Dangerous Kiss

by Michelle Love

  He sighed, then started as someone knocked on his office door. He looked up and smiled. Tatiana Mendelssohn grinned at him. “I knew you’d still be here.”

  Luca got up to shake her hand. “It’s great to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Honestly, I had a meeting across the street which ran late. I haven’t eaten, and then as I was leaving, I saw your office light on. Want to grab some food? There’s a great little place down the block.”

  Luca considered. “Actually, that sounds great.”

  They walked down to the little tavern on the corner and ordered food. Over a delicious paella, they chatted easily, Luca asking about Tatiana’s British roots.

  “My dad’s an American, which is why I can work here so easily, but I was brought up in London. My mom was a journo in the Eighties. She had Thatcher, poll tax, and the IRA. I don’t know if journalism is really me.”

  Luca was surprised. “Really?”

  Tat nodded. “Writing is my passion, but I never had the patience to write a novel then wait for it to be published. I needed to be earning money.” She gave a throaty laugh. “Believe it, or not, J.K. Rowling is an exception, not the rule.”

  Luca nodded. “So, is fiction your thing?”

  Tat smiled. “I prefer biography. That’s why I’m so interested to be working on this project with Clem, and hopefully it’ll do some good. I assure you, it won’t be salacious in any way.”

  “I trust you not to make Emory’s murder into a sideshow. I’m not naïve, I know how these things work. Beautiful young woman, heroine, falls to the man who is supposed to love her most.”

  “It is compelling,” Tatiana admitted, her blue eyes searching his. “You miss her.”

  “Of course. Every day. I just hope…” he trailed off and she tilted her head.

  “What? What, Luca?”

  Luca sighed. “I’m forgetting things already, Tat. Like how her hair smelled like flowers, but I can’t remember which flower. Or her laugh. Or what we used to talk about. God.” He looked away, suddenly ashamed. “How could I forget those things, Tat? The important things?”

  Tat grabbed his hand. “Luca, it’s normal. You’re panicking, scared of losing her entirely. Your brain is telling you you’re forgetting but really, you’re not.”

  Luca smiled at her. “Thank you, Tat. I…”

  His cellphone beeped and he looked apologetically at her. “Sorry, I have to check, it might be Bree.”

  “No problem. Do you want some privacy?”

  “No, no, I’ll just be a second.”

  Tat sipped her drink while Luca listened to the voicemail. When he put his phone down, he looked confused. Tat studied him.

  “Who was it?”

  “Dante Harper.”

  Tatiana’s eyebrows shot up in surprise “The market guy? Of course, you must deal with him in your line of business.”

  Luca shook his head, frowning. “That’s not it. He told me he needed to meet with me urgently. About Emory.”

  That shocked Tatiana. “Did they know each other?”

  “Not that I know of … I can’t imagine what he wants to talk to me about, but he’s invited me to go to his home.”

  “When?”

  Luca was still reeling. “Friday. He told me to bring Bree. I just … what the hell could Harper want?”

  Tatiana shook her head. “No idea. Maybe he wants to help with the search. By all accounts, he’s a good guy.”

  Luca signaled to the waitress. “Okay, we’re getting more drinks, and you’re going to tell me everything you know about Dante Harper, Tat. Everything.”

  Kizzie was thinking how very silent hospitals were at midnight when Ethan suddenly opened his eyes. He gasped for air, a panic attack, his eyes wild, unseeing as they wheeled around. Jake leaped to his feet to go to his struggling brother and Kizzie, her heart pounding, ran for the doctor.

  A half hour later, they had Ethan calm enough to talk to him. He looked drained, scared, hopeless. Jake and Kizzie held his hands as the doctor spoke gently to him, explaining his recovery to him. Finally, they were alone, and Ethan looked at both of them.

  “I don’t know what to say … Jake, Kiz, thank you for being here. I don’t deserve your love, but thank you for it all the same.”

  Kizzie felt close to tears. Jake’s face had hardened. “Bro, you’re going to tell us everything. Nothing is off the table now, and you can start with why you did this. The truth, Ethan.”

