Crime & Punishment 2: Master Delacroix

by Trista Ann Michaels

  “Chicken,” Nathan murmured, then took another sip of coffee.

  “Bawk,” Josh replied, grinning.

  * * * *

  Connelly sat up in bed and stretched. Outside, the clear blue sky beckoned, and she wanted so badly to jump in her backyard pool for a morning swim. Unfortunately, she couldn’t. Despite the condo’s deck, the walls were beginning to close in on her.

  She scooted to the edge of the bed and winced at her still-sore behind. Hopefully Nathan didn’t have plans to repeat last night. Yeah, it had been her idea, and the sex had been incredible, but she definitely didn’t think her ass could take another round so soon.

  Sighing tiredly, she stood and wobbled to the bathroom. She’d wanted to wait up and see if they caught their stalker, but Nathan had insisted she go back to bed. He’d promised he’d get her as soon as they knew anything. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep, but the second her head had hit the pillow, she’d been out like a light.

  With a twist of her lips, she wondered if Nathan had slipped something into her tea. She dismissed the idea almost as soon as she’d thought it. She’d made it, and the cup had been in her hands the entire time. Besides, she didn’t really think Nathan would do something like that. He could be a domineering pain in the ass at times, a trait she surprisingly liked, but she doubted he would be sneaky and drug her.

  She turned on the shower and placed her hand under the spray, waiting for it to get warm. Behind her, Nathan stuck his head around the bathroom door, startling her.

  “Crap, you scared me,” she said as she placed a shaky hand against her chest.

  He chuckled, and the deep sound as it rumbled through his chest made her heart skip a beat.

  “Sorry. I just wanted to let you know they didn’t find him.”

  This time her heart sank. “No?”

  Nathan stepped farther into the room and walked over to stand in front of her. He cupped her cheek, and the warmth of his skin soothed her fears. “It won’t be too much longer. I promise.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she mumbled.

  He chucked her under the chin. “I can keep this one.”

  “Is there any way at all we can get out of here for a while? I’ll wear a white wig, dress like a man even.”

  Nathan smiled as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. “No,” he whispered.

  She huffed and shoved him away. “This confinement is driving me nuts!”

  “Obviously,” Nathan said, but the sparkle of amusement in his eyes told her he wasn’t really as pissed as the tone of his voice let on. “You must be nuts if you just shoved a Dom.”

  Her mouth dropped open, but sound didn’t immediately come forth. “Nathan…I didn’t…I swear.”

  To her surprise, Nathan laughed. “I’ll let that one slide…this time.”

  Her eyes narrowed at his teasing. “Oh. So you’re saying I can’t even have a bad day and be pissed? It’s always about who’s the Dom?”

  He looked a bit surprised. “You want to talk about that little outburst?”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. Steam had begun to fill the bathroom, making it feel humid. She opened her eyes and turned on the cold water, bringing the temperature down slightly. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

  “Talk to me, pet,” he said softly.

  Connelly wasn’t sure what to say exactly. I’m pissed because I’ve got cabin fever? I’m pissed because I think I’m in love with you but not sure I can live with you? Oh, God. Don’t say that one. She glanced over at him warily, wondering if he had been reading her thoughts.

  She simply replied, “I’m scared.”

  Nathan walked over and engulfed her in his strong arms. Connelly didn’t fight him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. His cotton shirt rubbed her cheek as she rested it against his chest. She inhaled his warm, spicy scent, committing it to memory. She even tried to memorize the hard feel of his body surrounding hers.

  She was afraid of the killer coming after her a third time. She was afraid of Nathan being killed. She was afraid of never being able to get over him.

  “Do you want me to take a shower with you?” he asked softly as his firm hands stroked her back.

  It shocked her sometimes just how gentle he could be.

  “I don’t know why you even bother to ask that,” she grumbled. “I may be thinking yes, but I’m going to say no.” She tilted her head back and looked up at him. “If you did, we’d do other things besides wash our hair.”

