by Amy McKinley
Liv set the knife down and gave me her full attention. Mari did, too, and reached out to grab my wrist. “He saved you?”
Liv grinned. “Would you expect anything less from one of our guys? I mean, the man can barely take his eyes off you.”
“What?” Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I’m sure he’s only doing his job. Carl, my boss, hired him to stick to me like glue to and from work. There was an incident on the job, and he’s worried that I’m a target.”
Mari gathered her long glossy hair in her hands then dropped it behind her shoulders. Both she and Liv fell silent. Liv was the first to speak. “You don’t sound sure that there’s a threat. Always trust your instincts, and if you can’t tell, listen to Trev’s.”
“Look, I’m not one to rely on a man,” Mari said, and Liv shook her head. The dark-haired woman shoved the other’s shoulder. “Unless I’m in a dire situation and am forced to.”
Liv giggled. “That’s not how I heard the story told.”
Mari rolled her eyes. “Not the point. You know I can take care of myself, Liv.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Mari huffed then gave Liv her back, again focusing on me. “The guys are good at what they do. Trust me. We both know what we’re talking about.”
I stirred the tomatoes for a few minutes before answering. “I do trust him, but I’m not sure anything is going on. A lot of the small incidents can be explained away by how spacey I am—except for the screen saver, which was weird.” No one had come forward to confess, but if it was just a prank, they should have by then.
The conversation about Trev stopped, and we went back to cooking, which helped me to relax in more ways than one. Liv pulled out everything we needed for the dining room table, and she and Mari set it. It would be a big meal with all of us sitting there, especially when the two I hadn’t yet met, Jack and Hannah, joined us. With how much I liked Mari and Liv, I was hoping the same would happen with Hannah, only my impression of the tall blonde was anything but comforting.
The door to Liam’s office clicked behind me, and I took my seat with Liam, Chris, Jack, and Hannah. I was glad they were there already—I wanted to hash it out and make a determination where Jules was concerned. Something was going on that I couldn’t put my finger on.
Jack cleared his throat. “We looked into the first group of soldiers Jules gave the injections to.”
If one of the military guys was behind Jules’s problems at work and home, that would explain a lot. “Find anything?”
“No.” Jack tapped a pen on Liam’s desk. “They were all accounted for. Their alibis and whereabouts checked out. The only thing that was flagged was the wife of one of the soldiers who had to go to the ER for a broken arm.”
“We’re pretty sure her husband broke it,” Hannah chimed in.
“It’s being handled.” Liam pressed a few buttons on his laptop and flipped it around so we could see the picture of the guy. “Tim Reynolds. He’s been cited for anger problems above what we’d consider normal. I’ve alerted a guy in the military criminal-investigations unit. He won’t mess around. If the guy is guilty, he’ll make sure the wife is safe and Tim is held responsible for his actions.”
“That’s good, but we’re back at square one, then. You’re sure no one displayed any obsessive tendencies or popped up anywhere on the grid close to Jules’s home or work?”
“So far, none have,” Hannah responded to my question. “The second group hasn’t yielded anything, either. So that leaves us without any leads. Could it be a coworker? Or a friend of one of the people who got the injection?”
I cleared my throat. “A coworker was my best guess, too, but her boss was sure it was one of the soldiers.” I’d had my doubts, and it looked like they were right. “Then there’s the outbreak in Russia they’re collaborating on. I don’t see how it could be anyone from there, but we should probably check to be safe.”
“Definitely,” Liam replied. “I’ll talk with Rich and see what I can learn.”
I nodded then turned to my brother. “Chris, did anything turn up from the screen-saver message?”
“It was changed directly from her computer. So we’re either dealing with a colleague or…”
Shit. I don’t like where this is going. The evidence was unusual, but there was no way Jules was responsible. My gaze bounced to each of their solemn faces. “What’re you insinuating?”
