The Deception

by Kat Martin

  Harper nodded. “It’s Chase’s plane but all the brothers fly. Whenever they get the chance, they go down to the family-owed ranch in the Hill Country. Jason has a smaller plane, a single engine Cessna he flies when he’s hunting a bail skip.”

  Surprise filtered through her. She wished she knew more about him. She was beginning to realize he was far more than he seemed.

  She took a drink of diet soda. She expected Harper to ask about the charity, but she didn’t. Instead, she gave Kate a long, assessing glance. “So,” she finally said, “what’s going on with you and Jase?”

  * * *

  “Beautiful girl,” Chase commented. “Seems nice, too. I can see why you like her.” He sat back down on the sofa, while Jase sat down in the heavy leather chair.

  “Let me guess... Bran’s been filling you in on my love life?”

  Chase shrugged. “What are brothers for?”

  “I like her,” Jase said. “But I don’t want to like her too much.”

  Chase lounged back on the sofa. “Why not? She’s obviously intelligent. She owns her own company. And clearly you’re more than a little attracted to her.”

  Jase just shook his head. “I don’t do relationships. You know that.”

  “Maybe it’s time you tried it.”

  Jase grunted. “Why is it married people are always trying to convince you to join the institution?”

  “Could be because they’re happy and they want you to be happy, too.”

  Seeing Chase with Harper, he could almost believe it. Almost. “It wouldn’t work. I live hard, do a dangerous job. What kind of a life would that be for a woman?”

  “Depends on the woman, I’d say.”

  Jase made no reply. It wasn’t going to happen for him. It wouldn’t be fair to a woman and especially not to Kate.

  “So how’s the case progressing?” Chase changed the subject.

  “We’ve come up with some interesting intel. Better if I don’t tell you how we got it.”

  “Good because I don’t want to know.”

  Jase went on to relay the information he’d gotten from Eli Zepeda, the location of the primary crime scene, though not yet verified, and the people Tina had run away from, a criminal organization Jase believed could be involved in human trafficking.

  It was a theory he had been working since he’d seen the photos in the medical examiner’s office showing the ligature marks on Tina’s ankles and wrists.

  “Benson doesn’t buy it,” he said. “Thinks he’d have heard something about it by now. But my hunch says it’s a possibility.”

  “Could be you’re both right. A trafficking ring, but not necessarily located in Dallas.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m starting to think. Word is, the girl hadn’t been in Dallas very long. Tina’s roommate said she thought she was running from something.”

  “Have you talked to Kate about it?”

  “No. This has been brutal enough without telling her there’s a chance her sister had been caged like an animal for God knows how long, drugged against her will, forced to have sex with dozens of men.”

  “I see what you mean.”

  Jase glanced up as the women walked back into the office. Leather creaked as he stood up from his chair. “You ready?”

  Kate smiled with excitement and he felt a little kick. It occurred to him how rarely he had seen her smile that brightly. Kate was a pretty woman. When she flashed that happy smile, she was downright gorgeous.

  His body stirred. He took a slow breath and pulled his brain back from where it was traveling.

  “Harper’s going to schedule a meeting with Charles Stanton at the end of the week,” Kate said. “She’s offered to sit in. If she likes what she hears, she’ll support the project.”

  Jase smiled. “Sounds great. I had a feeling you two would get along.”

  Kate looked at Harper and both of them grinned.

  “You ready to go?” Jase asked. When Kate nodded, he joined her at the door.

  Kate went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for this, Jason.”

  His face went warm. “They’re my friends,” he said a little gruffly. “I’m glad you got to meet them.”

  As he walked out of the office, he caught a last glimpse of Chase. His friend was smiling smugly. Jase was afraid of what that knowing smile meant.

  The thought slid away as he followed Kate into the main part of the office and spotted Jax Ryker and another PI, Jonah Wolfe.

