“Didn’t I tell you that Kirk thinks of himself first?” Chance reminded me. “Billy is Matt Summers’s son. I’m sure he knew exactly who you were watching and who the witness was once you said his name.”
I was in shock. It couldn’t possibly be true. Blane couldn’t have used the information I’d given him to free Summers. Surely he wouldn’t do that to me, even with the threat of murder charges hanging over my head.
“Chance… I don’t know what to say,” I stammered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know, didn’t think he would do this…”
Chance sighed. “It’s not your fault, Strawbs. You trusted him. He betrayed that trust.”
His words hit me hard, and I couldn’t speak. I’d trusted Blane to do the right thing, not pervert justice for my sake.
“Listen, I’ve gotta go,” he said. “Lucy’s cover’s been blown all to hell and I’ve got to get her and Billy out of town. If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow, call this number.”
He gave me a number, which I jotted down on a nearby pad of paper.
“Ask to speak to Detective Wells,” Chance said. “He’ll know how to reach me.”
After a quick good-bye I was left staring into space, trying to come to grips with what had happened. I didn’t want to believe it. There must be some mistake. Though I didn’t know how there could be. It couldn’t be mere coincidence that the day after I told Blane about Billy and Lucy, he was calling for the case to be dismissed.
I don’t know how long I sat there, my coffee growing cold as my mind churned. I briefly considered calling Blane but discarded the idea. This conversation should take place in person.
Wondering if perhaps Blane had left files about the case on his desk that might help explain his actions, I decided to go to his study. Technically, I wouldn’t be snooping. I’d been told to investigate this case.
I pushed open the door and stopped short.
A man was rifling through Blane’s desk. He looked up, and both of us froze in place.
It took me a moment to process that I knew him. It was Garrett, Kade’s friend from Denver. The second that clicked, I also realized that if he was here without Kade’s knowledge, then he couldn’t be up to anything good.
Garrett dropped what he was holding and sprinted around the desk. I turned to bolt and he grabbed for me, catching hold of the collar of my sweater. I felt a sharp tug, then heard the sound of dozens of pearls hitting the wooden floor, my broken necklace shedding its jewels.
I slammed my elbow back into his solar plexus and was rewarded with freedom. But it was only temporary. His hand grabbed a fistful of my hair and he yanked me backward. I yelped in pain, losing my balance and crashing to the floor. He lost his footing and came down with me. We struggled, his foot hitting a nearby table, sending a glass vase careening to the side. It fell, shattering into pieces on the floor.
On my stomach, I kicked out at him, striking him in the nose. I scrambled for the glass shards and flipped over to my back just as Garrett climbed up my body. I made to stab him with a good-sized shard, but he caught my wrist in a death grip, holding it aside as he lay on top of me. I heard the telltale click of a gun being cocked.
“Drop it or you’re dead,” he gritted out through the blood smeared under his nose and across his lips. The cold metal of his gun was pressed to the underside of my jaw.
The glass hit the floor with a light tinkling sound.
Garrett stood, yanking me to my feet. “You were supposed to be out of the house,” he accused.
I didn’t reply, still breathing hard from the fight.
“I’ve been following you,” he continued. “You should be more careful who you spend time with. Hanging out with Kade Dennon can be hazardous to your health.”
“What do you want?” I demanded.
Garrett’s fist hit me hard in the stomach, and I doubled over in pain, retching. “Shut up until I tell you to speak.”
He jerked me upright by my hair. In his eyes was the same icy coldness I’d seen before in Kade’s, remorseless and devoid of emotion. It scared me.
“Tell me where he keeps his computer,” Garrett ordered.
“I don’t know—”
Garrett’s hand closed around my wrist like a vise. He pulled me to Blane’s desk, his gun pointing steadily at my chest. He flattened my palm against its surface. Putting the gun down, he drew a switchblade. A quick flick of his wrist, and the blade appeared, light glinting off the metal.
He pressed the razor-sharp edge to my pinkie, right above the second knuckle.
“Tell me or you’re going to lose your fingers, piece by piece.”
