Tough as Nails (COBRA Securities Book 10)

by Velvet Vaughn

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Reed always looked forward to the first day of taping. Adrenalin ran high as his designs were slowly brought to life. But this morning, he didn’t feel like getting out of bed. He’d endured another restless night of sleep. In a few short days, he grown accustomed to waking up with Hillary in his arms. He felt her absence like a physical ache.

  He’d seriously considered packing his things and moving to the production house with Connie and Neil. It was hard enough being around Hillary and not being able to touch her. But the thought that someone might try to break into the house had him staying. Yes, she could take care of herself, but he didn’t want her in danger, no matter how she felt about him.

  There had been no trouble with the house since the attempt right after they installed the security alarm and cameras, so he hoped whoever had been breaking in had given up. It would be almost impossible to get inside now with the constant activity. The local construction company had parked a trailer outside to store and secure their equipment during the night and it was locked up tight.

  There had also been no repeat of her nightmare that he knew of. He’d left a crack in his door so he could hear if she called out. He’d spent half of the night listening in case she needed comfort and the other half bemoaning the fact that she didn’t want his comfort. If he didn’t start sleeping better, he’d have bags the size of suitcases under his eyes. Connie would make him slather hemorrhoid cream on them, which she swore worked like a charm. Not gonna happen. Tossing back the cover, he slid on his shoes. This was the time he and Hillary would run on the beach with Kota. Looked like he’d be hitting the sand alone.

  He pulled on a hoodie and stepped out of his room, surprised to see Hillary dressed and waiting for him. It took all his acting skills, which were sketchy at best, to pretend indifference. “Morning.”

  “Good morning. Do you mind company on your run?”

  She wanted to run with him after shoving a knife into his heart and leaving him to bleed out? She looked both nervous and hopeful. No matter how much she hurt him, he couldn’t do the same to her. He loved her. If he couldn’t be with her, at least they could be friends. “Sure.”

  Relief crossed her face and she smiled. He found himself smiling back before he could stop. They ran along the shore, falling into their old routine of conversation and laughter. She was so easy to be with, to talk to, and he missed her. Kota was more playful than usual, entertaining them by chasing after the shore birds. When they walked to cool down, it was all he could do to not grab her hand. He craved contact. Walking along the beach with her and Kota was quickly becoming his favorite pastime…or second favorite, he amended. If someone had asked him a few weeks ago what his favorite activity was, he’d have said sliding into home plate, no question. Now it was sliding deep into her body.

  After their run on the beach, they retreated to their rooms to shower. He’d much rather conserve water and shower together, but that wasn’t going to happen. They’d struck up a tentative friendship on the run and he wasn’t going to do anything to damage it. He finished first and fixed a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. Lunch and dinner would be catered, though it wouldn’t be as fancy as the feast Connie arranged for Hillary’s coworkers. Sandwiches and pizza would be the mainstays. Breakfast would be available, too, but it’d be an assortment of high-calorie donuts and bagels. He liked starting the morning with protein and getting his sugar from fruit.

  Several vehicles lined the driveway when they walked to the house. Most of the workers parked in a lot down the road. Neil had texted him to let him know he was with Connie inside the production truck and that he was headed to the house. Reed greeted the workers already on site. The local crew was prepping to roof the house and start on the siding. Boxes of materials had been opened and everything looked ready to go. He reached into a carton and pulled out a hard hat, handing it to Hillary.

  “What’s this for?”

  “Standard operating procedure during demo.”

  She nodded and jammed it on, using both hands to straighten it. She looked up at him. “What?”

  He realized he’d been smiling at her. “Nothing.” He wasn’t going to tell her he’d been thinking of his ex-girlfriend. If he’d asked Daniella to put on a hard hat, she’d have given him the evil eye and flat-out refused to mess up her hair. Hillary hadn’t even blinked. He cleared his throat and dug back into the box, happy to see Connie had taken care of his request. He lifted out another hat, this one smaller, and handed it to her. “For Kota.”

