let’s talk.”

“Did you see anyone?” The tremor in her voice betrayed her fear.

“No.” They returned to the couch. “I found a loose shingle. If you point me to a hammer and a nail, I’ll fix it when the sun comes up.”

She nodded. “And?”

“Someone left a pretty gruesome Halloween decoration on your porch. A head. In a pool of fake blood.”

She clutched her throat. “Why would…” She widened her eyes. “He’s trying to scare me, isn’t he?”

“We don’t know that, Megan. It could just as easily be a mischievous teenager.”

“Are you sure it’s not real blood?”

He nodded solemnly. “It’s fake. I have a friend who’ll check for any evidence, like fingerprints.”

“No one’s done anything like that in the four years I’ve lived here.” Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over, but she swiped them away. “He knows where I live. He’ll come after me as soon as I’m alone. I know he will.”

He clasped her hands tightly in his lap. “We’ll find him, baby. I promise. I won’t leave you alone for a single second until we do.”

“What are you going to do, Will? Move in here?” She hung her head. “I didn’t even see his face. He could be anyone.”

“Here’s what we need to do. Go get a tablet or some paper and a pen.”

“Why?”

“Don’t question me, woman. Do what I tell you.”

Her eyebrows snapped together. “Please?” He gave her a playful swat on her ass as she stood. “Hurry up.”

She bristled but fetched the items from the desk.

“Here’s the plan. Twenty questions.”

She settled in beside him. “Twenty questions?”

He nodded and took the items. “Now, question one. What color was his hair?”

He jotted down the details as Megan relayed the information, and in the end they had a sketchy description. “It’s better than I sometimes got from witnesses.”

“Really?” Her face lit up like a little kid’s.

“Really.”

“So now what?” She inched toward him, set her hands on his lap.

Having her this close was pure torture. His cock strained against his pants. He stood and paced, hoping to shake off his intense hunger for her.

Concentrate on the case, not on her.

“Now we have a clearer picture of the man we’re looking for.” He faced her. “Do you still have that assistant?”

“Betsy? Sure.”

“Good. Make sure she’s there every moment you’re at your office. While you’re at work tomorrow, I’ll do some digging around. Then I’ll pick you up and bring you back here.”

She stretched her legs. “I’m lucky you’re a cop, huh?”

The familiar shame surged inside him. “I’m not with the sheriff’s office anymore. I resigned a few months ago.”

She straightened. “Why? You loved being a cop.”

He couldn’t meet her stare. “I screwed up. It was bad. A man died because of me.” His throat constricted. He scrubbed a hand over his chin, pictured the rainy night that had changed his life.

The man running from a convenience store, pointing something at him that looked like a gun. A single gunshot.

“I don’t want to get into that.” There. She knew his shame.

She went to him, then wrapped her arms around his waist. Her pity was the last thing he wanted. He eased her away. “We were discussing your security. I’m working as a private investigator now. I’ll tell my boss I’m unavailable for a few days.”

“You can do that?”

He shrugged. “I work for a friend. He’s good to me.”

She moved her hands toward his face, hesitated, then clasped them behind her. “You’re good to me. Thank you.”

He wanted to hold her, to make love to her, but she was too vulnerable. She pulled him to the sofa and, yawning, snuggled into the crook of his arm. When she didn’t say anything for a long time, he smiled. She’d fallen asleep in his arms. Just as well. She had to be exhausted. Laying his head back on the cushion, he shut his eyes.

Megan meant everything to him, and he refused to let her down.

Chapter Four

Will accompanied Megan to her office door. Standing at the threshold, he hesitated a moment, then moved closer as if he was about to kiss her.

No. Betsy might be watching, and Megan didn’t want to provide more fodder for the gossip she yapped about to her friends all day. She turned her head just in time for his kiss to land on her cheek. Swallowing hard, she backed away. “Um, thanks for the ride. I’ll see you this afternoon.” Without waiting for a response, she slipped into the office.

Betsy looked up from her magazine and smiled. “Hey. I didn’t know you and Will were back together. When did that happen? I want all the gory details. Did he spend the night?”

“We’re not together.” She crumpled into the white wicker love seat, gearing up to face her private office. “He just…” Betsy would probably think she was crazy if she shared details of what she’d witnessed last night. At least until the police found the victim’s body. “My car’s being temperamental. So he gave me a lift. That’s all.”

Betsy lifted a blond eyebrow. Megan crossed to the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup.

Betsy joined her and fixed a refill.

“Oh, some guy called for you. I didn’t write up a message, because he wouldn’t give me his name. But he said to tell you he’d see you later.” She tilted her head. “Any idea what that’s about? Sounded kind of creepy.”

Megan set her cup down on the table where they kept property brochures, afraid her shaking hands would make her spill it. “W-what else did he say?”

Betsy shrugged. “That was it. You okay? You look green around the edges.”

She managed a nod. “Fine. I’ll be in my office.” She shut the door, then sank into her chair and laid her head on the desk.

The murderer had called her office. It had to be him. He could be next door for all she knew.

She had to convince the cops that a murder actually had taken place so they’d go after the killer. Unless they’d found the girl’s body by now. Corpses didn’t disappear. Steeling herself, she dialed the sheriff’s office and asked to speak with a detective.

“Detective Wooton,” a woman with a gravelly voice said. “How can I help you?”

Megan cleared her throat. “My name is Megan Jackson, and I reported a murder last night. An officer came, but we couldn’t find the body.”

“Whoa, whoa. You saw a murder?”

“Yes. I was watching from my office window. This man had a young woman by her neck, and he killed her.”

Fingernails tapped on a keyboard, then silence. “Ah, I see. You called at nine-forty. Deputy Guthrie reported it as…a false alarm.”

She gritted her teeth. “But it wasn’t a false alarm, Detective. The murderer must have moved the body. You have to believe me. I think he’s after me now.” As soon as the last sentence left her lips, she knew she’d made an awful mistake.

“Uh-huh. Let me ask you something, Miss Jackson. Had you been drinking last night? Maybe drinking at a Halloween party or something?”

“No. I was sober as a judge. I swear. Would you please tell me if anyone was reported missing today? A young woman, nineteen or twenty, with long black hair.”

Please let someone have noticed that poor girl’s absence.

“Nope. No missing-persons reports. Do you take any prescription medications?”

“No! I am not crazy, Detective. I’m telling you a woman was killed, and if you don’t find him, he’s going to find me. He knows where I live and work. He left a fake severed head on my porch, and now he’s phoning my office.”

“Miss Jackson. I’ll be happy to connect you to a counselor who can help you. Would you hold on a moment, please?”

She wanted to scream. Instead she hung up. She buried her face in her hands and replayed the awful scene. The woman’s terrified eyes, that horrible man choking the life out of her. She didn’t imagine it. Why else would the man have chased her?

Why am I doubting myself?

A knock on the door dragged her back to the present. She sat up and wiped her eyes. “Come in.”

Betsy came in. “Tenant at the Ranford house called to complain that one of the toilets is backed up.”

“Call Sunshine Plumbers, would you?”

“No problem. You okay? You’re flushed.” She walked to the desk and set her hand on Megan’s forehead.

“I’m fine.” She backed away. “Please, I just have a headache.”

“Maybe you should go home. I can cancel your appointment, reschedule it for tomorrow.”

“I’m staying. But thank you for your concern.”

She went to the door and held it open so Betsy would catch the hint. “I have work to do.”

Bristling, Betsy left. Megan settled into her desk and finally relaxed while Betsy called the plumber. When the second line rang, she answered. The caller said nothing.

“Who is this?”

“You know who I am,” a man’s voice said, somehow disguised or muffled. “And I know who you are, Megan.”

She dropped her pen. “Wh…what do you want?”

A sinister laugh. “I want you. Let’s play.”

“Please leave me alone.”

“I will.” More wicked laughter. “When you’re dead.”

She slammed the phone down. It rang a minute later. With a shaky hand, she answered. “Southern State Vacation Rentals. How may I help you?”

Nothing.

“Hello?”

“You can’t ignore me, Megan. That will make it worse for you and your boyfriend.”

The blood drained from her face. Had he been watching her last night? Or this morning? She closed the blinds. “Please leave me alone.”

When he didn’t respond, she hung up.

She couldn’t stop her heart from kabooming. She yanked her bottom drawer open and grabbed several pages of blank check sheets and loaded them into her printer. Then she logged on to her computer to do the monthly bookkeeping.

The numbers on the screen all ran together.

If she didn’t get some air, she’d explode. She marched out of her office. “I’ll be back in a minute,” she told Betsy.

“Where are you going?”

“Just a walk. I won’t be long.” Without waiting for a response, she pushed through the door and hurried along the sidewalk, putting distance between her and the office.

She pulled in a breath of humid air, then blew it out, willing her mind to slow down. Halfway down the street she glanced back at the vacant storefront and shivered. Fisting her hands at her sides, she started toward the property.

The closer she came, the more agitated she grew, but some hidden force compelled her to continue. Sweat beaded on the back of her neck, but she kept walking. When she reached the store, she hugged herself.

Why am I here?

There had to be something she’d overlooked, some proof that a woman had been murdered.

She rounded the corner and circled the building. Her shoes crunched on the gravel parking lot.

It didn’t seem so frightening in the midday sunshine. Something on the ground caught her eye as it glittered in the light. She hurried to the spot, then crouched to get a better look. She reached for the sliver of metal poking up between two stones. An earring. Maybe her earring.

Movement in the bushes startled her, but she didn’t see anything. A breeze rustled the foliage. Then the air grew silent—too silent.

Hot fear rushed through her. Rather than investigating, she hurried away and, when she emerged on the sidewalk, finally released the breath she’d been holding. She sprinted back to her office.

“What were you doing over there?” Betsy asked.

“Just looking around.” She headed into her office and sat behind her desk. Laying the earring on her desk, she studied it. The silver hoop was unique. Several thin strands of metal had been wound together and bent into a form that wasn’t a perfect enough circle to have been mass-produced.

Maybe it did belong to the murdered girl. Had she been wearing earrings? The girl had been too far away to tell. The jewelry could belong to anyone.

“I’m going to go grab some lunch. You want anything?” Betsy leaned against the doorjamb.

“No, thanks.” Her stomach lurched at the mere thought of food.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

The door chimed as Betsy left. Megan tried to concentrate on work. She finished her bookkeeping, then sifted through her messages—a potential new tenant, their office-supplies dealer. As she picked up the phone to return a call, the door chimed again. “Bets?”

No answer.

“Betsy? That you?”

Silence.

Pulse pounding, she carefully set the phone on the cradle and pushed away from her desk. She steeled herself and inched toward the door. “Hello?”

Nothing.

What the hell?

Maybe the wind had pushed the door open. When the chime rang again, she stood perfectly still. Seconds passed, and the only sound she heard was her blood pulsing in her ears.

The chime sounded again.

“Hellooooo,” Betsy chirped.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Megan drew a deep breath and willed her heart to slow down. She marched into the reception area. “Did you come in a minute ago?”

“I just got here. Didn’t you hear me say hello?”

“Right.”

“You okay?” Betsy set her lunch sack on her desk.

“Mmm-hmm. Fine.” She returned to her office before she made a complete fool of herself. She could call Will. Or the police. But what would she say? The cops would think she was crazy or imagining things.

Maybe I am.

She’d been on edge since last night. She had to immerse herself in work—a perfect distraction. Plus, she had a lot to do.

The hours flew by as she caught up on her work. At a quarter to five Betsy buzzed her on the intercom. “Will’s on line one.”

She couldn’t stifle her smile as she answered. “Hi.”

“Hey.” He spoke the word in a clipped manner, and she instantly knew he wouldn’t be able to pick her up. “I’m helping my boss out, and it’s taking longer than expected.” Which obviously didn’t make him happy.

She tried to school the disappointment from her voice. “No problem. I’m sure Betsy can take me home.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay? Make sure you lock everything up tight.”

“Okay. See you later.” As soon as she hung up, she opened the door and asked Betsy for a ride.

“No problem, boss.”

Twenty minutes later they squished into her car. “So you want to tell me what’s been eating at you all day?”

Betsy’s question jarred her. Apparently she hadn’t hidden her tension well. “I’m under the weather.”

“I don’t know why you even came in. Corporate gives us sick days for a reason. Not like you had a bunch of appointments or anything.” She took a left fast enough to make the tires squeal. “Hey, did that guy ever call back? The one who wouldn’t give me his name?”

Megan swallowed hard and checked her seat belt. “Nope.”

Megan lurched back against the seat, then forward as Betsy slammed on the brakes, kicking up a cloud of asphalt dust. A white SUV nearly rear-ended them.

Betsy shot her an apologetic grin. “Thought I should let those cutie-pies over there cross the street.”

Megan followed her friend’s gaze to a group of barely legal guys stepping off the curb. One whistled toward the car.

“Hey, baby,” Betsy shouted. As soon as the last man had cleared the car, she floored the accelerator.

Megan gripped the door handle. “Friends of yours?” Checking the mirror, she noticed that SUV still behind them, but back a ways.

“Not yet. But I think they were heading to Muldoon’s Pub. I’ll check it out after I drop you.” She whipped her head toward Megan. “Unless you’re in the mood to join me. What do you say? Girls’ night out?”

“I’m not up for it tonight. But thanks. Be careful. There are a lot of creeps in the world.” Like the murderer. He was still out there, maybe watching her right this minute. She shivered.

Betsy waved her hand in the air dismissively and breezed through a yellow light. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. I know how to take care of myself.”

Megan hoped she protected herself better than she drove. Betsy sped into Megan’s neighborhood, took the right onto her street, then steered into her driveway and jerked to a stop. Good thing no kids were outside playing in the road.

“Wow. Thanks for the lift. I never expected it to be such an adventure.” Megan grasped her purse, relieved to have survived the trip. A few raindrops splattered against the windshield. She looked toward the sky and noticed dark clouds gathering.

“I believe driving should be a memorable experience. What’s that German word? Farfignewton?”

Megan chuckled as she climbed out of the car. “I think that’s a cookie, hon. Please be careful. There’s a storm on the way.” She scanned the street, but the SUV wasn’t around.

Betsy waved before peeling out of the driveway.

Megan retrieved her mail from the box, then hurried inside and locked the door. The house seemed too quiet, too lonely. As if something was missing.

Will.

No. She refused to grow too used to having him around. He was protecting her until they sorted out this whole mess, no more. She turned on a light, set her purse on a table, then shuffled through the mail. The red blinking light on the answering machine caught her eye. She hit the button.

“Megan, this is Gram. Thought you’d be by to see me yesterday, but I guess you was too busy. I just worry about you, darlin’ girl.”

She cringed at the unspoken admonishment and picked up the phone to call the assisted-living center. Her grandmother answered, her voice more shaky than usual.

“Gram, it’s me. How are you?”

“Hello, sweet girl.” Her tone perked up. “I’m fine, honey. I expected your usual visit yesterday. But I know that job of yours keeps you busy. I was just concerned.”

Her chest tightened. “I’m so sorry, Gram. I had a late appointment. But I promise I’ll come by for a visit tomorrow.” She mentally ticked off her to-do list.

“Don’t you worry about it. I’m fine, you hear? I beat Mr. Kingston at shuffleboard yesterday. Finally.”

She smiled and rubbed a knot of tension from her neck. “I knew you would. Are you taking your medicine, Gram? A nurse stopped me on my way out last time and told me you’ve been giving her a hard time about your blood-pressure pill.”

Her grandmother groaned. “Damn things make me so sleepy. But Dr. Odell said I have to, so I took it today. Didn’t give nobody no problem about it. You can ask ’em.”

Megan relaxed. “Good.”

“That nice Jerome came by to see me on Monday. Brought me candy and everything. All the old ladies here were so jealous. I think he may be planning to propose to you, honey.”

Sharp pains stabbed at Megan’s forehead. “Gram, I told you. I broke up with Jerome last month.”

“But he cares about you. You’re nearly thirty, darlin’. If you don’t find a man to marry you soon, well…”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Jerome isn’t the one.”

Gram sighed. “I suppose that white boy was, hmm? I told you, girl, he’s out of your league. Bad things happen when folks like us don’t stick to our own.”

Her headache intensified. “That’s old-fashioned thinking. We’ve had this discussion before. And I don’t need any man to make me happy, Gram. If I find one, great. If not, well, that’s okay too.”

“Oh, Megan. Are you dating that white man again? You tryin’ to make this old woman die of a broken heart?”

A broken heart. That perfectly describes what leaving Will did to me.

She’d never accept Will. “Of course not.”

“Well, thank the Lord. You come see me soon, you hear?”

Her shoulders sank. “Yes, ma’am. I promise.”

“You’re a good girl.”

“Bye, Gram.” She hung up and started toward the kitchen. A small pop startled her. Then the house went dark. She stopped at the window. The rain had picked up, but not so strong to knock out the power.

At least it was still light enough that she could negotiate the house without a flashlight. She went straight for the pantry and pulled out a few candles and an electric lantern. The wall phone rang before she could light a match. Maybe Gram had forgotten something.

“Hello?”

That same evil laughter from earlier rang through the line.

“Who’s there?” All the air whooshed from her lungs. She slammed the phone down. A scream stuck in her throat as she scrambled to the counter and plucked a big knife from the butcher block.

A tall shadow crossed the foyer. She tightened her grip on the knife and wished her cell phone wasn’t on the opposite end of the house. Pressing against the wall, she sidestepped toward the back door. She clicked the bolt open and pushed, but nothing happened. She shoved with all her might and managed to get it open.

She made it next door in seconds. Pounding on the door, she kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting someone to be there.

Her neighbors weren’t home so she channeled all her confidence and returned to her house. “Who’s there?” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

The front door creaked, but when she checked, there was nothing there.

A noise drew her attention to the living room. She clutched the knife, inched forward and peered through the doorway. The room was empty. Am I crazy?

Her imagination was getting the best of her.

When brakes squealed outside, she ran to the front windows. A white SUV sped away. Could it have been the same one that had followed them on the way home?

Jerome? Didn’t his sister own a similar vehicle that he sometimes borrowed?

It hadn’t been her imagination. Someone was trying to frighten her, and doing a damn good job. She slid to the floor, terror clawing at her throat.

Could he be responsible for the threatening calls? The voice was so muffled it could have been anyone. Maybe he’d left the fake head on her porch too. His maturity level was on par with a teenage boy, so that was certainly a possibility. She prayed it was Jerome. A little stalking was more manageable than having a murderer after her.

She ought to let Will know about this. It could wait until he arrived, but she wanted to hear his voice and get an idea when he’d be arriving.

Will answered, sounding nearly as harried as earlier.

“Hey. My power’s out.” A pang of jealousy stabbed at her insides when a woman spoke in the background. She hadn’t even asked if he was dating anyone. Her body suddenly felt heavy and sluggish, and her headache returned.

“Is it storming there?” Will asked.

“Yeah, but not bad.”

“But you’re okay?”

“Of course. Fine.”

“We’re almost done here. I’ll be over in half an hour.”

“Sure. Take your time.”

Will was being so sweet, giving up his time to help her. She didn’t want to take advantage or lead him on. She could never hurt him like that again. Or Gram, for that matter. No one would suffer as long as she kept things platonic with Will. If only she could get her heart on the same page as her head.

She hung up and glanced out the window. The storm clouds were building. She wished she could shake the feeling that something bad was coming her way. Something really bad.

***

Ed Dawkins walked Will to the door and patted the younger man’s back. “Thanks for helping me set up the surround sound, buddy. Not exactly in your job description, huh?”

“I had to see for myself what a four-thousand-dollar television looked like. Tell your wife I’ll be here for the Super Bowl. And the World Series. In fact, just warn her that I’m moving in for baseball and football seasons.”

Ed’s stomach burned when he thought about the money he and Veronica had spent in the past month. He pointed to Will’s cell phone. “Was that your new girlfriend a few minutes ago? She tell you how high to jump?”

Will’s smile faded. “Nobody believes her about the murder. She thinks the guy’s after her. If he is, who’ll protect her besides me?”

“Have you considered the possibility that she could have made it all up or that she’d had too much to drink and imagined the whole thing?”

His lips flattened into a line. “She knows what she saw. I’m just helping her out. And she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Come on, buddy. I’ve known you too long.” He moved closer and hooked his arm around Will’s shoulder. “Don’t look now, but she’s already got you pussy-whipped.”

Will shook him off.

Damn it. He’d pushed too hard. He hadn’t meant to piss the kid off. But he hated for his friend to make the same mistakes he had with Veronica. The moment he’d laid eyes on her, dancing onstage at the topless bar where she used to work, he had to have her. It started as a fling, an ego stroke to soothe his midlife crisis. Before he knew it, he’d fallen for her, and there was no looking back. “I’m teasing you. I know you’re too smart to let a girl get the best of you. Shit, I’m not one to talk, huh? My wife leads me around by my dick.”

That earned him a chuckle.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Will glanced toward the back of the house. “Goodbye, Veronica. Nice to see you.”

“Bye.”

Why didn’t she ever say thank you for anything? Will had been working on the speakers and hookups for more than two hours. Ed shut the door as Will drove off.

Veronica’s breathy voice pulled him toward the living room. “I want to show you something.”

He loosened his collar as he crossed the threshold and found her standing in front of his brand-new giant-screen TV. She wore only a gold chain around her waist and a pair of gold spike-heeled shoes. Come-fuck-me pumps, she liked to call them. Her blond hair spilled over her shoulders, pointing to her upturned nipples. And her legs, oh God. The best part was the spot where they connected to the rest of her sweet body. That little tuft of blond fuzz she had waxed every other week. Now, that was money well spent.

His pulse quickened. Damn, he had the sexiest wife on the planet. She was worth it all—all the extra hours he put in so she could buy whatever she wanted, take short vacations with her girlfriends, live in the house they couldn’t really afford. How could he deny her anything?

She held the remote. “I love my new television, Eddie Bear.” She shut off the TV and took a few steps toward him.

His cock sprang to life, and that familiar heat flooded his body. “How much do you like it?” He never tired of her erotic games or her double-D tits, which he’d bought and paid for several times over.

“So much that I think it deserves some better furniture around it. And new drapes and stuff.” She centered a hand on his chest, then crawled her fingers down his shirt before stopping right above his belt.

Mentally calculating how much she’d want this time, he scratched his head. He’d already overdrawn their checking account once this month, but he’d find the money somehow. “I told you, kitten, we have to rein in our expenses, just for a little while.” Futile, but worth a shot.

She sniffled, then pursed her five-bill, collagen-enhanced lips. Was she going to cry? She lifted his hand to her breast. He shut his eyes and tried not to react. But her soft, smooth skin felt so luxurious in his calloused palm. And her scent, like exotic spices, attracted him like the sweetest ambrosia. It was no use.

“You want to make me happy, don’t you? You always say so.” She got down on her knees, opened his belt, then yanked at the button above his fly. “I try so hard to please you.” She gazed up at him with eyes the color of a summer sky.

He couldn’t hold back a sigh when she lowered his zipper. His hard-on tented his boxers. “Yes, kitten. I want you to be happy.”

Reaching into the opening in his shorts, she closed her fingers around his cock. “I do whatever you ask, don’t I?” She raked her long fingernails over his taut flesh. The pain instantly morphed into pleasure.

“Yes.” God, she turned him on. He loved her silky hair and glossy pink lips. Deep cleavage and firm tits with nipples like rubies. “Lick it.”

She grinned, then gave his erection a long stroke of her tongue. Only one. “I bought some new lingerie. Want to see it?”

Just blow me.

“Now, kitten? Can’t it wait until…after?” He pointed to his cock. “You got me all ready.”

Her bottom lip quivered in a practiced pout. “But I bought it special for you.”

“And you can put on a fashion show for me later. I know how much you love that.” Why did she insist on tormenting him like this every time? Couldn’t she just give it to him like a normal wife? He slid his gaze over her lithe body. How many fifty-two-year-old schmucks like him had a hot, young wife like Veronica? He had to be the luckiest bastard in the entire fucking world.

“Okay, kitten. Let’s see what you bought.”

She let out a delighted squeal, then led him by the hand to their bedroom. He propped his feet on the bed and waited as she dragged three fancy boutique bags out of the closet and leaned them against a chair. She opened one and plucked out a slinky scrap of black fabric edged in lace.

He unbuttoned his shirt and took in the show. Veronica lifted one of those long legs, then the other and stepped into the silk panties. She shook her hips as she pulled them up to rest on her slim hips. Then she spun around. Her perfect, round ass was smooth and tanned, thanks to the tanning bed she’d installed in the guest room. He’d never understood why she needed one when she could lie by the pool most of the year, but she’d convinced him the contraption was necessary by letting him fuck that suntanned ass.

“You like?” She strutted to the bed and crawled onto it like a predatory cat.

“What do you think?” He lay back on a pillow and smiled as she took his erection in hand.

She hovered over him and gave the head of his cock a teasing kiss. “Mmm. Tastes good.”

“Then eat it all. Every last drop.” He couldn’t resist her games. She was his drug, one that lifted him higher, made him feel better than anything. He knew he was addicted from the start.

She sucked and stroked and licked. He shut his eyes and surrendered to his lust. His universe shrank to the size of their bed. Nothing existed but the ecstasy Veronica gave him. He’d do anything to protect it.

Her head bobbed up and down over his cock. She slid her fingers over his balls, tantalizing him with those sharp nails and that naughty tongue. Sweet, hot pressure coiled inside him. He smoothed his hand over her hair, but she nudged him away.

Oh right. She hated for him to mess up her hair. He didn’t give a shit about all her rules. He’d do anything as long as she kept sucking him and raking her teeth over his flesh. But without warning, she stopped and sat up. She wiped her arm across her mouth and sighed.

No! “What’s wrong, kitten? Why’d you stop?”

“I have to tell you something, Eddie Bear.” She fixed him with a pouty frown.

Not now! “Wait until we’re finished, please.”

“As long as you won’t be mad at me.” She lowered her gaze, and he knew it would cost him big.

He wiped his hand across his sweaty brow. “I promise I won’t be mad.” He caught her arm and gently pulled her toward him.

She giggled as she straddled him. Then she slid her pussy along his hard-on. But her new panties stood between them.

Reaching between her legs, he grabbed the fabric and moved it aside. He eased her delicate lips apart so he could feel her sex on his. “That’s better, huh?”

She nodded and rocked her hips, sliding over his shaft. He cupped her breasts, played with the nipples until they puckered. Her hot pussy scorched his cock, tormented him with delight. He yearned to bury himself inside her. “Sit on it, kitten. Please.”

“You sure you’ll forgive me?”

He clenched his jaw, holding back a scream. “Yes. Please, baby. Just fuck me now.”

She lifted herself onto his cock and took him all the way inside. He grabbed her waist to force her closer. The heavenly confines of her tight pussy pushed his pleasure into overdrive.

He didn’t care what she’d done. Anything was worth what she gave him as she rocked and moaned and gyrated above him. She rode him as if he were a champion stallion, filling him with the lusty vigor of youth.

“Fuck me, daddy,” she cried.

He grasped the full swell of her breasts and squeezed them hard. His balls constricted as he grew closer and closer to his release. She tightened around his shaft, squeezing his cock in her hot grip. His body drowned in a whirlwind of blissful sensation as his orgasm hit. He pumped into her, fast and hard and let loose a growl from deep in his chest. He thrust a few final times, then gasped when she milked him with those talented muscles.

“Sweet Jesus, kitten. That was amazing.”

He caught her fluffing her hair, glancing toward the mirror. Did she even enjoy sex with him? He banished the thought. Of course she did. She loved him, after all.

