The Devil Within (Devil Series Book 3)

by Stacy-Deanne

  The patrons stared at Grant the way they’d done Alexis, except they looked at Grant with admiration instead of shock.

  “I want to stay,” Alexis said.

  Kevin grimaced. “Are you high? First, you say you want to leave because this place caters to Grant. Now Grant is here and you’re fine with that?”

  “I can’t leave because he’s here.” She fidgeted. “I know he saw me but he doesn’t want me to know he saw me. If I leave now he’ll think he has the upper hand.”

  “I don’t believe this.”

  “If I leave he’ll think he intimidates me, and no way in hell I’m letting Grant think he intimidates me.” She forced her arm inside Kevin’s. “We’ll stay here and have a fantastic evening.”

  “Lexi, have you lost your damn mind?”

  Sam walked up. “Mr. Reed, are you staying or not?”

  “Yes, we’re staying,” Alexis said before Kevin could answer.

  He glared at her.

  “That’s wonderful.” Sam smiled. “Your table is all ready for—”

  “Say, Sam?” Alexis pointed across the restaurant. “How about you hook us up with a table on that side?”

  “Lexi.” Kevin gritted his teeth.

  “Would being seated over there be okay, Sam?” Alexis batted her eyes and put on the biggest smile.

  “For you, anything is possible.” He kissed her hand. “You and Mr. Reed can sit on the roof if you like.”

  Alexis faked a laugh.

  Sam turned around. “Oh.” He jumped back. “I wasn’t aware that Mr. Copeland was here. Will you be dining with him, Mr. Reed?”

  “No we—”

  “You know what?” Alexis yanked on Kevin’s arm. “I think eating with Grant would be a great idea. He looks like he’s dining alone.”

  “Let’s see if Mr. Copeland would like the company.” Sam headed over.

  “This is stupid.” Kevin pinched Alexis’s side.

  “Ow.” She jumped and rubbed her hip. “That hurt.”

  “Cut it out,” Kevin whispered. “We’re not doing this.”

  “The hell we’re not.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because I have to show Grant that I can beat him at his own game.” She smoothed her hands down the sides of her dress. “He thinks he’s going to get one over on me but he’s not.”

  Kevin pointed at Grant, who was tasting his red wine. “The man is just sipping wine! He probably doesn’t even know you’re in here.”

  “That’s what he wants me to think.” She lifted her index finger. “That man never does anything without an ulterior motive.”

  “You seriously want to have dinner with Grant?” Kevin gawked at her. “Maybe it’s me who’s crazy!”

  Alexis yanked his hand and pulled him to Grant’s table.

  Chapter Three

  “Isn’t this a lovely surprise?” Grant set down his glass of red wine and stood when Kevin and Alexis made it to the table. “You look absolutely radiant, Firecracker.” He kissed Alexis’s hand. “I’ve never seen you so beautiful. That dress looks like it was made for you.”

  Try not to throw up, Alexis.

  She held his hand longer than she wanted to. “Grant.”

  “What?” That sneaky smirk always seemed to pop on his face when she came around. “You won’t say it’s nice to see me too?” He sat and held his hand out. “I’d love nothing more than for you two to join me.”

  Kevin held Alexis’s chair for her as she sat down.

  He sat beside her, grumbling.

  The waiter brought them menus and Grant requested some time to choose their meals.

  “Anything you want is yours, Firecracker.” Grant peered at her over the menu. “Money’s no object.”

  “What about you leaving town and never coming back?” She winked. “Is that on the menu?”

  Grant leaned back and pointed at Kevin. “I asked you before, but are you sure you can handle her?” He snickered.

  “I do just fine, Grant.” Kevin’s jaw puffed out. “Also, thank you for offering to pay for our meals but that won’t be necessary.” He put his arm on the back of Alexis’s chair. “Alexis is my date and I can pay for whatever she needs.”

  “You know me.” Grant’s mouth curled up on one side. “Whenever you need my help I’m there before you can even ask.”