  Her eyes widened and welled. “You got a hard hat for my dog?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. I don’t know if he’ll wear it.”

  She took it from his hands and hugged him. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. God, he missed her, missed being with her. She was killing him.

  “Thank you.”

  With a deep breath, he turned away and gathered the crew one more time for a pep talk. “This is the biggest project we’ve tackled on Home Run Homes. Let’s make it a grand slam.”

  The crew cheered and the day began with demoing the kitchen under Neil’s direction. The wall separating it from the great room was knocked out and cabinets were removed. Some of them were in decent shape, so they would be added to the donation pile. The countertops and appliances were beyond saving, so they were ripped out and carted to the dumpster.

  Normally, Reed would be swinging a sledgehammer next to his crew, but with the broken forearm, he stood back and watched. His guys were efficient and quick, being careful with the wires that were exposed when the drywall was ripped out. The local workers were doing a decent job keeping up. The cameras were always rolling, so he’d added commentary here and there and jumped in to explain something when needed.

  The house already felt bigger with the wall removed. With the open kitchen design, the sightlines would be amazing. Dingy, scratched linoleum was ripped up to be replaced with Carrera marble tiles. He’d consulted with Josh on the types of finishes and materials he preferred. Josh wanted upscale. He’d just signed a major contract extension.

  Old ceiling tiles were ripped down and the light fixture that looked like it came from the 1950’s was removed. When the dust settled, the entire space was cleared out and ready to be rebuilt. In the next couple of days, new cabinets and countertops would be installed, with high end appliances fitted into place. A tile backsplash would be added, along with a commercial grade range hood and a center island. The kitchen was one of the most important rooms in the house and this one would be magnificent.

  #

  Rocky was getting desperate. The renovations were in full swing and he hadn’t had a chance to search. There was always someone around. If he stepped away for a second, some idiot called his name, ordering him back to work. She-it, this was harder than the jobs he’d worked during the summers of his teenage years. At least he was getting paid this time.

  They’d just finished the kitchen and they were scheduled to start on the great room next, ripping up floors and replacing windows. Dammit, he hoped to find what he was looking for before the hard work started. Now it looked like that wasn’t going to happen.

  He almost wept with relief when quitting time was announced. He took off walking for the motel when a sudden fear paralyzed him. What if it was already gone? What if it’d been loaded up in the dumpster and hauled off to the dump? What would he do then? A horn honked, causing him to jump. Laughter rung out as a truck rumbled up beside him. It was a bunch of his coworkers.

  “Hey, we’re headed to the bar up the road to drink and pick up chicks. Wanna join us?”

  What he really wanted to do was get back inside the house but the security system posed a problem. What the hell…a few beers sounded good. So did a willing woman. “Sure. I’ll meet you there.” They waved and peeled away. After entering his room, he showered and changed. Grabbing his keys, he locked the door and headed to the bar. The truck bumped and lurched when he pulled into the rutt
ed parking lot, already sporting quite a few cars. As he was stepping out, he spotted the foreman, Neil Farmington, pulling into the lot. An idea sparked.

  He reached back into his truck and opened the glovebox, removing the weapon he’d found inside the car when the two workers from TT’s Beach Builds had their unfortunate accident. Sliding it inside his jacket, he ambled over. “Hey, Neil. I left my cell phone inside the house today and I need it. Can you give me the security code so I can get inside and find it?”

  Neil shook his head. “Sorry. No can do.”

  “But it won’t take me long. I’ll be in and out.”

  Neil started to walk past him. “Like I said, not happening. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

  Rocky saw red. He didn’t like being dismissed as insignificant and this man had done just that. He grabbed Neil’s arm.

  “Hey, let me go.”

  Rocky withdrew the gun and shoved it in Neil’s side. “We’re going back to the house and you are going to let me inside. Now. Understand?”

  Neil scowled at him but he nodded.

