She rose to her feet, still in heels, and slipped her dress back over her shoulders.
“Tell me about it.” He shifted the material of his pants, hoping to calm his hard on. “Thank God I didn’t give the guys access to my place yet. I’d have to kill them if they saw you naked.” He grimaced at the thought.
“Last time I checked, you don’t have exclusive rights to my nudity. Just an F.Y.I.” She smirked, but the realization of her words hit him hard. “Will you kill every man who sees me naked?”
“I wouldn’t test me,” he grumbled.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KATE TUCKED AWAY HER NERVOUS smile and attempted to look professional in front of Jake and Connor.
Michael was standing about as far away from her as he could get while being in the same room. He’d gone behind his own personal Berlin Wall again. Damn him. “I almost forgot. What did my dad have to say?” she asked as they sat down at the large farmhouse table in the kitchen.
Michael shifted in his seat to face Kate, who sat to his left. “He said he was sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Your dad said your mother thought she had a stalker. Not long before she died, she told him that she felt like she was being watched.”
Like me. Oh, God. “Does he think there could be a connection?”
“He doesn’t think so. Or at least, the cops ruled out the idea of a stalker.” He pressed his palms against the table and looked at Jake. “What do you think?”
“I have two suspects in mind if there is a connection to your mother. Two people at the gala went to school with her. And one of them looks like the man you drew.”
Kate’s lips twitched as her nerves pulled at her heart strings. She reached for the folder that Jake slid to her. With a shaky hand, she opened it and looked at the first photo. “That’s him.” She stared down at the picture of the muscular, blonde man. The anxiety that coursed through her body made her feel like she had taken four shots of espresso.
“That’s Nathan Williams. He’s a real estate attorney. He has several offices, including one in New York,” Jake responded.
She moved Nathan’s photo aside to view the other.
“Erick Jensen.” She ran her fingers across the image of the face. She had danced with him at the gala.
“Michael tells me that Erick admitted that he knew your mother.” Jake looked down at the photo and back up at Kate.
“Yeah. He even asked me to help out with the winter ball in Boston.” Kate pushed aside Erick’s photo to study the image of the blonde man, who now had a name. “Given that this Nathan guy has a connection with my mom, do you think there’s a link between her murder and my stalker?” She tried not to feel a pinch of hope at the possibility of getting justice for her mother.
“We have to keep in mind that your stalker may have nothing to do with your mom at all. This Nathan guy might be following you, but it may be sheer coincidence that he went to school with your mom.” He rubbed his hands together as if attempting to dispel the nervous energy that was hanging above everyone’s heads. “The detective on your mother’s case was adamant that it was a robbery gone wrong. I need you to understand that I might not be able to help in regards to her murder. My main focus is catching your stalker.”
“But if someone was following my mom, too . . .” Kate stared down at Nathan’s picture, desperate to confirm that he was the killer and the stalker. She wanted to get this over and done with. She wanted the man behind bars who murdered her mother, stealing her chance to know her—to feel her love.
“Your father told the police that, but the cops said there wasn’t any evidence of stalking. No notes, pictures, or anything like that. Remember, she wasn’t living in the times of social media and cell phones.”
“I think I need to sit down.”
“You are sitting.” Michael reached out and touched her arm, which was surprising.
“I’d like to go meet with Nathan and Erick soon.” Jake stood up.
“Well, Erick said he would be out of town this week.” Kate’s attention focused back on Nathan’s photo. Something inside her was screaming, “Murderer!”
“Connor and I can go interview Nathan today, and I’ll double-check to make sure Erick is actually out of town.”
“I’d like to go.” Kate was on her feet and feeling focused for the first time that afternoon.
“You’re not going,” Michael responded with a sharp voice. “Connor will stay here with you, instead. I’ll go.”
“Like hell!” She folded her arms and stared at him, defiance burning through her. There was no way she was going to stay behind. “I need to be there. I need to see this man for myself.”
“She might be able to help.” Jake peered at Michael.
“No.” Michael released the word so fast that she almost missed it.
“I’m going, whether you like it or not.” She exited the kitchen and made her way to the foyer. She grabbed her purse off the hall table and waited by the silver elevator doors.
“If I let you go, you don’t leave my side,” he warned upon approach.
Why did he insist on treating her like a child? Maybe she did need protection, and maybe she was scared, but he didn’t have to make her feel so damned weak. “Fine,” she bit out, hating herself for not fighting back at his use of the words ‘let you go.’
“Come on, then,” he said after an obvious sigh.
She slid into the back seat of the SUV a few minutes later and clamped her hands together on her lap as they drove. Her body tensed as Michael talked with ease to Jake and Connor as they drove to Nathan’s law firm. She hated the fact that he was different with them. More laid back.
His face didn’t strain with anger at the slightest provocation when he was talking with them.
The SUV rolled to a stop in front of a three-story brick building on the outskirts of town after a short drive. “This is it?” Kate shifted in her seat to gain a better view out the window, peering past Connor, who sat to her right. “I was expecting some shiny glass tower.”
