Dangerous To Love

by Toni Anderson, Barbara Freethy, Dee Davis, Leslie A. Kelly, Cynthia Eden, J. Kenner, Meli Raine, Gwen Hernandez, Pamela Clare, Rachel Grant

  He slid behind the wheel as the other car passed by without incident.

  Then he started the car and peeled down the street in the opposite direction.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Somewhere that isn’t here.”

  It wasn’t much of an answer, but, somehow, she’d made the impulsive decision to trust him.

  And then Noelle’s last words came back to haunt her…I trusted the wrong person.

  She hoped she hadn’t done the same.

  * * *

  Wyatt drove quickly away from Noelle’s apartment building, pissed off at what had just gone down. But right now, his only focus was on getting Avery to safety. She was damn lucky he’d gotten there when he did, or she might be in the same condition as Noelle. He knew she didn’t trust him, but that didn’t matter. She was shaken up, but she was alive.

  She was wearing the same clothes she’d been in last night: skinny dark jeans, a cream-colored knit top, and a short black leather coat. Her brown hair fell loose around her shoulders, her face was pale, and her brown eyes appeared shocked and weary, but she was still a very attractive woman. Normally, there was a warm, inviting, exciting air about her. He’d been drawn to her every time he’d seen her on the security monitor.

  He’d told himself he needed to get closer to her because she was tight with Hamilton Tremaine, but he’d never had the chance…until now.

  This wasn’t the opportunity he’d expected, but he’d take it.

  Avery and Hamilton shared a love of the stars, and Hamilton spoke of her with great reverence and fondness. Avery had gotten even deeper into the family when her father Brett Caldwell had become romantically involved with Whitney Tremaine, the youngest of Hamilton’s three offspring.

  She’d been on his radar to check out, but she’d moved higher up the list when he’d seen her at the pier on Friday night. Avery had been the one to get Noelle her job at the company. While he’d never seen them spend much time together at work, clearly, they’d gotten together after business hours.

  But Noelle was dead, stabbed with deliberate violence, and Avery had watched her friend bleed out. Now, she was running for her life. He couldn’t imagine what she was thinking—probably wondering what kind of hell she’d walked into.

  He wished he could tell her it was going to be okay, but he had no idea if that was true. He needed to find out what she knew and then figure out how much danger she was in. It was bad enough she’d been in the funhouse last night, but this morning she’d seen a man’s face—the same man who might have killed Noelle. That could be a big problem.

  As he glanced at her, he noticed the book clenched in her hand. She’d brought it from Noelle’s apartment. Maybe it was a clue. “Why are you holding that book?”

  At first, she gave him a blank look and then she glanced down at the book in her hands. “Oh, it’s mine.” She held it up, so he could see the cover and her name. “I wrote this about space for kids, and we sell it in the Nova Star gift shop. Noelle bought it and had me sign it for her. I saw it on the floor of her room, and I just grabbed it. Then the man came out of the bathroom with a gun.” She paused. “I don’t know why I didn’t leave it there. Noelle bought it as a joke. She dictated what she wanted me to write when I autographed it.”

  “What did you write?”

  She opened the book and read the inscription: “To the smartest, most beautiful, and skinniest best friend. Love Avery.” She gave him a sad look. “Noelle was one of a kind. She was the brightest star, the life of the party, the girl who did things no one else dared to do. She could be crazy and funny and generous…”

  As her voice trailed away, he wondered what she was leaving out. “And…” he prodded.

  “She could be flaky at times. She was almost always late. She sometimes ditched me for a better offer, but I couldn’t really blame her, because I was usually nowhere near as much fun as she was.” She let out a sigh. “But I shouldn’t say any of that, because she’s dead.”

  “Say whatever you want. Dying doesn’t turn anyone into a saint.”

  “She didn’t deserve to die. It still feels unreal, like it’s a horrific nightmare. I want to wake up, but I can’t.”

  He nodded, knowing there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. She was going to have to live through the grief.

  As he reached the Pacific Coast Highway, he sped up, not stopping until he saw a small parking lot near a public beach. He pulled off the road and into an open spot.

  “Why are you stopping here?” Avery asked, shooting him a wary look.

  “Seems as good a place as any. We need to talk. Let’s take a walk on the beach. I could use some fresh air. I’m betting you could, too.”

  He could see she was torn between going with him or staying in the car. Probably in her mind, neither option was a good one. But, finally, she nodded and got out, leaving the book on the seat as she did so.

  He wondered if there was more to that book than she’d said; it was interesting that she’d taken it from Noelle’s apartment, especially since he didn’t know why she’d gone there in the first place.

  They walked across the sand to the edge of the water and just stood there for a moment.

  It was a cool, sunny December morning, with only a few people on the beach: a couple walking their dog, a family with a couple of kids digging sandcastles, and a lone woman sitting on a towel, reading a book.

  “Why does everything look normal when it’s not?” Avery questioned.

  He doubted she really wanted an answer, so he didn’t give her one. He was just happy that her breath had slowed down. He needed her thinking clearly.

  “What’s your name?” she asked abruptly, turning to look at him.