  “Good. Get inside your car. That’s it. Slide on over. You’re driving.” Rocky gazed around the lot, happy to see no other people lurking about, and eased into the passenger side. He was reaching for his seat belt when Neil attacked. The man lunged for the gun, catching Rocky off guard. “What the—” He fought to keep possession. Neil was strong and Rocky couldn’t get the upper hand. Suddenly the gun went off. Rocky froze, waiting for the searing pain. Instead, Neil’s eyes widened in horror as he stared at Rocky and then at the gushing hole in his gut.

  “Shit, shit, shit,” Rocky cursed, looking around in a panic. Not another soul around. He wasn’t going to pop the guy but the gunshot might bring people running. It was dark and many of the lights in the parking lot were busted out, which helped his cause. He didn’t see any cameras, either. He opened his door to jump out when a hand latched onto his arm. “Dammit.” He jerked free just as Neil slumped over the seats. An idea popped into his head. He ripped the bulky silver watch from Neil’s wrist and reached into his back pocket, lifting his wallet. Using his shirt, Rocky wiped his prints from the door handles, both inside and out. Sweat plastered his t-shirt to his back. A man had been killed and he still couldn’t get in the house to search.

  He shakily jammed the gun in his pants, careful to make sure the safety was engaged. The way his luck was running, he wouldn’t be surprised if he accidently squeezed the trigger and blew off his dangly parts. He glanced at the watch in his hand like it was a poisonous snake. There was some kind of inscription on the back. Squinting at the lettering, he realized it was a gift from Neil’s wife. Aw, how sweet. Using the edge of his shirt again, he wiped off his prints and spotted a beat-up pick-up truck with garbage bags stacked in the bed. No way he could be caught with it…talk about incriminating evidence. Moseying over, he jammed it deep inside one of the plastic sacks, wincing when his fingers encountered something cold and slimy. With a curse, he yanked his hand out and rubbed it against his jeans. He didn’t even want to know what he’d touched.

  One more check of the area and he headed inside the bar. He needed to be seen by his coworkers. He glanced down, horrified to discover some of Neil’s blood had transferred to his shirt. His stomach lurched and he clamped a hand over his mouth. He hated the sight of blood, especially when it belonged to someone else. Tamping down his nausea, he detoured to the bathroom and tried to wipe it off, but no use. He’d make sure to order french fries or something and spill the ketchup down his shirt before anyone noticed. He yanked Neil’s wallet from his pocket and fingered the cash. Three-hundred bucks to add to his meager pile of bills. He removed Neil’s credit cards and driver’s license and flushed them down the toilet. Pictures of a smiling family were next. Then he wiped the wallet down and buried it in the trash.

  The group of workers who invited him were sitting at a round table when he walked out of the john. He pulled up a chair and soon was laughing and joking with them. When the waitress placed a hamburger and fries in front of him, he made a show of dropping the ketchup bottle, covering his shirt. Perfect. One of the guys laughed and pointed at him, so he aimed the bottle and squirted. Red coated the other guy’s shirt. The other two joined in with mustard and soon they were covered in condiments. The bartender yelled for them to stop and they reluctantly put the bottles down.

  Satisfied that the blood was sufficiently disguised, he lifted his burger and bit into it with gusto. Apparently, killing a man worked up an appetite. After the old guy died inside the house, Rocky had felt sick to his stomach, even though it wasn’t his fault. This wasn’t his fault either, it was Neil’s, and he didn’t feel the least bit guilty. He briefly wondered if that’s how serial killers started out, each kill easier than the last. He shrugged a shoulder. Not like he planned on becoming one since blood disgusted him. He bit into the burger again, the hunk of meat lodging in his throat when a car horn sounded in one continuous wail.

  “Someone go check that out,” the bartender called out as he wiped down the bar when the noise went on and on.

  “I’ll do it.” A man stood and jogged outside. A second later, the door to the bar burst open and the man yelled, “Call the cops. A man’s been shot.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Hillary walked beside Reed, the pound of the surf lulling her into a state of contentment. This was the first time they’d walked along the beach at night since she’d lied and told him she didn’t love him. They’d fallen into a routine of running in the mornings and eating breakfast together, but there was a distance now. He was holding back from her and she hated it, even if it was her fault.

