Breathless

by Cheryl Douglas

  “I see.” Keith’s arm tightened around her waist, almost as though he was trying to prevent her from slipping away. “What did you tell him?”

  “You know I’ve always wanted a little house of my own,” she said quietly. She couldn’t even look him in the eye. “He’s offered me a great deal—the same as I was paying in rent. He even said he’d waive the first month and security deposit and work out a lease-to-own deal. He and his wife want to retire to Florida next year, and they don’t want the headache of owning a rental property in another state. He said I’d be doing them a favor by taking it off their hands.”

  “So you’re moving out?” The muscle in his jaw flexed as he stared at the bride and groom to avoid looking at her.

  “I hope you understand.”

  “Does this mean you’re ending it? You don’t want to be with me anymore—”

  “Excuse me, guys. I need a word with you.” Derek McCall stood beside them and put his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “I hate to do this here, but it’s important.”

  Keith stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Is this official police business, Chief?”

  Looking at the couples dancing around them, Derek lowered his voice. “I’m afraid so. It’s about the fire investigation at your apartment, Tara. It was turned over to my department when it became a criminal investigation. Let’s take this outside.”

  Keith and Tara exchanged a look before they followed Derek through the ballroom’s double doors. Sprinting in five-inch heels to keep up with their long strides was not an easy feat, but Tara didn’t want to miss out on anything.

  “Okay, let’s have it,” Keith said, crossing his arms. “We’re obviously talking arson. Who’s responsible? What was the motive?”

  When Derek looked at Tara, she got a sinking feeling it had something to do with her. Had she been the target? Did her landlady lose her home because someone had a grudge against Tara?

  “We arrested Biagio Colletti earlier this evening,” Derek said.

  “Oh my God.” Tara gripped a large stucco pedestal for support when she feared her knees might buckle. “Why would he do that? Why would he burn my home down?”

  “He wasn’t very forthcoming when we hauled him in for questioning, but when we found evidence at his house, he started talking.”

  “Evidence?” Keith practically spat.

  “Let’s just say he wasn’t an experienced criminal, or very smart for that matter.” Derek leaned in closer. “It seems as though he thought if Tara didn’t have anywhere else to go, she would stay with him.”

  “He’s delusional,” Tara said quickly. “I don’t want anything to do with him. I’ve told him that a dozen times.”

  “Evidently he wasn’t getting the message. We think his next step was to take Keith out of the equation. He hates that you’re moving on with someone else, so he wanted to get rid of him.”

  Tara’s stomach pitched, but she forced herself to ask, “What do you mean?”

  “He had the crude elements on hand to construct a bomb,” Derek said. “When we seized his computer, we found Internet searches for constructing car bombs and a lot of information about Keith and his family.”

  “That son of a bitch was gonna come after my family?” Keith shouted.

  “Sssh!” Tara rested her hand on his back. “We don’t want to draw attention to this. I don’t want to ruin Brent and Ava’s wedding reception.”

  “I want to see him,” Keith said, his nostrils flaring. “Can you arrange that, Chief?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Derek said.

  Keith asked, “How would you feel if some psycho was targeting the people you loved? Wouldn’t you want five minutes alone with him?”

  “Fine,” Derek sighed. Reaching into his pocket, he extracted his cell phone. “I’ll call the station and let them know you’re coming, but I can’t get you any time alone with him. I know what would happen.”

  “Don’t do this.” Tara begged Keith as Derek put the phone to his ear and stepped out of earshot. “Please.”

  Keith didn’t even look at her when he said, “I have to.”

  “Just let the police handle it. They have him in custody. He’s—”

  “Don’t you get it?” He scowled at her. “This is personal.”

  “It’s all set,” Derek said.

  Tara reached for Keith’s hand. “Let me come with you.”

  He wouldn’t even let her touch him. “Not a chance. This is between me and your ex-boyfriend. Tell my brother and Ava I’m sorry I had to bail early. I’ll call them before they leave for Fiji in the morning.”

