by Karen Rose
‘You don’t know that,’ he said, looking at the brightly lit neon sign over the ER entrance. He had. He had caused this. He wasn’t sure which person on that damn list he’d pissed off, but whoever shot Phillip was one of them. Of that he was certain.
‘I know you didn’t cause this,’ she said simply. ‘But I would like to know why you believe you did.’
He couldn’t look at her, even when she reached across the console to stroke the backs of her fingers down his face. ‘Some secrets aren’t entirely mine to tell,’ he said finally, wishing it weren’t true. Wishing he hadn’t dragged others into the web of deceit and vengeance that had pulled him in so completely that he’d ceased to think about the very real possible consequences.
Like Tala and Agent Spangler being shot, both dying. Like Phillip and Edgar being shot and maybe dying. Because of me.
She hooked a finger under his chin and tugged until he looked at her. ‘The risks aren’t just yours to assume,’ she chided gently as she cupped his face in her palm. ‘Not anymore.’
She was right. He turned his face into her caress, earning him another. She brushed her thumb over his lips, inexplicably making his eyes sting. ‘I’ll talk to the others,’ he said.
‘All right.’ A final sweep of fingertips over his stubbled cheek. ‘For what it’s worth, I don’t believe you’ve done anything wrong.’
‘How could you know that?’
‘Because that’s not how you’re built, Marcus. You protect. You don’t destroy.’
He swallowed until he’d cleared his throat of the huge lump that had formed there. He didn’t deserve her confidence or her comfort. ‘I think Lisette will say differently.’
‘I don’t know her, so I can’t say.’
‘You don’t know me, either.’
‘Then let me. Because I want to.’ She slid her hand to the back of his neck and drew his head down for a kiss that was relatively chaste, but so sweet it made his eyes sting again. ‘Let’s go,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘Your friends need you.’
He quickly stowed his gun under the seat. She could wear hers into the hospital, but he couldn’t wear his, and he had no desire to have it taken from him. He’d been lucky the snotty officer who’d been the first responder at the apartment hadn’t searched him, mostly because he’d held BB on his lap until the forensic vet had arrived. By then the officer was thankfully gone.
Scarlett locked her car and took his hand, holding it as they bypassed the ER, entering through the hospital lobby. Phillip had been taken to surgery, so Lisette and the others had moved to the OR waiting room. Scarlett pulled her hand away only seconds before they joined Marcus’s entire team, all of whom were huddled around Lisette. Lisette had been crying, as had Gayle. Cal looked like he was about to. Diesel was huddled in the corner looking like he’d break something given the slightest provocation.
Stone was green around the gills, looking like he was about to throw up. Marcus understood the sentiment. He, Stone and Diesel all hated hospitals for different, but related, reasons.
Jill had joined them also, sitting next to her aunt, her eyes coldly, boldly accusing. Marcus understood. Jill had feared that someone close to Marcus would get hurt if ‘they’ came after him, trying to finish what they’d begun that morning. No matter how much he hated to admit it, the young woman had been right.
Lisette immediately rose and walked into Marcus’s arms, and he tightened them around her, saying nothing as she began to sob again. What could he say, after all? From the corner of his eye he watched Scarlett edge away from the group toward the nurses’ desk. She showed them her badge and pointed to their group before returning and taking a seat on the periphery.
Scarlett had isolated herself, keeping her distance from his people and from him. He wished she wouldn’t. He wished she’d wrap her arms around his waist and lay her head against his back, but understood why she didn’t. Crime scenes and public places, no PDA. This qualified as a very public place.
Rubbing Lisette’s back in wide circles, Marcus rested his cheek on top of her head and turned his face so that he could meet Scarlett’s eyes. The nod his detective gave him was so slight that he might have missed it had he not been looking. She was still with him, even though she’d put space between them.
‘I didn’t think you were coming,’ Lisette said when her sobs had quieted.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Marcus tipped up her chin and wiped her cheeks with his thumb. ‘I got delayed waiting for the vet to come for BB.’
Lisette’s eyes widened, but it was Jill who spoke. ‘You were more worried about your dog than Phillip?’ the girl asked in condescending disbelief.
