by April Hunt
They’d talked and texted since the night at her apartment, but she hadn’t laid eyes on him in six long days. She made up for it now.
His arms rippled when he moved, showcased by his fitted tee and reminding her of how easily he’d picked her up and taken her to her bed. His hair, slightly damp, looked as if he’d stepped out of the shower a short time ago and combed his fingers through it in lieu of using an actual comb.
In short, he looked good. Edible. Distracting.
Zoey caught herself nibbling her bottom lip, and so did Knox.
He smirked. “Angel. You’re lookin’ good this afternoon.”
Zoey gave her throat a nervous clear. “You too.”
Cindy’s gaze bounced back and forth between them before she shooed her eldest away with her hands. “Go with Gretchen and make sure your brothers don’t burn down her backyard. Grace, you’re on pyrotechnic watch. And for goodness’ sake, do not let Liam anywhere near that kerosene. He nearly scorched his eyebrows off last time.”
“On it, Aunt Cindy.” Grace gave a little wave before steering Knox outside.
Zoey grinned. Cindy spoke about her boys as if they were barely out of training diapers rather than grown men who fought for their country. There wasn’t a single one of them who balked at a challenge, but one stern look from their mother and they caved.
Finally alone, Cindy turned her full-blown attention to Zoey. “You look glowing, hon. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were pregnant…or in love.”
On her way to pull the sodas out of the pantry, Zoey tripped over her own two feet. “Uh, yeah. No to both. Must be good sleep.”
Cindy smiled mischievously. “Uh-huh. Lying to an old woman’s a sin.”
“So’s trying to fish for information when there isn’t any.”
Cindy laughed, the sound so much like Liam’s hearty bellow. With dark hair turning gray at the temples, the Steele matriarch was still a beautiful, formidable woman who’d raised four boys after the death of her husband.
That’s why she and Gretchen had gotten close. Left alone to raise their families, they counted on their own determination and each other to get through the difficult times. And because of Zoey’s health, her mom had experienced a lot of them.
Cindy Steele had been a rock. She ruled with an iron fist, loved just as hard, and Zoey considered herself lucky to be circled into their loop. Two families for the price of one.
“Are you sure you don’t want to divulge anything? I’ve been told I’m a great listener,” Cindy prodded.
“And also a great gossip. Words would no sooner pass my lips than you’d be pulling my mom off to the side.”
“So that means there is something to tell.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
Cindy gave up the Great Interrogation when she heard Grace’s voice scold Liam for unsafe kerosene practice. “I’d better go play firefighter.”
“I’m pretty sure Mom got a replacement extinguisher specifically for today’s occasion. It’s taped underneath the picnic table for easy access.”
“Of course she did.” The older woman laughed harder as she walked toward the commotion.
Zoey stayed indoors, pulling out plates and setting out utensils and other odds and ends they’d need once the guys got the fire roaring. Soon, laughter and jokes filled the backyard and someone flipped on the radio. Through the screen door, Zoey heard her mom direct the guys on how to arrange the patio table and chairs.
She glanced around at the island and surveyed her collection. “One more thing and we’re all set.”
Eyeing the object of her desire, she contemplated how to get the glass decanter from its precarious position above the cabinets. It wasn’t her desire. It was her mom’s, who claimed the crystal lemonade pitcher needed to be used for every backyard barbecue from now until eternity.
She dragged the stepstool from the pantry, and after carefully climbing to the highest rung, still stood a good three inches short. “Extra boost, here I come.”
She kicked off her shoes for better traction and stepped onto the counter. Her fingers brushed against the pitcher’s handle, and her heart, with its sucky timing, missed a beat. Zoey gasped, taken by surprise, and lost her balance.
She grappled for anything with a handhold and instead, felt two warm, firm hands planted on her hips. Half turning, she peered down into Knox’s eyes. From their different vantage points, his head came to a few inches above her belly button.
“Impeccable timing.” Her heart still thundered out a few staccato beats before finally getting with the program.
“Glad I could be of service, angel. Now can I ask why the hell you’re table-dancing?”
“Technically, it’s counter-dancing. And it’s not a barbecue without the Wright family lemonade picture.” She nodded to the decanter inches from her reach. “Trust me, I wouldn’t be up here otherwise.”
Knox eased her off the counter. She slid against him on her way to the floor, making every inch of her body come alive with the contact. Even when her feet touched down, his arm remained firmly tucked around her waist, a dangerous position since anyone could walk into the kitchen at any moment.
“Thanks for the save, but I still need that pitcher.”
“This one?” He stepped onto the lowest step-rung and easily plucked the decanter off the shelf.
“Show-off.”
He smirked. “Glad I get to show you something these last few days.”
Her cheeks heated at his not-so-hidden innuendo.
They’d attempted to meet up no fewer than three times and each one, something had come up either with her work or an unforeseen situation at the distillery. Today she had a rare day off, and with Knox and his brothers here, she’d been hopeful for something happening tonight.
“Before the horde descends on us again, I was hoping we could talk.” Knox immediately squashed those hopes with one simple sentence.
Here it comes.
