Deadly Illusions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 3)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  Finn groaned. “You have ears like a cat, I swear.”

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Mandy countered. “I was just coming down to check and see when your brother was coming up.”

  Finn rolled his eyes.

  “What? I was.”

  James motioned for Mandy to join him, which she did wordlessly. He pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her protectively. “Maybe you should stay out of this?” James suggested.

  “I just want to hear why Finn is lovesick,” Mandy said, ignoring the silent plea in her boyfriend’s eyes. “That’s not meddling.”

  “Did I say you were meddling?”

  “Not yet,” Mandy replied. “You will, though.”

  James shook his head, turning back to his brother. “What do you think? About what the police said about her father’s enemies, I mean.”

  “I think it’s a definite possibility,” Finn said. “Lance Pritchard left a trail of sexually abused boys that is longer than the county line. The guy looked to be in his twenties. He could definitely be a victim.”

  “If we try to look at all the victims, that could be … problematic,” James said. “I’m not a big fan of revictimizing them.”

  “And you think I am? She’s innocent here,” Finn said.

  “I know she is,” James said. “I’m just thinking that we need to be really careful how we approach this.”

  “We?” Finn asked, arching an eyebrow.

  “You’re obviously not going to let this go,” James said. “I think we should try to get in front of it and not chase it from behind – like we usually do.”

  “Lance Pritchard was in front of Judge MacIntosh,” Mandy said. “It was one of the first cases in his courtroom after I got the job.”

  “You sat through the trial?” James asked, rubbing her back with the palm of his hand. “That must have been horrible.”

  “It was,” Mandy said. “There were all these boys … more than twenty of them.”

  “I thought he had fifty victims,” Finn said.

  “Yeah, but in sexual-abuse cases, it’s really hard to get victims to testify,” Mandy explained. “Some of the kids were too young, and their parents refused to put them on the stand.

  “Others were too old,” Mandy continued. “The statute of limitations had passed and they couldn’t testify. There were some victims who claimed that nothing had ever been done to them – even though Pritchard had photographs. It came down to twenty victims.”

  “What do you remember about him?” Finn asked.

  “You know how when you look at people who are accused of heinous crimes and they just look like normal people?”

  Finn nodded.

  “That was not Lance Pritchard,” Mandy said. “You could tell by looking at him that he was evil. I remember he would try and stare down each one of his accusers. The prosecutor stood between him and the kids, bodily trying to block him off, but he kept jostling around so he could look around the prosecutor. It was creepy.”

  “How long did the trial go?”

  “It was a long one,” Mandy said. “It was about four months long. I was fresh out of college. The worst thing I’d seen up to that point had been a couple of armed robbers and a handful of wife beaters. This was the first … predator I’d ever come into close contact with.”

  “Did he try to speak to you?”

  “He tried to speak to all of us,” Mandy said. “During breaks, I would come back to my desk before the judge. He was always smiling at me with these big, yellow teeth.”

  James tightened his arms around Mandy instinctively.

  “It wasn’t just me. He tried to talk to Heidi, too. The bailiff was always threatening him.”

  “What about his family?” Finn pressed. “Were they in court?”

  Mandy’s face scrunched up as she searched her memory. “He had a son,” she said. “He was about twenty-three at the time. I remember hearing the prosecutor talking to another lawyer. Everyone thought the son had been abused, too, but he would never admit to it.”

  “What did you think?” James asked.

  “The son had vacant eyes,” Mandy said. “You could tell something horrendous happened to him. He was back in court about a year ago. I remembered him from that first case. This time he was the one in front of the judge.”

  “What was he in for?” Finn asked.

  “Armed robbery. He held up a liquor store,” Mandy said. “The family was in real financial trouble. The mother just took off at some point. That came up in court. The defense attorney tried playing on Judge MacIntosh’s sympathy.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Actually? Yeah,” Mandy said. “The prosecutor didn’t even try to fight a lighter sentence for him. The family was living in poverty. The brother was trying to take care of himself and his younger sister. He could have gotten fifteen years and the judge gave him five.”

  “That was nice of him,” James said. “I never pictured the judge as a softy.”

  “He remembered the father’s trial, too,” Mandy said. “I think he knew that he was abused.”

  “What about the sister?” Finn asked softly. “Was she ever in the courtroom?”

  “She was called to testify against her father,” Mandy said. “I remember thinking how young she looked. She was seventeen or eighteen at the time, which I guess would make her around twenty-two now. She seemed … older, though. She had one of those faces where you just knew she’d seen some horror.”

  Finn gripped the arm of the chair, his knuckles turning white. “What did she testify about?”

  Mandy was trying to remember. “She said she didn’t know about the abuse, and I believed her. She seemed more like a neglected little girl than anything else. It came out in court that her mom was a drunk and drug addict. Most people believed the mother knew what was going on, although they never had enough evidence to charge her.

  “What I really remember is that the girl was wearing these hand-me-down jeans that were two sizes too big for her, and a shirt that was clearly from a thrift store, but she was really beautiful,” Mandy continued. “She didn’t have any money. She couldn’t even buy anything from the vending machine. She just sat in the hallway when everyone was at lunch, all by herself, staring at the wall.”