Jack leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Look at the evidence so far. You’ve got the message on her computer that says ‘remember me,’ and then she fell overboard—and she was the only one. Then there was her purse that’d been moved in her house, and then her assistant commits suicide by carving a wound into her arm identical to Jules’s scar?”
Hannah placed her hand on Jack’s thigh. “We can’t rule Jules out as a suspect. There’s the problem of her missing background and her lack of childhood memories. Is she hiding a mental illness?”
Hell no. This is bullshit. “You met her. That’s a ridiculous assumption.” There were many accounts of people with dangerous mental disorders who committed horrible crimes against others, but I couldn’t see Jules as being one of them. There was one way to get to the bottom of their concerns.
“It’s not her.” I took a deep breath to calm down. “If you want to reassure yourselves, use Hannah’s skills to determine if those suspicions are grounded and need further evaluation.”
She nodded. “Now’s a perfect time. I’ll go to the kitchen and… observe.”
Jack’s lips twitched. “We wouldn’t expect you to actually cook, babe.”
She yawned before standing. “We’re done here?”
“Pretty much. You’ll handle background checks for her colleagues, Chris?”
He nodded. “Look, we all like her, and we’ll assume she isn’t the one causing the problems, but we need to examine every avenue to rule out what doesn’t add up.”
I knew he was right, even though I didn’t like it. I scrubbed my face with my hands, not liking the turn the meeting had taken. Hannah walked out, leaving the rest of us in the office. She was a highly trained former Russian spy. If any of us could strip through someone’s cover, she could.
Despite my confidence that Jules was who she had portrayed to me, I worried about what Hannah would find.
A breeze rustled through the trees on Liam and Liv’s property. It was gorgeous there. I relaxed into a lounge chair and took a sip of coffee. In the distance, I watched the crest and roll of the waves. The sun sparkled off the ocean like jewels scattered by the gods.
I was alone on the back patio and didn’t mind one bit. Liv had apologized for not keeping me company while I had coffee. There was no need, and I understood. She had a deadline for a new sculpture. She’d said we would have lunch together, and I looked forward to that. I needed time to grieve, to allow the void of Fran’s loss to come to the forefront. Wiping the telltale trail of wetness from my cheeks, I welcomed the numbness as it crawled through my body.
I’d claimed the right to cook, and neither Liv nor Mari had argued but said they would help. I loved cooking, especially for a large group. It was the Italian in me and something my mom and I had enjoyed doing together. But instead of making me sad, I felt fulfilled for the first time in a long while. Trev’s friends—his family—were great.
Mari stepped onto the patio, her long hair darker from a recent shower. She was exotic and gorgeous. I should have been self-conscious around the women, but Liv and Mari hadn’t made me feel that way.
Hannah had, though. She’d popped into the kitchen when we were finishing up and properly introduced herself, and her eyes seemed to cut right through me. I’d felt exposed and wasn’t even sure why. It was as if she was digging through my layers to see my soul. I silently wished her luck. My entire psyche ached. While the others had asked how I was doing from Fran’s passing, Hannah seemed to silently judge me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Mari plopped down next to me, stretchin
g her legs out in front of her then crossing them at her ankles. “Hey, are you doing all right?”
I smiled. “I’m okay.”
“I know how hard it is to lose someone you care deeply for. My aunt passed away before I met Chris. Each day out from saying goodbye gets a little easier.”
“I’m finding that to be true, but her absence is so…”
“Raw?” Mari offered.
“Yes.” I needed a change of subject. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“It is.” Mari’s wedding band sparkled in the sunlight. “Chris and I moved here and built a house not too long ago.”
“How did you two meet?”
She chuckled, and the sound was rich and inviting. “We met in a very dangerous jungle in South America.”
When the glass door slider clicked shut, we both turned to see who’d come outside. My heart kicked up a notch as Trev made his way toward us. He wore a long-sleeved gray shirt that stretched across his well-defined chest. His hand settled on my shoulder, his eyes inquisitive. I gave him a small smile. I would be okay. A few seconds passed before his inspection eased and the gravity of the moment faded.
