Deadly Illusions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 3)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  “I’m a little mad at myself,” James admitted. “I knew it was wrong when I was doing it. I just couldn’t stop myself from doing it. I really am sorry.”

  “You can’t do it again,” Mandy cautioned. “That’s not the way a relationship works.”

  “I know.”

  Mandy blew out a sigh, letting the tension in her shoulders go, and then brushed a kiss against the side of his face. “I love you.”

  James kissed her neck.

  “You need to stop pissing me off, though.”

  James gave her another small kiss. “I’ll give it my best shot.”

  Mandy leaned back, resting her back against his chest. After a few minutes, James broke the silence. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Knock yourself out.”

  “Why are you so worried about Finn and Emma?” Mandy moved to climb off James’ lap, even though he fought her escape. “Can’t you tell me from here?”

  “I think I better show you,” Mandy said.

  James reluctantly loosened his grip, watching as Mandy grabbed her purse from the chair she’d thrown it into when she came storming into the office earlier.

  “I was in my office for a half hour before the judge came in,” Mandy explained. “I … um … I pulled Lance Pritchard’s file so I could look it over.”

  James knit his eyebrows together. “Why?”

  “I thought the witness list might come in handy,” Mandy replied.

  “That’s actually a pretty good idea,” James said, reaching out his hand to grab the file. “What did you find?”

  Mandy moved back around to his side of the desk, perching on the lip of the hard wood instead of his lap. “It’s not good.”

  James glanced up at her briefly and then opened the file. Mandy watched as he flipped through the pages, holding her breath when he focused on the document that had thrown her for a loop. “Oh, God.”

  “Yeah.”

  “She didn’t tell you about this?”

  “It’s not really any of my business,” Mandy said. “She barely knows me.”

  “Well, she needs to tell Finn,” James said. “This is … .”

  “It’s horrible,” Mandy said. “It’s her story to tell, though, not ours.”

  “I know … but … .”

  “We can’t tell him,” Mandy said. “We have to let her tell him.”

  James grabbed Mandy’s hand, needing the intimate contact. He rubbed the inside of her wrist with his thumb thoughtfully. “Do you think she’ll tell him?”

  Mandy shrugged. “If it was me, I don’t know if I could.”

  James’ brown eyes filled with sorrow. “If it was me, I don’t know if this is something I could deal with.”

  “You’re not Finn,” Mandy reminded him.

  “This is going to crush him,” James said.

  “It’s going to crush them both.”

  WHEN Finn led Emma back into Mandy’s apartment, she was surprised to see how he’d spent his afternoon. The small unit was lit with candles from one end to the other, dinner was spread out on the table, and soft music was playing in the background.

  “How did you do this?” Emma asked, amazement filling her heart and unbidden tears rushing to her eyes.

  “Actually, Grady and Sophie finished it up for me,” Finn said, puffing out his chest. “They snuck out right before we got here.”

  Emma glanced around the apartment, fighting the lump in her throat. No one had ever done anything this thoughtful, this romantic, for her before. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Finn smiled, holding out his hand. “Don’t say anything. Just dance with me.”

  Emma was unsure. She was getting in deeper and deeper with each kiss, with each whispered word, with each touch. His face was so earnest, though, worry lining the edges of his eyes as he waited for her to shoot him down, that Emma couldn’t hurt him that way.

  She held out her hand, letting him draw her into his arms so they could sway to the music slowly. His hands were tight around her waist, and she locked her fingers behind his neck as she pressed herself as close to him as she could manage. They’re bodies melded together like one.

  His mouth found hers, the kiss sweet.

  She would have to tell him, Emma realized. She would have to tell him the truth – which would ultimately drive him away. She had no doubt about that. She was running out of time here. Her heart was already gone – and when she told him the truth, his would be gone, too.

  She didn’t have a choice in the matter anymore.

  Not tonight. She didn’t have to tell him tonight.

