by Cynthia Eden
“I don’t know him.” Julianna stared down at the pictures before her. Terrible, sickening pictures of a dead man—a man who’d been stabbed repeatedly. Nausea rolled in her stomach because that man—he’d died just like Jeremy. The photos showed the dead man sprawled on a brown carpet, a carpet that had a big, red splotch on it. A pool of his blood.
“I’m not in the mood for games,” Faith said, her voice hard. No, the detective had never struck Julianna as the playful sort.
Sophie Sarantos leaned across the table and her fingers closed around the picture. Julianna cast a quick glance at her lawyer. Sophie’s face showed no change of expression at all, as if looking at a dead man were totally common place for her. “You heard my client,” Sophie said. “She doesn’t know this man.”
Julianna was too conscious of Devlin standing in the far corner of the interrogation room, watching her. She wanted to look back at him, but she forced her attention to stay on the detective.
“If that’s the way she wants to play this…” Faith opened a manila envelope and pulled out a photograph. Actually, quite a few photographs. Then she tossed those photographs across the table so that they slid toward Julianna. “You sure look mighty comfortable with a man you don’t know,” Faith said. “Do you sleep with strangers often?”
It was hard for Julianna to breathe. Way too hard. Because she was staring at photos of herself. Her very naked self. Only she wasn’t alone. The dead man was with her. Not dead. Alive in those pictures. Touching me. Kissing me. She shoved the photos away. “Those aren’t real.”
“Oh?” Faith picked up a photograph. Her brows rose as she studied it. “They certainly look real. I mean, this is you, isn’t it? Unless you have a twin I don’t know about.”
Desperate, Julianna focused on her lawyer. “I don’t know that man. If I slept with him, I’d remember it—”
“But you don’t remember killing your husband,” Faith said, pouncing on that, “even though you were found with his body and the murder weapon.”
This couldn’t be happening. Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse…
“When was he killed?” Sophie asked.
No, no, that wasn’t the question that should be asked. Julianna’s hands slammed down on the table. “Who is he?”
Silence.
Then…footsteps, walking closer. Devlin stood at the edge of the table. He picked up one of the photographs. Her hand flew out and grabbed his wrist. “I didn’t sleep with him.” She’d know if she had. Just as I should know if I killed my husband.
No, no, she hadn’t killed Jeremy. Even if…even if she’d thought about doing it.
But Faith wasn’t looking at her. She was focused on Sophie. “Your client had psychological evaluations, right? There’s no reason for her not to remember—”
“I didn’t sleep with him!” She jumped to her feet. Devlin still had that picture of her. He was staring at it so hard and tears were stinging her eyes. She’d thought she was long past tears. “I don’t know that man!”
Sophie rose, too, and she put a comforting hand on Julianna’s shoulder. “Is there a reason you aren’t telling us his identity, Detective?”
“Interesting…” Faith was still sitting. “When we found the dead man, he was lying in a pool of his blood, and all of these pictures of him and Julianna were tossed across the floor.”
“That screams set-up to me,” Sophie said instantly. “My client is—”
“These are fake,” Devlin announced.
Julianna’s gaze shot to him.
“Excuse me?” Faith demanded, reaching for the photo.
But Devlin slapped that photo down on the table…and he put it right next to the police shot of the dead body. “Look at the necks.”
The what?
“In this picture…” He tapped on the bloody picture. “His neck looks at least two inches shorter.” Then he tapped on the picture of the guy—the guy having sex with me. “His neck is longer here. Probably because someone pasted his head on another man’s body.”
And Julianna looked at the picture again. Really looked at it. She was mostly naked but…she still had on underwear. A scrap of blue lace. Lace she remembered.
“Look at the wine glass near the bed,” Devlin instructed.
Now she did.
“See that curve there? That curve shouldn’t be there. The glass shouldn’t appear warped like that, not unless someone was playing around with a digital image. Changing things up.”
Her gaze slid from the glass to the bed in that image.
