The List

by Velvet Vaughn

  It didn’t need to be said, but Jac did anyway. “We don’t have days.”

  Thirty

  Jac circled the table, gathering the empty Chinese food containers. Ever since Luke and the Bradley brothers moved their operations from the guest house to the main one almost a week ago, the amount of food they consumed amazed her. When they ordered pizza, they ordered a half dozen. When someone brought home burgers, they brought two dozen. You would never know by looking at them, but the four men could really pack away the food.

  She glanced at the group watching Sports Center on ESPN. Although the men went to great pains to act as if nothing was amiss, the tension in the room was palpable.

  Matt and Luke rushed home after Logan’s call about the note from Nicole. After everyone examined the letter, realization of the danger could no longer be denied. Logan muttered an expletive and then drove to the high school to provide extra protection for Lauren. Detective Hurley and the police had left then, too, taking the note with them.

  Tomorrow was D-day. She knew for a fact she wouldn’t sleep a wink tonight. She talked Matt into calling his secretary and telling her he wouldn’t be in tomorrow. They would stay in the house with Luke and all the security measures in place. Detective Hurley agreed to add two plain clothes cops at the school as well. Lauren would be well guarded.

  She excused herself and retreated to her room. It wasn’t as grand as Matt’s, but she loved it just the same. Where Matt’s room boasted an exotic feel, Jac’s was a seaside cottage. The room’s soft blues, greens, and whites helped to calm her. She took a deep breath and leaned back on the closed door. A four poster bed in white wicker faced the fireplace and a dresser made from the same material lined one wall. Thought and care had gone into decorating, from the lighthouse light to the mermaid wall hanging to the surfboard perched in a corner. The entire back wall sported windows that looked out over the lake. Sheer white curtains framed French doors leading to a small balcony and Jac could picture a warm breeze blowing through the opening, ruffling the fabric.

  She crossed the room and dropped into the armchair facing the fire and ran her hands along the plush suede. She swung her legs up and rested them on the ottoman. This was an ideal place to read a book, sip wine, or dream of fairy tales about as likely to happen as touching a fat, twinkling star.

  Each bedroom had its own private bath and hers featured a garden tub. She didn’t have to strain to hear it calling her name. She rose and stripped on the way, leaving a trail of clothes littering the floor like breadcrumbs.

  After a relaxing soak in lavender and chamomile scented bubbles that purportedly induced slumber, she padded to the dresser and slipped on a lacy red camisole and matching tap pants. It was a set from her shopping spree at Victoria’s Secret. She hoped the outfit would inspire sexy Matt dreams.

  She flipped off the lights but left the gas powered fireplace glowing. Slipping under the down comforter, she snuggled under the warmth.

  Something tickled her leg. Half asleep and hoping not to find a spider crawling up her thigh, she swiped at the spot.

  “Ow.”

  Her eyes popped open. Unless spiders had miraculously learned the intricacies of speech, she wasn’t alone in the bed. She was afraid to look at the clock knowing it had to be past midnight, making this October twenty-ninth. D-day.

  She opened her mouth to scream just as a large hand halted her cry and stole her breath.

  Thirty-one

  Fear crashed over Jac as a hand sealed her mouth shut. Oh God! Had the killer somehow slipped through the security surrounding the house and found his way into her bed?

  “Shhh. Don’t make another sound,” a voice rasped in her ear.

  She stilled as resolve kicked in. She wouldn’t be a victim. She’d not let this thug get the two people who meant the world to her.

  Counting on surprise, she said a quick prayer that the man didn’t have a gun, and shoved her body back as hard as she could manage from the awkward position.

  “Oof.”

  Unfortunately, she didn’t count on him keeping his grip. He sailed off the side of the bed, taking her with him. His back slammed to the wood floor and she bounced on top.

  “Damn, that hurt.”

  “Naa,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Naa.”

  “Huh?”

  Jac slapped at the hand covering her mouth.

  “Wha…oh.”

  The hand disappeared.

  “Matt!”

