Protect

by LK Shaw

  I’d been kissed more times than I could count in my life, but every one of them before Daniel paled in comparison. He kissed me as though his life depended on it. He put his heart and soul into the kiss. At least, it felt that way. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip as he pulled away. I could feel my body leaning toward his as though chasing the kiss, not wanting it to end. Reluctantly, my eyes blinked open, and I stared at Daniel’s face in front of mine. He looked as affected as I felt.

  Now that I’d stopped my mini melt down, I realized Daniel had pulled off to the side of the road and removed his seat belt to get to me. I couldn’t believe I’d been so panic ridden that I hadn’t realized the car had stopped.

  “You better now?” he asked cautiously, as though I was about to have another almost break down.

  My breathlessness now resulted from his kiss and not my anxiety.

  “I’m fine. Sorry about that. Everything just hit me at once.”

  “Totally understandable. You’ve had a stressful few days. I would be more worried if you weren’t terrified.”

  Once he saw that I was back in control, he pulled back out on the road. A short time later, we pulled into my apartment complex. Daniel pulled into a spot and came around to my side just as I was stepping out of the car. I led us into my place.

  “Go ahead and get your stuff.”

  I nodded and quickly headed into my room to get my things. I grabbed my duffel bag from the hall closet on the way and then stood at my closet, staring at my clothes. What did a person take with her when she was hiding out from a cold-blooded killer? Knowing that time was an issue, I just starting pulling clothes off hangers and shoving them in my bag. I’d barely left enough room for my crap from the bathroom, but I managed to shove some basic toiletries in there as well. After straining to get the thing zipped, I heaved it over my shoulder and strode back out to the living room where Daniel was just putting his phone back in his pocket. Although I was curious who he’d been speaking with, I didn’t ask any questions.

  “I’m ready.”

  Chapter 9

  After I got Katie and her bag loaded in the car, we drove in silence to my house. I’d called Connor while she packed, and I was headed to his office after I dropped her off at my place. I hated to leave her alone while I met with Connor, especially since the caller knew who I was. Chances were he could easily find out where I lived, but I was betting on it taking him at least a day or two before he realized that Katie was no longer home. Which meant I needed to work fast to figure out who he was.

  I pulled into the garage of my small, Cape Cod-style home in a suburban neighborhood equipped with its own neighborhood watch. It was actually the first home my parents had owned before they started having kids and had to upgrade to something a little bigger. It had gone on the market about six years ago and because of the condition of the house, it had sold at a far lower than market value price for the area. I spent two years, during any spare time I had, fixing it up. It wasn’t big, but it was enough space for a bachelor or a newly married couple like my folks had been.

  After grabbing Katie’s bag, I helped her out of the car and into the house. I couldn’t help but watch her facial expression as she took in my home. For reasons I didn’t care to analyze, I wanted her to like the place.

  “If you follow me, I’ll show you to your room.” Her footsteps sounded behind me as I walked down the hall to the guest bedroom across from mine. Knowing she would be sleeping only a few short feet from me had me twitchy. Katie was here for protection, nothing more. It seemed I was going to have to keep reminding myself of this important fact.

  I set her bag on the bed as her eyes scanned the room. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a double bed covered by a bright-checkered quilt my mother had made by hand, a chest of drawers, and a yellow fabric papasan chair in the corner.

  “I know it’s not much,” I said, almost self-consciously.

  “What? Oh, no, it’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

  I nodded my head. “The bathroom is across the hall to the right, and my bedroom is to the left. There are towels under the sink and an unopened toothbrush in the drawer. I don’t really cook, so the only thing you’re going to find in the fridge is beer. I’ll run to the store and pick up some things if you want to make me a list. I eat a lot of take-out, and my mom and sisters try to feed me on occasion.”

  “How long do you think I’ll need to stay here?” Katie’s arms were wrapped around herself, and she was rubbing them as though she were cold.

  Even though I wanted to comfort her, I kept my distance. Every time I touched her, it seemed to lead to kissing, and I needed to keep my head clear. Especially since I didn’t want to stop at just kissing.

  “Until I find the person responsible for killing Emmett and threatening you, I can’t take any chances with your life, Katie.”

  She nodded distractedly. I wondered what she was thinking about. Her life had been completely disrupted; I’m sure this wasn’t easy for her. I cleared my throat.

  “I hate to leave you here by yourself when you just got here, but I need to meet with my friend about these ledgers. I also need to see if he’s gotten a hit on a possible piece of evidence I found at the scene the other night.”

  Katie waved off my concerns. “Go. Do what you need to do, especially if it is something that might help with the case. I’ll be okay here. Truly.”

  I hesitated for a moment, but when she didn’t say anything else, I strode out of the house and headed to Blacklight Securities.

  Thirty minutes later I was back in a place I immensely disliked being. Being beholden to Connor Black was not high on my to-do list, yet here I was, again, for the second time in almost as many days. As I entered the reception area, I spotted Black’s resident hacker slash computer analyst. The last time I’d seen Josephine Bishop she’d had a gun shoved up against her ribs. She looked decidedly better today.

  “Ms. Bishop.”