She moved off him and grabbed a silky robe from the end of the bed. As she wrapped it around herself, she eyed him, and her mask slipped. Only for a second, but he was sure. She’d rarely shown him that face, but it was surprisingly intelligent.

And colder than Neptune.

Time to pay for the pleasure. “What’s the problem, Veronica?” He steeled himself for something bad, something expensive.

She sighed and drew her knees up against her chest. “Well, you know when Cassidy and I went to Atlantic City last weekend?”

He swallowed hard. Please, not another gambling debt. “Yes.”

“My luck couldn’t have been better the first day. We played roulette and twenty-one, and I was up like six thousand bucks. She was up four. I told Cassidy we should quit while we were ahead, but she had the hots for this one dealer and begged me to go back the next day.” She wrung her hands.

“Mmm-hmm.” He reached for a towel from the night-table drawer to clean himself.

“Um, well, I could hardly sit there and not play.” She gave him those doe eyes that could melt an iceberg.

His stomach knotted. “How much did you lose?”

She huffed. “It’s all Cassidy’s fault. And the dude turned out to be gay. Can you believe it?”

“How much, Veronica?”

Her downcast gaze spoke volumes. “Ten thousand.”

Acid bubbled up in his throat. “Oh God, honey.” He scrubbed a hand over his face.

“The manager at the casino said my credit was good, but now he’s calling. They want their money, Eddie Bear. I don’t think they’re nice people.”

He could hardly suck in a breath. “Veronica, I was a cop for twenty-five years. And now you’ve got me dealing with casino riffraff. Ten thousand?”

Oh God.

She crawled to him and hugged his neck. “I’m sorry.” She kissed his forehead and his cheek, but he shoved her away.

What the hell was he going to do?

Chapter Five

Darkness engulfed Megan’s house like a black cloud, yet the other homes in the cul-de-sac had lights burning. The hair on the back of Will’s neck rose as he hurried to the porch. He knocked hard and called out so he didn’t frighten her.

The instant she opened the door, he noticed her knit brow and the frown on that gorgeous mouth. She’s okay.

Relief flowed through him as he drew her into his arms and breathed her vanilla scent.

“Thank you for coming,” she said against his chest.

Emotions warred inside him. He wanted more than anything to keep her safe, to always be there for her. But he had a bad habit of letting people down. The notion that she was starting to depend on him weighed heavily on his shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”

She backed away, and the loss of contact left him cold. He stepped inside and shut the door. “You said someone drove away in a hurry?”

He recalled running his fingers through her hair, kissing her delicious lips, tasting her sweet sex. The memory curled around his senses and heated him from the inside out.

“A white SUV.” She lowered her gaze and flushed.

Was she hiding something? “Do you have an idea who was driving?”

Tiny lines around her mouth and eyes deepened. “Jerome Thomas. A guy I dated after you and I…”

After you broke my heart.

Must have been the man he saw her with a while ago. “Wait a second. Do you think he could be the murderer or the person who put the head on your porch? I’m confused here, Megan. If you know more than you’ve told me, it’s time to lay all your cards on the table.” He set his hands on his waist and waited.

“I don’t know, okay? No, Jerome is definitely not the murderer. The killer was white. Jerome is black. And I have no idea who left the severed head. Maybe Jerome is the one who’s been after me, though. Someone’s been calling the office and saying things. Awful things. And now it’s happening here too.” She fiddled with her bracelet. “I’m not hiding anything from you, and I’m not making any of this up. I honestly thought it was the killer until I saw that car drive off. It might have been Jerome, but I can’t be positive.”

“What kind of things did he say?”

“He knows who I am. Even called me by name. But he was disguising his voice.” She trembled, although the room was comfortably warm.

“So it could have been anyone.”

“I suppose.”

“Are you sure you heard the caller right? I mean sometimes victims let fear do things to them. They imagine stuff.”

The hurt in her eyes sliced through him. “I didn’t mean to upset you, sorry. I’m just covering all the bases.”

“I can’t even begin to explain how maddening it is to witness such an awful thing, then have the police treat me like some kind of wacko with a vivid imagination or a drinking problem. I have to find that poor girl’s killer, or her face will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

He grasped her upper arms. “I understand and I promise, I’ll help you.”

She backed out of his reach and nodded. “Thanks. Think we could work on turning the lights back on first?”

“Was the power out when you got home?”

“No. There was a popping sound a few minutes after I arrived. Then it all went off. And I think someone was inside. I had a hard time getting out the back door. Like something was blocking it.”

He grabbed a flashlight from the table and checked to confirm it worked. “Do you know where the electrical box is?”

“Outside. Near the kitchen window.”

“Show me.”

He took her hand and let her lead him to the junction box. As they approached, she hesitated. She pointed to a dark rectangle on the wall. The metal cover sat open, and a few pieces of cut wire were visible on the wet ground below.

At her sharp gasp, he pulled her into an embrace. “It’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I can’t allow her to count on me.

“I don’t understand why Jerome would do this.” She moved away from him. “I never did anything mean to him. Why would he want to taunt me?”

He hooked her arm and started back toward the house. “I have no idea. But in the meantime, you can’t stay here without any power.” He considered bringing her to his apartment, but if someone was searching for her, it would be too easy to find her there.

“What about my house? I need to call someone to fix this mess.” She stepped up to the back porch ahead of him, then spun to face him, her lashes fluttering rapidly. “And what about you, Will? I can’t expect you to put your life on hold.” She dropped her gaze. “I heard a woman’s voice when I called you before. If you’re seeing someone—”

“I’m not.”

A subtle smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Not that it’s any of my business, but—”

He took her face between his hands and kissed her with an urgency that even surprised him. She leaned her warm body into his and released a soft moan into his mouth.

He couldn’t help himself. She tasted of mint and desire and everything he’d ever wanted. A strong gust of wind blew rain from the trees onto them. When she shivered, he ushered her inside. “I have an electrician friend who should be able to get the electricity up and running tomorrow. For now I want to get you to a safe place. Any ideas?”

She locked the bolt. “How about one of my rental properties? I have four vacant ones.”

“Perfect.” He handed her the flashlight. “Go pack a bag. No telling how long it’ll take to flush this guy out.”

She hesitated, and a heavy silence fell between them. The candlelight stroked her delicate features like a lover. She chewed at the corner of her mouth.

God, she’s beautiful.

He waited, but she said nothing. “What?”

“Would you mind coming with me?”

Not like he hadn’t been in her bedroom before. Before she’d left him. He swallowed the bitter taste. “Sure.”

He walked behind her, his gaze riveted to the gentle sway of her hips. Not long ago he’d loved sinking his fingers into those hips as Megan slid up and down over his cock. The image stirred delicious and dangerous thoughts.

He entered her room, and more memories stormed through him, pulling him back to their time together. The four-poster bed where they’d made love a hundred times, the overstuffed chair where he’d served her breakfast on her birthday, the lavender scent of the air.

“Have a seat.” She handed him the flashlight, then lit a candle on the table by the bed. Same one that had burned when they used to make love. He allowed himself a measure of relief when he noticed the candle appeared no smaller than it had the last time he’d seen it. Did he dare hope she hadn’t brought any other men here after him?

Yeah, right.

It had been six months since their breakup. And she’d obviously dated in that time. The notion of another man touching her was too much to bear.

Think about something else.

He clasped his hands behind his back and kept an eye on the windows. But his gaze meandered to the top drawer of the nightstand, where she kept condoms. And the furry handcuffs and the silk blindfold. A quiver of longing took hold, but he forced himself to concentrate on the here and now.

“Will?”

Looking over his shoulder, he met her stare. “Yeah?”

“I said you could have a seat. If you want.”

“I’m good.” She’d see his growing erection if he faced her. He could hardly walk backward to the chair.

She went to the closet and pulled down a suitcase, then set it on the bed. Sparing him a quick glance, she chuckled.

“What?”

Her bright smile dazzled him. “I was thinking how you remind me of a soldier or a sentry. Standing guard over a prisoner.”

“A prisoner?” More like the most precious cargo.

She crossed to her dresser and sighed. “Guess I ought to pack enough for a couple of days, just in case.”

“Can’t hurt.” His throat constricted when she opened the drawer that held all her sexy lingerie. He tried to drag his attention elsewhere, but he couldn’t.

She pulled out a few items. Her arms full of clothes, she shut the drawer with a swing of her hip, a move so common yet so incredibly sexy. His breath hitched as she carefully folded each item before she packed it, the stern set of her jaw as she concentrated on her chore.

He had to force himself to stand his ground and not sweep her into his arms and make love to her that minute.

Her soft, caramel-colored skin glowed against her dark polo shirt. He’d bet she had on that black lace bra he remembered so well. He’d nearly chewed through it one night to get to her pebbled nipples.

Stop it!

Spending time with her without being able to touch her was pure torture. Would she take him to her bed if he asked? He thought about making love to her, remembered how sweet it had been. Would he ever find such bliss again? No other woman had made him feel the way she had.

Suddenly her breath caught and her eyes widened.

“What’s wrong?”

She shoved her hand into her pocket and removed something silver. “I found this today.” She strode toward him and handed him an earring. “It was on the ground behind the building where…”

His chest tightened. “You went there? Alone?”

She pursed her lips and blinked a couple of times. “I had to get out of my office. I was only gone for a few minutes, and Betsy was watching me nearly the entire time.”

He held up the earring. “You think this belongs to the victim, the girl you saw?”

“Maybe. It looks handmade. Any idea how I can find out where it came from?”

He studied the jewelry. “That’s a long shot. But we should hang on to it. If a body is found, it could be an important piece of evidence. Do you have a baggie?”

“In the kitchen. The drawer next to the fridge.”

“I’ll be right back.” When he returned, her suitcase was full. “We’ll have to stop by my office to get a key.” Her words ripped him back to the present.

He cleared his throat. “Right. Sure.”

She zipped up her bag and lifted it off the bed. He rushed over and tried to take it from her. Their fingers touched on the handle, then intertwined. He stared into her eyes, and he was lost.

Megan swallowed hard. Will was so close she picked up the scent of his pine cologne. The trace of stubble on his cheeks reminded her of the rough feel of his skin on hers in the dead of night. Desire spooled through her, reaching every cell, every nerve ending. Her nipples hardened to painful points and strained against her bra.

The man turned her into a puddle of estrogen with a mere look. That pleasant ache in her abdomen that he always inspired returned. She let go of the suitcase and parted her lips.

Kiss me.

He answered her unspoken plea, lowering his mouth to hers. Soft, sweet.

And packed with emotion.

He dropped her bag, but she paid it no mind. All she could concentrate on was Will, his mouth on hers, his familiar tongue swirling around hers, his cinnamon taste. And the liquid heat flooding through her body.

She pressed against him, took pleasure in knowing she was responsible for the hard bulge in his pants. But only seconds into their kiss Will broke away.

She drew in a breath and waited for her pulse to calm.

“We shouldn’t.” He backed away, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“What’s wrong? What did I do?” A vise squeezed her heart, but it was imperative she know.

Tiny muscles around his jaw quivered. “I’m not. I’m just… I have to keep my guard up. The moment I stop paying attention, something bad could happen. Don’t you understand that? If I don’t focus on protecting you, you could end up…” He shook his head.

“What?” Could he be thinking about the man he’d accidentally shot? She reflected on the details of the incident she’d researched on the internet at work earlier. According to the newspaper article, the man had run from a crime scene wearing clothes similar to the suspect’s. It had been a tragic mistake, but an understandable one.

“Change the subject,” he muttered.

“No.” She touched his arm. “I know you’re thinking about that accidental shooting. You were cleared of wrongdoing, Will. You can’t beat yourself up for this forever.”

“It’s not just that, okay? And I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”

He backed away, and she wondered if she’d said too much.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Having her so near consumed his head with more memories: their short vacation in the North Carolina mountains, a weekend jaunt to South Beach.

One night. He should take whatever he could get with her. Stealing even a single evening together before they parted ways again sounded too tempting to pass up.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

How the hell was he supposed to resist those sparkling eyes and that silky hair? Desire whipped through him. His pulse raced with passion. He was close enough to feel her heat. “I’ve missed you.” His voice nearly cracked under the weight of his overpowering need.

Her lips parted, and her breath caught. “I…”

Unable to stop himself, he grasped her upper arms, drew her to him and captured her mouth. She let out a halfhearted protest before threading her fingers through his hair and hung on. He feasted on her tongue, sucked and licked and tasted. Her lusty sighs stoked his appetite.

He slid a hand under her shirt, and she shuddered. She moaned as she ran her tongue over his teeth. He had to have her.

Now.

“I want you, Megan.”

She widened her eyes, but faster than a flash, she clasped her hands behind his neck. He kissed her long and deep, tangling his tongue with hers. Her familiar taste left him hungry for more—much more.

Moving his attention lower, he bit at an erect nipple through her shirt.

“Oh God, Will. Yes. That feels…so…good.”

That was exactly what he’d been waiting to hear. He pushed her against the wall for support, then tore at her clothes. He didn’t care if he ripped them, and she didn’t seem to mind. Her full breasts sat high and round with nipples the color of ripe berries, sweet as candy. He could spend hours sucking those delicious points.

His cock grew harder as he tossed the remnants of her shirt away and went to work on her pants and underwear. She shimmied her hips to force her clothes lower, then kicked the discarded items across the floor along with her sandals. He slid his hand over her stomach, careful not to snag her gold belly ring.

He drew in a breath infused with her scent, vanilla mixed with musky arousal. She shrugged aside her bra straps, pushed away the lacy fabric and lifted her breasts, an offering. Hot oblivion surrounded him. He plucked a taut peak and raked his teeth over it.

Megan let out a gasp, then lowered her arms and forced him closer. She ground her pelvis against him. They’d have plenty of time for tenderness later, but for now he gave in to the fiery passion that burned for them like an all-consuming inferno.

He reached between her legs and grinned when she let out a sexy purr. He cupped her mound and felt the heat from her pussy. He slipped a finger between her plump lips and glided it along her drenched folds.

God, he longed to bury himself inside her, against the wall.

She wriggled and moaned, then fed him her other breast. He gave it the same treatment, nipping and suckling until her erotic gasps filled the air. She rode his finger as he rubbed her cleft. Her desperate cries grew louder and louder, until she shook in frenzied spasms, surrendering to her climax.

It seemed to go on and on, and with every moan, Will grew hotter and harder. Kissing the hollow of her neck, he tasted the salty residue of her excitement. He should make love to her on the wood floor on her hands and knees, mount her like a wild stallion. But he wasn’t an animal. He sucked his index finger and tasted her cream.

“Mmm. Bed. Now.” He circled an arm around her waist to support her and crossed the distance to her bed, their way lit by the glow from the candles.

She worked her way out of her bra, which had become a twisted cord around her waist. Will shucked his shirt while she lit a candle. He knew her so well. He took comfort in the familiar gesture.

She met his gaze, and he grinned at the smoldering remnants of her orgasm. He planned to ignite that flame many times this night. She followed him with her eyes as he kicked off his shoes and lowered his pants. His hard-on tented his boxers.

Megan traced his hard length. “Is that for me?” Her voice, smoky and quiet, filled him with an undeniable craving.

“All for you.”

She peeled away his underwear and closed her hand around his cock. Need quickened his blood. His entire body quaked with pent-up longing.

For her.

He took in his surroundings and assured himself he wasn’t dreaming. Not this time. She shifted against him. Her skin felt like velvet on his. He cupped her ass, marveled at how it fit so perfectly in his hands. Like he alone was meant to hold it.

“Make love to me, Will.” Her voice wrapped around him, electrified him.

“Get on the bed.”

She instantly obeyed, sat on the edge, facing him. He opened the top drawer of the nightstand and grabbed a condom. His breath caught as he trailed his gaze over her body. He couldn’t drag his stare away from her beauty as he sheathed himself. “Move back.”

She lay down, and he climbed over her. He grasped her breast, laved it and circled the dark areola with hungry swipes of his tongue. Her skin tasted just as sweet as always.

She lifted her hips, sliding her wet sex along his cock. A ravenous appetite spread through him. God, he needed to fuck her, hard and fast, longed to surrender to his savage lust. Smoothing a hand along her thigh, he parted her legs wider and angled the tip of his shaft against her pussy.

He pushed into her and hot, delectable pressure engulfed his cock. A purr of pleasure broke from her lips. Driving deeper with every thrust, he climbed closer and closer to nirvana. The snug confines of her pussy sent his head into a dizzying tailspin.

Megan rocked with him in an ancient rhythm they both knew so well. She captivated all his senses—her taste on his tongue, her scent in his head, the silky feel of her skin and her tight sex, the sound of lusty moans and the vision of her hot body.

She wrapped her legs around him. “Yes, baby. Give it all to me.”

He thrust harder inside her, desperately clinging to his control by a thread, sliding along her sweet walls. She constricted around him, and the hot pressure of his lust built in his balls, approached the boiling point. But he refused to let it end.

He withdrew from her. She turned over and got on all fours, sensing his plan. Taking hold of her waist with one hand, he spread her lips with his other and thrust the crown of his cock into her. She backed against him and took his length deeper. Tunneling into her faster, he caught her breasts in his hands and strummed the peaked nipples with his thumbs.

Her cries filled the air, growing louder and more demanding. “Yes, yes, oh God, yes.”

His control shredded. Feeling her body convulse and shimmy with her climax did him in. He surrendered to the deluge of ecstasy.

Pumping into her harder, faster, deeper, he erupted in a mind-blowing rhapsody. Pleasure flared in every direction, singeing his flesh and filling his empty coffers with each blissful stroke. He shuddered and thrust into her a few more times before settling over her, completely satisfied and spent.

I want to feel this way forever.

She sighed contentedly. “Will…”

“Hmm?”

Say it.

She ran her hands along his back. “I—That was amazing.”

Please, say it.

She shut her eyes.

He kissed her neck. “Later we’ll take our time. Easy and slow.” If she wouldn’t put voice to it, then he would. “I love you.”

Her hands stopped moving, and there was no mistaking the cool stiffness that settled over her. An invisible knife ripped through his gut.

Chapter Six

Megan’s heart caught in her throat as Will climbed off the bed and headed toward the bathroom. Of course she loved him, although she shouldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Why lead him on when this had to be only for tonight?

The deck was stacked against them between Gram’s objections and Will’s parents’ displeasure with the relationship. His mother had made her feelings clear as water. She’d cornered Megan in the restroom of the country club the night Will introduced them.

“My son might be infatuated with you, but let’s be candid. He will marry a woman from a well-heeled family similar to his own. After he gets his head on straight, he’ll join our family business. Whomever he marries will take on all the social responsibilities required of the job.”

She’d raked her cold gaze over Megan. “I just don’t believe you have the breeding for that sort of role. Do you? And if you think you’re going to sink your claws into Will’s money, think again. I’d make sure his trust fund disappeared if he married someone like you. Got it?”

Megan had been too stunned to respond.

Gram had been just as unbending in her objections to their relationship. She’d lobbied hard for Megan to stop dating Will. How could she argue with Gram? The woman had raised Megan after her mother passed away, worked her fingers to the bone to put her through college. Gram feared that a white upper-crust sort of man would abandon Megan, just as Megan’s father had done to her mother.

But Gram had never given Will a chance to prove he was nothing like her father. His family might be part of the country-club set but Will didn’t have a snobbish bone in his body.

No, Gram would never accept Will. How could she disappoint the one person who’d always been there for her?

“I’m sorry.” Will’s voice tore her out of the unpleasant memory. He slipped back into bed beside her and drew the covers up to his waist.

“Hmm?” She smoothed her hand over his chest and marveled at the rock-hard contours of his torso.

“I didn’t mean to put any pressure on you.” He rolled onto his side and cupped her cheek. “You’d better rest up now. I’m not through with you yet.” He gave her a kiss that turned her into a puddle of estrogen.

God help her, she did love him. With all her heart and soul. And she’d hurt him deeply by walking away. That knowledge pained her even more than being without him, which had been sheer torture.

She settled her back against his chest.

Savor this time with him. It won’t last.

Within minutes Will’s rhythmic breathing punctuated the silence. But sleep refused to come for her. She tried to memorize every second spent in his arms, the piney scent of his cologne, the luxurious feel of his arm resting on her hip. She had no idea how long she lay there. Glancing at her darkened clock, frozen at five-thirty-five, she sighed. Hopefully Will’s friend would get the power back on tomorrow.

At least a few hours had passed when Will finally woke. He didn’t say a word but moved his hand over her side and along her thigh. Sliding closer, he shifted his attention higher and kneaded her breast.

Her desire flared. Will found her nipple and strummed it gently. He kissed the back of her shoulder with a familiar tenderness she’d thought she’d never experience again. Renewed need flooded her system, sending tingles from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

He trailed his tongue along her skin from her earlobe to behind her neck, down her spine. She shivered with pleasure. Then he turned her onto her back and brushed his lips over hers like a whisper of fine silk. Her pulse quickened when she tasted herself on his lips.

“I want to take my time. Make love to you long and slow.” His quiet tone held passion. And restraint.

The intensity she glimpsed in his eyes sent carnal yearning through her veins. And something else—fear. “I…I should shower first.” She pushed on his shoulders, but he refused to yield.

“Why? Because you might smell like a woman?”

His question unexpectedly heated her core.

“I happen to love your scent. And your taste.” He dipped his mouth to her breast and sucked at the taut peak, tugged on it lightly with his teeth.

Liquid desire spooled through her. She couldn’t bring herself to stop him, not when every cell in her body begged for more.

Will glided his hand along her hip, then around her leg to her inner thigh. Her sex vibrated with longing. She let out a whimper and arched toward him, but he refused to rush. He kneaded and squeezed her leg, traced tiny circles on her skin. But every time he veered close to her entrance, he’d retreat, a cruel tease.

He released her nipple, and for an instant, she thought he’d move his focus down to her pussy, but no. Using his tongue, he painted her other breast with light strokes, closer and closer to the hard, needy peak. She squirmed against the building pressure in her core.

Will raked his teeth over her pebbled point, and she gasped at the lush sensation. If he didn’t touch her sex soon, she’d incinerate. “Please,” she cried.

He stopped what he was doing and stared into her eyes. “Patience, baby. Relax and enjoy it.”

But when he skimmed his fingers along the outsides of her sensitive lips, she couldn’t resist shifting her hips to cajole him closer. “Will, please. This is torture. You’re going to make me do it myself.”

“Oh really? I don’t think so.” He dotted her cheeks with kisses, then rolled away and climbed off the bed.

She huffed. “Where are you going?”

He crossed the floor to her dresser and yanked open the top drawer.

She propped herself up on her elbows and squinted to see in the barely lit room. “Hey. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Be quiet.”

She swallowed back an objection. His bedroom surprises had always piqued her interest, and he’d never pulled one she didn’t enjoy.

Only for tonight.

She shoved the thought to the back of her mind.

The drawer scraped shut, and her heart pounded with anticipation. He returned to the bed with some dark fabric in his hand. “Lie back.” He crawled over her and straddled her.

“What?” Before she could react, he grabbed her right arm and pulled it out from under her. “Hey!”

“Shh. Quiet.”

She’d never admit how much she liked him ordering her around in the bedroom, and she’d never let him get away with it anywhere else, but for now she played along.

He took her left wrist and joined it to the right above her head. Barely containing her building excitement, she pretended to struggle as he tied her hands with a scarf and fastened them to the bedpost. All part of the game. A heady mix of desire and shame warred inside her.

He slid alongside her, then swiped his tongue along the dip between her breasts. “Now you’ll have to endure the long, slow fucking I had in mind.” He skimmed her sides and cupped her buttocks. “Guess I can do whatever I want now, hmm?” He twisted the lower part of her body and raised a hand as if he planned to spank her.

Her breath caught in her throat. “Don’t you dare.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands, do you?” Rubbing her hip, he shook his head. “Your beautiful body is all mine.” He bent low and kissed her backside. “Say it.”

“All yours.” Her pulse quickened, and every nerve ending stood at attention. She bit her lip to hold back a sigh. How long would he torture her with this erotic teasing? Her sex ached for his touch.

Grasping her waist, he settled her on her back and raked her with his heated gaze. “You look so delectable. I don’t know where to begin.” He kissed her belly, skimmed his tongue over her belly-button ring.

“Want a suggestion?” She parted her legs and raised her hips.

Sliding his hands lower, he forced her thighs together. “Patience. All in good time.” He chuckled at her groan as he moved to her feet. Grasping one of her ankles, he raised the leg, kissed her heel, then her instep and big toe. He repeated the process with the other foot. The lush sensations ribboned through her body, made her wriggle to keep from exploding.

Getting to his knees, he spread her legs wide and wolf-whistled. “Damn, baby.” He moved between her thighs, and she was sure he’d finally give her what she wanted—some long-awaited attention for her pussy. He scooted closer, held his shaft at the root and angled it toward her. “Is this what you want?” His honeyed voice floated through the air and wrapped around her like chiffon.

She nodded and licked her lips in anticipation.

“But I haven’t teased you yet like I promised.”

She yanked against her tether. “That’s no fair. You made me think—” She stopped speaking when she noticed his wicked grin. Holding back a giggle, she wrestled her right leg free and kicked toward his head. She managed a playful shot to his shoulder. “You’re mean.”

He caught her right ankle and dotted it with kisses. “No, I’m not. I’m just obsessed with your pleasure.” His smile faded, and the glint in his eyes stole her breath away.

The air around them grew heavier than smoke. A thick clog formed in her throat.

How the hell am I going to walk away from him again?

He set her legs down, then straddled her and rose to his knees. She studied his nearly hairless chest and six-pack abs. The man was nothing short of beautiful. Yet he wanted her.

He ran his hands up her thighs, along her belly to her breasts. Delectable sensations spiraled through her as he squeezed and massaged. The notion that she was completely at his mercy set off sparks inside her.

He planted one hand on the bed to steady himself as he leaned down to suck her earlobe into his mouth. Scraping it between his teeth, he made a torrid growl. As he shifted along her body, his erection skimmed over her belly. She longed to reach for his cock, to tease him as he did her. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back. She’d want it all.

To touch it.

Feel it inside her.

The thick cream of her arousal slicked her sex. She squirmed against him, tried to move higher on the bed. Gliding her soaked pussy along his cock would ease some of the unbearable pressure building inside her.

Sensing her hunger, Will abandoned her breast and centered his hand over her mound. She bit back a sigh as she rocked against him, silently begging him to fuck her.

“Is that what you want? You want to come, baby?”

So close to the edge she couldn’t form a single word, she nodded. “Mmm-hmm.”

He pressed the heel of his hand to her cleft and rubbed her just right. She climbed the sweet slope to gratification, nearing the precipice. When he sucked her nipple, she fell over the edge and exploded in a rhapsody of bliss. An all-consuming orgasm shook her in ecstasy. She shuddered and gasped and moaned as waves of joy racked her body.

When her peak had nearly ebbed, Will shifted lower. He licked her sensitive lips and her wet folds. She thrashed her hips, still reeling from her climax. Then he plucked her nub into his mouth and laved it gently. Renewed waves of rapture convulsed her entire body.

She was vaguely aware of Will reaching to the nightstand and fiddled with a condom. Then his thick cock poked at her entrance. Unbearable delight curled around her senses. He eased his shaft inside her, only an inch or so. She hooked her legs behind him to pull him deeper. But he wouldn’t be rushed. His next stroke took him farther. And the next, farther still. Her intimate walls stretched to accommodate his size.