  Ethan looked away from his brother’s intense stare. “I can’t … if I do, more people will die.”

  “No, they won’t. We know Nick Petersen is behind all of this. Tell us now, or I’ll go straight to him. It’s just Kizzie and me in this room, Ethan. When you’ve told us, then we can decide what action to take.”

  Ethan rubbed a hand over his head. “Jesus, Jake.”

  “Do it.”

  Ethan sighed. “Nick knows that I saw him. Saw him give David Azano a cup of coffee laced with bath salts—mephedrone—the day Azano went bat-shit. Nick supplied the drug, the weapons, and wound David up. He never stood a chance that day. When I challenged Nick about it—before David went crazy and started shooting—he told me that if I told anyone, he’d kill you, Jake. I believed him. Nick Petersen is a psycho.” Ethan let out a long breath and looked at Kizzie. “I wanted to tell you, Kiz, I really did. I’m so sorry.”

  Kizzie’s entire body felt cold. She squeezed Ethan’s hand but said nothing. Jake had his head in his hands.

  “God, Ethan…”

  “I know. That day, I was arguing with myself right up until the shooting started and it was too late. At the time, I didn’t know if he was just kidding around, if Nick would go through with it. I thought he was just showboating. Then I heard the first gunshot and knew it was too late. Fuck … why didn’t I just get some balls?”

  “Why did he do it?”

  Ethan looked them in the eye. “Kicks. He wanted to be famous but didn’t have the balls to do it himself. He wanted to use a teacher to do it, something different, he said. Afterward, there were a couple of local news stories about how Nick had ‘protected’ some of the students. Made me sick to my stomach to think he was being praised for being a hero. I called him and challenged him. That’s when he said he would kill you, Jake … and he also told me he knew I was getting close to you, Kizzie.”

  All Kizzie felt was anger. She would like to have kicked the crap out of Nick Petersen, so now, she shook her head angrily. “You should have told us. What were you thinking, disappearing like that and then doing that,” she gestured to the heavy bandaging on his chest, “to yourself. God, Ethan…”

  Ethan was quiet for a moment then said softly, “I was taking the easy way out. Taking myself out of the equation.”

  Kizzie gave a moan of sorrow and Jake looked over at her, his eyes concerned. “That’s never the answer, Ethan.”

  “I know.”

  Jake sighed. “Look, there’s no other option but to tell the police now.”

  Ethan nodded, resigned. “I know.”

  “Kizzie, will you stay with Ethan for a while?”

  “Sure.”

  When Jake had left the room, the two of them sat in silence for what seemed like hours but then Kizzie drew in a deep breath. “So, David Azano was … if not innocent, he wasn’t responsible for what he did. God, poor David. Poor Zea … you know she left town? Her life was destroyed like so many of ours, but in her case, she didn’t get the support, the pity.”

  Ethan nodded. “I know. And Lexi…”

  “Don’t talk about Lexi now, please, Ethan, I can’t bear it.”

  Ethan’s eyes were sad. “Will you ever forgive me?”

  Kizzie took his hand. “For not telling when you thought Jake might be in danger? Of course. For trying to kill yourself? No. No way.” But she brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it. “We’ll fight this, Ethan, together.”

  Ethan smiled for the first time and stroked her cheek. “I’m
sorry, Kizzie.”

  “I’m sorry too, Ethan. I should have let you explain. For you to feel this was your only option…” She got choked up then and started to sob.

  “Come here to me,” Ethan said softly, and gingerly held out his arms. Careful not to hurt him, Kizzie curled up on the bed with him, and they held each other.

  “We’re going to get through this, Kiz. I swear we are.”

  And Kizzie believed him.

  Kizzie asked Bree and Jesse to meet her in a coffeehouse back on the island. They were waiting when she turned up with an old friend of Jesse’s, Eric, who was a local cop. Jesse’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “Hey, man, long time no see.” He and Eric shook hands, and he introduced him to Bree. Kizzie hugged her brother and Bree, and they all sat. Kizzie filled them in on what Ethan had told her and Jake. Bree and Jesse were shocked. Eric nodded along, then spoke up.

