The Warrior In Me

by Anita Philmar

  “Then why did he do it?” Most employers didn’t feel the need to pay anything beyond their part of the premium.

  “Not sure. The only thing we could figure is he did it because Devin is Lily’s protégé, and his parents are some of Mark’s oldest friends. In fact, he helped them with Devin’s adoption.” Bruce walked to an empty parking space and studied the ground.

  Reviewing the other information they had on Devin, Sebastian worked to place him in the dynamics of the group. “Okay, so he didn’t have a beef with Mark. What about Cain? Could he have caught Devin doing something at the lab he wasn’t permitted to do?”

  Bruce shrugged. “Maybe, but Cain never mentioned a problem with him or anyone else.”

  Sebastian had judged each word Bruce had spoken, looking for any anomaly in his story. Yes, they were partners and both worked with Rex, but Sebastian’s special ability to tell when someone was lying didn’t rest. Which helped him know for a fact, Bruce wasn’t involved in this mess. “But someone shot him point blank.”

  Bruce bent and picked up a shiny piece of foil. “Yes, in the perfect spot for the security cameras not to catch them. They didn’t enter the building because there’s no keycard entry for that time. The only person caught on video was on the other side of the building ten minutes later.”

  “But you said you thought that was the same homeless person who passed through the area every few days.” Sebastian turned and charted the course someone would need to take to end up on the opposite side of the building. With each camera pointed away from the building, if a person stayed near the structure, they could possibly avoid being taped.

  “True, but the police haven’t been able to find him. What if the person we assumed was a vagrant is really a paid assassin.” Bruce studied the foil for a moment. Then he paced to a different space, still searching the concrete pavement.

  Sebastian considered the likelihood of someone wanting Cain dead so bad they’d hire a killer. “I know the evidence seems to point to a professional and someone could have hired a shooter to take care of Cain. But I believe he was collateral damage. The true subject seems to be Mark. Once we find his killer, we should be able to determine who killed Cain.”

  “Lily has the best motive, seeing as she inherits most of his wealth.” Bruce held up his hand in a defensive move.

  Sebastian rubbed a hand over his brow to wipe away some of the aggression his partner’s accusation evoked. “Do you honestly see her as a killer?”

  Bruce smiled. “No, and I drove her home the night Cain was murdered. She would’ve had to leave the house without me knowing it for her to have killed him.”

  “But she could have killed Mark.” Sebastian didn’t believe it, but he wanted Bruce’s take on Mark’s death.

  “True, but I’ve seen her with Mark. She worshipped him. He’s the one who wanted to do the Neanderthal project. He believed it would bring world-class fame for the lab. Lily worked day and night to make it happen.” Bruce knotted his hand into fists, crushing the foil in his palm. “She’d never do anything to hurt him. Hell, she tolerated more crap from Olivia than most women in her place would’ve. Simply because Mark told her he loved the woman.” He shook his head. “I can’t even begin to imagine Lily killing him.”

  “Do you think Olivia might have done it?” Sebastian didn’t like the woman but couldn’t find a plausible reason for her to kill Mark.

  “After they were married, maybe. Now? No. He was her gravy train. Her first husband was a good forty years older than she was and left her a nice inheritance. Mark was only fifteen years her senior and doted on her like she was a queen.” Bruce frowned and stared again at the ground, as if it held the answers.

  “What about Zane and Violet? Did Mark resent their relationship?” Another shiny piece of paper caught Sebastian’s eye only a few feet to the right of where Bruce stood. He stepped closer. A gum wrapper.

  “No. Mark actually encouraged them. He said if they got married everything would remain in the family.”

  Curious as to what Bruce was doing, Sebastian retrieved the scrap of aluminum. “Why are you collecting these?”

  Bruce frowned. “Because I don’t know anyone who works at the lab who chews gum.” He held out his hand for Sebastian to give him the scrap of paper he’d found.

  The Ancient Warrior’s special gift of smell had Sebastian placing the slip of foil under his nose to identify the flavor of the gum. “It’s sort of fruity.”

