Familiar Vows

by Caroline Burnes

  She all but ran out of the lobby, leaving the clerk looking at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lucas used his knowledge of Robert Maxim’s ego to narrow the room choices. Robert’s accommodations would be the most expensive, most well-appointed in the hotel. A ten-dollar tip to a waiter making room-service deliveries confirmed where Robert was staying.

  One thing about Robert’s superior attitude, it made everyone willing to rat him out. Robert had been needlessly rude to the waiter; therefore, the waiter had remembered him and been delighted to give up his room number.

  Lucas approached the bungalow, which fronted a sweeping lawn shaded by magnificent live oaks draped in Spanish moss. With the moonlight filtering through the tree limbs, it was a scene from a black-and-white movie of an elegant era long past. Beyond the lawn, the bay whispered against the shore in a seductive promise. With the beautiful moon and the stars, it was paradise.

  Taking a deep breath, Lucas allowed himself one fantasy of Michelle. If only they could share this view together, standing outside the door of a bungalow, then walk inside, close the door and shut away the danger and desperation in their lives. Shut away all the negative things and meet as a man and a woman with an electric attraction between them.

  He could see her red hair spread across the white pillow of a bed. She was a beautiful woman, from the top of her head to her toes. And she was a fighter, a woman with spirit. While she knew nothing of ranch life, she reminded him of the strong women who’d made his early life such a joy. If she chose to, she’d easily confront the challenges of the ranching life. She’d confront them and prevail, because Michelle was that rare combination of fire and strength.

  Michelle’s kiss had been a heady rush of heat, desire, electricity and need. If the kiss was any indication, she would be every bit as hot as her hair color indicated.

  He shook off the fantasy and approached the bungalow carefully. Before anything else, Robert Maxim had to be neutralized. Then Lorry would come out of hiding and testify, and then, if the photographer gave him half a chance, he’d find out what really made her tick. What an adventure that would be.

  The draperies were drawn across the window, and he couldn’t hear a thing inside the bungalow. He would count on the element of surprise—because that’s all he had. He didn’t even have a weapon. Somehow, he’d have to get a gun from one of Robert’s henchmen. That would be tricky, but he could manage it. He’d find one of the men working security, surprise him, neutralize him and take his weapon.

  “Psssst!”

  He froze.

  “West!”

  He turned slowly, expecting to find a gun pointed at his heart. Instead, he saw a shadowy figure in the azalea bushes that grew thick and dense beside the hotel.

  “Who are you?” Lucas asked.

  “A friend.”

  Lucas didn’t exactly buy that answer. “How so?”

  “Get away from the door before they open it. Come over here. Now!”

  Lucas hesitated, but he moved toward the shrubs. He didn’t have a choice. If this was one of Maxim’s security men, he would shoot Lucas in the back if he tried to run. A more likely plan was to get Lucas deeper into the shadows and then attack with a knife or garrote. Something silent that would leave Lucas dead.

  “Who are you?” Lucas asked again. He kept his body casual, but he was tensed for action.

  “I’m a friend of your brother’s. Harry and I were working the Maxims.”

  Lucas wasn’t certain he’d heard correctly. “A friend of Harry’s? You’re NYPD undercover?”

  “That’s past tense. There was a disagreement on how to proceed, so I left the job. I was undercover on the Maxim case when Harry showed up in New York. We were about to close the door on Antonio’s fingers when Harry was killed.”

  “What are you doing down here?” Lucas asked. An outdoor light cast dim illumination around the exterior of the hotel, but it was good enough to see the fortyish man with sandy-gray hair and an imposing build. Despite the dim illumination, Lucas could tell the guy was in top physical shape. He braced for an attack.

  “The same thing you are. I’m here to take Robert Maxim out, one way or the other. Antonio is going to get the full ride for murdering Harry. If it means I have to kill Robert to keep him from interfering, then that’s the way I’ll play it.”

