Costa was a damn good agent, a fellow SEAL, and he trusted him implicitly. He was, bar none, the toughest man Dorian had ever met. He trained all of the new agents and had yet to be bested in hand-to-hand combat training. He dominated in Muay Thai and held black belts in several disciplines, including Krav Maga, a self-defense system known for extremely efficient moves and brutal counter-attacks. Hell, Dorian had tried to kick his ass too many times to count and always got his ass handed back to him, usually battered and bloody.
Hillary Billings or Hillbilly, her unfortunate nickname, was also one of the best. People tended to underestimate her because of her drop-dead gorgeous looks, which she used to her advantage. She also claimed a black belt in Krav Maga and was as strong as many men. He’d seen her in action. He couldn't have asked for two better agents to protect his family.
A weight lifted from his shoulders knowing help would soon arrive. He contacted Alex and gave him the details. He could hear the frustration in his friend's voice and echoed it. They needed to catch this bastard fast before anyone else lost their life. He'd just snapped the phone shut when a hand touched his shoulder. He reached for his weapon and spun around, exhaling when he spotted his mother. "Mama, what are you doing here?"
"I was tired, decided to leave the restaurant early and relax but I could not sleep. Then I heard Daphne and Kendall. I could tell there was something wrong so I made her tell me." She placed a hand on his arm. "Dorian, what is going on? Why was Mr. Rigatos murdered? He was old, a good man…he would not hurt anyone."
He pulled his mother in for a hug, inhaling the comforting scent that was uniquely hers. "I know, Mama, I’m sorry."
After a few minutes she pulled back and cupped his face affectionately. "Tell me everything."
So he did, giving her an abbreviated version of the events leading up to the discovery of Mr. Rigatos. She was horrified to hear about Kendall's friends, of the pain she'd suffered. "If anyone can protect her, it is you, paidi mou," she said patting his cheek. "But please, stay safe."
He appreciated his mother's unwavering support, but after his last case, his opinion of his abilities seriously took a beating.
He hadn't figured out how to broach the subject of her and Daphne hightailing it out of town but now seemed like a good time. "How would you like to take a little trip, Mama? Maybe take Daphne on a tour of the motherland?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You want us gone, no?"
"I want you gone, yes," he emphasized.
She shook her head. "You know I cannot leave the restaurant." She paused, looking older than he'd ever seen her and a pang of guilt hit him in the gut for exposing her to a violent crime. He should've never let Kendall stay in the empty apartment. He should've anticipated them following her, even if he'd been certain they hadn't watched him stash her there.
"But I do not want anything to happen to Daphne. After seeing you hurt…" Her voice trailed off as she ran a soft hand across his wounded shoulder.
"I’m fine Mama, and it’s my fault," he said. "I should've never brought Kendall here."
"It wasn’t your doing, Dorian. Fate brought her to you." He started to scoff but she shook him off. "She needs you. Take care of her and you be careful, my son. I will think about a little vacation with Daphne."
Chapter Ten
"What do you mean the witness is dead?"
Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his partner. "Why the hell didn't you bring him to the station immediately?"
Millson's voice was properly chastised. "The guy promised he would come with me but disappeared before I could wrap things up. He told a co-worker that he had to pick up his kid from kindergarten and take him to a sitter. I figured he'd come back or call and when I didn't hear from him, I got his address from the hotel manager. I sent a black and white to pick him up and they just called, said they found him dead. His place was ransacked. Looks like a B & E."
Breaking and entering. Convenient excuse to cover a murder. "I'll—" He was just about to tell Millson he'd meet him there when his cell beeped. Recognizing Dorian's number, he put Millson on hold. As he listened to Dorian, he rubbed his temple, a mother of a headache brewing. "Damn. I'll be right there."
He clicked back to Millson as he grabbed his sport coat from the back of his chair and slid it on. "I just got another call, so you'll have to handle the scene without me." Though they were about the same age, Alex was the senior partner, having three years' experience over Millson as a detective.