Her pessimistic side had been half expecting this conversation. She just hadn’t thought it would happen with their family less than ten feet away.
“You don’t need to do this.” Pulling away, she turned to the ice tub on the counter and dropped in the sodas from the pantry. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Do what?”
“Explain.”
Behind her, Knox went quiet. She would’ve thought he’d left if it weren’t for that tingle at the base of her neck. It intensified right before a wall of heat bracketed her back. Knox’s hands settled low on her hips, gently tugging her into the cradle of his pelvis.
“What do you believe I’m here to do, angel?” Knox’s mouth murmured against her ear.
Zoey cleared her Saharan dry throat. “To initiate that small-print clause. To end…this.”
He eased her into a spin and tipped her chin up until she met his gaze. “That’s definitely not what I came in here for.”
And judging by the flash of heat radiating from his eyes, it was the truth. She was just a little apprehensive to let herself believe it.
“Usually when a guy says that he wants to talk it means—”
The screen door opened. Cade, followed by a steady stream of Steeles, stalked into the kitchen. Her mom, Cindy, and Grace followed behind them, and looked no less happy.
“What’s up?” Knox took a small step back but stayed close to her side.
Zoey chuckled nervously at everyone’s dour expressions. “Wow. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that this was an intervention or something.”
“We need to talk.” Cade said grimly.
“Obviously since you guys have thoroughly blocked all exits. About what?”
“That silver necklace. At the Monroe crime scene.”
“What about it?”
“When was the last time you saw it?”
Zoey stared at her brother, confused. “The evidence bag? I locked it in with—”
“No. Your necklace. The one you told Knox about.”
/> “Why?” Knox scooted closer until she felt his arm brush against hers. “What are you getting at?”
Cade reached for her hand and gestured toward the living room. “Let’s sit and talk about this.”
“Why don’t you pull up your big-boy boxers and spill it already?” She tugged away. The use of her brother’s Detective Tone ticked her off. “Why are you asking me about a necklace that I rarely ever wear?”
“Because your former lab tech got two DNA hits from the crime scene necklace. Our victim’s. And yours.”
Chapter
Seventeen
Knox watched Zoey hustle outside and fought the urge to immediately go after her. She needed to process what this could mean. Hell, he did too, and none of what went through his head was pleasant.
His gaze drifted through the patio doors. Zoey, fingers with a death grip on the porch railing, stared over the Potomac. Her shoulders heaved, either from losing her shit or trying to keep it together.
He’d stayed away long enough.
He and Cade moved toward the back door at the same time.
“I’ll go,” Knox insisted.
“She needs to take this fucking seriously.”
“I get that. I’ll get her to come back inside. Just give us a few minutes.”
Cade looked like he wanted to argue. His gaze bounced outside and back before he nodded. “Five minutes.”
“We’ll come back in whenever she’s good and ready.”
When Knox closed the patio door behind him, Zoey stiffened. Eyes closed, she didn’t even turn toward him as he tucked her hair behind her shoulder.
“What are the chances that it’s a coincidence?” She pried her eyes open to meet his. “Ginny had a record, right? What if she was the one who broke into my place? She could’ve taken the necklace and—”
“And nothing else?” Knox interjected. “Trust me, angel, I wish it were one big coincidence, but my gut won’t let me. It fits. You fit. You’re a young, attractive, single professional.”
Zoey shook her head, refusing to go along with his train of thought. “But we’ve never gotten evidence that he’s fixated on a target beforehand. Why would he start now?”
“Why would he target someone so soon after the previous? Why would he butcher her when he was previously all about control? Why would he clean everything except the damn necklace?” Knox’s voice rose in small increments. He took his own calming breath and counted to five. Twice. “I don’t have the answers and I don’t know what’s in the bastard’s sick head. But I do know it’s probably best if you transfer off this case.”
Zoey snapped her gaze to his. “What? Why?”
“Because for all we know, the sick fuck’s keeping tabs on everyone involved in it, and that includes you.”
“But we already knew that was a possibility. He’s a sociopath. It’s part of his game.”
“And now he’s changing the rules.”
Zoey’s fear turned to anger. “Only if we let him. We can’t play into it and reassign everyone on the damn case!”
“You’re the one he’s potentially fixated on right now!” Knox gripped her arms and dragged her closer. He’d never felt more helpless than he did at that very moment. “You’re the one who fits his type. You’re the one in danger if we let this drag on any longer, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let anything happen to you!”
Knox saw the moment she shut down. Jaw clenched, she switched her anger to determination. The more he pushed, the more resolved she’d be to tell him to fuck off.
“Let’s get one thing straight right now, Knox Steele. Just because we had a single night together does not mean that you get to go all alpha on me. Do it again, and I’ll take that caveman club and tuck it so far up your backside that you feel it tickle your tonsils. We clear?”
A throat clearing turned both their attentions to where Grace and Roman stood outside the kitchen door. Grace’s mouth was agape while Roman remained eerily still.
“The two of you should come into the house,” Roman said, way too calm to be good.
“Great. Because it suddenly got too darn stuffy out here.” Zoey drilled Knox with a glare as she stalked toward the back door.
