Dangerous Betrayals

by Dover, L. P.

Snuggling into him, I felt safe in his arms. We’ve grown a lot closer the past couple of days. In a way, a part of me felt as if I’d always known him, like he’s always been a part of my life. I no longer worried about my hate and fears clouding my vision. I knew with Reed by my side I’d be able to conquer anything. Together we’ll settle this with Jude and put it behind us. I was sure of that now.

  Reed held me tighter. “Want me to tell you something?”

  I rubbed my face against his chest, loving the sound of his heartbeat in my ears. “Go for it.”

  His fingers sent goosebumps down my arm as he trailed them over my skin. “Someone once told me that there are paths you take in life, some good, some bad. One road might be easy with no bumps, another might be full of holes, cracks, bumps, you name it. Eventually, the good and bad will come together and form the path you’re supposed to be on. Yes, you’ve had a lot of shitty things happen to you, but if they hadn’t, you wouldn’t be where you are today.” He kissed the side of my head. “It wouldn’t have led you to me.”

  And just like that, a river of tears fell down my cheeks onto his chest. I sat up and dried him off with the hem of my tank top. “Where did you hear that from?”

  A sad smile spread across his face. “My mother. I wish you could’ve met her. She was a wise woman.”

  More tears fell and I wiped them away. “So was mine.” I reached over him to the bedside table and picked up another cookie. “One thing my mother always said was that chocolate could mend a broken heart. Hope she knows I’m going to gain a thousand pounds trying to mend mine.”

  Shoving the cookie into my mouth, baked perfectly as it was still soft and chewy. Reed pointed at the corner of my mouth and laughed. “You have a bit of chocolate right there.” I was about to lick it off when he closed his lips over mine, sucking my bottom lip between his teeth. My whole body lit up like fire. “I don’t care how much chocolate you eat, sunshine.”

  Closing my eyes, I moaned. “How am I going to work it off?”

  He kissed me again. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”

  Grabbing his hand, I held it to my cheek. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Silence fell over the room and I opened my eyes, only to see his dark with need. “I want to make love to you.”

  My pulse sped rapidly and I sucked in a breath. The way he looked at me made me shiver. “Then what are you waiting for?”

  His fingers brushed the hem of my shirt and he slowly lifted it over my head, keeping his gaze on mine as he unclasped my bra. Gently, he cupped my breast and kneaded it with his warm, strong hands. Fumbling with his shorts, I got them down and he kicked them off, along with his boxers. I ached to feel him inside of me. He helped me out of my panties and shorts and bit his lip as he took me in.

  “God, I want you so fucking bad.” Covering me with his body, he kissed his way up to my lips. “I wish you knew what you did to me.”

  I giggled. “I think I got an idea.” My heart pounded. He pressed against my opening, but I reached down and took him in my hand, gliding it up and down before he could enter me. My thumb rubbed over the tip and a bead of moisture spread across my finger. I loved that I could turn him on.

  “It feels so good when you touch me.” He watched me play with him and his ass flexed as he pushed into my hand. Having had enough, he placed his hand on mine and moved it above my head, clasping his fingers through mine. The other he pushed a finger inside me and then added another as I got more wet.

  The insides of my thighs were damp with need, ready for him to take me, but he still worked me over with his long, lithe fingers. Pulling them out, he traced my nipples with my wetness and sucked them clean before placing his fingers in his mouth.

  I moaned and bit my lip, resisting the urge to touch myself for relief. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait for long. Positioning himself at my entrance, he eased himself inside. Moaning, I gripped his hand and held it tight. With slow, gentle strokes he pushed in and pulled out, over and over. It wasn’t hard and fast like it was the first time we had sex. He was truly making love to me. No one had ever made love to me before, not like this.

  When his lips found mine, I couldn’t keep my eyes from blurring. Reed saw the first drop fall and his brows furrowed. “Kennedy, what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

  I shook my head and squeezed his hand. “Nothing. Everything is right for once. Don’t stop.”