  The hand returned. “Shh!” he growled in her ear. “You’ll wake the entire house, if the crash didn’t do it already.”

  She scrambled to roll over and grasped his face between her hands. His eyes were clamped shut. “Are you okay?”

  One lid peeped open. “I think I broke my ass.” The eye snapped closed again.

  Jac smiled. “Well…it is crac—”

  “Don’t say it!”

  Thundering footsteps pounded down the hall, followed by a loud rap on the door.

  “Jac?” Logan called out. “Are you okay? I’m coming in.”

  “Great,” Matt growled.

  Fortunately they landed opposite the door so they were hidden behind the bed. Jac scrambled up and peeked over the disheveled comforter. She had to fake a cough when her foot accidentally landed in a tender spot and Matt groaned in misery.

  “I’m fine, Logan. Clumsy me.” She tossed her hands out to the side palms up in a helpless gesture. “I fell right off the bed.”

  Luke pushed in behind Logan, who took another step and froze. The men’s eyes widened and slowly moved from her face to her chest. Jac followed their gaze down and realized she was wearing a lacy camisole so flimsy and sheer, she just flashed them like a drunken sorority girl at Mardi Gras.

  “Eek!”

  Her hands slapped across her body and dropped beside the bed. “S-sorry for the interruption,” Luke burbled.

  “She fell off the bed,” Logan mumbled at the same time.

  Her face felt on fire, but she wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or Matt’s talented fingers plucking at her nipples. She had to fight hard to stifle a moan.

  “Th-thanks for, um, you know, checking on me,” she offered magnanimously. “Well, um, goodnight then.”

  Her words snapped them from their trance.

  “Oh, right. Goodnight,” Logan said distractedly.

  “Sleep tight,” Luke added. They stumbled and bumped into each other in their haste to retreat.

  “Oh, and Jac?” Luke called over his shoulder.

  “Yeah?”

  “Tell Matt we said goodnight.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he heard…” she said before she realized her tactical mistake. She’d just confirmed Matt was indeed in the room. She rushed to correct her mistake when Logan and Luke’s deep chuckles drifted across the room.

  “No…I didn’t mean…what I meant to say was…oh, forget it,” she muttered, dropping her face to the bed. The door clicked shut and laughter continued down the hall.

  Matt yanked her down and absorbed her surprised gasp with his lips.

  “I’m sorry. I couldn’t stay away,” he murmured between kisses. “I needed to feel you, hold you, make love to you.”

  He knew. Somehow he knew she needed him tonight. She ran her hands through the curls on his chest. She had dreamed he’d made love to her but this was much better.

  “I wanted to be with you but I thought a full house made it impossible.”

  “Nothing is impossible,” he whispered.

  “How’s your bruised…backside?” She grinned and shot him a saucy grin. Tentatively her hands roved down his sides to knead the flesh on his lean hips.

  “I’d ask you to kiss it and make it feel better but then, I’d be asking you to kiss my ass, wouldn’t I?”

  Jac laughed at his joke and dropped her mouth to his. “You’re a real comedian, aren’t you?” she said against his lips.

  “If you think that’s funny, then…” He stop
ped abruptly and broke their kiss, his brows forming a deep V above his nose.

  “Matt?”

  “What are you wearing?”

  He didn’t give her a chance to answer. He gripped her arms and hoisted her above him. His eyes traveled down her body and he emitted a tortured sound. “Are you trying to kill me?” He groaned and pulled her against his chest. He ran his hand from her head and down her back and then went still.

  “Matt?” She was starting to sound like a broken record.

  He thrust her above him again and she gasped in surprise.

  “I’ll kill ‘em!” he roared.

  “Who?”

  “Colton and Bradley!”

  Jac didn’t like the murderous look on his face.

  “I was thinking of you when I put this on.” A wicked grin painted her lips. “I hoped it would inspire…naughty dreams.”

  He bared his teeth in a growl and jerked her against him, his mouth slamming against hers. He consumed her, his tongue taking possession. She melted against him, molding her body to his hard muscled one. He wore boxer shorts and she could feel his length, telling her just how much he wanted her.

