HEAT (Montgomery Men Book 2)

by C. A. Harms

  There was something greatly satisfying about the fact that she didn't like the idea of me leaving her. “Just a quick scan,” I assured her as I stood. “I’m not leaving. I promise you, you’re safe with me.”

  She gave a quick nod before she wrapped her arms around herself and sank back into the couch, as if she were attempting to hide from this evening’s events.

  As I moved from her living room to her bedroom, I looked for any clue that may help us solve this puzzle. Each time I looked to her, she was watching me, and that satisfied feeling returned again.

  I’d never wanted to be any woman’s savior. I just woke up every day and fought the bad guys because I fucking loved the rush. But tonight felt different. Knowing she was looking at me that way felt deeply gratifying. I wanted to be the one to saved her. I wanted to take down the man who’d terrorized her and give her back her freedom. And damn if I didn't want her to keep looking at me just like she was now.

  Like I was her hero.

  I stood on the curb as Elle’s friend led her to a Lincoln that idled at the curb. I knew I’d seen the other woman at Risqué, but I wasn't sure of her name. I just knew from the delicate way she handled Elle that they were very close.

  When she arrived about an hour after Officer Tillman placed the call, she was in a state of pure panic. The two women held one another as they cried, and everyone around them remained silent, allowing them time to fall apart. Once they began to calm down, a tall man with dark hair and strong, dominant features stepped forward and took them in his arms. I already knew he was with the other woman, but it didn't stop jealousy from surfacing.

  I fought the urge to hold Elle close. I didn't like how frail she looked as the woman helped her into the waiting vehicle.

  “Detective?”

  I was so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed anyone approach until they spoke. I looked to my left and found the woman that had comforted Elle only a few feet away, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen.

  “You look a little different than the first time I saw you,” she said, forcing a smile. I smiled in return, knowing we were both feeling the furthest thing from happiness at the moment. “But now that I think about it, you were intense that night too.”

  I remembered that night quite well. I was more determined, and maybe a little pissed, rather than intense.

  “What can I do for you, Ms.…?”

  “Kim.” She thrust out her hand, and I shook it firmly. “As for what you can do for me, you can find the asshole that did this,” she insisted. “Until you do, she’ll be staying with us.”

  The way my heart ached as if it was being squeezed tight was also a foreign reaction. Again the need to be the one to protect her overpowered even other need.

  “Can you provide us with an address where we may reach Ms. Kramer?” The fact she wouldn’t be here unsettled me, not just for professional reasons, but because I needed to know where she’d be for my own peace of mind.

  From the look on Kim’s face, I think she understood what I was thinking.

  “Here’s our address,” she said, holding out a business card she’d written on the back of. “If you flip it over, you’ll find my fiancé Rick’s cell and office phone number, and our home phone. The home phone would be the best to reach Elle on for now. They’re the same numbers I’ve given to the other officers when they asked how they could reach her.”

  I nodded as I took the card and wrapped my fingers around it as if it was the most important piece of paper I’d ever received.

  “Thank you,” Kim said, and I gave her a puzzled look.

  “For what?” I asked, because right now I felt as if I’d failed Elle. The man who hurt her was still out there—hell, he could be standing next to me and I wouldn't know it. I hadn’t done anything in my eyes that deserved thanks.

  “She told me how kind you were to her,” Kim said, looking back over her shoulder toward the SUV. Her fiancé leaned against the open door, speaking softly to Elle, who sat inside on the backseat. “She said you being there made her feel as if things would be okay.”

  I took a deep breath, feeling the pressure set heavily on my chest.

  Elle sat with her head hung as she looked at her hands in her lap. Her chest rose and fell in an unsteady rhythm that only made me more irritated that I couldn't fix this situation for her. I knew she wouldn't sleep soundly tonight. She’d stare around the room in fear, remembering how terrified she’d been only a few hours ago. Knowing she’d have nightmares and that she’d be afraid to be alone troubled me more than it should have.

  “I was only doing my job,” I insisted, and the lie burned my throat the moment I said it.

  “You can’t lie to me, Detective Montgomery, Beckett, Beck, whatever. I can see right through you, just like I could that night at Risqué.” She crossed her arms over her chest and dared me to argue. I chose not to. “It’s in your eyes,” she added with a smirk. “The way you watch her, not in a creepy way, but an intense, protective kind of way. You’re interested. You were then and you still are now.”

  I looked between Kim and Elle, trying my best to withhold a reaction. When Elle lifted her head and looked at us, my chest tightened. Her gaze locked with mine, and for a moment we shared a silent conversation. In my mind I told her that I would do whatever I had to do to make things right. I hoped like hell she could sense that.

  A small smile pulled at her lips just before she mouthed the words thank you.

  My knees grew weak. But instead of going to her, as my body was screaming to do, I offered her a nod.

  This is my job, I reminded myself over and over.

  “If she remembers anything,” I said as I forced myself to look away from Elle and focus back on Kim, “please don't hesitate to call.” I handed her my own card before turning around and gaining some much-needed distance.

