The Southern Comfort Series Box Set

by Clark O'Neill, Lisa

  Which – sweet Jesus – hurt like a mother.

  Having his ass kicked would have been bad enough, but hearing Sadie crying was a spike through the heart.

  He shot out his foot one more time and managed to clip Billy in his sadistic balls.

  “Enough!” Doug thundered when his brother howled and bent over double. The look Billy discharged at Dec out of narrowed eyes promised pain-filled retribution. But Declan figured he was already in enough physical agony that a little more wouldn’t be that noticeable.

  It was the emotional distress that was killing him.

  Ignoring Billy, whose assault was tempered for now, Dec pried his heavy eyelids up and turned his head toward Sadie. If he had to lie here ineffectually while those bastards did nasty shit to her…

  Hell. It would be better if they just shot them both right now.

  Her gaze latched onto his like a lifeline. What he saw in those big wounded eyes made him feel like he’d been scraped raw inside.

  SADIE thought that if she had to see Declan hurt again, she would go quickly out of her mind.

  Something. There had to be something she could do to put a stop to it.

  She turned her attention to Doug.

  “You’re pathetic,” she told him, disdain dripping from the words. Maybe she could incite him, get his attention focused on her. It was psychology 101, but it was the only weapon at her disposal. He’d commented several times on her supposed store of “gumption” so maybe she could use that somehow to her advantage. Not that there was a whole lot of advantage to be gained.

  But anything was better than sitting by powerless to help Declan.

  She sneered at him, disgusted. “Easy enough to beat on a chained man, let alone have your brother do your dirty work.”

  Doug’s roar of laughter was both welcome and obscene. “I swear, you’re about the most entertaining little thing it’s ever been my pleasure to meet.” He held out his hand, into which his brother tossed the knife. Doug flicked open the blade, using it to cut the remaining half of her bra.

  And grinned from ear to ear when she tensed but refused to cower.

  Then he leaned in so close that his warm breath made her shudder.

  “Don’t worry. There are some things I enjoy taking care of personally. And with you it’s going to be very personal, indeed.”

  Gaining his feet, he turned with an expression of ire toward his brother. Sadie tried not to quiver helplessly in boneless, heartfelt relief.

  Her shoulders sagged, her throat clogged and she cast a worried gaze over Declan. He looked like he’d been substituted for the sandbag at the gym. And despite the fact that it had to cause him godawful pain, he shook his head in disapproval of what she was doing.

  There was a downside, sometimes, to knowing each other so well.

  Then her attention was snagged by something else flying through the air, to land in Doug’s outstretched hand.

  “… lucky you didn’t break it,” Doug chastised Billy, “with all that stumbling around.” Sadie realized that the brothers had been carrying on a conversation to which she hadn’t paid attention. Definitely not good. She needed all her faculties about her if there was any hope of avoiding a bullet.

  Or worse. But she was determined not to dwell on that.

  The object partially concealed in Doug’s hand was a cell phone, which he was studying intently.

  “Four missed calls,” he told her as he scrolled through the incoming call log. “Rick,” he said without interest, reading the name that appeared with the first number. “Rick again.” Sadie’s heart gave a little kick. “Somebody from the elementary school and… ah, yes.” He smiled and it became clear that the phone he held was indeed Sadie’s. He’d obviously charged her battery. “The one that we’ve been waiting for – everybody’s favorite cop.”

  He looked at Sadie with purpose.

  “Voicemail password, please.”

  She wavered for just a moment. Until Billy moved a step closer to Declan. Then she blurted out the number.

  After punching the buttons to retrieve what Sadie assumed was a message from Kathleen, he pressed the phone to his ear.

  “Detective Murphy isn’t sure whether or not you’ve had a chance to talk to Declan,” the creep relayed in a theatrical aside. “And she hopes she’s not interrupting, given his plans to drop by your house, but she really needs to see you as soon as you’re available. Definitely today. God, what a bossy bitch. She says she’s with a Mount Pleasant detective who needs to ask you a few questions.” At that information he looked less pleased with himself, dark brows beetling on his forehead. “She hopes the job interview went well. Call her back ASAP.”