Marcus hated that this young girl could make him feel so defensive. He ignored her and directed his explanation to Lisette. ‘She was a forensic vet,’ he said. ‘BB bit Phillip’s attacker. We might get a DNA sample of the guy from her.’
Lisette’s eyes narrowed. ‘Good. And in the meantime, I hope he gets gangrene and dies.’
‘Not before we catch him,’ Marcus said. ‘Have you heard anything from the surgeon?’
‘Not yet.’ She looked up, her face tear-stained. ‘What happened?’
Jill’s chin came up, her eyes narrowing. She folded her arms across her chest, clearly waiting for an answer. Just like everyone else in the room.
‘I don’t know, exactly,’ Marcus told them. ‘Phillip was only able to tell me a little when I found him. He stabbed the shooter once they were in my apartment, but the man didn’t say anything. Didn’t say why he was there, what he wanted. Nothing.’
‘He wanted you,’ Jill said flatly. ‘And if that had been any one of us, including my aunt, we’d be in surgery now instead of Phillip.’
Every head swung around to look at her, including Scarlett’s. The silence was so thick, Marcus could have cut it with a knife. Even Gayle said nothing, her expression too shocked to be admonishing even if she’d wanted to be.
‘What?’ Jill demanded belligerently. ‘You were all thinking it!’
‘You little piece of—’ Diesel cut himself off with a visible effort. ‘You were thinking it. I wasn’t.’
‘Neither was I,’ Stone said coldly.
Cal jumped in to add his two cents, followed by Lisette, who kept one arm squarely around Marcus’s waist in support.
Scarlett silenced them all by rising from her chair and walking into the fray. ‘Why?’ she asked them, and for several seconds they stared at her as if she had three heads.
‘Why what?’ Gayle finally asked, trying for an innocence she did not achieve.
Scarlett gave her a tight, intolerant smile. ‘Why did the shooter want Marcus to begin with? Why would he want to hurt any of you?’
Diesel glanced at Stone, who shook his head mutely. Scarlett saw the exchange but said nothing, simply waiting.
Jill opened her mouth to spout God only knew what, but Gayle grabbed a handful of the young woman’s shirt and yanked her niece down until Jill’s face was even with hers. ‘You’ve said enough, young lady,’ she snapped. ‘Shut. Up.’
Shaking her head, Scarlett turned to Lisette. ‘Look, I’m sorry for what happened to your brother. But if you all keep playing games, we’ll never find the shooter. And I don’t mean to make your worry worse, but this killer seems to be tenacious and your brother is a loose end. You’re a reporter. I don’t have to tell you what happens to loose ends.’
Lisette blanched. ‘Oh my God.’
Scarlett turned to the group. ‘You might not like me,’ she said, ‘and that’s okay. I don’t need you to like me. But I do need you to trust me – with at least enough information to catch this shooter before he harms anyone else. Or comes back to finish what he started. You all seem to care about each other. This is the place where you prove it. Talk to me.’
Lisette opened her mouth, then closed it again, looking helpless and frightened. ‘Marcus,’ she whispered. ‘If that man comes back, he’ll kill Phillip.’
Marcus k
new it. Deep down, he knew there would be no salvaging their work. If they told Scarlett what she wanted to know, the worst that would probably happen was that they’d be sued by the perpetrators whose privacy they’d invaded by hacking into their personal computer files. The suits would likely go after the Ledger as a corporation and the team individually. Especially himself and Stone, since they had the deepest pockets. It was unlikely any of them would see the inside of a jail, but it was possible. It would be safer to keep their mouths shut.
But then Phillip’s would-be killer was still out there, and he’d be back.
Marcus knew what he had to do personally, but he wasn’t willing to expose his team. ‘I’ll call Rex,’ he said finally. ‘He can help us figure out what we can and can’t say.’ To his relief, his words were met with nods all around. He glanced at Scarlett. ‘Rex Clausing is my attorney.’
Scarlett’s brows leaped to the top of her forehead. ‘You’re lawyering up? Really?’ She folded her arms over her breasts and gave him a death glare. ‘Really, Marcus?’
He accepted her anger without even trying to defend himself. ‘I’m sorry. If it were just me, I’d have told you already. But like I said, this is not my secret to share.’