  Following Sebastian’s lead, Bruce sniffed his slip of foil. With a grimace, he stuffed the small piece in his pocket and extracted his keys. “All I smell is dirt. The one you have must have been left more recently.”

  “Do you think the killer might have dropped it?” Sebastian stared at the wrapper. Could they just have destroyed potential evidence?

  “I can’t see how. The killer, as far as we know, didn’t even come in this area. It’s probably more likely it was stuck to someone’s shoe and ended up here.” Bruce pointed to his car. “Have you seen enough?”

  Taking one last look at the crime scene, Sebastian turned to Bruce. “I guess there’s not much more we can learn around here. We need to start searching for alibis and motives.”

  Bruce clicked the remote, and their car beeped. “Also, from the pissy look you gave me a few minutes ago, I take it I’m no longer Lily’s personal bodyguard.”

  A possessive streak Sebastian hadn’t known he possessed fired through his gut. He glared at his new partner. “Very observant. She’s all mine.”

  Laughter buzzed through the air, brushing over Sebastian’s nerves like a stiff breeze through the trees. Bruce pulled the driver’s side door handle and smiled over the hood of the car. “Better you than me. I don’t have the forever type gene she’s looking for.”

  Forever? No, from what Sebastian knew of Bruce, the man didn’t have it in him. Did he?

  ****

  The sweet scent of flowers followed Lily out of the funeral home, lingering nauseatingly on her clothes. Forcing the picture of caskets out of her head, she followed Zane across the parking lot to his car. “Do you think we allowed enough seating? After all, he taught at Stanford for years and is well known in the community.”

  Zane stopped by the passenger side door and opened it for her. “I asked him the same thing when he outlined the plans for the event. He said anyone who wants to say their goodbyes could do it at the viewing. That’s why he set it up from three to seven on the day before the funeral.”

  He guided her into the car and paused before closing the door. “But there is nothing that says you have to be there the whole time. Olivia will want her time in the sun and will be holding court, but the rest of us can trade off if we want.”

  Lily shifted in her seat and waited for him to walk around the car. She noted the tight fit of his suit across his shoulders. Since he and Violet had started dating more regularly, he’d relaxed his regiment of working out every day of the week. Still, he was a handsome man with a touch of gray at the temples of his raven hair.

  At one time, she’d fantasized he might be interested in her. They had worked together for years, and he’d been in the process of ending a long affair. The twenty-plus years age difference hadn’t bothered her. Hell, she had married Mark, and they had a good thirty-plus years between them.

  In some ways, Sebastian reminded her of Zane. Though, Zane was more of a scaled down version, not as tall, not as broad, not nearly as sexy. Sebastian had the rough edges of a mountain man with the smarts of a clever businessman. Zane, on the other hand, had the sophistication and polish of a lawyer and executive.

  Lily folded her hands together in her lap and ignored the tight tingle of awareness that radiated through her core. Every time she thought of Sebastian, she pictured his bag sitting beside her dresser. She’d discovered it when she dressed after her shower. Did he plan to stay in her room tonight? Sleep with her? Make love?

  The driver’s side door opened. Zane slid into his seat and wrapped his
long fingers around the steering wheel. “Violet said she’d prefer to leave early. She wants to miss the crowd that will come in after work.”

  “I’m not sure what I should do.” Lily forced herself to focus. “Did you and Mark ever work out the financing for the lab equipment I ordered?”

  “Really, that’s what you want to talk about at the moment? Don’t you think we should concentrate on getting Mark buried first?” Zane shook his head and started the car. His frown spoke of his unfavorable view of her priorities.

  “It’s just Sebastian asked me yesterday. No, today when we were on the plane if I knew of anyone Mark may have had an argument with. I couldn’t remember any until now. You two were both pretty upset Thursday night after your discussion concerning the lab’s finances. Did you get it resolved?”