  “We’d do that too,” he said with a grin. “Eventually.” He cupped her cheeks and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead. “I’ll leave you to it. I need to talk to Daniel anyway. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good girl.”

  As he walked away, he reached out and slapped her hard on the ass, making her squeal in both surprise and pain. She glared at his retreating back.

  “That’s for snapping, by the way.”

  “Damn sadist.” She rubbed her sore behind. He enjoyed that way too much.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Nathan absentmindedly tapped the pen against the counter, the sound almost soothing. He caught Daniel’s annoyed stare from across the island and, with a sigh, stopped and tossed the pen a few inches away.

  “Perhaps you should’ve stayed in the shower with Connelly,” Daniel drawled as he returned his attention to his computer screen. “You’re so uptight you’re annoying.”

  “Have you found anything?” Nathan asked, ignoring his brother’s remark.

  Daniel sat back and let out a tired sigh as he dragged his hands through his hair. “I need a forensic accountant. There are files that look suspicious, but I just don’t see anything out of place. Law is my thing. Not numbers.” He looked across the island at Nathan. “Perhaps you should just ask him point-blank. It would certainly save us a whole hell of a lot of research.”

  “Yeah,” Nathan said sarcastically and nodded. “Sure. ‘Hey, Dad. Did you put the company in bed with the mob after all? Are you laundering money?’ That would go over almost as well as the first time I confronted him did.”

  “He can’t lie to you. At least we would know. If there’s anything here, I can’t find it.”

  “I can put someone on it,” Josh said as he walked into the room. “I know an NCIS forensic accountant who is incredible. She’s been dying to go after these guys.” Josh grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it. “She’s also a sub.”

  Daniel frowned. “One of your hand-me-downs, and what does that have to do with anything, anyway?”

  “No. I’ve never played with her. You’re a natural at being a Dom, Daniel. She would be a good match for you.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes. “I appreciate the matchmaking, but I don’t have time for any of that. If Dad really has done this, I have to figure out how to get us the hell out.”

  Josh walked over and leaned on the island. “My question is, why would he do it?”

  “Because he’s an idiot,” Nathan snarled.

  “There’s got to be more to this, Nathan,” Josh said. “Granted, your dad can be an arrogant ass, but he’s not a criminal. Is it possible he could’ve been forced into this? A threat against you and your brother or your mom, perhaps?”

  Nathan shook his head. “I never picked up on anything like that.”

  “You’re not perfect. Is it possible you missed it?”

  Daniel snorted. Nathan gave his brother a look of annoyance before turning his attention back to Josh. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d missed something. “It’s possible.”

  “Then perhaps you should take Daniel’s advice and confront him.”

  Nathan breathed a long sigh of agitation. The last thing he wanted to do was confront his father. The man had a way of turning the argument away from the original question. He didn’t want a repeat of the last argument that had driven them apart. Well, it hadn’t been the argument really. The tension had
been building for a while. The fight had just been the last straw.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Daniel’s phone rang, and he glanced at the screen before sliding his thumb across it to open the call. “It’s Dad,” he said as he pushed the button to put the call on speaker and answered, “Yeah. What do you need, Dad?”

  “I need the new access code to the elevator.”

  All three men frowned at each other. “Excuse me? What elevator?”

  “Are you daft, Dan? The damn elevator to the suite in Atlanta. What the hell did you change the code for?”

  “Um, safe house, Dad. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “You said Nathan was in trouble, so…”

  “So what?” Nathan asked. “You just thought you’d come down and save me?”

  “Stop being an ass and send down the damn code,” his father snapped.

  Daniel hit the End button and stared at Nathan in shock.

  “You told him?” Nathan asked.

  “I swear I didn’t think he’d actually come down here,” Daniel replied. “I was supposed to be back in New Orleans already. I had to tell him something.”

