“What finally tipped you off that Erick, a friend of the mayor’s, allegedly murdered your mother?” He scratched his chin and reached for a pen.
“The flowers.” She blinked a few times, still a bit shocked by how everything had come together. “When I was in Charlotte, white tulips were left on my mother’s grave and delivered to me anonymously at my hotel. I thought it was my stalker, but it wasn’t. Erick gave me the same flowers a few weeks ago, telling me they were my mother’s favorite. Something in my gut told me he was the guy.” She took a moment to replay the last few weeks in her mind. “I wasn’t sure, so I put my theory to the test. Flirted with him. Made him feel at ease with me. And then, tonight, I had hoped he would make his move—and he did.”
“A little risky, don’t you think?” he said, looking up from whatever note he was jotting down.
“I knew there were dozens of police officers at the ball. I wasn’t too worried.” Maybe it was a little stupid. “But I needed to draw him away from the ball. Make him feel comfortable.”
“And then you secretly recorded him?”
She nodded.
“And your friend, Michael Maddox . . . was he part of the plan?”
No. “You’d have to ask him what he was doing there.” She bit her thumb, nervousness settling in now that the adrenaline rush had dissipated from her system.
“I guess I’ll go talk to him myself.” He stood up from his desk. “Don’t go anywhere,” he warned before walking through the maze of desks and toward a closed room.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kate parked her car and walked a block or so down the street to her brownstone apartment, feeling safe in the dark hour, even though she’d been attacked by Erick not too long ago. He was in custody, after all. They’d made the official arrest, which meant Michael should’ve been on his way back to Charlotte.
The detective never told her what Michael had said to him, but it must have helped since Erick was now in jail. She wished she could have seen him, though. She would like to have thanked Michael, at the very least—and had the chance to ask him what he was doing at the ball.
She felt like she was losing him all over again.
As she neared her home, she stopped a few feet away from the steps. Her heart plummeted into her stomach with no parachute—there was no saving her.
“Hi,” Michael said, looking up at her from the front stair.
She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. She stared at Michael. His hair stuck straight up like he’d been running his hands through it for hours. His jaw was tight, and his blue eyes looked pained. He was in a tuxedo. Only his tux was in pretty bad shape.
He rose to his feet and approached Kate, who was still standing before him, a statue. “You okay?”
“You’re here,” she muttered, toying with the straps of her purse.
He stopped inches from her. He pushed his hands into his pockets and swallowed. “Of course I’m here.”
“How’d you know where I live?” Stupid question. This was Michael.
He dipped his head down a fraction and looked up at her from beneath black lashes. “I’m sorry about tonight.”
“For which part? Saving me? Or spying on me?”
“I saw Erick’s wife a week ago.” He took a deep breath and continued. “She was stepping out of a limo alone, and I approached her. I asked her who she was, and then I saw her necklace.” He reached into his back pocket and retrieved his wallet. “Here,” he said while handing her a photo.
Kate stared at the photo of her mom.
“His wife looked like you, and she had a necklace that resembled the one that was stolen from your mother.” He placed his hands in his pockets. “I did a little research, and I discovered that Erick had two other wives before this one. All of the women in his life had plastic surgery, becoming clones of your mother.”
Her mouth parted in shock. No wonder I never met his wife.
“I told the police that if they obtained the necklace, the serial number of the diamond would most likely match the one from the police report in regards to your mother’s murder.” He cleared his throat and took a step back.
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“But it looks as though you already figured out who Erick really was . . .” He removed his hands from his pockets and rubbed the nape of his neck. “I can’t believe you approached him like that—alone.”
She angled her chin up and studied him. “I guess I wasn’t alone after all.”
“I went to the police as soon as I had my suspicions about Erick, but they wouldn’t listen to me. So, I began following him. I didn’t want to tip him off. I was hoping to somehow catch him—but you beat me to it.”
“Well, thank you for rescuing me.” She bit her lip for a moment. “Again.”
“Am I too late?” His brows snapped together.
In what direction had their conversation just turned? The pain his absence had inflicted upon her tugged at her heart. “Too late for what?” Before he could answer, she added, “I appreciate you saving me.” A hot thread of anger coursed through her all of a sudden. “You kept your promise to find my mother’s killer, and for that, I’m grateful. But I’m not naïve enough to believe that means that you wa—” He silenced her with a finger to her lips, closing the gap between them.
Michael, I can’t handle any more heartbreak.
“Kate, I’ve wanted you ever since you spilled your drink on me.” He removed his finger from her lips.
Startled, she moved backward a little, needing space from his overwhelming presence. “That’s not what I meant.”
“For more than just your body.” He wrinkled his brow. “Kate, can we talk inside? Please.” He moved forward, but she held up her hand, warning him back. “It’s cold. You’re shaking.”
She averted her attention to the soft, powdery coating of snow that must have fallen while she was being held at the police station. But she wasn’t shaking from the cold. “Michael, I gave up on the idea of you.” She wanted to cry as her gaze drifted upward over his creased tux.
