Flop sweat swamped her underarms and her knees shook. She was sure if Miranda and Kenslo hadn’t grabbed her arms that she’d fall into a heap. Even if they let go of her, Tilly knew the two would never let her live.
Her mind went blank.
The elevator stopped on her floor. They hustled down the hall toward Jordan’s room with the gun digging into her flesh at each step. The red eye of the security camera mounted near the ceiling gave her a ray of hope. Maybe she could signal she needed help.
Kenslo saw the camera as well. His hand squeezed tighter around her arm. “Look straight ahead and smile. We’re having a good time. We are having a good time, aren’t we, Tilly?”
“Just peachy.” The words came out on a croak of fear.
They stopped in front of Jordan’s suite. Miranda held out her hand. “Give me the key card.”
“I can’t reach it with both of you holding my arms like this.”
Miranda let out an exasperated sigh. “Which pocket?”
“My right front.”
The feel of the crazy woman’s fingers digging into her pocket was a violation. They wriggled around until she pulled out the key card. “You always land on your feet, don’t you? Who would’ve thought Kelly would be the one to come to your rescue? Wonders never cease.” She slid the card into the slot. The green light came on and she opened the door.
Kenslo shoved her into the room without ceremony.
Jordan wasn’t there. She breathed a sigh of relief until she heard the toilet flush, followed by the sink running. She pulled in a deep breath, intent on screaming out a warning.
“Don’t even think about it,” Kenslo growled.
Jordan ambled out and his face filled with excitement the moment he caught sight of her. “Hey, I figured out the identities of the killers. It’s…” His words trailed off as he watched the agent drag her into the room.
“Miranda and Kenslo.” She finished his sentence and cast Jordan an apologetic glance. “He threatened to hurt other people if I didn’t come up here.”
The hard metal left her aching side. Kenslo waved the gun around, making sure Jordan understood the consequences for any rash moves. “Like I told Ms. Danes, here. You’re going to kill her, then yourself.”
His response wasn’t what she expected. Jordan smiled and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
How could he stand there so nonchalant while Kenslo pointed a gun at him? The man was either nuts or had balls the size of Texas, and since she knew that wasn’t true, Tilly voted for crazier than a shit house rat. He would get them killed.
He leaned against the desk and hoisted his backside up until he was perched on the edge. “I don’t have a reason to kill her, or do I, Matilda?” He squinted his eyes in question. She shook her head. “Didn’t think so.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought this whole thing over, and tell me if I get anything wrong. Bolzano drugged the wine—”
“He did what?” Miranda’s screech was loud and full of disbelief. “That jerk.”
Kenslo squeezed Tilly’s arm as if he forgot he still held her in an iron grip. “He saw us.” His gaze flickered over to Miranda and back to Jordan. “He’d doctored the wine. The stupid man wanted Ethridge to get sick before the contest. Can you believe it? Bolzano had the nerve to blackmail me.” His fingers became more painful with each word. “The bastard knew we killed Ethridge.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Miranda’s surprise would’ve been hilarious in any other situation.
“You’re an idiot. The Botox you shoot into your face has eaten your brain.” He pulled Tilly closer, and the gun ground against her ribs. “I had to kill Bolzano to cover up the murder. Lord, you trailed around these two with a camera while they sniffed out clues with that bloodhound detective. They were getting too close.”
Her face flushed bright red, and her green eyes glittered with anger. “You’re not the only one who has problems. Nick saw the video and was this close. She held up her hand, her thumb and pointer finger pinched together. “This close to finding out. I pushed the poor slob down the stairs.”
“By the way, Nick’s alive.” Jordan gave them a smile and raised his eyebrow.
“See, you’re worthless. He’s not dead, is he?” Kenslo aimed at Jordan again. “Anything else I should know?”
Kenslo was so wound up that he might start shooting before either she or Jordan could figure a way out of this mess. “Please, let’s talk this over,” she begged.
“There’s nothing to say, except bang bang.” Kenslo glared at his accomplice. “You better keep your head, or you’ll end up like these two.”