  “Are you—”

  “Yeah, I’m part of Robert’s security detail. I went undercover nearly two years ago.” In the dim light, Lucas could clearly see the lines of tension in the man’s face. “When Harry was killed, NYPD tried to pull me back in. I broke contact with the force, and I held on with Robert, hoping and waiting for the right time.”

  The man was a rogue cop. Much like Lucas. That was the thing about the Maxims—they pushed good people over the line.

  “I tried to make contact earlier tonight,” the man said. “I was with Robert at the restaurant and knew you were tailing him. I got out at the gate and saw you park at the subdivision entrance.”

  Lucas recalled the figure that had approached the car when they were parked in the subdivision. “When we were in the car?”

  “Yeah, but you took off. I wanted to try to coordinate with you about Robert. We’ve got to do something and fast. He’s got a hostage in New York, and he’ll kill him. I’ve heard him talking about this guy. He’s a friend of your female buddy.”

  “Yeah, we know. The problem is, we don’t know how to help Kevin. And the courts have pushed up Antonio’s appeal.”

  “When? And why?”

  Lucas stared into the pale gaze of the man whose name he didn’t know but whom he instinctively trusted. “They know Lorry is on the run. Antonio’s defense team has worked the system. They figure if Lorry doesn’t show up to testify at the appeal, then Antonio will walk out of there a free man.”

  “And he will—”

  “If we don’t stop it.”

  “That’s right.”

  “You have me at a disadvantage. What’s your name?” Lucas asked.

  “Greg Lovett. Used to be Lieutenant Greg Lovett. I heard that you turned in your badge.”

  “I thought everything was set. Antonio’s appeal would be over, and he’d be returned to prison for the rest of his life. I resigned so I could go to New York and watch the trial as a private citizen. I was done with law enforcement, anyway.” Lucas shrugged. “Now I consider myself on special assignment.”

  Greg’s eyebrows arched. “Do you have legal authority to arrest Robert?”

  “I’ve got all the authority I need to take him down.”

  They shared a look, each reading the other. They were both men who’d left law enforcement behind, both because of the brutal murder of Harry West.

  “I need a weapon,” Lucas said. “When I hung up my badge, I was planning to raise cattle and mind my own business. This just got out of hand.”

  Greg reached into his jacket. “That, my friend, I can fix. The fact that neither of us has legal authority could get a little sticky.”

  “I don’t mind a bit of a mess as long as we corral Robert and see that Antonio’s conviction isn’t reversed.”

  Lucas stared at the solid door of the hotel bungalow. “Listen, I have a plan. If you can get Robert to the door, do you think we can take him?”

  “As in take him hostage?” Greg asked.

  “Something like that. Hold him for questioning. We’ll figure out a way to describe it that avoids the term kidnapping. Look, we’re off the official ledger, so we can do whatever we need to do. Robert may complain about it, but I doubt a lot of people will listen.”

  Greg’s smile was wide, his teeth glinting in the dim light. “I like the way you think. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Harry.”

  “Folks always said we were like two peas in a pod.”

  “I can see that. You even look like him. That’s how I knew who you were when I saw you.” Greg laughed. “When we came up on you two at the old camp in the wood
s, you looked exactly like Harry when he was surprised.”

  “You could have killed us, but you didn’t.”

  Greg nodded. “Robert wants the woman alive. And I deliberately aimed high. Shattered some glass, made it dramatic.”

  “Thanks,” Lucas said.

  “Don’t mention it. Now, once you get Robert, what do you intend to do with him? I mean, do you have a safe house to hold him in?”

  That did present a small problem, since Lucas didn’t even have a vehicle. “That’s a bit of a quandary. I—”

  He didn’t get a chance to finish. He felt the brush of a small, warm body against his ankles.

  “Me-ow.”

  “What the hell? It’s a cat,” Greg said, stepping back.

  “Not just any cat,” Lucas said, knowing that he would enjoy watching Greg come to accept how exceptional Familiar was. “This is Familiar, the black cat detective. He’s on the case with me.”