  ***

  Tara was sitting on an upholstered bench outside of the restroom when Ava spotted her. “Hey, what are you doing out here all by yourself?” Ava asked. “Where’s Keith?”

  “He had to leave.” Tara looked at her clenched hands, praying she had the strength to get through the night without crying. Ava had been waiting her entire life for that day, and it had been magical so far. The last thing Tara wanted was to bring Ava down with her problems. “He had an upset stomach.”

  “You’re lying,” Ava said, positioning her dress so she could sit down beside her friend. “I can always tell when you’re lying.”

  “Please… don’t.” Tara looked away when her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to lay this on you. Not today. It’s not fair.”

  “Tell me what’s going on,” Ava said. “You know I won’t leave you alone until you do.”

  Sighing, Tara said, “Derek told us Biagio was responsible for the fire at my place. Keith went to the police station to have it out with him.”

  “Are you serious?” Ava asked, wide-eyed. “I knew that guy was a little off, especially when he kept calling and texting, but I never really thought he was dangerous.”

  “Neither did I.” Tara leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “If I had, I would have taken out a restraining order. Not that I think it would have done much good. It sounds like he was pretty determined.” Tara would share the rest of the story another time. Ava already knew more than enough.

  “Why didn’t you go to the police station with Keith?”

  “I wanted to be here for you guys.” That was true, but the reception was winding down, and Tara and Keith could have left without being missed by most of the guests. She hadn’t gone because she suspected he couldn’t stand the sight of her.

  Tara would never forget the disgust in Keith’s eyes right before he got in the limo. He must blame her for inviting that madman into their lives. She would be gone before he returned home. She’d spend the night at a cheap motel and make arrangements with her uncle in the morning. Keith wouldn’t have to see her again… At least, not until Ava and Brent returned from their honeymoon.

  “Why don’t you go home?” Ava put her arm around Tara’s shoulders. “You look exhausted.”

  “Home.” A tear slipped down Tara’s cheek. “Right.” She hadn’t told Ava about her uncle’s offer. She’d given Ava enough to worry about on the biggest day of her life. “Maybe you’re right. I should just go home.” Except she feared those four walls would feel like a prison without Keith sharing it with her.

  Chapter Ten

  “You worthless piece of shit,” Keith hissed into the plastic phone. It was probably a good thing a piece of glass was between them. Otherwise, Brent would have to spend his wedding night bailing his brother out of jail.

  “What do you want?” Biagio asked, his dark eyes as sinister as they had been that night at Jimmy’s.

  Keith cursed himself for not realizing how dangerous Biagio was that night. He’d missed the signs because he’d been too preoccupied to see the obvious. “I want to know what the hell you were thinking. She could have been killed in that goddamn fire!” Keith tried to get himself under control when a guard glared at him.

  “I knew she wasn’t there. The house was empty—I made sure of it.”

  “So it wasn’t until you realized
that Tara had moved on that you contemplated murder. Did you really think you would get away with it? A car bombing?” Keith couldn’t deny fear was lancing his cool façade. He realized how close he’d come to losing his life.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “So you’re not stupid enough to admit it, huh?” Keith smirked. He didn’t think he would be, but it was worth a try. “They’ve already got you, man. No way you’re getting out of this.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “What did you hope to gain by burning her home to the ground?” Keith couldn’t understand what would prompt someone to take such extreme measures.

  “She couldn’t stay with Ava because she’d just gotten engaged. Her family lives too far away. Tara wouldn’t have wanted to impose on her friends, so staying with me would have been the perfect solution.” Biagio shrugged.

  “You really are out of your mind.” Keith shook his head in disbelief. “She didn’t want to date you, yet you thought she’d consider staying with you?”

  Biagio’s stare was vacant when he said, “Desperate people do desperate things.”