He thrust again, harder this time. She arched against him, and they rediscovered the rhythm they used to know so well. His gaze hijacked hers, refused to let it go as he slid in and out. The intensity of his stare and the unbridled passion combined to create a tsunami of euphoria.

His strokes heated her flesh, engaging all her senses in erotic pleasure. His eyes darkened, and the muscles on his neck and shoulders corded. His breath hitched before he released a low growl of satisfaction. She clenched her innermost muscles.

He squeezed his eyes shut and gasped.

“Oh God, Megan. That’s so fucking good.” He pumped into her with such savage strength that she knew what they had was meant to be. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world, the only woman for him.

He growled his release, clenched his jaw, then tunneled inside her faster. Finally he jerked a few last times, then stilled. She tightened her intimate muscles, massaging every last drop of seed from him. He settled on top of her, kissed her neck and shoulders and whispered her name against her skin. She closed her eyes. The only place she wanted to be was in Will’s arms.

Megan blinked against the first rays of orange morning sunshine. Will stood over her, skimmed his finger over her cheek. “G’morning.”

She glanced up into his eyes and smiled, completely in love. “Hi.” Then she remembered she shouldn’t love him.

Fine lines extended from the corners of his mouth and eyes. Could he know she didn’t plan to have sex with him again? Make love. What they’d done felt like so much more than just sex.

He pointed to the scarf that had bound her wrists. “I hope that wasn’t too uncomfortable.”

She managed a shrug. “I didn’t mind.” Heat crawled up her neck and over her face. How was she supposed to think with Will naked and gorgeous? She rolled away, climbed off the bed and hurried to the bathroom. The longer she stayed there, the more difficult it would be to say goodbye. “I’m taking a shower.”

“It’ll be cold with the power still out. Want me to come in there and keep you warm?”

She pretended she hadn’t heard him. Why torture herself with more intimate pleasures that would haunt her dreams? She couldn’t continue to disregard Gram’s feelings.

By the time she finished in the bathroom, Will was dressed and sitting in the chair in her bedroom. “I’m meeting the electrician here in an hour. Oh, your cell rang while you were in the shower. I hope you don’t mind, but I answered it.”

She stiffened. Alarm bucked through her.

Please, don’t let Gram have phoned.

“Betsy wants you to call her about an appointment.”

She blew out the breath she’d been holding. “Oh. Okay.”

“You look almost as sexy in a towel as you do in nothing at all, by the way.” His wink sent unwanted heat sprawling over her skin. Shaking it off, she opened her top dresser drawer and grabbed underwear. Then she hurried into the closet to find something to wear. She threw on khakis, a navy blouse and a pair of beige kitten-heeled sandals.

The moment she finished, she went to the foyer to retrieve her phone. Betsy answered on the second ring.

“Southern State Vacation Rentals.”

“Betsy, it’s me. I got a message that you called. What’s up?” She prayed her assistant wouldn’t mention that Will had answered her cell earlier.

“Hey, boss. Guess someone had a good night.”

Irritation prickled her skin. “Did you need me?”

“Right. Hang on.” Papers rustled. “Okay. A prospective renter wants to see the Woodbury bungalow. Might want it for the rest of the month. His name is Harry Jones.”

“Thanks. Do I need to call him?” She cradled the phone against her shoulder as she tucked in her blouse.

“Nope. He’ll meet you at the property at ten-thirty.”

She glanced at her watch. “That’s only an hour and a half from now. I have to go see my grandmother this morning.” She mentally calculated how long the visit would take before replying, “No problem. I’ll be right over to get the key.”

“I suppose your car is fixed?” Betsy asked.

“Um, yes. Good as new.” She hung up, then returned to the bedroom.

“Want me to go pick up some coffee?” Will stood and took a few steps toward her with outstretched arms.

“No time, actually.” She moved out of his reach. “Betsy set up an appointment for me. So I have to go. Just turn the latch on the front door before you leave.”

His brow furrowed slightly. “Yeah, I remember how to let myself out. It was getting in that always threw me.” He brushed past her and went into the bathroom.

Hurting him wrenched her gut.

This is for the best.

“I’ll leave a check for the electrician. See you later. Thank you.” She raced from the room without waiting for him to say anything.

Once safely inside her car, she leaned her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. Will would be better off with someone his family could embrace. Too damn bad she loved him. Anyway, she could never face Gram and admit she’d gone against her wishes.

Merging onto the interstate, she tried to concentrate on the road, but her thoughts kept returning to Will and the amazing sex they’d had.

His chiseled body and handsome face, those strong, possessive hands.

Those incredibly talented fingers and that clever tongue.

The memory brought a wave of desire that quickened her pulse. She turned up the air conditioner to combat the heat building around her. Shoving the salacious thoughts from her mind, she concentrated on putting on a carefree face so Gram wouldn’t worry. The woman had an uncanny ability to read her mind.

She parked in the lot, then grabbed the box of candy she’d bought for Gram and headed inside.

“Good morning, Miss Megan.” A middle-aged woman in a blue smock and pants smiled at her from the reception desk.

Megan racked her brain to recall her name.

“Patty,” she prompted, showing off her security badge.

She gave the woman a warm smile. “Right, thank you. Morning, Patty. Promise I’ll remember next time.”

Patty waved away her apology. “Your grandmother is in the day room. They’re all watching some silly talk show.” She shook her head.

“Thanks.” Megan marched down the hallway, her sandals clacking on the polished terrazzo floor. The smell of disinfectant assaulted her. She stopped at Gram’s room and set the candy on the night table. A bouquet of yellow roses sat on the dresser. Curiosity niggled at her. She stepped closer to the flowers and searched for a card. Not finding one, she made a mental note to ask Gram about it. Giving the room a quick visual inspection, she noticed the bed was unmade. She dropped her purse on a chair and straightened the covers, then went to find Gram in the day room.

She spotted Gram sitting with three other elderly women in front of the large television. The sight of her ashen complexion instantly tightened Megan’s chest. She circled behind the women and bent to kiss the top of Gram’s head.

Gram turned and glanced up at her. “Hello, sweet girl. Don’t you smell good.” She straightened her pink sweater over her shoulders. “Where’s my candy?”

Megan chuckled. “In your room. How did you know?”

She poked a long, thin finger at Megan’s face. “You always bring a box after you’ve missed your regular day.”

Guilt kicked her in the teeth. Had she really missed so many visits that Gram had picked up on a pattern? She didn’t dare tell her she didn’t have much time today. “Do you want to stay here or take a walk in the garden?”

“Let’s walk. It’s probably still cool enough.” She pushed up, then teetered a moment before steadying herself. Had her balance worsened?

She stepped toward Gram and hooked her arm.

“You don’t have to help me, you know.” Gram didn’t make a move to shake off her assistance, though.

Megan grinned. “Maybe I need you. I always have, you know.”

Gram stopped walking and faced her. She crinkled her brow and put a finger to her mouth. “Something’s different about you. You got a new boyfriend or something?”

Megan swallowed hard, then immediately schooled her expression. She’d never been able to hide much from her grandmother. “’Course not. But it looks like you do. Who sent you those pretty flowers?”

“Changin’ the subject won’t keep me from asking about you, honey.” She stopped at the window and pointed to the low hedge at the side of the garden. “That’s where my gentleman caller came into the yard.”

Megan studied her face, trying to decipher if Gram was talking nonsense again. “What gentleman caller, Gram?”

Her eyes widened. “A big man. White, like your daddy. He had dark hair and broad shoulders. Told me he’d take me away if I wanted. On a real vacation, like Niagara Falls.” Her face turned serene.

Megan’s heart thundered. “Wh…when was this?” Could the murderer have come here? To see Gram? Hot shards stabbed at her temples. She’d speak to the security people to see if someone coming over that hedge was even possible. She threaded her fingers together to keep her hands from shaking.

Gram pointed over her shoulder. “Mrs. Martin’s son is finally divorced. You want to meet him?”

Talk about changing the subject.

“Why would I want to do that?”

“’Cause you ain’t got yourself a man. Or do you?” She eyed Megan suspiciously.

“I already told you, I don’t.” Gram would have a fit if she found out about Will. But technically they weren’t really dating. They’d just slept together. That didn’t count. Unless they kept at it.

No. I can’t let that happen.

“You tell this old woman lots of things just to make me happy. But I know you too well, honey.” She stopped when they reached the door to the garden.

Megan held it open for her and ushered her through. The moment she stepped outside, a strange feeling overtook her, like someone was watching her. She glanced around but didn’t see anyone.

Who the hell had come to see Gram? Was this man real or her imagination? “Pretty cool for November, huh?”

Gram let out a hearty laugh. “It must be nearly eighty degrees out here. You’re just like your mama. She likes it hotter than blazes out. She put on a sweater a few days ago in church when half the congregation was fanning themselves with their programs.”

Megan froze. “Gram, Mama’s been gone for more than twenty years.”

“Well, of course she has, sweet girl.” She sat on a bench and lifted her face toward the sun. “Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. Weatherman says it’ll rain soon. And my joints confirm that.”

Megan sank onto the seat beside her. She’d have to mention Gram’s reality lapse to the case manager or to Dr. Odell. Her stomach clenched at the thought that Gram might be heading into dementia. But it would explain why she’d mentioned Jerome the last few times they’d spoken as if he and Megan were still dating. She’d rather hope for dementia than that Gram was being stalked by a killer.

“You ever try one of them singles dances at church? That’s how Lizbeth Carter met her husband, and they been married ten years.”

Megan forced herself not to roll her eyes. Gram had never tolerated such disrespectful gestures. “Why would I want to do that? I have no problem meeting men. If and when I ever plan to marry, you’ll be the first to know. Well, the second, actually.”

“If you ever marry? Of course you will, a beautiful girl like you. I just hope it happens soon.”

“Why? I don’t need a man. I make good money and I already own a home. You don’t have to worry about me, Gram.” She patted her grandmother’s bony hand.

“You gonna give me some of that feminist dribble again? Don’t you think this old woman wants to see her girl in a fancy white dress walking down the aisle at church? I want to hold a grandbaby on my lap.” Her eyes glistened.

Megan dared not continue arguing. Gram’s tears always ripped her heart out.

Change the subject.

“Did I tell you the company gave me a raise last month?” Gram always loved having a tidbit like that to take back to her friends.

“They did?” Her face brightened, and Megan’s mood lifted.

“What man wouldn’t want to marry a girl like you?”

Gram would never change. Shaking her head, she laughed. “What am I going to do with you?” She checked her watch.

“We’d better go in,” Gram said. “Almost time for morning bingo. I want to get a seat near the window so I can watch the storm.”

After she took Gram back inside, she made her apologies, then left her in the day room with the others. She stopped at the desk on her way out.

The same woman was sitting there writing in a file.

“Excuse me, Patty?” she said.

“Yes?”

Grasping the edge of the counter to steady herself, she cleared her throat. “My grandmother says a man came over the hedge and spoke to her about taking her on a vacation. I know it sounds ridiculous, but Gram’s never been delusional before.”

Patty’s smile faded. “It’s common at her age for that to happen.”

“But what if she’s not delusional? What if a man really did come over the hedge?”

Patty laughed. “Now you know that’s not the case.”

She wanted to hear how their security measures would prevent such a breach, but Patty offered no such defense.

She patted Megan’s hand. “I’ll speak to the doctor. Dementia can come on anytime at her age.”

But Megan wasn’t so sure that was what it was. What if the killer knew where Gram lived?

What if he hurts her merely to frighten me?

No. Patty was probably right, had to be. Drawing a calming breath, she headed toward her car. She slipped behind the wheel and found some mellow music on the radio. The drive out to the house would relax her. She merged onto the interstate toward the property where she was to meet her prospective client. A few raindrops pelted her windshield. Tall pines on the sides of the highway swayed in the building wind.

She glanced toward the sky at some angry-looking rain clouds.

Gram always knows.

When she returned her attention to the road, her breath caught. A black SUV with tinted windows in the lane next to her drifted to the right and into her lane. Her heart hammered as she punched the horn.

But the other car didn’t steer away. In fact, it pushed closer. “Oh God.” She glanced to her right at the shoulder, but the steep embankment dropped off sharply.

I have nowhere to go.

Curling her fingers into the wheel as tightly as she could, she stomped on the brake. The SUV skimmed the front of her car, sending her into a tailspin. She screamed as she made a complete three-sixty on the edge of the wet highway. Her field of vision spun into a terrifying gray haze that seemed to go on forever. She braced herself for a crash, every muscle tight, every nerve on high alert.

Then suddenly she came to rest on the narrow part of the shoulder before the drop-off. Stunned, she watched the SUV speed away. She leaned her head against the steering wheel and caught her breath, grateful to be alive.

Had the other driver even seen her? Maybe it hadn’t been an accident, but an attempt on her life. Still shaking, she climbed out of the car and checked the side for damage. Only a slight dent and a long scratch marred the front panel. Raindrops splashed on her face. She scanned the nearly empty highway, then returned to her car, slid behind the wheel and locked the door.

Could the killer be after her again? That thought sent a shiver of panic over her skin.

She waited for her heart to slow down, then reached for her phone and tried Will. His voice mail told her he’d return her call. Her mouth was so dry, she wondered if she could even get a few words out.

“Will, it’s Megan. I think someone tried to run me off the road just now. I’m not positive, but…” She sighed. “Give me a call. I’m heading to one of my properties to meet a possible new renter.” Drawing a steadying breath, she shoved the cell into her purse, then pulled back onto the road.

By the time she arrived at the cottage she’d calmed down. The For Rent sign swung in the breeze in the front yard. There were no other cars there. Unease prickled her skin, but she shoved it away.

What’s the matter with me? I meet customers in vacant houses all the time.

She glanced around at the secluded area and swallowed a wave of nausea. Probably her brush with the SUV was making her skittish.

She climbed out of her car, then negotiated the flagstone stepping-stones to the door. It never hurt to make sure the property was in tip-top shape before the potential renter arrived.

Shaking off another chill, she unlocked the door and let herself inside. The room was dark, so she opened the curtains, but the cloudy day didn’t brighten the place as much as she’d hoped. A musty smell drifted to her nose. Crossing the small living room, she found the thermostat and switched on the air conditioner. That done, she pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen to make sure the cleaning crew had done a good job.

A blur of black lunged at her. Gasping, she flailed her arms, tried to shove it away. But he wouldn’t stop coming. Tremors racked her body, weakening her knees. The man circled his arm around her neck. Her pulse pounded in her ears so loud she couldn’t hear anything else. Struggling against the pressure, she clawed at his shirt. Then he lifted her off the floor. She tried to kick at him but kept missing. She couldn’t catch her breath. She gasped for air, desperate to hang on to consciousness. Stars floated before her eyes.

No!

She twisted, scratched at his arms, but nothing she did made any difference.

I should have told Will I love him last night.

She fought the man until her strength ran out. Her field of vision shrank to a hazy point. Then everything went black.

***

Will latched the door lock at Megan’s house, then started toward his truck. His cell chimed, alerting him that he had a message waiting.

What the hell?

Stupid thing hadn’t even rung. He dialed his voice mail and smiled at the sound of Megan’s voice.

His shoulders tightened with tension as he listened to her message. He immediately phoned her, but she didn’t answer.

“Where the hell are you, Megan?” He climbed inside his truck, then called her office.

“Southern State Vacation Rentals. Betsy speaking.”

“Betsy, this is Will. I need to know the address where Megan is meeting a client.” He took a tablet and pen from the well in the dashboard.

“Hmm. Sorry, Will. No can do. I already got chewed out for giving another guy that information.”

He gritted his teeth. “Look, it’s an emergency. I think she might be in danger.” He started his truck, then headed out of the neighborhood.

Betsy stuttered and stalled. “I don’t know.”

Grasping his cell in a death grip, he held back an angry growl. “Now!”

Before I come down there and hurt you.

She huffed loudly. “Jeez. Fine. Here it is.” She read him the address in a snippy tone and hung up.

He’d deal with her later. Important thing was he knew where to find Megan. He merged onto the highway and gunned his motor. He made it to the house in less than ten minutes. Megan’s car sat in the driveway.

Alone.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He tucked his gun into his belt, then jumped out of the pickup and ran to the door. Lucky for him it wasn’t locked. The moment he entered Megan’s voice electrified him with terror.

“Help!”

Only he didn’t see her. “Megan! Where are you?”

She stumbled into the room through a swinging door. Her hair was mussed, and her blouse was half-untucked. “Thank God you’re here.” Her chest heaved, and she looked as though she’d fall over if she took another step.

Panic tore through him. He raced to her in an instant and pulled her into his arms. She crumpled against him, then gestured toward the door she’d come through. “He tried to strangle me. You saved my life.”

His temples throbbed. “Who?”

I let her down.

Guilt swirled his gut. God, he’d almost lost her.

“A man. The murderer. I’m sure of it. I think he ran out the back when he heard your truck.” She paused and sucked in a loud breath. “He tried to strangle me, and I blacked out. When I came to, he was hovering over me.” She buried her face in his shirt.

He grasped her shoulders. “Are you all right? Did you see his face?”

“I’m fine.”

But already a red bruise was forming on her neck. Her blood was almost on his hands. Like the man he’d shot. But if he’d lost her, a big part of him would have died too. He hugged her against his chest and clenched his jaw. “I’ll never let anything happen to you. Never again.”

“I didn’t see what he looked like. He had a black ski mask over his face. He was covered from head to toe.” She pushed away and looked up at him. “This wasn’t your fault, Will. Please don’t blame yourself.”

Her words did little to assuage his guilt. “As long as you’re okay, I’m going after him.”

She nodded and stepped back. “Please be careful, Will. I…I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He managed a smile. “I feel exactly the same way.” Giving her a wink, he charged through the swinging door into a small kitchen. He spotted the back door, still hanging open. And a chair on its side.

Clenching his fists, he raced into an expansive yard edged by thick woods. He drew his weapon and started into a stand of pine trees. The thick canopy obliterated the daylight. He hesitated a moment to allow his eyes to adjust.

A branch snapped nearby. He held perfectly still. Listened. Only silence. Pine needles rustled behind him. He spun around. A tan rabbit retreated into the cover of a low palm. Muttering a curse, he lowered his gun to his side.

Bastard had probably fled minutes earlier. He glanced toward the house. Returning his forty-five to his belt, he crossed the yard, then entered through the back door.

Megan was straightening the kitchen chairs.

“Stop!” He instantly regretted his tone when she shrank away. “I’m sorry. But you shouldn’t touch anything. Your attacker might have left fingerprints.”

“I doubt it. He wore gloves.”

“Of course he did. Damn it.” He slammed his fist on the counter.

“Thank God you got here when you did or…” Her voice trailed off. “I figure he took off and didn’t look back when he heard your truck. How did you know where to find me?”

“Your dumb-ass assistant didn’t want to share that information with me, but she finally did.” He leaned against the counter. “Please inform her that I’m not some weirdo stalker or something. What’s her problem, anyway?”

She sat and exhaled loudly. “I came down hard on her a few weeks ago for telling someone—Jerome, actually—where I’d gone. I strictly forbade her from giving out that sort of information. I guess I should have told her there were exceptions.”

“Explains a lot.”

“I feel like I ought to report this attack, but…” She furrowed her brow and glanced away.

“But what?”

“They already think I’m crazy.”

He shook his head. “You have to report it. You need a record of what’s going on, what this creep is doing to you.”

She shifted in the chair and pursed her lips. “I don’t know.”

“Look, I told you I passed that severed head prop on to my friend at the sheriff’s office, so he’s familiar with what’s going on. Unfortunately there were no decent fingerprints.”

He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, then rifled through his collection of business cards in search of Detective Kenny Horvath’s. “Bingo. Here it is. Call him directly. Or I will if you don’t want to.” He handed her the card and his cell phone.

She hesitated before accepting the items. “I’ll call. But if he blows me off, I’m done with the sheriff’s office.”

He smoothed his hand over her hair as she hit the buttons. “Fair enough.”

Chapter Seven

John Jarity sped along the entrance ramp to the highway. Digging his fingers into the steering wheel, he growled. So close. He’d been seconds from silencing that bitch forever when that pickup had arrived. He couldn’t chance getting caught.

This was all Nisha’s fault. He hoped she burned in hell.

Without a woman to screw, he had no way to relieve the constant pressure inside him. And it was killing him.

He shoved aside the ski mask on his seat and grabbed his cell phone. Passing a slower minivan, he hit the speed-dial button to call his brother.

“Harvey Jarity.”

“Where are you?” He checked his rearview mirror to be sure no one was following him.

“Hello to you too. I just deplaned in Colombo.”

“Where?”

“Sri Lanka. I have to get my luggage. What do you want?”

He didn’t have to be rude. “I was hoping you’d located a couple of girls by now.”

His brother laughed. “You know how long it takes to get here, John? Cool your jets. But I do have a line on a girl in one of the rural provinces. I’m headed there in the morning to look at some jewelry for the airport stores.”

John gritted his teeth. Why did this have to take so long? And only one girl? “Tell me about the girl you’re thinking about.”

Harvey lowered his voice. “Do we have to do this now?”

“Yes, damn it.”

“Her mother works at one of the factories in a remote province. She’s widowed with seven kids.”

Perfect.

“My contact in Delhi says she’s already offered him one of her older daughters, cheap. The paperwork should be waiting for me at my hotel.”

“Excellent work, brother. But see if you can locate a couple more.” His cock hardened as he pictured what she’d look like. Silky black hair, big doe eyes, nubile body and a willing smile.

Harvey lowered his voice. “I don’t know if I can do that. Remember, John, this is the last time. It’s a big risk. Being jailed in a country like this would be…it’d be a freaking nightmare.”

Harvey knew that greasing a few palms over there would get him out of any jam. Why did he have to be such a pussy? “It’ll be fine. See you in a few days.” He disconnected, then threw the phone on the seat beside him.

The tension in his neck finally eased.

Until his phone rang. He checked the display, then rolled his eyes. “Hello, Ruth Ann. What’s up, dear?”

“How am I supposed to plan a Thanksgiving for fifteen people without Nisha?” Her shrill voice instantly ignited a headache.

“I have no one to do the baking, no one to clean the house. I’m behind on the laundry. When will the new maid get here, John?”

“I told you, I’m working on it. She’ll be here soon. I promise. Thanksgiving is weeks away.”

She heaved a sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

He veered onto the exit ramp and imagined the unrecognizable animal corpse on the roadway was his wife’s. Tweaking his wheels to the right, he flattened the roadkill. “I just saw something that reminded me of you.”

Someday you’ll get all you deserve, Ruth Ann.

“Oh? What?”

“I think it was an adorable bunny rabbit.” He allowed himself a satisfied chuckle.

“Oh, John. That’s sweet.”

“I’ll see you this evening.” He disconnected.

That Megan Jackson wouldn’t get the best of him. Luck had always been on his side. If she knew his identity, the cops would have already come sniffing around. But they hadn’t.

She was just like that ingrate Nisha. His blood boiled at the thought of the girl’s sheer gall. He’d brought her to this country, put a better roof over her head than she’d ever had. Ruth Ann had even taken her under her wing and let her do those silly crafts she wasted her time with. Stupid kid thought she had a talent for making jewelry just because a few of Ruth Ann’s snooty friends told her so. Wanted him to set her up in her own shop. Or else she’d tell Ruth Ann what he did to her.

As if she hadn’t flaunted her body in front of him night and day. Like she’d been completely innocent and hadn’t come on to him.

Now that he’d taken care of Nisha, this Megan woman had become a damned thorn in his side. She deserved whatever he dished out. He’d be sure not to let anything stop him next time. But taunting her was so easy. He was enjoying watching her fear.

Truth was, he could have fun with a hot piece of ass like that. Fuck her good and hard before he killed her, make her blow him too. His cock hardened at the image of her on her knees, begging for her life.

Instead of taking the turn onto State Road 35, he made a U-turn and headed back to the interstate. That truck-stop titty bar twenty miles west toward Pensacola employed a few girls who’d do just about anything for a fifty. After all he’d been through today, he deserved a treat.

Just knowing he’d get his rocks off soon eased the tight knot between his shoulders. He needed a blow so bad his cock ached. Harvey had better find him a girl and get her here soon. He couldn’t go much longer without a steady fuck.

Maybe Ruth Ann would… Nah. The thought of screwing her turned his stomach. Bad enough he had to do it on her birthday and their anniversary. If she weren’t such a prude, he never would have had to resort to banging the help. What was the big deal about letting him put his cock in her mouth?

His cell phone rang, and he hoped it wasn’t her again. He grinned at his client’s name on the display. “How are you, Rick?”

“Good, good. Listen, John, when do you plan to get that…cargo in?”

“My brother is overseas right now. I think he’s located what you’re looking for.”

“I sure as hell hope so. And you…uh…guarantee the merchandise, right?”

“Guarantee it? How could I do that?” What did the guy want, blood?

“I mean that it’ll be here, be…attractive.”

“We’ll do the best we can, Rick. That’s all I can promise.” But first pick was his.

“Okay. I just hope it’s soon.”

“Working on it. I’ll call you when it arrives.” He snapped the phone shut. Asshole. Shaking his head, he pulled into the rest stop and drew a relieved breath at the flashing neon Open sign over Girls, Girls, Girls.

He popped a mint into his mouth, then headed for the door. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dark, a stark contrast to the midday sun.

The place was practically empty except for a burly male bartender and a couple of nearly naked girls standing at the far end of the bar. A lone customer sat at a table by the stage with a half-drained pitcher of beer. The guy looked like a truck driver and probably belonged to the rig he’d noticed on the outskirts of the parking lot.

Blaring music pounded, and one of the girls swayed in rhythm to the beat. He fixed his gaze on her swaying hips, but she was as blonde and pale as his bitch of a wife.

The bartender ambled toward him. “What can I get you?”

John sat on a high stool midway along the bar. “Whatever you’ve got on tap.”

The blonde sashayed toward the stage. He turned his seat to watch her but glanced at the other girl. She wore a glittery silver G-string and shoes that looked like silver stilts. Maybe that was why she held on to the edge of the bar. He grinned at the thought of her taking a step only to fall flat on her ass.

She met his stare and smiled. Her hair was short but dark, and her skin was the color of the muddy pond behind his parents’ old place. If only her hair were longer, there might be enough for him to grab. Her tits were small, but that didn’t bother him.

Regardless of what they said, women liked it rough. They wanted a man to yank on their hair and bite their nipples, fuck them in the ass every once in a while. Not that he’d ever fuck a whore in the ass. Hell no. All he wanted from them was head.

Lights started flashing, and the song changed. The girl onstage swayed to the music, but her heart wasn’t in it. And why would it be? He didn’t blame her for not trying very hard, since her audience was just the drunk trucker and him.

The bartender set down a mug of beer. “Want to run a tab?”

John took out his wallet and pulled out a twenty. “Nope, just having this one.” He set the bill on the bar. “Keep it.”

The man snatched it quicker than he could blink.

He sipped his beer, then started over to the dark-haired girl. As he neared her, he realized she was Asian. Maybe a mix of that and Latin. His cock stirred. “Always this dead here during the day?”

She shrugged but took a step closer, wobbling on her ridiculous shoes. “Depends. Weekends are pretty good.”

She smelled of stale cigarettes and cheap perfume. Her gaze slid over him. “You an undertaker or something?”

He glanced down at his clothes. Probably should have changed out of the solid black getup. “Something like that. I guess you’re not making any money when it’s like this, huh?”

She moved closer. “I try to make the most of my time here.” She slid a finger over his arm and met his stare.

“How much?”

He didn’t miss the subtle wink she threw the bartender.

“Fifty for me, thirty for Joe.” She gestured toward the bartender.