  Greg looked at Lucas as if he’d lost his mind. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Not a bit of it.” Michelle’s voice came from behind them. “You boys are slipping if a photographer can sneak up behind you.”

  “We were distracted by the cat,” Greg said, a little flustered. “A black cat detective. Whoever heard of that?”

  “You’ll see that it’s true,” Lucas said. “I didn’t believe it at first, but the cat is amazing. And now that he’s here, along with Michelle—” he reached and caught her hand, pulling her against him “—I think we can make this happen.”

  “What’s the plan?” Michelle asked.

  “I’ve got to check in with Robert every twenty or thirty minutes,” Greg said. “Fill her in. I’ll be back in about ten.” He stood up and walked to the front door. At a triple knock, the door opened and he stepped inside.

  “Who is he?” Michelle asked.

  Lucas explained, bringing her up to date on what he’d learned.

  “And you’re going to abduct Robert Maxim?” Michelle asked. There was worry in her tone.

  “We’re going to abduct him.”

  “Are you forgetting that he has weapons and we don’t?” Michelle asked.

  Lucas held out the automatic Greg had given him. “We don’t have the same firepower, but we are armed. Once we get our hands on Robert, they won’t shoot for fear of hitting him.”

  “And this will help how?”

  He could tell Michelle had a lot of doubts about the plan, and he didn’t blame her. It was an act of desperation. But if he wanted to save Kevin Long and delay Antonio’s appeal until Lorry could get to New York to testify, then he was going to have to take a risk.

  “Once we have Robert, we can force Antonio to postpone his appeal, and we can make Robert’s men let Kevin go.”

  “Like with a videotape of us torturing him?” Michelle asked.

  “We can’t really torture—”

  He didn’t finish, because she punched him in the arm. “I know we can’t really torture him, but I can manipulate the film to show anything we want. You forget, before I became your partner in kidnapping, I was a professional photographer.”

  “How could I ever forget that?” Lucas asked. He felt a flutter of excitement. With Michelle’s skills and Greg’s help, they now stood a chance. It was a long shot, and one with plenty of risks, but it was the best chance he’d had since Lorry Kennedy disappeared.

  OKAY, THIS IS SHAPING UP just fine. Greg is a great addition to this motley crew. And he’s got the secret knock down pat. I can’t wait for another tête-à-tête with Robert Maxim. Lucas says we can’t torture him for real, but I do believe he’s due for a bit of kitty-cat claw sharpening. Just a few digs in the back of his thighs to help me keep my razor-sharp little toenails in manicured condition.

  Think of the meals I’ve missed—and the sleep—because of him. It’s enough to make a black cat turn gray. And he’s taken hostages and tried to kill us—he will kill Kevin and Lorry if he gets a chance. So I figure a little bit of torture might be good for him. And because I’m a black cat, I’m not bound by the conventions of the humanoids.

  I’m a free agent, a roving feline 007. And James Bondocat would never shirk from a bit of necessary roughness. I’m not talking water boarding here, just a few sharp claw pricks in strategic places.

  Okay, Greg is back, and he’s making a routine perimeter check. Then it’s showtime. I have to say, the sooner this is over with, the better I’ll feel. I can get back to D.C. and my beautiful Clotilde. Back to the buffet of delicacies that Eleanor keeps on hand for me. I’m going to have to learn to take only cases where the people are dedicated cat lovers. I mean, Lucas and Michelle try, but my goodness, they don’t understand the importance of fresh mahi-mahi or perhaps a tender bit of liver. Hamburgers and dry cat food are not sufficient to keep my large, very active brain functioning properly.

  But enough about food. Here we go. Get your pistols ready, Cowboy Lucas. We’re headed to the O.K. Corral.

  MICHELLE BROUGHT THE CAR around and opened the back hatch. She poured the gasoline around the doorway and returned to the car to wait. If all went as they’d planned, soon Robert Maxim would be in the back, with Greg holding a gun on him, and Lucas would be sitting in the passenger seat beside her.