Grace quickly followed, but Roman hung back, waiting for Knox. “Remember what I said back at Iron Bars?”
“That you love me?” Knox joked dryly.
“Don’t make me kick your ass, Knox.”
He nodded and slipped inside, receiving two icy glares for the price of one—from Zoey and his cousin.
He’d kick himself in the ass if he could. He’d lost his temper, and that fuck-up now put him squarely on Zoey’s shit list, a bullet point that usually consisted of one name. Her brother’s.
For the next hour, everyone talked, most at the same time, as they debated and argued. As expected, Cade’s protectiveness descended like a vengeance, quickly followed by those of Knox’s brothers and their mothers. Even Grace chimed in with suggestions, and sometimes got everyone back on track.
Zoey sat, noticeably quiet in the loud room, and stared straight ahead. She’d stopped voicing her objections fifteen minutes ago when Cade bellowed about protective custody and armed guards. When his friend mentioned it, Knox had thought it was a great fucking idea. Now, watching Zoey’s blank face, his perspective changed.
Ignoring everyone around him, he stood and focused solely on Zoey. He stopped in front of her, silently holding out his hand.
She looked at it as if it were a snake prepped to strike.
“Please,” he murmured.
Her blue eyes, filled with unspent tears, flickered to his.
He knew this was the right thing to do. “Let’s get out of here.”
He waited with bated breath until she took his hand and followed him out to the patio. The sun had already dropped over the river, and the wind picked up, whipping Zoey’s hair across her cheek.
“Thank you,” she murmured softly.
“You don’t need to thank me. All that talking was giving me a damn headache.” His lighthearted response didn’t even garner him a lip twitch.
He kept himself a good three feet away. “What do you want to do?”
“Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t you be telling me what I’m doing like the others? You said earlier that I should recuse myself from the case. It sounds like that’s an opinion supported by everyone inside.”
He didn’t like her defeated tone. “Do I think you should have Mason transfer you off the case, at least temporarily? Yes. But I’m also not so delusional to believe that you’d go along with it.”
She slid her gaze toward him. “And the going into hiding? Where was it that Liam suggested? Timbuktu?”
Knox snorted. “That’s a little overkill.”
“Cade seemed to like the idea fine.”
“It’s because he cares.” At her sharp glare, he lifted his hands in mock surrender. “I’m not saying it’s not stupid. I’m saying that all the arguing happening in there is because everyone’s worried.”
“It’s a necklace, and it could be a huge coincidence. I live within a few blocks of some of the other victims. He could’ve intercepted the necklace from whoever broke into my apartment.”
Knox knew she wanted to believe that. And like him, she also knew those chances were pretty damn slim.
Zoey pushed off the railing, building a good steam as she stalked closer to him. “I’m not taking a leave of absence from work, and there’s no way in hell I’m moving in with my brother. I have an apartment, which, thanks to Liam, is now more secure than most military bases, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to leave it! Heck, it’s probably safer there than here in the burbs.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Damn straight I’m right. And you’re not going to talk me out of—”
Knox captured her face between his hands and dropped a hard, quick kiss on her lips. “I said you were right, angel. You need to take a deep breath.”
Her shoulders slum
ped and her forehead dropped onto his chest. She stayed there for a minute until her breathing returned to normal. “I’m just so tired, Knox. I’m tired of all the talking. I’m tired of all the debating, and I’m tired because I haven’t slept through the night since…well, since the other night.”
“We have that in common.” Knox made a decision right there despite knowing it wouldn’t be a popular one. “Do you want to get out of here?”
She gifted him a hopeful look that increased his determination. “You think they’ll let us leave?”
“If you ignore the yelling and keep your eyes on the exit, they won’t have a choice. Let me be your bulldozer.”
“Then yes. Please.”
Knox threaded his fingers through hers, not dwelling on the fact it had come—and felt—as natural as breathing, and weaved their way back through the house. Grace saw them first, her gaze navigating to their joined hands. Cade was next.
“Where the hell are the two of you going?” Cade’s demand turned a handful of stares their way.
“Someplace that isn’t here.”
Cade stepped into his path. “Like hell. We haven’t decided the best-case scenario for her yet, and until we do, Zoey stays.”
“The best place is anywhere she doesn’t have to listen to you lot making decisions like she’s not a grown-ass woman.” Knox met his best friend glare for glare. He stepped closer, nearly going nose to nose. “You want to throw ideas around and make decisions. Fine. Do what you feel you need to, but Zoey doesn’t need to sit here and listen to the people she cares about making decisions on her behalf. She’s coming with me, and all you have to know is that she’s safe for the night.”
Red-faced and a second from spewing smoke, Cade opened his mouth to argue when Grace stepped up to his side, squeezing his arm. “He’s right, Cade. It’s been a long day for everyone. Just let her go.”
Cade’s blue eyes locked on Knox. “I’m entrusting my baby sister to you, Steele. You know what will happen to you if she gets so much as a scratch while in your custody.”
“Custody?” Zoey’s temper flared as she stepped toward her brother. “Wait a—”
Knox nodded, holding her back. “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