“I’ve come to rescue you.” He winked at me, and I managed a grin—if he only knew how true that was. “Can’t have my evil sis-in-law filling your head with lies.”
Mari glared at him, but I caught the amusement that crossed her expression and relaxed. She didn’t seem like someone to mess with. Her temper ignited quickly, and she had a thing for knives. Twice, I’d witnessed her flipping one in her hand in a catch and release that sent alarm skating through my body.
“What do you want, ogre?”
My mouth dropped at Mari’s term. Does she not see him? He’s many a woman’s fantasy, including mine.
“Evil incarnate. I’m taking Jules grocery shopping to get away from your bad influence.”
Mari snorted then stood and stormed off, knocking into Trev with her shoulder. He chuckled. Behind his back, she turned and gave me a little wave. If they didn’t look so different, I would have thought they were brother and sister, given how they verbally sparred.
Trev reached out and pulled me from the chair. “Liv mentioned you wanted to get a few groceries for lunch.”
“I do. Thanks.” We walked through the house, and I rinsed my coffee mug and put it in the dishwasher. “Let me grab my purse.”
“You won’t need it.” He threaded his fingers through mine and tugged me toward the Jeep.
Sparks spread from my fingers, up my arm, and into my traitorous heart, which hadn’t gotten the memo not to get too involved. My reaction to Trev didn’t mean anything. His family was warm and comfortable with each other. He was making sure I kept up with him, and that was all. I couldn’t afford to read anything into it, especially since I wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be around.
He held the door open, and I climbed inside. After he got in, we pulled out onto the long driveway, leaving me to get lost in my thoughts. I wondered whether there was any need for Trev to continue to work for me. The only things that lacked an explanation were the screen saver and the message in my bathroom mirror, which I hadn’t told him about because it likely had been a figment of my imagination—one of those strange memory fragments seen from an omniscient perspective. The rest, well, I was known to walk around with my head in the clouds when I was preoccupied, especially when puzzling over an issue at work.
As we approached a small town, I stopped worrying about everything and decided to enjoy the moment. Besides, I would get to cook lunch and maybe dinner, too, though if the last two days were any indication, I wouldn’t be able to eat. I couldn’t swallow more than one bite.
The town was nestled along the coast, making for a beautiful sight. We strolled along the sidewalk, and I peeked into an antique store and then a flower shop before we arrived at the grocery store. We walked inside, and Trev grabbed a shopping cart. “What do you want to get?”
I rattled off a few ingredients. We made short work of the list, and before I knew it, Trev was loading our groceries into the back seat. “Let’s grab some coffee before we head back,” he said as he closed the door.
I wasn’t going to complain—I was a tad addicted to the stuff. I reached out and linked our hands together as we strolled down the sidewalk, following the rich smell of roasting coffee beans coming from the café on the harbor.
As soon as I realized what I’d done, I let go of him and asked myself what I was doing. I slanted my gaze to gauge his reaction. He didn’t seem fazed at all as he opened the door and held it for me. I walked under his arm without ducking. We placed our orders, and when they were ready, we went back outside.
“It’s lovely here.” There was something so quaint about the area, even though it wasn’t a stereotypical small town. The ruggedness of coastal Maine spoke to me, as did the miles of white-sand beaches. The area had charm in spades from lighthouses, friendly shops, the promise of lobster, and if I was up to it, boating.
“It is beautiful.” He took a sip of his drink while we strolled to his Jeep. “I’ve thought of relocating, now that my brother and Mari don’t live in California anymore. It’s still a possibility, but I’m not ready yet.”
I ignored the disappointment that flashed at the thought of him moving away from me. “Would you live nearer to the winery or your brother?”
Trev’s arm slipped around me, and he pulled me close to him as we moved around a man walking his dog. Despite my jackhammering pulse, I did my best not to read into his actions. All the touching was nothing. He was simply making sure I was out of the way of the other people on the sidewalk. I couldn’t fabricate something that wasn’t there, even if each time he held me, I wanted to soften and mold myself to him. He overloaded my senses.