“It’s not my fault.” Miranda began pacing the room, her face taking on the tightness that meant she was one step away from hysterics. “Besides, I didn’t plan to kill Max in the first place. You did.”
Jordan slid off the table and took a step toward her. “I understand.” His voice was low and held a hint of seduction. “You were an unwilling participant, even if you did put a healthy dose of botulism in the goat cheese. Now, that was clever. No one would ever know that you give yourself Botox injections.”
“Working part-time for a day spa while I went to college came in handy. Now I buy the stuff online to keep things nice and tight.”
“It looks good on you—too bad it was wasted on Ethridge.”
She responded with all the finesse of a fish chomping down on a well-cast lure. “I just wanted to show Max how much he needed me. I’d be by his side while he was sick, take care of him, make him see that he loved me.” She pointed at Kenslo. “But Max dropped like an elephant just as he came to the door. I thought he would help me. Instead he stripped, forced me at gunpoint to take off my clothes and help drag Max into the bathtub.” Miranda shuddered, her eyes grew distant. “It was horrible. So much blood. I didn’t think there would be that much blood.”
“You’re right. It wasn’t your fault,” Jordan crooned, taking another step closer.
Kenslo dragged Tilly back. “Shut up, Miranda. Just shut the fuck up.”
“Everything was planned, right down to stealing the container, placing it in the refrigerator, wasn’t it? Olivia was your scapegoat. And all the time, you acted so upset.” Jordan had the audacity to clap. “Bravo, Kenslo, bravo.”
“What was I supposed to do?” He waved the gun, this time in front of Tilly’s face.
If only she could grab it without it going off.
“The asshole planned to dump me, go with the Edward Salter Agency. He had a new book and show that he planned to pitch to them.” The man’s voice grew more strident. Sweat beaded his upper lip. “Not without me. Oh no. I made him what he was. He had the gall,” he shouted, “the absolute gall to terminate me. I’m the one who says when the deal is done. It doesn’t matter if he’s dead. I’ll still get my percentage of sales, which I expect will skyrocket. As for Olivia—she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I couldn’t help it. She made it so easy.” He gave Tilly a shove in Jordan’s direction. “Well, it’s time. See, I say when the party’s over. Tilly, be a good girl and stand over there.”
“No!” Jordan lunged forward. “Don’t!”
Kenslo pointed the gun at her. “I can shoot her right now, but it will mess up the plan. That’s fine. I always have a plan B.”
“Okay, okay.” He backed away. His eyes were full of love and regret. “I love you.”
She wanted to cry, but fear dried up her tears. Even her mouth was cotton dry. “I love you, too.”
“Now that’s sad.” Kenslo heaved a sigh and pointed to the end of the couch. “Let me think.”
Miranda rushed to his side. “Don’t kill her yet.” She leaned over to whisper in the agent’s ear. He didn’t look too pleased, but nodded.
“All right, but make it quick.”
Before she knew what had happened, Miranda marched over to her and punched her in the face.
She saw stars and tasted blood. She didn’t get a chance to catch her breath b
efore Miranda backhanded her. She fell back and cracked her head on the arm of the couch. The next thing she knew, she was on her hands and knees on the floor. It took a couple of seconds before she could hear past the ringing in her ears. Her face under her left eye hurt like crazy.
“That might work even better. Her lip has a nice cut on it.” Kenslo took a step closer to survey Miranda’s handiwork. “I’ll bet she ends up with a black eye.” He looked over at her and smiled. “Nice work. Everyone will think Kelly did it.”
“My pleasure.” Miranda’s smug tone ate through her pain to a place reserved for all her emotional demons. Rage filled her. She was fighting for her life and she had to focus all her engery in what Ruby would call, “a righteous anger.” Miranda stepped closer and gave her a kick in the side that dropped her back to the floor.
The woman laughed and stepped back. “Maybe I ought to kick her again.”
“Stop it!” Jordan’s shout filled the room.
“Let’s not overdo it.” Kenslo pulled Miranda over to stand by him. “You don’t want her blood to stain your suit, do you?”
