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Jake returned to the waiting room with two cups of steaming coffee. Turner was speaking on his cell but mouthed "Thanks" when Jake handed him the paper cup. Glasgo had been rushed into the operating room for bypass surgery hours ago and they were waiting for word on his prognosis. The lying bastard better hold on long enough so they could question him.
Dropping to a worn leather sofa, Jake extracted his phone and dialed Violet’s number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, beautiful."
"Jake." She spoke his name on a breathy sigh and he felt his groin tighten. He wanted to see her, hold her, keep her safe. Turner had sent a patrol car to follow her from school to make sure she arrived home safely.
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing for tomorrow’s assignment."
"What are you wearing?"
Violet chuckled. "A Nike sweatshirt, red sweats and thick fuzzy socks."
"Oohh," Jake hummed.
"You couldn’t possibly find this outfit sexy," she laughed.
"Wanna bet? What’cha got on underneath?"
An old woman wearing a blue hospital gown that wrapped around her frail body twice shuffled by. White slippers covered her feet as she slowly made her way down the hall, one blue-veined hand pushing a pole holding an IV bag. Her gray hair was matted on one side and a tissue peeked out of one sleeve. She stopped and glanced around the room.
There went his chance for phone sex.
"Tell me you didn’t call to find out what underwear I’m wearing," she said with a disbelieving chuckle.
"No," he said, his voice suddenly serious. He kept watching the old woman. "I didn’t. Look, you are going to hear this in the morning when you get to work-"
Violet gasped. "Please don’t tell me another girl was murdered. Oh, Jake."
"No," he said. "It’s about the dean."
"Glasgo?"
"Look, honey, he had a major coronary this afternoon."
"Oh God, is…is he okay?"
"We don’t know yet. He’s in surgery. Turner and I are waiting to see him."
There was a pause. "Why are you and Nick with him?"
"Without jeopardizing the investigation, I can tell you—and this is not for public knowledge yet—he hadn’t been forthright about his past."
The old woman tottered around and started heading back the direction she came from.
"Jake, is he the killer?"
"We honestly don’t know. He’s a suspect."
"Dean Glasgo. I don’t believe it," she said.
The old woman stopped again, her eyes wide with a complete lack of recognition.
Jake stood. "I have to go, honey. The reason I called, besides telling you about Glasgo, was to see if you would have dinner with me tomorrow. I’d like to take you to a place I heard about in Montpelier. It’s what, an hour away?"
He had an ulterior motive for getting her out of the city. The killer was scheduled to strike again. Jake wasn’t letting Violet out of his sight all night and he sure as hell didn’t want her in the same city as a maniac possibly obsessed with her.
"It usually doesn’t take that long, depending on traffic and weather. But that sounds wonderful." He could hear the smile in her voice.
"Great. I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night, Jake."
"Violet?
"Hmm?"
"Is the alarm set?"
She sighed. "Of course."
"Good. Do not leave the house tonight. And don’t let anyone in, friend or no."
Jake disconnected and padded over to the old woman. "Hello, ma’am. How are you?"
Her rheumy eyes met his. "I don’t know where I am."
"How about if I help you then?" he asked.
"Why, that would be nice, young man."
Jake picked up her bony, ice cold hand and clutched it in his. The move was two-fold: to reassure her she wasn’t alone and also to check her room number on the thick white band encircling her wrist. Once he had the information, he guided her down the hall to her room, chatting reassuringly the whole time. When he turned the corner to her wing, a nurse came rushing up to them.
"There you are, Gladys. You had me scared to death." The nurse nodded gratefully at Jake and then took over his grip.
Gladys placed her palm on his arm. "Thank you," she said. "You are a very nice young man."
Jake winced then smiled as he watched the nurse guide her to her room. No matter where he went, it seemed he couldn’t get away from that damn adjective.
CHAPTER 17
Maya took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She couldn’t believe she actually mustered the courage to drive to Nick’s house and confront him. Ever since that kiss yesterday, he was all she could think about when she wasn’t focused on the case. Of course, he hadn’t mentioned it again. Bastard.
She was tired of waiting for him. She was going to go after what she wanted and if he turned her down again, she would just move on. She’d been waiting months for him to come around and she wasn’t waiting a moment longer.
It was early evening and though he spent most of his time at the station pouring over information with Jake, looking for any clues to the identity of the serial killer, she knew he was home now. Jake had sent them both home to get some rest while he and two other FBI agents from the regional office stayed late. She zipped into a space next to Nick’s truck. At least he wasn’t out on a date.
She navigated the icy steps and followed the winding sidewalk to his door. With another deep inhale, she raised her hand and pressed the bell. Her foot tapped nervously as she waited for him to answer. A gust of wind lifted her hair away from her face, exposing her ears to the bitter cold. Footsteps sounded and her stomach pitched. She pasted on a big smile as the door swung wide.
Her smile evaporated.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
Maya couldn’t make her mouth work. She just stared at the woman standing in Nick’s entry. She checked the apartment number again. Yep, right address. It never dawned on her that he might have a date at his house. Of course a man like Nick wouldn’t be alone. It didn’t matter that he’d spent the better part of two weeks totally absorbed with work. He would need to let off steam and what better way than with the gorgeous woman in front of her, staring at her with open curiosity.
