Devil in Disguise

by Morgan James

  Oh, Jesus. Just what I needed, for Gavin to think I was dating a friend of his. I didn’t owe him a damn thing, but I didn’t want to hurt him, either. My stomach twisted, and I felt the sudden need to get away from both of them.

  My hands fumbled as I picked up the napkin, then folded it and placed it on the table. “Excuse me.” I pushed my chair back and stood. “I need to use the restroom.”

  “Oh,” Victoria started. “I—”

  Across the table, I shot her a look, and she immediately fell silent. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

  Without waiting for a response, I cut across the restaurant, desperately trying to escape the dark brown eyes I could feel burning a hole in my back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Gavin

  I stared at the sloppy fat fuck in front of me, just barely resisting the urge to choke the life out of him. He was the one who’d been in the wrong, yet here he sat, trying to screw his wife out of what she rightly deserved. I wasn’t one to judge someone on their looks, truly I wasn’t, but I wouldn’t have blamed the woman one bit if she had cheated on him. Though that was the story he had tried to spin, it was actually the other way around.

  His wife had gotten curious at his extended absences and had hired QSG to tail him. Come to find out, the man had a hot little side piece nearly twenty years his junior. Why in God’s name the girl was interested in someone like him blew my mind. Mentally, I rolled my eyes. Of course. Money. It was one of life’s greatest motivators. I couldn’t even bring myself to feel bad for the little gold digger. She deserved whatever happened when he got tired of her ten years from now, too.

  “I want full custody, too,” Howard Garlington said as he swiped the napkin over his mouth.

  I took a drink to cover a snort. That was highly unlikely. The courts almost always sided with the mother, except in situations where they suspected illegal activity or abuse. I seriously doubted the asshole even wanted his kid. It was more than likely just a power play, something to hold over his wife’s head to make her more amenable to giving him whatever he wanted. It burned me that he might actually be able to make it happen by bribing whichever judge was assigned to his case.

  My lip curled up in a sneer, and I forced myself to look away before I snapped and said something that would jeopardize my job. Tables were spaced evenly around the large room, giving the impression of privacy and intimacy. Couples talked quietly amongst themselves, and I couldn’t help the little pang in my chest, wishing that Kate was sitting across from me instead.

  Though I’d texted her a few times over the past two weeks, and we’d spoken once, right after she’d begun her new job, she’d been mostly reserved. I didn’t know what to make of that. I’d hoped she would begin to open up a little bit, but it hadn’t happened yet. I admired her decision to postpone a relationship until after her divorce was finalized, but damn... I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been hoping for a little more from her—some indication that she was open to dating me. Something—anything—other than polite, stiff replies.

  I scanned the sea of faces, and my heart stopped as I caught a familiar profile across the room. Soft light overhead made her hair shimmer, turning it even more red, and a soft smile graced her lips. Dressed in a conservative black dress, her hair twisted up into an elegant updo that showed off the sleek column of her neck, she made my mouth water. I wanted to trail my lips over the smooth flesh, nip and kiss until she made that sexy little sound I loved so much.

  Across from her was the woman she’d introduced me to at the healthplex—Victoria. A large man sat to Victoria’s left, his back to me, and I recognized him as Blake, Victoria’s boyfriend. It took me several long moments to notice the fourth member of their party, so caught up was I in my fantasies of Kate. My stomach clenched, and I ground my molars together as I studied the man sitting to her left. Tall, muscled, and good-looking, there was no doubt in my mind who he was. Kate’s date for the evening—and the guy who’d made my high school years a living hell.

  Clay Thompson was the biggest prick walking, or at least he had been twenty years ago. I doubted anything had changed. From the wrong side of the tracks, he’d had a huge chip on his shoulder and hated pretty much everyone, and I seemed to be the lucky person at the top of that list. His twin brother, Cole, wasn’t much better, but I’d at least been able to tolerate him. Clay, for whatever reason, seemed to go out of his way to insult me every chance he got. It was petty to still feel distaste for the man after all this time, but I couldn’t help it. I had to know if she was really with him.