Tilly glanced at Jordan as she hauled herself back to her hands and knees. Her fingers brushed against her black gear bag where they’d dropped her belongings after claiming them from the luggage hold. There, sticking out of the special loops on the outside, was her trusty rolling pin. She caught his eye and glanced back at her bag in hopes he would understand what she was trying to say.
It was a long shot. She had to try.
She held her stomach with one hand and sidled closer to her bag until it was hidden from their view. Her fingers worked the rolling pin out inch by inch. “You’re the bitch, not me.” She had to get Miranda closer. Baiting her was the only way to get her within arm’s reach. “A hateful toad of a bitch. I would’ve had Hirschberg fire you a lot sooner if I’d known it would be this easy. What kind of woman pushes someone down the stairs? You’re as bad as Kenslo.”
“Don’t say that.” Miranda paced in front of her, each step getting a little closer. “Just be quiet.”
“Shut her up,” Kenslo shouted as he trained the gun on Jordan. “I’ve got to think.”
Just a little closer. “You know Ethridge didn’t love you.”
Miranda took two steps and brought one leg back to kick her again. It was now or never. The straps gave as the rolling pin finally came through the last loop. She got a good grip on the end, brought the rolling pin up, and slammed it hard against Miranda’s ankle bone.
A loud shriek filled the air.
Pain took her breath away as the stitches in her hand tore.
The sound of a table crashing jerked her attention away from the foul-mouthed, sobbing woman. Her heart stammered in her chest at the sight of Jordan grappling with Kenslo for the gun.
Miranda staggered and tried to keep her balance. This time she grabbed the rolling pin with both hands and swung with all her might. The next strike hit the woman’s knee with a satisfying crack, the third made contact with the back of her red-heeled shoes. The heel snapped. Miranda collapsed onto the floor in a heap. She grabbed at her knee and moaned in pain. Tilly held on to her rolling pin tightly, ready to trounce her again if she so much as breathed the wrong way. The sounds of the men fighting tore her attention away from Miranda. She bit her lip between her teeth for a second, debating whether her help would do more harm than good. Her thoughts were cut short. Miranda’s hand grab her ankle.
“You’re going to pay for this, you c—”
She cut Miranda off before she uttered another word with a swat against Miranda’s wrist. The woman let out a string of curses. “Don’t go there. Right now you have one good knee. It would be a shame if something happened to it.” She waved the end of the rolling pin in Miranda’s face. “Think long and hard before you open your mouth again.”
In spite of the throbbing pain in her hand, she held the rolling pin at the ready and watched the two men stumble around the room in a deadly waltz. One step, two steps, until Jordan tripped and fell backward on the armchair, taking Kenslo with him. The gun went off.
She screamed as the men collapsed on the floor.
Chapter Twenty-One
The thunder in Jordan’s ears echoed with each heartbeat, the smell of gunpowder burned in his nostrils, but he still had the gun gripped tight in his hand. He glanced over at Tilly. His brave, wonderful Tilly, who knelt over Miranda with her rolling pin clutched in her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks, even as she smiled at him.
Kenslo jumped to his feet. He ran for the door, clutching his shoulder and screaming. “Go ahead. Shoot me again. I’ll tell everyone you tried to blame the murder on me. That you did it.”
He never made his escape.
The door opened and Jericho stood there poised and ready, gun in hand, like a superhero from the latest blockbuster action film. For once, Jordan didn’t care. Several officers followed him into the room.
Kenslo gripped the top of his arm. “He shot me. Kelly tried to kill me.” He pointed at Jordan, his face twisted in pain and blood ruining the sleeve of his Armani suit.
Jericho’s eyes zeroed in on Tilly and nodded to the officers to take Kenslo into custody. “Are you all right?”
“No,” she wheezed out. “But I think I’m in better shape than she is.” She pointed her rolling pin at Miranda.
“She assaulted me.” Miranda’s face turned an ugly shade of red. “I want to press charges.”