  He pushed the button to save the message and then exited her voice mailbox.

  When he returned his gaze to her he was frowning, something dark and unpleasant in his eyes.

  “Declan, I presume.” He ran his eyes over the man in question. “Unless I’m sadly mistaken, Ms. Mayhew, I heard you refer to this man as Rogan.”

  Panic spurted, filling her chest, as she realized he’d caught on to her game. Her mouth opened, prepared to drop lies, but Declan spoke before she could think of anything.

  “My twin,” he wheezed, face gone gray as he struggled to manage his obvious pain.

  Doug looked at him like he was a bug. “So you’re asking me to believe… what exactly, Mr. Murphy? That I misunderstood the content of the message? That you really are Rogan Murphy? That perhaps your sister isn’t quite clear on which of you our little Sadie is screwing?” He made an abrupt motion toward his brother. “Check his wallet. We’ll get this minor identity crisis straightened out.”

  Declan rolled over, as best he could, trying to protect his ribs and yet make his wallet inaccessible. Sadie couldn’t stand to see Billy put his hands on him again, and called out in abortive protest. “He’s Declan,” she all but shouted, an apology for him in her eyes. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t even be in this mess. “You don’t need to check his ID. I called him Rogan,” she admitted, swallowing the fear of reprisal that clogged her throat, “to try and let him know something was wrong.”

  She met Doug’s eyes in challenge.

  His narrowed in disapproval.

  Letting him sense any further cowardice on her part would be like baiting sharks with her own bleeding hand. It seemed clear this man got off on tormenting others, so she made sure to bury her dread. Crying and blubbering would earn her no points, despite the fact that she was dying to do so.

  “You need me to pacify Kathleen,” she guessed. Otherwise they would have killed them already. Of that, she had no doubt. “But I can’t do it if you keep hurting Declan. She’ll know that something is wrong, simply by the sound of my voice.”

  Doug looked at her with assessment, and she hoped she’d played the right card. It made sense that they wouldn’t want the cops snooping around, which was pretty much inevitable if she and Dec just disappeared. The breakin had already aroused suspicion. Particularly Kathleen’s.

  “Okay then. You’re going to use that smart mouth of yours to convince her to back off. Or else I give my brother free reign to do as he wants with your boyfriend. Then it’ll be you and me, honey.”

  A raw animal sound tore out of Declan’s throat.

  “Sorry, bro.” Doug turned a mocking smile on Declan.

  Declan launched himself forward, pure fury lending him strength. He threw a punch at Billy’s gut, which the other man easily sidestepped, before kicking Declan again.

  Sadie yelled “stop it!” before the situation could deteriorate further.

  They’d shared so much. So much history. So much promise. But she’d be damned if they shared this miserable demise as well.

  “I’ll call her,” she told Doug. “I’ll put her off for a day or two. More than that and she’s not going to buy it. So you just might need us again.” She flicked her hand between her and Declan. “Unless you’re pretty quick about finding what you’re looking for. You le
ave us water, something to eat. And move me closer so I can tend to him.”

  “You’re making demands?” Doug asked with more amusement than irritation.

  “Damn right. Without my cooperation that house will be swarming with cops in no time. You know that as well as I do, which is the only reason we’re still alive. And then you’ll have to kiss whatever you’re looking for goodbye.”

  The words tumbled out before she could stop them, even as her common sense told her to shut up. Across the room, Declan dry heaved, and she knew why she’d taken the chance. Alone, sheer terror would have rendered her acquiescent, but with Dec along fear was tempered by righteous anger. Her entire being vibrated with both as she watched Doug absorb her ultimatum.

  He ambled closer, held out the phone. Made some kind of gesture behind his back.

  “As to your cooperation…”

  With blinding swiftness and a sickening crunch, Billy ground the heel of his boot into Declan’s hand.

