by Lexi Blake
Adam kept looking at the man in the hoodie. Ian put a hand on his arm, his eyes looking down at his phone.
“Do you have this? Liam says he might have found something. You had put out traces on a whole bunch of people in her life, and he wants to talk about a couple of them. Do you want to talk to Li or watch that ridiculously suspicious man?” Ian gave him a hopeful look. “Because I can take care of that asshole.”
No way, no how. If there was any chance this was the guy, Adam wanted a shot at him. “You go talk to Liam, boss. And send Jake out here.” Jake wouldn’t want to miss the fun if this went the way he thought it would.
“All right. I’ll put Sean on the front door. There’s a uniform at the back door, and Officer Sims is keeping close to Serena. She hasn’t seen anything odd yet. Just a bunch of women. Did you know some of them cried when they met Serena? What the hell’s up with that? I don’t get women. I’ll be back.”
Adam watched, the tension building, a little thrill running through his veins. Yes. Something was going to happen. He wasn’t sure what, but it would happen. Every instinct in his body told him to go still and wait.
The door behind him came open. Jake was at his side. “What’s going on? Everything seems quiet inside.”
Adam merely nodded toward the parking lot. He was fairly certain the man hadn’t seen him. There was a line of trees between him and the The Velvet Room. But Adam could definitely see him. He kept talking on his phone and inching closer and closer to the SUV.
“Shit. He’s got something in his hand. What is it?” Jake asked, squinting in the early evening light.
“No idea, but the minute he drops it, I’m on his ass.”
“He’s roughly the same size as her ex-husband. I can’t see his face.” Jake’s voice was a low growl, the sound of a predator waiting on a particularly juicy meal. “Fuck, I hope he has a gun.”
If the asshole had a gun, they would be perfectly justified in killing him if they managed to get him to pull it. Then Serena wouldn’t have to worry about anything except how soon they were getting married. Because he wasn’t giving up, and he sure as fuck wasn’t giving in to her fears.
“Come on. Move.” Adam said the words like a prayer, his hand already in his jacket. The weight of his SIG was familiar and comforting. But if they moved too fast, they might spook him. Adam wanted this guy to make a move.
The man in the hoodie turned one last time, his eyes glancing across the parking lot as he slid his phone in his jacket. He was right next to the SUV. Then he did it. He pulled the windshield wiper up and placed an envelope under it.
“Go,” Jake commanded, his voice low.
Adam touched his earpiece and spoke quietly, his calm voice at odds with his racing heart. A fierce joy threatened to overtake him. Fuck, he did like the chase. He moved from behind the trees as he spoke. “Ian, we’re chasing down a suspect. You might want to send the cops out now. This could get ugly.”
Ian’s voice came over the radio. “Will do. Make sure it looks like self-defense, boys. Have some fun.”
Jake moved beside him, silently stalking across the parking lot. The man in the hoodie turned, saw them, and did exactly what Adam hoped for. He took off running.
Adam sprinted across the lot, Jake going for the opposite side so they tracked him no matter which way he went. He heard the man curse and try to turn, but he fell down in a heap, his foot making hard contact with a parking lot barrier. There was a loud thud as the man hit the ground face first.
Fuck. He wasn’t going to get a chance to shoot the asshole.
“Keep your hands on the ground.” Adam trained his weapon on the back of the man’s head.
Hoodie guy’s fingers splayed against the concrete as though he was trying just about anything to prove he wasn’t armed. “Dude, I’m just a courier. What the hell is going on? Someone call the cops.”
“That’s not her ex,” Jake said, his gun trained on the man, too.
“You got him?” A loud voice split the air across the parking lot. Detective Hernandez.
“Yes, he’s secure. Could you check the envelope he left on the car?” Adam asked. Something was still wrong. “Turn over, very slowly. I’m very impatient today, and if you make one wrong move, I’m likely to pull this trigger.”
Jake watched as the man began to roll over, his body flinching in obvious pain. “Where is Ian going?”
