He exhaled raggedly and opened the folder.
He froze. This wasn’t the correct file. It wasn’t what he’d asked Cassie to take.
Oh, baby.
Cassie had seen the photo of the two of them in his study. She must have guessed the truth of what was going on!
His eyes smarted and he blinked a few times. The bitches couldn’t know.
With unhurried movements, he took one sheet of paper at a time, inspecting the newspaper clippings closely, and laying them face down on the table.
“Are you messing with me, Carter?” Vera asked impatiently. “Hurry up.”
“If I miss it, I’d have to go through this pile again. Besides, I want to live for a few minutes longer, so I don’t mind taking my time.” Think, Carter. Think!
“You’re fucking with us,” she growled. “Stand up.”
Well, that was a better option than looking for evidence that wasn’t there. So he did.
“Cuff him, Bronwyn. We have to go.”
Bronwyn obeyed instantly.
“Move,” Vera ordered, pushing him towards the door while holding the muzzle of her gun against the back of his head.
He smirked. “Putting a bullet in my noggin while my hands are cuffed will not look like suicide, Vera.”
“I don’t want to have to clean up your blood off my floor,” Vera retorted. “I’ll be getting rid of you elsewhere—where your body won’t be found for at least a few days. When they finally do, it will be rotting, and your precious loved ones won’t be able to look without puking their guts out.”
“Gee, you’re really such a hateful bitch, aren’t you?”
“I hate having my plans messed up, Carter. And you’re the biggest thorn in my side. Now, move!”
“You’ll miss me.”
“I’ll be laughing over your dead body,” she hissed.
A loud crack startled them. It was the door crashing open, and in stormed David and four uniformed police.
“I have him, Dave,” Vera said. “I managed to cuff the swine.”
“Good for you,” David said, aiming his pistol at Vera. “Now put your gun down.”
“He means you, Vera,” Carter said cheerily, relief flooding him.
“Of course,” Vera said in surprise, putting her gun on the floor and raising her hands in surrender. “You followed the lead, right, Dave? You saw what Carter’s done? I just figured it out as well. And then he came here to make sure I shut my mouth. But I... what are you doing?”
“Cuffing you,” David said. “We heard what you said earlier.”
Vera’s eyes went wide with fear as an officer led her away.
“Vera,” Bronwyn sobbed, as she too was escorted out.
Vera ignored her.
“You okay, bro?” David said, taking out a key and undoing Carter’s handcuffs.
“Yes, thanks. Where’s Cassie?”
“At your house. She called Gavin who, in turn, called me. I raced here straight away and sent a couple of officers to your place. They found naked pictures of Bronwyn and Al Jackson together in a file that Cassie said she should have handed to Bronwyn but didn’t. She knew there was evidence against Bronwyn there and didn’t want Bronwyn to destroy it.”
Carter chuckled with relief, his eyes misting. She’d saved his life. And he loved her so.
“Where did you get the photos?” David asked.
“From Al Jackson’s mother.”
“What?”
“As you know, I was working on a different case today and had to drive all around Sydney. I had a bit of a lull so I decided to drop by Mrs. Jackson’s. I was just desperate for new clues. At first she couldn’t tell me anything more than what she’s already told us before. But when I asked her again about her son’s past friends or girlfriends, she blushed. Then she told me about this envelope she found under her mattress last weekend.”
“Under her mattress?”
“Yup. Her daughter had bought her a new mattress because hers was over twenty years old, apparently. When it was delivered last weekend, the delivery guys took her old one away as part of the service. That was when she noticed this envelope that she didn’t even know was there.”
“And it contained the naked pictures?”
“Yes. It didn’t occur to her that they might be connected to her son’s shooting until I quizzed her about her son’s past girlfriends. She now hopes the pictures will help catch her son’s killer.”
“Wow. That was lucky. Those photos could have stayed hidden for years.”
“Yeah. After I left Mrs. Jackson’s apartment, I got a call to interview a tourist who might have witnessed something connected to this other case. He was already on his way to the airport to catch his plane so we arranged to meet there. Since my house was on the way, I stopped by quickly to keep the photos there. I wanted to make sure they were safe. Then I got a text from Vera wanting me to come here before I headed home. She said she wanted to go over something she discovered today. When I got here, she pointed her gun at me, then called to Bronwyn. They tied me to a chair upstairs, gagged me, then left to lure Cassie here.” His heart squeezed at the memory of what they’d forced him to say to Cassie.
“Where were they planning to take you?”
“To my death,” he said with a mirthless smile, and told David about the fake suicide plan.
“Unbelievable,” David murmured. “If it weren’t for Cassie calling Gavin as soon as Bronwyn sped off from your house, we might not have made it here on time.”
“I know,” he whispered, his throat closing. “I need to see her now, Dave.”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
They stepped out of the house just as the police cars with the two perps were about to drive away.
“Wait,” Carter called out. He opened the passenger door of the car where Vera was and leaned close to Vera’s face. “You overestimated yourself by underestimating Cassie, Vera.” Then he shut the door and gestured for the witches to be led away.
