by Layne, Ivy
She was out the door a heartbeat later. I watched her hustle back to the house, her flip-flops slapping her heels in an uneven rhythm.
Lily Spencer was not what I'd expected. In the picture we had on file she'd been sleek and sophisticated, her hair straight and just brushing her shoulders. The pearls around her neck had matched the buttons on her sedate twin set. She'd been on her husband's arm, a tight smile on her face as they'd been photographed at a charity event.
Trey Spencer had looked smug. Satisfied. Lily looked trapped. I don't know why that word stuck in my head every time I saw that picture.
Trapped.
Why trapped?
A beautiful woman on the arm of a handsome man. From outward appearance, they were prosperous and secure, but something was off in her eyes, in the way she stood beside her husband but not really with him.
I'd expected the twin set and sleek hair. With her stiff shoulders and sophisticated armor, that woman made a convenient suspect.
This Lily did not. Her hair was a cloud of soft, dark curls. She wore no jewelry and barely any makeup. Instead of a twin set, she was in pink flip-flops, worn jeans frayed at the hem, and a T-shirt that had seen better days.
This Lily wasn't a picture clipped from the paper. This Lily was flesh and blood. She was real. This Lily might not be trapped, but she was terrified.
Sooner or later, I would find out why.
Chapter Four
Knox
My dad's dead,” a little voice piped up.
I dropped my eyes to see Lily's son standing at the base of the ladder.
I was installing new cameras under the eaves on the side of the house. Adam Spencer looked up at me through eyes the crystal blue of the Caribbean Sea, his tousled white-blonde hair tangled over his tanned forehead. His voice was matter-of-fact as he shared the news of his father's death.
I nodded gravely and said, “I know. I'm sorry.”
Adam jerked his shoulder in a gesture identical to the one his mother had used only an hour before.
“It's okay,” he said, “my mom and I are hanging in there.”
I nodded again. Adam stood, hands hanging loosely at his sides, watching with curious eyes as I tightened the screws holding the dark gray camera to the underside of the eave where it blended in almost perfectly.
“Is that supposed to look for the bad guys? Will it stop them from getting into the house?”
“What do you know about bad guys?” I asked, keeping my voice light. My instincts sharpened at the mention of bad guys, but the kid was five. Odds were he didn't know anything useful. Still, it didn't hurt to ask.
Adam narrowed his blue eyes on me consideringly before he said, “I know a few times the alarm's gone off. Deputy Dave came.”
“That's all?” I probed.
“Mom's been worried.” He shot a quick glance over his shoulder before he went on, “She tries to pretend like everything's okay, but since Dad's been gone—” He swallowed hard.
I had to push while I had the chance. Feeling like an asshole, I said, “Since your dad's been gone, she's been worried? Or was she worried before, too?”
Adam's eyes dropped to the ground. He kicked the toe of his sneaker into the dirt, rubbing a line through cinnamon-brown pine needles, exposing the darker loam beneath.
Seeming to come to a decision, he straightened, feet beside one another in an almost military stance before he lifted his chin and said, “Before, too. My dad wasn't home a lot. Sometimes they used to yell. Then she'd be sad and worry more. Are you going to fix it?”
“I'm going to try,” I said, not sure if I was telling the truth.
“How do I know you're not one of the bad guys?” Adam asked.
Smart kid. “I'm not. Promise.”
I knew with absolute certainty that I was not the bad guy.
I was sure about myself, and I was sure about Adam Spencer. Everyone else was up in the air.
I couldn't promise things would go well for Lily until I knew how involved she was in her husband's business. In my father's business.
Since the day my brothers and I had uncovered the first of my father's secrets, I'd learned how deep betrayal could go. For five years we'd mourned my father's death. Right up until we found out he was still alive and on the run from the Russian mob.
He'd abandoned us once by faking his death. Now he'd made us a target for the mob's revenge. With my father out of reach, they wanted us to make good on what he stole. The problem was, we had no clue what my father took or how to get it back.
