by Mia Dymond
And suddenly he had no choice.
While her body gave his now ultrasensitive shaft one last good suck, he shoved deep inside, pressed his forehead to hers, and shot his release, hot and fevered against her core.
Dara lay beneath him for several seconds and moved her fingers along his corded back muscles, completely and utterly satisfied by their lovemaking. There was definitely an advantage to giving up control now and then – especially to an extremely skilled, insanely aroused male. Never before had she experienced the comfortable warmth and security between them. She gazed up into his smoky bedroom eyes, content with the satisfied smirk he wore on his face.
“I have something to confess,” she said as he rolled off of her and tucked her into his side.
“I’m your first.”
“Ha, you wish.” She gave his chest a slight slap. “Mace, I’m serious.”
“Okay, if you can confess in three seconds, I’m all ears.”
“That’s fair. You did more than confess in three seconds.”
She didn’t miss the amusement in his voice. “Spill, Dara.”
“The night Evelyn was murdered, my friends and I plotted the murder.”
“Come again?”
“We were tossing around ideas on how to kill her – not in reality, though, in a novel. You wouldn’t believe the methods we discussed.”
“Try me.”
“Smashing her with a car and shooting a bullet into her brain were suggested, but the Columbian necktie won.”
“Whose idea was that?”
“Marnie’s.”
“Not Alex?”
“No, and everyone else agreed.”
“And you’re just now telling me?”
“I’m not a suspect anymore, remember?”
“Why?”
“Because you cleared me.”
“No, why did you tell me?”
She drew small circles on his chest with her fingertips, not in the least bit hesitant to explain. “I trust you.”
“Evelyn didn’t die from a Columbian necktie.”
“No,” she agreed around a yawn, “but that was a pretty nasty gash across her throat.”
He leaned to kiss the top of her head then reached to pull the blankets over them. “Sleep, sweetheart. You need to concentrate on tomorrow’s rendezvous.”
“Yes, sir.” She sighed softly, closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. “And what an adventure it will be.”
By ten o’clock a.m. the next morning, Mace looked out over the crowd gathered at Maverick’s and completely understood Dara’s description of adventure. The line of people began at the table where Dara sat and wound around several sections of books, until finally ending outside the front door and halfway down the sidewalk, The place was a security nightmare. Although most people stood in line, others wandered the store, almost hidden by the tall bookshelves of each section. It would be incredibly easy for their suspect to enter or exit without notice. Dara seemed to take it in stride while she autographed books, personalizing each copy.
Mace was so absorbed, he almost jumped at the voice behind him.
“You look nervous, Turner.”
He turned and grinned. “Hey, Ryker, thanks for coming.” He slapped the other man on the back.
“No problem. I’ve got a man at the front door and one at the back. Figured between you, Jackson and me that should be enough in here.”
“I had no idea there would be such a crowd.”
Ryker snickered. “She obviously knows her stuff.”
He bit back a grin. His friend had absolutely no idea how well Dara knew her stuff. “She receives thank you letters from men.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “I’ve seen some of them.”
“Go figure.” Ryker moved his gaze over the room. “I’ll catch up with you later. I’m gonna mingle.”
Mace wasn’t surprised when the other man entered the crowd, mingling by introducing himself to most of the female influence in attendance. He shook his head and chuckled. Ryker definitely appreciated the ladies.
He moved over and stood behind Dara, trying not to grow impatient with the fans who shoved books at her as minutes ticked by. He finally glanced at his watch and released a heavy sigh. These had to be the longest two hours of his life. The line of people seemed never-ending and he wondered if he would survive the event. Dara, always the professional, kept that beautiful smile on her face until finally, the store manager announced an end to the signing.
Mace escorted her through the bookstore and out the back door. The relief he felt getting her out of the crowd was overshadowed by his anxiety. She was still in danger, even more than when she had been inside.
Rather than take his city-issued sedan, Mace had opted for his truck. He felt more in control in his truck.
He opened the door, lifted her up, set her in the seat, and buckled her in.
She raised an eyebrow. “Think I’m secured?”
“I’m responsible for transporting my prisoners safely.” It only took seconds for him to enter the vehicle on the driver’s side. He checked his rearview mirror, noting Jackson’s nod as the other detective pulled up behind them.
She released a heavy sigh. “Really?”
“What?” Mace pulled out of the parking lot and entered the flow of traffic.
“How many?”
“How many what?”
“Prison guards,” she drawled while she leaned forward to see around him.
“Jackson and me.”
“And?”
“Ryker.”
She simply raised an eyebrow.
“That’s all I know for sure. Ryker’s helping me out and I don’t know if any of his men are in on it since we left the store.”
“I thought Ryker owned a security company.”
“He does.”
“This is not alarm-related.”
“Not that kind of security company. Ryker’s an ex-Army Ranger. He does personal security, provides bodyguards, rescues kidnap victim rescues, work of that nature.”
“Then why did he install my alarm?”
“Because I asked him to. He’s the best man for the job.”
“I thought you were the best man for the job.”
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Depends on the job, sweetheart.”