*****
Carter was grateful at the sight of his house. He was home. And still breathing.
He stepped out of David’s car just as Gavin was hurrying out.
“Glad you’re alive, bro,” his best friend said, hugging him tight.
“Yup. And not a bullet in me,” he quipped.
Gavin chuckled. “Tell me what happened.”
He gave Gavin the condensed version.
“Hell, bro. Glad Dave and the guys got there when they did.”
“I know,” he said. “Where’s Cassie?”
“Inside.”
He walked into his house and air gushed out of his lungs when he saw Cassie sitting on his sofa, being interviewed by a police officer.
“Hi,” he choked, emotions threatening to overcome him.
“Hi,” she responded. “I’m almost done with this interview. I’ll talk to you after.”
“Okay,” he said with a frown. He wanted nothing more than to take Cassie in his arms and kiss her senseless. But something in her demeanour made him hesitate.
“Carter,” David called. “I have some news.”
Reluctantly, he went to David, trying not to be bothered by the coolness of Cassie’s response to his homecoming. Perhaps she was still in some sort of shock. This kind of event didn’t happen every day.
“Apparently, Bronwyn’s talking,” David said. “She’s claiming that everything was Vera’s idea, and that she was just too scared to go against Vera’s instructions.”
“Thank God for that,” he said. “It’ll be easier for me to clear my name against whatever false evidence they’ve stacked up against me.”
David patted his shoulder. “Now that we know to look for signs of tampering, they’ll be easier to uncover. You won’t have a scratch on you.”
He nodded, looking back at Cassie. He hoped his heart would escape further cuts too.
The officer interviewing Cassie stood up and thanked her. Great. Now he could have his girlfriend to himself. H
e went to her.
Cassie gave him a smile, crossing her arms as if she were cold. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said.
“And are you?” he asked, grasping her arms and rubbing them.
“Shaken but fine. Bronwyn’s been arrested?”
“Yes,” he said, frowning. Cassie seemed calm, but she obviously had her walls up. Was this her way of dealing with a traumatic event? “I’m sorry that you had to go through all that.”
She inhaled deeply. “Do you work on cases like this all the time?”
“Not all the time,” he said with a chuckle. “Sometimes my days are extremely boring, like when I have to do surveillance and sit in a car for hours on end. Or do paperwork.”
She smiled. “So how many times has your life been threatened? Or those of your loved ones?”
His chest ached. They were having a conversation like two distant friends, and he didn’t like it. But he didn’t want to push Cassie after what she’d been through.
“I haven’t counted,” he answered. “But most of the time they’re empty threats. Cases like this are few and far between, knock on wood.”
She nodded. “I guess I don’t have a job anymore. I wonder if I have to formally resign.”
He sighed. “We don’t know yet what will happen to the gallery. But I’m sure no one will be surprised if you never turn up there again.”
“Yeah. Well, I should go. I might see if Gavin would give me a lift.”
“No, babe. Stay here.”
Cassie shook her head. “Thanks. But I’d rather go home.”
He stared at her with concern. “Cass, you know that everything I said earlier was done under duress, right?”
“Yes. I know you were threatened. I have to admit that for a while there, I believed what you were saying. But deep inside I knew you weren’t that kind of person.”
“Carter?” David called. “Do you want to run through everything with me tonight?”
No. He wanted to be alone with Cassie.
“You should talk to David now,” Cassie encouraged. “While everything’s fresh in your mind.”
“Cass...”
“Goodnight, Carter,” she said with a hand on his arm, then walked away.
His chest compressed. Why did that feel like goodbye?
“Hey, you okay?” David asked softly.
He shook his head.
“You know that my Abby took a long while to get used to being with a cop, right?” David said. “We broke up a few times before we decided we couldn’t live without each other. I’m sure tonight was a shock for Cassie.”
Carter rubbed his face. Some women couldn’t handle the stress of being a cop’s wife or girlfriend. They couldn’t stand not knowing if their men would come back home to them safe and sound at the end of the day.
Had Cassie decided this was too much for her?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“You sure you’re gonna be okay to be by yourself in your apartment tonight?”
Cassie smiled at Gavin. “Yes, thank you. And thanks again for rushing to our aid tonight, Gavin.”
“No, thank you, Cassie,” Gavin said, taking his eyes off the road to glance at her. “You saved Carter’s life.”
“How close a call was it?” She was afraid to know the answer, but couldn’t help but ask.
“Apparently, they were about to take Carter to another location so...” Gavin paused, his emotions evident.
“So... what?” she whispered.
“So they could kill him and say that he committed suicide.”
Cassie gasped, tears rushing to her eyes.
“Dave and the guys got there just in time, Cassie. Thanks to you.”
She shivered, and said a prayer of thanks. “So who was Bronwyn working with?” she asked.
“It’s just the two of them, as far as the police know at this point. But with Bronwyn willing to sing, maybe she’ll give up more names of other people they’ve used in the past.”
“So who’s this other person?”
“Pardon?”
“The person who was holding Carter hostage while Bronwyn was with me.”