What we did know could barely fill a postcard. My father and a few compatriots had been into all sorts of dirty shit, from sketchy adoptions to trafficking for the Russian mob.
Following the money moving into and out of my father's hidden accounts led us straight to Trey Spencer. Spencer, and possibly Lily, were tangled up in all of it.
The child in front of me had nothing to do with his parents' crimes. He didn't deserve me prodding him for information, but Andrei Tsepov had threatened my mother, and the clock was ticking. If he didn't get what he wanted, he was going after my family.
I didn't have the luxury of leaving Adam in peace. I needed answers, and I needed them now.
A screen door behind the house slammed. Lily's voice drifted on the wind.
“Adam. Adam!”
Panic threaded through her words. She was trying to hide it, but she was scared. In the distance, tires crunched gravel through the trees. A car was headed down the long driveway.
Adam called out, all innocence, “I'm over here, Mom.”
Lily came around the side of the house, her strides eating up the ground, lips tightly pressed together.
“What are you doing outside? You know you're not allowed to leave the house without telling me,” she admonished, reaching his side and wrapping an arm around his shoulders with a squeeze of relief.
“I was just helping Mr…I was just helping—” He looked up at me and I realized we hadn't been formally introduced. I climbed down the ladder, holding out a hand to Adam, who took it and shook with a firm grip despite his small fingers.
“Knox Sinclair,” I said, “from Sinclair Security.”
Adam gave me a serious nod in return. “I'm Adam Spencer.”
“He's not allowed outside without an adult.” Lily's eyes went to the lake, glittering in the sun less than a hundred feet away. “I know you're not a babysitter, and he's a good swimmer, but that's the rule. I'd appreciate it if you could keep an eye out. Sometimes he forgets.”
At that Lily gave her son another squeeze, reaching down to tickle under his arm. He squealed and turned into her side.
“Mom, I was only out here for a minute—”
The hum of an engine interrupted Adam. The three of us turned to see a police cruiser rolling down the last of the gravel drive. Lily went stiff beside me, her mouth pinched, eyes tight.
Adam broke free from his mother and bolted for the vehicle yelling, “Deputy Dave.”
I shot out a hand to grab his wrist. “Not until it comes to a stop, Adam. You have to be careful around cars.”
Adam relaxed into my grip. “He wasn't going to hit me.”
“You don't know that,” Lily said with a sigh. “We've talked about cars. You have to be careful. He might not have seen you.”
Oblivious to the scolding taking place, a uniformed police officer unfolded himself from the car and strode over with a friendly smile for Lily and Adam and a flat glare for me.
“Dave,” Lily said in a voice I assume she thought was friendly. Was I the only one who heard the nerves hiding under her smile? “Is everything okay?”
“Fine. Everything's fine. I headed out to get a cup of coffee and realized I hadn't talked to you in over a week. Thought I'd stop by and see how you are.”
“Mr. Sinclair is
here to fix the alarm,” Adam said, eager to share adult news.
“Lily?” The officer asked, his eyes suspicious as they took me in. I returned his stare, not giving an inch.
He was taller than Lily, about average height, a few inches shorter than me. Dark hair, dark eyes in a face that you could see ten times and still forget. He wasn't ugly, and he wasn't good looking. Maybe to his friends, his features stood out, but on first meeting, his annoyance was the only thing about him that wasn't bland.
Adam seemed at ease with his presence. Lily wasn't but pretended to be.
Dave held out his hand to me saying, “Deputy David Morris. I was a good friend of Lily's husband, and I'm a friend of Lily and Adam's.”
He tried to crush my knuckles with his handshake. I smiled easily and squeezed back long enough to be polite before pulling my hand from his grip with a quick flick of my wrist.
I'd long outgrown those kinds of childish competitions. I could take Deputy Morris to the ground in a heartbeat. Squeezing my knuckles in a handshake didn't prove anything except that Deputy Dave thought he was top dog around here and wanted to make sure I thought it, too.