  “Wyatt Tanner.”

  She waited a moment, then said, “You already know my name.”

  “I do. You’re Avery Caldwell, an astrophysicist, and an employee of Nova Star. You created and currently manage the educational outreach program at the company. And I know that because I work in security, as I mentioned before. I’ve gone over the personnel files for everyone at the company.”

  “That’s a lot of people.”

  “Well, I’m not the only one on the team,” he said, meeting her brown-eyed gaze, and thinking irrelevantly that she was even prettier in person. Clearing his throat, he added, “I hope my position at Nova Star makes you feel more comfortable.”

  “Why would it?”

  “It’s my job to protect the employees of Nova Star, and Noelle was one of them. I didn’t hurt her, Avery.”

  “But I saw you in the funhouse, and even though I was freaked out, I recognized you.”

  “Why were you freaked out? You saw me before you found Noelle.”

  She frowned. “Yes, but I hate funhouses. I got lost in one when I was a little kid.”

  “Then why did you go in last night?”

  “Because Noelle never came out. I was watching the door, and I kept seeing people come out who had gone in after her. I got worried.”

  “You didn’t think she was just having fun?”

  “I had a bad feeling. She was acting weird.”

  “How so?”

  “She was checking her watch a lot, like she was waiting for something or was going to meet someone.”

  “But she was with you. Why would she be meeting someone else?”

  “Obviously, I don’t know the answer to that question. When I thought I saw you in the mirror, I wondered if she was meeting you.” She paused, a question in her eyes. “Was it you? Were you supposed to meet Noelle in the funhouse?”

  “No.”

  “It seems like the oddest coincidence that you were there.”

  “I was supposed to meet a friend at the pier. She was late, so I thought I’d check out the funhouse while I was waiting.”

  “When did you know that Noelle got stabbed?”

  “I was almost at the exit when I heard screams. One of the employees told us to wait, that somet
hing had happened.”

  “Us?”

  “There were about a dozen of us.”

  “Did you see Noelle?”

  “No. They put us in a back room.”

  “Why?”

  “To question us on what we’d seen. Unfortunately, I hadn’t seen anything.” He paused. “I understand you found her.”

  “Yes, and it was awful. She was covered in blood. I wanted to save her, but I could see that she was slipping away.”

  “Slipping away?” he echoed, his gut tightening. “She was alive when you found her? Did she say anything?”

  Avery hesitated, the suspicion back in her eyes. “It feels like you’re asking all the questions and I’m giving all the answers.”

  “I investigate crimes. Asking questions is what I do.”

  “But the crime didn’t happen at work. Why did you come to Noelle’s apartment this morning?”

  He hesitated and wondered why. He lied every single day of his life. It was second nature. And it rarely bothered him. He could pass lie detector tests. He could face down a team of interrogators without giving anything up, but there was something about Avery’s haunted expression that made him wish he could tell her something that would help her make sense of things. But that was impossible. More information would only put her in more danger.

  “Well?” Avery demanded. “Are you going to answer me?”

  “Hamilton called me last night after he heard the news. He asked me to make sure that Noelle’s death wasn’t tied to her job at Nova Star.”

  “Why would it be?”

  “I don’t know, but he asked me to see what I could find out.”

  “At her apartment?”

  “Yes. Now, do you want to tell me why you went there?”

  “I’m not really sure. Noelle muttered a few cryptic words before she died. She said she’d trusted the wrong person and she said something about me going to her apartment, but she didn’t say why. I thought about it all night and decided I should go there and see if anything stood out to me. Unfortunately, when I got there, the place was a mess. I don’t know if the police turned things upside down or if someone else did. I walked into the closet and then that man came out of the bathroom with a gun. I froze. And then you came in.”

  “Did he say anything to you? Did you recognize him when I got the mask off?”

  “No. I’m absolutely certain I never saw him before. What about you?”

  “Same.”

  “He was looking for something in Noelle’s apartment. Do you think he found it?”

  “My guess is you interrupted his search.”

  “I wish I knew what he was after, why Noelle implied I should go there.” Her gaze turned toward the ocean. “Noelle often trusted the wrong people. She liked men who were exciting and daring and sometimes walked a fine line between right and wrong. And it wasn’t just the men in her life who led her down the wrong path; it was also her female friends. That’s why we stopped hanging out together. I felt like she changed into someone else.” Avery looked back at him. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

  “You’re entitled. You’ve suffered a huge personal loss.” He paused. “Although, it sounds like there was a break in your friendship.”

  “We barely spoke over the last six, seven years. It wasn’t until she looked me up two months ago and asked me to help her get a job that we became friends again. And, before you say it, yes, I did think she was probably using me, but she was still my friend and I had the ability to help her, so I did.” Avery took a breath and let it out, folding her arms in front of her. “What’s going to happen now? Noelle’s neighbor called the police. She saw us. I’m thinking we should go down to the station and talk to the detectives I spoke to last night and tell them what happened.”

  “We could do that,” he said slowly. “But we broke into a crime scene.”

  “I knew the code,” she protested.

  “But you crossed the police tape.”

  She frowned. “How did you get in?”

