Lauren shifted and then stood up. “I’m going to go. I hope you feel better soon, Elizabeth. Let me know if you need anything.”
Mercer watched her leave and frowned. “What’s wrong with her?”
I figured it had something to do with the way he was being so much nicer to Elizabeth than he ever was to her. He was actually speaking to Elizabeth, for one. I just shrugged, though. That was their battle. Not mine.
Elizabeth wasn’t the type to keep her thoughts to herself, though. “She cares for you and you didn’t even say hi to her when you came in.”
I laughed and nodded. “She’s right.”
Mercer cleared his throat and leaned against the wall. One of his unconscious ticks was to reach down to touch his leg and then wince when he felt metal instead. “I’ve got something for you on Helena.”
Elizabeth sat up and then cursed. “What is it?”
“You mentioned the club Red. I have some people I know who still run in that circle. They’d be kicked out if anyone knew they were talking, but one of them is ready to move on and she was willing to talk about what she knows. Helena is known for being a sadist. Most men in the club won’t get near her. She likes to hurt the men she’s with. Badly. She’s gotten reprimanded on more than a few occasions for pushing the men she’s with too far, even for not listening to some of them use their safe words. The only reason she’s still a member is that she pays so much.”
I whistled. “Damn.”
Elizabeth grabbed my hand and squeezed. “It’s happening. She’s going to pay for murdering Paul.”
“You’re going to need more. The Stelton family have always been close with the police commissioner. And if this shit that’s happened recently has shown us anything, it’s that the police around here aren’t as clean as we’d have liked.” I paused. “We’re going to need more.”
“You’re seriously going to help?”
“It seems like it’s either that or scrape you off the road when you aren’t as lucky next time. I like the first option better.”
“We’re not really in the crime-solving business, though. We usually just protect people.” Mercer straightened from the wall and patted me on the shoulder. “I have a meeting with a lawyer. I’ll be back later tonight. Call me if anything big happens.”
I nodded and watched him go before turning back to Elizabeth. “It’s just us now.”
She made a face. “As much as I’d love to get back to rocking your world, I might need a few more hours before I’m ready.”
I laughed. “Not what I meant, but I like your thinking. It’s time for us to come up with something we can do. We needed that list. Are you sure your ex deleted it?”
“He said he did and it really does sound like him to do something so stupid, but I can ask. He’s going to want something in return for it, though, if he does have it.”
“Not happening.”
“Duh. We’ve already gone over the fact that I’m not a whore.” She rolled her eyes. “I was thinking I’d pretend to agree to be with him and then you’d come with me. He’d open the door for me and then you’d be there, big and strong and ready to kick his scrawny little ass if he tries anything.”
“So, I’m just the brawn, huh?”
“Well, I think you’re beauty, too, but men don’t always like to be called beautiful, for some reason.” She pushed herself up higher on her pillows and growled. “I’m taking Mark down, too. That little prick.”
I sat back in my chair and just watched her. For as angry as she was, she kept falling asleep. She was wiped out and I let her sleep. She’d come to, panting and yelling, but I stayed close to her so I could comfort her each time she woke up like that.
I’d already made the decision that I was sticking closer to Elizabeth. She was going to have to deal with me. I didn’t want to let her out of my sight.
She had to stay safe. She’d gotten herself into something thick, but there was no way I was letting anything happen to her.
Chapter 25
Elizabeth
“You’re calling me back, Elizabeth. That can only mean one thing.” Ben answered the phone, sounding smug.
I wanted to knock his head right off of his shoulders. My mood was at an all-time low. I’d been battered—maybe at my own hands, but still. I’d been pushed around. I’d been tested one too many times. It was time for me to handle the shit and end it all. I was tired of stressing. I wanted to go back to my life of margaritas with my best friends and forget who Helena Stelton was. Paul Porter, too, for that matter.
“I need the list, Ben. Can you recover it?”
“Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy.” He chuckled. “You know I can, but I need something from you first.”
“I know. We’ve got tickets to a show.”
“No. That deal’s off the table now. Are you free right now?”
I gritted my teeth. “Turns out I am.”
“Then I’ll see you in half an hour. I’ll have the list on a drive for you.”
“Print it out, too.”
“I’m out of ink. I can do it if you stop by the store and get me some ink. I need HP—”
“I’m not fucking going shopping for you, Ben. Jesus. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
I hung up and shuddered. Looking over at Branson, I frowned. “I’m a whore.”
He shook his head. “I’ll punch his teeth down his throat before you have to touch him.”
I looked him over. He’d changed into worn jeans and a flannel shirt. His hair was pushed back and his beard was impressive. He needed a trim, all the way around, but I liked the rough edges on him. I wanted to crawl into his lap and spend the rest of the night touching and exploring him. More than just his body. I wanted to know about him.
“Stop staring at me like you smelled something bad.”
I blinked and shook my head. “Sorry. I was just realizing that I might want you more than just sexually. That’s stressful.”
Branson laughed and shoved his hands through his hair. “Fuck, Lizzy. Is there anything that you won’t just blurt out?”
“Would you rather I play games and tell you that I’m not interested in anything else?”
