by Dakota Black
“You did know her.” Mitchell kept his tone even.
Zach shifted in his seat. “Casually. I met her one time.”
“At the by invitation only kink club you frequent?”
Mitchell knew of his tastes and had never commented, especially given the man had a domestic discipline radio show, a dark secret only their closest friends knew. However, for Mitchell to know about his club membership meant he hadn’t been cautious enough.
“I’m no fool, my friend. You forget what circles I run in occasionally,” Mitchell stated, his tone bland.
“Yes. She was my submissive for a night.”
“Interesting. I haven’t been to one of those clubs in almost two years. Maybe I’ll go with you sometime.”
While the words were meant to lighten the mood, Zach could only exhale.
“Jesus Christ. Did you like this girl or something?”
“I’d only met her and once. However, she didn’t belong at the club.”
“You’re right.” Mitchell darted a look. “She was going to college as well as holding down a job as a legal assistant. Before you ask, I have a friend at the police department. The murder was heinous, with no real clues. The murderer was in and out quickly. Damn shame. And I gotta ask. Why did it affect you that way?”
“You’re keeping tabs on me?” Zach was pissed.
Mitchell tapped on the steering wheel before answering. “I like to take care of my friends. You know that.”
There were so many reasons he should keep quiet, keep Mitchell and Camden out of this but he felt boxed in, no idea of where to turn. “I’m being threatened. I think Sandra Mullins was merely a casualty.”
“Uh. What?” Mitchell slammed on the breaks at a traffic light, almost careening into the car in front. “Casualty? As in she was murdered because of your acquaintance?”
“Maybe. I know it sounds crazy.”
“You bet it does, but I can tell you’re out of it. Terrified. Did you tell the police?”
“And say what? That I’m a sadist who enjoys beating women? That will go over well in the investigation.” Zach clenched his fist.
“What else happened, and why do you think this murder is about you?”
Zach fingered the phone again before pulling up the text and holding the phone in front of Mitchell’s face. “I’ve received a couple of pictures. This isn’t the first time, but this is as close as they’ve come.”
“That’s Cassandra. Shit.” Mitchell’s voice faded. “Wait a minute. Does that mean that you and Ms. Jeffries have more than just a professional relationship?”
“Don’t judge me.”
“I’m not judging, dude. You’re serious about this. Does Cassandra know?”
He shook his head. “We were together last night. I couldn’t stay. She doesn’t know anything about this.”
“Then you better damn well tell her.” Mitchell groaned. “This has something to do with those assholes running you off the road. Doesn’t it?”
“I think it does, but no, I haven’t told anyone about the threats and I’m not ready to tell her anything. The less she knows the better. I’m just going to stay away from her.” Zach sounded pathetic even to himself.
Mitchell remained quiet for several seconds. “You like this girl. Cassandra, I mean.”
A moment of emotion swelled. “Yeah, I do. We have this amazing connection. I can’t explain it but she’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I just met her.”
“Sounds like you really care about her. Did you just blow her off?”
“In a way but for her own protection.” Zach rubbed his eyes and shoved his phone back into his pocket. There was no way anyone could understand, and he certainly wasn’t ready to confess any more of his sins.
“Women have a funny way of not understanding that shit. You need to talk to her and you need to go to the police. You’re an attorney for Christ’s sake. You’ll know what to tell them. If that girl died for some insane reason, you have to help bring the monster to justice.”
“I don’t know who to point fingers at,” Zach said between clenched teeth.
Mitchell issued a long breath. “What are you involved in?”
“Nothing that I know of.”
A quiet tension settled between them.
“What else? You said there’s more?”
“Yeah.”
“Zach. I don’t know what you might be involved in, but don’t take any chances. I care about you. What about this other girl? What exactly makes you thinks she was killed because of you?”
“The word ‘remember’ was carved on her chest. Just like in the text. Just like…” Zach purposely allowed his words to trail off.
Mitchell pulled into a parking lot of the office and shoved the gear into park. Jerking off the seatbelt, he turned to face his friend. “Does this have anything to do with your past?”
Zach eyed him carefully, studying the way his eyes didn’t blink. His friend had been meddling, searching for information. “What do you know about my past?”
“More than you’ve wanted to tell me.” Mitchell half smiled. “I’m on your side. Whenever you want a friend to listen, I am here. No condemnation. No judgment. We’ve all done things in our past.”
“There’s no way you could understand.” He snapped the seatbelt and threw open the door.
Mitchell grabbed his arm. “One thing I do know is if you have found a woman you care about, really care about, find a way to be with her. You’ve been alone for far too long. Maybe you were brought together for a reason.”
“Like what, getting her killed?”
“Saving your soul.”
While the sentiment was one he’d already thought of, he had to find a way to keep Cassandra safe. “Can you handle the meetings with Myers and Logan Associates from now on?”
Hesitating, he shook his head before speaking. “I can, but that’s not going to solve this. I could see the look in her eyes, the way she wanted so desperately to speak to you. And you freaking ignored her. Talk to her. Tell her it’s not safe or that you can’t get involved at this point in time, but tell her something.”