He nearly choked on a sip of beer. He set his glass down and smiled. “I’m not asking for your firstborn, honey.” He knew a twenty-dollar whore when he saw one.

Her smile faded. “What do you want?”

“Just a blow.”

She huffed, then looked up at him. “Fine. Thirty for me and twenty for him. Show him your license so he knows you’re not a cop.”

He shook his head. “Sorry. Ain’t happening. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

Without another word, she held out her hand. He pulled the bills from his wallet, folded them and slipped them into her G-string.

She plucked them out and handed the money to the bartender. Then she clomped past him, crooking her finger. He followed her through a black door into a dimly lit room. An ancient couch and a desk chair were the only furniture.

She pointed to the couch that might have been green once upon a time. Then she teetered over to a dresser and took out a condom packet. “Take everything off. I want to see what I’ve bought.” He sat, and she stepped out of her shoes, then rolled her G-string down her legs and kicked it away. His cock hardened at the sight of her shaved pussy. “Come here.”

She moved closer, and he tugged on her nipples. Despite the curses she muttered, he knew she was enjoying it. “Open my pants,” he ordered her.

She knelt on the floor and unzipped his fly. His dick was good and hard. The girl tore open the condom packet and rolled it onto his erection. He hated that they always used a condom. Fucking faggots and their AIDS plague had ruined sex for everyone.

She wasted no time sucking his cock into her mouth. He shut his eyes and pictured Megan’s face. She’d beg him to spare her, promise to do anything, and he’d assure her he’d spare her if she sucked him just right.

She licked him like her life depended on it, swirling her tongue over his shaft, sucking on his balls. He pictured her head bobbing over his cock when he spurted his juice into her throat.

Yeah, he had to get her alone next time, make sure her boyfriend wasn’t in a position to jump to her rescue. He’d have his way with her, then shut her up for good.

***

Will followed Megan to her office and waited while she ran inside to pick up a key to an empty cottage. While he waited, he phoned Ed and told him he’d be taking a few days off to keep Megan safe.

“I told you she’d have you whipped in no time.”

He stiffened. “Like you’re one to talk.”

Ed let out a deep belly laugh. “You’ve got big balls, Will, but you’re right. I’m the voice of fucking experience. And I’m telling you, stop and get the hell out while you can. It’ll only get worse. She’ll be leading you around by your dick any day now. Take my advice, kid. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

He rolled his eyes. This was the last thing he wanted to discuss with Ed. “Listen, I need a favor.”

“Another one?” Ed chuckled.

“Tell you what. I’ll pay for your services, just like any other client. But I need you to watch Megan’s house for me. My buddy at the sheriff’s office is processing the crime scene at the vacant house where Megan was attacked. But the SO doesn’t have the manpower or the inclination to do a stakeout to flush this guy out. I have to be here for Megan, or else I’d do it myself.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please, Ed. You’re the only person I trust for this. I know he’s going to make a play for her again. I can feel it in my bones.”

“You think so, huh?”

He glanced at Megan through the window and nodded. “You know that cop instinct you told me about when I first started at the SO? Like when your whole body stands on alert ’cause you know something’s about to go down?”

“That’s just your libido, kid. You’re so fucking pussy-whipped that it’s affecting your instincts. Don’t come cryin’ to me when she breaks your heart in a million pieces.”

“I’m serious. This guy isn’t going to quit until he kills her.”

“Yeah, okay. Just because I like you. Maybe if I catch this asshole, you’ll stop thinking with your dick and get your ass back to work.”

Doubtful. “Okay, buddy. I appreciate it.” He gave Ed Megan’s address and the rest of the pertinent details, then hung up as she opened the passenger door. The bruise on her neck had turned a light purplish color. His chest tightened at the visceral reminder of how close he’d come to losing her.

She sat beside him, then fastened her seat belt. “Ready?”

He nodded, afraid his voice might fail him.

“What’s wrong?”

He reined in his expression. “Just lost in thought, sorry.”

“Don’t you need to pick up a few things from your apartment?”

He started the truck, then steered onto the street. “Just a quick stop at a convenience store for a toothbrush and a razor. I always carry extra clothes in my vehicle.”

Her eyebrows snapped together.

“Work stuff. Don’t ask.”

She shrugged, then settled in. “The cottage is on the south shore of the lake, just past the country club.”

He held his breath a few seconds at the mention of the place his parents had taken them the night of their last date.

Her expression darkened, and she turned away.

He skimmed a finger over her cheek, and much to his relief, she leaned into his touch. Sliding closer, he drew her into his arms.

Megan tried to convince herself Will’s embrace didn’t feel so perfect, that she’d feel as safe with someone else. Only she knew better. The attack this morning had shaken her to her core, and no one could make her feel safer than Will. No one else could restore her spirit. But the memory of that awful night at the country club reminded her the cards were stacked against them. She should back out now and save them both further pain.

How could she make him believe she didn’t want to see him anymore when she couldn’t persuade herself? The notion of being without him made her heart ache. She gathered all her courage. Will deserved to know the real reason she’d ended their relationship But it would be kinder to blame her grandmother than to admit his mother had had a hand in their breakup.

“I’m sure you know Gram wasn’t fond of the idea of us being together.”

He shrugged. “With time she’d have grown to love me. Everyone does.” A playful grin lifted one corner of his mouth.

She couldn’t help but laugh, but too quickly, she recalled the seriousness of the discussion. “She’s lived through an awful lot of hardship and prejudice. After my mother died, Gram didn’t hesitate to step into that role. I once asked her why she didn’t let me go live with my dad.”

“I didn’t know you ever had that option.”

“Gram never even considered it. She saw him for what he was—a liar and a cheat. Somewhere along the line she lumped every white man into that category.”

“I tried my best to make her like me.” The hurt in his eyes broke her heart.

She squeezed his thigh. “It was her, not you. She has a particularly deep distrust of…” She sighed.

“Of rich white folks?”

She longed to tell Will about her conversation with his mother, to explain the pressure to end things had come from his family too, not just hers. But what was the point?

“I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of us being together.” He rubbed her thigh.

As long as her life was stuck in this precarious limbo, she had no choice but to stay near him. Why shouldn’t they indulge in the pleasure they drew from each other? As long as she remembered it was only for now. She couldn’t give him hope it would ever be more.

Will drove the rest of the way a few miles over the speed limit. And that was fine with her. If she didn’t touch him soon, she’d explode. He whistled when they turned into the circular drive. The cottage resembled a storybook house complete with flowerboxes beneath the windows and a wraparound porch with an old-fashioned wooden swing. She could have picked a property that wasn’t quite so romantic. But deep inside, she’d wanted the mystique of this place that resembled her vision of a honeymoon cabin.

She couldn’t wait to show him the best part—the large deck overlooking the lake. Anticipation lifted her mood. Then she remembered why they had to stay here, and her shoulders sank with the weight. “Will, do you think the cops will find the man who attacked me soon?”

He stiffened. “I don’t know. But I’ve asked my boss to help out. Ed was in law enforcement for more than twenty-five years. I’d trust him with my life.”

Satisfied with his answer, she opened the car door, then headed to the cottage. Scanning the surrounding area, Will followed her. And he insisted on entering each room before her and checking the closets, windows and doors.

She showed him the back deck, but he didn’t have the expected reaction. Instead of gaping at the beautiful view or the hot tub, he narrowed his gaze as it swept over the landscape.

Drawing in a breath of pine-scented air, she took in the graceful oaks draped with ragged curtains of Spanish moss and the tall pines dotting the shore. The only sounds were the cries of birds and the whisper of the breeze. “No one knows we’re here, Will.” She sank onto a deck chair.

“Let’s keep it that way. Don’t tell anyone.” He shot her a warning look, and she knew he was referring to Betsy.

“I should call Gram. She’ll worry if she tries to reach me at the office and at home and can’t.” She reached into her purse for her cell, but Will closed his hand over her wrist. “Can you do that later?”

She looked into his eyes and understood. He wanted some time for just the two of them. She dropped her phone into her bag. “Of course.”

He pulled her up, held her to him. “If you’re up to it, I want to make love to you. Nearly losing you—” he shuddered a breath, “—it scared the shit out of me.”

She wrapped her arms around him, felt the hard muscles along his sides and back. A ribbon of desire uncoiled inside her. He slid his hands over her hips, cupped her buttocks and forced her closer, close enough to press his erection against her stomach.

“Inside. Now.” He opened the French doors and pointed into the house.

She grabbed her purse and hurried in, her pulse racing. Will came up behind her, grasped her arm and spun her around to face him. His eyes, darker than sin, left no doubt as to his intentions. He yanked her bag from her hand and tossed it onto the couch. Then he circled his arms around her and roughly crushed her to his chest. “I want you,” he murmured next to her ear.

His hot breath gusted on her neck and raised goose bumps that sprawled from her shoulders down her arms. Passion elevated her awareness. The air in the room crackled with erotic energy. He took her mouth and hungrily sucked on her tongue. She couldn’t get enough of his cinnamon taste, so familiar and sweet. He yanked at the hem of her shirt, freeing it from her pants. Then he slid his hands underneath, on her skin, where they belonged. His calloused fingers glided up her back and along her sides.

The lush sensation made her temperature spike and her nipples peak. Will stepped toward her, forcing her to take a half step backward and brace herself against the wall. He lifted her shirt over her head and cast it away. He caught her breast in his hand, kneaded and massaged it, tweaked the pebbled point, still covered by her bra.

Megan gave over to his control, a welcome break. Being the boss at the office, taking charge of Gram’s care, she was always the one who ran things. But not now. Never with Will.

He pushed her bra straps off her shoulders, then peeled down the lace cups. He sucked on her nipple, sending the most delicious zing of pleasure through her body. Need quickened her blood. He scraped his teeth over her sensitive flesh and rounded her areola with his velvet tongue. Moisture pooled between her legs.

Will unbuttoned her pants and lowered the zipper. Then he slipped a hand down her pants, inside her panties. She squirmed to dissipate the heat searing her sex. A savage yearning curled around her senses.

He licked the valley between her breasts and kissed a sensual trail up to the hollow of her neck and across her shoulder. There was something so tender about his touch, almost reverent. It sparked a place inside her where her emotions lived. She’d never allowed another man in that deep.

She let out a low moan as he slid a finger along her drenched folds, over her swollen nub. Her hips started rocking of their own accord, urging him deeper into her cream-slicked pussy. He rubbed over her cleft, just the way she loved, exactly how she needed it. Right from the start it had been as if he read her mind, instinctively knew how to please her.

Like we were meant to be together.

When his fingers slipped inside her, she gasped, overwhelmed by the intensity of her longing. She grasped his shoulders, afraid her legs wouldn’t support her much longer. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her slow and deep. The movement of his tongue mirrored that of his finger inside her.

He stroked and caressed and tantalized, dragged her closer and closer to the edge. With his thumb, he rubbed over her clit until she detonated in a white-hot burst. Ecstasy consumed every cell in her body. The climax snatched her breath away and weakened her knees as delicious waves continued to roll through her.

Will captured her gaze and held it as her pleasure pulsed on and on. The love in those green eyes both thrilled and frightened her.

When her orgasm finally released her, she hung on to Will for support. He cupped her mound, then withdrew his hand and ran it over her back and up her side. She leaned against the wall and waited for her heart to slow its pace.

Reaching to the large bulge in his pants, she traced the outline of Will’s hard-on. He shut his eyes and growled from deep inside his chest. He had always been such a generous lover. He never asked her to do anything for him, but rather, he seemed perfectly content to get her off.

But she longed to share the intense gratification he gave so freely. She raked her nails over his denim-covered cock, earning a moan. Giving his chest a shove, she grinned. “Sit on the couch.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“Please.”

When he did, she followed and knelt in front of him. Meeting his stare, she grasped his belt buckle and opened it.

Will’s sexy mouth curled in a wicked grin. “I should have put you in protective custody a long time ago.”

“Is that what you call this?” She opened the snap on his fly, then eased the zipper lower.

“I call it a slice of heaven.” He lifted his rear end off the cushion.

She undid his jeans, lowered them to midthigh. His shaft tented his silky black boxer shorts. She slid a finger along the contours and smiled when Will’s breath hitched. “You like that, big boy?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Giving him back some of the amazing pleasure he gave her meant everything to her. She grasped the waistband and carefully shucked his shorts to give herself full access to all of him. His erection sprang free. She splayed her fingers over his taut flesh and cupped his balls. Grasping the base, she teased her tongue over the crown, then retreated.

Will gripped the armrest. She went back for another quick pass with her tongue. “Mmm.” She licked up a pearl of his seed that had gathered at the slit. His familiar salty taste stirred her desire. But more than her gratification, she yearned to treat him, to shower him in earthly delights. He’d done so much for her, even after she’d broken his heart.

And broke my own in the process.

She closed her mouth over the head and swirled her tongue around it. Will rewarded her with a satisfied gasp. He dragged his fingers along her scalp and grabbed fistfuls of her hair. She took him deeper, flicked her tongue along the shaft and scraped her teeth lightly over his skin.

“Oh God, Megan. Yes.”

She increased the pressure and slid his cock as far back inside her mouth as she could take it.

Will cradled her cheek in his hand. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him.

“Come here,” he said softly. “Your beautiful face is all I want to see when I come.”

Joyful warmth wrapped around her.

Licking her lips, she stood, lowered her pants and kicked them away. Then she found her purse and rifled inside for a condom.

Will shed the rest of his clothes too. He spread his shirt on the cushion, then sat on it. “Get on my lap, baby.”

She handed him the condom and watched him sheathe himself. He extended a hand to her. When she took it, he pulled her onto his thighs so she straddled him. He met her stare, and her desire was mirrored in his eyes. But more than that, the depth of his love was evident.

He grasped her upper arms and drew her against him. Erotic need ricocheted between them, searing her flesh. She rested her head on his shoulder and memorized the feel of his hands moving up and down her back, his manly scent. After a long moment she shifted away and subtly rocked her hips over him, sliding her wet sex along his length, inch by inch.

He held her hips and lifted her onto his phallus. She held her breath as his cock pushed past her entrance and stretched its way inside her. Will gripped her buttocks and directed her movement.

She took him deeper, a little at a time, never releasing his gaze. Sparks flared between them, hot and intense. She clenched around him, rode him slow, savoring every sensual nuance.

His every touch felt warmer than the sun’s kiss. She fell into a blissfully hypnotic state where nothing could harm her and nothing could ever go wrong. She hooked her fingers together behind his neck.

God help me. I love this man.

Will’s hips pistoned faster. She arched against his driving thrusts, met his tempo. Her pleasure ramped up, and her universe shrank to this house, this room, this man.

She bit back a gasp as she neared her precipice. So close, she threw her head back and surrendered to the rhapsody. Her whole body shuddered and shook at the sensations flooding through her. The shock waves gradually eased, but the euphoria remained.

Will let out a long, low growl, so familiar and yet somehow more satisfying to hear every time. His face flushed with blood, and the muscles in his neck corded. She clenched around him, milking every drop of seed from him as he panted and gasped and, finally, stilled. Sticky with sweat, she leaned against him, settled her head on his shoulder and listened to his pounding heart.

None of this was real. She couldn’t allow it to continue after they left here. But for now at least she’d pretend this blissful interlude was forever.

Unfortunately the reason they were there was constantly on her mind. She rolled off him and met his stare. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

“I have a question. Did you ever find anything out about the earring I found?”

“I went to a few jewelry stores, but they all said it looked like a hand-crafted item, maybe something the woman bought at a craft fair.”

He stroked a finger along her arm. “Anyone could have dropped that earring, Megan. You don’t know that it came from the victim.”

“Maybe there’s a fingerprint on it.”

His lips flattened. “Yeah, yours. And maybe mine. Besides, her fingerprints would have to be in AFIS for us to find her.”

“AFIS?”

“Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a huge database of fingerprints used by law enforcement agencies.”

“Oh.” Her cell rang, and she started to go fetch her purse.

Will closed his hand around her arm. “Ignore it.”

“I can’t. I gave Betsy instructions not to call unless it was an emergency.” She shot off the couch and retrieved her phone. Too late. She checked her missed calls. The nursing home. They hardly ever called unless there was a problem. She dressed in a hurry.

Sitting on an overstuffed chair, she dialed the number and asked to speak to Mrs. Brooks.

Will headed into the bathroom.

“Hello, Miss Jackson. I’m so sorry to disturb you.”

The angst in the woman’s voice instantly heightened her fear. “Is something wrong?”

“Well, we seem to have lost your grandmother, but I’m sure she’s just playing hide-and-go-seek with the staff.”

All the air sucked out of Megan’s lungs. “Oh my God. How could this have happened?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing. I know the staff will find her any moment, but I wanted to apprise you of the situation.”

She held a hand to her chest and thought of what Gram had told her.

“A big man. White, like your daddy. He had dark hair and broad shoulders. Told me he’d take me away if I wanted. On a real vacation, like Niagara Falls.”

“I spoke to Patty yesterday after Gram told me a white man was going to take her on a trip. She said he climbed over the hedges to get to her.” Her mouth grew dry. What if that monster had Gram?

The woman coughed loudly. “I’m sure that’s not it, Miss Jackson. We have excellent security here.”

“Really? Then why can’t you tell me where my grandmother is?” Her heart thundered wildly as tension stormed through her.

“We’re doing everything in our power—”

“Have you called the police?”

“I don’t think we’re at that point yet, but if she isn’t found soon, of course we’ll contact them.”

Megan snapped her phone shut. She had to be there, had to help find Gram. She prayed the killer hadn’t snatched Gram away. If he hurt her, it would be all Megan’s fault.

Tension tightened between her shoulders. She tossed her phone into her purse and rubbed the bridge of her nose. A monster headache was coming on fast.

“What’s going on?” Will asked.

“Gram is missing. I have to go there.”

He looked at her as if she had two heads. “You’re in hiding here, baby. We can’t just leave when we feel like it.”

She fisted her hands in frustration. “My grandmother is missing, Will. What do you expect me to do, sit here while she could be in grave danger?”

His expression softened. “I’m sorry. You’re right. But can we take this slower? Tell me what’s happened. Who was on the phone?”

She tried to stay calm as she recapped the call.

When she’d finished, Will nodded. “Okay. But let’s wait awhile before we go there. Give them a chance to find her. It’s probably nothing. We used to get calls like that when I was a rookie at the SO. Nine times out of ten they found the person within an hour.”

Didn’t he care at all? “She could be in that maniac’s hands right this very moment.”

When her cell rang, she answered as she stared into Will’s eyes. He did care. She could see it in the lines etched on his face.

“Miss Jackson? This is Mrs. Brooks again.”

“Yes?” Megan held her breath.

“Your grandmother is fine. She was in the garden all along.”

She gave Will a thumbs-up. “Thank God. So she’s okay?”

“Well, yes.”

The hesitation in the other woman’s voice unnerved her. “You don’t sound sure.”

“I think we should discuss her mental acuity with the doctor.”

“I agree. Gram’s not been herself lately,” Megan said.

“I’ll let him know when he makes rounds tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” She shut her phone and held it, replaying the conversation in her head.

“What is it?” Will placed a comforting hand on her knee.

“I’m not sure. Something doesn’t feel right.” She leaned against his chest. When all this was over, she would spend more time with Gram. She owed it to her.

Chapter Eight

John Jarity woke in his desk chair. The remnants of a bottle of whiskey sat next to the computer, accusing him. His stomach and head ached. Shouldn’t have had so much on an empty stomach. Was that his head ringing?

Shaking off sleep, he realized it was his cell. Harvey. “Pretty fucking early in the morning to be calling, bro.” He checked his watch. Five-forty. Midafternoon in Sri Lanka.

“I figured you’d want to hear some good news.”

He rubbed his eyes. “What you got?”

“Three sisters. The mom wants a million rupees for all of them. I think we should do it.”

John mentally calculated the exchange rate. About nine thousand bucks. And he could sell the two he didn’t want for fifty grand apiece. Less the three thousand for the paperwork to get the girls into the country, they’d still make a tidy profit. “Do it. Just make sure the documents are solid.”

“I know how to do this, John. I’ve managed to get five others in, haven’t I?”

If Harvey were here, he’d clock him for that sarcastic tone. But he needed his brother to get the women here without incident. “Okay. Call me when you clear customs in Miami.”

“This is the last time. We make enough without taking this kind of chance.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine.” When he returned, Harvey would have to be taught a lesson. He snapped his phone shut, then rubbed his eyes. The sound of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen caught his attention. Gritting his teeth, he strode through the house and found Ruth Ann at the stove.

The morning light wasn’t kind to her wrinkled face. Avoiding a direct stare, he crossed the room to the coffeemaker. “Morning.”

“Did you work all night again? For heaven’s sake, John.”

He sat at the table and inhaled his first cup. Ruth Ann set a plate of burned toast and practically raw eggs in front of him. Thank God Harvey was bringing him a girl. He needed her for more than just his carnal urges. His damn wife was inept at every household chore. After a few bites, he pushed up from the table.

“Aren’t you going to finish your breakfast?”

“Sorry, honey. Stomach’s upset. I have a few calls to make. Please don’t disturb me.” He ignored her indignant huffs as he left the room.

Back in the study, he phoned someone who’d expressed an interest in one of his foreign ventures. “Rick, John Jarity here. I think I’ve found the answer to your problems.”

***

Ed Dawkins checked his cell, and his pulse instantly sped up. It always did when Veronica phoned. She still made him crazy, both with love and with anguish. “Hiya, gorgeous.”

“Eddie, that awful man called. We have to do something. He isn’t playing around.” The fear in her voice went straight to his gut.

“Slow down, kitten. Tell me what you’re talking about.”

“The guy from the casino. Mr. Morgan. He says if I know what’s good for me, I’ll pay the money like yesterday.”

The jelly doughnut he’d just eaten roiled in his stomach. He pulled a bottle of antacid from his desk drawer. “Did you get his number? Maybe if I talk to him—”

“No! He said he’d call me tomorrow. And I’d better have the money by then, or he’ll come down here to get it himself.” She started crying.

He took a swig of antacid. Setting it down hard on the metal desk, he shivered at the chalky taste. “Please don’t cry. I hate it when you cry.”

“But I’m scared, Eddie. What are we gonna do?”

He ticked off a mental list of his accounts receivable. His two biggest clients had outstanding bills due in the next couple of days. “We’ll get a cash advance on one of the credit cards. Coral Gables Savings. That one has the lowest rate.”

“Oh, Eddie Bear. You literally saved my life.” More crying.

“Don’t, kitten, please.”

“I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful man like you. What did I do to deserve you?” She sniffled loudly.

Despite himself, he grinned. “It’s not what you did, but what you’ll do tonight when I get home.”

After a long pause, she said, “Oh. I get it. Sure. I’ll think of something fun. Gotta run now.”

He disconnected and shoved the bottle of antacid back into his drawer. Checking his calendar, he groaned. He’d promised to keep an eye on Will’s girl’s house today. Pushing away from the desk, he grabbed the slip of paper where he’d scrawled the address. He headed to his car, anticipating a long, boring day. No problem. Will had insisted on paying for the time. So he would.

He arrived at the site in less than ten minutes. Scanning the area, he found a perfect spot to park under the shade of a sprawling oak tree. He reclined his seat and yawned. Worry over his financial situation had kept him from getting much sleep the past few nights. Veronica, however, had slept beside him like a carefree angel.

He opened the cooler on the seat next to him and took out the iced latte he’d picked up on the way over. A strong blast of caffeine would do him good. After downing half the drink, he settled in.

Less than an hour later he noticed a black SUV driving slowly past the house. Hadn’t Will mentioned that a similar vehicle had run the girl off the road yesterday? He picked up his tablet and checked his notes.

Yep. Black SUV. He raised his binoculars and copied the tag number. The SUV parked in a vacant lot a few houses down. A dark-haired man climbed out, looked around, then headed to Megan’s house.

Ed reached for his camera, then zoomed in before snapping a few shots, but he was at the wrong angle to capture the guy’s face. The man circled the house and disappeared. Ed checked his weapon and set his phone to silent. He eased his car door open and got out, quietly as he could. Seconds later, when a sanitation truck rolled into the neighborhood, he shoved his door closed, grateful for the noise.

He started after the man, keeping his eyes and ears focused. The grass muted his footsteps as he rounded the wood-framed building. He stayed close to the wall and fingered his gun, ready to draw it without hesitation.

A dark figure came into view. Definitely the same guy from the SUV, only now he was wearing a black ski mask. Ed drew his weapon and crept closer. The man had his hands cupped over a window. No denying he was up to no good.

Ed lifted his gun higher and took another step closer. The outline of what might be a pocketknife protruded from the man’s back pocket. “Put your hands in the air,” he commanded in his deepest cop voice. “My gun’s trained on your head, and I have a twitchy trigger finger.”

The man didn’t move.

“Now!”

Slowly the man raised his arms in the air. Ed eliminated the distance between them, then pulled the knife from the guy’s pocket. He shoved it into his jacket. Then he yanked off the ski mask and threw it on the ground before taking a step back. “Now turn around. Real easy.”

But the man didn’t budge. “I don’t remember hearing you say you were a cop.”

Something about the man’s voice sounded familiar. Probably just his imagination. “Nope. You didn’t. But it doesn’t look like you’re in any position to split hairs, if you know what I mean. Now turn the fuck around.”

“I’m a rich man. I assume you’re a neighborhood-watch volunteer or a security guard. I’m willing to pay you well, in cash, if you walk away and pretend this never happened.”

Ed snickered. “Funny. I haven’t encountered a whole lot of rich thieves. ’Course, I have met my share of politicians, so maybe that’s not entirely true. Face me before I blow your head off.”

The man turned around, and Ed gasped.

***

Will slid closer to Megan on the bed and drew in a breath of her vanilla scent. He snuggled against her back and set his arm on her hip. The contours of her body fit so perfectly with his. She squirmed closer, and his cock stirred.

I’m completely hopeless.

They’d made love less than an hour ago, and already he wanted her again. He reached for her breast, which fit his hand as if they were two pieces of the same puzzle. But if she’d seen it that way, she never would have left him. He had no right to think about forever. She needed a man who could always protect her.

Her breath hitched when he lightly pinched her nipple. “I thought we were taking a nap.”

He held back a laugh. “Who said that?”

“You did.”

“Oh yeah.” He strummed her peaked point.

She wriggled against him. “Will!”

He kissed the skin behind her ear. “I didn’t hear a no.”

A soft chuckle.

“Since there are apparently no objections, I move that we mess around again.” He rolled her onto her back and hovered over her on his hands and knees. His pulse quickened with need as he stared down at her luscious body—that flawless caramel skin and those sparkling amber eyes, the ripe breasts with nipples as stiff as pencil erasers. He lowered his head and plucked one, circled his tongue around it.

She arched her back and moaned. God, he yearned to hear that sound every day for the rest of his life. He laved her breast, savored the irresistible salty-sweet taste of her skin. For so long he’d dreamed about her body, sure he’d never touch it again. He ought to memorize every inch of her.

He trailed kisses along her breastbone, over her shoulder and her neck and up to her cheek. Then he brushed his lips over hers. She opened her mouth to him, and he feasted on her tongue.

She parted her legs almost imperceptibly, but he noticed. He stroked his hand down her belly and rested it on her mound. She sighed into his mouth and lifted her hips higher, seeking his touch.

He broke the kiss, and she opened her eyes, silently questioning him. “Tell me what it is you want.” More than anything, he yearned to please her.

A rosy flush crept up her neck and over her face. She averted her gaze.

“Say it.”

She chewed at the corner of her lips. Was she purposely avoiding his eyes?

