by Desiree Holt
“Want to tell us what happened here?” one of the other cops asked Liam.
“I’ll do the best I can. It just all happened so fast.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to pull his thoughts together. He was having trouble sorting the whole thing out in his own mind. He finally managed to tell them, in terse sentences, what had happened. They took his name and Mary’s and one of them went to call it in.
“Does this woman work for you?” A deputy who identified himself as Robert Mason pointed at Mary.
“She was doing some work for us,” Liam explained. “Listen, this whole thing happened so fast.”
“It always does.” He looked from one to the other. “Okay, give me your names. And, ma’am? I’ll need to see a license for this gun.”
The deputy, who told them his name was Derek Boone, wrote down the information from the license, then focused on Liam.
“Any idea what happened here? What started the whole thing? And who is the woman in the car?”
“One of my employees. She was—
“Hold on, Boone.” Another cop, who had been talking on his radio, jogged over to them. The nameplate on his pocket identified him as Rod Fenton. “Put a pin in it. This is the guy who’s accused of murder.”
“And free on bail,” Liam pointed out, and looked at Mary.
She pulled out her cell phone. “Let me make a call, officers, and I think I can get you that information.”
“Wait.” Boone held up a hand. “Who are you calling?”
“Radio in and tell them I’m calling Charley Graham. I believe he’s well-known in the department.”
While Boone passed along the information, Mary turned away so she could speak privately. Then he handed her phone to the deputy. “Here you go.”
They both waited while the deputy took the call. His attitude changed from slightly belligerent to respectful. Then he gave the phone back to Mary.
“Okay.” He nodded. “We’ll wait right here for you until the gentleman gets here.”
Liam just stared, then shook his head. It was getting better and better to have friends in high places.
“We’re going to need to question all those people in the parking lot. I’m guessing they work here?”
Liam nodded. “For me.”
“Then you could help us by telling them to be cooperative.”
His staff had more questions for him than the cops did for them, but he just told them to give them whatever they knew. He did take Rosalie aside and brief her. She was already on the phone, calling someone to repair the security arm.
Finally, the police were satisfied they gotten everything they could from everyone—which amounted to very little because they knew almost nothing. Charley Graham had arrived to make nice with the cops and wind things up at the building.
And Liam was free to head for the hospital with Mary Sirota right behind him.
* * * *
When they reached the hospital, Noah was already there, waiting for them at the Emergency entrance.
Of course, he is, Liam thought. I shouldn’t be surprised at anything anymore.
“She’s in surgery,” he told them. “Your quick action helped, Liam. Probably saved her life. She’ll be out of surgery in a couple of hours or so. The cops are sending someone to guard her as soon as she’s moved to Recovery.”
Liam dropped into one of the waiting room chairs. “One of my programmers told me Teri called herself Eight. I asked why and she said because the woman always found herself behind the eightball in life’s game of pool. How sad is that?”
Noah shrugged. “I like to think people can make their own luck. We all, at some time or other, are in desperate situations. It’s how we handle it that counts.”
Liam wondered what dark episode on Noah’s life had made him make that statement, but he wasn’t about to ask.
“I’m not going to ask how you pulled all the strings you did,” he said instead. “I’m just incredibly grateful. But how did you make everything happen and so fast? I mean, calling off the patrol car deputes, moving everything so fast.”
Noah smiled, but it was a particularly lethal grin. “My wife can do anything.”
“Apparently.”
Then all humor left Noah’s face. “We got the vial and had it tested. A few drops of that in your coffee and we’d be attending your funeral instead of sitting in this waiting room.”
Liam felt all the color leach from his skin. “She wanted to kill me.”
Noah nodded. “My guess is the Chinese figured killing you would disrupt things enough at SBD, someone else would take over for the moment and they could still get their shot at the Hoffman drone.”
“Jesus!” Liam rubbed his face with both hands as if he could erase this whole thing.
“Yeah. And Shan was waiting outside with orders to either get confirmation from Teri that the deed was done or kill her if it wasn’t.”
“I feel like this nightmare will never go away.”
“It will,” Noah assured him. “We’re working on that now.”
“Any word on Teri yet?” Mary Sirota hurried into the waiting from. “Sorry, I was just giving my report to Charley. Plus, he got someone over here to take delivery of that vial Teri LaGrange was trying to empty into your coffee.”
Liam shook his head. “This whole thing feels like it’s an unending nightmare. Did the description of the killer’s car go out on the radio? Did anyone spot it?”
“Charley was able to get information from a lieutenant on the police he’s good friends with,” Noah answered. “The car was found about two miles from SBD offices.” He made a rude noise. “Empty, of course. The cops wiped it down for fingerprints. I don’t think they’ll find any but I think we all know who was driving.”
“So now what?”
“Now Charley and Sydney put their heads together to prepare your case to take to the prosecutor and get the charges against you dropped.”
“Even though they don’t have another suspect?”
“That’s not our problem. All we have to do is present sufficient information that proves you couldn’t have done it. And we have that.”