I trembled all over, tasting the sharp tang of fear in my throat.
“I swear,” I said, trying to stay calm, “I don’t know where it is.”
The knife pressed just a fraction and I hissed in pain, bright red blood oozing from the shallow cut he’d made. He didn’t stop there, continuing the cut down the back of my hand to my wrist, the slow but inexorable path of the knife leaving a trail of vivid crimson in its wake.
“Okay, okay,” I babbled, my thoughts frantic as I watched the deadly blade. “I know where it is.”
I had no clue where Kade kept his computer. The last time he’d mentioned it, he’d said it was in his car.
“It’s not in here.”
“That’s more like it,” Garrett smugly replied.
He abruptly released me, flipping the blade closed and pocketing it as he picked up his gun. Pointing the weapon at me, he said, “Lead the way.”
I cradled my burning hand against my stomach as I walked shakily to the door. Garrett followed closely.
“Try anything and you’re dead,” he said.
I had no plan, I just moved forward, hoping something would present itself.
“Why do you want Kade’s computer?” I asked, hoping to distract him.
“The son of a bitch froze my accounts,” Garrett snarled.
“Why would he do that?”
“I’m guessing he found out I was the one who set him up.” Garrett’s sarcasm was thick.
“You betrayed Kade?” I asked in surprise, momentarily halting my progress. “I thought you were his friend.”
“There are no friends in this business,” Garrett retorted, then waved his gun at me. “Move.”
“You won’t be able to hide from Kade,” I said. “He’ll hunt you down and kill you.” I knew this for a fact. Kade’s declaration in Denver that he was going to find whoever had betrayed him rang in my ears.
“Not if I kill him first.”
My blood turned to ice at those words. I had to do something. Once he found out I was leading him on a wild-goose chase through the house, he’d kill me without a second thought—and then he’d hunt Kade.
Making a decision and praying it was the right one, I led Garrett toward the kitchen. A kitchen filled with knives, glass, and heavy pots and pans. Surely somehow I could get my hands on something that would do some damage. There was also a door to outside there, a possible means of escape.
I did a quick scan of the room as we stepped through the doorway.
“What the fuck are we doing in here?” Garrett asked.
“There’s a butler’s pantry,” I explained. “Kade likes to work in there.”
As we passed by the stove, my eyes lit on the still-steaming kettle of water Mona had left. I was terrified, but I knew I had no choice. Once Garrett saw there was nothing in the pantry, he’d kill me.
In one smooth motion I spun, grabbed the handle of the kettle, and swung it at Garrett. Instinctively, he leaned back, but he wasn’t quick enough. The kettle connected in a hard clank against the side of his head, with an added bonus when the lid popped off and steaming water cascaded out.
Garrett stumbled backward, roaring in pain and rage. He raised his gun and fired just as I knocked his arm out of the way, the bullet ricocheting off the wall behind me.
I grabbed a frying pan sitting in the drying rack by the sink, swi
nging it with both hands. The metal collided with his hand holding the gun and he yelled, the gun dropping from his grip. I made to swing again, but he tackled me, shoving me against the china cupboard. The edge of the wood pressed sharply into the small of my back.
Garrett slammed my hand against the plate glass of the cupboard, and sharp pain bloomed in my arm. The glass shattered as the cupboard shuddered under the assault. Plates and cups fell to the floor, their delicate porcelain making a cacophony of sound. I couldn’t keep my grip and the pan fell to the tile. Then Garrett had me by the throat.
“Fucking bitch,” he growled, hauling me toward him, his grip unrelenting.
I could breathe, but just barely.
“If you want your money back, may I suggest this isn’t the way to go about getting it.”
Garrett spun around at the sound of the voice, jerking me against him as a shield. Breathing hard, he pulled his knife and held it to my throat. I gripped his arm, trying to hold the knife at bay as its blade pressed against my skin.
Kade stood across the kitchen from us, a shard of dark in the brightness of the room.