  “Got something for you,” Jax said. The muscles in his barrel chest strained against the navy blue T-shirt he was wearing. The Maximum Security logo—a pair of old-fashioned iron handcuffs—rode above the name printed in white on the upper left side.

  “Jax, meet Kate Gallagher,” Jase said. “Kate, this is Jaxon Ryker and Jonah Wolfe. They’re both PIs here at The Max.” Wolfe was several inches taller than Jax, with a leaner, lankier build. His hair was a glossy black, his eyes dark brown and intense.

  “Good to meet you,” Kate said.

  “Nice meeting you, Kate,” Wolfe said. “I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later.” Wolfe strode off and Jase turned to Ryker.

  “So what have you got for me?” he asked.

  “I know you’ve been hunting Randy Harding. You mentioned you’d tracked him as far as Waco, but you didn’t have an exact location.”

  “That’s right. I need to get down there and find him.”

  “I’ve got an informant in the area,” Jax said. “Called me on a case I’m working. I figured he might know something about Harding or be able to find out, so I asked him to look into it.”

  “Your guy knows where he is?”

  “Got an address out in Bellmead. My guy says he’s been jacking cars for an auto theft ring working out of Austin. Got a woman with him.”

  Jase nodded. “Rosa Diaz.”

  “Sounds right. Harding’s been loaning her out to his friends. Apparently, she’s scared to death of him. She wants out, but she’s afraid to leave.”

  Tension settled in his shoulders. Looked like Rosa had finally figured out Harding wasn’t the good guy she’d believed. Jase softly cursed. He should have gone after Harding sooner. The man was violent and unpredictable. He’d already killed one woman in a fit of rage and wounded two cops.

  “I gotta bring him in,” Jase said. “I can’t wait any longer.” He hadn’t tipped the police because he couldn’t verify Harding’s location, and if the cops started sniffing around, Randy would skip and Jase would have to track him all over again.

  But things had changed for the worse for Rosa, and there was Tommy Dieter to consider. The kid wouldn’t be safe until Harding was behind bars.

  “I told him to stay on it,” Jax said. “Get a location and whatever else he could find. Told him it would be worth his time.”

  “Definitely,” Jase said. “I owe you one.”

  Ryker’s hard mouth tilted into a smile. “I think we’re probably even. You gonna need backup? I got a little time on my hands.”

  Bounty hunters often split fees. Jax was officially a PI, but he was licensed for bail enforcement, and he was a former navy SEAL. He was top-notch and Jase trusted him.

  “This guy’s bad news, so yeah. I’ll call you as soon as I work out the details.”

  As Ryker sauntered away, Jase glanced over at Kate. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but—”

  “You have to go to Waco.”

  “I’ve got to go after Harding, Kate. I didn’t call the cops because I didn’t have enough info, and I didn’t want the bastard to run. But I can’t put it off any longer. The girl he’s living with? I know her brother, Paulo. He’s worried about his sister, and he has every reason to be. Rosa’s in trouble and I can help her. If I pick up Harding and take him in, she’ll be safe. I’m sorry for breaking my promise, but I can�
�t just ignore this.”

  Kate looked up at him. “You have to help her. I wish someone had helped my little sister. Go to Waco. Do what you need to do.”

  He brushed a finger along her cheek. He wanted to kiss her, but Mindy was watching. Across the room, Lissa Blayne, another one of the office PIs, had shrewd eyes and loved to gossip.

  “Let’s go,” he said softly, and led her outside to the parking lot. As soon as they’d loaded into the Yukon, he slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for the kiss he’d wanted to claim earlier. It was long, thorough and deep.

  “Thanks for understanding,” he said roughly when he pulled away. “I’ll take Ryker with me and head on down. If Jax’s info pans out, I’ll be back in a day or two.”

  Her eyes remained on his face, her lips still moist from his kiss. Arousal stirred beneath the fly of his jeans. He wished it was dark outside.