Dismissing me, he turned to Lily. “If you needed help with the alarm, I could have recommended someone.”
“I appreciate that, Dave. It's fine. Knox's company put in the system in the first place. He happened to be free, so it all worked out.”
“I know you've been worried about the alarm, but if you'd remember to turn it on…”
Dave trailed off, shooting me a sympathetic glance as if to say we needed to humor the little woman who couldn't remember to press all those complicated buttons.
I wasn't sure if I imagined the sound of Lily's molars grinding together before she forced herself to relax and said, “Dave, I've told you, I never forget to set the alarm.”
“I know, honey, I know.” He patted her shoulder. This time I wasn't imagining her clenched jaw.
I barely knew the guy and I wanted to smack him. I had to admire Lily for holding on to her composure. Deputy Dave gave her a condescending smile and said with zero subtlety, “I never did get that coffee.”
Knowing her line, Lily responded, “I was about to brew a pot. Would you like to come in? Do you have time to take a break? I've got a fresh coffee cake to go with it.”
“I always have time for a break with you, Lily, and I'd love some coffee cake.”
Adam choked on a laugh, sneaking a glance at me. Either Dave had never tried Lily's coffee cake or he was lacking tastebuds. I hoped her cooking was better than her baking. Otherwise, I’d have to hit the grocery store in town and find an excuse not to join them for dinner.
Lily’s coffee cake had been dry as dust, salty and bland at the same time. I was almost willing to suffer through another piece if I could watch Deputy Dave do the same.
“I’m about due for a break, too,” I said. “Do you have enough coffee for me?”
The scowl on Deputy Dave’s face was worth every bite I’d take of Lily’s coffee cake. The deputy was an old friend of the dead husband, and he was kissing up to the widow. Because he wanted her? Because they were working together?
I wouldn’t blame him if he was interested in Lily Spencer. I couldn’t decide if she reminded me of a woodland fairy or a skittish fawn. That delicate chin, full lower lip, curvy ass —
Yeah, I had no problem believing Dave Morris was moving in on his buddy’s widow, but Lily’s unease with him didn’t sit right.
Dave fell in beside Lily as they walked back to the house. Adam and I trailed behind. In a low voice, I asked, “Does Deputy Dave stop by often?”
Adam jerked his shoulder in a shrug. “Sometimes. Sometimes he comes over for dinner. He used to do that when my dad was alive.”
Adam’s eyes cut to the lake, and I decided to drop the subject. He was a kid, and his dad hadn't been gone for that long. I didn't need to poke a raw wound.
Lily had blown out the candle in the kitchen, but the room still smelled of vanilla. She pulled the coffee cake out of the pantry and cut four slices before going to the coffee maker and setting it up for a full pot. With a hiss and spurt of steam, the fresh scent of coffee filled the air. Lily's cake was crap, but she knew how to brew a good pot of coffee.
Over her shoulder, she said to Dave, “Town's not busy today?”
“Not once we took care of the traffic after church. You know how it is on a Sunday.”
“Tourist season is always a little crazy,” Lily said with a rueful smile.
Deputy Dave nodded gratefully. “That it is,” he agreed, taking the plate of coffee cake she handed him. “This sure looks good, Lily.”
Beside his mom Adam smirked, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. They caught on mine and I winked, sending him into a spurt of giggles. The sound of his laughter, bright and clear, brought a smile to my lips.
I took my own plate of coffee cake from Lily, setting it on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Adam looked at his mom and shook his head. He didn't have to try the coffee cake again to know it was awful.
The three of us watched deputy Dave take a hearty bite and chew, visibly quelling the urge to wince at the dry, salty, slightly metallic taste. Too much baking powder and salt, not enough sugar.
Deputy Dave was trying to get into Lily Spencer's pants. Only a man who wanted to get laid would suffer through that coffee cake. And suffer he did, forcing a smile as he chewed and swallowed, his eyes bouncing between Lily and me, suspicious and possessive.
“Knox Sinclair? Sinclair Security?”