The woman was tall with honey blonde hair cut in a fashionable bob, the front ends longer than the back. Her clothes were classic and refined, her jewelry expensive and tasteful. She looked nothing like the kind of woman she would expect Nick to date, but then, she really didn’t know him at all, did she?
"Sophie, was that the doorbell?"
Nick appeared from around the corner, his blonde hair damp and slicked back from his face, drops of water clinging to his skin…his naked skin. The only thing keeping him decent was the beige towel wrapped around his lean waist.
"Maya?"
"I’m sorry, I’ve made a mistake," she said to the woman. She turned around and bolted for her car.
"Maya, wait!"
She didn’t even slow down. She fumbled in her purse for the keys, her hand grazing her Glock. For a split-second, she considered whipping it out and shooting at the bastard chasing her. She chanced a look over her shoulder. His bare foot slid on a patch of snow and he stumbled.
"Dammit, Maya will you stop?"
Yeah, right. She picked up her pace and clicked the remote button for her car. She leaped down the few steps to the parking lot and jumped inside. As she jammed the car into reverse, she glanced out her windshield. Her foot froze above the pedal. Nick had stopped his pursuit. He stood on the bank, his gaze boring into hers, one hand holding the knot in the towel around his hips in place. The breeze whipped the ends of the towel but he didn’t seem to notice. Maya couldn’t tear her eyes away. He was so handsome and strong and perfect. And he had a beautiful woman waiting for him in his apartment.
Shaking her head, she pushed the accelerator and backed away. She promised herself she woul
d not shed any more tears over Nicholas Turner. She made it to the next block before she broke that promise.
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Nick watched Maya pull away, the look of hurt and betrayal clearly etched in her face. With the added sheen of moisture in her eyes, he felt like he had been slugged. He should have said something about the kiss they shared but once again, he had taken the cowardly way out and avoided it and her at all costs. He didn’t know why.
"Who was she?"
He turned at the sound of Sophie’s voice and threw an arm over her shoulders. With the heels she had on, she was nearly as tall as him. "Just a co-worker," he said as they walked back to his apartment, not wanting to get into any long explanations. "She’s on my task force to catch the killer."
"I hope you stop that monster soon," Sophie said with vehemence. "The families and friends of those poor girls are going through hell. No one should have to live with knowing what that madman did to their loved one before they died."
Nick tightened his grip and hugged her closer. He completely agreed. Sophie had every right to be angry. She was a psychologist and had counseled several friends of the six girls who had been brutally raped and murdered. She knew first-hand the havoc the fiend wrecked.
They arrived at his door and turned to face each other. He pulled her into his arms. "Don’t let this ruin your trip. You’ve been planning this for over a year."
"I know," she said against his chest. "But it is such a bad time to leave. I hate to go now when there are so many people that need counseling."
"There will always be people that need help and never a good time to go. Besides, my brother would have a fit if you cancelled this vacation."
Sophie laughed. "Yes, and he needs this more than I do. There really never is a good time for a surgeon to take off."
Nick dropped a kiss on her cheek and stepped back. "I’m freezing my a…I mean, I’m turning into an ice cube. I think I’ve lost feeling in my, uh, toes. Call me when you guys get there."
She pulled on gloves and zipped her jacket. "Absolutely."
"Sophie?"
She stopped and turned. "Hum?"
"I’d really love a niece or nephew. Think you can work on that during this trip?"
Sophie tossed back her head and laughed, a mist of white vapor escaping her mouth. "I can’t promise the baby, but I can promise that we will work on it as often as humanly possible." With a wink and wicked smile, she waved and headed to her car.
Nick chuckled and entered his apartment, the warmth seeping into his chilled skin. He closed the door and headed to his room. He needed to change and get to Maya’s house, explain about Sophie. He didn’t want her thinking the worst of him, even if he deserved it for the way he acted.
After changing into a thick sweater and jeans, he stuffed his feet into a pair of waterproof hiking boots and grabbed his parka as he locked the door. Street lights highlighted snowflakes that drifted down in a lazy meandering pattern. An easterly breeze kicked up, rattling the snow-covered tree branches. Nick adjusted the coat higher around his neck and paced to his truck. He settled inside and immediately cranked up the heater. Flicking on the wipers, he cleared the light dusting of flakes, relieved he didn’t have to get out and scrape ice, and waited for the defroster to clear the windows.
Clicking on the headlights, he backed out and drove to Maya’s house. The street crew had been out sanding, preparing for snow that might accumulate. Maya lived only a few miles from his house. As he turned onto her road, her little bungalow came into view and he noticed the lights shining from her bedroom. He knew it was her bedroom from the one night he had spent at her house—the most incredible night of his life.
Pulling into her driveway, he killed the engine. A blast of cold air hit him in the face when he opened the door. Hopefully that would be the only thing hitting him tonight.
The hard beat of rock music pounded forcefully. As loud as it was out here, he wondered how she kept from going deaf inside. He heard the unmistakable strains of Alanis Morissette’s "You Ought to Know" and shuddered. It was a song about a lover scorned. That didn’t bode well for him.