“I’m not sure I even know how to thank you.” Liam rubbed his face as if trying to erase everything that had happened.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Noah told him. “That’s thanks enough.”
“I’ll just be glad when this nightmare is finally over.”
“Soon,” Noah assured him. Even as he spoke, his cell phone jittered in his pocket. “I need to step outside to take this. Just hang in there, Liam. I’m seeing the finish line.”
Mary Sirota touched his arm and looked at him with eyes filled with sympathy.
“I know how devastating this has been for you, but both Charley Graham and the Cantrells are working to wrap up all the loose ends. Meanwhile, let me get you a cup of coffee.”
He accepted the filled Styrofoam cup from her more out of courtesy than anything else, just because she was being so nice. He wandered over to the window, staring at the parking lot below and wondering how the hell everything got so fucked up on a day so filled with sunshine.
Someone touched his elbow and he nearly sloshed the coffee turning around, almost spilling it on Noah.
“Oh, hey. Sorry.”
“No problem. Sorry I startled you. But I do have some good news for you.”
Liam cocked a brow. “Yeah? I could sure use some.”
“Taylor’s been busy. She called a friend in DC and gave him the details on our Chinese friend. The Tampa Police Department has a BOLO—Be On the Look Out—for her and they’ve received permission to send someone to stake out the tourist agency office. When she’s caught, she’ll be arrested, charged, arraigned and deported. The proper authorities are all set.”
“I’d like to see her tried and convicted, and imprisoned here, for what she did but I’ll take whatever I can get. Tell Taylor a big thank you.”
“I will. I also gave Charl
ey Graham the go ahead to finish thoroughly investigating and vetting the rest of your staff. Just in case. You don’t want another Teri popping up.” He held up his hand. “And no thanks. You’ve done that enough already. Let’s get this charge against you dismissed and then we’ll all celebrate.”
Liam had no words for this. But he knew he owed a big thank you to John Martino, who had put him on Arroyo’s radar to begin with.
Epilogue
Liam reached up to the ledge of the hot tub and picked up his glass of wine. He took a sip, letting the crisp flavor roll around on his tongue. He could hardly believe that a month ago he’d been under indictment for murder, one of his top clients had been ready to throw him to the wolves and a woman he’d thought of as his most trusted code writer had been helping the Chinese steal secret plans for a hush-hush drone. Now here he was, in a villa in the Caribbean, finally alone with Sydney and looking forward to the rest of his life.
If she’d just get off the damn phone.
He chuckled. He supposed it was something he’d have to get used to, if they made a life together. Which was exactly what he wanted and what this trip was about.
He closed his eyes, took another sip of wine and let the sun beat down on his face. The warm water of the hot tub gently caressed his naked skin, beating gently against his very hard cock. Where the hell was Sydney? This whole naked-in-the-hot-tub was no good without her. In a minute he’d have to get out and go look for her, walking naked through the house, a condition he was unexpectedly getting used to.
Shan had been arrested at the tourism office, but not without a lot of yelling and screaming. She had been put through the booking process and formally charged, then released into the company of a Chinese official who had been sent to fetch her. Liam didn’t know if the woman had been sent back to China or if she was dead and her body had been disposed of. He just wanted her out of their country, although for all the damage she’d done he hoped back in China, she’d be subjected to a long, unpleasant imprisonment.
The prosecutor had dropped the charges against him, although Sydney had told him the man obviously would rather have prosecuted Liam than deal with the Chinese situation. Sydney had also made sure the media covered it. After all, she’d told him, they should give as much attention to his exoneration as they had to his arrest.
Software By Design was once again operating smoothly, although he knew his staff would remember all this for a long time. After reading the reports from Graham and Associates, he had promoted Phil to the position of senior programmer and devised a different system for how he processed programs once they were written and beta tested. He had also had a long, intense discussion with each of his people on the seriousness of what had just happened, and how it affected the reputation of SBD and its ability to get the high-ticket clients. He was pleased with the results of those meetings. He and Taylor had huddled for several hours on how SBD should proceed going forward to take advantage of its position with Arroyo.
He’d had a long meeting with Robert Hoffman that Taylor had insisted on participating in. Afterwards, he’d thought how nice it was to have that kind of clout. However she’d done it, she’d gotten the DoD off their backs and Liam had written an entirely new security program for the Hoffman server.
All in all, he was feeling very good about things. He’d feel a lot better if Sydney finished her damn phone call and got her very delectable ass back in the hot tub.
He set his wineglass back on the deck, stretched out his arms along the rim and leaned back, letting the sun drench him.
“I’d say that’s the picture of a very contented man.” Sydney’s musical voice was like a caress.
“I’d be a lot more contented if the love of my life was naked and in this hot tub with me,” he answered without opening his eyes.
“Is that so? Well, maybe we can arrange that.”
