Alex tasted her salty tears and dared hope that he had succeeded in his quest. But he had no thoughts of gloating, because somewhere along the way, Brooke’s pain had become his own.
Finally she broke the connection and pressed her warm forehead against his. Hot tears streaked down her cheeks and splattered onto his arms in a steady stream. Alex gently stroked her back and waited, wishing there was something he could do to ease her pain.
Her voice was surprisingly steady as she said, “My parents had this ritual...they always went out to eat on Saturday nights. Sometimes caught the late show after dinner. That weekend, I was home from college because I’d promised Dee I’d help her get ready for her first school dance. I remember she was so excited.”
She paused for a moment, as if to gather her strength. Alex’s heart went out to her. He pressed his lips against her forehead, silently offering his support.
“If it hadn’t been for that dance, Dee would have been with them.”
A shudder shook her petite frame. Alex tightened his arms. He could almost feel the long-suppressed grief clawing its way out of her.
“Dad was trying to quit smoking, and they stopped at a convenience store—one of two that we have in town—to buy a pack of gum.”
She looked at him, and Alex could see that in Brooke’s case, time had not been her friend; her anger at the atrocity had grown instead of waned over the years.
“A pack of gum. That’s all Dad wanted. Mom was waiting in the car. Apparently she got impatient and went in to investigate.” Her fingers dug into his forearms, but Alex doubted she noticed. “She walked in on the robbery—two local boys high on coke with previous records as long as your arm. They—” Her voice broke, but she gallantly steadied it. “They panicked and shot her as she entered the store. Right through the—the heart. When Dad moved to go to her...they shot him in the back.”
“I’m sorry.” Alex swallowed a big hard lump in his throat. Such an awful story...a horrendous crime committed against two innocent people. “I know it doesn’t help, but I am sorry.”
“No, it doesn’t help,” Brooke agreed, but she reached out and touched his cheek in a grateful gesture, seemingly oblivious to the constant flow of tears that continued to splatter his arms. “But thank you anyway. As hard as it is for me to admit it, I think I needed a good cry.”
“Six years is a long time to go without crying.”
Brooke shrugged, roughly swiping at her face. “I’ve cried plenty. I cried on Dee’s first date because my dad wasn’t there to scare the pants off the boy.”
“But you did.” Alex was suddenly very certain of that. Her smile was a little sheepish and a lot on the naughty side. He felt his manhood leap in response; he quickly shamed it down.
“Yes, I did. Maybe too much. Her date brought her home at nine o’clock, and Dee didn’t speak to me for a week.” Her smile faded into sadness. “I cried at her graduation because my parents weren’t there to see it. I cried when she left for college...for the same reason.”
“Sounds like you did a damned fine job of raising her,” Alex said gruffly. “Your parents would have been proud.” Hell, he was proud!
She sniffled. “I don’t think they’d be too happy about the current situation.”
“It all turned out for the best, didn’t it?” In fact, Alex made a mental note to send Dee and Cliff a nice wedding present. He had a lot to thank them for.
“We can only hope.” Brooke worried her bottom lip with her teeth until Alex dived in to rescue it, soothing the hurt with his tongue. Her breath hitched in response to the provocative move.
“So...what do we do now?” she whispered between kisses and nibbles.
“Hm. I have a few ideas. Wanna hear them?”
Her face still wet with tears, she laughed and put her hands between them. “I’m talking about the enormous amount of condoms at my house, and Kyle, the factory rat who put them there.”
With a reluctant groan, Alex gathered her up from the counter and took her to the sofa where he set her gently down again. He began to scoop up her clothing from the floor.
“If you insist on talking, you’d better get dressed first. You’re messing with my concentration.”
Her spontaneous giggle warmed his heart.
****
Over the next half hour, as they ate a lunch of cold fried chicken and drank cans of ice cold Coke, Brooke told Alex everything she had omitted earlier, and her suspicions about what she’d learned.
Then she listened as Alex told her his plan.
