by Kat Martin
Hawk Maddox wasn’t a relationship kind of guy. Exactly the reason she had chosen him that night at the Sagebrush Saloon. After inviting him into her bed, she felt out of control and out of her depths, and she had no idea what she should do.
Her lips still tingled as Kate fastened her seat belt and leaned back in her seat. Sitting behind the wheel, Jase cast her a burning glance and started the engine.
Kate drew in a shaky breath. For the moment, she would focus on what she most needed to do—concentrate on finding a killer.
* * *
Jase flicked a sideways glance at Kate in the passenger seat. He hadn’t been sure how he would handle the morning-after conversation he always dreaded, but the moment he’d seen the same uncertainty on Kate’s pretty face, any reservations he’d had fell away.
She was no more sure what rules they were playing by than he was. He wanted more of her—that much he knew. From the way she’d responded to him last night and again this morning, Kate wanted more of him, too.
Where that would lead, he had no idea. He’d never had a serious relationship with a woman, never really wanted one. But Kate wasn’t like any woman he’d ever known. She was smart, loyal, brave, and just looking at her made him hard.
He wasn’t sure what to do about her, but eventually he’d figure it out. His mind shot back to the hours they had spent in bed, to finding her secret tattoo, a tiny butterfly on the cheek of her ass. He had laughed, it was so cute. Unfortunately, the tempting sight had left him with a new fantasy that involved Kate on her hands and knees.
His groin stirred and he shifted in his seat. Not going to happen. They had work to do.
Jase pulled the Yukon up in front of the address on Reiger he had found on the internet that morning for the New Hope Rehabilitation Center. The old gray house with white trim sat on a big corner lot with a pair of gnarled oak trees standing guard out front. The house stood two stories high, with wraparound porches on both levels.
He and Kate got out and walked up on the porch. Jase knocked on the door, and a man in his midfifties, with silver in his hair, pulled it opened. A tiny dark-haired woman stood beside him. Jase recognized the couple from their photos on the website as Jim and Vera Lockwood.
“May I help you?” Vera Lockwood asked. She looked a few years younger than Jim, a few wrinkles, not many.
“I’m Jason Maddox. I’m a private investigator. This is Kate Gallagher. We’d like to ask you some questions about a girl who lived here named Tina Galen.”
The woman’s expression turned solemn. “Yes, Tina was with us for a short time. How can I help you?”
“Tina was my younger sister,” Kate said softly.
The woman’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry about what happened. Please come in.”
They stepped over a doormat that read GOD BLESS THIS HOME and into a hallway with gleaming hardwood floors. Mrs. Lockwood led them into an old-fashioned parlor, and they sat down on a burgundy sofa with lace doilies on the rounded arms.
“We’re the Lockwoods. I’m Vera and this is my husband, Jim. Would you like some coffee or perhaps a cup of tea?”
“Thank you for offering, but we’re fine,” Jase said.
The couple took seats across from them. Jase could hear female voices somewhere in the house and footsteps on the stairs.
“My sister’s real name was Christina Gallagher,” Kate said. “Jason and I are trying to find out who killed her. We’re hoping you can help.”
“Tina was a lovely girl,” Vera said. “So sweet. And so young. She told us she was only eighteen.”
“That’s right,” Kate said. “Chrissy ran away from home two years ago. We tried to find her, but she just seemed to disappear. I had no idea what had happened to her until the police called to tell me she was dead.”
“Such a tragedy,” Vera said, shaking her head.
“A friend of Tina’s told us she came to you and you agreed to take her in,” Jase said.
“That’s right. We’re a Christian faith–based organization. Jim is a minister. We focus specifically on girls who end up on the street. We don’t have a lot of room, but if the girl is truly needy, willing to follow our rules and we believe she is sincerely determined to change her life, we try to find room for her.” She smiled sadly. “Your sister wasn’t with us long, but she was making very good progress.”
“Do you have any idea what happened?” Kate asked.
“I can tell you about your sister, but I don’t really know what happened to her.”
“Please...anything you can tell me will be more than I know now.”
Vera nodded. “Well, I mentioned our rules. I know they may sound harsh, but we’ve learned they provide the best chance for the girls. The applicant must agree to stay for one full year, during which time they must forgo all family ties. They have to give up cell phones and social media. There is no smoking, no alcohol, absolutely no drugs. They completely forfeit their privacy during that year.”
“And my sister agreed?” Kate asked.
“That’s right. She was very sick at first as the drugs began to wear off, but she was determined.”
Kate smiled sadly. “Her friend Lollie said she wanted to change her life.”
Vera smiled. “Everyone here is supportive of each other. After a week or so, Tina had physically recovered from the symptoms of withdrawal and begun to get stronger. The girls all liked her. She found a particular friend in her roommate, Holly Jensen, who was also eighteen. Holly has been with us for several months, so she knows her way around. And Holly’s pregnant, which gave them a special bond. Apparently your sister loved babies.”
Kate’s features clouded. “She collected dolls when she was a little girl. She liked the baby dolls best. Of course, I was so much older, we never really played together.”
“Could we talk to Holly?” Jase asked.
Vera glanced over at her husband.