  “Detective Webber. Good to see you. And please, I told you to call me Josie.” I shifted the ledgers I’d been carrying to my other side as she reached out to shake my hand.

  “How have you been doing?” Josie’d been searching for a half-sister she’d recently discovered she had.

  “As well as can be expected. I still haven’t found her, but I haven’t given up hope.”

  “I’m sure if there is anyone that can find her, it’s you.”

  “Thanks. Anyway, Connor is expecting you. He asked me to join you guys today. I hope that’s all right.”

  “Of course. I know your skills with the computer. I’m sure I’ll have to grovel to Black to borrow them.”

  Josie laughed lightly. “You know he likes pushing your buttons just to be a dick. Don’t let him get to you. I, for one, am grateful to you. So, even if Connor is a jackass, I’ll help any way I can.”

  I smiled in appreciation as we headed to Connor’s office. As usual, he sat behind his desk, reading glasses perched on his nose. Josie took a seat on the loveseat next to the fully stocked bar while I took the chair in front of Connor’s desk.

  “So, it looks like things just escalated with your lady friend based on your call earlier.”

  Just thinking of the threats to Katie had my blood pressure skyrocketing and anger burning deep in my belly.

  “That mother fucker threatened to kill her. I neither know, nor care, who he is. He’s going down.”

  Connor face remained expressionless, but the vein throbbing in his forehead spoke of his anger. I knew how he felt about women being threatened. “You said the caller seemed to want something from her. Does your girlfriend have any ideas what it might be?”

  I glared at him. “Her name is Katie, and she’s not my girlfriend. No, she has no idea.”

  “I’ll have Josie tap into her phone in case he calls her again. I do have some interesting news for you, though, regarding that piece of evidence you brought in. Have you ever heard of Francis O’Reilly?”

  “Frankie O’Reilly, the
loan shark?” Puzzlement sounded in my voice.

  “One and the same. His print was found on that cufflink. I also heard he has a fondness for knives. You know, as a little extra incentive to pay up.”

  I scrubbed my hand across my forehead and down my face. “Shit. I wonder if that has anything to do with these ledgers from the restaurant Emmett Jackson owned.” I slid the books I’d place on the desk toward Connor, who picked one up to flip through it slowly.

  “Katie pointed out to me some transactions that don’t add up. I have Jackson’s bank statements here, but haven’t had time to look at them yet. Even if I had, I’m no accountant.” This was what I was dreading. “I was hoping you could take a look at Jackson’s financials for me. See if you can figure out where the discrepancies are coming from. I need to see if they have any connection to O’Reilly. Katie is staying with me until this is over. And I need it over quickly.”

  Black looked me over, assessing me. I barely kept myself from fidgeting under the scrutiny. Then his gaze turned to Josie, who’d been sitting silently absorbing our conversation.

  “Josie, I need you to see what you can find out about these unexplained withdrawals that Mr. Jackson seemed to be making and why he was making. I also want to know where the money from the withdrawals was going since the numbers in the books don’t add up. Also, please put a trace on all calls to Ms…?”

  “Marsh. Katherine Marsh,” I interjected.

  “Ms. Marsh’s phone,” Black continued. “Just in case this son of a bitch calls and threatens her again. It might also be worthwhile to pay a short visit to our resident loan shark, O’Reilly. Get a feel for him. The cufflink points to him being our suspect, but it never hurts to keep our options open. Besides, you might take him by surprise when you drop in unannounced. I’ve heard he frequents the strip club Sizzle. And clearly, Webber, you have the protection detail down. Keep your eyes open and your zipper closed.”

  I rolled my eyes in irritation. God, Black was such an asshole. As if I needed the reminder to keep my dick in my pants. Although, based on my reactions to Katie, it probably didn’t hurt to be told again.

  I said my goodbyes, with Black letting me know he’d notify me when Josie found something. Considering her skills, I didn’t expect it would take too long for her to locate where the money was going. I was anxious to get back to the house, reluctantly acknowledging that I couldn’t wait to see Katie again. Just knowing she was there waiting for me had my heart skipping with excitement. I pushed the feeling aside. She was a witness to a crime and she was only staying with me until the murderer was apprehended. After that, we’d both go back to our regular lives and never see each other again. The thought sent a sharp pang running through me.

  Chapter 10

  Once Daniel left, I began unpacking my meager belongings. Since I was going to be here for a while, I might as well make myself at home. My stomach growled, so I wandered into the kitchen and opened cupboards, looking for a snack. Holy shit, he hadn’t been kidding when he said that he had nothing to eat. I found some stale saltines and a couple condiment packs of ketchup and soy sauce. There were a couple frozen dinners and in the fridge, a tub of butter and sure enough, practically enough beer for a kegger. Other than that, nothing. How did the man survive on practically nothing but alcohol?

  I’d only been here for forty minutes and already I was feeling antsy. I knew Daniel was doing the best he could to find Emmett’s killer, but I just needed to do something. The more idle I was, the more my mind kept returning to that phone call. That was the one place I didn’t want to go. So, in order to keep myself busy, I did the only thing I could think of. I started cleaning.