She had to admit that it sounded as if it might work, but there was just one teeny little part about his plan that caused her to hesitate.
She wiped her fingers on her napkin and took a swig of Coke. “So you really think once they arrest me for stealing the shipment of condoms and I’m in jail, Kyle will believe he’s in the clear and get careless?”
“It could work. Especially if I show up and give him a clap on the back for catching you. Maybe even a promotion.”
“You think he’s that stupid?”
“No, I think he’s that arrogant.”
Brooke shook her head, having second thoughts. “I don’t know. It all sounds a little drastic, to me. I mean, not only is Sheriff Snider going to be madder than a wet hornet when he finds out you’ve been right here at the cabin all along, he’s not going to appreciate us using him in our plan to trap Kyle.”
Alex shrugged and dropped his gaze, reaching for another chicken leg. “Surely he’ll understand when we explain everything to him.”
“Where do you think he put the file? I doubt Kyle’s stupid enough to keep it in his apartment after last night.”
“We’ll find it,” Alex promised grimly. “After you’re in jail and he thinks he’s free of suspicion, I wouldn’t be surprised if we found it on his coffee table.”
“What if he catches you?”
His wicked smile heated her blood.
“Who said anything about me? I plan to stay right here and enjoy my vacation until it’s time for me to make an appearance.”
Brooke folded her arms and scowled at him. “Meanwhile, I’ll be sleeping on a hard cot, urinating in an open toilet, and eating half-frozen TV dinners.”
Alex came around the table and pulled her into his arms before she could gasp, nuzzling his lips against her neck. His low, masculine growl made her limp all over. “Believe me, I’d much rather you be here so that we could continue your therapy.”
“You mean the sex.” She felt him stiffen and immediately wished the callous words back.
“I told you, we were making love, not having—” He lifted his head and pinned her with a stern glare. “We’ll continue this discussion when this is all over, understand?”
Drowning in the deep blue of his eyes, Brooke found herself whispering obediently, “Yes, sir.”
She brushed aside the inner voice of caution urging her to beware of smooth-talking, smart-dressed men spouting promises.
Besides...why shouldn’t she believe him?
****
Kyle didn’t waste any time.
Two hours later, when Brooke pulled into the driveway of her family home, she didn’t have to improvise her nervous reaction to finding Sheriff Snider and Officer Duncan Gregory waiting for her. And why wouldn’t she be nervous? Her living room was filled with stolen condoms, and although she knew she was innocent, they didn’t. In fact, their entire plan hinged on the fact that they believed she’d stolen them.
The grim-faced men watched her as she got out of the car and walked in their direction.
“Sheriff Snider, Duncan.” Brooke nodded and stuck her hands in her jean pockets, darting a nervous glance at the house. “Something tells me this isn’t a social call.”
Sheriff Snider frowned and asked sharply, “Why would you say that?”
“Well, you both look as if you’ve just discovered a dead body.” Brooke feigned a sudden look of horror. “It’s—it’s not Dee, is it? Dear God—”
“No, no, gal, this ain’t about Dee.” Sheriff Snider cleared his throat and looked at the house before his shrewd gaze returned to her. “I’ve got a warrant to search your house.”
This was the part of the plan that Brooke dreaded the most—allowing Sheriff Snider to believe that she was guilty. Muttering a quick prayer to the heavens above, Brooke threw herself into the part wholeheartedly, vowing to kick Alex’s cute butt if Sheriff Snider didn’t forgive her later.
Angling her chin defensively, Brooke asked, “May I see the warrant, please?” When he handed it to her, she took her time reading it. Finally she gave it back to him. “Well, I guess I can’t stop you, can I?”
“No, you can’t.” Sheriff Snider motioned to Duncan, who gave a disbelieving shake of his head. “Come on, Duncan. Let’s take a look inside.”
They strode up the sidewalk to the front door, then moved aside for Brooke to unlock it.
“I want you to know,” Sheriff Snider began, swinging the door wide, “That I don’t believe a word Lotus told me—” He broke off, his gaze widening in shock at the boxes stacked in her living room.