  “Jake Fonseca went to the police, and now there is an APB out on Nick Petersen. The whole state is on alert. From what I understand, they found the drug in Azano’s system but didn’t pursue any theory that he might have been drugged.”

  Bree blew out her cheeks. “In a way, I’m glad. I know that sounds weird, but I had a hard time trying to reconcile the teacher I knew and the man who tried to kill me. Who killed Lexi and hurt Emory so bad. At least now, we have an answer.”

  Her body sagged against Jesse’s, and he put his arms around her. “What will happen to Ethan?”

  Kizzie, pale and exhausted, tried to smile. “The police interviewed him. Now it’s up to the DA whether he’s charged with obstructing an investigation. His lawyer thinks he’ll be okay. Maybe if he’s charged, they’ll offer him a deal. Testify against Nick, get probation.”

  “Well, look who it is.” The voice made them jump, and they looked up to see Julieta sneering at them. “It’s Jesse and his whore. Tell me, Breana, do you have to fake it with him like I did?”

  “Go away, Julieta. You’re just making yourself look stupid.” Jesse’s voice was weary.

  “No, no, let’s hear what this useless bitch has to say.” Bree had had enough. “Come on, Julieta. Let’s hear it. Oh, got nothing to say now? Well, I have, you useless piece of crap. Call me a whore? That’s rich, coming from someone with your track record.”

  Bree looked straight at Julieta, unwavering. Julieta, stunned, tried to save face.

  “Well, you’re welcome to him, useless fucking loser. Call yourself a man?” She spat in Jesse’s face. “You couldn’t even fucking make me pregnant. The baby wasn’t yours, Jesse.”

  Jesse wiped his face calmly. “Honey, that’s not new information.”

  “What?”

  He looked at her calmly. “It was Nick Petersen’s.”

  Julieta stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t even care why I told you it was yours?”

  Kizzie rolled her eyes. “Um, to keep Jesse and Bree apart? Tough one. Let me think.”

  “Shut up, you bitch.”

  Kizzie laughed at her. Julieta looked between Jesse and Bree.

  “She’s right, though. Every day you were sniffing around her like a lost dog. I don’t get it. What is it about her that’s so special? That perfect face? Does she fuck in seventy different positions?”

  Bree, enjoying letting her inner bitch out, smirked. “Eighty.” She winked at Jesse, and he grinned. “And that’s just the legal stuff. You should see what I do when I go … off menu.”

  Jesse snorted, and Kizzie was crying with laughter. Julieta looked at Bree.

  “I never wanted him really. I just wanted to see if I could take him away from you. And I did. And it was so fucking easy.” She laughed.

  Jesse looked away, and Bree could see the pain in his face. She walked around the table and to him. She held his face in her hands and made him look at her.

  “You are my world.” She leaned her forehead against his and felt him sigh, letting the tension out. She turned to Julieta and stood for a long time, sizing her up. Then, to everyone’s shock, Bree punched Julieta hard in the face.

  Jesse gaped and Kizzie cheered and clapped. Julieta crumpled to the floor. Bree grabbed her face, pinched her chin between her finger and thumb, and spoke in a voice that had no humor in it.

  “Don’t you ever, ever, fucking mess with my man again, bitch.”

  Jesse looked both stunned and delighted, and Bree slipped her arms around his waist and grinned at him. “I should have done that weeks ago.”

  He laughed and leaned his head against hers.

  Kizzie was breathless from laughing. Julieta scrambled to her feet, humiliated.

  “Fuck you, Bree. You’re going to get what’s coming to you. They’re all dead, my baby, Kizzie, Emory … they’re all dead.” She walked up to Bree. Jesse tensed, but Bree stood her ground.

