Flash Point
Page 19
She hiccuped back her cry, but the tears kept falling.
“Because I did.” Her father looked between her and Steven. “And I love both of you. Very much. As did your mother, Katherine, and Steven, you have no reason to doubt yours. She may not be around in the way you’d like, but she has always loved you. Please don’t ever think otherwise.”
Steven was shaking where he stood, and Kirkpatrick grabbed his shoulders and led him to the kitchen chair, where he dropped and held his head in his hands. His body was racked with sobs, and she knelt and wrapped her arms around him, holding him there and rubbing his back.
“Katherine,” her father said, not coming any closer, but clearly grief-struck over what had just happened. She could barely process what she’d just heard, but she knew she didn’t want to alienate herself from him again. Her mom had seemed so happy with her dad, and she knew how much they’d loved each other. Yeah, he’d been working a lot in the time leading up to her death, but Katherine had never thought her mom would do something like that. She wouldn’t let this revelation taint the memory she had of her mother, but it did make her heart ache for what she now knew her father must’ve been going through.
“I’m sorry that happened to you, Dad,” she whispered, looking up at him as she held on to Steven.
“Please don’t think ill of your mother for that,” he begged her. He looked at Steven’s upturned face. “Or your father. It’s of no consequence now. Please.”
Her father hesitated before coming over to them. He placed his hand on Steven’s head, and when he didn’t flinch away, he bent down and enveloped both of them in his arms. “I love you both. So much,” he said, and kissed each of them on the head.
They stayed like that for a long time, until Steven’s sobs quieted and stopped, and Katherine’s tear-stained face had long dried. Her father pulled back then and sat in an adjacent chair.
“Steven, can we go back a bit?” he asked. “You said someone sent you that picture?” He glanced over at Thompson and Kirkpatrick to make sure they were listening.
Steven sniffed and rubbed the wetness from his face. “I got it the day after I brought Kat to your house. It was in my campus mail.”
Thompson took over then and addressed Steven. “Did it have a return address? Do you still have the envelope it came in?”
“Yeah, it’s back at my apartment. I thought it was weird that there wasn’t any postage or anything.”
Her father looked up sharply to Thompson, who nodded. “We need to look that over and check for fingerprints. Now, if that’s okay with you.”
Steven’s eyes widened. “You think it has something to do with whoever’s after you and Kat?”
Thompson gave a tight-lipped smile. “I don’t think it would hurt to take a look.”
“Uh…” Steven’s gaze traveled between the two of them. “I mean…yeah. Okay. If it helps. We can go there now if you want.” He glanced over at Katherine. “Will you come?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” her father interjected. “I’d rather Katherine not have to see…anything.”
“Oh…right.”
Katherine took Steven’s hand in hers. “Are we okay? I want us to be okay.”
Steven leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. “We’ll always be okay, Kit Kat.”
“I didn’t even have to give you muffins for forgiveness this time.”
His head jerked up, and he sniffed the air. “I knew I smelled blueberries. Let me at ’em.”
Laughing, she got up and grabbed the pan of muffins, then set them on the table in front of him. She gestured to Thompson and Kirkpatrick. “If you guys want even a bite of one, you’d better get in there now. Once he starts, there’s no stopping him.”
As the men in the room crowded around the table, she stood back, a nagging thought in the back of her mind. If someone had taken a picture of their parents’ indiscretions all those years ago, that meant they’d been watching them even then. That realization was chilling, and it brought even more questions—Why? And who?
“KATHERINE, PHONE CALL.” Kirkpatrick handed the cell to her the next morning, and she looked at him quizzically before taking it.
“Hello?”
“Kit Kat.” Steven’s bright voice came through the phone. “My class got canceled, and I thought maybe you’d wanna go get a coffee. Catch up. Shower me with hugs. All that good stuff.”
Even though they’d come clean and agreed to put the past behind them, the casual, happy tone of his voice caught her by surprise. Damn, what a change from the past few weeks. Amazing what getting something off your chest could do. Thank God. She needed her best friend back.
Smiling, she said, “You mean shower me with hugs. You owe me.”
“Yeah, I do. And maybe bring the friendlier bodyguard to stand watch, yeah?” he joked.
She looked over at Kirkpatrick, who was alternating his hands while doing one-arm pushups. Shaking her head, she said, “Yeah, I hate to break up the fitness show he’s got going on, but we’ll be there.”
“Perfect. Is ten thirty okay? Java House?”
“See you then.”
* * *
SHE LOOKED BEHIND her at the clock on the wall at Java House for the tenth time in as many minutes, and sighed. It was eleven fifteen, and she’d already gone through her first macchiato and was trying to pace herself. This running late crap had become something of a habit for Steven in the handful of times she’d seen him lately, so she’d be buying him a watch, stat.
“Can you call him again?” she asked Kirkpatrick.
He shook his head but reached into his jacket pocket anyway. “He’s not answering after five tries, so I doubt this one’ll be any different. But have at it.” He slid his cell across the table, and she pressed the call button on the page he had set up for her.
