by ML Guida
“Back at my house on my computer.”
“I think we should review it together.”
She tilted her head. “I’ve reviewed the material inside and out. I think I would have caught it if something were amiss.”
“I realize that,” he said. “But you might not know what you’re looking at. Something that might not mean anything to you might mean something to me.”
“Fine.”
She had a hard, distinctive jaw line and her cold stare froze his insides. He loathed himself for his reaction after their mating. He’d always been cool and aloof among women and could take them or leave them.
But not Lara.
He was sweating like a marathon runner and his clothes stuck to him, scratching his skin.
Seth peeled the label off his beer. “What if Gerri doesn’t remember anything, and there’s nothing in Lara’s files?”
“We know someone who has the answers.”
Cora frowned. “Who?”
He met his brother’s eyes. “Grant Sellars.”
Lara tugged on her shirt that led him to looking at those lovely breasts. “He won’t talk.”
Seth finished ripping off the label. “He’ll squawk.”
Lara crossed her arms over her chest as if she’d caught Griff staring. “You can’t hurt him, Seth. If you do, we’ll never bring any of this to trial.”
Seth didn’t falter from her gaze. “Maybe we don’t want to bring him to trial.”
“They killed Sandy. And they threatened us.” Anger, frustration, and fear echoed in Gerri’s harsh voice.
“We don’t even know who exactly ‘they’ are.” Lara put her hand up. “I know. I know. We know for certain that Grant’s involved and circumstantial evidence points to Mr. Hartley. Beyond that we don’t know for sure.”
“What about the people following you?”
“Besides Alice Livingston, I’m not sure who else. And Alice has only followed me to Starbucks and around the firm.”
“That you know of,” Seth murmured.
Griff stood and Seth melted back into the sofa.
Gerri stood between them and snapped her fingers. “Not in my apartment, Tiger.” She gestured toward the dining room table that was laid out with a fried chicken dinner fit for a king. “Before we get too heated, I think we should eat.”
Seth walked to the kitchen and brought back two beers. “Here, bro.”
It was a peace offering––one that Griff accepted.
He followed Lara to the table who sat in between Gerri and Cora. Little tigress.
Gerri laughed, got up, and moved. “Here, tiger.”
Griff immediately sat next to Lara who rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be shy.” Gerri spread out her arms. “Dig in.”
“Smells delicious.” Cora picked up a bowl of mashed potatoes and dished up a pile on Seth’s plate.
She passed it to Lara who added some to her plate, but not his. He reluctantly took the bowl and generously piled potatoes onto his plate.
“Hungry?” Lara lifted her eyebrow and turned the corner of her mouth into a smirk.
He liked how she teased him.
Griff’s mouth watered and his stomach growled. “Prison food leaves a lot to be desired.” He winked. “Besides, Gerri’s cooking is famous.”
The conversation died as they concentrated on fried chicken, biscuits, and gravy.
He lifted another spoonful of creamy potatoes to his mouth.
Something exploded outside. His heart quit. He winced and dropped the fork on to his plate. “Shit, what the hell was that?”
Lara clasped his arm. “I don’t know.” Her hand was shaking.
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close, needing to protect her.
Through the plantation shutters, a yellow-orange light flickered into the dark sky.
Seth jumped up from the table, knocking over his chair. “Something’s burning.” He raced over to the patio doors and threw open up the shutters. “Somebody’s car’s on fire.”
Griff’s gut squeezed tight, his skin prickled, and the sense of danger spurred a rush of adrenaline to spike inside him. He glanced at Lara whose face was stricken. They bolted toward Seth.
Black smoke swirled up to the sky. Red, yellow, and orange flames flicked out of the windows of a small car. Griff could taste the film of ash and oil on his lips.
Lara covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh God, my car.” Her voice shook with shock. She turned away, buried her face, and clenched her fists into his shirt.
He held her close, her body was shaking, but not as bad as his rattled heart. “I’m sorry.” He kissed the top of her head. What if she had been in the car?
He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath to still his tremors. He needed to be strong for her, for both of them.
Sirens screamed. He opened his eyes. Red lights flashed in the distance.
Cora tilted her head. “The fire trucks and cops are both coming.”
He lifted up Lara’s head and wiped her tear-stained cheeks. “We’d better get down there.”
She smiled through her tears. “I know.”
He clasped her trembling hand and squeezed it gently.
“We’ll all go.” Gerri looked into Griff’s eyes. “They’re getting serious. Someone could have been killed.”
Lara straightened her back. “Let’s go.”
The five of them filed into the crowded elevator and went down to the first floor. People were talking excitedly, but Gerri, Seth, Cora, Lara, and Griff remained silent. Griff didn’t know any of the people in the elevator. His gut twisted into a tangled, triple knot. Any one of them could have started the fire. The culprit could easily have started the fire and come inside. Or the bastard could be outside watching his handy work.
The heat was fiercer outside and Griff shielded his eyes with his arm. Firemen held the crowd back.
“We need you to stay back.” An older police officer spread his arms wide.
“That’s my car.” Lara’s voice was surprisingly strong.