“Megan.”

Finally she looked at him.

“What do you want me to do?” He moved his hand away, and she whimpered.

She’d always been shy about such requests, but the few times he’d made her say them aloud, he could tell she found it as hot as he did.

“Well?”

“I want you to touch me.” She pursed her lips.

He moved onto his side and propped himself on one elbow. “Show me how.”

She widened her eyes and gulped. “You mean…”

He nodded, took her wrist and set her hand on the dark thatch of hair between her legs. “Show me what feels good.”

She hesitated at first, then slowly started rubbing herself. Her hips rocked, and she shut her eyes. He watched her intently, enthralled with the incredibly erotic view.

She slid her fingers along her pussy, gyrated her pelvis. Her movements gradually sped up. He shifted to get a better view. If memory served him, she loved for him to eat her after she came. He intended to please her in every way he could.

Her moans grew louder, hungrier. When her climax came, she cried out in familiar strains. Before she could recover, he settled his hands on her inner thighs and dragged his tongue along her furls, tasting her thick cream. She bucked and sighed. He licked her swollen nub, and she gasped. Holding on to her legs, he tested her entrance and found it slick with her juices. He drove his tongue deep.

Megan plowed her fingers through his hair as she twisted and shouted her delight, as if her orgasm had never ended or had started all over again.

His cock was so hard, so heavy with need. He needed to fuck her. He raised his head and captured her gaze. “Tell me how you want it, baby.”

“Hard. I want you to fuck me hard. Right now.” She reached to the nightstand for a condom. The second he’d sheathed himself, he rolled her onto her stomach. She lifted onto her hands and knees. He grinned into the mirror over the headboard. Gave him a great view of her face, as well as the rest of her.

He looked at her engorged bud—a flower for him to pluck—and couldn’t resist one last lick. She quivered and gasped. He couldn’t wait to slide into her drenched pussy. Grasping her hips, he eased into her entrance.

Primitive lust filled him. He thrust deeper but restrained from stroking as hard as he wanted, so he didn’t hurt her.

Holy God, she felt so good and tight. She let go a deliciously desperate whimper and pushed against him—all the encouragement he needed. Surrendering to his desire, he pumped into her, fast and hard, digging his fingers into her skin.

Her cries grew louder, more demanding. He plunged deep inside her, buried himself to his balls. She contracted around him, squeezing his cock with blissful pressure.

Grabbing fistfuls of the sheets, she rocked against him and ground her hips into his. “Oh God, Will. That…feels…so good. I’m…I’m…coming.” Her screams filled the small room with electrifying carnal energy. She writhed in pleasure, quivering and shaking and moaning.

Her satisfaction was more of an aphrodisiac than anything he could have imagined. His balls tightened with building pressure, hotter and hotter. His control shredded, and he exploded in a blinding orgasm. Throbbing and pulsing with ecstasy, he stroked a few more times, then leaned over her back, completely spent and blissed out.

She squeezed him with her inner muscles, extending his pleasure with every contraction. He circled his arms around to cup her breasts. Strumming her erect nipples, he grinned when she shuddered. The musky scent of their lovemaking filled his head as he lay her on her back.

Kissing her skin, he tasted the salty sheen of sweat that slicked her entire body. He wished she were the woman he’d make love to for the rest of his life. But he loved her too much to trust himself with her future.

***

A shiver rolled over Ed’s skin when he came face-to-face with his best client. Heavy silence filled the steamy air. “What the fuck, John?”

The other man pointed to Ed’s gun. “Lower that damn thing, would you?”

“I don’t think so. You want to tell me what you’re doing before I call the cops?” Ed racked his brain to make sense of the scene. Why would someone like John Jarity break into Megan’s house? Jarity stared at the gun. “Can I at least put my arms down?”

Ed scratched his head. He thought about the business Jarity threw his way. Security guards for his pawnshops, gift stores and warehouses. Christ, the guy was his single biggest client. Without Jarity’s account, no way would he be able to make his bills. Not to mention all the extra cash he’d need to take care of Veronica’s debts.

He looked Jarity over. Could he possibly be the monster who’d come after Will’s girl? Reconciling the violent criminal with the man he’d known for more than five years seemed impossible. “You can lower your arms, but keep your hands where I can see ’em.”

Jarity put his arms at his sides. “Look, Ed, let’s discuss this.”

“Tell me you’re not the guy who tried to kill Megan Jackson.” Ed had never been a religious man, but he said a silent prayer that this was all some big misunderstanding. If he put Jarity away, it’d be like pounding a nail into his own coffin.

“Kill her? Shit, no.” His smile radiated about as much warmth as a witch’s tit.

“Then what the hell are you doing here?” He motioned toward the ski mask. “And why were you wearing that and peeking in her windows?”

Another chuckle. “It’s not what it looks like. Things are often not what they appear, don’t you think? Like your wife, Veronica.”

Ed’s blood ran cold. He held his breath a moment, trying to figure out why Jarity had mentioned Veronica, how he’d even known her name. Could she be having an affair with this piece of shit? No. No way. Veronica would never… Shit, he couldn’t even think such a thought without getting sick to his stomach.

He pointed his gun at Jarity’s crotch. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Jarity raised his hands in surrender. “No, no. Calm down. I can see in your eyes what you’re thinking. I only know her on a professional basis.”

“A professional basis?” He thought about Jarity’s various businesses. Maybe she’d been a customer in one of his gift shops. But Jarity never worked those stores himself.

“Yeah. She’s pawned jewelry, lots of it. Keeps coming in with more and more stuff. A diamond tennis bracelet, a cocktail ring with diamonds and sapphires.”

His throat closed. He’d given Veronica a tennis bracelet for her birthday in August and the cocktail ring for Valentine’s Day. “I happened to be there when she pawned the jewelry. I caught her name on the paperwork and asked if there was any relation. She said she was your wife, and she begged me not to tell you. I looked up her records and found she’d pawned a bunch of other stuff, mostly expensive jewelry. I’m sorry.” The mocking glint in his eyes didn’t jibe with the sympathy in his words. “Look, if you two have some financial problems, maybe I can help.”

No! I never took a bribe in twenty-five years of law enforcement. Never even considered it.

But what choice did he have? Jarity was a rich man. He could make all Veronica’s debts go away. He gritted his teeth. “What do you want, Jarity?”

That slimy smile widened. “Just a mutually beneficial agreement. One that will put a nice chunk of cash into your pocket.”

Ed holstered his weapon, then scrubbed a hand over his face. “I need a hundred grand.” Might as well start big.

Jarity didn’t flinch. “I can do that. But you’re going to have to do something for me.”

The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “Tell me something first. Was it you who murdered that young girl?”

“No. It wasn’t like that. It was an accident.”

Ed’s stomach turned. “An accident, huh?”

“I swear it was. She fell and hit her head. But she was an illegal who my brother brought into the country. She died instantly. Wasn’t like I could have saved her if I’d brought her to a hospital or anything. So why condemn my brother to prison time?” He took a step toward him, but Ed backed away.

He didn’t want to be any closer to the piece of shit than he had to.

“Look, I had problems with a woman. You can relate, right?”

Hot shame raced through his body. “Yeah, so what of it?”

“My point is, we all do things for pussy. Am I right?” Jarity set a hand on Ed’s shoulder, but he shook it off. “I give you a lot of business. Unless I’m wrong, I’m probably one of your biggest clients. And I want it to stay that way. I’m sure you do too.”

If Jarity pulled his business, it would put Ed’s firm under. Much as he hated to admit it, he needed the bastard.

“All I want is a small favor. I want to know where Megan is, because I don’t think she’s planning to come back here anytime soon, is she?”

He shook his head. “They’re staying at a rental cottage.” He couldn’t meet Jarity’s gaze or he’d be sick.

“Good, good. I’ll need an address.” He took a business card out of his pocket and flipped it over. “Got something to write with?”

Ed handed him a pen. “What are you going to do?”

“I just want to let her know she should keep her mouth shut. I swear that’s all. Trust me.” He grinned, all snake-oil charm.

Ed looked Jarity in the eyes, wondering if the guy was being truthful. His instincts were rarely wrong, but maybe this time they were. He hoped. “And you’ll give me the money and keep contracting my company’s services. With, say, a ten-percent increase.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Ed, but you’ve got yourself a deal.” He started to offer his hand but quickly dropped it. “How do I know you won’t screw me out of the money?” He didn’t trust Jarity any more than he would a twenty-dollar whore.

“I’m hurt. Give me a little credit. If I screw you, you go to the cops. I’m not a fool.”

Ed lifted an eyebrow. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

“Look, I’ve got about a thousand bucks on me. Would you accept it as a small down payment? It’ll take me a few days to gather the rest of the cash.”

“I want half of it by Monday. The rest by Wednesday.” He held out his hand. “Give me that thousand.”

Jarity took a diamond-studded bill clip from his pocket, then counted out nine hundred bucks and set it in Ed’s palm. “There’s one other thing.”

Did the asshole want his blood? “What?” He stashed the money in his jacket.

Jarity retrieved his ski mask and shoved it in his back pocket. “Just a question. Do you plan to confront your wife?” There was that smug grin again.

“Why do you want to know?” If that bastard made one crack about Veronica, he’d shoot his balls off.

“Just trying to do you a favor. I can have the manager at the pawnshop call me if she shows up again.”

The thought of keeping tabs on his wife twisted his insides into knots, but obviously Veronica was keeping secrets from him. And what the hell was she doing with the money she got from pawning her jewelry? “Yeah, sure.”

“We have a deal, then.” This time Jarity did offer his hand.

Reluctantly Ed shook it. Jarity’s skin was cold and clammy, exactly how he’d imagined. He’d have to break out that hand sanitizer he kept in the glove box. In fact, maybe he’d use the whole bottle. On second thought, he’d need a bathtub full of disinfectant to wipe the stench from his skin.

As Jarity walked away, Ed briefly contemplated shooting the son of a bitch in the back. Nah, not worth the bullet. He’d do the man’s dirty work, but he wouldn’t let him hurt anyone. He could never scrub something like that off his conscience.

***

Megan woke to her stomach’s demanding growl. Stretching her arm across the bed, she touched only the cool sheets. The room was dark but for the light spilling in from the hallway. She threw back the covers and shivered. She pulled on a sundress, then padded down the hall. She followed the tap, tap, tap noise of fingers on a keyboard and found Will in the living room hunched over his laptop.

Those sparkling green eyes met hers. “Hey.”

She climbed onto the couch beside him and folded her legs, Indian-style. Breathing in his scent, she recalled the massage Will had given her and all that came after. Smiling at the memory, she leaned her head on his bare shoulder and rested her hand on his denim-covered thigh. “What time is it?”

“A little after midnight.” He shut the computer and slipped his arm around her. “I’ve been doing some investigating.”

She straightened. “Investigating?” Curiosity niggled at her.

He twisted to face her. “I started thinking about the murder, about that vacant store. You said the responding officer checked both doors, and the locks hadn’t been tampered with, right?”

“Right.” She scrunched her brow. Where was he going with this?

“So obviously someone had a key. The company, Henderson Leasing, is owned by the family the street was named for. Specifically, Ruth Ann Henderson Jarity.”

Didn’t she serve on the city council or something?”

“A while ago. Maybe ten or eleven years back. But she lost her reelection bid because of some shady businesses her husband owned with his brother. Namely a topless bar in Pensacola and another near Gainesville. They sold the places, but it was too late.”

She gestured toward the computer. “You found all this out online?”

“Some of it. The Jaritys belong to my parents’ country club. I was away at school when the shit hit the fan, but I remember a Christmas party at the club when all the members were talking about it.”

She flinched at the mention of the country club as she recalled his mother’s angry rant. Shaking off the painful memory, she tried to pick up the thread of Will’s revelations. “So you know them?”

“Just by sight. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to any of them.” The way he eyed her told her there was more.

“What aren’t you telling me, Will?”

His lips flattened into a line. “I was searching the recent Jane Does in the state.”

“And?” Her pulse quickened.

“And a woman’s body was found that resembles the woman you described. She had on a pair of earrings that sound similar to the one you picked up behind the shop.”

She couldn’t hold back a gasp. “It could be her, Will.”

“Cops found this one three weeks ago.”

“But…then it can’t be her.”

“No, it can’t. Just one hell of a coincidence. I left a message for Ed to look into it from his end.”

A chill rolled over her skin. She sensed the brewing storm in the distance, moving closer every minute.

Chapter Nine

Will shuffled to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, then scanned the room for anything to make breakfast, but the cupboards were mostly bare. They’d eaten the few food items they’d brought from Megan’s place the day before. He returned to the bedroom, carrying a cup of coffee for Megan and one for himself.

“What?” She sat up.

“Nothing.” His stomach growled. “We need some food. I’m not half-bad in the kitchen, but I can’t make breakfast with no ingredients. Why don’t you throw on some clothes, and we’ll head to the convenience store up the road?”

She shook her head. “You go. I’ll stay here and clean up.”

“Not a chance.” He handed her a mug.

“Will, nobody knows we’re here. I’ll be fine for the few minutes you’re gone.” She sipped her coffee.

“I’ll just wait for you to get out of the shower.”

“You’re being ridiculous.” She threw back the sheets. “You want to keep me safe? Then you’d better feed me. Seriously, I’ll be fine.”

“Go get breakfast. And lock the door when you leave.”

After pressing a kiss to her lips, he headed out. Moments after he pulled onto the road, his cell rang. He answered, fearing Megan was having second thoughts.

“When was the last time you checked the answering machine at your apartment, pray tell? Have you even been there? Really, Will. Don’t you know I worry? I know, I know, you’re a grown-up, but a mother never stops worrying about her one and only son…” His mother’s voice made him inwardly groan.

He held the phone away from his ear until her rant was over. “Sorry. I’ve been busy.”

“Well, I hope you remember to show up tomorrow morning for your father’s birthday brunch at the club.”

Shit. He’d never hear the end of it if he missed it, but what choice did he have? “Look, Mom. I’m going to be tied up with…with a work thing, but I swear I’ll make it up to him. I’ll take you both to dinner when this is done.”

“What?” Her shrill shout instantly sent a stabbing pain to his forehead. “I’ve been planning this for weeks. Weeks. And you promised you’d be there. You can’t convince me Mr. Dawkins isn’t able to put someone else on the case. Your father’s going to be heartbroken if you’re not at his party.”

He was reasonably sure his father wouldn’t care. The man hated parties, especially when he was the guest of honor. “I’m sorry, but this is something I have to handle myself.”

“I insist you tell him to take you off the case.”

Why had he answered his phone? “Look, Mom, the case is…well, it’s personal. I’m staying with someone who’s in danger, and I can’t leave.”

“Personal? Are you in some sort of trouble? If you are, maybe we can help.”

He shut his eyes a moment. “I appreciate that, but this is something I have to handle myself.”

“Who is it?”

He wasn’t a child, so he refused to lie. “It’s Megan, actually.”

“Megan?” The distaste in her tone turned his stomach. “I should have known that girl would lead you to trouble. I told you that months ago, didn’t I? Did she get herself into some legal trouble? She’s not worth it. Whatever it is, she’s not worth it.”

He clenched his jaw. “Don’t talk about her like that. None of this is her fault, and that’s all I’m going to tell you.”

“So she’s more important than your father, hmm?”

“I didn’t realize I had to choose between them. Hey, you know what? I don’t. And until you understand that she’s part of my life, I’m not discussing her with you.”

She sputtered and huffed. His mother was rarely speechless, but he liked it.

“I have to go, Mom. I’ll come by to wish Dad a happy birthday after I get this situation under control. But don’t worry. I’ll be sure to call him on his birthday. Love you. Bye.” He disconnected, then shoved the phone into his pocket. Cutting his mother off like that wasn’t his style, but he absolutely would not tolerate her disrespecting Megan.

Megan stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Burying her face in it, she breathed in the fresh scent. She dried her skin, then wrapped the towel around her body. As she smoothed lotion on her legs, she picked up another scent.

Smoke?

Her first instinct was to reach for the doorknob, but tendrils of smoke curled beneath the door.

The piercing beep of the smoke detector sounded from another room. She touched the surface of the wood door and felt the heat. She dared not open it. Alarm stormed through her and kicked her into action.

Think.

There was only one other way out. She glanced at the tiny window in the shower stall and wondered if she could fit through it. She climbed into the tub and lifted the bottom panel. Definitely too small.

Heart pounding wildly, she picked up the toilet-tank lid, surprised at her strength. Praying for luck, she bashed the porcelain slab against the top pane making a decent-sized hole. She used the lid cover to clear the rest of the metal and glass. Smoke filled the tiny room. She held a washcloth over her mouth and nose, then climbed onto the ledge of the tub and crawled through the window. She fell to the ground outside, and broken glass cut into her calf and her arm.

This had to be the work of that sick bastard. Her anger flared. Picking up a shard of glass, she scanned the surrounding woods. “Where are you, you bastard?”

Will’s heart stuck in his throat when he pulled in front of the cabin. He wasn’t able to suck in a single breath until he found Megan around the side of the house. In that terrifying instant he knew he’d move mountains to keep her safe. He couldn’t walk away from her.

“I’m okay,” she called as he sprinted toward her.

Thank God. He phoned in the emergency, then crouched next to her. Her hair was wet, and she had a couple of cuts on her leg, but she was all right. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry I left you, baby. From now on you won’t be alone for a second until this bastard is behind bars.”

“How could he have found me, Will?” Her tears dripped onto his arm.

“I wish I knew.” As trembles racked her body, he tightened his embrace. The killer was ramping up his game. Next time they might not be so lucky. He prayed Ed would have some answers for them. Soon.

***

Bile burned in the back of Ed’s throat when he walked into his house.

I don’t want to do this.

Snooping through people’s belongings was what he did for clients who suspected their spouse was cheating. He’d never expected to have to resort to it with his own wife.

She’s keeping secrets from me.

And he had to know exactly what they were. Drawing a deep breath, he steeled himself for his task. “Hello? I’m home.”

Her purse lay on the counter. He reached inside and grabbed her cell phone, then stashed it in his jacket pocket.

He found the day’s mail on a table near the front door and shuffled through the envelopes. Three credit-card bills and two late notices. He clenched his jaw.

“I’m in here,” she called from the bedroom.

He headed in there.

Veronica stood before the three-way mirror, wearing a blue dress with the tags still attached. “I’m not sure if I like the way this makes my butt look. What do you think?”

When he read the tag, he nearly had a heart attack. How could she spend three hundred bucks on another dress when she already had a closet full?

“Honey, you look gorgeous in everything, but that’s not the most flattering style for you. Take it back. Where’d you buy it?”

“Trendsetter Alley.”

“Yeah? They’re having a big sale. Heard it on the radio on my way home.” He sat on the bed.

“You don’t mind if I go?”

He loosened his tie.

“What are you doing home so early?”

“Bad headache.” Which wasn’t a lie. “I’m gonna take a nap.” He kicked off his shoes and turned down the bed.

“Well, as long as you don’t mind, I’ll head to the mall.” She stripped off the dress and put on a pair of shorts with a short-sleeved sweater, then slipped into a pair of high sandals that made her legs look a mile long.

He didn’t even care. In more than thirty years of detective work, he’d always been careful not to assume someone was guilty just because evidence pointed that way. But it had never been this personal before. In his heart, he believed she was up to something. Question was—what?

He shut his eyes and pretended to go to sleep. Veronica left a few minutes later, but he waited until the garage door closed before climbing out of bed. He put his shoes back on, then switched into work mode.

The first places he looked were the obvious ones—her dresser and vanity drawers, the kitchen canisters, the stack of boxes on the floor of her closet. But nothing out of the ordinary turned up.

She was way smarter than she appeared, so he tried to get into her head, think like she would. She wouldn’t risk keeping cash—or any record of it—somewhere he might stumble on to it.

He scratched his head as he looked around their bedroom. She was tall, nearly his height, so chances were she kept things high rather than low.

He carried her vanity chair into the closet. Endless pairs of shoes and purses lined the high shelf. Most of the items looked familiar, except a couple of handbags at the back. He reached for a green one and examined it. Covered in a layer of dust, the only clean area was around the clasp. He opened it and peered inside. Wads of white tissue paper filled the inside, but he pushed it aside and found a zippered pocket.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, as he eased open the zipper and found a thick bundle of cash. He carefully removed it and counted out seven thousand bucks. After he’d replaced the money, he set the purse exactly as he’d found it, then moved on to the next one.

And the next.

By the time he was finished, he’d discovered more than thirty-eight thousand dollars and one box of condoms, but they hadn’t used protection since his vasectomy years ago. Struggling to hold himself together, he put the chair back, then sat on the edge of the bed.

Their bed.

The golf ball–sized lump in his throat refused to go down. He shouldn’t be surprised. How many times had people snickered when he took Veronica out in public? He’d ignored the snide glances and the whispered comments.

Why would a beautiful young woman like Veronica have anything to do with a guy like him? He was so in love with her that he’d convinced himself she felt the same way.

What a fucking fool I’ve been.

She probably had a fat bank account somewhere with more of the money she’d weaseled out of him, maybe even a young lover who laughed at the old fool who’d been gullible enough to believe she loved him.

He fished her phone out of his pocket and scrolled through the incoming-call log.

One of his clients had a cheating husband who’d assigned his girlfriends male names on his cell in case she checked. Maybe that was what Veronica had done. Why else would she have condoms hidden away?

There were no calls from Atlantic City. He picked up their bedside phone and hit the caller ID. Nothing there either.

The bitch had made it all up. Anger and hurt swirled inside him. Did she plan to leave him? The notion of being without her cut through him like a knife to the gut.

I can’t live without her.

But could he pretend everything was fine?

He paced the floor, clenching his hands at his sides. He wished to God he’d never walked into that topless club. She’d laughed at his corny jokes and told him how smart he was. The first time he’d fucked her he knew he’d never give her up. The sex was like a junkie’s first hit of heroin—there’d been no turning back.

She’d driven him deep into debt, deceived him and maybe cheated on him. Yet he still craved her, loved her. He needed her like water and air.

Damn her. Without her, he had no reason to live, nothing to look forward to.

God, I’m pathetic.

Even knowing she’d deceived him, knowing she’d played him like a lovesick fool, he’d do anything to keep her.

Anything.

***

Megan was self-conscious wearing Will’s T-shirt and a pair of drawstring shorts in front of the firemen, but her suitcase had been destroyed, and she’d had no choice but to put on the spare clothes from his truck.

Will pulled her aside and kept his voice low. “You didn’t let Betsy know where we’d be, did you?”

Megan crossed her arms. “Of course not, but she knows which units are occupied and if a key to a particular house is missing. Wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out.”

“Do you think she might have some connection to the murderer?”

“I can’t imagine that she’d do anything to hurt me.”

Will grasped her shoulders. “I want to test her. That okay?”

She didn’t care for the tactic, but they needed to learn how the killer kept finding out their whereabouts. “Go ahead.”

Will strode away and called Betsy. Minutes into the conversation he turned, and she read the answer on his face.

She gritted her teeth, but at least a tiny piece of the puzzle was solved.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Will started to slip his phone into his pocket, but she held out her hand and dialed the office.

She didn’t wait for the regular greeting. “It’s me, Betsy.”

“Hey. You don’t sound good. What’s going on?”

Will’s hand on the small of her back gave her the strength to do what she had to. “A man called a minute ago, and you told him where I was. Why?”

“Oh my God. Was that a freaking test? That’s so…underhanded.”

“I could have been killed today because you’re not capable of keeping your mouth shut.” Megan’s shoulders knotted. The silence was deafening.

“Why, Betsy?”

Betsy was crying. “I don’t know.”

“You had to have a reason. What is it?” Anger took more of a foothold in her heart.

“I’m sorry, Megan. Please forgive me. It wasn’t intentional.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Pack up your things. You’re fired.”

Betsy gasped. “What? But it was an honest mistake.”

“No, it wasn’t. I can’t have someone working for me who I don’t trust.”

The phone went dead. Will took it from her shaking hand.

“We have to go back to town. I shouldn’t leave her alone to pack her things. God knows what she’ll do.”

“Sorry. I’m not putting your life in further danger so you can make sure Betsy doesn’t swipe a stapler.”

“Will, that’s not what I mean. She might vandalize the place. Who knows?”

He took back his phone and placed a call.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling in another favor. I’ll get a uniform down there at your office to escort her out.”

Calm replaced her anxiety. “That’ll work. Thanks.”

After he talked a friend into the task, they got permission from a fireman and collected what was left of their things.

“What about the bungalow?” he asked as he loaded a plastic trash bag with their few remaining possessions into his truck.

“I’ll call my boss from the road and fill her in so she can contact the insurance company.” She climbed into the passenger seat.

He slid behind the wheel and rubbed his hand over her thigh. “Will you still be employed after that conversation?”

She nodded, but she couldn’t be sure. “We have a good relationship, and I’ve made the company a lot of money. She’ll understand why I decided to use one of our properties. Good thing the damage isn’t too extensive.”

“Thank God you’re fine.” He squeezed her leg. He started the engine. “One of the firemen told me they’re pretty sure this was arson. Lab tests will take a few days, though.”

“Had to be the murderer.”

“Who else? Unless you have another stalker you’re not telling me about.” She rubbed her upper arms. The dense brush surrounding part of the property could be hiding a killer. She slid closer to Will as he turned his truck around.

She covered his hand with hers. “Now what?”

He negotiated around the fire trucks, then steered toward the dirt road to the main street. “My folks have a little cabin outside the Ocala National Forest. It’s more than a hundred miles away, but we’ll be safe there. I’ll call Ed after we get to the cabin and let him know what’s happened. He had a couple of leads he was following up on. Maybe he’s closer to nailing this son of a bitch. At least there’s someone I can trust.”

***

Ed reread the succinct online article about a young woman who’d been murdered in Gainesville. Hard to pay attention to the news when he was watching Veronica’s every move. He didn’t think she’d noticed his search through her things. She hadn’t tried to use any of the credit cards he’d canceled, or he’d have heard about her displeasure. He allowed hope to flicker that they’d overcome the hurdle of distrust.

He closed the website and cleared a spot on his desk. If he planned to emerge from the debt Veronica had amassed, he had to ensure Jarity paid him. Friend or no, he couldn’t allow Will too close to the truth. If Jarity ended up in prison, Ed could find himself in the poorhouse.

Will had caught him unawares when he’d mentioned the Jane Doe killing and suggested it could be linked to the murder Megan had witnessed. Something about that silver earring Megan had found. If there was a concrete connection, Ed wanted to be the first to know.

He grabbed a tablet out of his drawer, then picked up the phone and called an old union buddy with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. “Sergeant Low, just the man I wanted to speak to. Ed Dawkins here.” He doodled on the tablet.

“How the hell are you, Ed?”

“Great, thanks, and you?”

“Hanging in there until retirement. What can I do for you?”

He made a large circle on the paper and drew a female stick figure inside. “I’m surviving. I was hoping I could help you out on a case. You all have a Jane Doe in your jurisdiction who I think might be connected to one of my cases. My sources tell me she was found three weeks ago outside Gainesville. What can you tell me?”

The other man cleared his throat. “She’s probably East Indian, about twenty. Beaten pretty badly.”

“Hmm. Any suspects?”

“As a matter of fact, I do have a suspect. Wealthy businessman named Peter Arrow.”

Where had he heard that name before? He stopped doodling. Last year he’d run a security detail for Jarity and a bunch of his cronies for some expensive meeting at a hotel. Arrow was one of the attendees. “Anything else?”

