Iron Cross (COBRA Securities Book 20)

by Velvet Vaughn

  Finn felt the rope starting to give. “Why dump her in the river?”

  He tapped the gun against his temple. “Because I’m not stupid, Finn. The water washed away any evidence. I’m sure there was some of my DNA beneath her fingernails. She was feisty. I even snuck her purse and cell phone back into her room after I disposed of her corpse. Smart, eh?”

  Finn didn’t give him the praise he desired, and Clint started pacing. “It seriously was an accident, and even though I enjoyed killing her, I didn’t plan on taking any more lives. I’m not a killer.”

  Could’ve fooled Finn.

  “Then that bastard Fred Russell approached me. He was at the same bar. He saw Nina leave with me. When she went missing the next day, he put two and two together and blackmailed me. He threatened to tell the authorities I was with her unless I paid him ten grand. Can you believe that? I’m an athletic trainer. It’s not like I’m rolling in dough. I agreed to meet him, and the idiot actually thought I’d give him the money. Fred was a big man, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to strangle him like I did Nina. Using a gun was just as satisfying.” He smiled. “That’s when I realized that maybe I am a killer. I enjoyed it too much to quit. I’d started something I wouldn’t be able to stop. There was a beast inside of me that needed to be fed.”

  He stopped pacing directly in front of Finn. “An unexpected bonus was Nina and Fred’s connections to you, and the publicity wasn’t all good. People were starting to wonder if you weren’t Mister Perfect, after all. Maybe you didn’t deserve the lofty pedestal they’d placed you on for years. It was a rush to realize I could kill and tarnish your reputation at the same time.”

  Finn stared at his friend in shock. How could he have missed how much Clint loathed him? He’d never seen it.

  “So, you decided to target people close to Finn to keep the suspicion on him?” Kayla pressed.

  “Yep. Megan was easy. She still loved Finn. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Sally Sue Nolan lived so close. She was over the moon thinking Finn wanted to get back together. The look on her face when she realized it wasn’t you was priceless.”

  Finn sucked in a breath when Clint turned and pointed the gun at Kayla. “Tammy and Mona died because of you. I overheard you saying you were notifying his old girlfriends to be careful. I had to get creative. Mona was simply a means to get you to the office.” He shook his head. “I thought I had you that night, but the other guy got in the way.”

  “His name was Mark Foster, and he was a decorated Marine and a hero,” Kayla snarled.

  Clint shrugged. “Eh, collateral damage.”

  He could see the rage on Kayla’s face. He didn’t want her to provoke Clint into shooting, so he asked, “Why Georgiana?”

  “Georgiana is…scratch that. Was in love with you. She was about to give you the largest deal in NHL history. You already have everything. That wasn’t fair. She was always overlooking me or dismissing me like I was nothing. I planned on killing her before the contract was finalized, so I stayed in her house after everyone left and then turned off the security. I overheard her telling the staff to take the day off, so I had the perfect opportunity. Imagine my disgust to discover you’d already signed the damn thing.”

  Kayla had calmed down from Clint’s dismissal of Mark’s death. “What’s with the iron crosses?”

  The gun swung his way. “Finn should know. We practiced the iron cross defense endlessly in high school. It’s a strategy used by a team defending against a five-on-three advantage. All that training and we never used it in a game. I thought it was poetic to use crosses as my means of communication. Then I found this place.” He waved his arms around to encompass the abandoned mill. “And there was an iron cross already in place.” He indicated the beams where he’d tied Kayla. “It was like a sign from God.”

  More likely from the devil.

  Scratching his chin, he said, “I couldn’t decide which of you should hang from it, but Kayla was lighter, so that made my choice easy. You wore me out dragging your ass here from Shawn’s house.”

  Good. “You talked Darcy into making the small crosses,” Finn said.

  “Yeah, but she thought I was you, so that worked out in my favor. She was so easy to manipulate. Dangle your name in front of her and she’d practically wet herself to do your bidding.”

