by Morgan James
Devil in Disguise
Quentin Security Series, Volume 3
Morgan James
Published by Morgan James, 2020.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
DEVIL IN DISGUISE
First edition. December 17, 2020.
Copyright © 2020 Morgan James.
ISBN: 978-1393573593
Written by Morgan James.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Epilogue
Sneak Peek at Heart of a Devil | Chapter 1
Also by Morgan James
About the Author
Chapter One
Kate
I paused, my hand hovering over the wrought iron handle of the large glass door, and drew in a deep breath. I hated coming in here. God willing, this would be the last time I ever had to see the inside of this office and the people in it. Not that I had anything against my lawyer—the guy was a total shark, not to mention incredibly easy on the eyes. Gavin Price was both a welcome and unsettling distraction from the reason for my visit.
I pulled open the door and strode into the welcoming air-conditioning, then pushed my sunglasses to the top of my head. The receptionist sitting beneath the Walker and Raines placard smiled at me, and I returned it despite the turmoil swirling in my stomach.
I stepped up to the desk and signed in. “I have a ten o’clock with Mr. Price.”
The older woman nodded and clicked away at the keyboard. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”
The appreciative smile melted from my face as a familiar voice spoke from behind me, and I automatically stiffened.
“Hey, Katie.”
I closed my eyes for a moment before turning to face my soon-to-be-ex-husband. “Steve.”
His eyes flicked over me before zeroing in on my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, thanks.” Self-consciously, I lifted one hand and arranged my bangs to cover the wound as best I could. I’d been in my office at the healthplex a little over a week ago, getting ready to head out for a girls’ night with my friend Victoria, when a man seemingly came out of nowhere. Something had sliced through the air, and pain exploded across my forehead. The next thing I was aware of was waking in the hospital a day later.
Thank God, Victoria had let herself in and scared him away, then run for help. Her boyfriend, Blake, had come to my rescue and kept me stable until the medics arrived. The man had escaped, but the ordeal had cost me seventeen stitches and one hell of a bruise. The wound was still an angry red line against my face. “Stitches came out yesterday, but...”
Steve nodded. He knew the drill. Like me, he was a licensed medical professional, and we shared a practice in the healthplex downtown. Though for how long, I didn’t know. Steve had proposed during college, and I’d happily agreed to marry him, a youthful, rash decision that seemed to make sense at the time. We’d had everything all planned out—we would graduate, start a practice together, then, once it was established, we’d start a family. Except it hadn’t quite worked out that way.
“How’s Libby?”
Steve’s gaze cut away before meeting mine again. “She’s good.”
“And the baby?”
His face relaxed, taking on an expression of elation. “Healthy. It’s a girl.”
His words were like a knife to my heart, and I offered a small smile, then dropped my gaze to the travertine tile floor. Up until just a few months ago, I thought everything was fine. Not perfect, certainly, but it was... okay. We were both busy with work, and I hadn’t seen the signs until it was too late.
From the information I’d gleaned from friends, the affair had started a little over eight months ago. Steve had gone on a health kick and joined a new gym. It was there that he’d met the perky little blonde and fallen head over heels for her. The fact that he had a wife was apparently little more than a blip on his radar. Within a couple months, Libby was pregnant, and he’d presented me with divorce papers.
Thank God we hadn’t rushed into starting a family. I would never want to drag kids through this. It was bad enough that we were fighting over the business. The house, I didn’t care about. I hadn’t stepped inside since the day I’d learned about the affair. It had taken just under ten hours for me and two friends to pack up my belongings and my fur baby, Peanut, and move me into a condo across town.
“Mr. and Mrs. Gerber? You can come back now.” The receptionist gestured to the long hallway, and I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that I didn’t have to stand there any longer and feign interest in the man who had left me for another woman.
Steve gestured for me to precede him into the room, and I slipped by, careful not to brush against him. After his infidelity, I could barely stand to be in the same room with him, let alone touch him. I couldn’t help the resentment I felt toward him. He’d chosen to cheat instead of work things out or even address the issue, and I could never forgive him for that. I knew I was better off without someone like Steve in my life, but his betrayal still hurt.
I’d known for a while that things were... off. But after six years of marriage, wasn’t that to be expected? The potent sexual desire we’d experienced at twenty-two had gradually declined, and the last time we’d had sex was more than a year ago. It had felt stiff and awkward, like a necessary evil performed out of obligation. Although I’d blamed Steve for his cheating, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been partially responsible for driving him away. In the process of building our careers, there had been so many long nights, so much to do. And I was acutely aware that I’d changed since college, too. I’d put on a few pounds and rarely wore makeup. Was Steve more physically attracted to Libby or was it purely chemistry, a connection between them that had never existed between Steve and me? Maybe if I’d tried harder...