“No. I… This way is good. It’s good to know where I stand.”
I smirked at him and raised an eyebrow. “As close as you’d like. Especially when you look like you’re about to pick up your axe and go chop me some wood.”
“Your mood swings are only slightly alarming.”
“I’m trying to stay happy. Objectifying you makes me happy.”
I slowly got out of bed and slapped Branson’s hands away when he tried to help. “I’ve got it. I’m just sore.”
I went to his bathroom, still wearing his clothes while I waited on mine to dry, and shut myself in. I used his toilet and washed my hands while staring at my reflection. It was far from my normal self. I was beat-up. There was fire in my eyes, though. Some for Branson and a lot for putting Helena and Mark away.
I knew it wasn’t going to happen without having a hell of a lot of proof, though, so I pushed through the desire to curl up with Branson and nap for a few days. Instead, I took a few over-the-counter pain pills and pulled my hair into a bun. The curls were frizzing all over the place without any gel or conditioner in them, but I guessed my hair didn’t matter when I was trying to solve a murder.
Branson helped me get dressed in my clothes, with the exception of his shirt. I didn’t want to take it off, so I tied it up and wore it with my pencil skirt. I looked dumb, but I was figuring that went into the “didn’t matter” category along with my hair.
The drive to Ben’s was quiet. I didn’t know what Branson was thinking about, but I was wondering how long it was going to take to solve the case. I hurt. I was motivated, but I was fighting against my body to do it.
My phone rang and I looked down at it. Sammie was calling. When I answered, I could hear her and Devon fighting over the phone. I waited until they settled it and Sammie came on the line.
&
nbsp; “We’ve got something, Elizabeth.”
Devon took over. “Something huge.”
“What is it?”
Sammie’s breathing was loud in my ear, she was so obviously excited, but I didn’t care. “I flirted with Gary, the security guard. I did so good!”
“She is such a slut. Just wait until we tell Daniel.”
“I did it for the good of Elizabeth. He would more than understand.”
“Okay. What did you get from your flirting?”
“Gold.” Devon must’ve snatched the phone away because Sammie’s voice grew distant. “She got Gary to show her the footage of that night because she said she was sure that she’d heard a juicy little rumor that Paul Porter had been at work that night.”
Sammie came back on. “You asshole. Anyway. Gary is a true crime fanatic. He’s actually pretty nice, if you get past the creep vibe.”
I looked over at Branson and found him glancing back at me. He gave me a knowing look and I felt my face burn. I switched the phone to my other ear and held it tighter. “No, thanks. Just tell me what you saw.”
“Mark Stelton.”
“Helena Stelton.”
“Carrying a large rug out of the service elevator.” They were switching back and forth, giving the details like they’d practiced them. Knowing those two, they had.
“Loading it into Mark’s car.”
And then together, they all but shouted. “They fucking carried Paul’s body out together!”
I gasped. “No!”
“Yes!”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah. That’s the smoking gun.” Sammie screeched. “I took a shitty video on my phone of it, while Gary was rewinding it and watching it back. Just in case it’s erased somehow.”
I screeched right along with her. “Yes! You are amazing!”
Devon scoffed. “I helped, too! It’s not fair that she gets to be the hero just because she has a vagina. Stupid Gary was just straight.”
We were almost at Ben’s house, but I was so pumped up by their news that I almost didn’t even care if we got the list from Ben. I knew better than to just assume it was over, though. I needed all the evidence I could get. “I’m going to buy you both so many drinks. I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you back later.”
When I hung up, Branson glanced over at me. “Good news?”
“The security footage caught Mark and Helena carrying a big rug out to his trunk the night Paul was murdered.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shook my head and couldn’t help the smile on my face. “Once I get the list and a copy of the video from Sammie, I think I’ll go to the cops.”
Branson nodded. “It should be enough. Especially when they see you. It won’t be hard to believe that you jumped out of Mark’s car.”
We pulled into Ben’s driveway and walked up to his door. I felt lighter and almost okay again, I was so excited about almost having the case wrapped up. When Ben answered the door in an open robe, a bottle of champagne in his hand, I wasn’t even that upset. Seeing his face when Branson stepped forward was all I needed to cheer up again.
“What the fuck is this?”
I smiled at Ben. “I’m not a whore. I don’t sleep with people to get things I want. I work for them. Or, in this case, Branson here works for them. Give me the list or he’s going to smash your teeth down your throat.”
Ben tried to push his door shut, but Branson wedged his foot against it. “I don’t think so, little man. I suggest you give us that list.”
“Especially if you want to keep all your teeth.”
Ben stumbled backwards and fumbled to close his robe. “You can’t just come in like this. Get out of my house. I don’t have to do anything for you.”
Branson stepped around me and entered the house. “Wrong. You do. Because if you don’t, I’m going to get angry. I’m going to think of how you’ve been propositioning Elizabeth and I’m going to enjoy hitting you.”
“Think of your teeth, Ben.”
Ben hurried into the next room and leaned over his computer. He tapped a few keys and then inserted a flash drive. A couple of seconds later, he pulled it out and tossed it to Branson. “There. Now, go.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Print it, too.”