Dara swallowed. “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard? I mean, this lunatic is supposedly in love with me. Why would he hurt me?”
He steered into Dara’s complex and parked beside her Lexus. He turned to her and lifted her chin with his finger.
“Because, beautiful, you said it – he’s a lunatic. We can’t take any chances.” He planted a heated kiss to her lips. “Let’s get you inside.”
Dara unbuckled and slid across the seat. Mace helped her out of the truck then took her hand and led her inside, checking their surroundings as they went. Jackson was parked across on the other side of the lot.
He couldn’t see Ryker, but he hadn’t expected to. Ryker could blend into his surroundings so well he could be standing right in front of them and not be visible. He breathed a sigh of relief as he unlocked the door and nudged her inside. The beeping of the alarm gave him the all clear so he locked the door behind them and turned off the alarm.
“Are you hungry?” Dara asked him, putting her bag on the floor by the sofa.
“Starved. How about you?”
“Mostly thirsty. And worn out. Do you like macaroni and cheese? That’s what I’m in the mood for.”
Mace grinned. “My favorite.”
He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she got out a pan and filled it with water. He couldn’t help himself. He just had to touch her. Coming up behind her, he put his arms around her waist and hugged her close. He put his lips next to her ear. “I’m gonna take a shower. Wanna join me?”
He nibbled his way down her neck and she shivered. “If I do that, you won’t get clean and we’ll both go hu
ngry.”
She looked like she was ready to crash anyway. He released her, backed up, and swatted her rear. Dara jumped and squealed. He knew it was a good time to cut and run so he ran out of the kitchen. Just in time, too, considering the popping noise the towel made when she snapped it at him.
He laughed all the way to the bathroom, shucking his shirt as he went. He finished undressing in Dara’s room and padded naked into the bathroom. A pink ruffled shower curtain, white fluffy towels, and pictured on the walls of shoes and handbags with shiny things greeted him. Girlie décor and girlie shampoo. Oh, hell. What had he come to?
Mace turned on the water and stepped inside. Warm water in a messaging action rained down on him. Nice. He could get used to all this frilly stuff with perks like a massaging showerhead. And Dara.
Dara turned the knob to medium and then giggled as she opened the refrigerator to retrieve two bottles of water. Detective Turner and macaroni and cheese – what a combination. And, if she could catch him before he was dry, she might just insist they eat macaroni and cheese naked.
She straightened and closed the refrigerator door, ready to check the water on the stove when she caught movement in her peripheral vision. She moved her gaze to the doorway between the kitchen and laundry room, near the back door.
“Mace?”
Although she didn’t expect him to answer, considering the bathroom was on the other side of the unit, she still found herself convinced he had made the shadow. The ticking of the kitchen clock made the silence even more spooky. Even the absent sound of running water made her believe perhaps Mace had left the shower. Yet, he wasn’t there.
Suddenly, a familiar figure stepped into view with the barrel of a handgun pointed directly at her. “Not Detective Turner, Dara.”
Dara froze, every hair on the back of her neck standing at attention. “Tom?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“What on Earth are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to set the record straight.”
She stepped back from the stove, bothered by how eerily calm the man appeared. “How’d you get inside?”
“Come.” He walked toward her, grasped her elbow and moved her further into the laundry area. She gasped when she found Ryker slumped in the floor. “I took him by surprise.”
Her eyes widened as she fought the fear welling inside. “Did you kill him?”
“Not yet. He won’t wake up if he knows what’s best.” Tom pulled her back into the kitchen and pointed at a chair. “Sit.”
She gave a cursory glance toward the living room and then lowered herself to the chair. Her stomach churned as she fought to find a logical explanation why Tom Swanson stood in her kitchen with a gun aimed at her. She needed to find a way to alert Mace. But how? She had a sick feeling he would walk in on the situation, totally oblivious. And unarmed.
She cleared her throat in an effort to gain courage. “What record do you need to set straight, Tom?”
He gave an evil snicker. “I killed The Rogue Reviewer.”
Mace stepped from the shower and rubbed a towel over his head, suddenly concerned about the lack of noise in the atmosphere. The townhouse was a relatively small unit and since he’d used the downstairs shower, sounds from the kitchen should’ve carried easily through the walls.
He quickly dried his body and then tossed the towel to the counter while his heart raced and his gut knotted. Although he was relatively confident no one would get past Ryker or Jackson, he still couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right.
He quietly left the bathroom and entered the spare bedroom, jumped into his jeans and grabbed his weapon. He didn’t take time to grab a shirt, instead flipped off the safety of his gun as he slipped quietly down the hall. A male voice slowed his progress.
He flattened his body against the wall and inched closer, hoping he heard the television but knowing better. His knees threatened to buckle when he moved his line of vision to the kitchen where Tom Swanson held a gun pointed straight at Dara.
Although he sensed her incredible fear, she seemed to be engaging him in conversation – a necessary action if he had any chance of taking the editor out.
“Tom, why did you kill Evelyn?”
“You should know that answer, Dara. I explained my action to you in my email messages.”