She closed her eyes. Drew a deep breath. Then looked each member of his team in the eye, waiting until they looked away before going on to the next. She ended up with Jill. ‘Is there anything you want to tell me, miss?’
‘No,’ Gayle said forcefully.
‘With all due respect, ma’am,’ Scarlett said, ‘I wasn’t speaking to you. Is this young woman a minor?’
‘No,’ Jill said. ‘I’m nineteen, so she can’t speak for me. I would love to tell you everything, but I don’t know anything. All I know about is the damn list of threats, and you have that already.’
‘How do you know I have the list?’ Scarlett asked with a frown.
Jill’s bravado melted into a frightened wince. ‘I overheard my aunt say so.’
Gayle closed her eyes. ‘Young lady, I am going to . . . I don’t know what. I just don’t know. You are seriously disappointing me.’
Scarlett did one of her long blinks, her composure restored. ‘How long will it take your attorney to get here?’ she asked calmly.
‘He’s on his way,’ Lisette said. ‘I called him as soon as Marcus called me.’
Scarlett’s appraisal was cool. ‘You expected to need an attorney?’
‘Rex is also Lisette’s ex-husband,’ Marcus explained. ‘We all grew up together. It was an amicable divorce.’
Scarlett lifted a sarcastic brow. ‘I am so glad to hear that.’ Rolling her eyes, she held up her phone so that everyone could see the time. ‘It has now been an hour since the man you all claim to care for was attacked and left for dead. I have wasted precious minutes listening to you whine and point fingers. If anyone is willing to give me something that will help me catch the SOB who shot your friend’ – she turned to Lisette – ‘and your brother, just let me know. I’ll be in the hallway. Talk amongst yourselves.’
No one said a word as she turned to go, dropping their gazes to the floor while Marcus bit back a frustrated roar. Scarlett was right. One hundred percent. Phillip could die and they were acting like selfish, stupid children.
‘They’re protecting me,’ he told her, cutting off Stone’s protest with a look. ‘Let’s find a private room and I’ll tell you.’
She just looked at him over her shoulder. ‘Don’t waste my time, Marcus.’
He shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter who did what. I’m the boss and I did all the dicey stuff. I can walk you through the list and explain why we’re being . . . stupid.’
Slowly she pivoted on her heel, those midnight-blue eyes never leaving his. She didn’t believe him, but that didn’t matter at this point. ‘All right. Come with me.’
Diesel lurched to his feet and Scarlett blinked, her eyes growing wider as they followed him up and up. Diesel had that effect on everyone.
‘That’s bullshit,’ he barked, darting a quick glance at Gayle. ‘Sorry,’ he said meekly.
Gayle shook her head wearily. ‘I’m not your mother, Diesel. Thank God for that.’
Scarlett took a step back so that she didn’t have to crane her neck to see Diesel’s face. ‘I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,’ she said.
‘Diesel,’ Marcus said, ‘Detective Scarlett Bishop. Scarlett, this is Diesel Kennedy.’
‘Mr Kennedy,’ she said. ‘Why is this bullshit?’
Diesel jerked his head toward Marcus. ‘He’s gonna take the fall when I am just as guilty. Probably more so.’
Stone stood up with a sigh. ‘And me.’
‘Me too,’ Lisette whispered.
‘And me,’ Cal said. ‘I’m Calvin Booker, the Ledger’s editor-in-chief. Everything goes through me.’
Diesel shrugged, his jaw tight, expression challenging Marcus to disagree. ‘Looks like we are Spartacus,’ he drawled.
Stone rolled his eyes. ‘Shove it, Diesel.’
‘Both of you shove it,’ Marcus snapped, then pointed to Gayle. ‘She’s not involved.’
‘She knows nothing,’ Cal added. ‘She just types memos.’
‘That’s not true,’ Gayle protested. ‘I know everything because I type the memos.’
‘You’re Spartacus too, ma’am?’ Scarlett asked politely, and Marcus felt the insane urge to laugh. It wasn’t funny. None of this was funny. These idiot friends of his were going to get themselves in trouble, and they didn’t have to. He’d be damned before he dragged Gayle into it.