  “You didn’t lock the door behind you.”

  “What about the other guy? He was there before me. How did he know the code?”

  “No idea.” He paused, as he considered his options. He didn’t want to go to the police, but he could see she was already working up a lot of steam for that course of action.

  “Why don’t you want me to go to the police?” she asked, giving him a suspicious look.

  “I’m trying to protect you.” That wasn’t even close to the truth, but hopefully she’d buy it.

  “Or protect yourself.”

  So much for her buying it.

  “This isn’t about me. If I’m reluctant for you to go to the police, it’s because Hamilton asked me to look into this. He’s concerned about Noelle’s death. If it’s tied in any way to Nova Star, it will bring negative press and intense scrutiny to the company, and with the satellite defense launch scheduled for Tuesday, that’s the last thing he wants.”

  She paled. “I don’t care about any of that. I love Nova Star, and I am a big fan of Hamilton’s, but I want justice for Noelle. If every employee at the company has to be questioned, then that’s what has to happen.”

  He liked that she wasn’t intimidated by Hamilton. “I want justice for her, too. Why don’t we work together on that?”

  “If you want to work together, then come with me to the police station.”

  “Is this a test?”

  “It’s a suggestion.”

  He’d have to make a quick call, but he could probably make it work. “All right.”

  She looked surprised. “Really? Why the change of heart?”

  “No change of heart. You’re clearly determined to speak to the police, so I’ll go with you. Before we do that, tell me about Noelle’s boyfriend.”

  “Carter? I don’t know a lot about him. We had dinner together once. He seems nice enough. He’s a lawyer and works in patents at Nova Star. Noelle told me he was steady, and she liked that about him. He kept her feet on the ground the way I used to.” She sniffed as emotion came back into her eyes. “Maybe it was good Noelle had a chance to really fly, knowing now how little time she had.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I don’t know much about Carter except that he works a lot.”

  “You haven’t spoken to him since last night?”

  “No. I know the police were going to call him. I did try to reach Noelle’s mother, but she didn’t answer. I left her a message.”

  “Is Noelle’s family local?”

  “Not anymore. Her father is deceased. Her mom moved to Florida seven or eight years ago. I don’t think there’s anyone left here in Los Angeles. They didn’t have the biggest family to start with. Noelle and I had that in common. Although my father didn’t die, he did leave, so by the time Noelle and I were in high school, we were both basically fatherless.”

  “I’ve seen your father in your office. He must have come back at some point.”

  “Yes, but he was gone for a long time before that. And even when he was around, he wasn’t really around. Although, he did come to the police station last night; I guess he’s trying to show that he’s changed.”

  “Your father came to the station?” he echoed, making a mental note of that fact.

  “Yes, and then my mom showed up, and suddenly I felt like I was thirteen again, watching them fight over who was going to take me home from soccer practice. Only it wasn’t soccer, and I wasn’t a kid, and Noelle had just died.” She drew in a shaky breath. “Oh, God…I don’t know how to deal with all this emotion. I’m angry and sad, scared and confused. It’s too much.”

  “It won’t get easier for a while.”

  She stared back at him. “You know I actually appreciate you saying that instead of trying to tell me I’ll feel better soon.”

  He shrugged. “I know what it’s like to lose a friend. It’s very difficult, especially when the circumstances are sudden and violent.”

  “I never could have prepared myself for wha
t happened last night.”

  “No.”

  “All right. So, I guess we should go to the police station. And then hopefully I can go home, change my clothes and catch my breath.”

  “I’ll take you there.”

  “Thanks.”

  As they walked back to the car, he hoped he was making the right decision. He didn’t particularly want to talk to the police again. He needed to make a play…something that would continue to allow him to build trust with Avery but not get him in deeper with the cops, who would only make his assignment more difficult.

  After opening the car door for Avery, he walked slowly around the back of the vehicle, pulling out his phone and texting a quick message to his team leader. He needed the FBI to pull some strings, and they had to do it fast.

  As he slid behind the wheel, he got a text that they were on it.

  Relieved, he started the car and pulled back onto the highway.

  “You haven’t been at Nova Star that long, have you?” Avery asked.

  “About a month.”

  “And before that? Where did you work?”

  “I was in the Marines—intelligence.”

  “That’s where you saw friends die.”

  “Unfortunately.”

  A gleam entered her eyes. “Hamilton was a Marine. I’m sure that made you a good candidate for the job. Always faithful, right?”

  “Semper fi,” he murmured, thinking that faithfulness did not describe him at all. He came and left in the dark of the night. He lived his life in the shadows, under different names, different disguises. He was a chauffeur one day, a trucker the next—a gambler, a hustler, an importer, an exporter. He’d lost track of all the different roles he’d been required to play.

  Sometimes, he thought he was losing track of himself.

  But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

  He had a job to do, and it wasn’t security for Nova Star. It was high-stakes industrial espionage by a possible foreign power into the aerospace industry, and Noelle’s death had just raised the stakes. He needed more access, more information, and as he glanced over at Avery, he realized she might be valuable on a lot of levels. If anyone could get him deeper into the inner circle of Nova Star, it was her.