Brooke felt her face heat, wishing Alex were close enough to kick right now. Suddenly—and belatedly—she thought of a dozen different ways they could have trapped Kyle that didn’t involve disappointing this good man.
But it was too late.
She had to drag the damning words out of her throat. “I’m—I’m sorry.”
“If you needed money, you could have come to me.” When she remained silent, he added, “You know I’m gonna have to take you in.”
He was angry, and Brooke didn’t blame him. Bowing her head, Brooke whispered with genuine shame, “Yes, I know.” She heard the rattle of handcuffs, then Sheriff Snider’s furious voice.
“We’re not putting handcuffs on her, you fool! Take her to the patrol car and read her her rights. I’ll stay and make an inventory of the...stolen goods, see if they match what Lotus says is missing.”
Brooke went along docilely, glancing back once at Sheriff Snider. She winced at the naked anguish on his face. “I’m going to kill him,” she muttered, referring to Alex.
Duncan, however, made his own interpretations.
“Now, Brooke, you don’t need to be making things worse by threatening Lotus. I don’t like the man myself, but he’s got a job to do, just like the rest of us. Stealing’s wrong, no matter who’s doing it.”
She automatically ducked her head as he guided her into the back seat of his patrol car. As a child, she’d ridden with Sheriff Snider several times during his shift just for the sheer fun of it, and once to gather research for a term paper about the increasing dangers that officers faced each day, but she’d never ridden in the back seat.
Of course, she’d never before been a prisoner.
“This had better work, Bradshaw.”
Duncan twisted around to look at her. “Did you say something?”
Brooke shook her head, unable to meet his questioning gaze. “I was just thinking that things certainly look different from the back seat of a patrol car.”
“You wanna ride up front?”
Swallowing a hysterical giggle at his gracious offer, she declined. “Thanks, anyway.”
As they pulled away from the curb, Brooke caught a flash of bright red from the corner of her eye. She squinted against the glare from the window. Her eyes continued to narrow as she recognized the older model Corvette and the driver behind the wheel.
It was Kyle Lotus, sitting in his parked car a few houses down. Watching and gloating, Brooke presumed, arrogantly assuming he had cleverly diverted suspicion onto her. She fumed silently, resisting the childish urge to flip him the bird. All in good time, she chanted beneath her breath. All in good time.
Unless...unless Alex couldn’t find the Landco file. If that happened, Brooke shuddered to imagine how they’d convince Sheriff Snider of the truth after her guilty—if silent—confession.
But Kyle wasn’t the only one witnessing her humiliation, Brooke realized as they passed a dark sedan parked on her street. So was the P.I. hired by the Bradshaw Corporation.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Further down the street from where Lotus was parked, Elijah and Alex sat in the old truck waiting for Lotus to leave. At the last moment Alex had impulsively decided to ride along, and as a precaution, he wore a faded baseball cap pulled low over his forehead and a pair of ancient, wire-framed sunglasses Elijah had also uncovered from deep within his closet. The frames were bent and the lenses so scratched Alex had to continuously refocus his eyes, but all in all he thought it was a good disguise.
“He’s leaving,” Elijah said, pointing to the red Corvette pulling away from the curve.
Alex squinted through the scratched sunglasses and the bug-splattered, cracked windshield. The old man must have eyes like a hawk, he thought. “We’d better hurry before Luther follows her.”
“I’m on it, Batman.”
“I prefer James,” Alex responded, imitating Sean Connery’s distinct accent. “That’s James Bond.”
The motor backfired and bucked before leaping forward, nearly giving Alex whiplash. When Elijah pulled the truck alongside the sedan, Alex grabbed the knob and tried to roll down the window, intending to signal Luther before he could pull away; the knob came off in his hand. With a curse stifled lest he hurt the old man’s feelings, he pitched the knob into the seat and grasped the inside door handle.