Jake, who was riding shotgun, turned and looked back at her. “It might not look like much, but he’s a well-known attorney.”
Kate nodded and stepped out of Michael’s SUV. An uneasy anticipation grew inside her as she stared at the building. Her purse vibrated against her side, and she took a moment to glance at her phone, but she tucked it away when she saw who was calling. It was her father, for the twentieth time that day.
“You ready?” Jake asked, looking to Michael and Connor. They nodded back at him and followed him inside.
When they entered the lobby, they were greeted by a cute brunette, who was clearly doing her best not to stare in awe at the three gorgeous men standing before her. “Do you have an appointment?”
Jake held up his FBI badge. “We need to see Mr. Nathan Williams. It’s urgent.”
The woman nodded and reached for her phone. She mumbled a few words and motioned for them to follow her. She stopped outside a conference room. “Please, wait inside. Mr. Williams will be with you in a moment.”
Once the receptionist left, Kate sat down at the large, oval, glass-top table and stared at the dim shadow of her reflection. She wasn’t sure how she should react toward the man who might not only be her stalker but her mother’s killer.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Michael rested his hand on her shoulder before moving toward the window and pressing his palm to the glass. He had changed out of his suit after they came treacherously close to having sex earlier.
What had she been thinking? One minute they were talking about the redhead and the next—he was going down on her. Her legs tightened at the memory.
When Kate looked up and saw Nathan Williams open the door, her body tensed for a very different reason.
Nathan’s dark eyes locked onto Kate’s as he stopped in the middle of the doorway. The man shifted his black blazer away from his hips as his hands slid into his pockets. The pull of his brow, the pinched skin on his forehead—he
looked nervous.
She assumed it was her, or maybe it was the fact that there were three former Marines in the room.
Jake directed his attention to Nathan and reached for the man’s hand. He introduced himself, Connor, Michael, and then Kate. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.” Jake sat down and waited for Nathan to sit, as well, but Nathan remained standing near the door.
“What can I do for you?” Nathan’s accent was thick, and Kate guessed he was originally from Alabama or Mississippi. He folded his arms and leaned against the interior of the doorway.
Kate studied him. He was tall, well-built, and had a sort of Russian meets cowboy look to him. “I’m Kate Adams. I believe you knew my mother?” She was surprised by the sound of her voice. She hadn’t planned on breathing a word during the meeting, but she found that her curiosity overwhelmed her common sense.
Nathan blew out a breath, a low whistle noise escaping his lips as he did so. “Um. Was your mother Elizabeth?”
“Yes,” Kate softly replied.
“Yes. Yes, I knew her.” His shoulders sank a little. “What—what is this about?”
“What can you tell me about your relationship with Elizabeth?” Jake swooped in to speak before Kate could.
“Listen, I’ll answer any questions you have—but you need to tell me what this is all about.” The lawyer in Nathan broke to the surface.
“Someone has been stalking Kate, and this person may be connected to Elizabeth’s murder,” Jake replied with blunt honesty.
Nathan’s face paled a little, and then he approached the table and sat down. “Why are you coming to me?”
“Kate saw you a few times since she arrived in Charlotte—and, well, you’re connected to her mother,” Jake said.
Michael came up next to Kate and sat down. It was comforting having her own personal superhero.
Nathan clasped his hands on the table and looked straight into Kate’s eyes. “Kate, I’m recently divorced. I don’t normally frequent nightclubs, but I was out one night, and I saw you dancing. And my heart stopped. I thought I saw a ghost. I thought I was looking at your mother. You’re identical. I freaked out and took off.” He paused for a moment while rubbing his hands together. It was clear he wasn’t a poker player. “I saw you again in Uptown and then at the Maddox event. I had no idea you planned the ball. When I saw you there and heard your name . . . I realized you were Elizabeth’s daughter.”
Kate had to remind herself to breathe. She felt like she was swimming under water and wouldn’t make it to the surface in time.
“I was your father’s roommate in college. I hung out with your mother a lot because of that. But I had nothing to do with her death, and I am most certainly not stalking you.”
“My father never mentioned you.” But he’d never mentioned that her mother was murdered, either.
“We were best friends, but after what happened to your mom, he shut me out. I’ve bumped into him a few times in New York, but he had no interest in reconnecting. I guess I reminded him of his past, of your mother.”
“Is there anything else you might be able to tell us that would help out?” Jake asked as he rose to his feet.
“Not that I can think of.” Nathan stood and reached into his wallet for a business card.
“Do you know Erick Jensen?” Jake asked while taking the card from Nathan.
Nathan’s lips pressed together, and his gaze shifted down. “I know all the big-name lawyers in town, but he also went to school with me. I didn’t know him that well while we were in school, though.”
“And now?” Jake pried.
“I’m a real estate lawyer. He’s a defense attorney. Our paths rarely cross. I did see him at the ball, though.” He folded his arms in front of him and directed his attention to Kate. “You really are your mother’s daughter,” he said with an affirming nod of the head.
She rose to her feet, and her knees almost buckled.