“I thought you wanted your money, Garrett,” he said coolly. “Why would I unfreeze your accounts if you kill the girl?”
“Why the fuck did you hack my accounts, Kade?” Garrett spat. “You know this is business. It’s nothing personal.”
Kade’s eyes narrowed. “I trusted you. You betrayed me. That makes it personal.” Kade’s voice was silken steel. “Who were you working for, Garrett? I already know how much they paid you.”
“Look,” Garrett said, “just give me my money and I’ll let her go.”
Kade stared at him. “Fine.” He held up a cell phone. “This will unfreeze your accounts. You just have to log in.”
“Slide it across the floor,” Garrett ordered.
Kade bent down and did as requested, the cell phone stopping at my feet.
Kade’s eyes met mine. “This reminds me of when we first met.”
Panic threatened at the edges of my mind and I struggled to understand. My nails dug into Garrett’s arm, my breath in shallow pants.
“Pick up the phone,” Garrett ordered me.
I slowly bent my knees, my upper body remaining upright against his as I scrabbled blindly. My fingers closed over the phone and he pulled me up again.
“You remember that, princess?” Kade said.
My eyes jerked to his, the brilliant blue striking a memory, and suddenly I knew what he meant.
“Hold the phone up so I can see it,” Garrett said, then he told me a series of letters and numbers to punch into the screen. It all seemed like gibberish to me, but even I could see that the accounts were steadily declining, the numbers evaporating into thin air.
“What the fuck is this?” Garrett yelled. “You said you’d unfreeze my accounts!”
“I did,” Kade replied evenly. “Or rather, you did, when you entered your password. They’re currently being drained by the FBI. They might let you have some back, but you won’t need it where you’re going.”
Garrett seemed frozen in shock, and I took my opportunity. Shoving his arm down and away from me with all my strength, I twisted underneath his arm. As soon as I was clear, a shot rang out. Garrett cried out in pain, falling to the floor and clutching his side.
Kade was instantly there next to me, and I fell into his arms. My whole body was shaking. Kade cupped the back of my head with one hand while his other rubbed soothingly up and down my back.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I forced myself to pull away, making a concerted effort to keep from falling apart. I nodded, brushing my hair back from my face. “I’m fine.”
Kade caught my injured hand in his and pushed the sleeve of my sweater up to inspect the jagged and bleeding cuts. Blood dripped sluggishly from my hand, staining my skin and clothes a garish red.
I pulled my wrist from his grasp, tucking my hand against my side.
“You’re not fine,” he said quietly.
He turned away and approached Garrett, who was half-sitting, half-lying on the floor, blood seeping from his wound. The look that had come over Kade’s face was terrifying in its stark coldness, the icy fury in his eyes deeply unsettling.
“You hurt her,” Kade accused. His voice was calm and quiet, and even more frightening for being so. I watched him warily.
“She wouldn’t cooperate,” Garrett hissed. Sweat had broken out on his forehead.
Light glinted off the blade in Kade’s hand. I hadn’t even seen him pull it, and I inhaled sharply.
“You hurt her. I hurt you.”
“Kade!” I called out, desperation pushing aside my fear. “Don’t. Please.”
I moved slowly forward, a hand outstretched. I really didn’t want to see Kade inflict pain on Garrett, no matter how much he may have deserved it.
Kade glanced at me, and I was relieved to see the cold rage ebb from his eyes. I let out a silent breath when he lowered the knife.
“You think this is over, Kade?” Garrett snarled. “The girl led me right to you. First to your apartment, then here.”
Kade’s face was an unreadable mask. “You’re lying. No one knows about her.”
Garrett laughed, a hissing wheeze. “You’re blind. You follow her around like she’s a bitch in heat.” His laugh faded and his gaze turned hateful. “It’s only a matter of time before you get her killed.” He turned my way. “An assassin in love with you. Your life expectancy just dropped by half.”
“Fuck you,” Kade growled.