The police officer motioned with his hand. “Come here, Miss.” He looked like he was one step away from retirement with his thick full head of gray hair and bushy eyebrows.
Griff led Lara toward the officer, using his broad shoulders to part the curious onlookers. He scanned the crowd and the shadows, hunting for Grant, but if he were here, he was well hidden.
The officer looked at Griff. “Just you, ma’am.”
Griff glared at the little man. “I don’t think so.”
Lara braced her shoulders. “I’d like him with me.”
“Very well,” the officer grumbled. He led them away from the crowd and burning car.
“Your name?” The officer pulled out a pad.
Griff wedged himself between Lara and the officer, not trusting him. “And your name?”
“Malloy. Michael Malloy.” He flicked his pen at Griff. “And you’re…?”
“Griff Reese.” He tilted his head at Lara. “She’s my mate.”
Sweat broke out on the back of his neck. He held his breath, afraid she’d deny it.
She gasped and frowned.
Malloy looked between them as if he thought Griff were a liar. “Is that true, Miss?”
She ran a hand through her tousled hair. “Yes.”
Griff exhaled his pent-up breath.
“And your name?”
“Black. Lara Black. I’m an attorney. My car is…was a Ford Escort.”
He scribbled onto his notepad. “Did you see what happened?”
Lara shook her head. “No. We were eating dinner.”
He motioned with his pen. “You live here?”
“No, I live at seventy-six-zero-one Moore Street.”
Malloy quickly wrote the information down.
“What were you doing here?”
“We…we were…” Lara’s voice faded and choked.
Griff grimaced at the stench of burnt rubber and metal. The fi
remen aimed the hose at the burning car and steam rose into the sky. Flames fought to survive, but slowly died. A jagged outline of a car appeared that was nothing but an empty shell.
Griff couldn’t shake the image of Lara being burned up in that heap. He held her close, his throat balling up.
“Miss Black?” Malloy looked at her.
Griff rubbed Lara’s back. “We were at Gerri Wilder’s apartment.” His voice quivered, which earned him a curious glance from Lara.
Malloy looked up, curiosity reflecting in his eyes. “The shifter matchmaker?”
Griff glared. “Yes. Why?”
Malloy shrugged. “Oh, nothing. I didn’t know she lived here. That’s all.”
“What was the license plate of the car?”
Lara wiped her face. “NSO 324.”
Griff scanned the lookie-lues, searching for a hint of who might have started the fire. “Somebody here started the fire.”
Malloy pushed up his hat. “Not necessarily. It could have been a short in the engine.”
The cop’s stupidity made Griff’s blood simmer. “Yeah, and my name is Santa Claus.”
“Don’t get smart with me, Sonny.” Malloy gave him a haughty you’re-one-step-away-from-being-in-deep-shit glower.
But Griff didn’t care. He’d seen that look many times in jail. Some cops liked to think they could intimidate with their glares, but those stares never phased Griff. “So, you’re not going to investigate?”
Malloy pointed to his chest. “I don’t investigate. The fire department does.”
A young fireman headed over toward them. “I understand, Miss, you’re the owner of the car?”
Laura nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“I’m Chief Ramon. I’m afraid this might be deliberate. We detected what appears to be a Molotov cocktail in your backseat. We won’t know for sure until we investigate further.”
Griff flashed Malloy a superior look who gritted his teeth and hissed.
Chief Ramon pushed up his metal hat to reveal an older face coated with sweat. This was a man who didn’t rely on his men to do all the dirty work. “Your car seems to be the only car that was hit in the parking lot. Do you have any enemies that might have done this?”
Griff squeezed her hand, hoping to warn her. They need to proceed carefully, since they didn’t know who was or wasn’t on the take. Her boss had a long arm and deep pockets.
She glanced at Griff questioningly, then turned to Ramon. “No, I don’t know anyone who would have done this.”
“We’ll do an investigation and find out what happened. Hopefully, someone saw something. If you’ll excuse me.” Ramon returned to his men who were rolling up the hoses.
“Do you have any more questions, Officer Malloy?” Lara’s voice was tired and Griff could feel her body trembling.
Griff needed to get her out of here.
“Just your phone number and insurance.”
Lara quickly gave him the information.
“Thank you, Ms. Black,” he said. “We’ll be in touch. You’re free to go…For now.”
Griff led her away from the ghastly scene of melted tires and blackened metal.
She frowned. “How am I going to get home?”
“I’ll take you.”
She leaned her head against him. “I need to get my purse.”
“Let’s get it and get the hell out of here.” The back of his neck itched and chills flickered down his back. People were watching them, and he didn’t like their curious glances. He knew the fire starter was here. Grant was here. Setting the fire was a huge warning. Someone didn’t like Lara digging into their business.
Gerri made her way through the crowd and met them inside the condominium near the elevator. She leaned close. “Where are you going?”
“I’m taking her home.”
Gerri smiled. “I heard what you told the officer. So, I can forget calling anymore shifters?”
“Only if they want their arms and legs ripped out of their sockets,” he murmured.
Lara’s eyes widened. A sweet blush spread across her cheeks that made him wonder if her whole body was bathed in pink. His cock immediately turned hard, and he squirmed uncomfortably.