  Finn swallowed. “Why did you have to kill Shawn?”

  “Ah, Shawn,” Clint said fondly. “I didn’t want to have to kill him, but he found the pictures on my phone before I could download them and erase them.”

  “What pictures?”

  “I took snapshots to remember each of my kills. I used a burner phone, which I now realize was a mistake. No security to keep nosy nellies out. When I escorted him to his house to comfort him after he found Georgiana, he discovered the phone. I had no choice.” He looked back and forth between Finn and Kayla. “Have I sufficiently answered all of your questions? What else do you want to know? Yes, I took Broderick Westfield’s rifle from his office. Yes, I cut the brake lines on the truck and punctured your tire outside the restaurant. I stole Darcy’s car. I even admit to taking the pictures of you, doll.” He winked at Kayla. “Can we get to the show now?”

  “Why?” Finn hated how his voice cracked on that one word. “If you hated me so much, why did you come to Pittsburgh?”

  “Do you think it would’ve mattered where I went? Your name was always in the news for having scored this, won that, or donated so much to charity. Not to mention pictures of you and the women you dated. But if it makes you feel better, I didn’t always hate you. Sure, you were annoying in high school as the star of the team while getting good grades and all the girls. And then there was your penchant for sticking up for losers like Tyler Redmond.”

  Finn hoped Clint didn’t hear the growl coming from Kayla. His hands were almost loose. He’d be able to charge him and wrestle the gun away. It was worth the risk of getting shot. He’d do anything to protect her.

  “But you just kept winning everything. Now you have the most beautiful woman in the world. I don’t care that you say she’s not your real girlfriend. I have eyes.”

  Finn didn’t even bother trying to correct him. Rationalizing with him didn’t work, so he tried a different tactic. “Your parents are good people, Clint. They’ll be so disappointed in you. They adore you.”

  “They’ll never know. I’m good at framing others. If Shawn’s confession falls through, I’ll find someone else. Maybe Trevor Short. That would make you happy, wouldn’t it, Finn? To have the rookie spend the rest of his life behind bars—that is if distraught fans don’t murder him first. We’ll consider that my final gift to you.”

  The man was genuinely psychotic.

  “I’m not psychotic,” Clint protested heatedly. Apparently, he’d said that aloud.

  “Killing innocent people is the textbook definition.”

  “Nobody’s innocent,” he scoffed. “I might not have been born a killer, but the Army made me one.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Kayla spat. “I was in the same Army. I’m not a killer.”

  “Then you didn’t see the things I did. I watched four of my fellow soldiers get blown to bits. That messes with your head.”

  “And that’s terrible, but it didn’t make you a murderer,” she insisted. “You were born that way.”

  Finn was afraid Kayla pushed him too far. He glared at her but then turned back to Finn. “Where do you think I learned how to make explosives? Good old Uncle Sam taught me that skill.”

  “Your bomb killed Della Gorman.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He sounded almost remorseful. “She was always nice to me.” He hefted a shoulder. “Eh. Back to the plan. What do you think, murder-suicide? You’re so distraught over your friend’s betrayal, you kill your girlfriend and take your own life.”

  “You won’t get away with it, Clint,” Kayla warned.

  “Oh, but I think I will.”

  The rope gave, and Finn’s hands were free. He shot up t
o challenge Clint just as he turned and fired. A piercing pain stabbed him in the chest and stole his breath. His last thought was that he hadn’t told Kayla that he loved her.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kayla could see Finn working on the ropes around his hands. She tried to keep Clint’s focus on her so he could get free. If Clint came closer to her, she might be able to swing off and jump him. Her arms were numb, but she’d found a small ledge that took the pressure off her aching shoulder sockets.

  She couldn’t believe Clint was the killer all along. Though she’d never warmed up to him, she was nice to him because he was Finn’s friend. He’d made teasing remarks, but she didn’t take them seriously. How had she not seen the deep hatred he carried towards Finn?