"Hey, what's going—" Alex snapped the phone shut on his partner and headed to his car. He was royally pissed at Millson for letting their only lead slip away. It might not be Millson's fault the guy ended up dead, but now they had no leads whatsoever and Dorian had called about another murder, possibly tied to the case. This just kept getting better and better.
And best of all, he couldn't let anyone know it could be related because that would mean exposing Dorian's client, possibly setting her up to be murdered as well. No way would he have that guilt hanging over his head, so he would just ignore the connection for now.
Screeching into the alley behind Mama Demarchis' restaurant, he slammed the brakes and jumped out. He ripped open the entry door and jogged up the steps, spotting Dorian and his mother in the hallway. "Now are you going to tell me what the hell is going on, Demarchis?"
#
Dorian hadn't seen Alex quite so pissed off since…the last time he saw him. "It appears Mr. Rigatos has been murdered."
Alex glared at him, muttering curse after curse under his breath. Dorian knew he'd have voiced them out loud if Mama wasn't present. He paced as he called for backup and a crime scene unit. "Tell me again what happened." He slammed his phone shut with a frustrated sigh.
"I didn’t know Mama let Mr. Rigatos stay in the apartment. I planned on crashing here for a few hours. I walked in and found him like this."
"Uh-huh. So where’s the girl?"
"What girl?"
"Don’t play games with me, Demon. Jane. Where the hell is Jane?"
Dorian stared at his long-time friend, knowing in his gut he could trust him. "Look Alex, she stayed here in this room, in this bed, last night. Whoever killed Mr. Rigatos possibly thought they were killing her."
"Wonderful," Alex muttered, sagging against the wall. "This just keeps getting better."
"I, uh, might have bent the truth a little."
"Oh, just a little," Alex mocked.
Dorian ignored him. "Daphne actually found the body but I don’t want her questioned. I don’t want her name associated with this at all. I found Mr. Rigatos."
"No."
Both male heads swiveled at Mama Demarchis' stern voice. "I do not want Dorian's name involved either. I heard the noise, I came to check on Mr. Rigatos. I am the one who called you, Alexander." She pointed to the notebook in his hand. "Write that down."
Alex opened his mouth to argue but Mama wasn't finished. "Whoever is doing this, they are killing innocent people. They do not know Dorian is involved. He needs to go take care of his woman."
"Mama, she's not my—" At Mama's stern look he sighed and clamped his mouth shut. Sometimes there was no arguing with her. Besides, she was right. He needed to get Kendall out of here before backup arrived.
Alex paused thoughtfully and then nodded. Dorian knew he hated to bend the rules, but Daphne was like a little sister to him, too. He'd do anything to protect her. And he could never say no to Mama.
The wail of a siren grew louder. "This place will be crawling with emergency personnel soon. This isn't my jurisdiction so I'll have to hand it over to another detective. They'll want to talk to you, Mama, find out when Mr. Rigatos arrived. You better get Jane out of here, but Dorian, I need to talk to her."
Dorian made a decision. "I'll take her to your cabin."
Alex looked surprised then relieved. "I'll be there when I wrap this up."
"Thanks buddy," Dorian said, slapping him on the back. He jogged out the door and went in search of Kendall
.
#
"What’s the deal with the girl?"
"I’m having trouble finding her since I don’t have a name."
"Well get a name. She could destroy everything."
"I’m trying. I thought I had her tonight."
A deep sigh. "What happened?"
"It was dark, I made a mistake."
"Tell me you didn’t kill an innocent woman."
"It was an old man and I wasn’t going to when I realized it wasn’t the girl but he woke up and started to scream. I couldn’t let anyone find me in there, and I couldn’t let him live since he saw my face."
"As long as no one spotted you, we should be okay. Now earn your pay and find that girl."