  As if she could feel my eyes on her, her head whipped toward me, and we locked eyes. Our gazes held for a long minute, then Clay dipped his head toward her, and I watched as she laid her hand on his arm. Jealousy and anger reared up, turning my skin hot.

  Larry’s laughter boomed out, ripping my attention away from Kate, and I forced myself to tune back into the conversation. “Who could blame you for that?”

  Garlington stabbed at the table with his forefinger. “Tara’s expecting a ring, but I can’t propose to her until this shit with Beverly is over. I need to expedite this divorce, but I want to retain all assets.”

  I blinked hard. “You may want to consider settling.”

  “Why the hell would I do that?” His lip curled up in a sneer. “She didn’t bring anything to this marriage. Why should she get anything out of it?”

  Larry shot me a quelling look over the table, and I snapped my mouth shut. I knew for a fact that the asshole had refused to let his wife get a job. Beverly, in fact, was a very intelligent woman. She’d gone to UT for pre-law but had met and married Garlington prior to finishing her degree. Once they’d married, he guilted her into becoming a stay-at-home wife and mother, the perfect image for his political aspirations. Being a young bride, Beverly had wanted to make her husband happy. She’d done everything expected of her, yet risked leaving the marriage empty-handed if Garlington falsified evidence that showed she’d cheated on him.

  I fucking hated people like him. I prayed with all my being that Beverly’s lawyer would shred whatever evidence he presented and force him to give up half his shit on principle.

  The waitress finally deposited the check on the table, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt on edge, and I couldn’t wait to speak with Kate. It seemed like kismet that she had shown up here tonight, and I wasn’t going to let her run away from me again. Larry glanced at the check, then across the table at me and gave a slight lift of his eyebrow. Staring back impassively, I reached for the check. The moment my fingers brush the leather folio, he let out a laugh.

  “I’m just messing with you, Gavin. It’s on the company tonight. Unless, of course, you want to buy.”

  I heard the faint thread of challenge in his voice, and I gritted my teeth. I wished the slimy fuck would just make up his mind and spell out what it was he wanted. I was tired of his mind games, tired of dancing around the subject. I wanted to be partner, no doubt about that, but I wasn’t going to jump through hoops to get there. I was a damn good lawyer, and that in itself should speak to my credibility.

  I smiled blandly back at him. “You know I don’t mind.”

  Next to me, Garlington laughed and slapped a meaty palm on my back. “Gotta work for what you want.”

  That was ironic as fuck coming from him. His wife had put up with him for years but wouldn’t have a damn thing to show for it if Larry had any say in the matter.

  Larry’s face kicked up in a condescending half smirk I detested. He was the epitome of a scumbag lawyer and precisely the reason the rest of us were stereotyped as such. “Nah, I’ve got it.”

  He threw down what I assumed was the company card, then snapped his fingers at the waitress. I bit the inside of my cheeks at the pretentious show of dominance. Dick.

  The waitress hurried away, and I listened with half an ear as Raines and Garlington bullshitted over the last of their scotch until she returned with the checkbook. Raines scribbled his signature,
then slid his card back into his wallet and stood.

  I did the same, noting with fury that he hadn’t left her a tip. I tensed as Larry clapped one hand on my shoulder. “Nice job, son.”

  I forced a smile to my face and pulled away. “Thank you, sir. I need to hit the head. See you Monday.”

  I glanced back toward Kate’s table as I moved across the restaurant, but she was gone. Hell, no. I wasn’t about to let her hide away from me. I’d used the bathroom excuse to get the hell away from Larry, but I had a gut feeling that was where Kate had slunk off to, so I headed in that direction. I didn’t care if I had to stand here like a stalker for the next twenty minutes, I was going to get an answer, damn it.