  She noticed the instant Finn broke free. Before he could do anything, Clint turned around and pulled the trigger, hitting him squarely in the chest.

  “No!” she screamed. He wasn’t wearing a vest. Blood spread on his shirt, and he slumped to the ground.

  “Guess he won’t be needing that huge new contract now, will he?”

  Sadness threatened to overwhelm her, but she had to push it aside to focus on Clint. He was a dead man walking. Revenge was her only goal. Gathering her energy, she breathed deeply. “I hope you realize that it doesn’t matter what you do to me. My coworkers will end you.”

  “They’ll never know it was me.”

  Oh, they’d figure it out. They would leave no stone unturned if she ended up dead.

  “Can I tell you something, Clint?”

  “Sure. I love a good deathbed confession. What is it?”

  One more step and he was close enough. “This.” Kayla swung her leg out and knocked the gun from his hand. When he turned to look for it, she reached out with both legs and wrapped them around his neck, locking her ankles together to squeeze tight. Gurgling noises sounded as Clint clawed at her thighs. Then he jerked hard, ripping her off the post. The momentum had her back smacking against his as she dangled upside down with her thighs still squeezing. Using her abdominals, she lunged up and gouged his eyes. He knocked her hands away and fell backward, landing on top of her. The hit forced the air from her body. She was momentarily paralyzed as her lungs fought to reflate. Gasping, he pushed upright. She swept her leg around and knocked him off his feet.

  She needed her hands free to fight fairly. Jackknifing to her feet, she came face to face with Clint as he stood. His fist slammed into her cheek, and she saw stars. Spinning around, she executed a perfect roundhouse kick, knocking out several teeth and sending blood spraying from his mouth. His hands covered his damaged face. She used the diversion to hook her foot behind his leg and send him crashing to the floor. She lunged for the gun, but he reached out and latched onto her ankle, jerking her to the ground. She landed on her bound hands and felt something in her left wrist snap. Pain exploded. She ignored it to kick out with her other foot, but Clint didn’t let go. He jerked her towards him as he stood.

  Flipping to her back, she waited until she was close enough to slam a heel into his groin. He roared in pain. Before she could scoot away, his booted foot landed in her midsection. Air burst from her lungs, and her vision blurred. It cleared in time for her to see him stumble to the gun, one hand still holding his damaged goods. With a feral grin, showcasing a bloody mess, he lifted the weapon. Before he could finger the trigger, he bellowed and hurtled forward to land with a sickening thud. Finn wavered behind him with a piece of iron in his hand. His other covered the profusely bleeding wound in his chest.

  The weapon slid from his grip to land with a tinny clang as his legs gave out. He fell to his knees before plunging to the ground.

  “Finn!” Struggling to her feet, she wobbled over to him and turned him over, ignoring the excruciating pain in her wrist and ribcage. His eyes were closed. She needed to call for help, but her hands were tied, and Clint took her phone. If she could press the feature on her watch to activate the agent in distress button, her office would send help.

  The sound of a gun being cocked had her jerking her head up. Blood poured from Clint’s head where Finn attacked him, and from his damaged mouth. He swayed on his feet. He looked like the demented psychopath she knew him to be. There was nothing she could do to stop him now. She looked down at Finn, wanting his face to be the last one she saw before leaving the earth.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  When the gunshot rang out, Kayla tensed, waiting for the impact. It never came. Whipping her head up, she saw Clint flat on his back with a hole between his eyes and Kaiya rushing forward. She’d never been so happy to see anyone in her life.

  “Thank God you came back. How did you find us?”

  “I tracked your GPS. I’ve already called the police and an ambulance just in case.”

  “Finn will need a lifeline.”

  Kaiya took out a knife to cut the ties around her hands. Kayla bit back a moan when the movement jarred her wrist.

  Kaiya noticed and gingerly prodded the area. “It’s broken.”

