Wicked Bad Boys

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Hello, welcome to Paradise Inn. How may I help you?” Her smile was bright and cheery. It was the first thing he noticed.

  “Hello,” he answered. “My friend is staying here tonight. He phoned and asked me to stop by. It’s Kevin Crawford. He didn’t give me his room number and when I tried to call him back…it goes straight to voicemail. Will you please let me know what room he’s in?”

  She smiled but then looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, but we have a strict policy. We’re not allowed to give customers’ room information out to anybody. I’m so sorry.”

  He grew irritated but tried to put in his best effort. “You’re telling me you can’t bend the rules, not even just this once?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, sorry. It’s company policy.”

  This wasn’t going as planned. Jake was not leaving that hotel without the information he wanted. He didn’t care what he had to do to get it.

  * * *

  Kevin jerked out of sleep as he heard the sound of sirens. For a moment, he thought he was only dreaming, but then he saw the flashing of the lights shining through the window. He sat up quickly, but gingerly slid out of bed. Tara looked like she was sleeping soundly and he didn’t want to wake her, or give her anything more to worry about. He walked over to the window and held back the curtains. There was an EMS and a few police cars tearing into the parking lot of the hotel.

  “What’s going on?” Tara asked as she slowly woke up.

  He turned around and stared at her.

  “There’s an EMS and some cop cars here. You might want to get dressed.”

  He ran into the living room to scoop up their clothes, and returned to hand hers to her. He put on his jeans and looked back up at her.

  “I’m going to go out and see what’s going on. Don’t leave the room.”

  She nodded, getting dressed as he left the bedroom. He glanced at the clock before he left the hotel room. It was two o’clock. There was activity up and down the hallway. When he saw an officer getting ready to hurry past him, he stopped him.

  “Get back inside your room,” the officer ordered.

  “What’s going on?” Kevin asked.

  “Get back in your room now!” he shouted with urgency.

  Kevin slowly retreated back to the room. He closed the door and saw Tara walking out of the bedroom. She was already completely dressed.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, looking scared.

  He walked over to her and shrugged.

  “I don’t know. The officer told me to get back inside.”

  He looked back at the door and the sound of running feet kept going up and down the hallway.

  “It’s probably not over yet, whatever they’re dealing with. It’s best if we just listen.”

  “I’m scared,” she admitted.

  He wrapped his arms around her. This was just another thing they had to overcome that evening. He didn’t want to admit he was scared, too.

  “We’re fine as long as we stay here. Don’t worry, okay?”

  “I’ll try, she admitted.

  They walked over to the couch and she stopped to hand him his shirt. All the evidence of his bloody nose was on that shirt. He laughed as he took it from her it. He didn’t need the reminder of his fight with Jake, but it was the only shirt he had to wear. He threw it aside and pulled her down on the couch with him.

  “You can try to get some more rest,” he said, but it wasn’t going to be easy for either of them.

  “I just want you to hold me,” she replied. Kevin pulled her against him. It was the easiest request Tara could have made. The room was so quiet he could almost hear her heartbeat. Trying to put her at ease, he hummed. He wasn’t sure what tune it was, but it broke up the monotony in the room. He tenderly kissed the top of her head and searched for her hand to hold. Squeezing it tightly, he continuing to hum the tune.

  Kevin wasn’t sure how long they had been in that position when he heard a knock on the door. They both jumped and he saw the frightened look in Tara’s eyes. He sat up, shifting Tara over so he could get up. He grabbed the shirt and put it on before going to answer the door. It was Officer Jessup. Her eyes fell over him, landing on his bloody shirt.

  “Officer Jessup. What are you doing here?”

  “Funny. That’s exactly what I was going to ask you. I saw your name on the hotel room list and I just had to come see for myself. Nice shirt…” She looked down at the red splotches. “Mind telling me what happened tonight?”

  Kevin looked over his shoulder to where Tara was still sitting. The thought of saying it was from Jake, didn’t seem practical. The last thing he wanted was to offer her more ammunition about his brother.

  “I was in an altercation. I took care of it but we were forced to stay here for the night. My car wouldn’t start and it was late. I really didn’t want to walk home. That’s it.”

  She nodded but didn’t seem too convinced of what he was saying.

  “It’s true,” Tara piped up from behind him.

  “Ms. Matthews…it’s a pleasure seeing you too,” Officer Jessup said. She then looked back at him. “Who were you in an altercation with?”

  “I’d prefer not to say,” he answered. He wasn’t used to withholding information from the police but now this was twice he wasn’t telling them the facts. Except this wasn’t really a lie. It was omission.

  “Well, you’re not on trial, so I can’t force you to answer the question,” she remarked, looking between Kevin and Tara. “However, I can inform you of what happened here tonight. There’s been another killing.”

  He heard Tara groan behind him.

  “Really? Here?” he asked.

  The officer nodded. “Yes and this time the killer left something behind.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “It’s all over the news. Maybe you should check it out. I’m assuming you don’t know anything and this blood has nothing to do with what happened here tonight at the hotel, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Correct. You’re more than welcome to test the blood. You’ll see it’s mine.” He pointed to his nose. “If you haven’t noticed, my nose is bloody, too.”