“Not sure yet. We’re investigating whether he had anything to do with a Sri Lankan national who ended up in a local hospital, bruised and battered. We finally got out of her that a man named Knopf roughed her up. Guy owns a string of fast-food joints in south Florida, but she refused to testify against him. Just wanted to return to her country.”

Ed dropped the pencil. Knopf had also been at that meeting, but the Jane Doe in Gainesville had been killed weeks before Megan witnessed the murder here. Could the cases be related? They all tied to Jarity. Ed’s skin felt clammy.

“A Detective Horvath with your sheriff’s office inquired about the Jane Doe too. He’s working a human-trafficking link. So what do you have for me?” Low asked.

“Actually, doesn’t look like anything. My case is definitely unrelated. Sorry to have bothered you, buddy. Good luck on that case.” He hung up before the other man had a chance to ask questions.

He was sure of one thing. Jarity was in this thing up to his slimy neck.

Chapter Ten

Ed wolfed down the rest of his sandwich when the garage door’s motor engaged. Normally he hated when Veronica went out for a long lunch with her girlfriends, but this time he was grateful to have beaten her home. Most guys would probably call her on her deceptions, but not him.

In a few days he’d have tiny cameras installed in his own damn bedroom while Veronica took advantage of the gift certificate he’d bought her for a full day of beauty at her favorite spa. Years of investigating predivorce cases had taught him a thing or two about untrustworthy spouses. Not that there’d be any divorce here, but if Veronica decided to move the cash, he needed to know.

He clenched his jaw at the clack of heels on the tile floor in the hall. The bedroom door flew open, and she stumbled in. The smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke drifted to his nostrils. “Eddie Bear. What are you doing home?” She let out a loud hiccup, then giggled. “Oops.”

“Have fun with your girlfriends?”

“Sure did.” She kicked one shoe across the room. It landed on her vanity, knocking over the mob of bottles and jars. Another giggle. Hobbling toward the closet, she dropped her purse on the floor.

She wore a strapless dress and black fishnet stockings. Damn sexy. Why would she dress that way to go out with her friends? She pulled off the other shoe, then wriggled out of the dress. Bending over, she wrestled with her garter straps, yanking and tugging and growling until she worked off her stockings.

“When are you going to give me the money for the casino guy? He called again this morning.”

He fisted his hands. What the hell did she want the money for? Was she giving it to a lover? The notion turned his stomach. If he didn’t reel her in now, he’d be hammering a nail into his own coffin, even with the cash he’d soon get from Jarity. “Give him my number. Tell him to call me.”

She straightened and met his gaze with surprisingly sober eyes. “Why?”

“I’ll deal with him, man to man.”

“He doesn’t know who you are. I don’t think he’ll even speak to you.” She pushed her tits forward and took a step toward him, wearing only her thong panties. Sliding her hands under her breasts, she lifted them higher, then rolled the nipples between her fingers. They puckered and tightened into perfect little pink marbles.

No! He tamped down his desire. “Tough shit. Tell him I’m your husband and I control the money in this household.”

The muscles around her jaw twitched. She peeled off her panties and lifted one leg onto the bed. Sliding her fingers over her pussy, she separated her lips, giving him a glimpse of her button.

He sat on the bed, his gaze riveted to her slit.

With one hand, she tugged on her nub, then slipped a finger into her entrance. Then two, three. In and out, in and out.

She was good, totally fucking hot, but he refused to cave.

She withdrew her fingers, dragged them through her folds, then brought them to her mouth. Sucking them between her lips, she licked her juices from her skin. “Mmm. You like the taste too, don’t you?”

His cock grew harder, but he couldn’t give in.

She returned her fingers to her pussy, glided them over her bud and rubbed her cunt. She panted and moaned and sighed. “Oh God, Eddie. I’m gonna make myself come.”

He couldn’t make himself look away.

She knelt on the bed, lifted onto her knees and continued her self-gratification. “You know what I need?” When he didn’t answer, she went on. “I need a big cock, daddy. Please. Would you fuck me?” She rolled her hips seductively, inched toward him.

His mouth went dry, but he couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

She unzipped his pants and yanked them lower. Grinning, she stared at the tent in his boxers. He pushed off his pants and stretched out.

If she stopped before he came? Well then, he’d just whack off. But it was too damn late to go back.

She tore at his underwear and freed his erection. Smiling triumphantly, she straddled him. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the erotic sensations. She tightened around his shaft like a boa constrictor. But her bite was poisonous, just as fatal as the snake’s deadly grip.

She rocked her hips, took him all the way inside and raked her fingernails painfully down his chest. “Will you give me the money, Eddie Bear?” Her voice grew higher, like a little girl’s.

He said nothing. She slowed her pace, but he grasped her waist and tunneled in and out of her, pumping like his life depended on it. She struggled against him, flailed her arms, but he kept going.

He exploded inside her, hot and wet and incredibly powerful.

As soon as he let her loose, she shoved off him, panting, and narrowed her eyes to slits. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry.” He’d never forced a woman, hated the idea, but she’d been torturing him with sex for a long time, always getting him to that point of no return, then holding his erection hostage until he met her demands. Well, no more.

She composed herself, smoothing her hair down. “I want that money.” She set her hands on her hips.

He shrugged. “Tell the guy to call me or give me his number and I’ll phone him.”

She compressed her lips into a line, and her nostrils flared. “I don’t think that’s a good—”

“Tough. If he wants to get paid, he’ll have to talk to me. End of conversation.” He got off the bed, his heart pounding.

“But, but—”

“I’m through discussing it. I’m taking a shower. I have to go back to work.”

He hoped to God she’d learn to live with his new rules. Heaven help him if she didn’t.

***

Will’s eyes appeared to be on the road, but the firm set of his jaw betrayed that his thoughts were elsewhere.

“My boss said she stands behind me,” Megan said. “She gave me the go-ahead to close the office for a few days and hire a new assistant when I get back.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“How much farther?”

“Another half hour to the cabin, but there’s a shopping center about twenty minutes up the road. I thought we’d pick up some new clothes that don’t smell like smoke.” He gave her an easy smile that instantly warmed her. “We’ll get a few days’ worth of groceries too.”

“How long can we hide out? Bad enough this has turned my life upside down, but how can I ever make this up to you?” She sighed heavily.

Will’s hand closed over hers, warm and reassuring. “Ed’s good. We’ll have a break in the case anytime now. I’m sure of it.”

She prayed they would.

After a shopping spree at a discount store, they loaded their purchases into the back of the truck.

“I wish you’d have let me pay for some of this stuff, Will.” She snapped her seat belt. “You wouldn’t be stuck in the middle of this mess if it weren’t for me.”

“Hey, I love that song.” He started the motor.

“Huh?”

Rolling his eyes, he hummed. “You know, ‘Stuck in the Middle With You.’ Great song.”

“I’m serious. I hate that I’ve monopolized your life the past few days.”

He backed out of the parking spot. “Maybe I’m hoping the rest of my life will be all about you.”

The emotional thumbscrews tightened. Having to make a choice between the love of her life and loyalty to Gram was so unfair. Yes, Gram had raised her, worked hard so Megan could go to college and make something of herself. But didn’t Gram want her to be happy? To be true to her heart? Wasn’t that what love was all about?

Shouldn’t Will’s mother want the same for him? He needed to know what his mother had said that night at the country club. After they settled in to the cabin later, she was going to tell him.

But before she did, she’d call Gram and explain the truth about Will. Maybe Gram would surprise her and come around.

Yeah, right.

Gram would have to understand that with or without her approval, Megan had to follow her heart. She rifled in her purse and found her cell.

“Who are you calling?” Will’s tone sounded almost accusatory.

“Gram.”

He glanced at her, and she read the worry in his narrowed eyes. “Give me enough credit to know I’d never divulge our location, Will.” The man was only trying to protect her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

A grin highlighted his handsome profile. “It’s okay.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

When she turned on her phone, there was a message waiting.

“Ms. Jackson, I wanted to let you know your grandmother’s EKG was fine. I’m still waiting for blood-work results, but I did notice her balance has deteriorated slightly. She’s scheduled for a CT scan tomorrow, which will tell me more.”

A sigh slipped out.

“What is it?” Will’s voice was filled with concern.

“I was hoping they’d know something by now, but they’re waiting on test results.”

“These things can take time.”

She nodded and tried for a smile. “I’m just impatient.” He’d been so wonderful. She wished Gram would give him a chance and get to know him. They drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Will turned onto a dirt road that snaked through a thick brush of low palms and tall pines. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

No one could possibly track them all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. Finally they arrived at a clearing. A cabin with rough-hewn shingles and a wraparound porch sat beside a stream. The second she opened the truck door, the rhythmic clicking of crickets drifted to her ears and calmed her. “Will, this is…lovely.”

He circled to her side. “We used to spend long weekends here all the time, but as far as I know, my folks rarely come anymore.”

The mention of his parents made her stiffen. “You’re sure it’s okay to be here?” She left out the with me, but from his barely audible grumble, he understood what she meant.

“Of course. It’s fine.” He lifted their things out of the bed and started toward the porch.

Megan breathed in the fresh air and took in the quiet beauty of the place.

Will reached behind the porch light, then held up a silver key. “Voilà. My folks never change the hiding spot.” He unlocked the weatherworn door and waved her inside.

The floorboards complained as she entered the main room. White sheets draped most of the furniture. Sunlight filtered in from three windows and illuminated a spiderweb in the corner near the stone fireplace. The place wasn’t too musty, but opening the windows would do a lot of good.

Will walked past with their things and ducked through an archway into a short hall. “Bedrooms and bathroom are back here.”

She entered the master behind him. King-size four-poster bed, dark wood walls and even a fireplace, a smaller version of the one in the living room. “Not too bad for being empty for a while.”

“My folks have a local woman who comes by once a month to air the place out, make sure everything is working, change the linens.” He set the bags on the bed, then unclipped his cell from his belt. “Think I’ll step outside and check in with Ed.”

“You get service here?”

He nodded. “We passed a tower a mile or so back.”

She prayed when he returned he’d have good news about the case. Maybe she’d also have something positive to share after she spoke to her grandmother. She drew a deep breath and pulled her cell out of her purse. Suddenly tense as a spring, she hit the buttons.

Gram chatted about the weather, ranted about the food and the staff and gossiped about the other residents.

“Did you tell Dr. Odell I was feeling poorly? He came by yesterday and poked and prodded me, stuck a needle in my arm.”

She swallowed hard. “Well, I noticed the other day you were having more trouble walking than usual. I’m concerned about you, Gram. That’s all.”

Gram didn’t say anything for a long beat. “How come you haven’t been to see me today, sweet girl?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been tied up. I’ll get over there as soon as I can. But I have to tell you something.” She rubbed her neck, which ached with tension.

“What’s that, honey?”

“You remember Will.” She cleared her throat, prayed she could get the words out. “He’s a nice guy, Gram. And he’s done so much for me.”

“Spit it out, child. What you trying to say? That you and him are dating again?”

She allowed herself a tiny measure of relief. “Yes, we are.”

Gram’s silence sliced through her. She always clammed up before she pulled out her big guns.

“Are you there, Gram?”

“I thought we’d settled this, Megan. You ain’t heard nothing I’ve been telling you your whole life. I worked all those years to support you, to make you into something I never had no opportunity to be, someone I could be proud of.”

Did that mean Gram wasn’t proud of her? She rubbed her temple to ward off a stabbing pain.

“And why did I have to do that? Hmm? A man just exactly like that Will, that’s why. That no-good father of yours refused to take responsibility. Oh, he had himself a good time with your mama all right, but when it came home to roost, he took off. You wait and see, Carolyn. He’ll do you wrong.”

Megan gripped the phone tighter. “Gram, Mama’s gone. It’s me, Megan.”

“Well, of course it is. Don’t sass me like I’m an imbecile, you hear?”

She bit her tongue to keep from saying something she’d regret. “I was hoping you would give Will a chance. He’s nothing like my father, and I’m not my mother.”

Silence.

“Gram?”

“I’m here.”

Oh God. No, please. “Are you crying, Gram?”

She sniffled. “I just don’t understand how you can hurt me like this.”

How many times had Gram spoken those words? Every time Megan had bent any rule, not scored a perfect grade on a test or forgotten to complete some chore, her grandmother turned on the tears and fed her a heaping spoonful of guilt. But she was a grown woman now, one who had to make her own decisions.

I refuse to buy in.

“Couldn’t you at least wait until I die before you break my heart?”

That one stung more than the others, but if she didn’t stand up to her now, she never would. “Please don’t say things like that to me, Gram. I love Will, and I want to be with him. He’s so good to me. I wish you could be happy for me.”

“Well, that ain’t never gonna happen. You’re breaking this old woman’s heart.”

She swallowed the hurt. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I love you, and I hope you can get past this, Gram. I’ll come see you soon.” She disconnected. She might be battered and bruised, but she was stronger for it. She sucked in a deep breath. Next she had to come clean with Will about his mother’s ugly rant. After dropping her phone into her purse, she started out of the room, but the sight in the hallway froze her in her tracks.

A snake with red, black and yellow stripes stretched from the bathroom doorway to the bedroom, at least four feet. Having lived in Florida her whole life, she’d seen coral snakes before, but only from a safe distance. She held perfectly still, afraid to utter a sound for fear the deadly vermin would slither toward her. It lifted its black head and turned in her direction.

Panic seized her throat, but she managed one word. “Will!” Only, her voice came out hoarse and weak. The wooden swing on the porch creaked, and her hope disintegrated. The snake was inches from her, and she didn’t dare back away. Its black eyes stared right at her. She reached inside her mind to remember what she’d learned about coral snakes in junior high.

“Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, venom lack.”

She stifled her gasp when she observed the red-on-yellow pattern of the snake’s stripes.

Without warning, it slid down the hall toward the living room. She carefully grasped the doorjamb for support as relief took root. She inched back into the room and eased the door shut, then grabbed a pillow off the bed and shoved it between the bottom of the door and the floor.

I have to tell Will.

But before she could get out her cell, a deafening blast filled the air.

A gunshot!

***

Ed hung up after talking to Will and pounded his fist on the steering wheel. That bastard Jarity had promised he wasn’t going to hurt Megan. It was only sheer luck that Will had managed to get her out of the cottage before the place went up in flames. Jarity had meant to kill her, all right. Maybe both of them.

“Bastard!” he shouted in the silent car. Jarity was nothing but a double-crossing thug and a murderer.

Will was a good investigator, and it was only a matter of time before he figured out Jarity had strangled that girl. God only knew if he was involved with the other murdered girl. Could be a coincidence, but his gut told him the killer might be one of Jarity’s slimy cronies or even his brother.

If Jarity was arrested and questioned, he had no doubt the bastard would drag everyone he could down with him.

Including me.

He gritted his teeth. Why had he ever agreed to help him?

He turned into one of the warehouse complexes south of downtown and backed in next to a trash bin. The spot gave him a perfect view of the rear door of the storage building one of his clients owned. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t have to wait too long to catch a glimpse of whoever had been stealing inventory from his client. Then again, the longer it took, the more money he made.

He reached across the seat and dug inside the fast-food bag for the burger and fries. But after his first greasy bite, his stomach lurched. Disgusted, he shoved the food back into the bag. Between Jarity’s shit and his wife’s lies, he’d have another ulcer by the end of the week.

Veronica probably wouldn’t speak to him for days, but she’d get over it. She’d given him the silent treatment before on the rare occasions he’d denied her something.

He’d never forced her to finish screwing him before. Bad enough she was stashing away money and lying to him. He wouldn’t have her torturing him sexually anymore.

With any luck, he’d have her under control in a month, maybe two. She’d have to understand this was for her own good. Last thing he wanted was to live his retirement in the poorhouse.

Christ, he’d probably be ninety before he could get his head above water enough to stop working. If Jarity didn’t give him a fucking heart attack in the meantime.

Jarity. Too bad the asshole hadn’t managed to set himself on fire instead of that cottage.

The back door of the warehouse opened, and a young woman stepped outside. Ed picked up his camera and zoomed in as she glanced both ways, then nodded to someone inside.

This one would be easy.

The woman held open the door as a gray-haired man, his arms loaded with a large box, struggled through. Then she helped him stash the goods inside a minivan. Ed shot a dozen pictures as the couple filled the vehicle with stolen property.

As he swallowed the last of his now-cold dinner and packed up his camera, his cell rang. He stiffened at the sight of Jarity’s name on the caller ID and steeled himself. “I don’t like being lied to, Jarity.”

“Well, hello to you too, Ed.”

Smug bastard. He rolled his shoulders to relieve the aching muscles in his neck. “You said you only wanted to frighten her.”

“Have you heard something?”

How could the fucker be so calm after what he’d done? “Yeah, I heard something. Will told me someone set fire to the cottage. You could have killed them both.”

Jarity groaned. “Sorry to hear they’re both still with us.”

He shook with rage. “You promised me. You said you only wanted to frighten her. Well, she’s frightened all right. Now you can leave her the hell alone.”

“Where are you now?”

He knit his brow. “Why?”

“We need to talk. In person.”

Much as he hated to go anywhere near the bastard, he wasn’t a hundred percent comfortable having this discussion over the phone. He’d spent too much of his law enforcement career listening in on other people’s conversations to trust unsecured phone lines. “I’m in the warehouse district off Old Springs Road.”

“Good. I’m not far from there myself. Meet me at the corner of Old Springs and High Avenue. I’m driving my wife’s white Caddy today. I’ll be parked behind the abandoned gas station.”

“Fine. Give me ten minutes.” He disconnected, then reached into the glove box for a bottle of antacid. The chalky liquid quieted the burning in his gut. If Jarity reneged on their deal, he’d kill him. For the first time in his life, he meant that. Without Jarity’s hundred grand, he was sunk.

Minutes later he steered into the abandoned gas station. He got out and stretched his legs, shook off some of the stiffness and tension as he waited.

Jarity pulled in, then lowered the passenger window. “Get in.” He pushed open the door.

Bolstered by the cold steel of the gun under his jacket, he climbed into the vehicle. The scent of a floral air freshener nearly bowled him over.

Jarity had a toothpick between his lips and was wearing dark sunglasses that completely obscured his eyes. “Thanks for meeting me, Ed. I’m going to need you to do something else for me.”

This bastard was unbelievable. “I told you I wasn’t going to help you kill anyone. You promised me you wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

He chuckled. “And unfortunately I didn’t. I gather the lovely lady and her boyfriend will need new accommodations, right?”

Ed’s mouth went dry. How could he give away their new location when he was now positive Jarity planned to kill Megan?

I won’t do it.

He’d known Will for nearly ten years, he was like a son to him. Sure, the kid was getting too involved with Megan, but that didn’t mean Ed wanted to see her dead. His stomach churned with fear and disgust. “Megan hasn’t pointed a finger at you up to this point. What makes you think she will? You’ve gotten away with murder, why chance it again?” Maybe he’d even killed that kid up in Gainesville, or at least had something to do with her death.

Jarity pulled the toothpick from his mouth and turned toward Ed. “It’s only a matter of time before someone connects me to the property where Megan saw me. She might not know who I am, but I’m willing to bet she’ll be able to identify me. I’m not about to take that chance.”

“Well, you’re out of luck. Will didn’t divulge where he was taking her this time. Said he wasn’t sharing that information with anybody.”

Jarity leaned toward him, an evil grin on his lips. “Never shit a shitter, Ed. I’m paying you a lot of money, and I’m not asking much.”

Ed’s heart thudded. “Way I recall things, you’re paying me to keep my mouth shut about finding you dressed like a ninja trying to break into Megan’s house.”

Jarity grabbed Ed’s collar and twisted it until Ed could hardly breathe. “You’re asking an awful lot of me, Dawkins. You want me to keep my business with your company at that steep rate hike, give you a big chunk of change and keep tabs on your whore of a wife.”

Son of a bitch. He shoved Jarity off.

Shit. What choice did he have? If his business went under, he’d lose everything, including Veronica. “They’re going to a cabin near the Ocala National Forest.”

“I’m glad you came to your senses.” Jarity smoothed a hand over his hair. “And something else. I mean, a hundred grand is a lot of money, right?”

“What the fuck else, Jarity?” Bile bubbled up and burned Ed’s throat.

“I’m going to want you to get the boyfriend out of there when I say so. Or incapacitate him.”

“So you can kill her? No way, Jarity. No fucking way. I won’t be an accessory to murder.”

“Ed, Ed, do you have any other choice? Let’s be realistic.”

The air grew stifling. He straightened his tie. “Actually I do. Who do you think the cops would believe? A guy who owns a bunch of shady businesses or one of their own?”

Jarity pointed at him and laughed. “Good one. But we both know you’d never implicate yourself.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny microphone. “Technology is amazing these days, don’t you think? This is the Ultramini 2000. It’s battery powered and records from a remote location.” He shook his head. “Incredible.”

All the blood drained from Ed’s face.

“Check this out.” He opened a console between the seats and fished out a yellow envelope no bigger than a lottery ticket. “Pharmacist friend of mine in Pensacola gave me this. It’s a brand-new sleeping medication. Ten times stronger than anything else on the market. Gets into the bloodstream fast, but it only stays in the body a short time, so there’s no trace of it after a few hours. It’s some powerful shit.” He handed the packet to Ed. “Great, huh? There are three doses in powder form. Easier to swallow in say, a drink.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. Thought it might come in handy if your buddy gives you a hard time about leaving his girl alone.”

How had his life boiled down to this? In all his years as a cop he’d been so committed to doing the right thing. He’d bent the rules, but only in the name of putting away a bad guy or two.

Thanks to his addiction to a beautiful woman, he was in debt up to his eyeballs and he’d committed about a dozen crimes to protect her. He had no choice but to do whatever Jarity asked.

He was a hundred percent fucked.

Chapter Eleven

A split second after he fired his weapon, Will realized Megan would be terrified. He started inside, but she charged out the door, and they collided.

Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape. “The snake? Are you all right?” Her gaze quickly tracked down his body, then back to his face.

He holstered his forty-five, then grasped her shoulders. “I’m fine. Everything’s okay.” He tipped his chin at what was left of the poisonous creature.

She cringed. “It was in the hallway, and I couldn’t do anything. I swear, I thought it was going to get me.”

“Damn thing slithered right out the front door,” he said. “I wonder how the hell it got inside.” He settled his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry. If I’d known…”

“How could you?” She leaned into him. “Did you make your call?”

“Sure did. This guy crawled along the porch, probably to say hi, but he got too friendly. I heard him before I saw him, and he was inches from my feet.” He lifted her chin and kissed her lips. “It’s okay, baby. I’m sure I scared away all the rest of the snakes within a mile.” Probably not, but she didn’t need to hear that. “I heard you speaking to your grandmother. How is she?”

“Can we go inside? I don’t want to run into any more snakes.”

He threaded his fingers through hers and went into the cabin with her. Gingerly she helped him peel away the covers from the sofa and chairs, afraid she’d find another snake. They sat on the couch facing the dark fireplace.

Her complexion had paled, and a web of fine lines had formed around her eyes. “How’s your grandmother?”

“She’s all right. But I have to tell you something.” She chewed at the corner of her mouth.

His chest tightened. “What’s wrong?”

“I should have told you this a long time ago, but I…I never wanted you to get hurt, Will.”

He took her hand. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.” But his gut churned.

She drew a deep breath, then broke contact and slid away from him. “You remember the night I broke up with you?”

The air grew cooler at the memory, but he schooled his expression. “Of course.”

As if I could ever forget.

“I hadn’t planned to end things that night, hadn’t planned to end them at all.”

“Then why did you? I thought everything was going fine. Then we went back to your place, and you gave me the boot.”

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, Will.” She swiped away a fat tear from under her eye. “After dessert your mother asked me to go with her to the ladies’ room.”

“And?”

“And she told me she’d never welcome me to your family. That I was totally unsuitable for you. That she’d cut you out of your trust fund if you married me.”

“No. No goddamn way.” He had to be hearing her wrong. His mother had a controlling nature, but she’d never deliberately sabotage his happiness.

Would she?

He flew off the couch to pace the floor, a storm of emotions swirling inside him.

“I’m sorry, Will. I should have told you. But I didn’t want to be responsible for you losing your family. And your fortune.”

He barely heard a word. How dare his mother fuck with his life? “Son of a bitch!”

His cell rang. Trying to contain his anger, he took out his phone. “It’s Ed. I have to take this.” He drew a deep breath. “Hey. What’s up?”

“I’m working a new angle on the case.”

“Yeah?” He glanced at Megan and winced at the tearstains on her cheeks.

“I need to speak to you. In person.”

“I’m two hours from home, buddy. How do you propose to do that?”

“I’m aware. I had a deposition in Gainesville this morning. I was less than an hour away from you guys, so I took a detour on my way back.”

“Are you serious?”

“Bet your ass I am.”

“You know I can’t leave Megan alone.”

“Just for a few minutes. I’m not far from your folks’ place. She’ll be fine for a few minutes. Nobody knows your location.”

He paced the floor, torn. Megan’s safety had to come first. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry, Ed. I can’t.”

“You know me, kid. I wouldn’t ask unless it was important.”

“I understand, but can’t you tell me over the phone? This guy just made a play for her this morning. I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

A long sigh. “Look, I’m right up the road. I’ll be there in about two minutes.”

“You’re that close?”

“Holy cow. Sweet cabin.”

Will opened the door as Ed parked his sedan.

Talk about lousy timing.

He disconnected and turned to tell Megan, but she was a blur as she ran out of the room.

Shit.

He trod toward Ed.

Ed emerged from his car, carrying a four-pack of iced tea.

“I love a man who comes bearing gifts.”

Ed grinned. “I figured you kids didn’t have a lot of supplies. It’s the least I could do.”

They shook hands, and Will offered to take the bottles. “No way. I get to meet your lady first.”

Would Megan even come out to say hello? His head started aching.

Passing the remnants of the snake, Ed winced. “Jesus. You just kill that thing?”

“A few minutes ago. Come on inside.” His gut constricted as he led his friend into the cabin. He desperately wanted to continue his conversation with Megan, but it would have to wait until Ed left.

“Okay if we sit here?” Ed asked, gesturing at the small dining table.

“Yeah, sure.” He glanced toward the hallway. “Megan, Ed’s here.” When he got no response, he shrugged. “Let me go get her. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, no problem. I’ll pour these into glasses.”

Will strode toward the bedroom, opened the door and poked his head inside. Megan sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, holding a crinkled tissue. “Ed’s waiting to tell us something. Mind coming out here?”

When she met his stare, his chest constricted at her red-rimmed eyes.

“We can finish our talk as soon as he leaves, okay?”

She pursed her lips and stood. “Give me a moment, please.”

God, seeing her so upset ripped his heart out. But the best thing he could do was to find out what Ed had to share, then send him on his way. Then he’d hear Megan out.

When he returned to the main room, his boss had poured two glasses of tea and had already downed half of his.

“She’ll be out in a sec.”

Ed’s eyebrows were drawn, and his gaze shifted all around the room. He kept wiping his hands over his thighs and clearing his throat.

“You okay, buddy?”

“Fine, great.” Ed chuckled; then his gaze fixed on something behind Will. He smiled. “You must be Megan.”

She approached and shook Ed’s hand. “And you must be Ed. Pleasure to meet you.”

Ed poured another glass of tea and handed it to her as she sat.

Were Ed’s hands shaking? Will focused on them, but as soon as Ed caught him looking, he moved them under the table.

“This is Will’s favorite,” Ed told Megan, gesturing toward the iced tea.

Her smile was polite but stiff.

“So what’s so important that you had to tell us in person?” Will took a gulp of tea.