“To talk to Liam. I guess he wanted a little privacy. Or he wanted to buy a drink.” Ian had walked off in the direction of the convenience store. In the distance, Adam could see Liam’s car pulling up. Liam jumped out and started toward the store. “He found out something about our friend here.”
“Dude, I told you. It’s a job.” The man had turned over, and Adam could safely say he’d never seen the man before. And he was younger than Adam had pegged him. He looked like he might be twenty-five.
“Who paid you and what were you supposed to do?” Jake asked.
The young man’s hands had taken the brunt of his fall, they were covered in scrapes and cuts from the pavement. “I was just supposed to put that envelope on the SUV with the license plate he gave me. He told me to try to make sure no one saw me. And I had to do it at 5:30 pm. I don’t know why. And he didn’t tell me how many people would be around.”
“Hey, there’s just a blank sheet of paper in here,” Chitwood said, walking up behind them. He’d put latex gloves on his hands.
Hernandez was behind him, a quizzical look on his face. “It’s addressed to Amber Rose, but there’s nothing in it. What is that supposed to mean?”
Adam didn’t like the feeling in his gut. Wrong. Very wrong. Something about this whole thing was starting to read setup. “Who hired you?”
The young man went beet red. “I don’t know. I work for a courier service. They gave me the job. I thought it was like a proposal or something. I don’t know anything. I had to call back because I forgot the plate number on the car. Do you think I’m going to get fired?”
Adam touched his headpiece as he turned. He wasn’t going to waste another minute. Serena was in trouble. “Sean, I need you to get eyes on Serena right now. Jake and I are coming in.” He waited for the reply. “Sean? Sean, can you hear me?”
“Com’s not working.” Jake took off running for the store. Adam ran after him, praying they weren’t too late.
* * * *
Serena shook her fifty-first hand. Or something like that. She was desperately trying to remember names and faces. Chris leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“That’s Regina Moore. She runs one of the largest erotic romance blogs on the web. Smile and tell her how much you love her site.” Chris had been utterly indispensable. It seemed to Serena he knew everyone.
“Regina, hi.” Serena shook her hand. “Thank you so much for coming. I can’t tell you how much I love your site.”
The older woman beamed. “It’s a labor of love, dear. And I think you’ll find a great review for the new book in next week’s posting. Lara was kind enough to make sure I got an advanced copy. I loved it. I can’t wait for the next one. Where is Lara, anyway?”
Lara was in hiding. Serena was going to have to deal with her. She just wasn’t sure how to handle it yet. There was a big part of her that wanted to forgive and forget, but could she really do it?
“She’s around,” Serena said. “She’s been doing all the background work.”
Which was really not at all like Lara. Serena had been to many conventions with Lara, and her agent was usually a whirlwind of activity at these things.
“Serena?”
Serena turned. Brian Anderson stood in his dress shirt and tie, a sad expression on his face. “I think I’m going to take Lara home. You have enough books. All the promo is out, and the party seems to be going well. Is there any way I can get you to come in the back and say good-bye to her? I can’t get her to come out here.”
Serena sighed. Lara had taken a real chance on her. Lara had been a sympathetic ea
r. Lara had been her guide into the business world of publishing. And Lara had set this party in motion. She should at least make an appearance.
“Please, Serena, if it gets out that you and Lara are on the outs, it could really hurt business. She’s trying to sign another up-and-coming author. And she knows she did something stupid.” Brian stared down at her, his eyes strangely emotional. She’d heard he and Lara were having trouble, and this situation couldn’t have helped. The least she could do was make a goodwill gesture.
“All right. I’ll get her to come up here.” She moved toward the door to the back room. Maybe the relationship was salvageable, maybe it wasn’t, but she couldn’t make the decision now, and she owed Lara at least the chance to talk it out. She glanced over at Chris. He was in a deep discussion with a reviewer. Bridget had gone out to get a drink. Adam and Jake were nowhere to be found.