  SHANELLE

  We rode in silence as Kim held my hand securely in hers. The contact helped settle me, and I knew she needed it almost as much as I did.

  I’d already called Marsha, the head of staff scheduling at the hospital, and informed her of my impending absence. I just needed a few days to regroup. I never called in, so I knew she would understand just how desperate I was for this time off.

  Each time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing: that unknown man standing in my doorway, staring back at me through the darkness. My heart raced and panic shot through me. Then I would open my eyes and realize I was safe now, and that experience was in the past. Knowing that helped, but it never made the fear dissipate completely.

  Calling my parents wasn't an option now. Had I done so, they would have forced me onto the first flight back to Michigan and locked me in the basement of their ranch-style home for safekeeping, with my dad standing guard with a shotgun for extra security. He didn't take kindly to anyone upsetting me or my mother.

  When we arrived at Rick and Kim’s home in Scarsdale, I felt safe for the first time since I’d woken up. Rick pulled into the garage and closed the door behind us before opening the driver’s door, climbing out, and walking around to open the passenger door. He and Kim grabbed my things, and I followed them through the door that led inside.

  The sound of Rick activating the alarm system gave me back a small sense of security, though the fear remained in the back of my mind. It most likely would for a while, if not permanently. Though the intruder never touched me, for which I was thankful, he still took something from me I was unsure of how to take back.

  “Do you need anything?” Rick asked as he paused with my bag in hand near the island in the center of the kitchen.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head, “I’m good, thanks. You’ve done more than enough.”

  He seemed displeased as he wrinkled his forehead. “We’ve both told you that you are more than welcome here. Though I may not have known you as long as I’ve known Kim, I still consider you a friend—more like family, really—and nothing is a burden when it comes to you.”

  His words brou
ght tears to my eyes, and all I could do was nod.

  I followed him with Kim at my side as we walked toward the opposite side of the house I’d stayed in only a night ago. I was confused at first before Rick pushed the door to his left open and I peered inside. Laughter instantly bubbled in my chest. Maybe it was partially related to exhaustion, but mostly it was because of my best friend.

  When I looked in her direction, her eyes were glossy, but she was smiling. “You said I was loud,” she stated with a shrug.

  “You are loud,” I assured her before pulling her in for a hug.

  In less than twenty-four hours, she had moved the guest room to the opposite side of the house, forcing her fiancé to move his office. I imagined he put up little fight, because he always seemed to do whatever Kim requested.

  Suddenly, I was a blubbering mess. Kim held me tight as she cried too, and Rick slipped away to allow us to have our moment.

  I pulled away and moved toward the bed. I was surprised when I climbed beneath the covers and Kim removed her shoes and joined me on the opposite side.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, looking at her with confusion.

  “I’m sleeping next to you,” she said as she positioned the pillow beneath her head. “And before you start cracking jokes about women-in-prison films, I’m not budging.” Once she was comfortable she looked back at me as we lay facing each other only inches apart. “I was so scared,” she whispered hoarsely. “Rick answered the phone when the officer called, and I could see the fear in his eyes. The ache was so heavy in my chest, Elle, that I swear I was barely able to breathe.”

  I thought of the way I would have felt if our roles were reversed.

  “So if sleeping by your side will help me feel better about what happened tonight, then I will,” she said matter-of-factly. “And you are just going to have to be okay with it.”

  I didn't argue. Because, quite frankly, I was glad she’d already chosen to stay. It saved me from having to beg her to.

  The next morning, I walked into the kitchen to find Kim reading the paper as she sipped a cup of coffee.

  “Good morning,” she offered as she lowered her cup. “How’d you sleep?”

  “Good,” I said as I lifted the pot and filled the cup she had set out for me.

  The close way she was watching my every move didn’t escape me. Had anyone other than Kim been doing this, I would have called them out on it. But I just moved around, ignoring it. When I joined her at the island, I added cream and sugar, still avoiding her stare.

  “So,” she finally spoke, “Detective Montgomery. Well, that explains the intensity you noticed in him that night at the club.”

  I looked up at her, waiting for her to continue, because I knew this had a purpose.

  “He wasn’t a freak or a serial killer scanning the room for his next victim.” Well, I never thought he was. “He’s intense because he’s trained to be observant. He doesn't seem like a man that waits for much, more like a ‘take what you want, when you want it’ kind of guy.”

  “And your point?” I asked as I lifted the cup to my lips.

  “Just striking up a conversation,” she said nonchalantly as she lifted the paper once more.

  I didn't poke or push. I knew her well enough to know she was stalling. If I just waited it out, eventually she would crack and spill the beans because she had no patience. And keeping a secret was impossible for her.

  “So he seems extremely invested in your safety.” She placed the paper on the countertop before her once again. Leaning over to rest her weight on her elbows, she zoned in on me. “And even in the panic and chaos last night, he watched you like you were the most precious thing he’d ever seen.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Kim, it’s his job. He’s supposed to be invested and observant.”