Ed looked at Megan. “It’s about the murder you witnessed.”

She sat up straighter and caught her breath. “You found something out?”

“Nothing concrete yet, but I think so. Another girl, similar to the one you described was murdered near Gainesville a few weeks ago. Another showed up at the hospital, beaten up.”

Megan gasped. “Oh God. Will told me about the dead girl, but there’s another? Maybe she can tell us something.”

Ed frowned. “I’m trying to find out the connection, but the girl who was beaten wouldn’t say much except that she wanted to go back to Sri Lanka, where she’s from.”

“Sri Lanka?” Will sensed Ed was holding something back. “You think that’s where the two murdered girls came from?”

“Could be. But if so, I’d guess someone is bringing them here illegally. I’m working that angle now. I lucked into some details about the building across from your office. Might connect to the crime.”

Megan leaned toward Ed. “Go on.”

“A young woman asked to see the property on Halloween night.” Turning toward Will, he said, “A local real-estate agent let her in. A man. All we have to do is find out who that agent was.”

“Wouldn’t the leasing company keep records of that?” Will asked.

“They’re required to,” Megan supplied.

“Right,” Ed said. “But the company is moving into new offices and is apparently shut down for the week. I can’t get hold of a live person.”

“How’d you come by that information, then?” Megan said exactly what Will had been thinking.

Ed wiped sweat off his forehead. “Funny story, actually. My wife gets her nails done down the street from that location. The manicurist tells her…” He coughed several times, then took a swallow of his drink. “Excuse me. So the manicurist says there might be a new store going in there.”

Will set his glass down. “Wait a second. I’m not getting how you know it was a young woman looking at the store.”

“Or how you know a local real-estate agent showed her the property,” Megan added.

Ed coughed again. “Well, I asked Veronica the same thing. She knew I was working on this case, so she asked the manicurist more questions. Seems another of the lady’s customers is a receptionist at the leasing company. Small world, huh? And how about my Veronica? I might just put her to work as a PI.” He pointed to Will’s glass. “Don’t tell me I got the wrong kind. That is your favorite, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, this is it. Thanks again.” He drank the last third in one long gulp.

“So all we have to do now is sit back and wait until the leasing office reopens next week.” Ed leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his gut. “You two relax here over the weekend. I should have a name for the victim and the suspect on Monday.”

“No other women were reported missing?” Megan asked.

He shoved away from the table and straightened his jacket. “No, but I promise I’ll keep on top of this. I should get on the road. My wife hates to be alone after dark.”

Will started to rise, but a wave of dizziness made him stumble backward.

Megan grabbed his arm. “Are you okay?”

He held on to the chair to steady himself. “Yeah, fine.” He hadn’t eaten anything, but he’d remedy that as soon as Ed left.

“I’ll call you if I hear anything else.” Ed brought Will’s empty glass to the sink along with his and rinsed them out.

“I’ll take care of those,” Megan said.

“Anything you say. Just trying to help.” He stepped to the door and waved. “Take care, folks.”

Will’s vision blurred. His whole body felt weak, exhausted. “Lock the door.”

Megan did as he asked, then returned to his side and narrowed her eyes. “You don’t look good, Will. Maybe you should lie down.”

“Yeah. Good idea.” He let her help him stand, but nausea threatened. Hooking an arm over her shoulder, he realized he’d never make it to the bedroom. “Couch, please.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

What the hell? He never got sick.

Megan deposited him on the couch. “I’ll get a blanket and pillow.”

He was supposed to be protecting her, and he could hardly keep his eyes open. He couldn’t fuck this up. The stakes were too high. He gritted his teeth and tried to shake off the funk, but his head refused to cooperate.

Megan returned with the linens. She propped a pillow under his head and spread the blanket over him. He’d shut his eyes a few minutes; then he’d be fine.

He couldn’t let her down.

Megan glanced over her shoulder at Will as she washed the glasses. He hadn’t moved a muscle in the hour since he’d fallen asleep. He was fine before Ed’s visit. Hopefully Ed’s leads would pan out. The sooner the murderer was put away, the better. Then she could let Will get on with his life, and she could move on with hers.

She’d expected his hurt over her not telling him sooner about the conversation she’d had with his mother, but the rage she had seen in his eyes had caught her unawares. He was entitled to be mad, though, since she hadn’t been truthful.

Living without him was going to be more difficult this time, but she could hardly continue the relationship after Will had doubted the veracity of her confession.

After all he’d done for her, she owed it to him to be civil as long as they were forced to be together. No, more than civil. She ought to be kind after everything he’d been through because of her.

I love him.

But the moment Ed found the killer, she’d disappear from Will’s life.

Could that girl really have been part of some human-trafficking ring? The notion sent a shiver up her spine. If there were other girls involved, she had to find them, had to help them before they met a similar fate.

The room had grown darker as night shadows stole the last of the day. She was about to turn on a lamp in the corner, when the doorknob rattled.

All the air sucked out of her lungs. “Will!” she managed. But he didn’t even stir.

The door burst open. The same black-clad man who’d nearly strangled her days earlier barged in. He was big and broad and wore the same mask. Oh please, God, no.

“Will!” Her shriek should have roused the dead, but Will wouldn’t wake up.

The man lunged at her. She stumbled backward, then raced toward the bedroom. She slammed the door, then frantically locked it. Staring wide-eyed at the knob, she backed away as hot-cold shivers racked her body.

She scanned the room for a weapon—anything she could use to stop him—but there was nothing. She had to escape. But what about Will? With him unconscious, she was completely at the madman’s mercy.

“Open the door, Megan.”

She flattened her body against the wall, trembling.

I will not let this madman end my life.

She had to get out.

Think!

She raced to the window and attempted to raise it. She pushed with all her might, straining muscles in her arms and shoulders, but the window refused to budge.

The murderer pounded against the door, shaking everything in the room. She banged the heels of her hands on the glass in a desperate attempt to escape. Chest heaving, she choked back a terrified cry. Her throat constricted, but she managed to find her voice. “Go away.”

“There’s no one around to hear you, Megan.”

The door burst open, and he hulked in the threshold.

She picked up a clock from the nightstand and flung it at him. He ducked, and it hit the wall behind him. The rush of adrenaline sharpened her senses. Grabbing the bedside lamp, she yanked the cord from the outlet and lifted it over her head.

The man only laughed.

Tears ran down her cheeks. “What do you want from me?”

Another evil snicker.

She threw the lamp, but he batted it away like a pesky fly. The glass base exploded on the wood floor. “I don’t even know what you look like. Why are you doing this?”

He yanked off his mask, convincing her beyond a doubt that he planned to kill her. Blood pounded in her ears, as loud as an airplane engine.

His brown eyes bored into her, and she knew it was futile to beg him to spare her life. Those eyes had no soul. They held no guilt or regret for the life he’d already taken.

Get out!

He lunged at her, but she ducked and darted around him. She made it into the hallway, but he caught her by her hair and yanked her to him. His breath gusted on the back of her neck. She struggled and kicked and swatted at him. But he tightened his grip, and they stumbled into the living room together.

“Will!” she screamed.

The killer wrestled her to the floor, then closed his hand over her mouth. She flailed her arms, punched and tried to twist away, but it was no use. He was too big and heavy. She gasped for air as his weight pressed on her chest.

“This’ll be a lot easier on you if you shut up and stop fighting.” He moved his hand away from her mouth, and she screamed.

He backhanded her across the face, catching her below her right eye. “I’m going to have some fun with you before I kill you.” His sick laugh turned her stomach.

She struggled even harder, but he clamped his hand to her throat and pressed his erection against her leg. Nausea threatened. She gasped for air. If this animal was going to rape her, she’d fight him every second. When he shifted, she worked her arm free and clawed at his face.

“Bitch!” He tightened his grip on her neck. Stars floated in front of her eyes, and she knew she’d pass out at any second.

He grabbed her collar and tore, exposing her bra. Terror and disgust swirled inside her. A sadistic grin curled his lips as he stared down at her chest.

An earsplitting pop exploded around them. The murderer widened his eyes, and his lips parted. The pressure on her throat eased, and the man’s head dropped onto her shoulder.

She shoved out from under him and rolled away, shivering. He lay motionless beside her. Not trusting her eyes, she backed against the fireplace and grabbed the poker, wielding it as a weapon.

But her attacker hadn’t moved. And there was blood—lots of it—seeping from a wound on the back of his head. The smell of sulfur filled the air.

Then she saw Will on the couch, still lying on his back, with his gun pointed at the intruder. Their eyes locked. He lowered his weapon. “Are you okay?” His voice wasn’t much more than a whisper, but it was a sweet, wonderful sound.

Her throat was too sore for her to speak, but she nodded. Relief filled her like a tonic.

“It’s over, Megan. Thank God it’s over.”

***

Ed checked his watch as he climbed out of his car. Nearly midnight and Veronica’s car wasn’t in the garage. Had she neglected to tell him she had plans? Or was he so frazzled by the day’s events that he’d forgotten?

He mulled over his brief visit with Will and Megan, and bile burned his throat. He hoped to hell Will had survived whatever Jarity had done. Had Jarity killed Will’s girl? He pictured her face. Too bad, she was awfully pretty. But Will would be better off without her. Maybe he’d done the kid a favor.

He opened the trunk and lifted out his briefcase. On second thought, he put it back. He’d need something to carry all the cash Jarity would give him tomorrow. One more day and this whole nightmare would be behind him.

Entering the house through the kitchen, he inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. The money would mean a fresh start for him and Veronica, but things were going to be different in their relationship. She’d have to learn he was in charge.

He opened the fridge and grabbed a can of beer. He passed through the living room and stopped dead in his tracks. He gasped as he stared at the white wall where his giant-screen should have been.

He hurried to the bedroom. Veronica’s closet was open—and stripped bare except for a bunch of tissue paper and hangers on the floor. Her dresser and vanity drawers were also empty, a couple of them stacked on top of the dresser.

He rushed into the bathroom, which was in the same state of upheaval, as if she’d left in a great hurry. Everything was gone—her makeup, her clothes, her jewelry and the purses where she’d kept all that cash.

Unbearable pressure gripped his chest as he staggered out of the bathroom. He’d done everything for her.

And she was gone.

A ferocious ache started behind his eyes. How could she do this to him? Without a word.

Unless…

Maybe she’d left a note, given him a clue about where she’d gone. At least he could try to talk her out of it. He’d promise her a nice piece of jewelry. Hell, he’d promise her whatever the hell she wanted if she’d just come home.

He ran to the study, and his hopes plummeted. The desk was littered with papers—bank statements, credit-card bills, both checkbooks. Sinking onto the chair, he clenched his fists and, for the first time in his adult life, cried. Like a damn baby.

He’d been summoned to similar scenes through his work. Every time, the spouse who’d left had cleaned out the other. The money meant nothing to him, but it confirmed his worst nightmare.

Veronica was gone, and she’d never be back.

Chapter Twelve

Megan dropped Will’s keys into his palm.

He stretched in the passenger seat, still exhausted from the effects of the drug in his system. It hadn’t sunk in all the way that Ed could have slipped something into his iced tea yesterday, but there was no other explanation. The toxicology report was inconclusive, but the doctor was convinced he’d ingested several doses of a powerful sedative. “Feels like a lifetime since we left here, huh?”

“Whew, isn’t that the truth?” Her smile was the first she’d given him during the entire two-hour drive.

Of course, he’d slept most of the way. After his time in the ER, then at the Marion County Sheriff’s Headquarters near the cabin, he deserved a nap. “Let’s get your things inside.” He filled his arms with her bags, then ambled toward her porch.

Her hand shook as she unlocked her front door. Was she up to talking yet? She’d refused while they were in the ER, and he’d been too out of it for most of the trip back to Sebastian Springs. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Was her brow furrowed because she’d grown tired from all the driving, or was it because of something else?

He followed her inside. “Want these in the bedroom?”

She kicked off her sandals in the foyer. “You can leave them here.”

The cool vibes she put off were making him crazy. He had to know what the hell was bothering her. “Can we talk?” He set her bags on the floor.

A long sigh. “Mind if we put it off until tomorrow?”

He stepped closer. “Only if I can spend the night.”

Her downcast gaze answered before she said a word. “I don’t think so, Will. I still have a lot to do this afternoon, and I…I need some time to myself.”

“No. We need to talk. Something’s going on in that head of yours, and I need to know what.”

She bristled and started to say something, but he wouldn’t let her.

“What the hell changed between us in the last twenty-four hours? I’m sorry I let you down. I wish I could have blown John Jarity’s brains out before he laid one of his dirty fingers on you, but I was unconscious.”

Her tears started flowing. “No, Will. Don’t do this. You saved my life. I’ll be grateful for that forever. You did not let me down. I swear.”

“I don’t want your gratitude.” He grasped her shoulders. “Please, Megan, after all we’ve been through, don’t shut me out. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Finally she met his stare. Her cell phone’s ring startled them both. Sighing, she dug in her purse, then narrowed her gaze at the display. Her face paled. “It’s the nursing home.”

From what he could hear of the conversation, her grandmother was on her way to the hospital.

Megan’s eyes filled, but she didn’t give in to her tears. The battle appeared to take an effort. “Yes, Mrs. Brooks. I’ll meet her there. Thank you.” She hung up, then switched into high gear, frantically searching for something in her purse.

“What’s going on?”

She didn’t look at him. “Gram’s had a stroke. I have to get to Springs Memorial right away.”

“Let’s go. I’ll drive.” He crossed the foyer to the door.

She held up her key chain. “This is what I was looking for. I’d like to drive myself. I have no idea how long I’ll be there.”

“It’s not a problem. I can follow you.” He set his hand on the knob. “Ready?”

Her lips flattened into a line. “I’d like to go alone.”

The punch stung. He swallowed back the hurt. “Megan, let me—”

“No, Will. Go home. Get some rest.”

He squared his shoulders. “Fine.” As he walked her to her car, neither of them spoke. Opening the door for her, he fought the urge to kiss her. “I’ll call you later.”

She gave him a blank stare, then backed out of the driveway. He watched her drive away and prayed she’d forgive whatever he’d done to hurt her. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. Not again.

Sitting in a hard metal chair beside Gram’s hospital bed, Megan stroked her grandmother’s thin hand. When had Gram’s skin gotten so dry, like crepe paper? She opened her purse and found a tube of lotion, then massaged some into her skin. Maybe the vanilla scent would somehow comfort Gram, who’d always hated the medicinal smell of hospitals.

A young Asian woman in a lab coat entered the room. “Miss Jackson?”

“Yes. I’m Hattie’s granddaughter.”

The doctor moved to Gram’s bed and opened the chart. “I’m Dr. Chen.”

“How is she?” Megan hugged herself to ward off the chill.

Dr. Chen pursed her lips. “Well, according to the CT scan, she’s suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. We’re giving her medication to keep her blood sugar down and to lessen swelling in the brain.”

Megan swallowed her fear. “Will she be okay?”

The doctor’s somber expression didn’t leave much room for hope. “I can’t answer that yet, Miss Jackson. But we’re doing everything we can to keep her comfortable.”

After Dr. Chen left, Megan found another blanket in the closet and spread it over her grandmother’s bed. Their last conversation replayed in her mind.

“Couldn’t you at least wait until I die before you break my heart?”

Guilt twisted around her insides. Could Gram’s emotional state have contributed to her stroke? Gram’s reasons for not wanting Megan to be with Will were antiquated and based on another man’s actions. As many times as Megan had pointed that out, Gram had held staunchly to her opinion.

But none of that mattered now. Truth was, she’d made up her mind to end her relationship with Will before Jarity broke into the cabin. But I still love him.

Sometimes the fates line up against you and tell you something isn’t meant to be. The best thing to do is to listen.

Between Gram’s and Will’s parents’ objections, she ought to heed the warning.

Will had saved her life, and for the last few days he’d shown her tremendous kindness and love. But when he’d blown up at her after she’d confessed her reason for breaking up with him, all that love and kindness had fallen away. She could hardly spend her life with a man who didn’t trust her.

Gram’s hand stiffened, yanking Megan back to the moment. One of the monitors by the bed started beeping. Then Gram’s whole body began to shake.

Megan stood, her heart beating wildly. “Help!”

A man and two women in scrubs raced in, pushing equipment.

“You’ll have to step outside, ma’am,” the man told her.

She inched toward the door, panic coursing through her veins. “What’s happening?”

“Seizure,” one of the women shouted. “Wait outside, please.”

She was completely helpless and in the way. Summoning all her strength, she moved to the hallway. The bright, sterile surroundings left her cold and lonely.

I need Will.

She leaned against the wall and imagined his strong arms around her, cocooning her in his warmth and his familiar piney scent. Shutting her eyes, she pictured his face, heard his deep voice assuring her everything was going to be okay.

The noise and commotion inside Gram’s room quieted. Megan opened her eyes and waited.

The staff entered the hallway, pushing the equipment they’d brought. One of the women strode toward her, wearing a grim frown. “I’m sorry, Miss Jackson. We did everything we could.”

Megan nodded and blinked against the stinging tears filling her eyes. A heavy weight settled in her chest.

What will I do without Gram?

How was she supposed to go on without her family? She’d never felt so lonely. “Can I see her?”

“If you like.” The nurse followed her into the room. “Want some privacy?”

Megan stepped up to the bed and stared down at Gram’s lifeless form. She appeared so tiny for a woman who’d carried such weighty burdens on her shoulders. “Yes. Thank you.”

The door quietly clicked shut.

Could her argument with Gram have brought on the stroke? Pain gripped her. Gram’s final wish had been for Megan to break up with Will, and she’d died thinking Megan had refused. “I love you, Gram.” Her tears came in earnest, a rush of emotion that weakened her knees. She reflected on the best times they’d shared, all her grandmother had done for her. Gram had tried so hard to compensate for Megan’s absent father and dead mother.

Their last conversation hung in the air like a dark cloud of gloom over an otherwise peaceful landscape. She prayed Gram’s final thoughts of her hadn’t been tainted with anger or hurt. Doing what Gram wanted wouldn’t bring her back, but if Gram was looking down on her from heaven, maybe she’d have peace knowing Megan had walked away from Will.

Bending over the bed, she gently kissed Gram’s forehead and bid her a final goodbye.

***

Will put his shirt on after Kenny Horvath finished taping a wireless transmitter to his abdomen.

“Make sure you’re within eight feet of him, or we won’t pick up everything he says.” Kenny glanced toward the door of the interrogation room. “I still can’t believe Dawkins would have anything to do with a piece of shit like John Jarity. The guy was my training officer, for Pete’s sake.”

“He was mine too.” Will’s gut clenched every time he thought about Ed. “And the man has lots of friends here, which is why I don’t want anyone but you in on this.”

Kenny waved away his concern. “I get it, Will. I don’t want any of these schmucks tipping him off either. Whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

“I know. But there’s no other possible explanation for what happened up there.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m positive I was drugged. And Ed’s the only one who could have done it and told Jarity where to find Megan.”

“Honestly I hope you’re wrong. I hate to see a guy like Ed Dawkins switch to the dark side.”

“Yeah. Me too.” He took his jacket from the back of the chair and put it on. “Ready?”

Kenny nodded. “Let’s do it.”

With Kenny following in an unmarked car, Will drove his truck to Dawkins Security and Investigations. Kenny parked a block away.

Swallowing his apprehension and anger over Ed’s betrayal, Will strode into the office.

Ed looked up from his desk, and his jaw dropped, but he recovered in a split second. “Hey, you’re back. I…I figured you two kids would still be hiding out.” He put his pen down with shaking fingers, then moved his hands to his lap.

Will set his hands on his waist. “Jarity’s dead.”

Ed paled. “Dead? John Jarity? You’re kidding. Did he have a heart attack or something?” He shifted his gaze everywhere but toward Will’s. “Siddown. Tell me all about it. He’s one of our biggest accounts, you know?” He gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

Will wondered how long Ed would keep up the charade. He sat and scooted the chair closer. “It was Jarity who Megan saw strangle that young woman. He was the one who attacked Megan too. Tried to kill her at the cabin.”

Ed widened his eyes. “You must be shitting me. I mean, sure, Jarity’s an asshole, but a killer? I can’t believe it.”

The fact that Ed hadn’t even asked how Jarity knew where the cabin was cinched the deal. Much as he hated to believe Ed would be an accessory to murder, the omission was as good as a confession. “How do you think Jarity knew where we were? You were the only one I told, Ed.”

“Hmm. He probably followed you.”

“No way. Much of the way up was deserted highway. I know when I’m being followed, and I wasn’t.”

“So Megan’s okay?”

He could hardly stand to be in the same room with Ed. “A little shaken up is all.”

“Thank God for that, huh? So what happened to Jarity? How’d he die?”

“I shot him.”

“Did he say anything before he kicked? Tell you why he did it or anything?” Ed gripped the edge of his desk, probably to keep his hands from shaking. Or perhaps from the suspense of not knowing if Jarity had squealed about his involvement.

“He said all kinds of things.” He watched Ed squirm, and it made him sick to his stomach.

“Such as?” Ed chomped on a fingernail.

“He attacked Megan. Broke down the bedroom door to get to her. Do you have any idea how terrifying that was for her?” He leaned closer, hoping Ed would experience at least a fraction of the fear Megan had endured. “He would have raped and killed her if I hadn’t shot him.”

“So…” His voice came out a high-pitched squeak. He cleared his throat. “So you shot him?”

“After you left, I started feeling strange. Incredibly tired and dizzy. Like I’d been drugged or something.”

Ed coughed. “Drugged? Weird.”

“Yeah, very weird. Only thing I’d ingested for hours was that iced tea you brought.” He crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest. “Only logical conclusion is there was something in that tea.”

Ed walked to the file cabinet and opened a drawer. “Doesn’t make sense. We all drank it.”

Will couldn’t see what Ed was doing when he rooted through the drawer, but he refused to take any chances. He moved his right hand close to his weapon. “We each had our own bottle. Apparently only mine was drugged. Like someone wanted me incapacitated.”

The file drawer slammed shut, and Ed spun around to face him with only a manila folder in his hand, much to Will’s relief.

“What are you saying, Will?” His expression was unreadable.

“What do you think I’m saying? Someone drugged me so Jarity could get his filthy hands on Megan.”

Ed’s Adam’s apple jumped.

“Who the hell would do that, Ed?”

He set the file on his desk but didn’t sit. “I don’t think I like where you’re going with this. Are you accusing me of something?”

Will said nothing.

“What, you think I was helping Jarity?”

“Were you?” He leaned back in the chair but didn’t let his guard down for a moment.

“What?” He staggered backward and centered a hand on his chest in a not-very-convincing show of shock and hurt. “You’re like a son to me, kid. How could you think I’d set you up? Ask any guy at the SO about my integrity. My record is spotless. Twenty-five years of ethical police work.”

“If there were any other conclusion to draw, I’d be your biggest defender.” He swallowed back the rush of emotion. “But I know you did it. And I know you told Jarity exactly where to find us.”

“Wasn’t me. Maybe you’re not as good at spotting a tail as you think.”

“Why’d you do it, Ed? I trusted you.” The pain cut deep.

Ed sat behind his desk and hung his head. He stayed like that nearly a minute. “You have no idea what I’ve been through, the shit that’s permeated my life. And it’s all fucked up now.”

Pain stabbed behind his eyes. Holding his fury in check, he drew a deep breath. He was sitting opposite the man who’d helped a murderer try to kill the woman he loved. His first inclination was to rip the bastard to shreds, but he had to play it cool. “Tell me what happened.”

“It started about a year after I married Veronica.” Ed heaved a sigh. “Her spending had gotten out of control. She’d been buying all these designer clothes and shoes, stuff I couldn’t afford. I asked her to stop. She blew up at me, said she’d have never married me if she’d known I was so cheap.”

Will flinched when Ed opened his desk drawer. He fingered his gun, but Ed only took out a bottle of antacid. Relief washed over him as the older man tipped the bottle to his mouth for a swig, then returned the medicine to his drawer.

“Then she started taking these junkets to Vegas and Atlantic City with her girlfriends. Racking up thousands in gambling debts.” He rolled his head back. “Aw, Christ, I don’t know if she was really doing that or shacking up with some young guy.”

“I’m sorry, Ed.” But he wasn’t terribly surprised. Since he’d started working for Ed, he’d picked up bits and pieces of conversations, enough to convince him Veronica had been bleeding Ed dry.

“Last week she tells me she owes this casino in Atlantic City a shitload of dough. And she knew, Will. She knew we were headed for the damn poorhouse, and she didn’t care. Then I caught Jarity at Megan’s house dressed like a fucking ninja.”

“What?” He sat up straighter.

“I’m a piece of shit, but I was a desperate one.” He met Will’s stare, and the misery in his eyes was plain. “I’m sorry, kid. He offered to give me more than I needed to pay off all Veronica’s debts. If I’d turned him in, my business would have gone under, and then where would I be?” He shook his head. “I’m not proud of myself, but Jarity talked me into giving up your hiding place, the rental cottage.”

“So he set the fire.” Will gritted his teeth, thinking about what could have happened.

“He promised me he wasn’t going to hurt her. I swear. But that’s what I get for trusting that son of a bitch. When he tried to burn the place down, I was furious. But then he had me, Will. He recorded our conversation, that double-crossing bastard.”

Will thought about the microphone taped to his skin. “Go on.”

“He also told me some stuff about my wife. That she’d been pawning the jewelry I’d given her.” He looked as if he was about to cry. “I went home and searched her things, and I found thousands, Will. She’d been stashing all that money.”

He could only imagine how Ed must have felt, but it didn’t justify what he’d done to Megan. Or to him. Nothing could.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. So I tried to rein her in.” He buried his face in his hands and sobbed like a baby. “She left me, Will. Now I have nothing. Nothing but a business that’s going down the tubes and a fucking mountain of debt.” He sat up and sniffled loudly.

“She wasn’t worth it, Ed.” Could he be all that surprised that a beautiful yet trashy woman like Veronica had had ulterior motives for marrying him?

“I told you. They’re no damn good. When I saw you were getting too involved with Megan again, I tried to talk you out of it, but you wouldn’t listen. Jarity told me he just wanted to scare her, I figured maybe she’d leave town, get the hell out of your life. Didn’t work that way, though.”

Will wanted to jump across the desk and wring his neck, but he sat tight. Ed would get what was coming to him by way of the justice system.

“I got nothing left, kid. That’s punishment enough, don’t you think? Let’s forget about this, huh?”

Incredulous, Will couldn’t hold back a smirk. “No, Ed. I don’t think so.”

Suddenly there was a gun in Ed’s hand, so fast Will hadn’t even see him go for it. Will stared into the barrel, then met Ed’s red-rimmed eyes.

Ed would never shoot him. He’d stake his life on it. But he wished Ed weren’t watching him like a damn hawk. His own weapon was so close, but Ed would be able to crack off at least two rounds before Will could get to it.

“Listen to me, kid. We can pretend we never had this conversation. All I have left is my reputation. If my friends at the SO hear about this…” More tears. “Jesus, Will, please. I’m begging you, man to man.”

More like pussy to man.

If he agreed too quickly, Ed would never believe him. “I don’t know.” Then he remembered Kenny could hear everything they said. “I don’t like having a gun in my face. You mind lowering that thing while I think about it?”

Ed narrowed his gaze. He came around the desk, never moving his eyes—or his weapon—off Will. “You’re wearing a wire, aren’t you?”

His heart rocketed faster. “’Course not.”

“Put your hands up.”

Blood pulsed in his ears. “Come on, Ed. It’s me.”

“Put them up.”