Grace’s husband Sean walked up, his earpiece in his hand. “Something’s wrong with the coms. Don’t go anywhere.”
She wasn’t sure where she would go. It was her party, after all.
She opened the door to the back room and stepped in. “Lara? Why don’t you come on out and join the party?”
The door closed behind her. She turned around. Brian was standing in the doorway, blocking the way. A little chill went through Serena.
“Where’s Lara?” Serena asked. She didn’t like the nasty suspicion creeping across her spine.
Brian’s eyes looked cold and predatory in the dim light. “She’s in here somewhere. Maybe you should check the bathroom.”
“Tell her I’ll talk to her later. I have to get back to the party.” It was too quiet here, and something was wrong with Brian.
Brian didn’t move out of her way. He stood there, six feet of fit male blocking the door. And then she saw the gun. “Don’t scream or I’ll shoot you right here, and Bridget won’t have a chance to live. You want your friend to live, right?”
“Bridget?”
“Look behind the boxes, Serena. Or should I call you Amber? Amber is the one who ruined my life, after all.” He pointed the gun to the left toward a stack of boxes. “Go on. She doesn’t have a lot of time left.”
Fear clawed at her. She took a step back and looked to her left. “Bridget!”
Bridget lay on the ground, her dark hair covering her face. She’d been wearing a white maxi dress, but Serena was horrified to see it was covered in bright red blood. Was she dead? Her friend? She couldn’t be dead.
Serena dropped to her knees and reached for Bridget’s hand. It was still warm. The blood was coming from a wound in her abdomen, right above her pelvis.
Bridget’s eyes fluttered open. “You have to run. He’s crazy. I think Lara’s dead.”
“Move away from her, Serena.” Brian’s voice was low and cold. “I can put a bullet in her, too. The silencer works quite well. Get up and move toward the back. We’re going to get in the car or your friend is sure to die. Right now, she’s still got a shot. One of those bodyguards is going to charge in here soon.”
Serena got the message. If she went out that door, Bridget might have a shot. If she didn’t, Bridget was dead.
“Don’t go,” Bridget said. The words were said on a low moan of pain. Bridget was loving and loyal and so talented. The world would be dimmer without her unique energy.
“I’ll go.” Serena stood and started toward the back door, her legs shaking. The heels were hampering her movements. “Is Lara alive?”
There was a low chuckle from behind her. “No, Serena. Lara is dead. I stuffed her body in the bathroom to be found along with a note from your so-called stalker. Open the door. My partner is outside.”
If she got in that car, she wouldn’t get out of this alive. And she really wanted to be alive. It was so clear now that she was facing that gun. She wanted to live, and she didn’t want to waste another single minute being afraid. Maybe it would all end up going wrong, but she wanted to try.
She opened the door and got ready to run. She fumbled with the doorknob as she stepped out of her shoes. She couldn’t run in them. She would have to go barefoot.
“Open the door, Serena,” Brian commanded. “Get a move on. I can shoot her from here.”
Bridget was so still. Was she dead already? Serena thought she saw her chest move up and down, lightly breathing, holding on to life. Chris would find her, or Jake and Adam would come looking and discover Bridget. She still had a chance. And Serena would have to take hers.
She took a deep breath and threw the door open wide, ready to run. She stumbled over a body. God, there was another body. The uniformed officer lay on the concrete, the back of his head a bloody mess. Serena struggled to her feet.
“Hello, Serena.” Doyle stood in the alley, a gun in his hand. “Time to finish up this marriage.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Doyle reached out and pulled at her arm, hauling her close to his body. She felt the press of hard steel against her side. Brian stepped in front of her, a small ball in his hand.
“Open wide, bitch,” Doyle said.
Serena tried to scream, but Brian forced the ball gag in her mouth. He pressed, shoving her back against Doyle.
“Did you kill that cop?” Doyle asked. “We didn’t say anything about killing a cop.”
