Sinful Secrets

by Melissa Ohnoutka

  A memory of why the man was so mad at Denise back in the hotel room chilled her skin. The woman had gone against his orders and gotten involved with Joanna’s father… “So what you’re saying is that for Denise’s little plan to work this time, they’d have to trick my father into writing me out of the will before killing him?” Her heart raced at the thought that her father was already in trouble.

  “Or worse. Have a plan to eliminate you, too.”

  Shudders spiked down her spine. “Of course. Why not kill me, too?” She slumped back into her chair. Denise’s comment about being buddies and mourning together was nothing but a lie. A ploy to make Joanna believe she wasn’t intending to hurt her until she’d stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.

  “I’ve lived, breathed, dreamed of nothing but this case for over three years. I know Denise’s moves like the back of my hand. For some reason, this time they deviated from their usual pattern. I think I know why now.”

  “The man who attacked you, the man in the hotel room with Denise, is not Keith Coleman. I would have recognized his voice. Something. It’s just not possible, Deputy. Have you Googled the name Whalen? It’s a common name.” Keith didn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’d never hurt anyone in all the years she’d known him. An image of him pounding on Jerry’s face surfaced, but she brushed it off. Keith had been mad because they’d hurt her, betrayed her trust. Shoot, she’d wanted to do the same thing. And he didn’t need money, so why would he get involved with the likes of Denise? So petty and beneath Keith’s standards it was laughable.

  “Have you talked to him lately?”

  “He called to check on Sam a few hours ago. Left a message on my cell. Said he was talking to the police.”

  Kane shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.”

  Denial furrowed her brow. “So what now?”

  “I hope we’re wrong. But evidence doesn’t lie. We just need time to find them. Sort it all out.”

  “But my father doesn’t have that time. For all we know, they’ve already done something awful.” She tried to get up, but he stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.

  “We’re going to find this man. As long as they need your father for the codes to open those files, there’ll be reason to keep him alive. You’re the one I’m worried about. Our suspect has proved he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

  She swallowed a foul knot of fear. No way they were talking about the same man. Keith Coleman would never do anything to hurt her. Or her father. He was like a little brother, practically family. And then the man’s words from the hotel filtered to the forefront of her mind. He’d said she’d given his life purpose, that he’d been planning this a long time. But she’d only known Toby a year…

  No. It wasn’t possible.

  “You all right? You’re looking pale.” He’d slipped his hand to rest on hers across the sofa table.

  Slowly, she slid her fingers from his, wondering why this case struck such a strong chord with him. “Keith would not do this,” she said again.

  “He may not be the man you thought he was.”

  “No.”

  He straightened in his seat, his brow set in an awkward angle. “Are you sure? Do you really know him as well as you think you do?”

  “Positive. You’re wrong, Deputy Kane. He’s a bit quirky and overprotective at times, but he’s no killer. I’ve watched him go out of his way to rescue helpless creatures on the freeway.” Coughing back a lump of revulsion over the mere possibility, she continued, “My father is the one in danger, not me. We have to find him.”

  She tried to hide the moisture building behind her lids, tried to contain the swirl of emotion bubbling up inside her chest. But failed miserably.

  Deputy Kane leaned over, draping a strong arm around her shoulder as he gently pulled her to the couch beside him.

  “We’ll find your father.” Ryker’s gut wrenched seeing such a strong woman on the verge of a breakdown. He hated not having the proof he needed. Suspicions only got you so far. Could the man they were searching for be one of the other men he’d questioned yesterday instead? Stolen identities happened all the time. It was always a possibility. One he planned to check out the first chance he got.

  They’d find them. There was only one problem—he wasn’t sure it would be in time to save her father. Since the game had changed, he had no idea what the next move might be.

  It was never wise to push a predator into a corner.

  “I need a drink.” Joanna surprised him and surged to her feet, moving out of his reach. “Sure I can’t get you anything?” She headed toward the kitchen, and he watched as she angrily wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

  “I’ll have what you’re having.”

  “You sure? I’m having a beer.”

  “I’m not on duty. A beer sounds good.” Smoothing the wrinkles from his shirt, he tried to avoid gawking at her shapely ass as she opened the refrigerator and bent over to retrieve the beverages.

  “You’re in luck. I’ve got four left.” Closing the door, she gave him a forced smile. “So, Deputy Kane. Help me keep my mind off this warped mess. What’s the rest of your story?” She pulled out a drawer in the kitchen, retrieved a bottle opener, and popped off both caps before returning to the living room.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean.” He took the beer from her hand, letting his knuckles graze the inside of her wrist to see if his memory of her soft skin was intact. It was. And the unexpected action and reaction surprised not only him but her as well. She paused, nervously rubbing the neck of the bottle with her fingers, her face unreadable.

  “Why did you leave the Houston Police Department? I mean, you were hot on the trail of this crazy bunch and you just call it quits? Leave a promising job with a promotion on the horizon. Sorry, sounds fishy to me.” She took a long swig from her bottle, easing back into the chair nearer the fireplace than him.

  “Been doing your homework, I see.” He cocked his head and eyed her closely.