Nick loped up the walkway and pressed the bell. No response. Not surprising that she couldn’t hear over the thundering beat of music. He held his finger on the white button and pounded on the door at the same time.
That did the trick. The music quieted and the floor creaked. A porch light clicked on and he made a mental note to tell her one of the bulbs had burned out. The door opened the length of a security chain and her face appeared in the crack. At least he thought it was her. When she saw him, she sucked in a breath and jerked back, but not before he got a good look. She had some kind of thick greenish goo slathered on her face, her hair was secured on the top of her head like Pebbles Flintstone, and the thick fuzzy robe ended mid-thigh. Oh, and she was holding a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
"Go away," she demanded.
He jammed his foot in the crack, preventing her from slamming the door in his face. She leaned against it and when that didn’t work, she tried kicking his foot loose. He had to laugh at the sight of a pink bunny slipper going head-to-head with his Sorel Conquest boots.
"You think this is funny?" she sputtered with outrage. "Go away you bastard before I arrest you for police brutality."
"Maya," he drawled, "You wouldn’t arrest me, would you?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Try me."
Yeah, she would arrest him. He sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Will you please let me in so I can explain? It’s like ten below out here."
"I don’t want—"
"Please," he said softly, interrupting her rejection. She was poised to refuse again but then her shoulders deflated and she sighed. "Then you will leave?"
He nodded and held up three fingers. "Scouts honor."
"Ha," she scoffed. "You were never a boy scout."
Well, she had him there. "I promise."
She studied him before relenting. "Move your foot," she ordered. He did and she pushed the door closed. He held his breath, waiting to see if she would open it again. When the chain slid free and the door drifted open, something inside him snapped. He couldn’t help himself. He swept her into his arms and slanted his mouth against hers. She uttered a shocked gasp and struggled against him. Ben and Jerry hit the floor with a splat. He kicked the door shut and then spun around to pin her against it, his mouth never leaving hers.
With a strangled moan, she quit fighting and wrapped her arms around his neck. By the time he pulled free for a breath, he wore as much of the green goop as she did. Wiping a glob from his face, she laughed and met his gaze. Her smile faded and she pushed at him again. "Let me go, Nick."
He shook his head, his body pinning hers against the door. "Not until I explain about the woman you met at my apartment."
She refused to look at him. "Technically, we didn’t meet."
Lifting one hand from her waist, he gently grasped her chin and forced her to face him. "Sophie is my sister-in-law. She and my older brother Jesse are leaving on a month-long tour of Europe. She dropped by to give me instructions on taking care of their house and to say good-bye."
Maya’s eyes widened. "Your sister-in-law?"
He nodded.
Her gaze dropped from his eyes to his mouth and her straight white teeth pulled on her bottom lip. He groaned. Grasping her waist, he lifted her higher against the door and replaced her teeth with his mouth. The kiss was hot and raw and he poured everything he felt for her into the melding of their lips and tongues. He found the belt on her robe, jerking at the knot. The sash fell to the ground and his hands swept inside to feel her soft warm skin.
Maya gasped when his hands cupped her breasts. He bent his head to taste her and she arched into his touch.
He couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to be inside her more than he needed to breathe. With one hand, he fumbled with his zipper, shoved his pants down and thrust inside.
Maya came instantly, screamin
g his name. Her inner walls gripped him like a fist. He pumped once, twice and threw back his head, gritting his teeth as he poured into her. His whole body slumped from the incredible force of his release. She clung to him, her face buried against his neck, her nails embedded in his shoulders, her feet locked behind his back.
Nick realized he had just taken her up against the door like some horny teenager. He hadn’t even made it to the bedroom. And he hadn’t used protection.
"Dammit, Maya, I’m sorry…."
She shook her head rapidly, tears glistening on her dark lashes. "Don’t," she said, her voice rough, husky. Releasing her legs, she slid down his body and pushed him back. "Don’t belittle what we just shared, or say it shouldn’t have happened." Struggling to retie the sash, she looked away. "I couldn’t bear it."
Nick’s heart squeezed. "Oh, it definitely should have happened," he said. "In fact, it’s about to happen again."
She gasped as he swept her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
CHAPTER 18
January 17
"I can’t believe I bought so much," Violet laughed, her arms weighted down with shopping bags.
"Wasn’t it fun?" Chris said from behind her, her arms equally laden with packages.
Violet stuck the key in the door and rushed in to grab Zeus before Chris entered. She’d just dumped her packages on the kitchen table when a loud shriek pierced the air.
"Oh no, I forgot the alarm," Violet said in a panic.
Chris raised her voice to be heard over the shrill beep and Zeus’ barking. "What’s the code and I’ll turn it off."
Violet ordered Zeus to be quiet. "I’ve got it," she said, punching the buttons. No sooner had it been silenced when Violet’s phone jangled.
"That’s the police station," she groaned. Grabbing the receiver, she quickly assured the man on the other end that she was fine, no one was breaking in and that she simply forgot to turn it off before she entered the house. She had barely hung the phone up when it rang again.
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