“I told you—” He tapped another button and cursed. “Fuck, Elizabeth. I needed that ink for something else.”
“I suggest you pull some pants on and go to the store.” I snatched the papers from his printer when they were done and then Branson and I strolled out of the house, feeling pleased as punch with ourselves.
“I could call the cops on you for this, Elizabeth!”
I turned to Ben and waved. “Do it. I’ll meet them here and we can talk about where you got this list from.”
He flipped me off and hurried back inside, slamming the door as he went.
Branson snorted. “You’ve got to be made up of mostly guts and crazy.”
“You thought that teeth bit was too far? Did it not sound real?”
“I mean, you sold it.”
I waved the list at him and slapped it against his chest. “You bet your sweet ass I did.”
Inside the truck, we looked at each other and then glanced down at the list together. Sure enough, at the top was Helena’s name. Paul had written about some of the things I’d seen, and much more. There was more of the stuff that Mercer had touched on. She’d pushed Paul into doing things he didn’t want to do and she’d ignored him when he’d said no.
I sat back, deflated, and dropped the list in the seat. “Hard to be excited when you’re reading about stuff like this.”
“Yeah…”
“I’m an asshole.” I sat forward and blew out a big breath. “I lost track of why I wanted to do this. It’s not about taking Helena down. It’s about her facing the music for what she’s done. None of this should be as exciting. I just kind of forgot about Paul.”
Branson shook his head. “You’re not an asshole. Whatever the motive, you’re going to get justice for Paul.”
I pursed my lips and flipped through more of the list. Closer to the middle, I saw Sammie’s name and saw some of what he’d said about her. Dropping the list into the seat again, I shook my head. “Never mind. Fuck Paul.”
“Okay, yeah. Ready to go to the police station?”
I looked at the list and thought of the tape. “It’s not enough. I need more.”
“What more could you get, short of a confession?”
I snapped my fingers and nodded. “That’s exactly what I need.”
“I was being sarcastic. There’s no way that Helena is just going to walk into the police station and confess to killing Paul.”
“She won’t have to. Can you take me by an electronics store?”
Chapter 26
Branson
I was overcompensating for not being there when Elizabeth had needed me. When I should’ve been arguing and telling her we were going straight to the police station, I was going along with her plans. And it wasn’t necessarily that her plans were horrible. She just wasn’t the one who should’ve been executing them. She wasn’t a private investigator.
I knew that I should’ve been doing more to keep her safe, but there I was, hanging back at the truck, waiting on her to try and trap Helena into confessing while she recorded it with the recorder I’d bought her. I wasn’t just going along with the plans. I was actively helping.
My stomach was upset. That was what she did to me. I had my eyes locked on her, ready to do whatever it took to make sure no one touched her. My instincts were screaming at me to get her the hell away from the building, but I also wanted to give her the chance. She’d had some good calls up to that point. More like she’d been lucky, but I’d never tell her I thought that.
I shifted in my seat and grunted. I was about to get out and approach her. She’d be pissed at me for ruining her plan, but I didn’t do so well at taking orders. Especially when I thought they were going to hurt
Elizabeth.
I watched her so closely that I almost missed the patrol car pulling up beside her. Elizabeth froze as the officers approached her. She glanced over at me and the look on her face was pure shock as the officers said something. I was out of the truck and crossing the street already.
By the time I got to them, they were reading her her rights and handcuffing her. My blood boiled and I fought the urge to knock the officers’ heads together. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“They’re arresting me for Paul’s murder, Branson!” Elizabeth just kept shaking her head. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
One of the officers unclipped his gun holster and blocked me from getting to Elizabeth. “I suggest you back up, sir.”
“I suggest you explain what the hell is going on. She didn’t murder anyone. Who signed the arrest warrant for this?”
Elizabeth was shoved into the back of the patrol car and the sight of her wincing in pain set me off. “Watch what the fuck you’re doing! You hurt her and you’re—”
“Are you threatening us?”
Elizabeth motioned from the backseat for me to stop. Tears filled her eyes and I saw her look truly panicked for the first time. I had to use every ounce of self-control I had to back away. “No. I’ll see you at the station.”
“There’s no point. She’s going away for a murder charge. Save yourself some time and just go find yourself a new girlfriend, pal.”
“Like I said. I’ll see you there.” I hurried back across the street and was in my truck and following the car as it headed towards the station downtown with no time to spare.
I called Mercer on the way and explained what had happened. He started to lecture me about letting Elizabeth stand outside of the building, but I cut him off. I didn’t have the time or the patience to deal with that. Instead, I had him send his lawyer down to the station.
The police station was full when I got there and I was instantly met with the smell of urine and musk. The thought of Elizabeth being forced to inhale the stench pissed me off even more.
I sat there and waited for longer than I could handle for them to get her in the system. I was irate. There was nothing to do but sit there and dwell on it, though. When I told them we had evidence that it wasn’t Elizabeth who’d killed Paul, they just ignored me and said she wasn’t even in the system yet, and that I could save it for court.
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