“I think in this case, that can be arranged,” Jim said, rising from his chair. “I’ll go get her.” He walked out of the parlor, his footsteps receding down the hall.
“Have you talked to the police, Mrs. Lockwood?” Jase asked, wondering why Detective Benson hadn’t mentioned the rehab center.
“Please, call me Vera, and no, we haven’t. The police never came here asking questions. We didn’t know anything useful even if they had. And the truth is, everything that happens here is private. We don’t divulge information on the girls who live here, and we didn’t even hear about the murder until several days later.”
“When was the last time you saw Tina?” Jase asked.
“She had supper with us the night she was killed. We realized the next day she was gone, but we didn’t know she had been killed until we read it in the Morning News a few days later.”
“Do you know why she left?” Jase asked.
Vera gripped her hands in her lap. “It came as a complete surprise. Everything seemed to be fine at supper, then the next morning, she didn’t come down for breakfast. Holly said Tina must have left the house while she was asleep.”
Vera smiled sadly. “There are no bars on the windows or doors. No one forces the girls to come here and no one forces them to stay. Not all of them are strong enough to make it through the program.”
“But my sister wanted to change so badly,” Kate said. “Something must have happened to change her mind.”
The sound of approaching footfalls ended the discussion and drew their attention to the door. A young woman with long dark hair and dark eyes followed Jim into the parlor. She was wearing a knee-length knit dress that curved over her baby bump.
“This is Holly Jensen,” Jim said.
Jase rose to greet her and so did Kate. She smiled. “Hello, Holly. I’m Kate and this is Jason.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” She didn’t look like a prostitute. She look
ed healthy, her eyes bright and her skin clear, though Jase figured he’d find old needle marks under the long sleeves on her dress.
“You were a friend of my sister’s,” Kate said. “You knew her as Tina Galen, but her real name was Chrissy Gallagher.”
Holly nodded. “Yes. Tina told me.”
So Chrissy had decided she could trust Holly. Jase hoped that wasn’t all Tina had revealed. He glanced over at Jim. “We’d like to talk to Holly in private...if that’s possible.”
Jim’s attention swung to the girl. “Holly?”
“It’s okay. Tina was my friend.” She looked at Kate. “She talked about you all the time.”
Vera rose from her chair, and she and her husband left the parlor, sliding the old-fashioned oak doors closed to give them privacy. Holly sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs, and Jase and Kate sat back down on the sofa across from her.
“Vera said you were sleeping when Tina left the house the night she was killed,” Jase said.
Holly glanced away. “That’s right.” One of her hands moved down over the soft roundness of her baby in a protective gesture that was hard to miss. It didn’t take a private detective to know she was lying.
“You can tell us the truth,” Kate said, picking up on the gesture, as well. “You were my sister’s friend. I think she would want you to tell me what really happened.”
Holly swallowed. Her lips trembled. “I can’t. If...if I tell you, he’ll kill me. He’ll kill my baby.”
Kate came off the sofa and crouched beside Holly’s chair. She took hold of the young woman’s hand. “We won’t let that happen. We’ll protect you. We won’t let anyone come near you.”
“You’ll go to the police, and he’ll find out it was me who told you. He’ll kill me and my baby.”
Jase rose from the sofa and stood in front of the girl. “No police, Holly. I give you my word.” She looked him up and down, weighing his toughness and strength. In times like these, his size often worked in his favor.
“Tell us what happened that night,” Kate pressed. “Please. Do it for Tina.”
Tears welled in Holly’s dark eyes and slipped down her cheeks. “It was Eli,” she whispered. “Eli Zepeda.” A sob caught in her throat.
“Just take your time,” Jase said, sitting back down to give her some space.
Holly swallowed, her slender throat moving up and down. “Tina worked for Eli, but she wanted to quit. Eli knew she had come to the center for help. She was doing really great. She wanted to get her life back so badly.”
Holly wiped tears from her cheeks. “That night, Eli broke into the house. Maybe he had been watching the place, I don’t know, but he knew which room was ours. He told Tina she was his biggest moneymaker, and he wasn’t letting her go. He had a gun. Neither of us doubted he would use it.” Her voice shook. “I was so scared.”
“What happened?” Kate gently prodded.
“Tina refused to leave. Eli was furious. He gave her a choice. She could go with him—or he would take me instead. He could see I was pregnant, but he didn’t care. Tina went with him to save me.”
Holly started crying. “She died for me. Tina gave her life to save me and my baby.” Her crying turned to great heaving sobs, and Kate drew her up from the chair into her arms. She wept on Kate’s shoulder, cried as if her heart were breaking.
“It’s all right, Holly,” Kate soothed, her voice also choked with tears. “It wasn’t your fault. Eli Zepeda is the man who killed my sister, and I promise you he’s going to pay.”
“She was my friend,” Holly said tearfully. “No one has ever done anything like that for me before.”
Watching the women, Jase clamped down on the rage burning through him. Elijah Zepeda was a murderer. They couldn’t go to the police without evidence, and there was no way Jase was putting Holly and her baby in danger.
It didn’t matter.