‘No,’ Marcus, Stone, Diesel, Cal and Lisette said in unison.
Gayle sighed in angry frustration. ‘Suit yourselves. You’re all crazy, you know that? I’ll be bringing you cakes with files in them. How will you like that?’
‘Make mine chocolate,’ Diesel said, and Gayle dropped her face into her hands.
‘I’ll still want to talk to you even though you don’t know anything, ma’am,’ Scarlett said, then turned to Jill. ‘And to you.’
‘I got nothing to say. I didn’t do anything,’ Jill said with a shrug.
‘Then why don’t you and your aunt just wait over here,’ Scarlett said, motioning them to a sofa in the corner. ‘I need to find us a private room. Don’t worry,’ she added to Lisette. ‘I’ll make sure they bring us news of your brother as soon as he’s out of surgery.’
Cincinnati, Ohio
Tuesday 4 August, 10.00 P.M.
Scarlett stood back as Marcus’s troop found places around the table in the small doctor–patient consulting room. Marcus looked positively grim – and angry with his employees. He’d wanted to take all the blame on his shoulders, which hadn’t surprised Scarlett in the least.
That his people had stood with him said more about their loyalty to Marcus than their desire to tell the truth, but it didn’t really matter as long as the truth was what she got. She was giving Phillip’s attacker more time to escape or plan another attack with every second that ticked away. Part of her wished Deacon were here to help with this, but another part was glad he’d stayed at the crime scene with Agent Coppola. Scarlett wasn’t sure if she could stomach any more testosterone. The room was practically reeking with it.
‘Are we comfortable?’ she asked, and watched Stone O’Bannion roll his eyes.
‘No we are not,’ he muttered. ‘But we are here, so let’s get on with it.’
‘Thank you,’ Lisette said to her. ‘For stationing the policeman outside of the operating room. I feel like Phillip’s a little safer, anyway.’
Scarlett’s smile was sympathetic. ‘It was no trouble.’ She’d had to ask for someone to watch Jill and Gayle, anyway. She didn’t want them speaking to each other or anyone else without a police witness. She’d positioned it as having a guard keeping an eye on Gayle for her own protection. ‘I have brothers,’ she added. ‘And I do know what you’re going through. One of my brothers was shot a few years ago. They operated on him in this hospital,
in fact. We all took turns standing guard outside his room until we could bring him home.’
‘Is he all right?’ Lisette asked, then winced when Scarlett hesitated to answer. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss, Detective. I didn’t know.’
‘No,’ Scarlett said quickly, understanding the woman’s confusion. ‘He lived. The surgeons here are very good. He just . . . Phin’s a vet, and it happened after he came home. We were relieved that he was finally safe, and then he got shot in a bar fight.’ She shrugged a shoulder. ‘We haven’t seen him for a long time, so I’m not sure how to answer your question. I hope he’s okay. But we’ve drifted off topic.’
It had not been unintentional. Nothing she’d shared was a secret. Hell, the Ledger had probably carried the story of Phin’s debacle, which had started with an argument over a woman. Naturally. Phin had always had a temper, even before the war. The Ledger probably had several articles on him. She’d shared Phin’s past with Lisette in hopes of creating a bond with the woman who had the most to lose – her brother was not safe until his attacker was behind bars.
Neither was Marcus. So Lisette Cauldwell isn’t the only one with a lot to lose. Scarlett couldn’t let herself think about what might have happened had Marcus arrived at his apartment first. He’d be the one in surgery right now.
She took the empty seat between Marcus and Diesel, the giant who’d been first to share the blame. The man’s shoulders took up his space and half of hers, but she didn’t budge, forcing him to scoot his chair over a few inches. This caused a ripple effect as everyone moved their chairs, because Stone was on Diesel’s right and his shoulders were nearly as wide. She waited until all the chairs had stopped moving and everyone settled.
‘I assume this involves the Ledger in some way,’ she began. From her jacket pocket she pulled the list Marcus had printed up earlier that day. It seemed like a year ago. ‘These are the threats I know about.’ She looked up at Marcus. ‘I also assume this is a . . . truncated list. If you’d sent me the real one, I would have had it minutes after you sent the video files. Yes?’