Burning Seduction

by Vella Day

  His fingers tightened on the wheel. “It’s not the same as having a target on your back, but I’m a reasonable men. How about until we arrest the murderer, you stay at your parents’ place?”

  She could think of a hundred reasons why that wasn’t such a good idea. For starters, her parents had just remarried, and they needed their space. “Who’s to say Dad isn’t involved in a dangerous job right now, huh?”

  The lines around Trent’s eyes tightened. “I’ll give you that. Would you consider staying at my place then?”

  Now that was a request she’d love to honor, but it might not be as safe as he thought. “It has appeal, but if this person is out to get you, wouldn’t it be safer if you stayed with me?” She had an exterior door and a set of stairs to climb before the person could reach her apartment. Trent’s house was open to the sidewalk where anyone could peer in.

  “I want to keep you safe, Charlotte, and if you feel more comfortable with me at your place, I’m fine with staying over.”

  She loved the idea of having him there, and while he wouldn’t be working for a few days, she suspected sitting on the sofa all day wasn’t his style either.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll drop you off at your apartment as I’m sure you’d like to pick up your car so you can stop by your shop, but call me when you close up. I’ll head on over.”

  “I can’t wait.” She meant that whole-heartedly.

  He pulled in front of her apartment. “Want me to come in and make sure it’s safe?”

  He was going a bit too far. “I’m good.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against his. Anymore, and she’d be dragging him upstairs and having her way with him.

  Trent clasped the back of her head, pulled her close, and delivered a toe-curling kiss. This time she pulled back. “If I don’t go now, I’ll never make it to the shop.” Because I’ll be stripping you naked.

  “Fine, but be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

  She saluted and he smiled. Once Trent drove off, she gathered her designs from her place then headed to her store. She parked in back and let herself in with the spare key. As she stepped into the main showroom, she called to her mom.

  “In here.” Her mom twisted around and smiled. “How did it go?”

  How did one tell one’s mother that she’d seduced the man she loved? Most likely her mother had done the same thing with her father, but Charlotte didn’t want to think about that. “Mission accomplished, thank you.”

  “Does that mean you two are officially a couple?”

  “I think so.” She detailed how Trent was worried about her safety, and how he suggested he stay at her place. It wasn’t quite accurate, but she didn’t want her mother to sacrifice her time with Dad and say it was okay if Charlotte stayed with them.

  She placed the designs she made for Mr. Samuels on the counter and unrolled them. “Want to see how I’m going to redecorate my client’s bedroom?”

  Her mother stepped over to the counter. Once Charlotte explained everything she had planned, her mother placed a hand on her arm. “I might be able to paint, but you are the one with the true talent.”

  Charlotte beamed. “Thank you. I hope he likes the design.”

  “I’m sure he will.”

  “The shop won’t close for another two hours, so feel free to head home. I can handle the hoards of clients from here.” She’d be lucky if anyone stopped in.

  “Mind if I stay? I have a feeling that in the near future I won’t be seeing much of you.”

  “I’d like nothing more.”

  Until closing, they chatted about Hawaii and then about Harmon and Trent. Charlotte filled her mom in with what she knew of the case after Trent’s shooting, which wasn’t much.

  “If you need me to sit in the store at any time, I’m sure I can take time off work.”

  Charlotte had the best mom ever. “It’ll be fine.”

  At five, she closed the store and drove home to change since she wanted to appear a bit more sophisticated for Mr. Samuels. At a quarter to six she headed out and was pleased to spot his car in the drive—or at least what she thought must be his car. The last time she’d been there, he must’ve parked in the garage.

  She gathered her things and hiked up to the front door. As she was about to knock she noticed the door was ajar, and figured he wanted her to go in. He was expecting her, after all.

  “Mr. Samuels?” she called loud enough for him to hear.

  No answer. She knocked again and waited, shivering from the winter air. Perhaps he was in his bedroom moving things around and couldn’t hear her. She pressed on the door and stepped inside. “Mr. Samuels?” She raised her voice.

  Charlotte stilled, trying to heighten her senses. This was very odd. His car was in the drive and the front door open. As soon as she put those two pieces of information together the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Could there be an intruder in the house? Her pulse raced and her mouth turned dry. Trent’s paranoia that something bad might happen must be coloring her thoughts.

  Charlotte set her designs on the entry table, slipped her hand into her purse, and clutched her weapon. As quietly as possible, she eased farther into the house.

  The refrigerator hummed and the heat pouring out of the vents hissed. She debated leaving and returning another day, but she really wanted to start on this project today. Releasing her grip on her weapon, she withdrew her phone and dialed his number. If he was in the house, she should hear it ring.

  The faint tingling sound came from the direction of the bedroom, and she exhaled. He was in there, waiting for her. Charlotte picked up her designs and headed into the bedroom. When she reached the open door, she knocked on the jamb, and entered.

  While she prided herself on her ability to stay calm, the sight before her made her scream.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Not only had Trent packed in preparation for his move in with Charlotte, he’d checked in with each of the four men who were watching the possible murder suspects. Staying out of the loop had been impossible. What had Dan Hartwick been thinking taking him off the case? Charlotte had done more to help direct his priorities than when he’d sat on his ass in the cabin thinking about what was important.