  “I have things I need to do anyway,” she said. “I have to catch up on work at the office, and my sister’s funeral is tomorrow morning.”

  “You never said anything.”

  “I know. I’ve been trying not to think about it. Besides, I didn’t expect you to go.”

  Maybe not, but if he managed to get Harding locked up and Rosa out of danger tonight, he’d be there. “I’ll take you home. I need to go by my place and grab my gear before we head out. The sooner I get to Waco, the sooner I can get back.”

  “Harper told me you owned a plane.”

  He nodded as he drove the Yukon out of the parking lot. “Cessna Turbo 210. It comes in handy sometimes. But Waco’s only ninety-five miles away. If I drive, I won’t need to rent a car when I get there.”

  And his extra gear, including a pair of tactical vests, was already loaded. Plus the restraints bolted into the sides in the back of the vehicle often came in handy, especially with a dickwad like Harding.

  He needed the extra weapons from the safe in his apartment: short-barreled tactical shotgun, Browning 9 mil, his Ka-Bar knife in a thigh sheath and flash-bang grenades.

  “I hope you find him,” Kate said. “I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”

  Amusement trickled through him. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

  Kate’s expression turned serious. “You’ve never disappointed me, Jason. The day I walked into your office and you agreed to help me was my lucky day.”

  He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know why his chest felt strangely tight. Glancing away from the softness in Kate’s golden brown eyes, he hit the gas and pulled into traffic.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  As Kate watched the SUV drive away that afternoon, she felt an unexpected sense of loss.

  She’d spent so much time with Jason she felt untethered without him. She tried to tell herself it was just the emotional stress she’d been under, but it was hard to convince herself.

  Crossing to the elevator, she waved at the security guard behind the front desk, pushed the button and headed up to her apartment. The quiet struck her the moment she stepped inside. The big man who had filled so much of her life wasn’t there. No hot glances, no possessive touches. It surprised her how quickly she missed him.

  With a sigh, she tossed her purse on the sofa. She’d had boyfriends, had a live-in relationship after college, practically lived with Andrew, spent almost every night with him at his house or hers. But when the men were gone and she was alone, she had mostly felt a sense of relief.

  Today, even the hours she had spent at her office later that afternoon hadn’t helped. She was home again now. It was getting dark, and she just felt more and more lonely.

  And worried. Jase would be in Waco by now, trying to track down a hardened criminal. A killer. She reminded herself that he was with Ryker, a former navy SEAL. The two of them had worked together before. He trusted Jax. Together, they would bring in Randy Harding.

  But Harding wouldn’t be captured easily. He had murdered a woman, had shot two deputy sheriffs. If Jase brought him back to face justice, he would likely go to jail for years. He’d fight to stay free no matter what it took.

  Nerves made her stomach queasy, reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything since morning but a power bar at the office. A tired sigh escaped as she went into the kitchen, though she didn’t really feel hungry. When her cell rang, she ran back into the living room and hurriedly dug it out of her purse, hoping it was Jason.

  She felt a flicker of disappointment when Cece’s name popped up on the screen. It was followed by a trickle of guilt, since Cece Jacobs was one of her closest friends.

  “Hey, Cee, what’s up?”

  “I got your text about Chrissy’s funeral. It’s tomorrow morning?”

  “That’s right.”

  “You don’t think we’re going to let you go through it by yourself, do you?”

  “Well, I—”

  “Lani and I are coming with you. I’ll drive so you don’t have to worry about getting there or getting home.”

  Relief trickled through her. She’d been prepared to go alone. Knowing her two best friends would be standing next to her at her sister’s graveside brought the sting of tears.

  “Are you sure?”

  “We’re going with you. No discussion.”

  Her throat tightened. “Thanks. It means a lot.”

  “The service starts at ten, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “It’s almost a three-hour drive. We’ll pick you up at six thirty. That way we’ll miss the traffic.”

  Kate wiped moisture from her cheeks. “Okay.”