  “I guess I didn’t do permanent damage when my foot inadvertently came into contact with, er, little Matt? I mean big Matt,” she hurriedly corrected when his eyes narrowed in protest.

  “Damn straight! I’ll show you little,” he added under his breath.

  He proceeded to show her all night long.

  Thirty-two

  October 29

  “Stop pacing. You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” Jac admonished.

  Matt was doing his best caged tiger imitation, prowling back and forth, back and forth, one step away from throwing back his head and roaring while his paws rattled the cage. Luke and Logan decided it would be best if he didn’t chaperone the dance as he originally planned. They wanted Lauren separate from Matt and Jac. If something happened, Dan could whisk her to safety.

  “I should have never let her go. I should be there. I should have listened to my instincts and I should have sent her to my parents.”

  “That’s an awful lot of should haves,” Jac attempted at levity.

  He didn’t find her joke amusing. In fact, he scowled.

  “Cops are crawling all over the gym. Dan is glued to her side. He’ll call us immediately if a problem arises. She’s safer there than anywhere. Matt, if the killer is targeting either me or you, having Lauren separate from us makes the most sense.”

  He collapsed next to her on the couch and scrubbed a palm down his face. “I know. I’m sorry I’m being paranoid.” He sighed deeply. “It’s just that she’s my baby, my life. If something happened to her…”

  “Shh.” She moved into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t think about that.” She kissed his jaw and nuzzled his neck. “Luke and Logan are professionals and—”

  Ring.

  “Oof.”

  Jac plummeted to the floor as he jumped up to answer. She ignored the sting and chewed her lip nervously.

  “Yes, she’s right here.” He looked at her worriedly. “Oh, no.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, okay, we’re on our way.”

  “What?” She scrambled to her feet. “Matt what happened? Is it Lauren?”

  He grabbed her shaking hands. “Jac, I’m sorry. A fire…your club…”

  “W-what?”

  “That was the fire chief calling to—”

  “No!” She rushed to grab her purse, not letting him finish the sentence. “I’ve got to help put it out.”

  “Sweetheart.” He grabbed her from behind and wrapped her tight against his body. “Nothing you can do will help. It was a total loss.”

  Matt’s grip was the only thing that held her up when her vision blurred and her legs collapsed. He picked her up and held her in his arms. Luke and Logan, alerted by the phone, stood silently behind them.

  She felt numb. Empty. She couldn’t even cry. “I want to go. I need to go.”

  “Are you sure?” When she nodded he looked at Luke, who offered to get the car.

  * * * *

  “Mr. Bradley?”

  Dan turned and spotted the short, brown-haired woman who called his name. He remembered her from when she dropped a file by Matt’s house weeks ago. “You’re Matt’s secretary. Ms. Jones, isn’t it?” She smiled sweetly and nodded. “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s my daughter’s first dance,” she stated proudly. “I volunteered to chaperone.”

  “Which one is your daughter?”

  “She’s right over there.” Pointing to a shy-looking girl with long brown hair, she added, “She was nervous. We drove all the way to Indy to buy the dress.”

  “She’s pretty,” Dan complimented. “And I must say, you don’t look old enough to have a daughter in high school.” Flirting was second nature to him. He didn’t even know how to turn it off.

  “That’s a sweet thing to say. Thank you.” A beat passed. “Actually, I’m glad I found you. We just moved here this fall and I don’t know the other parents. I volunteered to keep the paper stocked in the bathrooms but they’re almost out in the ladies room. I went to get refills and being vertically challenged,” she joked, “I can’t reach it. I couldn’t find a ladder so I came looking for a tall man to assist me. Do you think you could give me a hand?”

  “Uh...” He cast a look at Lauren, her mega-watt smile sparkling like thousands of tiny diamonds in the overhead lighting. She was surrounded by an adoring crowd, dancing to “Monster Mash” and laughing. What could happen in two minutes with that many people around her? She should be safe. “Sure thing.” He followed Matt’s secretary as she flawlessly navigated the winding hallways to a door marked ‘Janitor.’ She twisted the handle, but it didn’t budge.