  As for remaining safe, Charlotte was right again. Even if he wore full combat gear, something not connected with the case could harm him. He was ready to return to work. All he had to do now was convince his boss to reinstate him. Trent didn’t mind seeing the shrink about discharging his weapon at the restaurant, but once he jumped through the department hoops, he’d insist on returning to duty.

  On the drive down from the cabin, he’d asked Charlotte to call him when she arrived home after work tonight so he’d know when he could come over, and he was still waiting for that call. As if he were psychic, his cell rang and he snatched it off the table. Darn. It was Vic again.

  “You got something?” Trent asked. He’d just spoken to him a few minutes ago.

  “I know you’re not on the case, but you should know someone just murdered John Samuels.”

  Trent’s gut contracted, and his mind spun in disbelief. “No way. You sure?”

  “I’m looking at him.”

  Fuck. Once Samuels began asking questions about Bill Goddard’s computer, and then made the moves on the dead man’s wife, Trent had elevated him to his number one suspect. Now he’d been murdered, too. The detectives had kept an eye on those connected with the case during the day, so how could this have happened? “When was he killed?”

  “We’re waiting for the coroner now, but the body’s been in rigor for a while. That’s actually not why I called. You’ll never guess who found him.” Bitterness tinged his tone.

  It could only mean one person, and a tight band squeezed his chest. “Charlotte?”

  “Afraid so. She came here to show him her designs for his bedroom and found him.”

  She hadn’t mentioned she was stopping by his house today. Had she thought he’d object? Hel
l, maybe he would have. Hopefully, she’d merely forgotten to mention it or hadn’t made the appointment yet when he’d dropped her off.

  Trent was off duty, but he truly believed Charlotte would want him around. Knowing her dad, he’d be working the scene, even though he was just a hired private investigator. “Who else is there?”

  “Hartwick and two others. Cade, Devon, and Connor are still watching the other suspects, or so Dan said.”

  “What’s the address?” Vic hesitated but then told him. “I’ll be right there.” Trent disconnected.

  Hartwick would probably be pissed that Vic had called him, but too bad. Charlotte was a brave woman, and while she’d handled being shot at with composure, seeing a dead body was different. He hoped this wasn’t the first time she’d viewed a corpse up close and personal, because the first was the worst.

  As he entered the neighborhood, sirens raced up behind him, forcing him to pull to the side. No doubt they were going to Samuels’ home.

  Within a minute, Trent was parked as close to the house as possible. He jumped out, his head about to explode. It was difficult not to draw conclusions about why two prominent men from the same company had been murdered, but he needed to keep an open mind. Mrs. Goddard had nothing to gain by John Samuel’s death, unless John demanded more than she was willing to give. Frank Hamilton had just lost one partner. Surely, his firm couldn’t afford another. As for Elaine’s brother, he wouldn’t have had much cause to interact with Samuels. Shit. It was looking more and more like an irate customer was the offender—but which one?

  Trent nodded to the officer at the door and strode in, spotting Dan Hartwick conferring with Thad Dalton, another detective near the kitchen. He hoped like hell Dan wouldn’t tell him to turn around and go home. Trent was needed, damn it, but because Charlotte had found the body, Dan might think Trent was still too close to the case.

  “Couldn’t keep away, could you? Dan asked, thankfully sounding more amused than angry.

  “Vic contacted me about the murder. Told me Charlotte found the body, and I just came to make sure she’s okay.”

  “How did the short vacation go?”

  He didn’t know why he was asking about it right now, but he answered him. “Figured a few things out.” One was that he wanted Charlotte in his life.

  “Glad to hear it. I could use you if you can keep your head on straight. You’ll have to promise to see the shrink real soon, though, about the shooting.”

  “Absolutely.” Relief thrummed through him. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  “I’ve spoken with Charlotte, but she’s rather upset. Maybe you can find out more information from her. She’s in the living room with her dad.” Dan nodded behind him.

  “Thank you.” Men were rushing around, but once he spotted Charlotte around the corner, he made a beeline toward her. Vic was holding her hand, but it was her tear streaked face and puffy cheek that broke his heart.

  As soon as she noticed him, she twisted to the side and opened her arms. Even though he was back on duty, he couldn’t deny her. Trent sat down next to her, nodded to Vic, and then hugged her.

  “I was so scared,” she huffed out. “I didn’t know what to do.” She sucked in a breath and then cried on his shoulder.

  He felt helpless, but then relied on what he did best—asking questions. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  She sniffled and sat back. “I told Mr. Hartwick all I knew.”

  “Sometimes telling it again can jar your memory. Even the littlest detail can help.”

  “Okay. Before Harmon drove me to the cabin, I’d made a date with Mr. Samuels for six o’clock to show him my designs. When I arrived a few minutes early, his car was in the driveway—or at least some car was in the driveway.”

  So she had known about visiting him, but he wasn’t about to call her on it now. “The Cadillac belonged to Samuels.”