As it rang, Kirkpatrick said, “Maybe his class got un-canceled?”
“No,” she said, and then stopped when she heard the phone pick up. “Steven? What the hell? I’ve been sitting here scarfing cheese danishes and feeling my ass grow larger while I wait for your sorry—”
“This must be Katherine.” A deep, chilling voice that wasn’t Steven’s came through the line. “Your friend Steven is…unavailable at the moment.”
“Who is this?” she asked, dread coiling in her stomach.
A humorless laugh filled her ears. “Always such a curious thing, aren’t you? Maybe you should come find him? That would be a fun little chase.”
As the blood drained from her face, she looked up at Kirkpatrick, who took the phone out of her hands.
“Who is this? Where’s Steven?” he barked.
Her body felt numb as she watched Kirkpatrick speak hastily into the phone, but the blood rushing through her head had drowned out his words. Steven. Her Steven. He was in trouble, and somehow this was her fault. What do they want with him? What will they do to him? What if they can’t—
“We’ve got to go,” Kirkpatrick said, breaking her out of her thoughts and jumping to his feet.
Snapped out of her shock, she quickly moved to follow him. She wanted to ask a million questions, but he was already punching in a number and speaking to the person on the other end of the phone. They raced across campus back to the apartment, and she picked up from the conversation that he was speaking with Thompson, that Steven had been taken, and that it seemed to be connected to her and her father.
But of course it fucking did.
Was he hurt? Would they find him?
She couldn’t turn off the questions in her head, and when they entered the apartment, Kirkpatrick woke Jason and gave him the rundown. He leapt to his feet and started making calls as well, and now she watched as Kirkpatrick paced the living room floor, phone to his ear. Jason was probably doing the same thing downstairs, as he kept watch outside.
As she sat on the couch with her legs folded up to her chest, she’d never felt more helpless. No—that wasn’t true. She’d felt like this once b
efore. A shudder ran through her. No. Don’t think about that. Maybe it was just some stupid college prank or something. Some frat guy stuff.
The only problem was, Steven wasn’t the frat type, and that voice had scared the living shit out of her. It’d been cool and calculating, and it reminded her of someone. The same someone who’d sat outside of the police interrogation room and threatened her into silence.
This man’s voice was different, deeper, but with the same precision of the mustache man. Her head dropped to her knees, and she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping they would find him quickly, hoping he was okay and they wouldn’t hurt him. The image of the knife stuck into her dresser wasn’t helping the uneasy feeling in her stomach, but she forced herself to breathe through it.
“Shit,” she heard, and she looked up to see Kirkpatrick throwing his phone on the armchair in disgust before rubbing his hands over his face.
Her heart sank, and she was scared to ask, but did so anyway. “What happened?”
“Nothing yet. The cops are on it, and I told them what we both heard, but it’s not much to go on. They’re checking Steven’s apartment now, but his roommate said he’s been there all day and hasn’t seen Steven since he left around ten fifteen.”
“So…if someone took him…they did it in broad daylight? Like on campus while he was coming to meet us?”
“Looks like it.”
Her stomach rolled. “Then that means they’re still here. Whoever it is, that means they’re close by, right?”
“Maybe so.”
“But they arrested someone. Is he out?”
“No, he’s still being held, but now that means it’s either someone working with him, or it’s an unrelated incident.”
Oh God. It’d been false hope she’d been clinging to, hoping that the threats were finally over.
They’re still out there…
Kirkpatrick continued pacing the floor, muttering to himself, something she’d never seen him do. “I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”
“Wait—Jason’s outside,” she said in a panic. “Shouldn’t he come back in?”
The man stopped and gave her an ironic grin. “That’s cute.”
“What is?”
“If there’s anyone who could hold his own, it’s Garrett. I’d just be worried about what he’d do to whoever’s got your friend.”
Her heart swelled at his words. Kirkpatrick was right. Jason would find Steven. He knew how important he was to Katherine, and he’d do that for her.
Shoving her fear aside, she pushed off the couch and pulled aside the curtain to see Jason standing on the other side of the road, speaking in obvious anger to whoever was on the other end of the line.
“You’re probably right,” she said. “He’s kind of a scary bastard, isn’t he?”
* * *
TWO HOURS HAD gone by and not a word. Her father had called to check on her during one of his breaks, and she’d assured him she was fine. Liar. She was far from fine, but with their relationship in a healing state, the last thing she wanted to do was burden him with worry. It wasn’t her safety she was concerned about at the moment.
They were all sitting in the living room in a tense silence when Kirkpatrick’s phone rang.
“Sir?” he answered. “Yes…right…yes…I’ll head that way now. Understood.” He stood up and grabbed his jacket. “I’ve got to go give my statement and pick up Steven’s roommate to give his as well. They want you staying put for now,” he said, indicating Katherine.
Jason tossed his car keys to Kirkpatrick without a word.
“Why do I have to stay here? Don’t I need to give my statement too?”
“It’s more important for you to stay inside right now.”