  “I have friends who know the right people.”

  “Sam,” he said, nodding.

  “Looks like you’ve been doing your homework, too.” She smirked and lifted her chin. “So why did you leave?”

  “Let’s just say I didn’t have a choice.” Agitated by the line of questioning, he took a long swig of his own beer.

  “Forgive me, but I feel like I have a right to know how you’re involved. And why it made you leave a job you clearly loved.”

  “It was a mutual decision between me and my captain.”

  She watched him closely as if trying to determine if he was bullshitting her or not. “Your captain in on this little scheme, too?”

  “No. But someone with some pretty high clout is. I’m beginning to think it might be Senator Whalen.”

  “The senator?” She almost choked on her next swallow, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand.

  “He’s the only one I can think of who’d be able to pull strings and get things swept under the rug. Force me to abandon the case.”

  “I know him well, too.” Her shoulders fell.

  “Yes, I know you do. But every politician has secrets. Things they’d do just about anything to keep out of the public eye.” He watched her over the neck of the bottle as he drank. Even after everything she’d been through, she remained tough as nails. He’d give anything to know what was going on in her pretty head at that moment.

  “Senator Whalen wouldn’t hurt my father.” She took another slow drink and set the bottle down on the side table then turned to stare out the window at the setting sun. “You still have no solid proof, right?”

  “No. But if I’m right, I don’t think the senator realizes how far over the dark side his nephew has strayed.”

  “You think he’s capable of covering up multiple murders, though.” Her voice held a hint of bitterness.

  Tread lightly, he thought. She appeared more angry than anything else now, but still unwilling to a
ccept Keith’s involvement. “I’m not sure what to think. What I know is, the moment I got close to pinning this guy as a suspect, I was shut down. Hard. Even after my partner lost his life trying to serve a warrant to search a warehouse with ties to the case. Now how much the senator does, or does not, know about his nephew’s actions isn’t clear. But someone wanted me to stop. And had the power to make it happen.”

  “Your partner? Oh, Ryker. I’m so sorry.” Compassion eased over her features as she turned back to face him, and he gulped back the tension in his chest. “It makes sense now. The reason you need to find your suspect. Someone you cared about got killed.”

  He raked a hand through his hair. Damn it. Shit. Son of a bitch. She’d caught him off guard. That was not the reason he’d pegged Keith as a suspect. “We all know the risks with this job.” She was listening to him but not hearing what he was trying to tell her.

  “Doesn’t make it easier to take, though.” She inhaled deeply. “So what’s changed now? How did you get the case reopened?” she asked, appearing to sense how badly he wanted to steer the conversation in a different direction.

  And for that he was more than grateful.

  “Detective Turow. He’s given me permission to explore all facets and report back to him with my findings.”

  “Undercover? So no one else knows what you’re doing?” She pinned him with a curious gaze. “Is that smart? I mean, what makes you trust this Turow?”

  “He’s a new transfer. And my gut tells me he’s here for a reason.”

  “The case you had to leave behind?” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

  He waved his hands in front of him like a magician.

  Ryker didn’t like the fact that his partner’s death still had the power to enrage him, bring up all those memories and regrets that clung to him like industrial-strength Velcro where his father and the damn accident was concerned. Giving her a glimpse of his weakness wasn’t part of the deal, but he needed her to trust him, to feel like he was capable of protecting her. He was still unclear of Turow’s true motives, but he intended to proceed cautiously. Finishing off his beer, he stood, needing to regroup. “Bathroom?”

  She pointed. “Down the hallway. First door to your left.”

  “Stay put.”

  “Like I have anywhere to go,” she said, picking up her cell phone and scrolling through her messages. “Besides, your watchdog is outside in his patrol car.”

  He shook his head. So she didn’t like the added security. But it was necessary. Until they found and detained the suspects, he planned to be glued to her every move like sticky tape. She’d love that.

  He blew out a heavy breath, trying like hell to alleviate the sharp ache bashing around in his gut from all sides. The thought of his partner’s last minutes, helpless and bleeding out in that damn dark, cold parking lot still tore through him like a rabid beast. The man had deserved better.

  Walking down the hallway with both fists clenched tight, he took special note of the pictures hanging on the dark paneled wall. Lots of childhood memories. A few with her father, but mostly events and accomplishments where Jo Jo stood in a group. As he continued on, he noticed the same young man appearing in all the photos, either standing beside her or close behind. He slowed his steps.

  Damn.

  So, he wasn’t as far off as she thought.

  It was that weird kid from high school. Keith Coleman. In every single shot.

  Chapter Eleven

  Listening to the water run in the bathroom, Joanna scanned the messages on her phone through the spotty cell coverage, praying to see one from her father, or even his co-worker, letting her know he’d taken off on one of his spur-of-the-moment business trips to the Caribbean. Or another call from Keith. She needed to talk to him. Clear this up before it went any further. But there weren’t any. No missed calls. No voicemails. Nothing.

  And then her service went out completely. She wanted to scream.