He rubbed his palm against his own cheek. “I didn’t want to do this out here, but okay. I’m not giving up without a fight.” He released a deep breath.
She crossed her arms, feeling the chill despite her thick coat—or maybe she just felt cold from the loss of his touch. The simple grace of his finger to her lips had warmed her body.
“I told the military I’m not coming back.”
She remained silent, her thoughts a frenzied mess.
“I want to buy a home in Boston—if this is where you plan to live.”
She dropped her purse to the ground, feeling too weak to hold its weight. Her knees trembled, despite the renewed spike in her body temperature.
“I’ve been seeing a therapist.”
Her lips twitched.
“I wanted to try and get better before I saw you again. For the first time in my life, I realized I needed help. I want to work through my shit. And I want the nightmares gone.”
She looked down at her purse, which was lying on the thin cushion of snow. “Two months isn’t a lot of time to work through what you dealt with in the Middle East. To get over your anti-relationship feelings.” She had to be realistic. She needed to think rationally.
“I don’t think of myself as a murderer—even though I wanted to kill Erick.”
And she’d almost wanted him to.
“I know I’ll need to keep seeing someone for a while—I know I’m not a hundred percent out of the woods, but I can’t wait any longer to be with you. I know it’s unfair of me to ask you this, when I’m still so broken, but I promise I will get better for you—for us.”
Oh, God. His mouth was dangerously close to hers, and she could still smell his cologne, despite the fact that he’d been at the police station.
“I need you, Kate. I want you.”
She wasn’t sure if she was still breathing.
“I’ve never said those words before.
Ever. But I mean them—I need you.” His voice was deep and strained by emotion.
She wanted to believe him, but she was scared. “What about the military, though?” Her voice broke as she spoke. “Are you serious about not going back? I don’t want you to think you have to choose.”
“I thought that was the only place I belonged until I met you.” He touched the side of her face. “I’m in love with you, Kathryn Elizabeth Adams.”
His words hit her hard. A tornado of feelings spiraled through her; she felt weak. “How do you know?” she asked, still not sure if she could trust him. “How do you know you love me?”
Michael shut his eyes and tilted his head back. “Because being away from you has caused me more pain than all of the bullets that pierced my chest. Losing you has eaten away at me, making me feel weak and alone.” His eyes flashed open and found hers. “And because your smile tugs at something deep inside of me. Your humor and your sensitivity, your sweetness and personality . . . you make me feel different.” He exhaled a slow breath. “You make me feel human again. I feel like life is possible if you’re in it.”
She stared in disbelief at the man in front of her. Was this really happening? “Can we go inside?” she asked, and her bottom lip trembled.
“You okay?” He touched her arm.
She nodded. “Yes. But if we don’t get inside soon, we’ll have to make love out in the snow.”
He released a laugh and pulled her into his arms. “You love to drive me crazy, huh?”
Her eyes sparkled. The dead weight she’d been feeling for months was gone. She no longer needed to silence the memories of her past—she wanted to create new ones. “We’ve been apart longer than we were ever together . . .”
“Thankfully, I’ve made extensive plans about how to make up for lost time.”
She smiled. “You made plans?”
“Yup. Want me to show you the list?”
“Oh, don’t make me call your bluff.” She wet her lips. “What exactly is on your list?”
“Mm.” He pressed his lips to her briefly. “Kissing.”
She perked a brow. “Yeah? And what else?”
Michael looked over his shoulder at her home. “Let me show you the rest inside.”
“Mm. Now that does sound like a good plan.”
Michael took a slight step back, his eyes settling on hers. “Kate—I hope you know that I’ll do everything in my power to earn your love.”
She shook her head. “You already have it.” She touched his lips with her index finger. “I love you, too.”
“Thank God,” he said, shoving his hands into her hair. “And I never want you to stop.”
Epilogue
“Please talk to him.” Kate reached for Michael’s forearm. “You’re like brothers.”
Michael lowered the bottle of beer from his lips and eyed Jake from across the room. “He could’ve gotten you killed back in Charlotte, Kate.”
She turned into him, pressing her body against his as she reached for his beer and set it on the table next to them. “This is our engagement party. He came all the way here. Please. For me.” She looked up at him and purposefully bit her lip.
“You’re not playing fair.” His hand swooped down her back and cupped her ass, squeezing it a little.
“Well, I learned how to play dirty from the best.” She chuckled.
“Hey, I’ve been nothing but a good boy since I met you.” He lifted a brow and leaned forward, softly nipping at her lip. Even that small gesture had her legs tightening. He’d been out of town for work all week, and then they had to come straight to the party. They hadn’t had time to make love since he’d been home.
Seven days without feeling Michael inside of her? Unbearable.
But he was trying to distract her with sex right now, so she had to resist.
“Don’t make me threaten you,” she said softly, narrowing her eyes. “I bought this tiny little red number I was going to wear for you tonight. But maybe—”
“What happened to my fiancée? I go out of town for one week, and when I come back, there’s a—”
“Watch yourself,” she teased, “or you’ll be going another week without getting any.”