  Sadie screamed, hand pressed in horror to her lips. Tears ran like an open faucet as Declan muffled a cry.

  “Make the call.” Doug thrust the phone forward. “Or the next bones broken will be yours.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  KATHLEEN’S cell phone vibrated against her hip and she tossed a smile at Anthony. He was sheltering them both with a golf-sized umbrella as she exited his unmarked car.

  “It’s Sadie,” she told him. The woman with whom they were waiting to speak. Ironically, Anthony had Sadie on his list of people to interview. The dead locksmith had been at her house on the same day he was murdered.

  She flipped the phone open, brought it to her ear, the smile carrying to her voice. Anthony closed the door behind her.

  “Good timing,” she said by way of greeting. “About ten more seconds and you would have been answering your front door.”

  “Uh…” Sadie sounded hesitant.

  “We – Detective Corelli and I – are on the porch.” Or near enough, anyway. She pressed her finger against her ear as they gained the top step. Rain pounded the tin roof, a thousand angry fists, making it difficult to hear. “I apologize for the short notice, but something’s come up, and it’s important that we speak with you. Is, uh, Dec with you?”

  “Yes.”

  Kathleen wasn’t sure what that tone meant. But she couldn’t worry about their tumultuous relationship just now. And besides, she’d already done her part. It was up to the two of them from here on out. “Well, tell him the groveling will have to wait. And having this conversation on the phone is pretty much ridiculous when we’re only separated by a door. Hang up and come let us in.”

  “I can’t,” Sadie said. And her voice was definitely funny. “I’m not at home.”

  “Your car’s here,” Kathleen pointed out. She tried not to check out the way Anthony’s pants stretched across his butt as he leaned over to lay the wet umbrella on the worn floorboards. Not the most professional of thoughts to be having.

  “Uh…”

  There was a sharp noise in the background. Then that muffled sound that suggested Sadie was covering the mouthpiece. She came back on the line a few seconds later, sounding like she’d swallowed a bucket of false cheer.

  “We took Declan’s Jeep,” she explained heartily. “Because it has better suspension than my Beetle. We decided to get away for a few days. Go, um, camping. We wanted to go someplace where there were sure to be no distractions, no one else around, so that we could talk this out.”

  “Okay.” Kathleen crept toward the living room window, because that scent in the air smelled like bullshit. Camping? Right. Because nothing says romance like hitting the woods in the middle of a January monsoon.

  She was happy for them, and all, if they were currently in flagrante delicto, but police business trumped make-up sex.

  Especially when you factored murder into the equation.

  The curtains on the window were pulled tight, thwarting her efforts to look for signs of activity. Anthony raised his eyebrows. She sent a shoulder shrug his way, signifying that she wasn’t entirely sure of Sadie’s status. “Look, Sadie, I apologize again for the timing, but if you are here and happen to be –”

  “We’re not,” she said with certainty. “Feel free to go in and have a look around if you don’t believe me. You have a key.”

  “That’s not necessary.” This was the weirdest conversation. “But, um, some stuff has come up that I’d like to discuss with you, professionally speaking. And Detective Corelli has a few questions he needs to ask you regarding the homicide investigation he’s working.”

  “H-homicide?” Sadie’s voice noticeably faltered.

  “That’s right. I hate to tell you, but it looks like the locksmith you hired was murdered. The same evening after he left your house. It’s not my case, not even my jurisdiction, but Detective Corelli was kind enough to let me tag along. My point being, Sadie, that this was not the best time for you to go away.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Alrighty then. Sadie didn’t sound like a happy camper. Pun intended. Knowing Dec, he’d probably steamrolled her into going with him. Although how that was supposed to get him back into her good graces Kathleen honestly had no idea.

  And camping? Seriously, what was the man thinking?

  “Why don’t you tell Dec to haul you back home? You’ve got some leverage right now, so you might as well use it. Make him take you to the Bahamas or something, for God’s sake, if he’s all hell-bent on a romantic getaway.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. But, uh, the thing is, Kath, that… Declan got his Jeep stuck in the mud. All this rain and all. So… it will be a couple of days, at least, before we can get out of here.”