  “Good. When I made it up to the front door, it was open, but I knocked anyway and called his name. When he didn’t answer I stepped inside the foyer. I thought he might be working in the back of the house.”

  Trent forced himself to sit still. If Samuels’ murderer had been in the house, Charlotte could have been killed, too. He closed his eyes for a second, trying not to let that horrible image distract him. “What did you see?”

  “Nothing.”

  He glanced around. “Nothing was out of place?”

  She looked down at her hands and wound her fingers together. “I wasn’t looking very carefully. If you’re asking if there had been some kind of fight, I saw no evidence of it.”

  Her voice had risen as if she was becoming more agitated. If she hadn’t touched anything, the forensic team would figure out what had gone down. Trent clasped her hands in his. “Then what did you do?”

  “I listened to see if I could hear him moving about. Other than the heat being on and something mechanical running in the kitchen, the house was silent. I grabbed my gun, because I had the sense something was off. People don’t leave front doors open in the middle of the winter.”

  Trent leaned back against the seat. “That was smart of you.”

  A brief smile lifted her lips. “I called to see if I could hear his phone ring and I could. The sound came from the bedroom. I walked in there and found him dead. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, but then I asked myself what would Dad do?” She looked over at her father and he nodded. “I called 911 and rushed outside. I didn’t want to take the chance the killer was still inside.”

  Trent was relieved she’d acted sensibly. “You did the right thing.”

  Vic cut in. “I saw Charlotte run out of the house, and fearing something bad had happened, I showed myself. When she told me what happened, we waited in my car for the cops to arrive. While I wasn’t in favor of her returning inside, Dan wanted her to describe where she was when she found the body.”

  Trent asked her a few more questions, but Charlotte didn’t seem to remember much more. “Why don’t you take her home, Vic? I need to stay here.”

  “I can do that. With Samuels dead, I’m officially off the case.” He wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “How about staying with us, hon? I can work from home.”

  She looked up at Trent, her eyes shimmering, and indecision flooding her face. “What do you think? You said you’d stay with me.”

  Guilt swamped him. “Your dad can take better care of you than I can right now. I bet he’d even be willing to go to the shop with you during the day.”

  Vic nodded and Charlotte’s shoulders slumped. “Can I see you?”

  Both Dan’s words and Charlotte’s reverberated in his head. Before this weekend, he’d have said he had a job to do. Now, he realized there was something more important—Charlotte. “Absolutely. How about I pick you up in the evening from either your dad’s place or the shop depending on when I’m free, and then take you back to your apartment. I’ll spend the night with you.”

  Vic tightened his grip on her shoulder. “We’ll see how it goes.”

  From the ache in Vic’s eyes, this wasn’t about a father being worried his daughter would be sleeping with him, but more if he and Ellie would be able to handle any emotional collapse better. Trent didn’t argue, as he wanted what was best for her.

  * * *

  While the next few days were hell, Trent’s evenings were filled with the wonderful Charlotte. For the first couple of nights, they sat in her living room talking. She still harbored some resentment about her dad’s work with the FBI and how it had affected the family, but she was trying to understand his reasons for basically abandoning her and her mom. Trent had never met a more forgiving woman in his life—or a braver one. For the first time, he was given a glimpse into why his mom might have left his dad. His father had put his job first—not his wife or his children. Now he could see how wrong that had been.

  Trent had held off making love with Charlotte because she still had nightmares about finding Samuels’ body, and Trent wanted to be th
ere for her and give her comfort instead. When the time was right, if she hadn’t come to grips with what happened, he’d suggest she seek counseling. He could still remember the first dead body he’d come across, and the image would be forever burned in his head.

  In the mornings, Trent would drive her to the shop where she called her dad to meet her. Trent could only hope the forced time together would help mend things between her and Vic.

  Once he was certain she was safe, Trent headed on in to work. Once there, the tension built. With so many of the detectives watching—or perhaps protecting—Elaine, Frank, and Richard, it was up to Trent and Dan to figure out what they’d missed. By concentrating on these three, he feared they’d been barking up the wrong proverbial tree.

  By the time Samuels’ viewing rolled around on Tuesday, they’d made little headway. They could only hope the killer would show up and give something away. Mrs. Goddard had cremated her husband and hadn’t wanted a service, but John’s family, who lived in town, decided to honor him differently.

  A few hours before they were to leave for the funeral home, Harmon called Trent at work, something he never did. His brother understood that when Trent was on the job, he didn’t want to be disturbed.

  “Hey,” Trent said, praying nothing was wrong.

  “You’ll never believe it. I think I know who set me up.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “What do you mean you know who set you up?” Trent asked.

  “Remember those books from Bill Goddard’s office that Charlotte asked me to give away?”

  Please say there was information inside them. “Yes.”

  “When I picked them up to move them, I dropped one, and a bunch of photos fell out.”

  Trent went straight into cop mode. “What kind of photos?”

  “Surveillance photos of me.” His brother had an annoying way of stringing out the information. “I think Bill wanted them so he could set me up.”