  Picking his pace back up, he wiped away my tears and pressed his lips to mine. “The last thing I want to do is rush things, but I do love you, Kennedy. God help me, I do.”

  Lips trembling, more tears fell, but he kissed them away, licking them off of his lips. My heart soared. He’d told me he loved me before, but this time, I felt it more than anything. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I lifted my hips so he could go deeper.

  When my orgasm hit, his grunts of satisfaction and completion only made it that much more enjoyable. It was the most passionate and fulfilling level of intimacy I’d ever experienced.

  “I love you Reed, more than I could have ever imagined loving someone.”

  Reed unclasped his hand from mine and brushed the hair from my face. His green gaze bore into mine when he leaned down and placed his lips to mine. “I’m so in love with you it hurts.”

  I smiled through my tears and held his face in my hands.

  For the first time in a long time I realized things would be alright.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Reed

  “Tell me the plan again.”

  Kennedy hadn’t even touched her pancakes. I could tell she was on edge. Hell, we both were. It was time we made our first move.

  Last night was epic. She told me she loved me and although I knew her feelings, hearing her unequivocally vocalize it touched me in a way than ever before. Now I know what Ian and my brothers were talking about.

  But we knew this day was coming, hell, I was prepared for it. I already knew how I was going to handle Jude. It wasn’t going to be cut and dry like usual with my other targets, definitely not a gunshot wound to the head. No, Jude deserved pain, and I was going to give it to him. We didn’t have full proof that he was the one who’d killed Ashley and the others, but the signs all pointed to him. I knew it in my bones. Digging deeper into his life, I found old medical records from when he was a little boy. Apparently, he had a history of violent behavior toward other kids, including animals, and had to seek psychiatric help. Did it work? Obviously, not.

  Shoving a change of clothes into my bag, I slung it over my shoulder. “Jude’s car is at his house so I’m assuming he’s still there. I’m going to go to the gym and see if I can get any information on him.” From the information I could gather through our database, Jude had quit working at the gym two months ago. All I really needed was where the fucker lived and we already had that. What I really wanted was time alone to get everything set up. That way, once Kennedy knew the plan, we could roll with it.

  Kennedy picked at her pancakes. “What if he gets wind that someone was asking about him?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe it’ll scare him. He needs to be fearful right about now.”

  She pushed her plate to the side and walked over to me. “You’re not going to do anything without me, are you?”

  In all honesty, I wanted to, but I knew she needed her revenge. It’d be the only time she could face her brother on her own terms. “No,” I replied, expression serious. “I’m just going to get a little insight on him today. After I leave the gym, I’ll drive by his house. Then, when I get home, we’ll talk about the plans.” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into me, wrapping my arms around her waist.

  She laid her head on my chest and sighed. “I’m just ready to get this over.”

  I rubbed her back. “I know, sunshine.” Kissing the top of her head, I let her go. “I’ll be back soon.”

  She leaned up and kissed my cheek. “And I’ll be right here.”

  I wa
lked out to the white Chevy Tahoe we rented and started on my way. There weren’t many cars in the parking lot when I pulled up at the gym which was good. I honestly didn’t expect anything to come of my visit. Turnover was high in the gym business. The people inside probably hadn’t even worked with Jude.

  Grabbing my bag, I went inside and paid for a membership. There was one trainer near the seated leg press machine –a guy who looked to be in his early twenties with dark hair and a huge ego –helping a woman adjust her weights on the cable biceps bar. She appeared to be around the same age and loving his attention by the way she giggled.

  I set my bag down and got to work on the leg press machine. It was pretty early on a Sunday morning so I wasn’t surprised to see that he was the only trainer around. At least, until a woman came through the front door, dressed just like him in a black polo shirt and black pants, scowling at him behind his back as she put on her name tag. She was petite with long, red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and looked to be in her mid-twenties.