The water moved as she eased herself into it and shifted around until she was not only facing him but straddling him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He could feel the naked flesh of her sweet, sweet pussy—freshly waxed—as it pressed against his skin. His cock, already demanding attention, bumped its length against her.
“Somebody’s anxious to come out and play,” she teased, sliding back and forth.
Liam cupped her ass with his palms and squeezed the firm flesh.
“He’s more than ready to. But first tell me about your phone call. Another hotshot client who can’t wait for you to return?”
“Not this time. The word is out. Sydney’s off-limits until the end of the week.”
“Damn good thing, too.”
He gave her ass another squeeze then slid his hands up along her sides until he reached her breasts. He gave each nipple a gentle pinch. Then another one, not so gentle.
She tilted her head back. “Hmmm. Wonder if I can extend this time off one more week.”
Liam laughed. “Not that I wouldn’t like it, but I think both of us have things we need to get back to.” Then he sobered. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for taking care of everything so I would have something to get back to.”
“You were innocent,” she reminded him. “Truly innocent. That put me ahead of the game to begin with.”
“So, what was the call?”
“Well, smart ass.” She paused and rubbed her center against him again, groaning as he continued to torment her nipples. “Remember we discussed about where we were going to live?”
He’d never forget it. That discussion had taken place in his bedroom after he’d made her come three straight times before finally sliding into her and giving them both an explosive orgasm that he thought he could still feel. It had been two weeks after the case against him was dropped, two weeks in which they’d stolen every free moment to be together. It might have been fast and furious, and exacerbated by the high-voltage situation that surrounded them. But they had both agreed they had found something very exceptional. That their feelings for each other weren’t temporary or based solely on sex.
“I love you, Syd. I’ve never told it to another woman and I don’t expect I ever will.”
“Ditto.” She’d kissed him then, and given his bottom lip a gentle bite. “God! Who’d have thought something this great would come out of that disaster.”
And that meant they needed to move in together.
The question was where.
“Uh-huh. You pointed out that while my townhouse was great, it didn’t really provide for a lot of privacy, being right on the street the way it was.”
“And that my condo was wonderful but we really needed a bigger one.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
“That was my assistant. Everyone else knows not to call me upon pain of death. Anyway, I put her on the hunt and there’s a condo in my building that would be perfect for us that is about to come on the market. It’s exactly what we want.”
She gave him all the details. Liam believed he could live with Sydney in a jungle hut but he knew getting a new place was high on their list.
“Let’s do it. Our places will sell very fast so we won’t have to worry about that.”
“I love a man who makes up his mind in a hurry.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Good, because I love you, Syd. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“Ditto.” She nipped his lower lip.
“I can’t wait until we’re living together,” he told her. “Permanently.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Permanently?”
“Uh-huh. I want to marry you, Syd. I want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours.”
A look of vulnerability suddenly filled her eyes. “Are you sure, Liam? Because we can live together a long time while we make sure.”
“I’m sure. I was sure five minutes after I met you.” He ran his tongue over her lips. “What about you?”
She smiled. “I’m sure, too.”
“I think we should seal the deal. Don’t you?”
When she no
dded he slid a hand between them so he could reach her cunt, sliding his fingers between the soft lips and rubbing the tender flesh. Each time be brushed her clit, she sucked in a breath, so he did it over and over again. She rode his hand, clinging to his shoulders and moving her hips back and forth.
Liam wasn’t sure how long he could hold on, as badly as he wanted and needed her right now. But he wanted to make sure he gave her every bit of pleasure he could first. When her movements intensified, he pinched her clit hard, before sliding two fingers deep inside her core.
“Oh, god!” She pushed down on his hand.
Liam cupped her head with his free hand and pulled her close for a kiss while he continued to drive his fingers into her again and again. He nipped her bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue and thrusting that tongue inside her.
Damn, but she tasted good. His cock was sending him urgent messages, but he told it to behave. He wasn’t finished with this. He increased the pace of his hand, adding a third finger, stretching her and reaching deep inside her. She moved her hips, riding that hand, letting her tongue duel with his. Her sexy little sounds made him even harder.
Then he felt it, the first little flutters in the walls of her pussy, first stronger, then harder. He increased the pace of his hand even more, stretching his thumb to reach her clit. Then, there it was, her body shattering, her inner walls gripping his fingers with the power of a vise. He felt the strength of her spasm clear through his arm. He stroked her with his fingers until the last of the little tremors faded away. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and let out a long shuddering breath.
“You always make me feel so good,” she murmured.
“How about this?”
She was so wrung-out she was pliant in his arms as he turned them both and moved so her core was directly aligned with one of the jets. Then he punched the button for the highest speed, the stream of water now forcefully pulsing right on her clit.
“Oh, god, Liam. Oh, god.”
She tried to squeeze her thighs together, but he pushed them farther apart and tilted her body for maximum effect. It didn’t take long until she began to move in his grasp, moaning as the water punished her soft, tender flesh. The second orgasm hit her with sudden force, and she shuddered in his grasp as the walls of her pussy spasmed.