  “And I appreciate that.” Kevin pulled Alexis’s chair closer to him. “But Lexi is probably one of the few things I don’t need your help with.”

  Alexis grinned.

  Get him, baby. My man has fire.

  Kevin touched her cheek. “What would you like?” He glanced at Grant. “Once again, money’s no object.”

  “I’m still trying to decide.” She moved her finger down the list of expensive items. “Are my eyes still in my head?” She blinked. “Because if I keep looking at these prices they won’t be.”

  “Man.” Grant chuckled while sipping wine. “She’s beautiful, smart, and funny.” He sat back, staring at her. “Just like her mother.”

  She set the menu down. “That’s not the only way I’m like my mother.”

  “I’m enjoying the view very much.” His gaze traveled to her cleavage.

  Kevin cleared his throat and moved his arm from Alexis’s chair. “You know what you want?” He asked her, looking at his menu.

  She kept her gaze on Grant.

  “I hope you haven’t lost your appetite.” Grant set his glass down. “I know I haven’t. In fact, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until you showed up in that dress.”

  “Wow,” Kevin whispered.

  Don’t vomit. Don’t vomit. Don’t vomit.

  Alexis stroked the back of her neck. “I think I’ll have the shrimp stuffed beef mignon.”

  “That sounds delicious,” Kevin said. “I’ll have the same.”

  “Me, too.” Grant raised his arm and snapped his fingers.

  A waiter dashed from another table and took their orders. He brought over glasses for Kevin and Alexis to share Grant’s wine, kissed Grant’s ass, then left.

  “So.” Grant propped his elbows on the table. “May I ask what you two have planned for this evening?”

  “Just this,” Kevin said. “We both have to work in the morning as you know, so we wanted to spend a quick evening together.”

  “Are you going back to her place after this?” Grant rubbed his hands. “Or is she going to yours?”

  Kevin took a deep breath. “Don’t mean to be rude but that’s not your business, Grant.”

  “I know it’s not.” He stared at Alexis again. “I just wanted to know if I should be any more jealous of you than I already am.”

  Kevin seemed to squirm.

  “And why would you be jealous of Kevin?” Alexis asked.

  “What man wouldn’t be? He gets to spend so much time with you.” He picked up his glass. “Will you reconsider my offer to have dinner with me?”

  Kevin cleared his throat. “That’s not happening.”

  “Excuse me?” Grant asked.

  “Are you really asking my date to go out with you right in front of me?” Kevin glanced at Alexis. “It’s not happening. I don’t care what the reason is.”

  “I am having dinner with you right now, Grant.” She sipped the tart red wine.

  “I just wanted a chance for you to know me.”

  “And how many times do I have to say that I know you well enough?”

  “You know what others have said.” He raised his gray eyebrow. “You can’t judge me by that.”

  “I can’t judge you by what my own mother thought of you?” She set the glass down. “She knew you well enough.” Her stomach turned at the thought of what he’d done to Elizabeth. “She knew you a lot more than she wanted to.”

  “Can we please not get into this right now?” Kevin exhaled. “Maybe it’s better if we go to our own table.”

  “I’m not stupid, Grant,” Alexis said. “I know you don’t take me seriously and you probabl
y think I’m just some cute little woman who talks a big game, but you’re wrong.”

  “You’re wrong.” He wobbled his head, grinning. “Firecracker, I have the deepest admiration for you. And yes, I do think you’re very cute, too.”

  She yanked up her glass.

  What annoyed her more? Was it his smug attitude, or that he enjoyed being that way?

  Grant looked back and forth at them. “Talked to Base again lately, Firecracker?”

  She slowly swallowed wine.

  “I keep telling you I know everything that happens in this town.” Grant waved his finger at her. “You’ve also been talking to Leo Pacheco, haven’t you?”

  She hadn’t been back in Tate Valley long and she’d been around Grant even less. Yet she knew it was best to be honest with Grant because as he claimed, he often did know everything in town. Being honest might be the best way to throw him off.

  “Yes, I’ve spoken to Leo.” She smiled. “I’ve spoken to him about my father’s accident. I’m sure you knew that, too.”