  She moved toward my direction and worked on getting the weights all lined up in a row. Once that was done, she looked at me and smiled. “Good morning. You doing all right today?”

  “Yeah, you?” I asked, doing one last leg press. Her name was Lindsey judging by her nametag.

  She shrugged. “Can’t complain.” Then she nodded over at her co-worker. “If you needed help with anything, I’m sorry. He’s new.”

  I smiled at her. “He’s been a little pre-occupied.”

  “Tell me about it,” she replied with a snort. “He won’t last long doing that mess. It’s unprofessional.”

  “How long have you been here?” I asked.

  Pursing her lips, she looked up at the ceiling. “Let me think …” It took her a few seconds, then she focused back on me. “Two years and three months.”

  “Nice,” I said. She would know Jude. “Did you know a guy named Jude who used to work here?”

  She nodded. “Oh yeah, I met him a couple of times. I work morning shifts and he had nights so our paths never crossed much. When we talked, he was pretty nice, not like a lot of the other guys who work here.” If she only knew he was a murderer. It was a good thing she didn’t have blonde hair and hazel eyes.

  I picked up my bag. “I haven’t seen him in a long time. Do you know where he works now?”

  Her eyes widened. “I do. Funny I remember that, but I was the one who got the reference call.”

  We were getting somewhere. “Reference call from where?”

  She pointed toward the street. “The local high school. South Point High. Jude got a job there so they called for his references. Don’t know why he put my name down since we didn’t talk much. I gave him a good report though.”

  South Point High was where Kennedy used to work, along with her mother before she retired. What the fuck was he doing? “What position did he get a job for?”

  She looked up at the ceiling again. “Uh, I think it was to be a substitute teacher. Guess he’ll start there when school begins. I remember him mentioning something about going to college to get a teaching degree.” That was why the high school didn’t come up in the system. He hadn’t officially started working there yet.

  I quickly looked down at my watch. “Lindsey, thank you for everything. I gotta get home and get ready for work.”

  She nodded and waved. “No problem. Thanks for coming by. Have a good day.”

  “You too.” I hurried out of the gym, and as soon as I got in the car, I pulled up Jude’s address on my laptop. His SUV was still in the driveway, but there was now another car, a small silver Honda Civic.

  Time was of the essence. If she was a potential victim, there was no time to waste. Instead of calling Kennedy, I raced toward Jude’s house. It only took about five minutes to get there. When I pulled down his street, an eerie feeling came over me. I passed Martha’s house and I could only imagine how Kennedy was going to feel being near it again. Slowly, I drove past Jude’s and I could see the silver Honda, but whoever it belonged to had already gone inside. I memorized the license plate of the Honda and continued on my way past Kennedy’s old house. It was small, with yellow siding with some sort of flower bushes out front. I could see why she liked living there. I hated that her memories were tainted by her psychotic brother.

  Once back at the lake house, I grabbed my laptop and hurried inside. Kennedy was in the living room, watching TV. As soon as she got a look at my face, she went on full alert.

  “What is it?”

  Joining her on the couch, I put my laptop on my lap and typed away. “Guess where your brother got a job at?” I said, logging into the system.

  I looked over at her and she froze. “Where?”

  “Your old high school. He’s going to be a substitute teacher.”

  Her face paled. “Oh my God.” Focusing back on my laptop, I typed in the silver Honda’s license plate number. Kennedy gasped and grabbed my wrist. “Where did you get that license plate number?”

  I clicked back to my satellite screen so she could see the Honda in Jude’s driveway. “This car pulled up not long ago at Jude’s house. I want to know who it is.” The room fell silent and I focused on her. There was a look of sheer terror on her face. “Kennedy, what’s wrong?”

  She closed her eyes and tears fell down her cheeks. “I know who it is.”

  I grabbed her hands. “Who?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Kennedy

  I felt like I was going to be sick. Like, literally, puke all over the floor. Jude had taken things to the next level. The reason I left Belmont was to protect myself and my friends from the overzealous media. They would never leave me alone. What I didn’t realize until now was that those closest to me would be my brother’s targets.