Gavin gazed at her questioningly. “Vera.”
“What?” she asked in utter disbelief.
“Didn’t you know, Cassie?”
“I thought... I thought Vera had been threatened too.”
“No. She was the mastermind, by the looks of it.”
“So she and Carter are not together?”
Gavin shot her an incredulous look. “Are you kidding me, Cassie? No way! And not because Vera’s a crook—we all didn’t know that until today—but because Carter’s ridiculously in love with you. Why would he be with someone else?”
“But Carter said—” She covered her mouth, her mind recalling Carter’s study. The picture of her and Carter had been there, but she hadn’t seen a single one of Carter and Vera’s. And she’d thought Carter had printed their photo to make Vera jealous...
“Gavin, could we please turn around and head back to Carter’s?”
*****
“It looks like David’s still there,” Cassie murmured, disappointed.
“They’re probably almost finished,” Gavin said. “Just go in.”
She got out of Gavin’s car and walked to the door. She rang the bell.
“Cassie,” David said in surprise. “I was just about to go.” David moved aside to let her in, then said goodbye and closed the door behind him.
Cassie stood still, staring at Carter, who was looking at her as if he couldn’t believe she was there.
“Honey,” she said with a sob.
Then Carter was rushing to her, and she was in his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked, holding her tight and kissing her hair.
Oh, how could she have doubted him? “I should be asking you that.”
“I’m good. Now that you’re here.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what, baby?” Carter asked, holding her face in his hands.
“For believing what you said about you and Vera.”
He frowned. “You mean you thought Vera and I were really lovers?”
She nodded. “I thought that Bronwyn had threatened to hurt both you and Vera. I didn’t realise they were working together.”
Carter stared at her. “So when you gave Bronwyn the wrong file and called Gavin, you were still thinking that I lied about being in love with you?”
She sniffed and nodded again. “All that occurred to me was that you couldn’t possibly be a murderer.”
“What about our picture in my study?”
“I thought you’d printed it off to make Vera jealous.”
“Cassie,” Carter said, his expression displaying his hurt. “How could you believe that after you’ve seen our photo?”
“Because that’s what you told me,” she said in a small voice.
“I also told you I was going to kill your family if you didn’t follow my instructions, and you didn’t believe that.”
“Well, it hit me how unbelievable that was.”
“But me saying that I love someone else, and that I just used you, and that I’m having a baby with another woman, are believable?”
She sniffed.
“And what about all those times that I made love to you and told you I loved you? Weren’t those believable?”
Well, now that he put it that way... “I’m sorry. It was just that you kissed her so convincingly.”
“She was threatening to shoot you.”
“She was?” she asked, eyes widening.
Carter sighed, nodding solemnly.
“Did she have a gun pointed at me?”
Carter hesitated before nodding again.
“So you broke my heart to save my life?”
Carter smiled without cheer, his eyes misting. “My heart was just as broken, sweetheart. I was dying inside. I thought I’d be gone, and that you’d only remember me as a revolting man who used you. It was a physical pain
I never want to experience ever again.”
“Oh, Carter,” she whispered, putting her arms around him and squeezing him tight, wanting to meld herself with him to ease both their hurt. “I love you so much.”
“And I love you, baby. Only you. Please never doubt that again.”
“Okay,” she said simply, sincerely, and kissed him with all the passion she could muster.
*****
“Morning.”
Cassie smiled at the handsome face leaning down over her. “Morning,” she answered. “What time is it?”
“Eight. I have to go to work now, but I didn’t want to leave without waking you up.”
She placed a palm on his face. “I’m glad you did.”
“I’ve called Tash, Lexie and Erin. They’re coming here. They’re taking the day off so they could be with you today. I tried to call Jade too, but I didn’t realise she’s still on her honeymoon.”
“Oh, Carter,” she said, sitting up and hugging him. “I’m okay, but I’m so glad they’re coming. Thank you.”
“I wish I could spend the day with you too. But I’m keen to make sure the proper paperwork is done and procedures are followed so Vera and Bronwyn stay behind bars.”
She nodded, although if she had the choice, she’d keep him by her side. “Are you okay, honey? Last night was...”
“It was hell,” he said with a wry smile. “But I’m fine. Can you stay here again tonight?”
She smiled. “Yes. I’ll make us a nice dinner then. What time are you coming home?”
“No later than seven. Earlier if I don’t get held up by something urgent or unexpected.”
“Okay.”
“And can you stay again tomorrow night?”
“I’d love to.”
“And the night after?”
She chuckled. “How many nights do you want me to stay?”
“Indefinitely.”
She stared at him.
Carter caressed her face. “Cassie, I saw a gun pointed at your head last night. And for a few hours, I honestly thought I’d be dead before the night ended. You might think I’m going too fast, but the way I’m feeling right now, I want nothing more than to come home to you, hold you close every night and wake up next to you in the mornings. Move in with me, Cass.”
She took a deep ragged breath, his words resonating with her. “Okay.”
The Undercover Playboy (Captured by Love Book 3) Page 15