I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back against the counter, giving Lily a smile of thanks as she set a mug of steaming coffee beside me. Dave took his with no acknowledgement.
“You're based out of Atlanta, aren't you?”
Another nod. Dave took a step toward Lily, washing down the dry cake with a swig of coffee as he arranged himself beside her. Lily sipped from her freshened mug and eased a step away, putting space between them.
How long had Deputy Dave been trying to nail Lily Spencer? Since his best friend died? Or before?
Lily, for her part, didn't look interested. Her shoulders were so tight they were kissing her ears, and her torso leaned as far from Dave as she could without being blatantly obvious. She wanted space. Either he didn't get the hint, or he didn't care.
Dave set the plate of coffee cake on the counter. “Long way to come for an alarm upgrade. Wouldn't it have been easier to refer it to someone local? There are some good companies out of Boston.”
I shrugged. “Trey Spencer was one of my father's special clients. If Mrs. Spencer needs help, we're at her disposal.”
Dave inched closer to Lily, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, giving her an affectionate squeeze. A wince crept across Lily's face before she chased it away with a blank smile. The flash of panic in her eyes had me halfway to reaching out and yanking her from his side.
What the hell was I thinking? I wasn't, and it had to stop. I always thought before I acted. Always. Whatever my gut was telling me about protecting Lily, I needed to be smart.
She looked like a defenseless fawn, but looks could be deceiving. Lily Spencer was hiding things from me.
Maybe she was uncomfortable with Dave because he wanted to fuck her and she wasn't interested.
Maybe she was uncomfortable because they'd been fucking for years, had killed her husband together, and now I was in the way.
Lily had called me, poking a hole in that theory, but people panicked. She hadn't been expecting me when I knocked on the door. Maybe she regretted calling. Maybe she'd wanted nothing more than for me to leave and get out of her and Deputy Dave's way.
Dave, either oblivious to Lily's tension or not caring, gave another affectionate squeeze of her shoulder. “I keep telling you, honey, if you remember to set the alarm you don't have anythi
ng to worry about. Knox can tell you, his company put in a solid system. You don't need improvements, you just need to remember to use it. I know you've been forgetful since Trey died. You aren't yourself these days.”
His eyes drifted to Adam who was poking holes through the top of my coffee cake and watching it crumble into a mess on the plate. Dave's gaze slid back to Lily as he murmured, “You have a lot on your shoulders, and it's been a hard year. No one would blame you if you can't handle things on your own.”
Lily stiffened and moved from Dave's side, setting her mug in the sink. Her friend the Deputy seemed determined to convince us all that Lily was scatterbrained and irresponsible.
Lily's message had been panicked, but nothing about her struck me as scatterbrained or irresponsible.
She wasn't stupid, she was afraid. Watching Dave watch her, my gut told me that Lily Spencer had good reason to be scared. I just had to figure out what that reason was.
Chapter Five
Lily
It has to be here somewhere,” I muttered. Again. I must have said that to myself a hundred times in the last hour. In the last few months.
This wasn't the first time I'd searched Trey's office. My husband had been organized. Methodical. Keys hung on the hook at the back door every time he parked the car. Shoes lined up in his closet. His pen aligned on his desk just so.
Yet somehow, he'd managed to misfile or lose almost every piece of paperwork I needed. If I wanted years of utility bills, they were here, filed by date, starting with the first month we'd moved into the house.
I had access to our bank accounts, to our homeowner's insurance. I had copies of Adam's shot records, and the will Trey left behind. None of that would help me now.
Knox Sinclair's arrival in our lives was a shock to the system. Adam and I were in a rut, existing day-to-day, not ready to figure out what came next.
The night before, as I lay in bed, I'd realized something.
Knox Sinclair was here to keep us safe. Great. Now I could sleep at night. Woo-hoo.
Except, I wasn't sleeping. The truth was that Knox could keep us safe, but he couldn't set us free. He could offer us security—security that would eventually drain my bank account dry—but then what?