She could feel his erection harden against her body, and she tried to hold back the soft mewl that threatened to escape her lips. She wanted him so damn badly . . . but she wanted him and his best friend to make up, even more.
“Fine,” he grumbled, “I’ll talk to him. But I want you naked in my bed in less than an hour.”
“What about the red—”
He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her ear, the sensation sending chills through her body. “Screw the lingerie—I just want you.”
Something inside her body squeezed as her eyes flashed, and she had to check a wild impulse to drag him right out of the pub and take him home.
“Hey, two can play at the game,” he said, giving her a quick pinch on the ass.
She folded her arms and blew out an exaggerated breath as he walked toward Jake, who was standing on the other side of the bar alongside a few of Michael’s other buddies: Connor and another guy she’d met earlier tonight—Ben Logan was his name. Ben was also a former Marine, and he now ran a private security company out in Vegas. Michael was already making plans to visit him . . . and to get in a lot of trouble in Sin City, she was sure. Of course, he’d told her that they’d be spending most of their time in bed, but who was she to complain?
“You got them to talk? It’s a bloody miracle.”
Kate glanced over her shoulder at the man to her right, and then she looked back at Michael as he scratched the back of his head and began talking to Jake. “It’s been months, so I thought our engagement party was the perfect time. Thank you again, Aiden, for throwing the party. I’m used to being the event planner, but you and Julia really surprised us. Your pub is great. Love the Irish charm.”
In fact, Kate and Michael had been two buttons away from skipping the red lingerie when his sister had come barging in their front door, demanding they come with her to the pub. When they had arrived, they found fifty of their friends and family there.
Kate glanced over at her dad and stepmom as they chatted with some of Kate’s old college friends. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around what her dad had done, and maybe she never would. But she had forgiven him, even if she worried that she might never quite trust him again.
“When’s the wedding going to be? Might I recommend Ireland for a setting?”
She’d gotten to know Aiden in the last few months they’d lived in Boston, and she was beginning to feel a little sad that Michael’s best friends were all unattached. They were fun and always kind to her, but it would be nice to have a few girlfriends around. When they had fiancées and wives, then they could all go on couples’ trips together.
There was the planner in her. She hadn’t quite managed to kill that compulsion, but maybe she shouldn’t. Being a planner could be useful . . . just as long as she allowed herself to be flexible when the situation called for it.
“I’ve never been to Ireland, but I’ve heard great things about it.” She released a deep breath when she saw Michael patting Jake on the back. Then the two of them began to head toward Kate and Aiden.
“I think they’re mates again,” Aiden said.
“Thank God.”
“Congrats again, Kate,” Jake said, and Michael narrowed his eyes a little at her before angling his head toward the door. The man had his priorities. Fortunately, she shared them.
But she had friends and family here, and they couldn’t ditch their own party, could they?
“How was London last month? As boring as I remember?” Aiden brought his beer to his lips and took a swig.
“Actually, it wasn’t anything like I planned,” Jake answered, his brows pulling together. Kate felt a surge of curiosity, but she didn’t want to pry.
“You met someone, eh?” Aiden asked.
Michael was standing next
to Kate now, and he slid his hand up the back of her silk blouse. At the feeling of his warm fingers on her skin, her breasts tightened with need.
“It’s complicated,” Jake grumbled.
“Complicated women can surprise you,” Michael said, and Kate wasn’t sure if she wanted to elbow him in the ribs or kiss him.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see . . .” Jake smiled and raised his drink. “In any case, cheers to you guys. May you have years of wedded bliss and lots of babies and yada yada yada.”
Kate chuckled. “Maybe you shouldn’t give a speech at the wedding,” she joked.
Before anyone could respond, Kate noticed Connor, Julia, and Ben coming up behind Jake.
“I’m thinking this party needs a little livening up,” Connor said, giving a mischievous shrug. “No—don’t have him play that techno shit of yours,” Jake called as Connor turned toward the DJ’s table.
“It’s better than that twangy country shit,” Connor shot back.
Julia folded her arms and shook her head. “Boys.”
When the music blasted, Michael tilted his head back and laughed. He shook his head back and forth, spreading his fingers over his belly.
“What? What am I missing?”
Then she recognized the tune—“Thunderstruck,” by AC/DC. As Jake, Connor, Aiden, and Ben came up alongside Michael, their heads began to rock forward and back like guitar players at a metal concert.
Michael was still smiling.
“We used to listen to this in the desert,” Michael said into Kate’s ear. “Got us pumped up before missions.”
Kate grinned. She loved to hear about his good memories. She hoped they would one day help him shed some of the pain. And seeing him here with his friends, happy, was the best engagement gift she could imagine.
“Come on, man. Belt those lyrics,” Ben said to Aiden, a smile spreading across his face.
“You sing?” Kate laughed as she began to groove to the music.
The Hidden Truths Series Box Set Page 24