  “You couldn’t come up with a lie?” Nathan asked as he sent his father the code via text. “When you were a teenager, you could lie with the best of them.”

  Nathan tossed his phone on the island in agitation. The last thing he wanted was his father here. As if things weren’t getting tense enough with everyone suffering cabin fever. They were all starting to get on each other’s nerves. Dear old Dad wouldn’t help that situation any.

  Nathan walked over and stood before the elevator, Daniel and Josh on either side of him. He noticed Josh reach behind him to make sure his gun was still in place. He’d kept it with him the entire time they’d been there—just in case. Nathan had one as well, but right now, it was in the bedroom.

  He wasn’t worried, at least at first. As he stared at the elevator, a sense of unease washed over him. “Something’s wrong,” Nathan said just as the doors opened.

  His instincts were confirmed at the sight of his father standing before Andre, a gun pointed at his father’s head. Nathan’s gut clenched, worry for his father overriding any sense of anger and frustration he normally felt where his sire was concerned.

  “I’m sorry, Nathan,” his father said.

  Nathan held up his hand. “Andre. Let him go. It’s me you want.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Josh move slightly to the side, closer to the elevator. Andre noticed it too and took action. He pointed the gun and fired, hitting Josh just below his left pec muscle. Josh fell backward, his chest gushing blood, his eyes closed.

  “Damn it! You son of a bitch,” Nathan yelled.

  Andre moved the gun so that it pointed back at his father. “If either of you move, he’s next.”

  Nathan froze, wanting to help his friend but at the same time not wanting to hurt his father.

  “Where’s the girl?”

  “Fuck you,” Nathan snarled as fear for Connelly raced through his chest.

  She had to have heard that shot. Please, Connelly. Please, baby. Don’t come out here. Find somewhere to hide.

  * * * *

  Connelly slid her sandals on her feet and glanced at herself in the mirror. The skinny jeans made her legs look more slender, and the purple tank top matched her shoes. She looked okay for yet another day in.

  She was so ready to be out of here. The more time she spent with Nathan, the more she grew to like him. She couldn’t afford to fall in love with him. Not when she knew she couldn’t do this life. She’d had enough of hiding and running. How many times should a woman have to run from the same damn serial killer?

  Once was one time too many in her mind. What did this one make now? Three? All because some sick freak wanted to get even with Nathan? How many others wanted revenge against the man who’d put them away?

  Shaking her head, she tried to push it all out of her mind. Just get through the day. Maybe enjoy a little sex. Her body heated with the thought. Nathan was incredible. He was the best sex she’d ever had, and it saddened her to think she wouldn’t be able to play with him once she left here. She just couldn’t. Not without falling in love with him. If she wasn’t already halfway there.

  A gunshot carried from the living room, and she jumped, putting her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming out loud. Nathan’s angry voice followed, but she couldn’t make out what he said. Were the guys doing something and a gun went off by accident? Or was Andre here?

  Her legs trembled as she tiptoed to the bedroom door. Opening it just a crack, she could see into the living room well enough to see Josh’s bloody body lying on the floor. The word hide echoed in her head, and she gasped in shock at the ferocity behind it. Nathan? Could he do that or was it her own fear that screamed the word in her head?

  “It doesn’t matter if you tell me or not,” a man’s voice said, and Connelly opened the door a little wider, trying to see who it was. “I will find her, and you’ll die knowing you couldn’t save her either.”

  Connelly’s whole body began to shake. She shut the door and glanced around the room. Where would she hide? What could she use to protect herself? Remembering Nathan kept a gun in the nightstand drawer, she rushed over and opened it. The revolver rested by the book he’d been reading earlier. She picked it up and flipped the safety off. Good thing she’d learned how to shoot. She didn’t like guns, but she wouldn’t hesitate to use it if she had to.

  She stared at the door. Should she go out there? Should she try to help? Nathan would kill her if Andre didn’t, she was sure of it. Glancing down at the gun, she wondered if she could actually shoot a man.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I can do this. I have to do this.”