I stepped into the conference room, my gaze automatically drawn to the man standing by the coffee service. His broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his dark suit, and his pants were perfectly tailored, skimming his muscular thighs and breaking perfectly over his polished shoes. Gavin Price was the kind of man who had been put on this earth purely for women’s pleasure. His dark eyes caught mine as he turned, and I blushed furiously, quickly averting my eyes as I sank into a chair.
“Would you like some coffee, Ms. Winfield? Water?” I reluctantly lifted my eyes to meet Gavin
’s intense gaze. He was the only person outside of my patients who called me by my maiden name. Though I had taken Steve’s last name for personal use as per tradition, I’d chosen to maintain my maiden name professionally. I was damn proud of what I’d accomplished, and I wanted my name—and my name alone—on that degree.
Those deep brown eyes continued to bore into me, and I shifted under the scrutiny. As lawyers went, I couldn’t have chosen better. Gavin Price was a shark. Better than that, though, he was gorgeous. Not just attractive, more than handsome, the man was model material. The lines of his face were sharp, almost angular, with high cheekbones and the tiniest hint of a cleft in his chin. Coffee-colored eyes stood out from his lightly tanned skin, and his thick, dark brown hair was cropped short. He left just enough at the top for a woman to run her hands through, to play with the silky-looking strands. At a couple inches over six feet, he was every fantasy come to life.
Heat raced through my blood and I forced myself to swallow and respond. “No, thank you.”
He studied me for another moment before turning away to pour himself a glass of water. He made his way around the table then unbuttoned his suit jacket before sliding into the seat next to me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. This close to him, I could smell the unmistakable scent of his aftershave, or maybe his cologne. It was musky and masculine, an apt fit for the man sitting only inches away.
I glanced over my shoulder as Richard Patterson entered the room, thankful for the distraction. He slipped into the seat next to Steve and flashed a smile in my direction. He was a nice enough guy, but since he was Steve’s lawyer, I kind of disliked him on principle. “Good morning, Kate.”
I nodded politely, eager to start the proceedings. I was tired of this dragging out. All I wanted was an expeditious resolution so I could get on with my life. Whatever the hell that meant. Ever since the incident at the healthplex, I’d been seriously contemplating my future. Maybe it was time to leave the past where it belonged and start something new.
Gavin spoke up. “All right, are we ready to begin?” After a quick check around the table, he launched into his discourse. “So, we’ve decided that Mr. Gerber will retain the house and my client will receive compensation for her portion upon completion. Now we have the matter of the office at the healthplex. In light of Mr. Gerber’s infidelity, I feel that Kate should be awarded the business and—”
“Actually...” His head snapped toward me as I laid a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m strongly considering selling out. Would you mind if Steve and I spoke alone for a moment?”
Gavin’s eyes blazed with fury. “Kate, that’s not—”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Steve spoke up from the opposite side of the table.
Gavin threw a glare his way, then swiveled toward me once more. “As your lawyer, I strongly advise—”
I curled my fingertips into the fabric of his suit jacket and felt the muscles of his forearm tense beneath my touch. “Just give us a minute. Please.”
He searched my eyes for a long moment, then finally seemed to accept my need for privacy. He didn’t look at all happy about it, but he shoved his chair back from the table and stood, nodding to Richard as he did so. “We’ll give you two a moment—but we’ll be right outside.”
I couldn’t decide if it was a warning or... something more. There was something in his tone that I’d never quite heard before. As soon as it flitted through my mind, I shook the thought away. It wasn’t like I knew the man well enough to make any assumptions about his behavior. He was my lawyer—he was paid to act in my best interest. And right now, this sudden change of plans was like a train derailing that he couldn’t stop.
I waited until the door latch clicked into place, then I met Steve’s gaze. For a long moment, we just stared at each other, separated by the table between us and a mountain of lies. How had we gotten to this point? I’d loved him once; now there was far too much to overcome.
I cleared my throat. “As I’m sure you can imagine, I have no desire to work at the healthplex.”
He dipped his chin, and his eyes swept over my face again. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
I offered a tight smile. “Thank you.”
“Libby and I are getting married.”
The words exploded from his throat, and my heart seized in my chest. All of a sudden, I knew exactly how a deer felt in its final seconds before being splattered all over the highway. Steve looked uncomfortable, his gaze fixed on the table, and I forced myself to draw air into my lungs. Our divorce wasn’t even finalized, and he was ready to sprint to the altar with her the second the ink was dry? It wasn’t totally unexpected considering the circumstances, but... damn. Hearing those words hurt.