  “Listen, on a far more pleasant note, how’s it going with your hot bounty hunter slash detective?”

  Kate found herself smiling. “He’s off to arrest some criminal. I’m kind of worried about him.”

  “Duh...bounty hunter? Hunting men is what they do.”

  “I know.”

  “So I guess that means you two are getting along.”

  “He works for me, remember? Plus, we’re...um...friends.” She tried not to think of the deep kiss in the parking lot. “We’re making some real progress on the case.”

  “I was hoping by now you’d decided to let the police handle it.”

  “The police have done squat. I don’t think they’re that interested.”

  “Just be careful, okay?”

  Like she’d been careful when she’d gone with two special ops guys to break into Eli Zepeda’s apartment, like when she’d punched Zepeda in the face. “I will.”

  “So your bounty hunter... I guess you still haven’t slept with him.”

  Her face heated. Silence fell as she tried to find the right words.

  “Oh, my God! You have slept with him! I knew you couldn’t hold out. Was he fantastic? What am I thinking? With a body like that, he had to be. You could just rub yourself all over him and it would be delicious.”

  Kate laughed. “I’m not talking about it.”

  “Better than great! I knew it!”

  “Look, I gotta go.” Not really, but she wasn’t ready to have this conversation with Cece. “I’ve got some things I need to do.”

  “Okay, fine—for now. Just be careful, okay? With the murder case and with your hot alpha male.”

  She smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” As Kate ended the call, her stomach growled again. She headed for the kitchen, actually hungry this time. It was good to have friends.

  She remembered she’d said that about Jason, that he was a friend. As she rummaged through the fridge and took out lunch meat, light mayo and mustard, she decided it was true. They were friends. With a man like Maddox, that was all it ever could be. Jase wasn’t a settled-down kind of guy, though he had been surprisingly monogamous while they had been together. She hadn’t caught him even looking at another woman, not a hint that he was getting bored or interested in s
omeone else.

  Still, his life was catching criminals and bringing them to justice, and clearly he loved it. Which meant when the case was solved, he would be moving on and it would be over between them.

  Her stomach twisted. Kate looked down at the food on the counter, but her appetite had disappeared.

  * * *

  Jase drove south on I-35 toward Waco. Ryker lounged in the passenger seat, the picture of toughness and strength. The lights from the dashboard illuminated his solid jaw and strong cheekbones.

  Jase cast him a glance. “You got the meet set with your guy, right?”

  “Eagles Club. It’s off I-35 on Eighteenth Street. Dive bar downtown. Guy calls himself Shifty. Says he’s got fresh intel. Meet’s set for midnight.”

  “If I recall, there’s a Budget Inn in the area. We’ll get a room, assemble our gear, maybe catch a nap before we head out. Could be a long night.”

  Ryker nodded.

  When they reached the edge of town, Jase pulled into a Burger King just off the highway, went through the drive-thru for burgers and fries, then headed for the motel.

  At two minutes till midnight, they crossed the sidewalk and pushed through the door into the Eagles Club, the interior dimly lit, illuminated mostly by red and purple lights behind the liquor bottles on the back bar. Red glass candleholders flickered on small round tables scattered across the room.

  The place was only about two-thirds full, the customers talking among themselves, an occasional burst of laughter. Jase figured another half hour, the patrons would be well on their way to stupid, and drunks from nearby bars would wander in for a few more drinks before closing.

  “Over there.” Jax gestured to a guy at the far end of the bar. Late forties, dirty blond hair and a drooping mustache. He spotted them and stood up as they approached. Jase ordered a couple of Lone Stars and a fresh drink for his newfound friend, and they carried them over to a table against the far wall.

  “This is Hawk Maddox,” Jax said to him. “He’s the guy I told you about. Give him whatever you’ve got.”

  Shifty looked him over, taking in his height and muscular build, probably figuring, even if he’d gotten cold feet about talking, it was too late to back out now.