“You’re telling me that she gave herself a shiner and a bloody lip?” The detective crouched beside Miranda’s writhing body. She took her hands away to show the fast-swelling flesh around her knee. Her ankle was already a puffy blue.
“See. It was self-defense. She came at me with the rolling pin.”
“I’ll have to admit that she did a number on you.” Jericho took out his phone and snapped a few pictures. “Evidence. CSI will take more at the hospital.”
“The bitch broke my knee and ankle,” she sobbed. “Oh my God, it hurts. I’ll never be able to wear heels again.”
“Not a problem. You’ll be wearing slip-ons in prison.”
“What? No, no, you don’t understand.” She looked around wild-eyed and moaned. Her face paled with real pain and the sudden reality that she would go to jail for her crimes. “I didn’t kill Max. Austin did it. He forced me to help him with the body. Please, you have to believe me.” Tears followed her mournful plea. She batted her lids in a well-practiced move that let some trickle down her cheeks while a few remained, glittering like dew on her lashes.
“Shut your mouth.” Kenslo struggled with the men holding him. “She’s lying. Don’t believe anything she says.”
Jericho rose and went over to inspect the wound on the man’s arm. “Get him out of here. Take him to the security office until the ambulance arrives. The shot did more damage to his suit than his shoulder.”
“I can’t go to jail. I just can’t.” Miranda wept.
“Well, you see, that’s the problem. You’re an accomplice, and Nick finally regained consciousness. He stated that you pushed him down the stairs.”
“No, no, no, no.” She shook her head and repeated her mantra as if it would make all the bad things go away. “No, no, no, no, no.”
“Reality bites. The EMTs will be here shortly to take you to the hospital, and then you’ll be transferred to the county jail.”
Jordan stumbled to his feet and scrambled over to Tilly’s side. He crouched beside her, half afraid to touch her. He saw the way the bitch had kicked her in the side. His first reaction was to tear Miranda apart, piece by pretty piece. His gut churned with frustration and the need to make sure she wasn’t badly injured. It was a good thing that Jericho was between him and Miranda. “Matilda, you swing a mean rolling pin.” He draped his arm over her shoulder and felt her trembling under his light touch. “You’re shaking. Tell me the truth, how badly are you hurt?”
“I think I took a good hit in the ribs with those shoes of hers.” She grimaced w
hen she pulled in a deep breath and reached up to touch the back of her head where it hit the couch. “Ouch. There’s a lump the size of a goose egg.”
“I think you’d better let the doctors take a look.”
“Okay.”
For once, Tilly didn’t argue with him. Jordan wasn’t sure if he should be thankful, or more concerned that she didn’t put up a fight.
He was impotent, unable to ease her physical pain, unable to exact revenge for the damage Miranda had inflicted on the woman he loved. Instead, Jordan planted a chaste kiss on top of Tilly’s head. “Tell you what, I’ll call for a limo. A big white one with a bright red cross on top.”
Jericho nodded and told one of his fellow officers to call in for a couple of ambulances. He turned to him and held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
It was a relief to hand over the weapon. He hadn’t realized he still held the damn thing in a death grip. “The bastard planned to kill us. I managed to grab it just as she whacked Miranda’s foot with her rolling pin. Kenslo and I were struggling when it went off.”
“That’s a lie. He’s the killer,” the man bellowed as one of the officers cuffed him. “Kelly planned to kill Tilly and then me. He wanted it to look like a lovers’ quarrel.”
Jericho turned to Kenslo, his eyes no longer flat and gray but full of fire. He gripped the front of Kenslo’s suit jacket in both hands and brought the man to his toes. “Your DNA was found at the crime scene, and I know for a fact that Tilly only has eyes for Jordan.”
“Impossible. How could my DNA have been anywhere near the body? Sure, I was in the suite, I’m his agent.” Kenslo’s face twisted in pain. “This is police brutality. I’m injured.”
The wail of sirens outside the building sounded all the way to the top floor of the hotel.
Miranda cried louder. “He made me do it. He made me do it.”
Recipe for Love (Entangled Select Suspense) Page 26