  “Lexi…”

  Grant cut Kevin off. “I’m glad.”

  “You are?” she asked.

  “Yes, of course. Stossel was my closest friend.” Grant poured more wine into his glass. “Come to think of it, I’ve been going over the accident in my head and I think you’re on to something. Maybe someone is behind it.” He sipped. “I didn’t want to think it wasn’t just an accident because who would hurt Stossel? Everyone loved him.” He nodded. “But I guess I have to resolve myself to thinking that someone wanted him dead.”

  Is this son of a bitch really trying this?

  “Tell you what.” He leaned toward. “Why don’t we team up and find out what really happened? With your brilliant detective mind and my connections in this town…the possibilities are endless.” He grinned.

  “Tell you what.” She subdued the urge to jump over the table and strangle him. “I’ll think about that and get back to you.”

  Chapter Four

  “I just can’t believe that bastard.” Alexis yanked off her earrings as Kevin pulled his silver-gray Porsche 911 Carrera S up to her Nantucket beachside home. “Did Grant Copeland actually offer to help me find out who killed my father?” She laughed. “Did that really just happen?”

  Kevin parked and took the keys out of the ignition. “It happened,” he mumbled.

  “Oh, honey.” She took off her seatbelt and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry if I let Grant hijack our evening. I’ve been talking about him ever since we left the restaurant.”

  He looked at his key. “It’s fine.”

  “No it’s not.” She kissed his pouty lips. “You took me out for a wonderful dinner and I have to repay you.” She took his hand and placed it over her breast. “I can think of a way we’d both appreciate.” She got out of the car. “Come on.”

  “No, I’ve got to be getting home.”

  “What?” She stooped down to the passenger window. “You’re kidding me.” She checked her watch. “It’s eleven-thirty. Besides, you always come in after you bring me home.”

  “Not tonight.” He put his hand on the steering wheel. “I’m tired.”

  “Okay, what the hell is going on?” She stuck her head inside the car. “You were acting mad at the restaurant. Did I do something?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “You’re gonna pout like a child now? I don’t even deserve an answer?”

  “I think I deserve one.” He got out of the car. “I’m glad you picked up on me being pissed because tonight it seemed like you didn’t give a damn about anything but Grant and this vendetta of yours.”

  “Oh God.” She moaned. “Here we go again.”

  “And every time I bring it up, you make me feel like the bad guy, Lexi.”

  “What’s wrong?” She took his hand. “I know you didn’t want to eat with Grant and I sure as hell didn’t. I did that to see what the hell he’s up to.”

  Kevin took his hand from hers and rubbed his face. “I’m getting a feeling that I don’t like, Lexi.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” She held her waist.

  “I’m your boyfriend.” He glared at her.

  “Yeah, and…”

  “We promised to trust each and be honest with each other, didn’t we?”

  “Kevin—”

  “I need an honest answer for what I’m about to ask.” He pointed to her. “No bullshit, Lexi. Grant’s attracted to you.”

  “Ugh.” She touched her stomach. “You want to wear that beef mignon I just ate?”

  “I’m serious. He’s attracted to you.”

  “Okay, so he is.” She scratched her head. “He’s repulsive and old enough to be my father. What the hell are you getting at?”

  He squinted. “Are you attracted to him?”

  “Oh!” She put her hand over her mouth. “Here it comes.” She bent down. “You better stand back.”

  He grabbed her arm. “I’m serious.”

  “You can’t be serious!” She laughed. “I know you didn’t just ask me if I’m attracted to the man I hate more than anything. That man raped my mother. He killed my father. Do you seriously think I could be attracted to someone like him? I’m disgusted you even asked.”

  “I’m disgusted that I felt I had to ask.”

  “Are we really having this conversation?” She turned to the side. “You can’t possibly think I’m attracted to Grant! Are you nuts? Grant and I had wine at dinner. What the hell did you have?”

  “Sometimes you can become attracted to someone even if you hate them.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No way in hell I’m attracted to Grant. Look into my eyes, Kevin. I hate him. I hate him so much that I could kill him with my bare hands.” She pushed him. “You know this. How can you even ask something like that?”