  Tomorrow was another story.

  Twenty

  The next few days were tense – for everyone.

  Mandy was still playing hooky from work, Judge MacIntosh calling to tell her that he wanted her to take the rest of the week off to recuperate. She’d thought about arguing, but giving James what he needed right now was more important than her work ethic. She’d thanked him, promising him she would return the following Monday, and then proceeded to dote on James every chance she got. He needed her attention, and she was happy to give it.

  Slowly, he started returning to normal.

  The day-to-day activities at Hardy Brothers Security fell into a rhythm. Every day, Finn would arrive at the office with Emma in tow. Then, the three Hardy brothers would run background checks on the witnesses from Lance Pritchard’s trial. It was slow work, but they plodded along.

  Most of the suspects they completed runs on could be ruled out. Other than visits to local therapists, most of Pritchard’s victims didn’t ping on any search engines. The bulk of them had managed to stay off the radar of local law enforcement and seemed to be trying really hard to mind their own business. That didn’t mean they weren’t psychopaths – but the odds were long in most cases.

  To keep Emma away from what they were doing, the intricacies involved with invading the privacy of her father’s victims bound to upset her, Mandy kept her busy. She spent her afternoons upstairs with an increasingly bored blonde and her constant litany of complaints. They watched soap operas, gossiped, and generally just lazed about.

  Mandy refused to press Emma on what she’d discovered. James agreed to keep quiet, but the way he watched Emma when she was in the room with him was a dead giveaway. That’s why Mandy had insisted on separating herself and Emma from the action downstairs. She didn’t want the woman to feel any more uncomfortable than she already did.

  It wasn’t working out as well as she hoped.

  “I don’t think James likes me,” Emma admitted Thursday afternoon as she sat on the couch reading a magazine.

  From her spot on the floor where she was playing solitaire, Mandy glanced up. “That’s not true. Everyone here likes you.”

  “He’s always giving me weird looks,” Emma said. “I don’t think he thinks I’m good enough for his brother.”

  Mandy faltered, unsure of how to respond. “James hasn’t really been at his best the past few days,” she said. “That’s my fault, not his. He’s better now.”

  Emma sighed. “I just wish he liked me.”

  “He does like you,” Mandy said. “He just gets really focused when they have a case.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Okay.” Emma still looked doubtful.

  Mandy turned back to her game. The truth was, everyone was starting to fray at the edges. They needed a distraction.

  “I think we should all go out tonight,” she announced.

  “I don’t think James is up for another girl’s night,” Emma said pragmatically. “I think that would be just about enough to send him to the loony bin.”

  “No, he’d chain me to the bed before he’d let that happen,” Mandy said. “That’s why we all have to go out together.”

  “All?”

  “You, me, Sophie and the boys,” Mandy said. “Everyone can hang out in a social setting – get away from the work for a while – and things wil
l be better.”

  “Are you sure he’s going to agree to that?”

  “Oh, he’ll agree to it,” Mandy promised, not letting the doubt in the back of her mind creep into her voice. “Whether he wants to or not.”

  “I CAN’T believe I let you talk me into this,” James said as they settled around a table at Paul’s Pool House. “Just for the record, I think this is a terrible idea.”

  “Everyone needs a break,” Mandy said. “Especially Emma.”

  James glanced over Mandy’s shoulder, fixing his eyes on Finn and Emma. They were standing near the bar, placing drink orders, and laughing easily. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world, like they belonged together.

  “You need to stop doing that, too,” Mandy said. “Emma thinks you don’t like her.”

  James’ eyebrows shot up. “Why does she think that?”

  “Because you’re always staring at her,” Mandy said. “You need to remember that she’s not to blame for any of this. If you keep staring at her, she’s either going to think you don’t like her – or maybe that you like her too much.”

  “I don’t mean to stare at her,” James said. “I just … knowing what I know … I can’t help it sometimes.”