I know that bed. “It’s the wrong man.” Her voice emerged as a husky rasp. “But that’s me.” In her way too exposed glory. “And that’s…that should have been Jeremy.” Their wedding night. That wild trip to Vegas. They’d stayed in the honeymoon suite. She remembered that massive bed and the wine glasses…
“It probably was Jeremy,” Devlin said. “Until someone started playing around with editing tools and that someone spliced this guy’s head on Jeremy’s body.”
But…but those photos meant someone had taken pictures of her and Jeremy together. During their honeymoon. Dammit. He was always watching. Always. She’d had no idea just what Jeremy had planned for her. Not until it was too late.
“The dead man’s name is Ray Holliwell,” Faith said, squinting now as she eyed all of the pictures. “He was a security consultant for Jeremy Smith.”
“A security consultant?” Julianna repeated. Her temples were throbbing.
“Yes, we think Jeremy hired him when he wanted to dig up dirt on his competition.”
Julianna exhaled as another piece of the puzzle clicked into place for her. And that’s how Jeremy learned my secrets. He’d paid for some guy to dig up her past and discover secrets that he’d used to control her. To keep her with him when she wanted nothing more than to leave the bastard.
And she had been his prisoner.
Until that last night. When she’d had enough. But she couldn’t tell the detective those secrets. She couldn’t even tell Sophie.
“When did this Ray die?” Sophie asked.
“Yesterday, around 6 a.m., according to our ME.” Faith focused on Julianna. “Do you have an alibi for that time?”
Julianna didn’t speak.
“Maybe…” Faith’s gaze slid to Devlin. “You were in bed with another lover? A living one who can back up your alibi?”
If only. “I—”
“Yes,” Devlin said firmly. “Julianna was with me.”
She turned toward him, stunned. “Devlin…” She couldn’t let him do this.
He stared straight into her eyes and said once more, “Julianna was with me.”
She shook her head. Julianna’s lips parted—
“I want to speak with you outside, Detective,” Sophie said sharply, then she pretty much grabbed the detective and rushed for the door.
Faith frowned, but she didn’t fight the lawyer. The door shut behind them, and Julianna asked, voice broken, “What are you doing?”
He leaned in close and put his mouth right at her ear. “Saving your ass.” His lips brushed over the curve of her ear and Julianna shivered. “After all, that’s what you hired me to do.”
But she hadn’t hired him to lie. She rose onto her toes. He was still leaning toward her so their bodies pushed together. And it was her turn to whisper into his ear, “But what if I’m guilty?”
***
Sophie Sarantos made sure she shut the interrogation room door firmly behind her. She was really having one hell of a week—near death episodes could be real bitches—and she just wanted to get out of that police station and go climb into the nearest bed with her lover, Lex Jensen. Lex was currently pacing just a few feet away and based on the hard stare he shot her way, he wasn’t a very happy camper.
Because we were having one hell of a time…until Faith hauled my client off to jail. “She’s being set up,” Sophie announced. Wasn’t that obvious?
“Oh, I’ve never heard t
hat one,” Faith said, giving a faint eye roll. “No criminal is ever set up for a crime that he or she didn’t commit.”
Sophie just waited.
Faith sighed. “Okay, the pictures do make it look as if—”
“As if someone is out to get my client? The photos were left there deliberately. Let me guess…” Sophie put her hands on her hips. “It was a grand death scene, right? The guy probably had a big envelope or a manila folder right next to his body and it looked as if the photos fell out when he was attacked.”
Faith stared back at her.
“Wouldn’t she have stopped to—I don’t know—pick up the photos if they had been legit?”
Faith thrust back her shoulders. “You know I have to follow the trail of evidence. The captain said for me to bring her in…so I did.”