  “I’m sorry but it looked like the flirtation was genuine on your part.”

  She stood back and scoffed. “Then you’ve lost your damn mind. I’ll do whatever I have to do to prove that Grant killed my father.” She got closer to him. “He cannot continue to hurt people and get away with it!”

  “Would you sleep with him?”

  “What?” She felt as though he’d knocked the wind out of her.

  “How far would you go to get the information you need?” He clasped his hands in front of him. “Huh? You said you’d do anything. Would you sleep with him if that’s what it took?”

  She slapped him.

  He looked at her and rubbed his cheek.

  “Go to hell, Kevin.” She got her house key from her purse and headed toward the porch.

  “How can I know you wouldn’t?” he shouted.

  She stopped on the first porch step.

  “After what I saw at the restaurant tonight and what you just said…how can I know?”

  She turned around. “You should know me. If not, then what the hell are we doing together?”

  She stomped up the steps.

  * * * *

  Alexis and Penelope peeked into the employee lounge of the Tate Valley Hospital the next day. Two black men dressed in blue scrubs looked up from their plates.

  “Hello.” Alexis stepped inside and took out her badge. “I’m Detective Alexis Adams and this is my partner Penelope Dao.”

  Penelope waved.

  “We’re homicide.” Alexis put her badge up. “We need to speak to Khalil Williams. We heard he was in here.”

  “I’m Khalil.” The dark-skinned man with the round face and neat afro wiped his mouth. “Is there a problem?”

  “We need to speak to you about a recent homicide,” Penelope said. “Can we talk to you alone?”

  “I’ll leave.” The other man gathered his tray and gave Khalil a strange glance. “Check you later, man.”

  They bumped fists and the man left.

  Penelope shut the door.

  “What’s going on?” Khalil’s voice shook. “Am I in some kind of trouble?”

  Alexis took out her
notepad. “Why would you be?”

  “I don’t know about you but when the cops wanna talk to a brotha it’s usually not just to shoot the breeze, if you know what I mean.”

  “A young woman named Alicia Bellows was found beaten to death behind Kel’s,” Penelope said.

  “You mean that old raggedy ass club on Soviet Avenue?” He grimaced. “If you think I know anything about that then you’re wasting your time. You’d never catch me in an area like that, and I don’t know why you need to speak to me.”

  “Someone called us today with a tip.” Penelope sat beside him. “This person said that they saw a blue van on Soviet Avenue yesterday evening about five or six, around the time Alicia was killed.”

  Khali looked at Alexis. “What—”

  “The person managed to remember half of the license plate number,” Alexis said. “We checked it out and we found a 2002 blue Chevy van registered to you.”

  “Jeez.” Khalil pushed his face into his palms. “Wait a minute, I—”

  “Do you or do you not own a van that fits that description?” Penelope asked.

  “I didn’t kill anyone okay? I don’t know Alicia Bellows. I’ve never heard of her! Was this a white girl?”

  Alexis nodded.

  “Fuck.” Khalil jumped up. “Man no.” He rocked. “You guys got this shit twisted if you’re trying to say…”

  Penelope stood. “Khalil—”

  “Man hell no!” He moved away from her. “You trying to pin that shit on me? I didn’t kill Alicia Bellows. I don’t even know the bitch!”

  “Nobody said you killed anybody,” Alexis said. “But you’re not acting very innocent right now.”

  “Just tell me what the fuck does this have to do with me?” He got in Alexis’s face. “I wasn’t at Soviet Avenue yesterday, I swear to God I wasn’t.”

  “Where were you yesterday evening between five and six?” Alexis asked.

  “I was at home, asleep.” He pulled on his scrubs. “Hello. I’m a nurse’s assistant. I only have time to work and sleep, not go out and kill white girls.”

  Penelope huffed and glanced at Alexis. “Did anyone know you were home sleeping?”

  He rubbed his fro. “My neighbors should know I was home. I’m sure they saw my car.”