#
A dark, overcast sky helped cover their movements as Dorian hustled Kendall out of his mother’s apartment. He hated leaving his mom and Daphne before the other two agents arrived, but emergency personnel would be buzzing around the crime scene until late morning. Plus, Alex promised to keep an officer on site until Dante and Hillary arrived. Alex was doing so much for him by keeping guards on his family, added to the fact that he technically broke the law when he agreed to keep Daphne out of the investigation. The least Dorian could do was let him meet Kendall and ask questions.
"What now? Are we going to Ferrington Marina?"
"It's too late tonight and your interview is tomorrow. You need to rest. My friend has a cabin south of town where we can crash."
"The cop?"
Dorian nodded. "He'll meet us there later." He glanced at her. "You can trust him, Kendall. I do with my life. He won't jeopardize your safety."
"Okay."
"Just like that? No argument?"
She shook her head, simply said, "I trust you, Dorian."
That shouldn't have made his heart skip a beat, but it did.
He turned onto the practically hidden dirt road that led to the secluded cabin on the shores of Lake Michigan. He and Alex visited all the time in high school, sometimes to fish, other times to sneak away and drink beer. The rough-hewn wood walls held some fond memories. He pulled up to the dark house. The only illumination came from the moon when it wasn't hiding behind a cloud. "This is it," he said, killing the lights.
Kendall opened her door and stepped out. "It's so isolated. What a wonderful place to get away."
"It is. Alex and I used to come here all the time when we were younger."
"Is that the lake?"
"Yeah."
"Can we go see?"
He shrugged a shoulder and closed his door. "Sure."
They walked along a path that curved around the side of the house and led to the small beach. A pier protruded into the water about thirty feet. Kendall climbed the steps and padded to the edge. The water was inky black, the waves lapping softly against the wooden pylons anchoring the dock. Kendall lowered herself to sit and dangled her feet over the edge. He followed suit. She leaned back with her arms behind her and sighed contentedly. "I feel so at peace here."
"You probably don't get much down-time with the hustle and bustle of the City, do you?"
She shook her head. "Don’t get me wrong, I love New York, but sometimes I long for a quieter pace."
"I know what you mean," he said. "Chicago is great and all, but where I live now, it's more laid-back. It's a college town so there's plenty of people and traffic, but nothing along the lines of a major metropolis."
"When I cheered in college, we used to go down there for games and I absolutely loved the town. It's so charming and beautiful."
"A small town with big city amenities," Dorian agreed.
They sat in companionable silence, the gently slapping waves the only sound. Finally Kendall broke it. "I don't think I've thanked you for helping me."
"No thanks necessary," he said. "All part of the job." Why he tacked that last part on, he had no idea. He would've helped her regardless.
"Still, I appreciate it." She turned to look at him, the moon bathing her flawless skin in a golden glow. "You didn't have to with your injury."
Dorian couldn't look away from the sparkle in her light blue eyes. One day. He'd only known her one day. Still, he had no control over his body as he leaned down and tasted her lips. She called to him like steel to a magnet…and speaking of steel, he hardened painfully at the exquisite taste of her lips. The sweetest nectar. When she sighed into the kiss, he slid his hand beneath her hair and kissed her deeper. He was just about to lower her to the wooden planks when a strange noise broke them apart.
"What was that?"
He was pleased to note that her voice was breathless, but he snapped into protector mode. "I don't know. Try not to make any sound and stay behind me. If I tell you to run, do it."
#
Alex flicked off the headlights as he approached his cabin from the rutted path through the trees and he was glad he did. Someone was breaking in, possibly the killer looking for Jane. He stopped and parked before he reached the clearing, effectively cutting off the escape route for the perp…assuming he drove. Palming his Glock, he eased outside and dashed behind a huge Maple for cover. A dark shape peered into his living room window, face pressed against the glass, hands blocking out any incendiary light. The moon slid behind a cloud, making it impossible to distinguish any features other than the fact that the perp was wearing a hood over his head and he wasn't very big.
He eased closer. The perp tried the door—it was locked—and started to leave the porch, no doubt to find another way inside. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out something black. Gun. Alex waited until he descended the stairs to launch his attack, taking the guy to the ground. He noticed two things simultaneously: the perp was definitely not a man; and after a long, tough day, the body beneath him felt like heaven.