“Yeah, I know.” Zach dropped his head, the weight of the world crushing his last resolve. “I went to law school to fight the bad guys. I never knew I’d come so close to becoming one.”
Mitchell didn’t respond for a full minute. “You’ve never been up front about your family and I get why. Mine, as you are well aware, was no picnic, but the evil deeds my father implemented and condoned aren’t about me. I had to learn that the hard way. I hope you can before it’s too late.”
Zach had a wretched feeling that it was already too late.
“All right. Come out with me tonight and have a drink. Danielle is out with friends. Just us guys. I won’t bug you to death, but I think you need a friend.”
“I have a lot of work to do.”
Mitchell glared at him. “A couple of drinks. Might get your mind off the shit. It’s Friday.”
Sighing, he realized getting away from the case, his phone and perhaps the rest of the world might not be a bad idea. “One drink.”
“Maybe two.”
Chuckling, Zach nodded and as he exited the car, he looked around the perimeter. He could swear he was being watched.
Cassandra called Zach’s phone for the second time. Getting voice mail, she decided not to leave another message. He didn’t want to talk with her. She’d come back to the office and done little more than pace for several hours, getting nothing done. Her phone call to the Tribal Council had been met with an efficient but terse receptionist, the call going nowhere. If Chief Whitehorse wanted to talk with her, he’d call her at some point.
Her guess? The powerful man had no desire to avoid conflict.
She heard a noise and turned around, exhaling when she saw Diego.
“I thought you wanted me to get right to work.” Cassandra wasn’t thrilled about her boss following her into the office. She was on edge, uncertain of what wa
s going on and she had a sick feeling that created waves of nausea. The entire meeting had been more of a clusterfuck than anything else. Except for whatever phone call Zach had received. He’d tried to mask his expression, but she’d noticed how angry and upset he’d been.
Diego closed the door and moved toward her desk. “I do, and I appreciate your enthusiasm. As you could tell by the meeting, Rush is determined to go forward no matter the outcome of the sale, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Then why are you here?”
He seemed uncomfortable, as if finding the right words difficult. “I’d like to ask you to have a drink with me tonight. Ken and I are meeting some potential clients and I think having you there would be a good idea.”
She would never have anticipated the question, the request. “I don’t know. I just—”
“One drink. You can drive yourself and leave after. I would appreciate your help. Ken can be difficult around women.” His laughed held an air of nervousness. “I hate to admit this, but these are very influential women and I think your presence would give them comfort.” When she hesitated, he laughed. “As I said, I hate to admit and express concerns, but you have a way about you. I learned that today.”
Was this supposed to be an actual compliment? The way he looked at her was more about his desires, but at this point, she didn’t want to be alone at the house. “Okay. One drink.”
“Excellent and I’m very pleased with your productivity and the fact you’re willing to help. We should be there around seven. I’ll send you the address of the restaurant. I think you’ll enjoy it.” Diego gave her a heated smile before walking out of her office, closing her door with a hard thud.
A drink with her boss, no, both bosses. Why did she have a feeling there was a hidden agenda? Because she’d seen his face, the way he’d projected anger at Zach’s words. A perfect setting to grill her. For all she knew, the women were along for the ride. She rubbed her eyes, conscious of the fact she’d offered her help with the Tribal Council. Another discussion to hold with Zach.
Her thoughts shifted back to the night before. She sagged against her desk and contemplated what to do. One thing was for certain. She wanted to find out what he meant by killing her. As she sat down, determined to try and accomplish something before the end of the day, she broke out in a cold sweat. Placing her head into her hands, she groaned as the feeling and multiple sensations continued.
She thought about the painting, being lost in the moment. Lost wasn’t the word. She’d been driven to paint, to capture the vision playing in her mind over and over again. A rush of unforeseen cold air gave her goose bumps. A wave of energy was in the room, floating all around her. Why here? Because she couldn’t get her mind off of the electricity shared with Zach. Was this a visit from a spirit or a premonition of some kind? “No.”
Her body began to shake, her legs quivering at first then moving up to her torso and arms. She gritted her teeth as the wave of unsettlement swept through every cell, every muscle. This couldn’t happen now. Not…
“At last, my friend. At last we meet again. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this to happen. You’re exactly the man I thought you’d be, but I always knew you were a smart boy.” The voice was gruff, the smile laced with evil. He held the gun in his hand, pointing it directly at Zach’s chest.
Zach stood where he was, unflinching as the man continued to walk closer. “What the hell do you want?”
“What do I want? You have to know after all these years.” The swagger continued, his eyes darting back and forth. “Where is it?”
Zach shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t have it and never did. That’s blood from too many innocent souls.”
“None of them were innocent,” he said then laughed. “Tell me your hiding place and maybe this can all be over with.”
“You’re a fool! I’m not a part of this disgusting world.” Incensed, Zach hissed.
“Have it your way. You can’t get away from me this time, you motherfucker.”
“I don’t know you.”