One way or another, Elijah Zepeda was going down.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“If we call the police, they’ll want to talk to Holly,” Kate said. “We gave her our word we’d protect her.”
Maddox sliced her a glance. “No police,” he said darkly.
A faint shiver moved down her spine. She should have known Jase wouldn’t break his word.
The Yukon pulled away from the rehab center. The wind had picked up, rustling the leaves on the branches of the big live oaks in front of the house. It was early yet for a hurricane, but the weather bureau had mentioned the possibility.
Kate focused her attention on the road. “So what’s our next move?”
“Next, I have a little talk with Eli Zepeda. But I don’t go alone.”
Kate stiffened. “That’s right. You won’t be alone because I’m going with you.”
Jase shook his head. “Not this time, baby. You’ve seen this guy. He’s bad news. If something goes wrong, you could get hurt—or worse.”
She wanted to argue. She was going—whether he liked it or not. But she’d wait, pick the right time to have that discussion. “So who’s going with you?” she asked instead.
Jase hit the hands-free button on his speakerphone, hit one of his contact numbers. When the call picked up on the other end of the line, Kate recognized Bran Garrett’s voice.
“What’s up?” Bran asked.
“You at the office?” Jase asked.
“At the moment, yeah. I’ll be here awhile.”
“Good, I’m on my way.” Jase ended the call. Kate’s attention swung back to the road, and she realized the route he was driving led to his office on Blackburn Street. A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot behind the brick building.
They went in through the back door and spotted Bran in the employee lounge, drinking a cup of coffee. In a T-shirt and jeans, with his dark hair, blue eyes and movie-star good-looks, the guy was seriously hot. But it was the heat of Maddox’s big, hard body behind her, the memory of all those amazing muscles beneath her hands last night that had her pulse kicking up.
Jase walked over to the kitchen counter, poured coffee into foam cups and handed one to her.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a sip, finding it surprisingly fresh and a lot better tasting than the stale brew she’d drunk that morning.
They sat down at the round, Formica-topped table with Bran. “So I’m guessing you got a break in the case,” he said, sipping from his own foam cup.
“That’s right. Looks like Eli Zepeda killed her. Broke into the rehab center where Tina was living and forced her to leave with him. She was dead the next morning.”
Bran casually sipped his coffee, but his intense blue eyes said he was anything but calm. “You tell the cops?”
“Not an option,” Jase said. “Tina’s roommate tipped us. She’s pregnant. We both know what’ll happen to her if Zepeda finds out.”
Bran leaned back in his chair. “It’s time Zepeda paid for some of the shit he’s done. When are you going after him?”
“We need a location, someplace beside the motel, someplace we can isolate him from his crew. Soon as I figure that out, I’ll be ready to go in.”
“You’re gonna need backup. I’ll hang loose for a couple of days, give you some time. When you’re ready, just let me know.”
Jase nodded.
Kate leaned forward in her chair. “I might as well tell you both right now—I’m going with you. Nothing you can do or say is going to keep me away.”
Jason’s jaw went iron hard. “Bullshit. For once, you’re going to do what I say.”
“I’m going,” she repeated. “You work for me, not the other way around.”
“You can keep your damn money. This was never about money, and I’m pretty sure you know it.” His eyes bored into her. “I need you safe. If you go with us to bring Zepeda down, you won’t be.”
Kate reached across th
e table and set her hand over his. She could feel the anger vibrating through him. “I know you think I’m being a fool, but I’ve seen you two in action. There’s nobody I’d trust more to keep me safe than you and Bran.”
Bran shifted, drawing her attention. His gaze locked with hers. “If we go after Zepeda, talking won’t be all that happens. Things could get messy. You ready to deal with that?”
“Chrissy was my baby sister. Now she’s dead. I’ll deal.”
Jase scrubbed a hand over his face and released a deep breath. “Lady, you are a definitely a pain in my ass.” But the heat was gone, and there was something in his eyes that might have been respect.
Bran finished the last of his coffee, tossed the cup in the trash. “Looks like the lady is coming along.” He shoved himself up from the table. “Keep me posted. I’ll be ready when you are.” As Bran strolled out of the lounge, Jase drilled Kate with a glare.
“You’re pushing your luck. You know that, right?”
She felt the pull of a smile. It faded as she thought of what the men might do to Eli Zepeda. “I need to be there, Jase. The man murdered my sister. The fact I’m a woman doesn’t matter.”
His gaze slid over her, hot and intense. “It matters to me, Kate. You’re a woman and I’m grateful for it.” Jase downed the last of his coffee and rose from his chair. “Why don’t I take you home and you can show me how much woman you really are.”
Kate felt a rush of desire so strong it made her dizzy. The muscles in her legs felt weak just thinking about it.
She took a moment to collect herself, managed to rise unsteadily from the table. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she forced herself to ask. “We need to find a place where we can talk to Zepeda. How, by the way, do you plan to do that?”
Jase’s burning gaze went from hot to shuttered. “Do a little hunting, tail him, figure out his movements. With any luck it won’t take too long.”
“Fine, let’s get started.” Walking ahead, she cast Jase a glance over her shoulder. “The sooner we get what we need, the sooner you can take me home.”