  “Oh…that’s what I noticed.”

  He frantically shook his head. “I had nothing to do with it. I don’t even know who was killed!”

  “Okay, if you insist. Just don’t plan on leaving town, just in case we need to question you. Have a good night…” She glanced at her watch. “Or day.”

  Kevin shut the door as she walked away, and turned back around to Tara.

  “Someone was murdered here?” she asked, looking even more petrified.

  He wanted to protect her but he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. She had already heard everything Officer Jessup shared.

  “It appears so, but we don’t know the circumstances.” He walked past her and went to the television. He picked up the remote and sat down on the couch. She soon joined him. He turned on the television and flipped through some channels until he came to a picture of the hotel on a news channel. Tara took his hand as he turned up the volume.

  Another reporter took the spotlight.

  “We’re standing outside of Paradise Inn, where tonight was definitely not paradise for one person. Dixie Blevins was murdered tonight.”

  “Dixie?” Tara replied quietly.

  “That’s the name of the person who checked us in,” Kevin remembered.

  He turned back to the screen as the reporter continued.

  “She was a young employee, just nineteen years old. Blevins’ body was discovered by a fellow worker, who had just reported in for his shift. Sources report she was marked by the serial killer with a single burn mark on her chest. It has turned into the killer’s calling card; one we won’t soon forget. There is something different about this murder, in that the killer may have left behind a piece of evidence. Police are appealing to the public to report any information they have on a ball cap left at the scene with the initials ‘JC�
��. If you have any information, we ask that you contact the police immediately.”

  Kevin covered his mouth, staring at the photo of the hat that had appeared on the inset of the TV screen. He didn’t want to believe it. It was the same hat he had given his brother when they were teens.

  “Kevin…” Tara called to him slowly.

  He turned to her and saw the fear in her eyes. He shook his head. His worst nightmare was coming true.

  “I know,” he whispered.

  His pulse was racing but nothing could stop the truth that screamed in his head. It was something he had denied for too long. Jake was responsible for the murders.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  He looked at her. “What can I do? I have to admit I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so quick to say he was innocent.”

  “He’s your brother,” she replied as if it should be enough.

  “Yes, but tonight proved he isn’t exactly the boy he used to be. I’m just so sorry I got upset with you. You were probably the only one who saw things clearly. Well, you and the police.”

  “I don’t think so, Kevin. He just worried me.”

  He stood up from the couch and grabbed his cell phone out of his jeans pocket.

  “You’re going to call now?” she asked. “They’re probably still here.”

  “I just want to call.”

  He knew Tara was right, but didn’t want to have to face Officer Jessup. He figured it was easier to do on the phone. He started to dial up the number but she reached out and stopped him.

  “If you tell them what we suspect, then you’re confessing that we lied to them. We’ll also be in trouble.”

  He hadn’t really thought about it. He needed to warn the police.

  “I’ll figure a way to get us out of this mess. I just shouldn’t have been so naïve.”

  He dialed up the number and waited for someone to answer.

  “You have reached Forrest Hills Police Station. How may I help you?”

  He looked at Tara for strength before he started to talk. Her nod was enough.

  “Hello, I need to talk to someone about the piece of evidence found at the hotel murder crime scene tonight. I know who it belongs to.”

  * * *

  Jake puffed on a cigarette as he stood below Kevin and Tara’s hotel room. It was all coming to an end because he was stupid enough to leave behind some evidence. Now, it was only a matter of time before the police would figure out it was him. He saw the shadow of his brother standing in front of the window.

  He wondered if he had already seen the news. He’s probably calling the cops right now, a voice replied sarcastically.

  “He wouldn’t do that,” he said, knowing nothing was for sure anymore when it came to his relationship with Kevin.

  He ran his fingers across his sore knuckles. He was amazed by how good it felt to hit him. Kevin was always the one to get everything and Jake had felt slighted. He heard the sound of sirens as they were leaving the hotel. He needed to make his getaway but one day soon he would be back. He still had a score to settle and a woman to claim.

  TORCHED

  Torched

  The Wild Flames Series, Book 2

  Bella Love-Wins

  Chapter 1

  The sun peeked through the window of the hotel suite in Paradise Inn as Kevin walked out onto the balcony. A cool autumn breeze greeted him. It was a much different scene playing out before him, compared to the night before. It was peaceful, and most of the police activity had diminished. Only one patrol car remained. Kevin wondered if everyone else was out looking for his brother.

  Jake was smart, despite some of his most recent behavior. He would easily find places to hide. Kevin was sure he wasn’t in custody. Had that been the case, Jake would have called him. As he stretched, he turned his attention to the sounds behind him. The water cascading from the shower sounded so inviting, promising a brief escape. Tara was almost finished and would hopefully be more relaxed.

  Kevin absent-mindedly ran his hands over the banister of the balcony, and his thoughts returned to his brother.