Ah, so that meant Faith hadn’t been buying the scene, either. But her hands had been tied. “Get your tech guys to look at the photos. They’ll back up Devlin.” And she would make a mental note that the guy could spot forged photos very quickly. Probably because of his computer skills. Hmmm…if he could spot forgeries so easily, Sophie was willing to bet he could make forgeries just as fast. Another point to file away for future reference.
“Why is he alibiing her?” Faith asked.
I have no idea. “I’ll assume it’s because they were in bed together at 6 a.m.” She made sure to deliberately phrase her reply. Assume was such a handy word choice. “Now, the next time you want to talk to my client…” Sophie gave Faith a hard smile. She respected the woman, but she wasn’t about to let Faith or any police officer harass her client. “Call me first.”
Faith gave a slow nod then she said, “It’s not a bad thing that she has protection now.”
Oh, hell. She knows that Dev isn’t Julianna’s lover. Faith knows he’s been hired to guard her.
“Because,” Faith continued thoughtfully, “if Julianna really is innocent, then it certainly seems she has one very dangerous enemy out there.”
Yes, it did seem that way.
Another cop appeared, calling Faith’s name. “Excuse me,” she murmured as she hurried away.
And then Lex closed in on Sophie. “What the hell is going on?” Lex asked, keeping his voice low.
Ah, where to start? “Your partner has just alibied my client.”
He frowned at her. “What?”
“According to Dev, he and Julianna are lovers…”
***
He felt the soft touch of her lips against his ear and arousal shot straight through Devlin’s body. He wasn’t supposed to get turned on in a police station. There was no way he should be that far gone…but his cock was pushing against the fly of his jeans, and Devlin knew he had one serious fucking problem.
He was hot for a would-be killer.
But what if I’m guilty? Her question hung between them. What if...
His instincts screamed at him, telling him to protect Julianna.
But he wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t let desire lead him down a dark path with a killer. He’d find out the truth about Julianna. He’d discover every secret she’d ever kept. If she was a murderer, then he’d turn her over to the cops, wrapped up in a big, red ribbon.
And if she was innocent, then he’d nail the bastard who was playing such a vicious game with her life.
The best way to uncover the truth? Stay as close as possible to Julianna.
“Let’s get out of here,” he told her, leaving that what if question unanswered. He knew they had to be very careful what they said—and how loudly they said their words. In a police station, eyes and ears were everywhere. He wrapped his arm around Julianna’s shoulders and steered her toward the door. When they headed into that hallway, he saw Sophie standing a few feet away, and his friend Lex was at her side.
Lex inclined his head to Devlin even as Sophie hurried toward Julianna. “You’re clear to leave,” Sophie told Julianna, but there was worry in her blue gaze. “They don’t have any evidence to charge you on this one. But…” She cast a quick glance toward Lex, then looked back at Julianna. “I don’t like this setup. The car bombing, the murder of the security consultant. Someone is after you. Someone with a serious grudge.”
Just who would want to destroy Julianna’s life? Devlin would be finding out. “I’ll be staying close,” Devlin assured Sophie. “You don’t have to worry. She’s under VJS protection now.”
“They’re the best,” Sophie said. Lex put his hand on her shoulder. His gaze met Devlin’s. Devlin could easily read the questions in the other man’s eyes , but those were questions that would have to wait until later. Right then, his priority was getting Julianna out of there. He took her hand, threaded his fingers with hers, and they walked through the station. Since it was so late, the bullpen was mostly empty. A good thing because he didn’t feel like dealing with the suspicious stares of other cops right then.
Once outside, they hurried down the steps and he put her into his SUV. Minutes later, they were cutting through DC, moving quickly in the night.
“Thank you,” Julianna said.
He didn’t want her gratitude.
I want her. What the hell was it about her? How was she piercing right through his control? His reaction to her was dangerous, mostly because it was so damn primal.
“If you hadn’t spotted the problem with those photos, I-I would have been there all night.”