  He’d been busy meeting with members of his crew the last couple of nights, so they didn’t see much of each other. He didn’t invite her along and she only had herself to blame. She hadn’t had another nightmare, mostly because she hadn’t been sleeping. She missed Reed’s arms around her. She missed his kisses. She missed him.

  He’d loved the picture Kai sent and had called him to ask if he could post it to his Instagram page. He hadn’t wanted to upload the picture of Gracie in case her parents objected. He and Kai had talked for over an hour and then Dante, Kai’s father got on the line and he and Reed chatted like old friends. She’d been jealous of her coworker.

  Neither spoke as they walked along the shore, but the silence was companionable. The sun had set and the moon was casting a golden glow over the ocean. Reed’s phone jangled and they stopped while he answered.

  “Hey, Connie. What’s up? What? When? How bad?” Hillary’s instincts sharpened when Reed changed from relaxed to intense. “I’ll be right there.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before grabbing her hand and jogging for the house. Kota kept pace at their side.

  “Reed, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s Neil. He’s been shot.”

  “Oh, no. Is he…”

  “Alive, but barely. He’s lost a lot of blood. Connie said they don’t think he’ll make it.”

  “Where did this happen?” She would’ve been alerted if the alarm had sounded on the house. She made sure it was activated before they set out on their walk.

  “In the parking lot of a local bar. Cops think he might’ve been robbed. His watch and wallet were missing.”

  “Any witnesses? Cameras?”

  “I don’t know.”

  They rushed up the steps to the cottage and she unlocked the sliding glass door. They both showered quickly and were on the way to the hospital ten minutes later.

  Hillary had to inhale a few times as they hurried inside the hospital, but it was getting easier. The waiting room was filled with members of Reed’s work crew, as well as a few from TT’s Beach Builds. Connie waved and they headed over. Reed hugged her and Connie held on tight.

  “Oh, Reed, it doesn’t sound good.”

  “Has anyone called Marge? The kids?”

  She stepped back and dabbed a tissue under her eyes. “I did. They’re on their way
. I hope they make it in time. The doctor said he was in grave condition. They barely found a pulse.”

  “They think it was an attempted robbery?” Hillary asked.

  Connie nodded. “His wallet was missing and the cops said it looked like he’d been wearing a watch, too. Tan lines. He managed to honk the horn to alert someone. One of my assistants, Michelle, was at the bar and she said a man went to check on the sound and came back inside, saying someone had been shot. Everyone crowded out to the parking lot and she recognized Neil when they loaded him onto the stretcher. She called me.”

  “And no one saw anything?” Reed questioned.

  “No. And no cameras, either.”

  He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I’m regretting taking this project and wish I’d never stepped foot on this island. It’s been nothing but one huge headache, literally and figuratively.”

  Hillary stiffened, his words cutting her deep. It was nothing less than she deserved after the way she treated him, but still, it hurt. If he hadn’t taken this job, she never would’ve met him.

  “I didn’t mean that, Hillary.” Reed’s voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear him. She gazed into his aqua eyes, creased with concern. “I’m just upset about Neil.”

  She squeezed his hand, offering her forgiveness and her support. “I know.” But a part of him did mean it, she was sure.

  Reed led her and Connie to an open section of seats. “We might as well settle in. It’s going to be a long night.”

  #

  Rocky paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room. Alive. How in the hell was the man still alive? He’d been shot in the gut at point blank range, and that usually meant he’d bleed out. Why didn’t he make sure Neil was dead before he got out of the car? What if he woke up and fingered him? Sweat broke out along his forehead.

  He’d just known it was Neil when he heard the horn honking. If one of the guys sitting with him hadn’t whacked him on the back, he might’ve choked on the meat that lodged in his throat. He sighed and looked up, his eyes widened when a cop headed his way. He was focused on Rocky’s shirt.