  Julieta studied her enemy’s lovely face and smiled. “And you’re going to be next. He’s coming after you, Bree.” She looked at Jesse. “He’s going to finish what David Azano started, Jesse, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  Now it was Eric’s turn to get angry. He grabbed Julieta and slammed her down onto a table, cuffing her and jerking her back up by her arms, not caring if he hurt her.

  “Julieta Connor, I’m arresting you on suspicion of criminal conspiracy to commit murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do say will be taken down and could be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights I have explained to you, you piece of crap? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to me now, for instance, telling me everything Petersen has told you? No? Thought not.” He was mocking her, and she started screaming, kicking out at him, but he was too strong. Everyone in the coffeehouse was watching, open-mouthed, and Bree suddenly felt stronger. The people who were to blame for all of this horror were finally being brought to justice. Julieta was just the first.

  They watched as Eric dragged Julieta to his police cruiser. Jesse followed them and spoke to Eric before the cop took off, Julieta still raging in the back seat. Bree and Kizzie stood where they had, too shell-shocked by what had just happened. Bree was shaking. As he re-entered the shop, Jesse’s face was alive with anger. He turned, closed the door and locked it. As he came toward her, Bree thought he had never looked more beautiful. He took her in his arms and held her, hugging her tightly. She slid her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest. Kizzie looked at her brother in admiration.

  “Dude,” was all she said, but Jesse nodded gratefully at her.

  “Eric doesn’t know if the charges will stick, but it means he can keep her ass in jail for a few hours.”

  Kizzie grinned and went away to the counter, giving them privacy. Finally, Jesse looked down at Bree.

  “I will never, ever let him hurt you.” She smiled up at him.

  “I know. I trust you.”

  “Darlin’?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  “I think you need to take me home. Right now.”

  She grinned up at him. “You wanna go off the menu?”

  “Hell, yes, I do.”

  Flynt leaned his forehead against the cold window, watching the storm blow itself out. His eyes scanned the street and the woods at the edge of his property watching for any movement. Anything out of place. He was so used to the tight knot of tension in his chest that the subtle easing of it unnerved him, making him feel as if he was missing something. He felt Zea slip her arms around his waist.

  “Hey, mister.”

  “Hey, shorty.” He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him.

  “You okay?”

  He nodded, but she wasn’t convinced. She tightened her arms around him and followed his gaze out to the rain-soaked trees.

  “No one’s out there, honey. Just you and me now. And guess what we get to do now?” She smiled at him, and he grinned back.

  “What?�
��

  She held his face in her hands and kissed him softly on the mouth. “Live.”

  He laughed. “You bet your sweet ass, we do.”

  She pulled him away from the window. “Then stopping looking for him. Let’s go out, go to the city, hang out in seedy bars and shoot some pool, eat junk food and make out in public places.”

  “You’re on. And while we’re there…” He picked up her left hand. “We can go get a ring for this hand right here. What do you say?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Zea smiled up at him. “I want everyone to know I’m madly in love with my husband and be unafraid to celebrate this. Us.”

  Flynt kissed her and then swept her into his arms. “Then let me show you how we can start ... the city can wait.”

  Zea giggled as he carried her to their bed. As he covered her body with his, she gazed up at him. “I can’t believe we’re finally able to feel safe. But you know what? I wouldn’t have changed a thing if it meant not getting to this moment, right here, right now.”

  Flynt smiled. “Me, too, beautiful … now, wrap those long legs around me, gorgeous, and let’s celebrate.”

  Teresa looked up as Mike walked into the restaurant. Since Flynt had bought it, Teresa liked to be there to oversee the remodeling. She enjoyed the organization and watching it becoming something they had come up with together. She smiled at Mike now.

  “Hey, you. Usual?” He nodded, distracted, and she frowned at him. She ordered him a drink and came to sit with him

  “What’s up?”

  “Not sure. Not sure what to make of it. Lab called. The body did share familial DNA with David, all right—but they think it showed paternal, not fraternal, similarities.”

  “In English?”

  “They think the body in the fire wasn’t David’s brother. It was his father.”