  “She didn’t even have enough money to get lunch?” Emma’s insistence on modeling was starting to make sense to Finn.

  “No. I ended up giving her my lunch a couple times,” Mandy said. “I told her I had too much. She was too proud to take it, but I talked her into it eventually. I tried to talk to her, but she was so scared and closed off she wouldn’t tell me much. I just remember feeling really sorry for her.”

  “Did she come to the brother’s trial?” James asked, brushing his nose against Mandy’s jaw as he snuggled in closer.

  “Yeah. She testified for him, saying that he wasn’t perfect, but he’d always been a good brother. I think her testimony is what really got to Judge MacIntosh.”

  Finn sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Well, that explains why she’s modeling. She said she needed the money. I didn’t understand. She really seems to hate it.”

  Mandy raised her eyebrows. “Would you like people staring at you while you’re half-naked for hours?”

  “Baby, I think that’s every guy’s dream,” James said. “It’s different for women, I guess.”

  “Is she the one you’re lovesick for?” Mandy asked, glancing over at Finn.

  “I’m not lovesick,” he growled.

  “Is she the one you’re attracted to?” Mandy corrected, rolling her eyes.

  “I’m not attracted to her,” Finn said. “She just seemed so … sad and vulnerable.”

  Mandy and James exchanged a look.

  “Yeah, I know that look,” Mandy said. “You’re already to rush into danger to save her.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m hot for her,” Finn countered.

  “I didn’t say you were,” Mandy said. “I would just be re
ally careful with her. She’s been through more than you … or I … or anyone, for that matter, could ever fathom.”

  Finn pushed himself to his feet. “Let’s get one thing straight, shall we? I’m not attracted to her. After everything she’s been through, I just want to make sure she doesn’t get hurt. Is that so wrong?”

  Mandy shook her head. “No. Just be careful with her. I know you Hardy men think every woman will break. That’s not usually true. With Emma, she actually might break.”

  Finn waved a half-hearted goodbye, leaving out the front door with Mandy’s words swimming through his head. He had a lot to think about.

  When he was gone, and it was just James and his girlfriend, Mandy lowered her forehead to his.

  “You realize he’s already a goner, right?”

  “I knew that before you came down,” James said. “I knew it the minute I laid eyes on him. I think what you told him just made him all the more … conflicted.”

  “I wasn’t kidding about him breaking her,” Mandy said. “The good news is, if anyone can get through to her and treat her right, it’s your brother.”

  “Are you saying I don’t treat you right?” James asked, poking Mandy in the ribs.

  “No. You treat me better than right. I’m not Emma, though. She’s been through a lot more than I have. She really is fragile.”

  James reached up, tilting Mandy’s mouth so he could give her a sweet kiss. “You have a huge heart. This is Finn’s thing, baby. We just have to let him handle it, and be there for him when he needs help.”

  “You’re being awfully smart tonight,” Mandy teased. “It’s like you’re a really smart teacher or something.”

  “Tonight?” James raised an eyebrow playfully.

  Mandy shifted so she could straddle James on the chair. “Do you want to show me just how smart you are?”

  James groaned as he felt Mandy grind against him. “Class is definitely in session.”

  Five

  “Why are you up so early?”

  James glanced back to his bed wistfully. Mandy was there, shrouded under a mountain of covers, but still naked from their night together. If there were any way around it, James would have stayed there with her for another hour – or all day, if he could have talked her into it.

  Since Finn was returning to the boat show, James felt he should offer some moral support. And, the truth was, he wanted to meet Emma Pritchard for himself. “I’m going to the boat show.”

  Mandy peeked out from under the covers, her blonde hair tousled in a hundred different directions. She was beautiful every time of day, but James loved her best in the mornings – when she was all soft and warm from sleep, her face bare of makeup, her mind sloppy with the previous night’s memories. “You’re going to the boat show? Are you going to buy a boat?”

  “I’m going to offer Finn some moral support,” James said. “He’s going to be focused on Emma, which means someone else needs to be focused on the diamond.”

  “And you’re that someone else?”

  “I figured I would let Grady and Sophie have their Sunday,” James said. “She’s been working some late hours.”

  Mandy smiled. “You’re a good brother.”

  James dropped down on the edge of the bed, reaching under the covers so he could feel her bare skin. “I feel like being a bad brother right now. What does that tell you?”

  “What time are you supposed to be there?”

  “The doors open in about two hours,” James said. “I figured I would get the lay of the land. I need to get in the shower.”

  “You want to get the lay of Emma,” Mandy countered. “You want to see why Finn is all aflutter.”

  James grinned. “Am I that transparent?”

  Mandy cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going to be checking out all of the other boat models?”

  James smirked, feigning like he was really considering the question. “Well, they will be there – and in bikinis.”

  Mandy smacked his hand away when she felt it groping her breast. “You’re cut off.”