By the time we got back to Liv and Liam’s place, my mind began to function again, and even more after we’d piled the grocery bags on the counter. The girls walked in and pushed Trev from the kitchen. Liv turned to me, rubbing her hands together. “What are we making?”
I laughed as I rattled off the names of the dishes, mushroom risotto paired with a big Italian salad and bruschetta on the side. Hannah moved forward, and I shivered. She intimidated me. I couldn’t help it. She was tall and lean with platinum hair that fell past her shoulders and icy-blue eyes that bore holes into my soul, mining for my deepest, darkest thoughts. Wow, I am dramatic.
“I’d like to help.” Hannah leaned against the counter. Outwardly, she appeared relaxed, but she reminded me of a snake, coiled and ready to strike.
Mari fell quiet beside me, and I turned to see what was wrong.
“You’ll have to excuse Mari’s weird behavior. It’s just that… we met under difficult circumstances. That’s all water under the bridge, isn’t it, Mari?” Hannah’s furrowed brows dared Mari to deny what she’d said.
I curbed my tongue, even though I wanted to ask what her problem was with me and what I’d done to cause suspicion.
“Why do you want to cook, Hannah? Not really your thing, now, is it?” Mari held her gaze, countering with a fierce frown of her own.
Normally I didn’t care if I got a less than friendly welcome, but I sort of did that time.
“Hey, knock it off.” Liv wedged herself between Mari and Hannah. She caught my gaze. “They’re basically like sisters now, which means they fight as family does, only they’re frightening when they do.”
That I could believe. Something told me there was an underlying reason for the way Hannah was acting, which could explain why Mari had picked up on it. I wasn’t sure it was something I wanted to know.
Thick gray clouds rolled overhead as I pulled up to Jules’s beach house after running out to get gas. She wasn’t dealing with being back in California well and wanted a few minutes to finish getting ready. The trip to Maine had obviously helped Jules process her grief a little and provided a good distraction, until we had to leave very early that morning to get back home, where she faced an onslaught of pain. Liv and M
ari were a godsend, as was Hannah. Before we left, the guys and I had convened again with her to hear her assessment. She didn’t suspect Jules, and that was enough for all of us.
I paused with my hand on the car door as her front door banged shut behind her. Before I could get out, she was already running to the truck as fat drops of rain fell from the sky.
Pale and with half-moons painted beneath her eyes, she climbed into my vehicle. Her hand shook as she shoved a few thick strands of dark-brown hair from her face.
“Are you okay?” I brushed some hair off her forehead.
She said nothing, just nodded, which was another cause for concern. I didn’t blame her, as we were headed to Fran’s funeral. Nothing about the day would be easy or okay.
Thunder rumbled in an angry growl as I pulled away from the curb. More drops of rain splashed across the windshield, and the sky darkened. It was fitting.
Jules shivered beside me, and I cranked up the heat, even though it was already warm in the SUV. Her chill likely came from what she would soon face—saying her final goodbye to her assistant and friend. It sucked, and with my line of work and upbringing, I understood it too well.
We pulled up to the funeral home in silence. I got out of the truck, went around to her side, then opened her door. Her hand trembled as I laced our fingers together. I didn’t care how it looked to her boss. I needed to touch her. Her soft skin slid against my rough palm. I wanted to pull her close and shelter her with my body, but I had to let her do her thing, and I needed to do mine. The small touch had to be enough.
With slow steps, we walked along the sidewalk to the funeral home’s entrance. After the proceedings, there would be a family-only burial. I pushed the door open, and we entered the parlor. The soft glow of table and overhead lamps lent to the quiet murmur of the people inside. There were a lot of them. We weaved through until we had a view of where Fran was laid out. The crowd increased as we neared the casket. My hand rested against Jules’s lower back. She shook like a leaf, grief emanating from her in crushing waves.