“I remembered something.” Gerri’s smile faded and she glanced over her shoulder nervously. “I don’t how I forgot.”
“What is it?” Lara whispered.
“Sandy. It wasn’t just a car accident. Her car had an electric short and she died in a car fire.”
Her words cracked him across the head like a prison guard’s baton––beating his heart, bashing his lungs, and brewing a bitter fear in his gut.
The blood drained from Lara’s face and she collapsed. Griff caught her around the waist.
He pressed his mouth against her ear and she clung to him. “I promise I’ll protect you.”
She stared up into his face. Her eyes were rounder than an owl’s. “Please, don’t let me burn.” Her courage failed and she choked on a sob.
“I won’t. I swear I won’t.” He grabbed her shaking shoulders. “But you’ve got to be strong, Lara. They’re watching, and we’ve got to get out of here. Now.”
“Give her a minute, Griff.” Gerri rubbed her back.
“Gerri, if she stays here, she could be in more danger. You need to get out of here, too. Go with Seth. He’ll protect you.”
“I can protect myself. I’m a power…” But her voice faltered.
“Damn it, Gerri, don’t argue. They could be planning to burn this whole place down.”
She put her fingers on her glistening forehead. “Shit. Not again.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Seth and Cora hurried toward them.
“What’s going on?” Seth looked at them.
“Get Gerri out of here. She’ll tell you what she remembered. Now, move.”
Seth nodded. They all returned to Gerri’s apartment. Gerri packed up a bag and Lara grabbed her purse. Griff kept glancing outside the window to make sure the fire department hadn’t left yet.
He headed toward the door and grabbed Lara’s hand. “Come on, we need to move.”
“Where are we going to go?”
“My place.”
She frowned and stepped back. “Your place?”
“But we’re going to get your damn computer before they do.”
“If they do, I still have the information. I uploaded to the cloud and I have it on a USB drive.”
He frowned. “Where is the USB drive?”
“I hid it.”
“In your house?”
Please don’t say your office.
“No, I taped it to the back of a toilet in a Starbucks near my office. I didn’t think anyone would think to look for the drive there.”
He laughed. “You’re right. They wouldn’t.” He kissed her on the lips hard and squeezed her ass. He pushed her hair back. “We’ll go to Starbucks. They’ll be expecting us to go to your house.”
Lara glanced at her watch. “Starbucks is closed now.”
“Fine, then we’re back to my house.”
Wariness filled her eyes and she glanced back at the others for help, but he dragged her out of the apartment. She was his. He refused to allow any of them to interfere.
He pushed her up against the wall as they waited for the elevator.
“Starbucks won’t open for another seven hours. I plan to make up for my damn behavior in the gazebo. Please forgive me. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
She tilted her head, then wrapped her arms around his neck. “Neither have I.” She brushed her lips over his. “I should punish you…” She smiled mischievously. “But I won’t.”
His heart quickened and his tiger unleashed. He buried his head into her neck, refusing to lose her.
Please, God, keep this woman safe.
Chapter 8
Lara clutched her arms around Griff’s waist and held on tight. The roar of his motorcycle wasn’t as loud as her thumping heart. She couldn’t stop trembl
ing.
Her car had burned up.
They’d burned up her car.
Mr. Hartley had someone burn up her car.
How could she go to work tomorrow?
She pressed her body closer to Griff’s. Tears slipped down her face and she got Seth’s leather jacket wet.
The police didn’t believe them, but the fireman had. Did this mean the police were in on it, but the fire department wasn’t?
She kept looking over she shoulder to see if they were being followed, but the street was empty. She shivered uncontrollably, and her teeth chattered. Why did she get the feeling that they were being followed? That someone was behind them, hiding in the shadows. The last thing she should be doing was going to Griff’s house. A definite violation of ethics. Right now, she didn’t care. She didn’t want to be alone.
She was cold, so cold. She couldn’t get warm.
Griff pulled into a seedy hotel, the Jolly Rabbit, but it was anything but jolly. The J and one l were missing from the sign, so it read “oly rabbit.” That, she could believe.
Older cars and one rusted truck were parked in the lot.
No green sedan.
No silver motorcycle.
He parked his bike in front of number thirteen. Her gut swirled. “Really thirteen?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Superstitious?”
“Maybe. After all, my car was just torched.”
He climbed off his bike and lifted her off with ease. “I know.” He wrapped his arm around her neck and pressed her body against his. “You’re safe now.”
She put her hand on his hard chest. “I hope so.”
He stopped. “You doubt me?” Hurt echoed in his voice.
She shook her head. “No, it’s not that.” She lowered her head, tears turning her vision into a bloody mess. “I’m…I’m scared.” Her strangled voice could barely make out the words.
Griff clasped her hand and kissed her palm. “I know.”
Tingles swept up her arm and she shivered again, but not from fear. She stared into his eyes.
He clasped her hand and led her to the door. With the luck that she’d been having, it didn’t surprise her his room number was thirteen. He unlocked the door and opened it.
“I know it’s not much.”
‘Not much’ would have been an improvement.