  “Darn, he must have relocked it. If you don’t mind waiting one second, I think I saw the custodian down the other hall. I’ll send him right over.”

  Dan debated the situation, torn on helping this woman or heading back to Lauren. Lauren was in a room filled with people and this shouldn’t take but a few minutes. “I’ll wait.” The woman hustled away and he examined the hall lined with lockers. A shudder racked his shoulders. God, he hated school. Even the smell made him nauseous.

  He shifted feet impatiently and was about to leave when a short mustached man wearing a gray jumpsuit and Indiana hat pulled low over his eyes lumbered down the hallway. He jangled a set of keys.

  Dan nodded to the man. “How’re you doing?”

  The man grunted and jammed a key in the lock. He shoved the door open and flipped a switch on the wall, illuminating the small space. Stepping back, he allowed Dan to enter.

  Spotting the white rolls on the top shelf, he said over his shoulder, “I see what I need.” He’d just reached for a roll when a sharp pain exploded in his skull and brightly colored spots swam in his eyes before they rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the cold concrete floor.

  * * * *

  A dense black cloud hung ominously above where Jumping Jacks once stood. Red lights illuminated the horizon, highlighting the blackened ruins. Thick hoses crisscrossed the damp pavement like thousands of fat gray snakes. The cloying scent of charred remains choked the air as sirens, static-filled walkie-talkies and raised voices mingled in the background.

  Jac stumbled from the vehicle in a daze, her hands covering her mouth as she watched her dreams go up in flames. Literally. Matt hugged her against his side while Luke and Logan left to find the fire chief.

  “Jac!”

  Jac twisted and saw Darlene rushing over, tears streaming down her soot-covered face.

  “Darlene.” She ran to embrace the woman and smoothed her friend’s short red hair. “Are you hurt? Oh honey, were you inside when the fire started?”

  Darlene gripped tighter and buried her face against her shoulder. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

  Jac met Matt’s eyes over her assistant’s head. “Why are you sorry?”

>   “I…it’s my fault,” Darlene wailed in shuddering sobs.

  Gripping her friend’s upper arms, Jac pulled back. “Did you accidentally start the fire?”

  Darlene shook her head and flicked the tears from her face, smearing the soot. She glanced away. “It wasn’t an accident.”

  Jac stepped back involuntarily and froze, blinking rapidly.

  Matt clutched Darlene’s arm and spun her around. “What the hell do you mean it wasn’t an accident?”

  She shook her head frantically. “Oh no. I didn’t set the fire. I-it was Marc, my…ex-boyfriend,” she explained.

  Jac could only stare open-mouthed, her body completely immobilized by shock.

  Matt said, “You better explain because I’m about to lose my patience.”

  Darlene nodded jerkily as her hands wrapped around her waist. “I’ll start at the beginning.” She breathed in and launched into the story. “A man came to the club to sign up for a membership one day when Jac was gone. At least that’s what he told me.” She swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “We…hit it off and he asked me out.” Her shoulders lifted. “I accepted.”

  Darlene started pacing. “I thought he cared about me but he kept questioning me about Jac. When I asked him why he wanted to know about her, he told me that he hated her, wanted to get back at her for something she did to him a long time ago. He wanted to scare her a little, settle a score.”

  “And you agreed to help with his scheme,” Matt said. A statement, not a question.

  Darlene looked down, nodded. Jac inhaled sharply.

  “Exactly how far did he go to scare her? Murder?”

  Darlene’s head snapped up. “What?” She waved her hands. “Oh no, no, surely he never committed murder. But I-I told him about Jac’s list and how everyone ended up dead and he used that to scare her.”

  A meaningful silence filled the air. “How do you know about the murders, Darlene?” Jac’s voice was wooden, hollow. “I never told you. I purposefully withheld that information from you.”