  The doors to the kitchen were close to the hallway where the bathrooms were located, and I noticed our waitress exit just as I approached. I pulled a couple twenties from my wallet and discreetly passed them to her. “I believe we forgot to add a tip to the bill,” I lied.

  She nodded her understanding, her expression grateful as she tucked the money into her apron. “Thank you.”

  I gave a curt nod and turned away. Kate exited the bathroom just as I entered the short hallway, and I froze. Goddamn, she was beautiful. She was busy adjusting her sleeves, and she’d taken several steps in my direction before registering my presence. Her gaze collided with mine, and she stopped dead in her tracks. I allowed myself a moment to drink her in. She looked more beautiful than ever. The scar on her forehead was still visible against her pale skin, but that too had begun to fade since I’d seen her last.

  I finally settled on her piercing blue eyes. “How have you been?”

  She remained unnaturally still, like she was barely even breathing. “Fine. What are you doing here?”

  My gaze narrowed at her unease. I’d seen the way Thompson touched her at the table. I didn’t believe his intentions were friendly in the least. “You on a date?”

  Her eyes snapped with fire. “What business is that of yours?”

  I shoved my hands in my pockets and leveled her with a stare. “Just asking. Think I have a right to know after what happened between us.”

  Her eyes darted around as if checking to make sure no one had overheard. “Nothing happened between us,” she hissed.

  Fury had my spine snapping straight. “Are you kidding me?”

  Crystal-blue eyes glared up at me. “No. And what the hell does it matter to you if I’m on a date, anyway?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” I drawled, sarcasm saturating my tone. “Maybe the fact that I’ve told you a dozen goddamn times that I want to be with you.”

  Something flashed across her face, then just as quickly faded away. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again and looked away, pinning her gaze to the wall instead of meeting my eyes.

  I shook my head, the heat of anger melted away at her indifference, and an icy coldness took up residence in its place, seeping into my bones. “You know, I shouldn’t be surprised. You threw up every red flag, and I ignored them all.”

  I felt like a fucking fool for having reached out to her repeatedly her over the past couple weeks. I’d been waiting for her to come around, to finally see that I was the one for her. I thought if I gave her the time and space she’d asked for, she’d see how much I respected her and cared for her. Looked like I’d been wrong the whole way around.

  “I should’ve known when you said you weren’t ready to date that it was a crock of shit. What you really meant was you didn’t want to date me.”

  Kate’s head snapped toward me. “That’s—"

  “Everything good here?”

  I turned slightly, and every muscle in my body stiffened as the man approached. I lifted my chin at him. “Thompson. It’s been a while.”

  Clay Thompson returned the favor, then continued past me—toward Kate. I couldn’t rip my eyes away as he stepped up next to her and settled one hand low on her back. “You good?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” Her gaze never wavered as she answered Clay’s question, those bright blue eyes fixed on mine.

  The heat of jealousy and rejection curled through me, and I forced my gaze away from her. Clay’s mouth twisted into an arrogant smirk, and I wanted to wipe it off his face. He acted like he’d one-upped me, like Kate was some fucking prize to be won. Well, he could have her. Thompson was a cocky bastard, and she was a deceptive bitch. They belonged together.

  “Just talking business,” I said to Clay. “Nothing important.”

  His brows drew slightly together as I pasted on a fake-ass smile and turned to Kate. “Feel free to contact my office if you need anything else, Mrs. Gerber.”

  Kate stood stiff as a marble statue, and just as pale. Pushing off the wall, I directed my gaze to Clay. “Best of luck to you both.”

  Fuck you both, I amended in my head as I turned on a heel and stomped toward the bar. A red haze clouding my vision, I slid onto a stool, then motioned for the bartender.

  “Dewars, neat,” I said when the young woman stopped in front of me. With a concise nod, she turned around and grasped the bottle from the shelf behind the bar. She slashed the liquid into a glass then slid it in front of me. I tossed down my credit card, then curled my fingers toward me. “Leave the bottle, please.”