  Not that Daniel’s house was dirty, but after growing up in a house that had fallen into disrepair due to neglect—drug addicts didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to a clean house—I’d become obsessively compulsive about a spotless house. No used needles scattered around that a young girl could accidentally find. No half-empty cardboard pizza boxes and liquor bottles littered the floor. I dusted, vacuumed, wiped down kitchen and bathroom counters, cleaned the bathtubs, and took the trash out to a large bin I found in the garage. I knew it was excessive, but it was one of my many weird quirks.

  I’d just finished taking a shower and had sat down on the couch to read for a little bit when door opened and Daniel walked in carrying a brown paper grocery bag. Suddenly, I was self-conscious about making myself so comfortable. His eyes darted around, scanning both the living room and kitchen through the open floor plan, taking the cleanliness in. Instead of anger, a twinkle of amusement lit up his eyes.

  “I know I’m not the best housekeeper, but I didn’t think I was that bad. Something tells me I could probably eat off the kitchen floor and not have to worry a bit about germs.”

  He closed the door and made his way to the kitchen, placing the bag on the island that separated the two rooms. My cheeks heated. “Sorry if I overstepped; I needed something to keep me occupied.”

  “No worries on that account. You’re welcome to clean any time you want, although it’s definitely not necessary. Regardless, don’t think anything of it. I know I kind of left you to your own devices. If I could have avoided it, I would have.”

  “I know.”

  Daniel began pulling groceries out of the bag. A loaf of fresh bread was laid on the counter, followed by a box of noodles and a jar of spaghetti sauce. Milk, meatballs, a bag of lettuce, veggies, and a bottle of salad dressing went into the fridge. Lastly, a couple bottles of white wine went next to the items on the counter.

  “It’s not much, but spaghetti and meatballs are about the only thing I can cook and not fuck up. I figured a side salad and some bread would go with it.”

  “No, that’s fine, thank you. I know having me here is a terrible inconvenience.”

  “You’d never be an inconvenience, Katie.”

  I dipped my head in embarrassment at Daniel’s words.

  “Anyway,” he coughed, returning his attention to the groceries as though realizing what he’d just implied. “I’m glad you made yourself at home. I want you to be comfortable here.”

  “Thank you. So, what did your friend have to say? Did you find out anything?”

  Daniel appeared reluctant to share the information with me. I wasn’t having it though. “Spill.”

  He sighed in resignation. “I identified the owner of a print on something I found near the crime scene. But I have no idea how long the item had been there, and it could belong to anyone.”

  “But you’re pretty sure it doesn’t.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I can’t say for sure, but, yes, my gut tells me it belongs to our killer. I plan on questioning him, off the record, of course, in the next day or so to see if I might be able to find anything out. You will have a tap on your phone that will run a trace on any calls you receive, so if our mystery caller decides to call again, we can attempt to locate him that way. A friend of mine is having one of his techies comb through Jackson’s financials to see if she can trace where all of his money was going, because it obviously, based on the numbers we saw, wasn’t going back into the restaurant.”

  “Wow, your friends are awfully industrious. And definitely not a part of the police force, are they? You’re taking chances with your career, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about me, Katie. I’m still a detective on the case. I’m just getting a little extra assistance from someone who’s been known to help on occasion. As long as the case gets solved, it doesn’t matter how it’s done.”

  I studied him for a few minutes, our gazes locked, neither of us breaking eye contact. I could tell Daniel wasn’t being entirely truthful, but there was nothing I could do if he was willing to put his career on the line. Especially after I’d begged him to do whatever he had to do to help me. A rush of guilt flowed through me at the thought that this man could lose a career he clearly loved because I’d asked for his help. He and I both knew it was vengeance and not justice I was
truly seeking. I knew it was selfish of me, but I had a feeling we’d both gone too far to turn back now.

  Daniel disappeared into his office after our brief conversation, and I settled on the couch, attempting to concentrate on the book I’d been reading. After thirty minutes, I gave up and went to my room for a short nap. I’d barely slept the night before, and utter exhaustion had me quickly falling asleep. When I woke up, it was dusk, and it took me a moment to orient myself and remember I wasn’t in my own bed. I also felt more tired than when I’d lain down, but I forced myself to get up. Especially with the smells wafting through the door.

  I walked across the hall to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face to try and freshen up a little. Then I headed down the hall toward the soft music playing and the delicious aroma that reminded me of Emmett. I stopped just short of the kitchen when I spotted Daniel. I smiled a little at the frazzled expression on his face as he spilled some of the noodles out of the colander into the sink. My smile grew when he cursed under his breath.

  “Do you need some help over there?” I couldn’t help the small bark of laughter.

  He turned to glare at me. “Ha ha. Aren’t you the funny one? No, thank you. I am perfectly capable of making this damn meal.” He paused for a long second before continuing. “I think. Have a seat and let me concentrate.”

  Daniel was adorable when flustered, but I didn’t want to cause any more trouble than I already had so I followed his instructions and took a seat at the bar stool on the living room side of the kitchen island. His muscles flexed and rippled with each movement as he reached for different ingredients, causing my belly to flutter. He’d rolled his sleeves up, and I admired the tattoos I could see peeking out beneath. I wondered how far up they went and what the designs were.