  Straightening her spine, she headed for the bedroom door.

  * * * *

  “I’ll kill you before I let you anywhere near her,” Nathan snarled.

  “Yeah? And how you gonna do that, hotshot?” Andre asked. His lips lifted in an evil grin that made Nathan want to vomit.

  How was he going to do that? The only guns in the house were out of his reach. Why hadn’t he kept his gun on him? He’d grown too complacent, too confident. He’d been too damn stupid.

  The mess he was in was of his own making. Connelly would probably die at this man’s hand, and right now it didn’t look like there was anything he could do about it. She deserved so much better than this. She deserved a life of safety. If—and that was a one-in-a-million shot—they got out of here in one piece.

  He glanced at Josh, still unconscious on the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood. God, there was so much of it. He tried to see if his partner’s chest rose and fell, but he couldn’t tell from this distance.

  “Where is she?” Andre asked again. “Call her out here.”

  Nathan turned to glare at him. “No.”

  Andre pointed the gun at his brother, and Nathan’s heart stopped. “No!”

  The sound of the gun firing echoed through his ears as his brother was knocked backward by the force of the bullet ripping through his chest.

  “Daniel!” his father screamed.

  Daniel lay very still…too still. He blinked; then his lids slowly closed, and his forehead wrinkled in pain. His breathing was ragged and shallow, but at least he was still breathing.

  Nathan made a move to go to him, but Andre’s voice stopped him cold. “Take one more step and your father gets one as well.”

  “What the hell difference does it make?” Nathan growled. “You’re just going to kill us all anyway, you sick prick.”

  “True,” Andre said with a grin. “But you I’m saving for last. I want you to see me get the girl.”

  Nathan stared into the frightened, angry eyes of his father. Connelly had to have heard the shots. He hoped she’d found a place to hide, but it wouldn’t hold her forever. Andre would find her. Nathan just had to figure out what to do between now and then.

 
His father would be next. Nathan could feel his father’s regret as they stared at one another. “I’m sorry, Nathan,” he murmured.

  Nathan swallowed, knowing that apology was for so much more than leading Andre here. In those three words, his father was letting Nathan know he regretted everything that had been said between them. “Me too, Dad,” Nathan whispered.

  A single tear slipped down his father’s cheek. Nathan sensed something. A shift in his father’s thinking. Nathan tensed. “Don’t,” Nathan whispered, but it was too late.

  His father elbowed Andre, and the force knocked the wind from him long enough that his father was able to slide free of Andre’s gasp. He headed immediately for the gun lying close to Josh. Nathan took the opportunity and rushed forward toward Andre.

  Everything seemed to move in slow motion. A gunshot fired to his left, and a bullet hit Andre in the temple. His head jerked sideways, and his finger tightened on the trigger in reflex. A flash of light just like Nathan saw in his vision. A searing pain shot through his head, then darkness.

  “NO!” CONNELLY SCREAMED as she watched Nathan fall to the floor, blood covering the side of his head.

  She ran forward and dropped by his side. The gun fell from her hands, forgotten as her fear for Nathan nearly choked her. There was so much blood coating his thick hair and pooling on the floor.

  “No no no no,” she sobbed. She gripped his face and turned him toward her. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry. Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.”

  Her fingers shook as she tried to move the hair so she could see the ugly wound. It was long, and the hair close to the scalp had either been torn free or actually singed. But there was so much blood, she couldn’t see anything else. At least there didn’t appear to be brain matter or a massive exit wound on the other side.

  An older man dropped to his knees next to her and turned Nathan’s face so he could see the head wound. “It grazed him. He’s just knocked out. Thank God,” he sighed in obvious relief. He turned to Daniel and checked him as well. “He’s still breathing but barely.”

  “What about Josh?” Connelly asked as she searched Nathan’s pockets for his cell phone.