He had to give it three good shoves and a mighty kick before it came open. Hell. Didn’t anyone in this town own a decent vehicle? he wondered. Ignoring Elijah’s muffled chuckles, he got out and tapped on Luther’s window.
The startled man gave a shriek and shrank back.
“Luther, it’s me. Alex Bradshaw.”
The window lowered at the speed of light, revealing Luther’s long, thin face beneath the oversized Stetson he wore. His eyes bulged. “Alex? Is that really you?”
Alex lifted his glasses and arched a mocking brow. “In the flesh. Unlock the door and let me in.” He turned and gave Elijah the signal to catch up with Kyle before trotting around to the passenger side.
Luther stared at Alex in disbelief as he climbed into the passenger seat. “Gloria said you fancied yourself as James Bond, but I didn’t believe her. By God, you are, aren’t you?”
“I don’t have time to talk about my secretary and her overactive imagination,” Alex said dryly. “From now on you’re working for me, not her.”
“But she said—”
“Never mind what Gloria said. Suffice it to say you’ve been manipulated by a paranoid secretary. Now, we’ve got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. Elijah’s going to keep Lotus busy for as long as he can, but since Lotus isn’t too fond of his uncle—”
Mouth open in shock, Luther stuttered, “That old man is Kyle Lotus’s uncle?”
Alex couldn’t help but grin. “Missed that one, did ya? Yes, Kyle is Elijah’s nephew. But he’s not proud of the fact so he doesn’t go around bragging about it. Get going. We’re headed to Lotus’s apartment—I’m sure you know where he lives.”
Luther put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. “I do, but why are we going there?”
“To search it.”
“You mean, make an illegal search?”
“What other kind is there if you aren’t a cop?” Alex retorted, his lips quirking at Luther’s scandalized tone.
“I think you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Luther informed him smugly, making a left turn. “Brooke Welch is the person you’re after.”
“Is that so?”
The P.I. nodded vigorously. “Yes. A mysterious shipment of boxes arrived at her house in the wee hours this morning.”
“Hm.” Alex couldn’t resist playing with the P.I. “I wonder what was in them?”
“Condoms!” Luther announced triumphantly. “From your factory.”
“And just how would you know what’s in those boxes?”
Luther clamped his lips tightly together, appearing to need all of his concentration to navigate the nearly deserted streets leading to Lotus’s apartment.
But Alex was having too much fun to give the guy a break. “Luther? You didn’t by any chance make one of those illegal searches, did you?”
Two blocks later, Luther finally confessed. “Okay, okay. I did go into her house, but only for a second. The suspense was driving me crazy. I had to know what was in those boxes.”
Alex tensed. “Did you see who was driving the truck that delivered the shipment?”
“I would probably know him again if I saw him.”
“Good. If all else fails, you might have to identify him for me.”
“If all else fails,” Luther repeated faintly. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Since you’ll be the one making the illegal search, I guess it would only be fair to fill you in.”
The P.I. swallowed hard. “I hope you’ve brought your checkbook, because this is going to cost you. I could lose my license over this.”
“Well then, I guess you’ll have to make sure you don’t get caught. Otherwise, how will you spend all that money I’m going to pay you?”
In this instance, the promise of money didn’t seem to mollify Luther. “Where will you be while I’m risking my butt?” he demanded, parking the sedan in front of the apartment building and cutting the engine.
“I’ll be waiting in the car. Don’t worry, I’ll honk if Lotus appears.”
Luther groaned. “I feel so much better knowing you’re watching my back.”
“I’m flattered. Now, here’s what we’re looking for....”
****
“Are you sure you’re comfortable?” Officer Gerald asked anxiously. “Because Sheriff Snider said you’re not to be treated like a criminal.”
Wisely hiding her amusement, Brooke glanced at the jail cot—now padded with a thick foam mattress, covered with several quilts, and piled high with fluffy pillows. It looked more inviting than her bed at home.
She flashed Gerald, who had often been described as a slightly taller Danny DeVito, a grateful smile. “I’m fine, really.”
A Perfect Fit Page 20