“I’ll be safe going out with you two,” she said.
“Katherine,” Jason warned, his face serious enough to have her shutting her mouth.
“I just feel helpless sitting here not doing anything.”
Kirkpatrick bent down so he was eye to eye with her. “Not a thing you can do right now. Let us handle this. We’ll find your friend.”
He seemed to believe his words, and she sighed, not having any choice but to do the same. When she nodded, he patted her knee. “I’ll probably be gone for a few hours, so I’ll bring back dinner for us all, okay?”
The mention of food made her stomach even more uneasy but she gave him a tight smile and then he was off.
Closing her eyes and curling up on the couch, she said a silent prayer to the God who’d allowed her to watch her mother’s final horrifying minutes.
Please find Steven—alive and unharmed. Please. You owe me this.
ANOTHER TWO HOURS, and her patience was shot. The more time she spent thinking about where Steven could be, the more riled up she got. She’d begun by sitting on the couch, mindlessly watching bad ’90s reruns on the muted TV, and crossing and uncrossing her legs. Then she’d taken to pacing and checking behind the curtain every few seconds.
Jason had been quiet all morning, and sat in the armchair scribbling in the new crossword puzzle she’d bought and forgotten to give him before dinner the other night. She’d slid it under his door yesterday while he was sleeping.
“Driving yourself crazy won’t help him.”
Whipping around, she said, “Excuse me?”
“You haven’t stopped moving for hours.”
“And?”
“And it’s not helping the situation. You may as well do something productive while we wait.”
She pointed to herself. “Me be productive? Aren’t you supposed to be doing something?”
“What would you suggest?”
“Make important phone calls, go join the search…I don’t know, something.”
“Something,” he said to himself, rubbing his jaw. “What I’m tasked with at the moment is keeping an eye on my client.”
“Oh, I’m just your client now?”
He cocked his head at her. “I think you know better than that.”
“What I know is that my friend is out there somewhere, and you want us to just stay fucking here? You’re supposed to go get him. You’re supposed to be the best.”
His eyes narrowed on hers as he came to stand in front of her. “I’m not sure where you got that notion, or where your misunderstanding of what it is I do came from, but my job is not to hunt down whoever has Steven. My job is to protect you. And considering you’re the one sitting nice and comfy in this apartment, I’d say I’m doing a pretty good fucking job.”
“You’re an asshole,” she said.
He smirked. “That you’d be right on about.”
“Fine. You can stay here. I’m going.” She walked past him, and before she got to the door, she stopped. Crossing his arms, he watched as she realized her mistake and turned around. Holding out her hand, she said, “Give me my keys.”
Snorting, he told her, “Not gonna happen.”
“Give me. My fucking. Keys.”
“Here’s how it’s going down, sweetheart. You’re staying here, with me, while we wait to hear something. Get your chick flicks ready and prepare to hibernate, because you’re not going anywhere.”
She took a step so they were toe to toe. “You can’t expect me to sit here.”
“I don’t expect you to do anything other than what I tell you. I’m not playing games with you, Katherine.”
She let out a loud scoff and walked away, laughing wryly. “You can’t be serious. You’ve done nothing but play games with me. Katherine, we can’t do this, oh but let me give you smoldering looks that melt your panties. Katherine, this isn’t a good idea, but let’s just have a passionate make-out session in private that no one has to know about.”
“That’s enough,” he barked.
She placed her hand over her heart. “Katherine, you’re so beautiful and I can’t resist…how about I feel you up to see how wet I make you.”
He took a menacing step toward her. “I said that’s fucking enough.”
Stop…stop now…
But she kept going. “Katherine, I know we can never be together, and it’s oh so wrong, but please, if I could just fuck you once to get you out of my system—”
With a growl, he pushed her back against the wall, one hand by her head and the other pressing against her chest, grazing the curves of her breasts. Her lids went heavy with lust, and she licked her lips.
“I never fucking said that. If I wanted to fuck you, not only would I do it, but there’s no way in hell I’d only do it once.”
Gasping with his hand rising on her chest with each rapid breath she took, she raised her brow.
“I don’t believe you,” she taunted.
“Stop trying to force my hand, Katherine.”
With a wicked grin, she said, “I’m trying to force your cock, Jason, not just your hand. Though that’s an important player too.”
She heard him groan as he let her go and turned away, clearly trying to keep one ounce of self-control. He’d looked ready to rip her clothes off right then and there, and fuck, she wanted him to.
“What’s stopping you?” she asked, moving behind him and reaching around to rub the erection hardening behind his jeans. He stiffened, but she didn’t stop. “We’re alone. I can feel how much you want me, and I’ve already made my feelings for you perfectly clear.”
He continued to grow beneath her hand, his hips jutting forward with each stroke.
“Jason,” she whispered before sucking on his lobe.
With a roar of frustration, he turned around and speared his hands through her hair, tugging her forward and crushing their lips together. His kiss was urgent, his tongue tangling with hers as he backed them against the wall. The grip he had on her hair was almost painful, desperate, as he devoured her mouth.