  Zane stared out the windshield. His hands tightened on the wheel until his knuckles turned white. “No, we were both too wrapped up in our own agenda to discuss the subject rationally, so we decided to sleep on it. We were planning to discuss it again after breakfast on…”

  He bit his lip and closed his eyes. Sorrow washed over his face, changing his normally tanned face to an ashen gray.

  She laid a hand on his arm. “Mark considered you family. He wouldn’t want you to remember him through the argument you two had at the end. You would have worked it out and found a compromise.”

  He turned his head to look at her. Tears swam in his eyes. “He could be so damn stubborn.”

  Blindsided by a multitude of emotions, Lily leaned over the console and rested her hand on his cheek. “Yes, and what did he say about it being a trait most brilliant men have?”

  Zane smiled and laid his hand over hers, pulling it gently to his mouth. He kissed her palm. “True, but at times he was too smart for his own good. He was convinced someone was after you when in truth they were after him.”

  Lily blinked and worked to swallow the lump lodged in her throat. Mark always believed she needed him to take care of her. This time, he’d covered his concerns by pointing out the lack of security at the lab. Still unsatisfied, he’d upped the level of protection and insisted she have a bodyguard. Why? What did he know that she didn’t?

  “Did he ever mention anyone who might be behind Cain’s death?”

  Zane’s lashes fluttered, then he closed his eyes and drew back an insignificant inch, but a chasm seemed to form between them. He released her hand and reached for the gearshift in the console. “Mark had his secrets. Some of which he refused to divulge. Hopefully, they weren’t the source of the problem.”

  Easing back into her seat, she stifled the desire to question him. The rigid set of his jaw said she’d get no more answers from him. But old friends would be at his viewing tomorrow, and grieving people had a habit of telling tales.

  Chapter Ten

  The cool night air reminded Sebastian of Alaska. He felt the call of his homeland, his people, and the endless traditions. Usually, he could disregard the craving for a simpler existence, but tonight he fought with old memories of Cain. The two of them had been more than best friends. They thought the same way and understood the interworking of each other’s minds.

  What clues had Cain left him to find?

  Sebastian leaned back in the deck chair and crossed his ankles. The water in the swimming pool lit by underwater lights turned the water an emerald green. He automatically scanned along the back fence for the back security gate. For some reason, Mark had added the feature to provide easy access for maintenance to the swimming pool.

  Oleander bushes hid the entrance and the equipment box on the other side. The huge plants also provided a barrier between the yard and the deck area. A rock wall had a steady stream of water running over it, creating the illusion of a natural waterfall. The soft tinkling noise helped soothe his frazzled nerves.

  After waking from a short nap with Lily, he’d spent the rest of the day with Bruce reviewing every possible angle to the case. Tomorrow morning, he needed to schedule a meeting with Detective Callahan and attend the viewing with Lily in the afternoon.

  He’d missed seeing her at dinner. Caught up in work, he’d shared a pizza with Bruce in his guest suite over Mark’s garage. On his way back to the house, Sebastian stopped for a moment to clear his head. He wanted to let go of some of his frustration before he headed upstairs to Lily.

  His thoughts of her seemed to conjure up her shapely form. Dressed in a white string bikini, she walked out from under the covered patio and strolled to the shallow end of the pool. Moonlight glowed off her blonde hair and pale skin. Like a sinuous ghost, she moved silently and sat on the side of the pool with her back to him.

  He fought with his inner demons, doing battle with what was or wasn’t the right course of action. Everything he’d learned today only convinced him of her innocence, but her sexual innocence also presented a problem. He didn’t do commitment. She didn’t do anything else.

  After her parents died, she’d turned to Mark. Now, with him gone, it’d be so easy for her to latch onto the first new man she encountered. Last night, Sebastian rejected the idea of there being any consequences from the sex they’d shared. Today, however, after all that he’d learned, he questioned the logic of getting involved with her. They had no future together, living in different worlds, hers one of science, his one of crime.

  His cock argued the point. Just the sight of her turned him rock-hard. He recalled her responsiveness to his touch, her small cries of pleasure, and the unique taste of her heat. His mouth watered. The intelligent side of his nature demanded he leave her alone.