  Eyeing the long hallway in anticipation of Kane’s return, she tried to clear her wild thoughts and gain control of scattered emotions as she watched the sun descending over the horizon through the window in the kitchen. He had to be wrong about Keith. He just had to. She didn’t mean to insult him or sound ungrateful for his help—not now, not when she needed him most. But he didn’t believe her. There was a wall between them, like the past interfered with establishing a solid bond.

  The smart thing to do? Stop the games and tell him why she’d left him that night. They needed to talk about what happened back then. Try to find some common ground so they could build on trust. At least that’s what she needed. As much as convincing Kane of Keith’s innocence, she was desperate to hear his side of the story. See if he’d say he was sorry for making the bet. Especially if he planned on hanging around while this played out.

  So lost in trying to deny her feelings for him both mentally and physically, she almost jumped out of her seat when the bathroom door opened and he emerged oozing all kinds of masculinity and raw sex appeal.

  “Nice place you have here,” he said, making his way into the kitchen. “You mind if I grab that other beer?” He moved like he owned the place.

  She swiped at her mouth in case the drool turned out to be real. “It’s my dad’s, and no. Help yourself.” Dang, he looked good and was a welcome distraction. She gave her head a mental shake and tried to ignore the flashes of heat building low and deep. As much as she wanted a second drink herself, she knew better. Keeping her wits was essential. The last thing they needed was a repeat of that night.

  Okay. That settled it. Better get it out in the open sooner than later. “So how have you been, Ryker? I mean, it’s been a long time.” Her voice wavered on the last few words, and she cringed, rubbing her hands on the sides of her jeans again.

  He stopped short of opening the refrigerator, his back stiffening.

  Slowly, he turned around. “Yes, it has.” His heavy sigh floated around the room.

  “Crazy, huh?” Combing her hair back from her face with her fingers, she admitted the embarrassing truth for the first time. “That we’d meet up again after all these years.”

  “Batshit crazy, if you ask me.” He opened the fridge and grabbed the bottle of beer. The white T-shirt stretched tight across his broad shoulders, the muscles of his back rippling.

  She almost choked. “Funny how small the world can be at times.” Her heart slammed against her ribcage in a nervous rhythm as he wandered back to the couch without a word. What was he thinking? Crap. Maybe this wasn’t the right time to get personal.

  He didn’t sit. Instead, he stood there in front of her, staring for the longest moment at her face, his expression softening and causing weird flutters in her stomach. “It has been a long time, Jo Jo.”

  Her nickname left his lips in a smooth Southern drawl somehow filled with all the emotions she remembered from that night, and her toes curled.

  She nodded, mortified by her traitorous body as it warmed to the attraction building. “The years have been good to you.”

  His insistence on calling her Ms. McNamee or Joanna made sense now. Relief rushed her. From the way he looked at her, that night had affected him, regardless of how or why they’d initially gotten together, and he’d somehow attached those feelings to her nickname. She didn’t quite know how to feel about the revelation. She liked it but kept telling herself it was the last thing she wanted.

  “You haven’t changed a bit.” Again his eyes took a leisurely stroll over her as she sat with her legs pulled up in the chair. “So where’d you disappear to that morning?”

  “To get us breakfast.”

  “What? Then why didn’t you come back?” Surprise replaced the wariness in his voice.

  “I ran into a friend at the coffee shop on the corner.”

  “Who?” Bitterness edged in.

  “Not important. But they told me about the bet you made with your friends at the bar.” She paused for effect. “That you could get me to sleep wi
th you.”

  Ryker’s jaw dropped. “That’s a lie.” He straightened, looking shocked and pissed off as his fingers tightened on the bottle.

  A trickle of unease filtered through her, her head pounding with several questions, along with a good amount of guilt. “A lie?”

  “Jo Jo, I swear. There was never any bet.”

  A little worry twitch formed between her brow. She thought back about that morning and what Keith told her, swallowing the taste of betrayal working its way upward. She never saw Keith in the bar that night. Maybe he’d eavesdropped on the wrong table?

  “And here I thought you woke up, remembered I wasn’t good enough for you, and bolted.” He shook his head, his mouth twisted, those dark eyes filled with disbelief. “No wonder you never returned any of my calls.”

  Not good enough for her? Where would he get that idea? “Ryker, I don’t know what to say.”

  His jaw tightened as if he wanted to say something and then released. “So you never came back to college?”

  Joanna’s nervous qualms congealed in an uneasy laugh. Well, this was awkward. “No. I got sick. Missed several finals the next week. With my grade point average dropping beyond repair, I decided that had to be a sign to stand up to my father. I told him I was done. That I didn’t want to be a lawyer. That I was going to follow my own dreams. I dropped all my classes and moved back home.” Her gut did a flip-flop at the surprise on his face, and she mentally kicked herself for being so gullible and listening to Keith. “Guess I have you to thank for that.”

  “Me? I don’t understand.” He shifted his weight to the other leg, confusion set deep within the ridges of his handsome face.

  “Some details of that night are vague, but I remember you telling me my dreams were important. That no one had the right to change them. You encouraged me to be strong. To face the world, my fears, and my father.” Holding up her beer she said, “To my lifesaver.”