Garrett coughed, a hacking sound, as he clutched the wound in his side. When he stopped, he was panting for breath. “This isn’t over,” he hissed. “Even if I go to jail, they’re going to know about her. Her name, address, where she works, her friends, what she eats, where she goes, who she fucks, everything. Everyone’s going to know exactly how to break Kade Dennon.”
I reacted an instant too late. “Kade, no!” I shouted, leaping for him. But even as the words left my mouth, I saw the glint of metal. A grunt left Garrett’s mouth just as I reached Kade, grabbing for his hand, the hand wrapped around the hilt of his knife buried in Garrett’s chest.
Garrett’s body fell back onto the floor, his eyes open but unseeing.
We were locked in that macabre tableau for only an instant before Kade pulled me away. I couldn’t tear my horrified gaze from Garrett, but Kade held me trapped in his arms, forcibly turning my head and moving us across the room.
Fear and horror choked me. My mind kept replaying Kade sliding the knife between Garrett’s ribs.
“Kathleen, look at me,” Kade said, tipping my chin up. “You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you.”
“You just… killed him.” My voice was a choked whisper. Part of me couldn’t believe it. I’d known Kade had killed people, had seen him kill before, but never like that. “Why?”
“He knew about you,” Kade replied simply. “Hurt you, because of me.” His blue eyes turned intense. “It wasn’t a difficult choice. No one is going to hurt you. Not while I’m around.”
I didn’t know what to say. His declaration sank deep into my gut. I couldn’t explain how it made me feel. A man was dead, killed by Kade, because of me. Not that he’d been a good man. His intention to kill Kade had made him a threat no matter what deal they could have struck. But Kade had been planning to turn him over to the FBI, if it hadn’t been for me. I felt as though Garrett’s blood was on my hands.
Our eyes locked and I was unable to look away, trying to puzzle through the riddle that was Kade Dennon. A good man… who did bad things.
Kade looked away first, releasing me before pulling out his cell and dialing. “Donovan, it’s Dennon. Did the wire transfers complete?” He paused. “Good. Garrett’s here at the house, but didn’t survive. Can you send someone over to collect the body?” A few moments later, he ended the call.
I was reeling, my thoughts spinning and my emotions hanging by a thin thread. “I
want to go home,” I said.
He didn’t say anything, just gave a curt nod.
We walked outside and I shivered. Kade took off his coat and slung it over my shoulders before helping me into the car.
Once we were on the road, I cleared my throat.
I didn’t want to do this, but knew I had to. “I need to talk to Blane,” I said.
Kade wordlessly dialed a number on his cell and handed the phone to me. Holding it to my ear, I heard Blane answer.
“Yeah?”
“Blane, it’s me,” I said.
“Kat? What’s wrong? And why are you calling me from Kade’s phone?” The suspicion in his voice rankled my already fragile temper.
“Kade’s taking me home,” I said, then got straight to the point. “Why is the case getting dismissed?”
Blane was silent.
“Did you know Billy was Matt’s son?” I asked. “Did you use the information I gave you about Lucy for your case?”
“Kat, let me explain…”
That was all the confirmation I needed. I hung up.
I felt curiously numb inside. It didn’t feel like when I’d seen Blane with Kandi. Then, my heart had felt torn into shreds. Now, I felt detached. Perhaps I was still in shock, I didn’t know. What I did know was that I was exhausted, my hand hurt like hell, and I didn’t have a clue what to say to Kade about what he’d done.
We reached my apartment and he followed me inside. Tigger ran to greet me and I absently gave him a quick scratch behind the ears. I went to the kitchen sink and pushed up my sleeve. Kade reached around me and turned on the water.
I didn’t speak as he gently washed the blood from my hands, dried now. A breath hissed through my teeth at the stinging sensation. When they were clean, Kade grabbed some paper towels, dabbing my skin dry.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I looked up at him in surprise.
“I wasn’t careful enough,” he continued. “After they got my apartment, I suspected it was Garrett that had leaked information on me in Denver. I didn’t think he knew about you, though, and I should have foreseen that.”
“How could you have?” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. “You thought he was a friend.”
Turning Point (The Kathleen Turner Series) Page 26