  Locked in a battle with himself, he blinked and she disappeared. Alarmed, he stood and caught sight of her swimming across the pool. Her strokes were even, her body stretched out in the water. She appeared to be racing for the deep end. Once there, she performed a quick turn around by tucking her legs against her belly, kicking off against the wall, and twisting her body over. With elegant grace, she swam in the other direction. Impressed by her skillful turn, he wrangled the urge to join her.

  Living near the ocean, he’d learned early how to swim and to enjoy the release a few laps provided when stuck at some hotel and away from home. Gaze trained on her, he shed his clothes and shadowed the side of the pool. Once she performed her next turn at the deep end of the pool, he dove in and came up beside her.

  Losing her rhythm, she slowed and lifted her head to look at him.

  He didn’t stop to comment but continued to the other end of the pool. Once there, he swam back past her. After a few laps, he paused to determine her place in the pool. No water rippled around him. He glanced over his shoulders and spotted her sitting on the steps leading into the pool.

  He turned, dog paddled back several feet, and stopped. “Are you done?”

  “Yes, are you?” She didn’t smile or show any sign as to how she felt about him joining her.

  Then without waiting for him to reply, she rose and turned to leave. “I put your bag in the room next to mine. There’s a bathroom between the two rooms. Just lock the door when you’re in there, and I won’t disturb you.”

  “Whoa.” He dove for her hand, caught it, and kept her from walking away. “What’s wrong with us sharing your room?”

  A self-deprecating smirk formed on her lips. She shook her head. “Come on. We both know that’s not what you want.”

  “How do you know that?” He struggled to see how she’d come to such a conclusion.

  She glared at him. Again, her body glowed in the moonlight, but where she appeared translucent and a figment of his imagination before, now he could see her chest moving up and down with each breath. The small triangles over her breasts didn’t hide the enticing swells or the hard points of her nipples. Need coursed through him, and he missed her reply.

  “Can you say that again?” He dropped his feet to the bottom of the pool and stood.

  “Sebastian, we both know reality bites. Let’s leave it at we had fun while it lasted and go our separate ways.” She t
ugged on her hand, silently trying to persuade him to let go.

  He couldn’t, not now, not when there might still be a threat out there. “Sorry, I can’t do it.”

  “Why not?” She laid her other hand on his wrist, attempting to pry his hand from hers.

  With a quick tug, he threw her off balance. She fell forward, and he caught her against his chest. The wet caress of her body against his refreshed his memory as to why he’d made love to her last night, why he needed to make love to her tonight and for a number of unforeseeable nights in the future.

  “Because I’ve been assigned to guard you.” The lie slipped off his tongue without any conscious thought.

  Nevertheless, he knew the truth. She displayed a rare virtue, a twin nature to his, a yin to his yang that spoke to him and demanded he claim her as his. The old Neanderthal adage of knocking a woman over the head and dragging her back to his cave seemed to apply. She belonged to him. He couldn’t explain it, but it didn’t make it any less true.

  “So. Bruce protected me, and nothing happened between us.” She scissored her legs trying to gain purchase on the bottom. The movement provided just the opening he needed. He thrust his hips forward, driving his cock deep between her legs.

  She gasped, and her hands clutched at his shoulders. “Sebastian, you’re naked.”

  “Yes, that’s what happens when you take off your clothes to go skinny dipping.” He held her tightly with one arm wrapped around her waist and nudged his free hand into her bikini bottom. “And we both know if I’m close enough to protect you, I won’t have the fortitude to keep my hands off every delectable inch of you.”

  She squirmed against him, and the tie of her top came undone in the struggle and drifted between them. One glance at those taut nipples captivated him, sealing their fate. He hungered for a taste.

  Using the buoyancy of the water, he lifted her until his lips caught one tight peak.

  She whimpered, and her hands came to rest on his shoulders. The sharp edge of her nails dug insistently into his skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding herself against him. The fight to break away evidently forgotten, she worked to draw him closer. “God, Sebastian that feels so incredible.”