  James was still in his boxer shorts, the shower he’d been planning turning into a distant notion. He lifted up the covers, sucking in a breath when he saw her spread open in all of her glorious nudity. “I could probably spare a few extra minutes for my baby.”

  Mandy shot him a dark look. “Minutes?”

  “I’ll make them good minutes,” he promised, climbing back into bed with her and snuggling close. “I’ll make them the best minutes of your life.”

  “I hope you realize that I’m only doing this to tire you out for the boat models,” Mandy said, dipping her hand inside James’ boxer shots. He groaned appreciatively when he felt the warmth wrap around him.

  “Honey, you’re the only woman I care about,” he said. “I can promise you that. I can promise … oh, God, keep doing that.”

  Mandy rolled closer to him, pressing her lips against his ear. “I better be the only woman you care about.” She squeezed him tighter.

  James wrenched an eye open, shifting so he could climb on top of her. He met her gaze evenly. “I love you,” he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers.

  He could be late. It would totally be worth it.

  FINN was surprised when he saw James strolling through the door of the boat show about fifteen minutes after it opened. It was a Sunday, and James and Mandy usually spent Sundays pawing each other in each room of the apartment – multiple times.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Serving as backup,” James said, grabbing a chair and pulling it up beside Finn. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”

  “It’s not that I’m unhappy to see you,” Finn countered. “It’s just that I thought you and Mandy would be playing Hump-or-Seek all day. Isn’t that your usual Sunday schedule?”

  “We have brunch, too.”

  Finn scowled. “So, why are you here?”

  “I figured I could watch the diamond while you watched Emma,” James said.

  “Isn’t Mandy upset about her day being ruined?”

  “Who says her day is ruined?” James asked, winking.

  “You two are so gross.”

  “I promised I would be back to take her to dinner,” James said. “This thing closes down at six, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I left her with something to think about all day.”

  “Seriously gross, bro.”

  “She’s fine,” James said, his tone matter-of-fact. “She and Ally are going to go and get pedicures and some other girly crap. I can’t remember everything she said.”

  “Well, I guess that’s good,” Finn replied, smiling when he thought about his baby sister. “I know Ally likes it when they get to do stuff. It’s like they’re kids again.”

  James frowned. “You did that on purpose.”

  “What?” Finn asked with faux innocence.

  “You know I don’t like getting reminded that Mandy and Ally were kids together,” James said. “It makes me feel all dirty.”

  “Weren’t you already dirty with her today?”

  “Twice.” James looked smug.

  “You seem to have gotten over the dirty feeling,” Finn said, rolling his eyes at his brother’s wide smile.

  “I had a good morning,” James said. “It’s hard to feel guilty when I think about all of the … joy I showered her with. And, yes, there was some action in the shower.”

  Finn groaned. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I’m trying to distract you.”

  “From what?”

  “Fixating on the model,” James said. “If you start obsessing about her, things are just going to get tougher.”

  “I’m not obsessing.”

  “Is that her?”

  Finn’s head snapped in the direction James pointed. “No,” he said, shaking his head irritably. “You did that on purpose.”

  “Payback is a bitch.”

  Despite his brother’s jovial attitude, Finn was busily scanning the crowd. He wasn
’t sure Emma would be back. If he was her, he would have dropped the second day of the boat show altogether. He wasn’t her, though.

  He blew out a relieved sigh when he saw her walking in their direction, his body stiffening. James followed his gaze, whistling low in appreciation.

  “Good grief, man. Is that her?”

  Finn nodded mutely.

  “She is really hot,” James said.

  “You have a girlfriend,” Finn reminded him, never taking his eyes off of Emma. “One you love dearly.”

  “I do,” James agreed. “That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate how hot that woman is.”

  “Are you trying to piss me off?”

  “Is it working?”

  “You have no idea,” Finn replied.

  James was silent for a minute, watching Emma. Her eyes landed on Finn briefly, her expression unreadable. Then she’d moved to the back of the display so she could change her clothes. When she stepped back out, James felt like one of those cartoon characters with bulging eyes.

  “Holy crap.”

  “You have a girlfriend,” Finn repeated.

  “Dude, I’m not moving in on your turf,” James said. “She’s just … incredible.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Finn replied dryly. “If you don’t stop staring at her, I’m going to tell Mandy.”

  “No you won’t,” James scoffed. “You know I would never cheat on Mandy, and you’re too good of a guy to hurt her like that.”

  “Fine. Will you just stop staring at her?”

  “I’m looking at the diamond.”

  Finn shifted his eyes to his brother, noticing the smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “You weren’t even really looking at her, were you?”

  “I looked at her,” James said. “She is very pretty.”

  “You’re so far gone that you don’t even care about a model,” Finn said. “How does that happen?”

  James shrugged. “I don’t want anyone else.”

  “Ever?”

  James stilled, his face conflicted.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot,” Finn said. “I’m not asking if you’re ready to propose anytime soon or anything.”

  James remained silent.

  Now it was Finn’s turn to smirk. “You’re thinking of proposing, aren’t you?”