  “Well, you need to try and help it,” Mandy said. “If you keep this up, things are just going to explode.”

  “Maybe they should explode,” James argued. “If it was all out in the open … .”

  “If it was all out in the open, you would feel better,” Mandy said. “This isn’t about you and me. This is about Finn and Emma.” Mandy reached over and tweaked his nose. “Try to focus on me instead of her. You’re going to give me a complex.”

  James wrinkled his nose, grabbing her retreating fingers so he could press a kiss to the tips. “I thought the problem was that I was too focused on you.”

  “No, the problem was that you go all alpha and think you’re the boss of me,” Mandy said. “That ticks me off. You just need to realize that I’m the boss of you. You need to get that straight and we’ll both be really happy.”

  James smiled, resting his forehead against hers. “If I let you be the boss of me tonight, will you let me be the boss of you tomorrow night?”

  Mandy considered the offer. “If you stop staring at Emma? Absolutely.”

  James blew out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll try.”

  “Why don’t you start by wrangling your brothers into a pool game,” Mandy suggested. “That will allow us girls to relax over here.”

  “Deal.” James gave her a quick kiss and then got to his feet. “You better be extra-special bossy tonight, though.”

  Sophie sat down in the chair James had just vacated, shooting him a saucy look. “You two are going to give me nightmares.”

  James patted Sophie’s shoulder. “Watch my girl.”

  “Watch my boy,” Sophie said. “He says he’s going to school you in pool tonight. What is it with men? Whenever they get around sticks, they all try to measure them.”

  Mandy snorted out a laugh.

  “He’s got delusions of grandeur,” James said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take him down a peg or two.” James dropped a kiss on the top of Mandy’s head and then strode over to the pool table Grady was claiming.

  Once he was gone, Sophie focused on Mandy. “What were you two whispering about really?”

  Mandy considered unloading Emma’s secret on Sophie, knowing the reporter would keep the secret. The more people that knew, though, the harder acting normal around Emma would be. “It’s nothing.”

  Sophie leaned back in her chair knowingly. “You pulled Lance Pritchard’s file, didn’t you?”

  Mandy pursed her lips. “Did you pull his file?”

  “Did you?”

  “Did you?”

  “I might have,” Sophie hedged.

  “Did you see anything that … freaked you out?”

  “Did you see anything that freaked you out?”

  This could go on forever. “I pulled the file,” Mandy admitted. “I really wish I hadn’t.”

  “I pulled it, too,” Sophie said. “I’m right there with you on the regret. I feel really bad for her.”

  They were silent a moment.

  “Did you tell Grady?” Mandy asked.

  “No,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “I thought about it. It seemed like I was somehow burdening him, so I kept it to myself. Although, I’m really not comfortable keeping a secret from him.”

  “You’re smarter than me,” Mandy said. “I showed the file to James.”

  “And?”

  “And he’s been staring at her and making her feel uncomfortable ever since,” Mandy said. “I told him to knock it off, and he says he’s going to try. I don’t think he’s being purposely rude. It’s just human nature.”

  “Is that why you’re bribing him with bossy sex games?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Well, whatever works.”

  Emma joined Sophie and Mandy at the table a few minutes later, while Finn crossed over to play pool with his brothers. The three women couldn’t hear the conversation across the room – the music and chatter from the other bar denizens drowning it out – but the Hardy brothers looked like they were having a good time.

  “It’s weird seeing them together,” Emma said, her eyes never moving from Finn.

  “What do you mean?” Sophie asked.

  “At first sight, they all kind of look different,” Emma said. “I think it’s the hair. They all have the same angular jaws, broad shoulders, and deep brown eyes. You can tell they’re related when they’re all standing together like that.”

  “When Ally is around, she fits right in with them,” Mandy said. “Other than the broad shoulders. She’s just as bossy as they are, too.”

  Emma laughed. “Yeah, I can see that.”