  What? The man was a walking disaster. The National Lampoon of romantic gestures. “Can’t you get a tow?”

  “It’s pretty remote.”

  “Where did he drag you to, exactly?”

  “It’s, uh…” Another muffled background noise had Sadie’s voice fading. “Look, I have to go. The, um, contractors I hired will be in and out, so don’t be worried if you see them. I’ll… I’ll contact you when we have an ETA for getting out of here. I love you, Kath.” Sadie swallowed audibly. “We both do.”

  And with that she disconnected.

  Kathleen pulled the phone from her ear to stare in puzzlement at the screen.

  “Problem?” Anthony inquired.

  “Did you ever have a dream,” she asked “that was so incredibly lifelike you were convinced it was real? That the only way you knew you were dreaming was that some minor detail was off. Nothing outrageous, like being able to fly. Just something that wasn’t quite right.”

  “Sure, I guess.” Anthony looked confused for a moment. Then came alert, quickly showing himself to be about more than a great set of laugh lines. “Something off with that conversation?”

  “You could say that.” She started to tuck the phone away and then thought better of it. Just to be sure, she selected Sadie’s key from the mess on her key ring. And turned it in the lock as she hit the button for number recall. She felt bad, listening for the phone to ring in Sadie’s house, and was both relieved and disappointed when it didn’t. But there was something about the story Sadie’d just fed her that did not have the ring of truth.

  On the other end of the line, Sadie’s voice welcomed her to leave a message.

  Somehow, Kathleen hadn’t really expected the call to go through.

  “Okay,” she gestured for Anthony to follow her in, after clarifying that Sadie had given permission. “Maybe I’m imagining things, but I just can’t buy what she was selling.” She gave Anthony a brief sketch of Sadie’s relationship with her brother, clued him into the camping-as-relationship-therapy scenario.

  “In this weather?” Anthony cast a speaking glance out the open door they’d just come through. Water fell in a silver sheet from the porch roof.

  “Exactly. Although it’s not as crazy as it seems, because my brother is about as
inept as a person can get when it comes to handling relationships. But even for him that seems like a no-brainer. And Sadie…well, she’s not what I would call high maintenance. You can’t grow up the way we did and not get your hands dirty. But she’s got this thing about shoes. Bowling, golf, skiing – things like that are out because she can’t stand the footwear.”

  “So you’re thinking camping, woods, hiking boots.”

  “Right.” He was following right along. “So unless we’re talking about the kind of camping that’s done in some kind of cozy cabin or romantic lodge – although I didn’t get that impression from Sadie’s description – my brother’s even more inept than I thought.”

  Anthony glanced around the entry hall, stroked his hand along the stubble on his chin. “She give you a reason she didn’t laugh in his face when he made the suggestion?”

  “She said they wanted to avoid people, distractions. I get that, because my family is nosy by nature and she and Dec have a whole lot of private stuff to work out, but heading for the hills right now just seems absurd. And to be fair, she didn’t actually claim that it was Dec’s idea, but believe me, she wouldn’t have been suggesting it. And honestly, I can’t believe she would have just rolled over like that anyway. By agreeing to go away with him right off the bat. She’s well skilled at tearing Dec’s flesh from his bones when he acts like a jerk.”

  Anthony grinned at that particular description. “Sounds like my mama. Five men in the house versus one of her and I’m here to tell you we did not step out of line.” Then his smile faded and he looked around again. The chocolate eyes went hard, and sharp. “I have to be honest and say that I’m not sure what it is you’re trying to tell me. You think, what, she’s lying to you for some reason? You think she has something to hide?”

  “No.” Of that, she was certain. “Like I said, I just think what she told me was… off. Above and beyond the absurdity of camping. I just can’t put my finger on what it is.”

  He looked uncertain of what to do with that information. “Assuming your brother has a cell phone, you could try calling him if you’re concerned. And I get the impression that concerned is what you’re feeling.”