“You are Romantically Devoted?”
The madman nodded. “I am your biggest fan, you know.”
Sonuvabitch. Despite his desire to end this lunacy once and for all, he knew that if he rushed in, Tom would kill Dara.
“Evelyn demeaned every author she reviewed,” Tom continued. “Granted, she helped us sell a lot of papers, but she crossed the line when she bad-mouthed your work.”
Tom waved the gun around as he spoke but kept it trained on Dara’s body. Mace still couldn’t take the opportunity to ambush him yet. Hopefully, the other man would lower his guard or move closer with his back to the living area. Come on, Swanson. Move.
Dara stood and moved towards the living room, a motion that enraged her captor.
“Stop! Where are you going?”
That’s it, baby. Turn him that way.
“My water is boiling. You don’t want the smoke to set off the smoke detector and have the fire department burst into the house, do you?”
Dara turned her back to him and marched to the stove as if there wasn’t a gun pointed at her.
“No. Turn it off.”
She turned to off the burner then turned to face him, forcing him to move directly in front of her to keep the weapon trained to its target.
She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t understand how you claim to be my fan, Tom. I hardly know you.”
“Not true,” he insisted. “We spent a lot of time together. Banquets, charity events, fundraisers, remember?”
“Okay, but why kill Evelyn in my condo?”
“Don’t you see? It was the only way. I shut her up for good. That was the gift I gave you because I love you. We belong together, Dara. I had to show you how deep my love is. I killed for you.”
“I didn’t want her dead! Are you crazy? That’s not how you show someone you love them.”
Not good, baby. Don’t piss him off. Mace leveled his gun for a head shot. He didn’t want to do it, especially right in front of Dara, but if the sonuvabitch moved, he’d do it in a heartbeat.
“I was so clever. You should be proud of me. I told her you bought advertising space to print a whole page ad and that you showed me the article you wrote demeaning her work in return for what she did to you. She always wanted to write fiction, you know. Had thousands of rejections. She was angry at you. I told her it was on a thumb drive in your apartment and that I knew where you kept it. It was her idea to come get it.”
“How did you get inside?”
“I picked the lock. I used to be a crime reporter, don’t you remember? A lot of research goes into non-fiction too.”
If Mace hadn’t been so focused on keeping her alive, he might have taken the time to enjoy the fact she was speechless. Instead, he inched closer and moved from against the wall and into the doorway. He knew Dara could see him but she didn’t let on. He inched his way closer to Tom.
“But then you turned to that cop,” Tom continued. “If I can’t have you, he can’t either.”
Mace cocked his weapon. Tom turned and pointed the gun at him.
“No!” Dara screamed and rushed forward.
Tom swung back around at the sound of her voice and squeezed the trigger. Ryker suddenly appeared near the laundry area, launched himself into the air and hit Dara, knocking her to the floor beneath him. The bullet splintered the wood of the kitchen table and then lodged in the far wall.
As if it happened in slow motion, Tom spun to face Mace and pulled the trigger again. Mace managed to fire his weapon just as the other man’s muzzle flashed. His bullet penetrated the madman’s arm just as Mace’s leg caught fire and he fell to the floor.
Tom stumb
led and tried to right himself but Ryker kicked the gun out of his hands and tackled him.
“About time you joined the party,” Mace said through his pain. “I was beginning to think you were really hurt.”
“My head’s about to explode, but at least I didn’t get shot.”
Dara rolled her eyes at the easy banter between them and squatted next to Mace. “Compare your battle scars later.” She grabbed a kitchen towel and tied it around his leg, pulling as tight as she could.
“Ow! Take it easy.”
“You’ll bleed to death.”
Mace placed his hand over hers. “I’m okay, sweetheart.”
Her eyes welled up and the tears seeped from the corners. “He shot you! Give me your gun.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to shoot him. He killed Evelyn in my home and then shot you!”
She shook all over and began to hiccup.
“He messed up my car.carpet.” She paused for another hiccup. “And used my kitchen knife. Her blood was all over it and now I’m going to have to replace the set!”
Mace wrapped his arms around her, drew her close, and attempted to absorb some of the shock he knew fueled her anger.
“I’ll get you some new knives, but you’re not getting your hands on a gun.”
She opened her mouth and he braced himself for her argument when Jackson burst through the front door with his gun drawn. “I heard gunshots.”
Mace fought the urge to give him a high five. Ryker just laughed and tossed Jackson his cell phone. “Nice of you to join us, Stewart. You might want to call for an ambulance. Or two.”
Jackson glanced around the area. “Hell, I missed all of it?”
“Yes.” Mace and Ryker answered in unison.
“Jackson, get an ambulance!” Dara demanded.
“Yes ma’am.” Jackson punched in the number.
“I can’t leave you alone for ten minutes, not even with a locked door and two bodyguards.” Mace kissed the top of her head. “Somehow you still managed to get into trouble.”
“This time it wasn’t my fault. I was just minding my own business in my own kitchen.”
Mace turned to Ryker. “What took you so long?”