  Since I couldn’t get the words out, Reed typed in all the information, and there on the screen was Amy’s driver’s license with a picture of her smiling face. Reed sat back and growled. “Motherfucker.”

  My hands shook as I grabbed my phone off the coffee table. “We have to get her away from him.”

  Reed grabbed my wrist before I could call her. “Not yet. If he hears it’s you on the phone with her things might get ugly. We don’t want Amy in the crossfire.”

  I clutched my stomach. “What the hell is she doing with him? She never mentioned anything on the phone about meeting someone new.” Though now that I thought about it it’s been a few days since we’ve talked.

  Reed clicked back on the satellite footage and it just so happened that we got to watch Amy get in her car and drive away. I breathed a sigh of relief, especially when she went straight to her house.

  “We have to go over there, now,” I snapped, jumping off the couch. “There’s no time to waste.”

  Reed folded up his laptop. “I agree. Let’s go. You drive and I’ll keep tabs on Jude.”

  We rushed out to the car and I sped out of the driveway so fast I left marks on the pavement. My heart felt as if it’d beat out of my chest. I couldn’t get to Amy’s house fast enough.

  “Is the sick bastard still at his house?” I asked, glancing over at Reed who kept his focus on his laptop.

  He nodded. “Yep. We’re good.”

  It didn’t take long to get to Amy’s with the way I drove. I parked right behind her Honda and ran up to the door, banging on it as hard as I could and ringing the doorbell. Reed place a hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

  I was desperate and I wanted answers.

  “I’m coming,” Amy shouted from inside. “Geez. You don’t have to ring the bell incessantly.” She opened the door and as soon as she got a good look at me, she squealed and threw her arms around me. “Oh my God, it’s you! You can ring my doorbell as much as you want. What are you doing here?”

  Amy stepped back and wiped away her tears. I haven’t seen her in months, but her chocolate colored hair was still long, maybe a couple inches shorter, and her eyes were still a bright green. Tears filled my eyes. The thought of Ju
de using her to get to me made me angry, but it also terrified me. I could’ve lost her.

  “What were you doing with Jude Hoffner?” I asked, voice thick and barely recognizable to my own ears.

  Amy’s eyes widened in shock. “How did you know that?”

  Reed cleared his throat. “We might want to take this inside.” He held his hand out to Amy. “I’m Reed Chandler. FBI agent.”

  Amy shook his hand. “Amy Parks. Come on in.” I rushed past her and she locked the door behind us. “Kennedy, what’s going on. You’re scaring me.”

  She looked terrified and I hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hurt you.”

  Amy gasped. “Who?”

  I stepped back but kept hold of her wrists. “I’m going to ask again. What were you doing with Jude Hoffner?” The thought of them being together sickened me. I could only imagine how it’d feel to her when I told her the truth.

  Amy glanced over at Reed and shrugged. “Nothing, really. I met him at our teacher’s meeting last week. He’s going to start working at the high school this August. I went over to his house to drop off a copy of the employees handbook.”

  “So you’re not dating him?” I asked, letting her wrists go.

  She shook her head. “No. I mean he came over for dinner the other night and we’re supposed to grab something to eat tonight before he goes out of town tomorrow.” Reed and I looked at each other. It was a relief to know he hadn’t gotten to her that way yet, but the bastard had been in her house. “Why all these questions, Kennedy? You really are scaring me. Not to mention, you’re in town when you’re supposed to be in protective custody.”

  Reed walked over to her couch and opened his laptop. “Actually, she can protect herself. You should see her with a gun.”

  Amy’s mouth gaped when she looked at me. “What the hell have you been doing?”

  I hugged her again. “Finding the killer, Amy. Turns out I know who he is.”

  “Who?” she gasped, pulling away from me with wild eyes.