  The bite of the fiery liquid would hopefully prevent me from getting too drunk too quickly, but I relished the burn as it slid down my throat. It gave me something to focus on other than Kate. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I glanced up as someone slid onto the stool next to me. The scent of her perfume hit me first, and I followed my nose, swiveling to inspect the pretty brunette next to me. I let my gaze trail over her, from the top of her perfectly coiffed hair, over her buxom curves, then down to the hem of her too-short skirt that barely covered her ass. I dragged my eyes back to her face, and her lips curled into a sultry smile. She was obviously looking for a good time and a man to give it to her.

  “Hi.”

  Her voice was silky and smooth, and I couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Hi, yourself.”

  “Catalina.”

  I took her proffered hand anyway. “Gavin. What brings you here?”

  She eyed me as her fingers played with mine. “Probably the same thing that brought you here.”

  I seriously doubted that. I released her hand and picked up my drink. “What’s that?”

  “Just looking for someone interesting. Fun.” The woman rested an elbow on the bar and leaned toward me. My eyes followed her movements as she placed one hand on my knee. Everything in me coiled and tensed as she slid her palm upward. “Would that be you?”

  It was impossible to miss her intent. Before I could form a response, I felt the sensation of being watched, and I snapped my head up just in time to meet a pair of familiar blue eyes. Kate’s gaze dropped to the woman’s hand lingering near my crotch, and her cheeks flushed bright pink. Her eyes met mine again, and I swore I saw a flash of hurt before she blinked it away. Straightening her shoulders, she strode determinedly past the bar, eyes focused in front of her.

  My heart dropped to my toes. I felt simultaneously vindicated that I’d managed to get a rise out of her and guilty for hurting her. Son of a bitch.

  I turned back to the woman and extricated her hand from my thigh. “I’m sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I can’t.”

  Her eyes clouded with confusion, and I smiled gently. “It’s... complicated.”

  With a resigned nod, she turned back toward the bar, and I slipped off the stool and hustled toward the front door. I was already scanning the sidewalk when I stepped outside, but I was too late.

  Kate was gone.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kate

  “Did you see that they found another body?”

  I turned a confused glance at Brandi as I closed the door of the fridge and propped one hip against the counter. “What?”

  Chris used his fork to point toward the small flat-screen TV hanging on the wall of the break room. “Have you seen this yet?�
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  Brandi thumbed the button on the remote to turn up the volume. On the screen, a perky blonde reporter relayed details of a police investigation into a body that had been found along the edge of the river.

  Chris sat there, riveted to the TV. “Unreal.”

  I shook my head in commiseration. This made three—and everyone knew what that meant. For the next few moments, we watched the segment. Investigations into all three of the victims’ deaths were ongoing, but there was no mention of them being connected.

  I pondered that for a moment. Really, how couldn’t they be? Maybe it was my nature to suspect the worst, but bodies weren’t just found in the woods every day, especially not so close to one another. And I’d bet my left hand that the other remains would show the same brutality the first victim had—the amputated fingers, the missing teeth.

  It could, of course, be a complete coincidence. Maybe they hadn’t released the details so as to not spark a panic. That made more sense than anything. I trusted the police to do their job and keep people safe. It was hard to tell, too, just what was happening until they identified the victims and determined an actual cause of death. Was there a connection between them—a similar motive for killing them?

  The first victim had been identified only days before as Mr. Robert Tripp. The second body had yet to be identified, as they were still working on a composite for the man. He’d been found only two miles from the cornfield where I’d found Mr. Tripp, but what remained of the corpse was so badly decomposed that the police suspected the person—another male, according to the preliminary investigation—had actually been abducted and killed prior to Mr. Tripp.

  Between the heat and the animals, a body wouldn’t last too long in nature, but the police had evidently found enough to piece together most of a cadaver. According to the reporter, they had yet to identify the man. Though she didn’t say as much, I wondered if that was because, like in the case of Mr. Tripp, all distinguishing characteristics had been removed.