  Conversation continued at the table, everyone sipping from a pitcher of beer and letting the jovial banter relax them. Every few minutes, the boasts at the pool table got big – and the laughter got even bigger – proving the Hardy men were having just as good a time as the women in their lives.

  Unfortunately, the fun didn’t last.

  Three men, all wearing leather motorcycle jackets and dull expressions on their faces, wedged themselves next to the table with the women.

  “You three looked lonely over here,” one of the men, a rough-looking scoundrel with a scar on his left cheek and the name “Road Warrior” emblazoned on the back of his jacket, said as he sat down in the chair next to Sophie. “We thought we would give you some company.”

  “We don’t need company,” Mandy said, keeping her tone cool and clipped. “We’re perfectly fine entertaining ourselves. In fact, we prefer it that way.”

  “Ah, now, don’t be like that, blondie.”

  Since James often used the nickname as a term of endearment, this Neanderthal using it chafed Mandy’s insides.

  “Listen, we’re having a good time just the three of us,” Sophie interjected. “I’m sure you gentlemen are … paragons of good conversation the world over, but we’d rather be left alone.”

  “What did you call me?”

  “She called you an ass,” Mandy said, her temper flaring. “So why don’t you haul your asses back over to your table and leave us alone.”

  “You have a mouth on you,” the man said.

  “Someone should teach her how to use it,” one of the other man said, cackling maniacally.

  Sophie leaned forward, keeping her voice low. “We are not alone,” she said. “And if you don’t leave this table right now, you’re not going to like what happens. I can pretty much guarantee it.”

  “Something tells me I’ll like anything you want to give me, honey,” the third man said, reaching over and tugging on a strand of Sophie’s hair.

  That did it. Mandy was on her feet, the pitcher of beer in her hand. She heaved it, the liquid inside landing on the moron touching Sophie’s hair, dousing him. The man ran a hand down his face, wiping the b
eer from his eyes, and fixing her with a murderous look. “You bitch!”

  “Go,” Mandy ordered.

  “Blondie, you’re going to be really sorry you did that,” Neanderthal number one said, grabbing her arm.

  “Is there a problem here?”

  Mandy shifted her gaze over the man’s shoulder, focusing on James. “These … gentlemen were just leaving.”

  “It doesn’t look like it,” Grady said, moving in behind Sophie. “It looks like they’re harassing our women.”

  “Your women?” Sophie asked, her eyes dark. “That’s a little insulting.”

  Grady ignored her, never taking his eyes off the beer-soaked man who was standing far too close to his girlfriend. James was focused on the man closest to Mandy, specifically on the hand he had wrapped around her wrist. Finn had moved around the table so he could position himself at Emma’s side.

  “Take your hand off her,” James warned.

  “What is she to you?”

  “The woman I’m going to beat your ass for touching,” James said.

  “Are you threatening me?” The man stood up, releasing Mandy’s wrist so he could face James.

  “Let’s find out,” James suggested.

  This was bad, Mandy realized. This was really bad.

  Twenty-One

  As bar brawls go, this fight wasn’t really one for the record books. Given their military training, the Hardy brothers had a handle on the situation before the rough-and-tumble hoodlums could throw more than one punch each, none of them making contact with their target.

  James didn’t hesitate to slam his fist into the face of the man who’d dared to touch his girlfriend, leaving the man screaming and clutching at his nose – which proceeded to gush with blood.

  Grady grabbed Sophie’s ‘friend’ by his hair before leading him away, slamming his foot into the man’s knee from behind and knocking him to the floor. He then lifted his knee and made contact with the man’s ribs – tossing him two feet into the air and onto his back – before yanking him back to his feet and pushing him toward the door.

  Finn didn’t bother to hit his guy, but the complaining brute found his face slammed into one of the pillars in the middle of the room before being redirected to the exit. Finn professed a weak apology, but the grim smile on his face was a dead giveaway that he wasn’t really sorry.