  How could Jake do this? It was still a struggle to accept the truth. It didn’t seem real. All the lines between certainty and doubt were blurred. Only one image stood out. The obsessive look in Jake’s eyes when he talked about Tara was almost frightening. Jake was in love with her, and was under the impression she had the same feelings for him. Kevin shook his head as he thought about it. His brother was delusional and needed help. Making the call had been the right thing to do.

  As he reminded himself that he had no other choice, he felt Tara’s arms wrap around his waist. Her touch was so electric, it tugged at his chest every time.

  “Do you feel better?” he asked, turning around so he could face her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded slightly.

  “A little,” she answered.

  She was so beautiful, even in a hotel bathrobe, with her hair twisted up into a wet bun.

  “I’m so sorry you had to go through this,” he said, searching deep in her eyes.

  “You have been through a lot, too,” she replied, slowly reaching up to touch his nose. “Is it still tender?”

  Kevin couldn’t hold back his instinctive wince. A pain shot through his nose.

  “Just a little,” he said.

  It was sore and hurt like hell, but he didn’t want her worrying about it.

  “Do I have a black eye?” he asked.

  Tara shrugged. “Slightly. It’s not as bad as I thought.”

  “I suppose we have to look on the bright side.” He snickered. The vision of the fight made him tense up. “If there is one.”

  Tara smiled. “We’ll get through it. I think we can get through just about anything, as long as we have each other.”

  Kevin had never imagined she could be so strong. They had spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms. He didn’t want to let her go. He kept telling himself he wanted to keep her safe, but the truth was…he needed her comfort.

  “I love you, Tara,” he whispered. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Sadly, the sound of the phone ringing in the background tugged him from his trance. He sighed, pulling from her embrace to step back inside and answer his phone. “Hello?”

  “Hello, is this Mr. Kevin Crawford?” a male voice asked on the other end.

  Kevin glanced up at Tara. “Yes. This is Kevin.”

  “My name is Sergeant Lucas Sullivan and I’m a Desk Sergeant at Forrest Hills PD. Officers Jessup and Grayson would like to ask you a few questions and wondered if you’d be available today to come into the station.”

  Kevin felt a pit forming in his stomach. He wanted to forget about the past few weeks. He had done his part and called in an anonymous tip to alert the police about Jake. It should have been enough that he blocked his phone number before calling. Now he had to find a way there in person, and with his car still stranded in the woods.

  “I could possibly be there after lunch…maybe one o’clock,” he replied with frustration, hearing the slight falter in his voice.

  “Thank you. I’ll be sure to let them know.” The call disconnected before Kevin could reply.

  He put the phone down and turned to Tara.

  “What was that about?” she asked.

  “The police want to talk to me.”

  Kevin did his best to sound confident, but hesitation already had a foothold in his mind. He noticed Tara’s wide-eyed expression, and knew he had to give her some reassurance.

  “It’ll be fine,” he started. “They probably just want to—”

  “To question how Jake could have been with us, when he murdered Amy,” Tara said abruptly.

  Her face fell as she slumped down to the sofa. Kevin saw the panic in her eyes.

  “The truth is going to come out, Kevin,” she blurted. “We’re going to get thrown in jail and everyone’s going to think we had something to do with it. How are we going to explai
n all of this?”

  He took her hand to get her attention. She had a tormented expression on her face, as if she thought their world was coming to an end.

  “Nothing good can come of this,” she said, seeming drained of energy.

  Kevin motioned for her to sit down. Her hand remained in his grasp. She looked away from him, but not before he saw tears in her eyes. “Hey…look at me.”

  She shook her head, keeping her eyes downcast. He reached up with his other hand and touched her chin. She slowly turned her head, until she looked in his direction.

  “Whatever happened to being positive over this?” He smiled tenderly at her. “I know it won’t be easy, but you said it yourself…as long as we have each other, it’ll work out.” She nodded, but still looked troubled. “I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to you. You can trust me. You know that, right?” A trickle of tears had fallen down her cheek, and he brushed them away.

  A heavy-hearted sigh escaped her. “Yes, but…”

  He placed his finger to her irresistible lips. “Trust me. We’ll get through this.” He moved closer, replacing his finger with his mouth. She started to relax into the kiss. When he felt confident enough, he pulled away. “Let’s get dressed and find someone to take care of the car.” He stood up, pulling her to her feet. The apprehension was evident, but he’d keep his promise. He had no other choice.

  * * *

  Tara wanted to be strong for Kevin’s sake. When the news reports began to showcase the hat Kevin had bought Jake when he was younger, she had no doubt Jake was the murderer. The realization hit her hard and she didn’t know if she’d be able to get through the night. However, Kevin remained positive. He held her close, and it helped her feel secure enough to sleep. He’d appeared tired last night. It was her turn to be the strong one. He needed her, and she didn’t want to let him down.

  They walked back to his car. Neither of them said a word, but the occasional heavy sigh and clearing of a throat could be heard. She couldn’t stop thinking about the day ahead of them.