The perp gasped. A very feminine sound. How could he have not noticed it was a woman the instant he spotted her? The cloud covering the moon slid aside and he got his first look at her face. His mouth dropped open. She literally took his breath away. But he'd seen killers just as pretty, so he refused to fall for any tricks. At least that's what he told himself. But as he gazed down at her, wide blue eyes blinked up at him. A cloud of blond hair cushioned her head. Time stood still. He wondered if she was as spellbound, wondered if her world just tilted off its axis, too. Finally, her lips moved…to tell him what? That she could see the future—their future—in his eyes?
"Can't. Breathe. You're crushing me," she wheezed.
He sighed. So much for kismet. "You're breaking into my cabin," he responded, but he did lever himself the slightest bit away.
Her head moved from side to side, her eyes never leaving his. God, he was drowning in the blue-green depths. "I wasn't breaking in," she rasped, sucking in air. "I was looking for Kendall Buckley."
He narrowed his gaze. "I don’t know a Kendall Buckley. And if you aren't breaking in, what's with the gun?"
She reached over and patted the grass, lifting the black object in question. "You mean this gun?"
A cell phone. Great. Alex's head snapped around when the porch light blinked on, blinding him. He heard movement behind him and knew Dorian had his back.
"What's going on, Alex?"
Then he heard another gasp, almost identical to the one the perp emitted earlier, but this one from behind him.
"Livvy?"
"Kendall!"
"Put that gun away, Dorian," the woman behind him chastised his buddy before coming over to shove him off of her friend.
As he rolled off to the side, his body mourned the loss of the soft feminine cushion. He glared at the woman, who was breathtakingly gorgeous in her own right. "I take it you're Jane?"
She looked at him funny, long dark hair falling down her back. "Kendall. Kendall Buckley." Then she turned her attention to her friend. Pushing to his feet, he helped the woman up and shared a questioning look with Dorian. Kendall was hugging her and asking how she found them. He wondered the same thing himself. His cabin was off the grid. Very few pe
ople knew about it, even fewer knew the location. It wasn't even listed in his name. He quickly scanned the perimeter, not willing to drop his guard, and noticed Dorian doing the same.
"Jake gave me the info," the woman—Livvy?—explained. "I asked him not to tell you I was coming because I knew you'd try to talk me out of it."
"Of course I would have, Olivia," Kendall stated fiercely. "You shouldn't be here."
"Who the hell is Jake and how does he know about my cabin?"
"Jake Kincaid, a co-worker," Dorian explained. "I gave him the info but he should've given me a heads up," Dorian growled, jamming a thumb against his chest before pointing at Olivia. "You could've gotten yourself shot."
Olivia blushed and nervously chewed her lip and God, Alex wanted to replace her teeth with his.
"Don't blame, Jake…I kind of told him I wasn't leaving until tomorrow night. I figured he would tell you—Mr. Demarchis, I presume?"
"Dorian." He held out his hand and they shook.
"I knew Kendall would tell me not to come but I needed to be here to support her."
"I don't want you around the violence, but thank you. I'm really glad you're here." Kendall hugged her friend.
When they broke apart, Dorian said, "Kendall, Olivia, this is the owner of the cabin, Detective Alex Mylonas."
They both shook his hand, and he had the insane urge to tug Olivia close. He resisted…barely. "Let's move this inside." He snagged a couple pieces of firewood from a stack beside the porch, knowing no rest would come for some time.
#
Olivia didn't know what she expected when she arrived so late to help her friend, but it certainly wasn't getting tackled by a huge cop with solid muscles and flashing blue eyes.
She really should've notified Kendall ahead of time. Jake would be so pissed at her. But she knew Kendall would try to talk her out of coming. Even knowing her friend had one of Jake's co-workers protecting her, Olivia wanted to be here for her. She'd just lost three close friends to unspeakable violence and though she tried to act tough, Olivia knew she was hurting.
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