“Congratulations.” Hot tears stung my eyes, and I quickly blinked them away.
Silence fell again before he finally let out a harsh sigh. “Look. I’m sorry.” I quirked a brow, and he continued. “I want to do what’s right. You deserve better. I should have done things... differently.”
No shit. I almost snorted a laugh but managed to smother it before it could escape. I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I just nodded.
Steve studied me. “What are you going to do?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. But I think it’s better for both of us if I bow out.”
“What about your patients?”
“I’ll finish out the month, if that works for you. That’ll give you some time to bring in another physician, or... whatever you want to do.”
“So, you’ve really thought about this?”
I nodded. “I have. Ever since...” I trailed off, and he nodded sympathetically.
“I understand.” He took a deep breath. “If you truly want out, I’d be more than happy to buy you out. At a premium.” His mouth quirked into a small smile at my look of skepticism. “I don’t want to fight over this anymore. When you got hurt...” His eyes darted to my forehead, and I barely resisted the urge to lift my hand to cover the wound from his inspection. “I was so worried about you. It got me thinking about old times. We had fun together.”
My throat tightened, and I closed my eyes. How could he say that to me? If we’d had fun together, then how the hell had we ended up here? If he’d loved me, why had he cheated on me? The pain was still too fresh for me to look back on the fond memories of our times together. I wanted to lash out, to scream at him for his unfaithfulness, but what was the point?
He’s not worth it. Repeating my new mantra in my mind, I swallowed down every acrid word on my tongue and met his gaze.
“I really am sorry, Kate. I should have been up-front with you. Let me make it up to you.”
Trying to come up with something other than the words that started with f and ended with u, I bit my lip and swallowed down my contempt. “That’s... generous of you.”
“It’s not nearly enough, I know. I’m sorry I hurt you.” His gaze cut toward the window as he spoke. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I really do love Libby.”
And, just like that, my heart broke a little more. There was nothing quite like sitting across from the person you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with only to have him tell you how much he loved another woman.
“You’re wonderful, Kate. Some guy will be lucky to have you.”
But not you, I thought bitterly. I clearly hadn’t been wonderful enough, otherwise he wouldn’t have left me for the blonde bimbo with more boobs than brains. It was uncharitable, but I couldn’t give a damn at the moment. I’d never actually met the woman—nor did I ever intend to—but alcohol and the internet were a deadly combination. After a couple glasses of wine one night—oh, who the hell was I kidding? I’d drunk the entire bottle—I’d dug up everything I could find on the young woman. Barely twenty-two, she’d just graduated college with a degree in Liberal Arts and was working as a trainer at Steve’s new gym. How fucking clichéd.
The door opened, and Gavin entered first, his gaze immediately zeroing in
on me. He must not have liked the expression on my face, because he strode toward me and leaned close, one hand resting on the back of my chair.
“Are you okay?”
Those intense brown eyes seared into mine, and I offered a small smile. “Everything’s fine.”
The corners of his mouth dipped into a frown, like he didn’t believe a word. I lifted a brow and nodded to the chair beside me. If possible, his expression darkened further, but he sat anyway. I let out a soft sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair. From my vantage point, I watched Gavin’s leg bounce anxiously under the table.
I knew he was just doing his job. He hated to lose, and I was just one more case to him. But the way he looked at me sometimes, I couldn’t help but feel... more. It spoke of a sort of protectiveness, and the thought filled me with warmth.
“So, have we come to an agreement?” Richard asked, dispelling the discomfort in the atmosphere.
My gaze slowly lifted from Gavin’s leg, up and over the table to Steve. I curled my hand into a fist. “Yes. He’ll buy me out.”
Gavin spun in his chair to look at me, fury evident in those dark eyes. “We haven’t discussed this at all. I thought—”
“Just give him the practice.”
He leaned even closer, practically caging me in with his body as he propped one elbow on the table and rested the other hand on the back of my chair. His tone was hushed but severe. “Are you certain this is what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Kate, you deserve—”
“I don’t even care about the money; I just want out.” I was surprised to realize that the words I spoke were the truth. I couldn’t stand to be held back any longer—not by a job I liked but didn’t love, and certainly not by a man.
“Please,” I said softly so only he could hear me. “Just... I want to move on with my life. Help me do that.”
His expression softened a bit. “All right. Okay.”
I listened with half an ear as the lawyers bartered back and forth for the next hour. Since we’d already had a realtor run comps on the business in case we couldn’t come to an agreement, it was fairly easy to determine the value of the business and the cost of the buyout. Gavin watched me warily as I glanced at the figure presented to me, then nodded. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but I turned away, studiously avoiding him.