  Familiar was the backup. The cat could subdue Robert far better than a bullet. He had his ways.

  She’d kept a careful watch for the regular hotel security, but the night was quiet. She’d seen only one young couple, obviously newlyweds, kissing under the beautiful oaks.

  Now this was a place for a honeymoon, she thought. It was a place of history and beauty, and the fact that Lucas was only a few yards away made her heart beat faster.

  Though she was vigilant and alert, she allowed her thoughts to wander to the ex-marshal turned cowboy. They’d gotten off to a rocky start, what with her catastrophic mistake with the wedding photograph. Lucas, though, had seen the truth. He knew she would never put someone in harm’s way for her own personal glory. He’d seen that, and other things, and he’d been free with his praise.

  That was such a remarkable experience. Each tiny compliment that he paid her was like salve on an old wound. Funny, because Marco and Kevin were always building her up. For some reason, though, Lucas’s praise meant much more. Perhaps because they’d started at such a negative place.

  And good lord, she could barely think of his lips without feeling a flush run all through her body. To prove the point, she shifted behind the steering wheel. If they ever got to a place in time when they weren’t on the run or on the offensive against killers, she wondered if they would act on the red-hot desire that was always there between them. The fantasy images that popped into her head made her fidget in the seat. Lucas was that rare combination of strong and sensual. He paid attention to the reactions of others, and she knew that was the key to a fabulous lover.

  At thirty-two, she’d dated all kinds of men, but none gave her that high-voltage jolt of combined desire and respect that Lucas generated. He stood for something, and he didn’t go around bragging about it. He simply did what he felt was right, like he had some inner compass that pointed him in the direction of honor.

  That accounted for the respect part. But the desire…How to account for that? Her mother’s standards—designer suits, corporate job, social skills—were false. So Michelle had begun to create her own. Lucas’s tall, lean body and weathered face were more designed for a billboard depicting the cowboy life than any Manhattan club. But there was something in the way he held himself, in his ability to be tender yet masculine, to kiss her and allow her room to kiss him back. Those were things she’d never thought of before, until Lucas.

  The clock on the dash told her that the moment for action was fast approaching. While the fantasy of Lucas beckoned her thoughts, she pushed it aside. They were a team, and each member had to be alert and ready.

  She kept her gaze on the door of the bungalow, waiting for Greg to give the signal knock and the door to open. Lucas would push f
orward and force himself into the bungalow, and that’s when it would get really dangerous—and that was something she couldn’t afford to think about. She had her job to do, just like the rest of the crew. That was where she had to focus all her energy.

  Lucas had told her that each element of the plan had to be executed perfectly. If she did her part with machine precision, everything would go smoothly.

  Familiar edged to the door frame, pressing his small, sleek body against the wall. He was one special cat, and when this was over, she was going to document his life with photographs. He deserved to be on the cover of magazines across the nation.

  Greg came around the shrubs. He checked where Lucas was still tucked away.

  She had to keep her position. Lucas had never lied to her. She could only hope that this wasn’t the first time. That everything would go just as Lucas and Greg had designed it.

  Suddenly Greg was at the door. He knocked. The door slowly began to swing open.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Michelle had never considered that fear might have a taste, but the pounding of her heart and the bitter tang in the back of her throat came from abject fear. Not for herself, but for Lucas and Familiar and Greg.

  As the bungalow door swung open, the danger of what they were attempting hit her like a runaway train.

  “Everything is clear out here,” Greg said in a loud voice to the men inside the bungalow. Greg had told them that Robert had two additional bodyguards in the bungalow and another security man working the perimeter of the hotel premises, which was a large territory. He came by on hourly checks.

  She could clearly hear Greg’s discussion with a voice she recognized as Robert Maxim’s. Greg leaned in the door frame.

  “It’s a beautiful night out here. You should take a look at the oak trees against the night sky.”

  “You’re not paid to stargaze,” Robert said harshly. “Keep your eye on your business.”

  “Yes, sir,” Greg said, sounding suitably contrite.