She struggled but her jaw was forced open. Brian secured the gag. “He’s still breathing, but he’ll have a hell of a headache. And he didn’t see me. All he’ll know is someone hit him from behind and then he woke up to a bunch of dead bodies and one survivor—me. I have to go take care of the loud bitch. I don’t think she’s dead yet. It will be my pleasure to put that arrogant cunt out of her misery.”
Bridget. They were going to finish off Bridget. Serena tried to kick back, but Doyle had her around the neck. He squeezed, cutting off her air.
“Don’t fight me, Serena. I don’t want to kill you just yet. I have to make this look really good.” Doyle started to drag her toward the car. “We have a special place set up for you. You know all those times you wanted me to be a pervert who hurt you? You’re going to get your wish. I’m going to torture you. I’ve been reading up on it, and I think you were right all along. I’m a bit of a sadist, dear. And you’re still righteously disorganized. Did you know I’m still the beneficiary on your life insurance policy? And I recently learned you haven’t filed another will. I told you I would get what belongs to me. And no one will suspect me. I’m with Mother, you see. We’re having a nice long talk at her place in Tyler. Yes, Mother always hated you, Serena. She’s happy to help.”
He’d shoved that damn ball gag in so far. She struggled to breathe. Panic was threatening to overtake her. He started to pull her toward a car she didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Doyle’s sedan, and Brian drove an SUV. They had obviously been planning this together.
She tried to look around the alley. It backed up to another building, but she didn’t see windows or doors. It was quiet in the alley with only two cars parked there and a large trash container. Once they got her in the car, it would take less than thirty seconds to get to the street. Royal Lane was busy. They would disappear very quickly, and Adam and Jake wouldn’t be able to find her.
How was this happening? Just a few moments before, everything seemed open and bright. Now Lara was dead, and Bridget was dying and all because her ex-husband wanted her money. And she hadn’t thought about her will in years. It had been a small thing. They had signed a form Doyle had printed from a legal site on the internet. A very simple will. But it would probably hold up in court.
And they would make it look like the “stalker” had killed them all.
“You think you write great books, sweetheart, but I always was the truly brilliant one. And your so-called agent is an idiot. She gave us the perfect plan. I even bet your filthy, piece-of-crap books will sell better after you’re dead.” He looked back toward the building. “What the fuck is taking him so long?”
Serena went limp, forcing her every muscle to drag.
“Hey.” Doyle stumbled, trying to hold on to her. “Fuck, Serena. Get up. You’re going to get in the car or I will kill you right here.”
Tears clouded her eyes as she made her decision. She wouldn’t get in that car alive. She might end up being his victim, but she wasn’t going to play this his way.
Jake had taught her a few things. God, why had she been so stubborn? The weeks she’d been with Jake and Adam had been the best weeks of her life. Adam had taken care of her, proving to be a true partner, bolstering her where she was weak, and Jake had been a real Dom. A real Dom taught his sub to be strong when she needed to be.
“I said get the fuck up.” Doyle stood over her, that nasty gun pointed right at her head. His feet were planted on either side of her hips, and he stood staring down at her like she was a piece of trash he needed to remove so his life would be lovely again.
Go for the soft spots, Serena. Self-defense doesn’t have to be about strength. It can be about smarts. It can be about using your opponent’s weaknesses against him.
Serena gathered every bit of strength she had. A punch, Jake had told her, shouldn’t stop at the target. A punch should be sent straight through.
“Get the fuck up, bitch. Do you not understand English?”
Serena fisted her right hand and drove up, trying to punch her ex-husband’s balls straight into his gut. She punched with everything she had.
Doyle gasped, his whole body doubling over. Serena pulled the gag out of her mouth and tossed it aside.
Serena took advantage, turning and starting for the street. “Help! Help me!”
She screamed as loud as she could as she ran. If he shot her in the back, then that’s what happened, but she wouldn’t let him take her away. She wouldn’t let him abuse her more than he had. And he wouldn’t get away with it. Jake and Adam would figure it out. They wouldn’t give up. They wouldn’t stop working the case because their client was dead.