  “Evidently,” Keith muttered. The limo ride over had given him time to calm down and think about what he wanted to say. Knowing he may never get another chance with Biagio, Keith asked, “Why couldn’t you just let her go?”

  The fierce possessiveness Keith caught a glimpse of at the bar came back. “Could you?”

  Keith thought about it. He may well find himself in Biagio’s position—figuring out how to let go of the incredible woman he wanted to spend his life with more than anything. Thinking he may actually have something in common with a criminal scared him.

  Pushing to his feet, Keith said, “I hope they make your life a living hell in here. You deserve nothing less after what you put her through.”

  “I love her!” he shouted.

  The guard moved in behind Biagio. Keith could see the guard’s lips moving, telling Biagio to calm down or he was going back to the holding cell.

  “You should have thought of that while you had the chance.” Keith could barely spit out the words. “It’s too late for you now.” Setting the phone back in its cradle, he wondered if it was too late for him as well.

  ***

  Tara wandered through Keith’s posh apartment looking for anything she may have left behind. She wanted to do him the favor of wiping any trace of their relationship from his life. He would be furious when he returned home. Rightly so. First she’d blindsided him by telling him about her uncle’s offer, and then Derek told him some madman wanted to take his life.

  Tara shuddered, wondering if she’d been a target the night of the fire. Derek had claimed Biagio was trying to get her back, but was he really trying to get back at her for rejecting him? When she was satisfied she hadn’t left anything, Tara traveled to the ground floor to leave Keith’s key with Stan at the guard desk.

  Stan smiled and tipped his hat when he saw her approach. His eyes fell to her inexpensive black suitcase. “Going somewhere?”

  “Yeah, it’s time for me to move on.” Eager to change the subject, she said, “The wedding was lovely. I just know Ava and Brent are going to be so happy together.”

  Stan frowned when her voice broke. “I kind of thought you and Keith might be headed in that direction too. When y’all moved in together, I thought things were getting serious.”

  “I…” She couldn’t explain something she didn’t even understand. Passing the large silver key to Stan, she said, “Could you give this to Keith for me?”

  Turning it over, Stan looked at it a long time. “Don’t you think you should give it to him yourself?”

  “It’s okay, he knows I’m leaving. We talked about it.”

  Stan sighed. “That’s a shame. Mr. Armstrong sure did seem happier since you moved in.”

  Tara knew Keith would quickly resume the life he’d had before she invaded his home. Beautiful women, upscale parties… She couldn’t even let herself think about it. “Well, I’ll see you around, Stan.”

  “What should I tell Mr. Armstrong if he asks where you’ll be staying?”

  “I doubt he’ll ask.” After that night, she was certain he would be glad just to be rid of her.

  ***

  By the time he swiped his access card across the box at the front door, Keith was exhausted. He would have his work cut out for him setting things right with Tara, but he just wanted to curl up in her arms and let sleep calm his fear.

  Stan wasn’t at the guard desk, which meant he must be making his rounds to secure the building. Keith was grateful. He wasn’t in the mood to make small talk. He just wanted to hold Tara and tell her that whatever she wanted was okay with him. He realized things had been moving quickly, and if she needed more time to get used to the idea of living with him, he would concede.

  She could live in her little house for a few months or a year until she was ready to move in with him officially. Whether or not her clothes were hanging in his closet didn’t matter because he intended to make sure she still wanted to spend every night in his bed.

  When he turned his doorknob, he was surprised to find it locked. She was probably still a little spooked about her ex. He fit his key into the lock and opened the door, expecting to hear the TV. When the silence enveloped him, he moved farther into the room, hoping to see her curled up on the couch, fast asleep under the soft throw she loved so much.

  When he realized she wasn’t there, the silence felt eerie. The large apartment felt desolate, and as he moved through the rooms, praying for a sign she was still there, reality crashed in on him. She’d left him.