“Oh, come on, don’t you recognize me? Sure, a few years have gone by but hell, we were very close you and I. Very close indeed.”
As the recognition settled in, the understanding, the complete horror registering, Zach held up his arms. “Not now. Not like this.”
“Oh, exactly like this. You destroyed my life. I’ve done everything to rip yours to shreds. But you know what? That wasn’t enough. I. Want. More.”
Yelping, Cassandra slapped her hands down on top of her desk. The images, the story was so vivid, so real. Panting, her throat was constricted, cutting off her air supply. “Help. Me.” There would be no one to hear her cry, to guide her away from the vision. As panic settled in, she blinked away the heated tears, pulling herself away, but the hold was strong. The spirits wanted to show her more.
“I didn’t do anything to you,” Zach insisted as he backed away, glancing over both shoulders.
“There’s nowhere to run, you fucking coward. You can’t get away from me this time. You’re a monster.”
“You know exactly what happened. I had no choice.”
“No choice?” the man scoffed, swinging the pistol, his rage increasing. “You had every choice.”
“No. That’s where you’re wrong.”
Puffing up, he took two purposeful steps toward Zach and cocked the gun. “Get ready to meet your maker. May you burn in Hell.”
Bam!
“No!” The cry was only whispered, and she jerked away from the desk, finally able to stand, her legs shaking. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be true. For the entire time the play by play occurred, she could read their minds, knew what both men were thinking, what they wanted to do.
This wasn’t possible. Catching her breath, she had to stop this. Only she could alter the future. Only she could unveil the truth. She grabbed her purse and keys, and headed for the door, her legs continuing to shake. Fumbling, she managed to open the door, and for a few seconds had no idea where she was going.
When she finally made it outside, she drank in the humid air, breathing in and out as she tried to control her breathing. This was insane. There was no way Zach could be held responsible for some unknown wretched deed. He was a good man, an honorable man.
She found herself in her car, no idea where she was going. After finding her voice, she almost shouted at her cell phone, praying the mechanism and GPS would guide her on her way.
“Go. Go!” She screamed when she hit a traffic jam, her nerves remaining on edge. Calm down. You have to calm down. But her heart continued to race, her mind trying to put the pieces together. Nothing made any sense. This was only part of the story.
She guided the car around the stopped vehicles, concentrating on where she was going. When she hit the interstate, she floored the accelerator, weaving in and out of cars and trucks, exceeding the speed limit. But she no longer cared what happened to her. She had to save him. She had to help him understand.
If only Zach would listen to her.
Cassandra was to the point of hyperventilating when she roared down the street leading to Rush Enterprises. The time was close enough to five that the parking lot contained only a couple dozen cars. She prayed to God Zach’s was one of them. After finding a spot, she jammed the gear into park and raced toward the building.
The dream, the damning vision seemed impending, as if the killer was waiting for him, planning on murdering him in cold blood at any time. She slapped her hand on the elevator button, swaying back and forth as she waited.
When she was finally inside, she hovered in the corner, flashes of the premonition floating in front of her. The images were grayed out, as if she would soon forget them, details lost forever. There was no way to see the murderer’s face. She could only see his back and little else. No tattoos. No distinguishing marks. He was a stranger. Was he? He knew Zach as if from the past.
After stepping onto the floor, she stood in front of the recepti
onist’s desk for what seemed like ten minutes. No one came. “Think. Find him.” She walked down the first hallway, the majority of the offices empty. She continued moving down a second then third hallway until she noticed that the offices were getting larger.
The burnished brass plate had his name. Zach Goodman. She didn’t knock, refusing to be announced and opened his door.
The two men inside tipped their heads in her direction. “I’m sorry for the interruption but I need to speak with you, Zach. It’s urgent.” She clenched her fists and could do nothing but stare at Zach. His face was pinched, his body tense.
Mitchell eased out of the chair and gave her a half smile. “Good to see you again, Ms. Jeffries. I’ll leave you two alone. Remember what I said, Zach.”
Zach nodded once, his expression remaining tense.
She was cognizant of the door closing and blinked several times. She was going to sound like a crazy person, but Zach knew she had visions because he had the same. “Zach.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered.
“Why? Because of what you said seconds before you left my house?” She kept the words even but could hear the heightened level of frustration.
He breathed in and out, glancing up and down before speaking. “I’m sorry. I was a coward, but I had my reasons. What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
“I need to know. Why did you say those words to me? Why are you so concerned about my safety?” When he drew back, she walked closer. “What aren’t you telling me? Don’t you trust me?”
Zach raised a single eyebrow. “There are aspects of my life you don’t and can’t know about me.”
“Why? What we shared last night was amazing and very open. I’ve never been like that with another man. Never. Were you just using me?”
“Using you?” He looked away. “What we shared was real, albeit unexpected.”
Dear God, his words were stilted. Practiced. “Don’t you dare say you don’t want to hurt me. I can’t, and I won’t hear that again. Tell me the truth. What’s going on? What terrible secrets are you running from?” Cassandra inched closer, anger and almost desperate fear stilting her words.