He grunted. “Sophie wouldn’t let that happen.” And the kick in his gut also told him that Faith had probably already suspected those photos were fakes—she’d just wanted to see Julianna’s reaction to them. He knew the technique was a cop favorite. Bring a suspect in during the middle of the night—a perfect time when the suspect would be groggy and off-guard. Then, proceed to grill the hell out of that suspect. Toss your evidence at her. Throw out your suspicions.
And watch the person break apart.
Only Julianna hadn’t broken apart.
“I…I hate that you saw the photos, though.”
They stopped at a red light. A fast glance showed him that she was twisting her hands together.
“It’s silly, isn’t it? With everything else that’s going on, I’m embarrassed because you saw me naked.”
Mostly naked. “You don’t need to be embarrassed.” She had a beautiful body. He’d looked at those images and he’d felt two things.
Desire—hot and hard for her.
Fury—at the asshole in the picture with her. At the bastard who’d taken the picture. At any man who’d touched her.
Because I should be with her.
Yeah, his reactions to her were totally off the charts, and he had to get his self-control back, pronto. He didn’t know what it was about Julianna that set him off, but he had to be very careful with her.
The light changed. He accelerated.
“I didn’t lie to you.”
Devlin could feel her stare on him.
“I didn’t have a lover. And I…I hadn’t been with my husband, not since our wedding night. I couldn’t stand the thought of him touching me. He could make me stay in that house with him, but I wasn’t going to have sex with him. Not after I-I learned what he was really like.”
He nearly slammed on the brakes. He did tighten his hold on the steering wheel. His grip was so hard he was amazed he hadn’t ripped the thing right away from the dash. “You weren’t fucking your husband?”
“We were married for two months before he died. Two of the most hellish months of my life. We had sex in the beginning of our relationship, but…” Her voice trailed away. “You were right about my wrist.” From the corner of his eye, Devlin saw her flex her wrist. “But that was only the start.”
The sonofabitch. He forced his back teeth to unclench. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Her mocking laughter filled the SUV. “He can’t, but someone else out there sure seems determined to destroy me.”
Yes, someone sure as hell did.
“He was having an affair with his assistant
, okay?” Now her voice was even colder. “And I was glad because it meant that he would leave me the hell alone. I might have been stuck in that house with him, but he wasn’t going to be in my bed. That wasn’t happening.” She drew in a shaking breath. “And is there any more of my soul that I have to bare to you right now?”
“Not now,” he told her, his voice soft. But soon, you’ll tell me everything.
***
It wasn’t surprising that Julianna had found a new lover. A dumb fool who’d lie for her. She’d probably batted her lashes, fed the idiot some lame-ass story about her past, and the guy had fallen for her.
She would use him, just as she used the others. Julianna was rotten, straight to her core. Others might be fooled by her—
But not me.
The SUV was a few blocks ahead. Julianna was in that vehicle—with the new lover. The lover who’d been there when Julianna’s car exploded earlier. You should have burned, too, Julianna. Everything had been planned out so nicely. Julianna and Holliwell both should be dead. Two more loose ends eliminated.
Only Julianna was still very much alive and breathing. The police had found the photos of her and Holliwell, and they’d done nothing.
At the very least, Julianna should have been thrown into a jail cell. Instead, she was riding off into the night. She wasn’t going to escape, though. There would be no happy ending for her.
Soon enough, she’d be joining Jeremy in the ground.
Soon enough…
Chapter Four
“Okay, buddy…” Lex Jensen paced in Devlin’s kitchen. A new day had dawned and streaks of sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Want to tell me why you’re alibiing that woman? And, hey, do me a favor…save us both some time. Cut through the bullshit and give me the truth.”
Devlin took a slow sip of his coffee. He wasn’t particularly surprised by Lex’s early morning visit. He’d figured that Sophie would tell her lover all about that little chat in the interrogation room. Honestly, he was just surprised Lex hadn’t shown up sooner.
“You’re a suspicious SOB,” Lex continued, frowning a bit. “Hell, you even warned me off Sophie, and we both know what a dick move that was.”