Will slowly raised his arms. Ed grabbed at his T-shirt and lifted it high enough to see the microphone. And the gun in his waistband.

“Calm down, Ed.” He reached for his weapon, but Ed pushed his against Will’s forehead.

“Take your hand off it, real slow.”

He had no choice but to do as he was told. “This is crazy.” He lifted his hands in the air, and Ed took his gun.

“Thought I knew you, Will.” He backed away a few paces.

“Same back at ya.”

“No one is who I thought they were.” He turned his weapon toward his head, then opened his mouth and pushed the barrel inside.

He gasped. “Ed, no!”

The door burst open. “Don’t do it,” Kenny Horvath said from the doorway. “Please, Ed. That’s not going to solve anything.”

Ed squeezed the trigger.

Chapter Thirteen

Will waited outside Ed’s office building with Kenny, too shell-shocked to utter a single word.

Will’s former boss, Captain Zuckerman, approached the men. “They’re almost finished in there, guys. Hell of a scene. Long as I’ve worked this job, it never gets any easier to see, particularly when it’s someone you know. Knew.”

“Sure as hell wasn’t pleasant to watch.” Kenny paced the sidewalk and shook his head.

“You both will need to see our mental health counselor this week. Don’t put it off. Even tough guys like you have trouble dealing with something like this.” The captain scrubbed a hand over his face. “Never in a million years would I have believed Ed Dawkins was dirty.”

“Captain Zuckerman?” Will said.

“Hmm?”

“I’m not with the SO anymore. I left months ago. I was working for Ed.”

“What’s your point, McCoy?” The older man clasped his hands behind his back.

“You said Kenny and I should see the counselor. That’s only for employees, isn’t it?”

“Listen to me.” He set his hand on Will’s shoulder. “I hated that you left in the first place. Seems you don’t have a job anymore. Without Dawkins, there’s no more Dawkins Security and Investigations, right?”

He shrugged. “I’d assume so.”

“You’re a damned fine detective. Horvath told me you’ve been instrumental in this human-trafficking case he’s working. The SO needs more guys like you. I want you back.”

“I appreciate that, sir, but—”

“Look, we all make mistakes. I’ve read the report from the night you shot that kid. He was dressed exactly the same as the perp who’d just killed a store clerk. And the guy was running from you. You did exactly what I would have, and most other cops too. Time to stop beating yourself up over it.”

The memory of that awful night would haunt him for the rest of his life, but he realized it was less painful than it used to be.

“Will you at least think about it? Take a week, two if you want, but the answer had better be yes.” A rare smile looked foreign on Zuckerman’s face. “Go ahead and make an appointment with our counselor. Trust me, it’ll help.”

“I’ll think about it. Thank you, sir.” He’d loved being a cop, missed it every day. Maybe it was time for him to face his demons head-on.

“Horvath,” the captain called to Kenny, who’d crossed the parking lot, probably giving them some privacy.

“Sir?”

“Take McCoy with you and go back to headquarters. Professional standards will want statements from both of you.”

“Yes, sir.” Kenny looked at Will. “Ready?”

He drew a steadying breath. “As I’ll ever be.” Recounting the event so soon was going to be torture, but he had to do it.

The interview took nearly two hours, but when he left the interrogation room, the heavy weight on his shoulders felt lighter. But it would take a long time to get completely over it.

He wandered down the hall and found Kenny at the vending machines, chomping on a candy bar. “How’d it go?” Kenny asked with a mouthful of chocolate.

Shrugging, he dropped four quarters into one of the machines. “Well as can be expected. Yours?” He pushed the button for a bag of potato chips.

“Same. Got some news you might be interested to hear.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” Will took his snack from the bottom of the machine, then tore it open.

“Walk with me.” Kenny started down the hall toward the large office used by the entire detective squad.

Will fell in step.

“Guy named Harvey Jarity was arrested by ICE at Miami International last night when he tried to get through customs with three teenage girls from Sri Lanka. Something in the paperwork raised a red flag. Turns out it was all forged. When they interviewed him, he blamed the whole thing on his brother, John Jarity.”

They arrived at Kenny’s desk and sat.

“Harvey worked for his brother’s imports company as a buyer, according to my research,” Will told him.

“Correct. So Harvey wanted a deal. He tells them he has all kinds of shit on his brother. ICE called us, and we informed them of John’s death and all the crimes of which he’s now suspected. We found several girls from Sri Lanka working for businessmen around the state. They were all basically slaves. All from Sri Lanka and brought here by the Jarity brothers. Including the murdered Jane Doe in Alachua County. Her name was Shola, and she was smuggled into the country by Jarity and sold to a—” he opened a file folder on his desk and stared at the paper inside, “—Peter Arrow. Mr. Arrow has many business ties with John Jarity. All the pieces are falling into place.”

Will crunched on a chip. “Thank God you were able to find the other girls, rescue them.”

“Yeah.” Kenny tossed his empty candy wrapper into the trash can. “After hearing about his brother, Harvey said he has knowledge of a murder John committed. Seems he was the one who hid the body, and he’s willing to show us where in exchange for a lighter sentence.”

“The girl Megan saw strangled.” Megan would be relieved when the girl was found and given a proper burial.

“That’s what I’m thinking. We’re extraditing him from Miami now. He should be here by five or six this evening. Interested?”

“Bet your ass. Mind if I come back later and sit in?”

“I figured you would.”

***

Megan had just delved into the stack of messages and other papers on her desk when the phone rang. Although she had to place an ad to find a new assistant, staying extra busy did wonders for keeping her mind occupied so she didn’t have to think about all the bad stuff. “Southern State Vacation Rentals, this is Megan.”

“Just the lady I wanted to speak to.”

Her whole body warmed at the sound of Will’s voice. “Hey.” She’d missed his embrace last night more than she’d imagined. No one could have comforted her but him, yet she’d put off calling him. She had to let him know their relationship was over, but breaking his heart again—and hers—wasn’t a task she looked forward to.

“I have some news.”

“Oh?” She wanted to tell him about Gram, but she’d wait until he’d said his piece.

“Would you let me take you to lunch? It’s really too much to discuss over the phone.”

She had no appetite. “How about coffee?”

“That works. Pick you up in half an hour?”

She glanced at her massive to-do list. Being away from the office for so long had left her way behind. But how could she refuse Will’s request after everything he’d done for her? “Sure.”

After she hung up, she threw all her concentration back into her work. No sense in guessing what he wanted to discuss with her. She’d find out soon enough.

She’d just finished responding to the most pressing messages when she saw Will at the glass door. Her heart fluttered as she unlocked the bolt and let him in.

He immediately pulled her into his arms. God, she didn’t want to enjoy it so much. As she breathed in his scent, a flood of sweet memories hit her, shaking her resolve.

“I know it’s only been a day, but I’ve missed you so much,” he murmured next to her ear.

She softened against him, only for a moment, then lassoed in her emotions and backed away. “Shall we go?”

He motioned toward the door. “Your chariot awaits.”

She climbed into his truck, and he walked walk around the front and got behind the wheel. His brow was knotted and his complexion pale.

“How are you?” he asked.

She thought about Gram and sighed. “I’ve had better days.”

“What’s wrong?” He turned to face her, concern etched on his face.

She grappled for the strength to say the words.

Will slid closer and put his arm around her shoulder. “Megan, what is it?”

She wiped away the tear that escaped. “Gram passed away last night.” Saying the words made it all the more real. The intense sadness she’d been shoving away all morning finally came to the surface, along with a flood of tears.

Will held her close, rocked her and kissed the top of her head. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”

She let his love comfort her as she sobbed. Minutes passed before she collected herself. Will handed her a tissue box.

“Thanks. I’m better, for the time being.” But there’d be lots more tears for a long time to come. She told him about Gram’s stroke.

“Why didn’t you call me?” The hurt on his face went straight to her heart.

“I didn’t want to disturb you. You’ve been through enough, thanks to me.”

Tiny muscles around his jaw quivered. “What’s going on with us, Megan? I need to know what’s changed.”

She leaned her head back against the seat. Now was as good a time as any to deal with this. “At the cabin, when I told you about what your mother said to me at the country club, you blew up at me. Called me a fucking bitch. I don’t think I can forgive that.”

His eyebrows snapped together. “Whoa. I did no such thing. If I said that, it was directed at my mother, not at you. God, Megan, how could you think I’d speak to you that way?” His anguished sigh assured her he was being honest. “I’m livid that my mother treated you that way.”

She mulled over his words. That made so much more sense. Will had never spoken to her that way before. How could she have been so oversensitive? “I thought you were angry with me because I didn’t tell you then, but between your mother and Gram, I didn’t think we had a shot at being together. That’s why I ended our relationship back then.”

He combed his fingers through his hair. “You should have told me about it. I wish you’d had enough faith in me to give me the chance to fight for you.”

His words went straight to her heart. A giant lump formed in her throat. “You mean you’d have walked away from everything for me?”

“I don’t think it’ll come to that, but frankly, if it did, you’d win, baby.” He grasped her shoulders. “I love you, Megan. You’re the most important person in the world to me. I’m furious at my mother for saying all those hurtful things to you and for pushing a huge wedge between you and me. But make no mistake. You are number one. You always will be. But I need you to be honest with me, no matter how upset you think I’ll be. Deal?”

She thought about Gram. If her grandmother had truly loved her, wouldn’t she want her to be happy? Being without Will would make her miserable, and him too. Gram’s wishes had been colored by her experiences, but times had changed, and Will was a hundred times the man her father was.

Please understand, Gram.

A strange calm settled over her, and she knew this was the right decision. She smiled through her tears. “I love you, Will.”

He shut his eyes briefly. “You have no idea how much I wanted to hear you say that again.” Leaning closer, he skimmed his lips over hers.

She hooked her hands around his neck and opened her mouth to him, savored his wonderful cinnamon taste. Everything about him felt like home.

Will smoothed a hand over her hair and met her stare. “I need to hold you, Megan. I need you to hold me.”

She nodded. “Me too. Let’s go to my place.”

The short drive to her place felt like one of the longest of her life. After Will parked the truck, they started for the porch and stopped to kiss along the way. Seconds later they made it to the bedroom, having left a trail of clothes in their wake.

Megan stood next to the bed and faced Will, sliding her gaze over his nude body. She’d never tire of that sexy V from his strapping shoulders to his narrow waist or the long legs roped with muscle. He took a step toward her, and she reached for his erection and closed her hand around it, yearning to feel it inside her.

He hissed out a breath and threaded his fingers through her hair. She slid her hand lower and gently grasped his balls.

Covering her mouth with his, he swirled his tongue around hers, glided it over her teeth. Desire spooled through her, making her whole body tingle with longing. Knowing that nothing stood between them, no impediment to their happiness, she allowed herself to give in totally to her carnal needs.

Will moved his attention to her breasts. He laved the areola of one while he cupped and massaged the other. She savored the erotic sensations. How could she have considered ever walking away from him when no one else knew how to love her as he did?

She moaned with delight when he scraped his teeth over her nipples, then sucked and licked. All the barbs she’d erected around her heart fell away. She needed this so badly, yearned for the release making love provided. But more than that, she craved the connection. After all she’d been through, after losing Gram, she had to feel like she was part of him, like she wasn’t on the road all alone, but rather with her soul mate.

Will took her wrist and eased her hand away from his cock. Then he knelt in front of her and planted tender kisses on each breast and along the valley between. She swooned with overwhelming passion as he trailed his lips lower. He nipped at her skin, then circled her belly-button ring with his tongue. “I love everything about you, Megan.” He gazed up into her eyes. “I love the sound of your voice and the taste of your skin. I love that tiny birthmark below your ass that you probably didn’t know you had.”

She smiled. “I didn’t.”

Another kiss on her belly. “I love your beautiful smile and the way your hips sway when you walk.”

His words heated her from the inside out. A ripple of liquid desire rolled through her and moistened her pussy.

Will sat back on his heels and slid his hand between her legs. When his fingers grazed the lips of her sex, she trembled with need. He kissed her skin just above her mound. Her pulse quickened.

He lifted her right leg and hooked it over his left shoulder, giving him better access to her sex. She grasped the edge of the bed for support. When he started licking at her folds, she moaned with pleasure. He spread her lips wider and circled her bud with his tongue.

Her breath caught. This man knew her body, sensed what felt good as if he read her every thought. The intimate connection affirmed how right they were together, how perfect.

Will slipped a finger inside her, then another. He looked up at her with smoldering eyes. “You’re soaking wet. You must be enjoying yourself.”

She fisted a hand in his hair. “You have no idea.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea, actually.” He stroked his fingers in and out, in and out, tormenting her with delight. Her hips rocked of their own accord. “Give me your hand.”

She released his hair and let him move her hand to her pussy.

“Rub it, baby.”

As Will slid his fingers inside her, she used hers to rub outside. The delicious sensation quickly brought her to the brink of climax. She increased her pace, and Will matched her rhythm. Blissful shock waves rolled through her as she tumbled over the edge.

She moaned in delight as she rode his fingers. Ecstasy stormed through her. She shook and writhed. It went on and on, snatching away her breath, until the waves of pleasure slowed, leaving her weak and completely satisfied.

Will couldn’t tear his gaze away from Megan’s face. Her caramel skin glowed, and her Mona Lisa smile reflected her love, a love he’d yearn for forever. The notion that he’d nearly lost her tightened his chest. He stood and drew her into his arms, savoring her heat and her vanilla scent. She cupped his balls, then fisted his erection.

A powerful rush of desire gripped him. “I need to make love to you, baby. Now.” He took a condom from the nightstand, then stared into her amber eyes as he sheathed himself. Hooking his arm around her waist, he crushed her against him, let her feel his insistent cock.

She grazed her tongue across his lips, then slipped it into his mouth and kissed him with a fervent passion. When he was with Megan, all the bad stuff melted away. After what he’d witnessed today, he craved her touch to reassure him that there was still good in the world. She was his haven, his refuge from the storm.

He’d lost someone he looked up to, someone who’d betrayed him on every level, and that was painful. But Megan’s loss ran deeper. Wasn’t like she had a big family she could lean on. Her grandmother was everything to her. He wanted to be the one to lick her wounds and make it all better. Or at least help ease her misery.

“Want to get in the bed?” she whispered.

“No.” At her raised eyebrows, he took her hand and led her to the big chair by the window. He sat and pulled her toward his lap. “This way you control your pleasure.” And he got to see her face as she did.

Her naughty grin assured him she liked the idea. She climbed over him, straddling his thighs. Grasping his cock, she angled it toward her opening and eased it past her intimate lips. Her hot pussy beckoned to him as she took him inside. She was so wet and tight. Drunk with molten lust, he slid deeper.

He held her by her hips and gently rocked her over his shaft. The sweet friction energized his body with savage need. She curled her fingers into his shoulders. Biting her lip, she moaned and shut her eyes. She lifted up and down, made little circles with her hips. The sensations drove him wild.

He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her face. No mistaking the intensity of her enjoyment. Her lips were slightly parted, her brow furrowed and her head lolled slowly from side to side.

Hot, demanding pressure built in his balls. He caught one of Megan’s breasts in his hand. She slowed her movements to let him suck her peaked point. A deep sigh broke from her lips. She started rocking faster.

He struggled not to let go as she sighed and bucked. Her pussy constricted around his cock. “Oh, Will. Yes…yes.” She rode him like a steed, raising herself high, then lowering again, taking him all the way to her sweet depths. Her fingernails cut painfully into his shoulders, but he didn’t mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a savage scream when her climax hit. He grasped her hips and thrust into her hard and fast like she loved.

She twisted and moaned. He loved her most when her face contorted in erotic joy. Panting, she opened her eyes, and her lips curled in a lustful grin. She raked her fingernails over his skin. The line between pain and pleasure blurred.

He was so close as he moved her hips up and down, hard and deep. Another thrust and his control shredded. His orgasm detonated in a white-hot blast. Pleasure shot through him like a speeding locomotive.

Megan kissed his forehead, his cheek, his lips. He sensed a new tenderness in her touch. Maybe the change was inspired by her grief, or even his. Or else it was the honesty between them, the promise of a future together.

He closed his eyes and savored the sweet sensations. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he wondered if she could feel his heart thudding.

Once his breathing slowed to its normal pace, he stood, lifting her with him. She wrapped herself tightly around him as he carried her to the bed. He set her down, then climbed in next to her. Pulling her against his chest, he kissed the top of her head.

He should tell her about Ed and about Jarity’s brother, but he needed a few more minutes to hold her and recharge his battery. Shutting his eyes, he forced all the bad stuff out of his mind. He pulled in a breath of her scent—and their scent. Her skin felt like velvet as he skimmed his hand over her side.

She purred softly and wriggled against him. Minutes later her rhythmic breathing told him she’d fallen asleep. Glancing at his watch, he grimaced. If he planned to be at the sheriff’s office when Harvey Jarity arrived, he’d have to leave soon. And he definitely wanted to hear what the man had to say.

Megan reached across the bed, searching for Will’s warmth, but the sheets were cool to the touch. She peeled her eyes open and found him sitting on the chair, tying his shoelaces.

Why was he dressed? “Where are you going?”

He tilted his head up and met her stare. “Well, we need to talk about that.” He returned to his task, but not before she noticed his furrowed brow.

She sat up and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What’s wrong?”

His lips compressed. He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Something happened this morning.”

Goose bumps sprawled over her skin. She grabbed the robe from the bedpost and wrapped it around herself. “What is it, Will? You’re scaring me.”

He took her hands and exhaled deeply. “I went to see Ed this morning. The news about Jarity’s death hadn’t hit the papers or the airwaves yet, and I wanted to see his reaction.” He glanced toward the window. “But mostly I had to know why he drugged me and why the hell he would help a monster like Jarity commit a murder.”

She flashed on Jarity’s face and the awful smell of his breath. She shuddered. “Did Ed deny it?”

“At first. Wasn’t like I had any proof.”

“I know he drugged you. You didn’t wake up when I screamed at you.”

He nodded. “I know. He finally owned up to it. Apparently Ed had major money problems. His wife was milking him dry. He caught Jarity trying to break into your house a few days ago.”

She gasped. “Oh God.” Bile burned the back of her throat.

“Jarity offered to pay him off to keep his mouth shut about that. And to divulge where we were hiding.”

The hurt in Will’s eyes made her heart ache. He climbed off the bed and paced the room.

“Talk to me.” She yearned to hold him, but if he’d wanted that, he wouldn’t have gotten up.

He stopped walking and hooked his fingers behind his neck. “He put a gun in his mouth and blew his brains out right in front of me. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop him.”

The aura of his anguish filled the room. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Will. I can’t imagine how awful that must have been for you.”

His cheek brushed the side of her face. “It was pretty bad.”

She wished there were something she could do to ease his pain, something she could say, but only time would help.

“There’s more.” He grasped her shoulders and met her stare.

She steeled herself for another emotional jolt.

“Jarity’s brother, Harvey, was arrested in Miami last night. He entered the country with three young ladies from Sri Lanka. But he got scared and offered to rat out John if they went easy on him.”

She sucked in a breath. “You think he knows something about the girl his brother murdered?”

“I hope so. There were other girls. The sheriff’s office located several and rescued them from the people who bought them. Harvey’s supposed to arrive at the sheriff’s office here in the next hour or so. I plan to sit in on the interview. I want to know exactly what those bastards were up to.”

Fear and excitement swirled in her belly. “Can I come, Will? Please?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think—”

“Please, Will. After all I’ve been through, I need to know who that girl was and why Jarity killed her. And I need to hear that others were saved. It’s important to me.” The end of this nightmare was finally in sight.

He combed his fingers through his hair and narrowed his gaze. “Okay, fine. But you need to get dressed in a hurry. And I can’t promise they’ll let you sit in. We don’t usually do that for civilians.”

She hurried to her closet and snatched a pair of jeans off a hanger. “You’re a civilian. If you can see it, why can’t I?”

“Well, that’s another thing I wanted to speak to you about. I’ve been offered my old job back. I’m thinking about going for it.”

She smiled but remained silent. It wasn’t up to her to influence his decision. She fastened her pants, then pulled on a sweater. “Okay.”

Half an hour later she sat in a darkened room and stared through the glass at a man who resembled John Jarity but was a little shorter, a little heavier. Disgust roiled in her belly.

Will set a hand on her thigh. “You all right?”

Nodding, she inched her seat closer to his. She listened, fascinated and horrified, as Harvey told the two detectives interviewing him his story. He spoke of the tyrannical older brother who had beaten and tormented him his whole life, how he’d learned at an early age never to defy John, no matter what.

Then one of the officers asked him about the murder.

“I wasn’t even there, I swear. John called and told me to get my ass to the store on Henderson Street because he had an emergency. When I got there, I saw her.” He started to cry, and the detectives exchanged a glance.

A potent stew of emotions threatened to overwhelm Megan, but she tamped them down and listened.

“John said I had to help him hide her body. I didn’t want to, but he made me. We wrapped her in trash bags and drove to the marina. John has a pontoon there. We took it out to the middle of the lake.” His face reddened. “We put some rocks in the bag, then threw it into the water.”

“Who was she?” one of the detectives asked.

Harvey buried his face in his hands and sobbed. “A nice girl. Her name was Nisha, and I brought her back from Sri Lanka. John had me pay her family for her. To be his maid.” He looked from one cop to the other. “I think John made her have sex with him.”

Megan covered her mouth to keep from getting sick. Will put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her against him.

“John’s wife liked to do crafts, so Nisha taught her to make the silver jewelry popular in her region of Sri Lanka. My wife said the girl had a real talent. Lots of Ruth Ann’s friends even bought Nisha’s designs. So Nisha thought she could sell some herself, make a life for herself. She wanted John to set her up in a store—the empty one on Henderson. She was going to tell Ruth Ann about him sleeping with her if he didn’t let her.”

“And he went along with that?” one of the detectives asked.

“He pretended to,” Harvey continued. “They argued, and he—” he took a gulp from the glass of water on the table, “—he strangled her.”

Megan had to get out of there. If she didn’t, she’d scream. “I’ll wait outside,” she told Will.

He threaded his fingers through hers and stood. “I’ll come with you.”

They walked to a bank of vending machines at the end of the long corridor.

“Why doesn’t he have a lawyer?” Megan asked.

“He didn’t want one.” He tipped his chin toward the candy machine. “Hungry?”

“No.”

“How do you feel?”

She drew in a deep breath. “Sad, relieved, disgusted, angry, vindicated. You name it.”

He nodded. “At least you know her name now. And the others will be returned to their families.”

“Will they try to find her body?”

“Yeah, but don’t hold your breath. There are lots of gators in that lake. Might not be anything left. But I gave them the earring you found. If they find the mate on her, that’ll help with the identification.”

She cringed. “Poor thing. First her family sells her into virtual slavery. Then Jarity rapes her, God knows how many times. Then the bastard kills her.” She glanced up the hall toward the room they’d just left. The idea of going back nauseated her. “Do you mind if I sit out the rest?”

He drew her into his strong embrace. “No, baby. I don’t mind. We can leave if you want.”

She tried for a smile. “Thanks. It’s been quite a day.”

“I’ll understand if you need to be alone tonight, but I’d like to come over.” She saw a vulnerability in his eyes that she’d never noticed before. He needed to be with her as much as she did with him, although he’d never admit it. He was hurting as much as she.

She had so much to do between arrangements for Gram’s memorial service and explaining all that had transpired to her boss, but Will had put her before everything else in his life, and she owed him the same. “That would be nice.”

***

An icy wind blew over the Gulf of Mexico, and Megan grasped the railing as the boat pitched and rocked.

“You okay?” Will pulled her into his arms, but their bulky life vests prevented them from getting too close.

She tried for a smile. His warmth provided comfort that was more than just thermal. She wouldn’t have survived the past two weeks without him. She drew in a deep breath infused with the briny scent of the sea. “I’m good. I know this was what Gram wanted.” She glanced at the plastic box that held two urns a few feet away. Gram’s urn was decorated with lilacs, her favorite.

She eased out of his embrace. It wasn’t just the two of them there. To her left, a quiet, dark-haired girl cried. Megan took her hand.

Athula looked at her and smiled. “Thank you for letting me come,” she said in heavily accented English.

Megan smoothed a hand over Athula’s hair. “When will you go home?”

“We all leave tomorrow.”

Megan nodded. The ICE had taken over the case and discovered four other girls, including Athula.

Will wiped a tear from Megan’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Proud? Why?”

“You gave that girl some dignity in death.” He pointed at the other urn, which held Nisha’s ashes. “I still can’t believe you were able to contact her family halfway around the world.”

“I didn’t do it alone. Thank you for all your help, by the way.” The U.S. consulate had done all the legwork in Sri Lanka, and Will had convinced Ruth Ann Jarity to give over the girl’s possessions. “At least now her mother knows. I owed Nisha that.”

“You couldn’t have stopped her murder, Megan. Stop torturing yourself.”

Athula touched her arm. “We’re all so grateful for everything you did.”

She managed a smile.

“Just a few more minutes, folks,” the boat captain called from the upper deck.

“Do you have a special spot picked out?” Will asked Megan.

She shook her head. “By law we have to be at least three miles from shore.” With the moment looming when she’d have to part with her grandmother’s ashes, sadness gripped her heart. She wished Gram had been accepting of Will, but nothing could change that now. Deep in her heart, she knew Gram wanted her to be happy more than anything, and Will made her happy.

The boat’s engines suddenly cut off. “Okay, Miss Jackson,” the captain said.

She picked up the simple white vase etched with a single rose that held Nisha’s ashes. “I’m so sorry that your short life came to such a tragic end. I hope you’re in a better place now. Rest in peace.” She handed the urn to Athula.

The girl threw the container into the water, and it bobbed on the waves.

Megan prayed she’d hold it together as she said goodbye to Gram.

Will picked up Gram’s urn and handed it to her. She held it close to her chest, and her eyes immediately filled. “I love you so much, Gram. I remember when Mama died you told me something I’ve always kept with me. You said even though Mama wasn’t with us anymore, her spirit would stay in our hearts forever. And that’s right where I’ll keep you.” Will’s hand on her back bolstered her.

She sucked in a steadying breath. “I am who I am because of you, Gram. You’ll always be the brightest star in the sky and the loveliest flower in the garden. Someday I’ll tell my children all about you, and you’ll live on in them and in their hearts too.” She threw the urn into the gulf. It splashed, then floated a few yards away from the other one.

Will handed her a bouquet.

One by one, she tossed the brightly colored flowers overboard. “Rest in peace, Gram.”

As the boat sailed away minutes later, Megan watched Nisha’s ashes slip gently under the surface. Soon Gram’s would too, but she didn’t want to see that. She blew a kiss in the air, then sat on a bench.

Will joined her and took her hand. “How do you feel?”

Gazing into his dark green eyes eased the pain. “Better. Thanks for coming. It helps that you’re here.”

He squeezed her hand. “I always want to be where you are, baby. Forever and ever.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Me too.” Wherever life took them, with Will, she would always be home.

About the Author

Wynter Daniels began making up stories as soon as she could speak. She started working on her first novel in college—a mystery. But she soon realized the collegiate life involved way more than books, so she spent the rest of her time in academia partying.

When the writing bug bit her again years later, she tried her hand at many different romance genres, from contemporary to suspense to erotic. She is now published with Ellora’s Cave, Red Sage Publishing and Loose Id. Protective Custody is her first release from Carina Press.

Wynter lives in sunny Florida with her real-life hero, their two grown children and two spoiled cats. She sincerely hopes her stories are as much fun for you to read as they were for her to write.

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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9159-5

Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels

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