  “I think it’s more than that.” She continued to stare at me. “He called,” she added, and now I was interested in hearing what she had to say. “He’d like to meet us at your apartment.”

  “Why do I have to be there? He has access to it without me being present.” The thought of going back there right now made my stomach ache.

  “He wants to do a walk-through with you,” she explained. “He said that with everything going on last night and the state of mind everyone was in, he feels something may have been overlooked.”

  I didn't say anything, just stared ahead as I tried to keep myself from having a panic attack. I knew I’d have to go back sometime. I just didn't think it would be this soon.

  BECKETT

  I’d been waiting in the lobby of Shanelle’s apartment building for close to forty-five minutes. They weren't late, I was just early. I wanted to observe quietly from the corner as tenants and guests entered and exited.

  I analyzed their reactions to my presence, just waiting for someone to appear spooked or nervous. It was a long shot, I knew that, but my mind was in overdrive and it wouldn't stop.

  Though I was always invested in my work, this case felt different. I still found that fact unsettling.

  “Detective.” I looked to my left just as the asshole from Elle’s floor exited the elevator. “To what do we owe thanks for your presence today? Wait.” He held up his hand as if to stop me from speaking, a smirk covering his mouth. “You’ve come to tell me you’ve finally found the person responsible for trashing my place.”

  Remaining cool was hard, but I managed it. In my mind I was beating the shit out of this douche. Hell, I even smiled as I imagined what sounds he’d make as my fist connected with his jaw.

  I was just about to say something equally amusing when I caught him looking toward the entrance with great interest. I turned in the same direction and felt like someone had squeezed my heart.

  Kim and Elle walked toward us side by side. Elle wore a formfitting shirt that exposed her neck, a pair of jeans that were cuffed and cropped midcalf, and a pair of sandals with heels that gave her a couple extra inches in height. This elongated her legs, making it that much harder not to imagine what they’d feel like wrapped around my waist. I fucking loved a nice set of long, firm legs on a woman.

  I knew I was staring, but I didn’t give a shit. Even with her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail and wearing little to no makeup, she was breathtaking. It was impossible for my body not to react to hers.

  “Elle.” Douche was the first to speak. “Are you okay? You look exhausted.”

  Even I was offended by his words. Hell, he may as well have said, “Elle, you look like shit.”

  “I think she looks perfect.” Apparently my mouth was way ahead of my brain. I was immediately worried about crossing the line between an officer and a victim, but that worry faded when she smiled at me. She completely ignored her neighbor, a man I once thought was her boyfriend, and only saw me.

  “I can assure you I don't feel perfect, but it’s nice to have someone say it anyway.”

  Asshole huffed from my left, and I fought the chuckle that bubbled in my chest.

  Score one for Team Beckett.

  I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I stepped past the guy toward the women. “I know this is probably not what you planned to do today, but I feel like it could be helpful.”

  She nodded as the three of us walked toward the elevator, forgetting all about Whatever His Name Is.

  “Elle,” he called, making us halt and look back at him. “You promised me another date; dinner, wine,” he said hopefully, and I fisted my hands at my sides. The idea of her having spent any time with this man grated on my nerves, but her agreeing to spending any further time with him pissed me off. I didn't want her anywhere near this guy, or any guy for that matter, unless said guy was me.

  “There’s too much going on, Andrew. I’m sorry,” Elle offered with a kind smile, and I felt smug at her rejection. I wanted to give him that “ha, fucker, you got tossed” look, but I held back.

  He looked displeased as the girls walked away once again. The way he stared after them with narrowed eyes, almost l
ike he was fighting back anger, made me tense.

  After a few seconds he moved toward the front doors and shoved one open hard. A woman who was entering stumbled back to get out of his way.

  “Detective?” I looked at the elevators to find Kim holding the door open, waiting for me to join them. She had a knowing look on her face, and when I stepped inside, she smiled widely. “Feeling a little territorial, are we?” she murmured to me.

  Instead of biting back, I leaned against the wall and waited for the elevator to take us to the fifth floor. Kim was an outspoken girl, and she made me laugh.

  Elle looked nervous as the door slid open on her floor.

  “We’re doing this together,” I said as I touched her shoulder. “Okay?”

  She nodded as we all moved forward together.

  At her apartment she slid the key into the lock, took a deep breath, then slowly pushed open the door. She stood there in the hallway as if fighting her fears.

  Kim and I remained silent, giving her whatever time she needed to regain her strength on her own. A few moments later, she stepped inside and we followed closely behind.

  Though I’d only been here once and it was clean and organized, everything seemed to be in place to me. Elle scanned the entire area before looking back at me. “It feels like it was all a dream. Everything looks the same, but it feels so different.”

  “Do you noticed anything missing?” I asked. “Anything moved from its original place?” She shook her head while looking around slowly. “Can we just walk through, have a good look and make sure?”

  Elle didn't respond, but she moved farther into the apartment. She walked through the kitchen and dining area, then moved toward the hallway. The apartment was eerily silent, with only the sound of her sandals shuffling and clicking along the floor.