“We’ll be in touch,” Jake said.
Nathan held Kate’s gaze until she looked away and exited the room. Something in her gut didn’t feel right.
“I don’t believe him,” Michael said as soon as he slid behind the wheel.
Kate agreed, but she didn’t say anything. She found herself in a daze as they drove back to Michael’s place, only half-listening to the conversation. She wanted to be privy to the details of Jake’s plan, but her mind reeled from meeting the man who may have killed her mother.
“Connor and I will follow up on Erick Jensen’s story,” Jake said as Michael pulled up in front of his building.
Jake’s words shook Kate free of her stupor. She reached for the door handle to exit, but Michael had already come around and beat her to it. The gentle touch of his hand on her arm as he helped her out of the car made her spirit liven a fraction. “Thanks.”
“I’ll bring Kate upstairs,” Michael said as he tossed his car keys to Connor. “See you guys later.”
Kate and Michael rode the elevator in silence to his home. She watched as he turned on the security cameras and alarms. He investigated every inch of his loft before allowing Kate to wander freely, just to be on the safe side.
“You’re being a bit overprotective,” she announced when he returned to the front entrance, where she had been waiting.
“Better to be safe,” he warned.
Perhaps seeing Nathan had put him on edge. Great. Just what she needed. Michael even further on edge.
“So, what should we do while we wait for the guys?” she asked, lacing her fingers together.
“Hungry?”
“Are we . . . should we talk about what happened earlier?” She moved toward him, and he took a cautious step back and into the kitchen.
Was he afraid of her? Afraid of losing control again? For a military man, he seemed to lack self-control when it came to Kate.
“What is there to say? We almost screwed up. We can’t let that happen again. We need to concentrate on finding your stalker.” He turned his back to her and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
She watched his tan throat as he gulped down the cold water. She needed to cool off, herself. The circuits were misfiring in her brain. A crazy person was spying on her, and she could only think about how Michael’s hands would feel on her body. But a distraction from her dark life might be what she needed. “Did we screw up?” She moved closer to him. The words that tumbled from her lips contradicted the cautious whispers inside her.
He withdrew the bottle from his lips and set it on the counter. “Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Being with you again would be amazing, but you want more, right? I mean, you said you don’t want a relationship because of your job, but you also don’t just screw, right?” He scratched the back of his head and squinted a little as he observed her. “I guess I’m a little confused as to what you want, but I do know what I can and can’t do.”
She inhaled at his words and released a slow breath. “You help me forget the craziness that’s going on in my life. I feel safe with you, Michael.”
He moved closer to her and tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. “You shouldn’t feel safe with me. I’m fucked up.” His voice was low. He almost looked—dangerous. But he was trying, too, wasn’t he? To get her to be the one to back away?
Her eyes shut, and she licked her lips. “You don’t scare me.”
“I should. Do you know how many people I’ve killed? Do you know the things I’ve been ordered to do to get terrorists to talk? I’m a killer, Kate.”
The grittiness to his voice and the reality of what he’d said caused her eyes to flash open.
She remembered the three scars on his chest, and she reached for him, but he recoiled.
Her hand remained outstretched in the air, cold and alone. She finally pulled it back to her side and narrowed her eyes on him. “You aren’t a killer. You were saving lives.”
He cupped the back of his neck and moved his head around a bit. He was uncomfortable—she could see
it in his movements, and in the now-blank look in his eyes. He was shutting down on her. Again.
“I can’t be with you. As much as I want you,” he admitted and took a step away from her.
“But I need you.”
She’d never said those words to any man in her life. She’d never needed to.
“And you have me—to help you. But that’s all I can give.”
“Michael, you’re not a bad guy. Please, believe me.”
“You don’t know me,” he said with a hollow look in his eyes.
“Let me get to know you,” she begged, taking a step closer. She was willing to sidestep her plans if it meant having a chance to be with this man.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t.” And then he turned and left.
She tried to fight the sick feeling that was enveloping her. She couldn’t believe her life right now. Her mother had been murdered. She had a stalker.
And she was allowing herself to fall for a man with a field of ice around his heart.
*
Kate paced back and forth in her bedroom, trying to wrap her head around her situation, as well as her feelings for Michael.
She stopped moving when she thought she heard something.
Were Jake and Connor back?
She opened her door and started to walk down the hallway, but halted at the sound of a voice—a woman’s voice.
She edged down the hall as quietly as possible and peeked around the corner.
The redhead.
“You need to leave.” Michael had his hand on the woman’s forearm as he motioned with the other for the elevator.
The woman was looking up at him, but Kate couldn’t see her face.
“Please, I need to make things right.”
The woman’s voice was muffled, as though she’d been crying. Her shoulders slumped forward and shuddered slightly.
“This isn’t a good time. Please, I promise we’ll talk, but I can’t do this right now.” Michael moved to the elevator and pressed a button. “Where are you staying?” he asked as the doors opened.
“Where I always stay,” the woman responded as she stepped into the elevator.
The Safe Bet Page 16