  “Damn it!” he shouted, slamming his palm into the wall. “Where the hell are you, Tara?” He grabbed his cell phone, selected the first name in his directory, and waited to hear her voice. He did, but it was just her voice mail. He forced himself to calm down, to think logically about where she might have gone.

  Brent and Ava were staying in a luxurious hotel by the airport because they were leaving for Fiji first thing in the morning. Maybe Ava had offered Tara their place until she sorted things out with her uncle.

  Keith cursed himself for letting his anger get the best of him when he left her standing in the parking lot. She probably believed his fury was directed at her, but he had been angry with himself and Biagio… and terrified of losing her. He should have told her how he felt instead of forcing her to draw her own conclusions. He pocketed his keys and stepped outside his door to go up to his brother’s penthouse, but Stan stepped off the elevator.

  “I saw you come in on the security camera,” Stan said, looking uncomfortable.

  “I’m looking for Tara. You haven’t seen her, have you?”

  “That’s why I’m here.” After reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Keith’s key. Handing it to him, he said, “She asked me to give you this. She said you knew she was leaving.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Keith muttered. The cold steel dug into his palm as he clenched his fist. “Did she say where she was going?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Stan said, running a hand over his bald head. “I asked her. I was pretty sure you’d want to know, but she wouldn’t say.”

  “So she’s not staying at Brent and Ava’s? You’re sure about that?”

  “She definitely left the building, Mr. Armstrong.”

  “Okay, thanks, Stan.”

  Keith waited for the security guard to step onto the elevator before he sank to the floor against his closed door. Burying his head in his hands, Keith struggled to think clearly. Where could she have gone? He didn’t know if her uncle’s house was vacant. If not, she would have checked into a cheap motel. The smart thing to do would be to wait until tomorrow to try to track her down, but he couldn’t wait. He needed to see her.

  ***

  Tara folded the scratchy comforter over, pushing it away from her body. She’d watched those TV programs highlighting how filthy even the high-end hotels were. She couldn’t imagine what t
hey might find in a place like this. It wasn’t a dive… exactly. But it was a far cry from the five-stars she’d seen on TV.

  Her pulse pounded when someone thumped on her door. She was staying on the ground floor of a motel, so her room was at least twenty feet from the main office. Would the pimply faced kid at the front desk hear her scream? Would he even think she was in trouble or would he chock it up to guests having wild sex? Before she could decide what to do, she heard a familiar voice.

  “Tara, open this goddamn door before I break it down.”

  Keith. She leapt out of bed, cursing when she stubbed her toe on the edge of a table. Pulling the door open, she asked, “What are you—”

  “Don’t ever do that to me again.” He kicked the door closed with his heel as he backed her up toward the bed. “Don’t leave me.” Then his mouth was on hers, his hands fisted in her hair.

  Whimpering into his mouth, she slid her hands under his blazer, desperate to feel his bare skin. Pulling at his shirt, she slid her hands up his back as he tore at the panties beneath her over-sized T-shirt.

  Tossing the scrap of lace across the room, his lips found the sensitive curve of her neck. “You scared the hell out of me when I went home and found you gone.”

  “Sorry.” She couldn’t think straight when his hand slid up her ribcage to cup her breast. Pulling her shirt over her head, her only thought was how long it would take them to get naked. “I thought you wanted me gone.”

  Cupping her chin, he forced her to look him in the eye. “Don’t ever say that again. I want you with me. Always.”

  Her heart twisted as she forced herself to say the words she’d been holding back. “I love you… so much.”

  He closed his eyes and let his forehead rest against hers. “I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”

  “You’re not going to lose me. I promise.” Kissing him hungrily to seal her vow, she tore at his clothes like a woman possessed. He chuckled at her eagerness, but she was already too lost to care. As she kissed him and bared his skin to her roving eyes, a million questions raced through her mind. What happened at the police station? How had Biagio found me? But none of that mattered as much as feeling him inside of her again. He would silence her doubts and proved to the antagonist inside her head that he really was all hers.