  Judging from the pain when she breathed, a couple of ribs might be as well, but none of that mattered as she tended to Finn’s wound. It was dangerously close to his heart. She pressed against it with all the strength in her body, willing the blood to quit flowing. She had no idea how long she applied pressure until someone was lifting her away. She tried to fight them, but strong arms banded around her.

  “Let them work on him.”

  She instantly relaxed, recognizing the voice of her boss, Logan Bradley.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “We came to support you.”

  She twisted her head to see Luke Colton standing a few feet away, along with several of her coworkers. Dan Bradley, Noah and Ethan Addison, Sawyer Oldham, Wyatt Hollister, Kellan Polizzi, and her best friend, Hillary Billings Steele. That they were here for her was overwhelming. Tyler Redmond even left his bat cave and new bride to join them. He was currently hovering over the paramedics as they worked on Finn.

  “You guys didn’t need to come.”

  “No, you had it under control,” Luke agreed. “We’re here for you, Kayla.”

  Tears pricked her eyes. She cried more the last few days than she had in years. That she was on the verge now was either from the support of her incredible coworkers or fear as Finn fought for his life.

  “How did you find me?”

  “Tyler figured out it had to be Clint Groves. He tried to call you back, and when you didn’t answer, we tracked your GPS. Kaiya barely beat us here.”

  Finn still hadn’t woken up as the medics worked on him. After they strapped him to a stretcher, they rushed him to a waiting lifeline helicopter. She broke from Logan’s hold and ran for the chopper, climbing aboard before they closed the doors. She would not let Finn fly alone.

  One of the medics noticed her favoring her wrist. She bit her cheek to keep from crying out when he probed the area before confirming the break. After he applied an air cast, she clung to Finn again. His face was so pale and his breathing shallow. The bleeding had stopped, but she had no idea how much damage the bullet caused inside.

  The flight was brief, and soon they were landing on the roof of a hospital. Everything happened quickly with clockwork precision. The helicopter hatch slid open to reveal a crew of medical personnel waiting to load Finn onto a gurney. He was wheeled into surgery before she could climb out of the aircraft, leaving her staring at the rapidly closing doors, feeling distraught and adrift. He’d lost so much blood. He had to survive.

  On autopilot, she slogged into the waiting room. Luke, Logan and the rest of her coworkers were waiting for her. Tyler rushed forward to hug her, and she winced when her ribs protested.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “I’ll be better once I know Finn’s going to be okay.”

  Tyler studied her. “You love him.”

  It felt wrong to confess her feelings to Tyler before Finn, but she couldn’t deny them. “Yes.”

  He embrac
ed her again. She gritted her teeth against the pain. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for either of you. You deserve each other.”

  She swallowed heavily. She needed Finn to recover. “How did you get here so fast?”

  “We were on the jet when I called you about Shawn. When I told the bosses I was coming, they insisted on joining me. Before I knew it, we had a full plane.”

  Again, her eyes watered. These people were more than coworkers. They were family.

  Luke noticed her pain and called for a nurse. Before she could protest, she was ushered through the emergency room doors for x-rays. Her ribs were a black and blue mess, but thankfully they were only bruised, not cracked. Still, they’d be sore for a couple of days. Her broken wrist was fitted with a plaster cast. The injury would take her out of commission for a few weeks. Once she was patched up, she returned to the waiting room.

  “Any news?” she asked Tyler. He shook his head. Spotting Detective Johansen entering the lobby, she headed over.

  “How are you feeling?” Anja asked.

  “Sore, but okay.”

  “Any news on Finn?”

  “Not yet.” She was putting her faith in the no news is good news theory.

  “We found a diary in Clint’s apartment detailing each of his kills along with photos. He even posed with some of the corpses, so there’s no doubt he’s the guy.”

  “He admitted everything and bragged about it. He didn’t plan on letting Finn or me live.”

  “The mayor is already taking credit for capturing him,” Anja said with disgust. “I had to notify his next of kin. It wasn’t fun telling his mother that her son was the Pittsburgh Strangler, as the media named him.”