“Now that there’s been an attempt on your life, I’ve called for back-up. One of my co-workers will be here tomorrow. We’ll send him to pick up your mail every day.”
It was a quick drive to her neighborhood. He navigated into an alley behind the building. “I’ve arranged for us to go in through the service door,” he told her, for which she was grateful. He texted a note to someone and soon, the door was pushed open from the inside. She padded down the corridor to her mailbox and pulled out the letters. No small packages so the Vigilante was obviously waiting until she played the next video. There was a flashy postcard from Ernie with the faces of the four presidents carved on Mount Rushmore. She read the note, laughed and stuck it in her purse.
Alex was waiting for her by the elevator. He smiled as she moved closer. I could love this man, she thought again. Another thought pushed that one out of her head: I already do.
#
Trent hid in the janitor supply closet behind a large shelving unit to pass time before he headed to Olivia Larrson’s apartment. Thankfully his cell had a full charge, so he’d been playing games all afternoon. He dozed for a bit and his stomach growled with hunger. Surprisingly, he wasn’t nervous. He was about to kill a woman and the only thing he felt was…unbridled exhilaration.
He pushed to his feet and stretched his muscles. He’d had a close call earlier when a man came into the room searching for something. For a split second, he thought he’d have to kill him, too, as he rummaged closer to Trent’s hiding place. But then he found what he was looking for and left. Trent had been oddly disappointed. He checked the display on his phone. Showtime. He grabbed the janitor’s cart…his disguise if anyone questioned him. He stepped into the coveralls he found hanging on a hook on the wall with the name “Bud” stitched on the pocket. They were too big and stained and reeked of ammonia, but whatever. He’d deal.
He stuck his head out the door and searched the hallway. Clear. He pushed the cart out and headed to the elevator. The lobby was dark and deserted. Boards had been nailed over the windows Ray destroyed, blocking out the light. He kept his head down and his sunglasses on as he pressed the button for the elevator. The ride up was quick and as he pushed the cart down the hall, he didn’t pass a soul. It was a little hard to see with the dark lenses, but he needed them to cover his face in case there were cameras in the halls. He stopped when he came to Larrson’s door.
His heart pounding with excitement, he glanced both ways to make sure he was alone and then rapped twice on the door and called out, “Maintenance.”
The door swung open and Trent started shooting. The bullets made small pops as they left the chamber through the silencer. He alternated shots between the woman who opened the door and the man standing behind her. He kept squeezing the trigger until he drained his clip, then he kicked the woman’s foot out of the way and jerked the door closed with his gloved hand. He pushed the cart to the end of the hall and took the stairs down. He waited until he was outside to let the smile he was holding back break free.
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia was showing Alex Ernie’s postcard and explaining about his epic adventure when the elevator doors opened.
“It’s a shame he didn’t get to travel with his wife,” Alex murmured.
“Well, he kind of is.” At his questioning look, she explained, “He had her cremated and placed her cremains in an urn. Technically, she’s riding shotgun.”
“I don’t know if that’s incredibly sweet…or a whole lot creepy.”
Olivia laughed. “Maybe a little of both?” She stopped in front of her door and faced him. She planted a hand on his chest and tried not to jolt from the contact. “Brace yourself. No telling what stage of dress—or undress—they’ll be in tonight. I once walked in on them having tantric sex surrounded by incense and burning candles. Instead of stopping, they asked if I wanted to join in.”
Alex was still chuckling when she inserted the key and pushed the door. Something was blocking it. She started to shove harder when Alex grabbed her arm to stop her. Before she could blink, he whipped out his gun and used his arm to thrust her behind his back.
“Alex?”
He put a finger against his lips and indicated the floor.
She glanced down and sucked in a breath. Blood. Lots and lots of blood. A river of red flowed beneath the door. Suddenly Olivia couldn’t breathe. Her knees were weak and she was afraid she was going to pass out.
“Go wait by the elevator,” Alex ordered with authority.
She shook her head vehemently and latched onto his belt loop. She wasn’t leaving his side.
His sigh was resigned. “Okay, but I go first and if I tell you to run, you make like Usain Bolt and you get the hell out of here.” His voice was a low rumble. “No questions asked.”
She nodded in agreement. He mouthed three, two, one and forced the door open.
She couldn’t stop the scream. Darla and Arlo were sprawled on the blood-soaked floor, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. Darla’s sightless eyes were wide in shock and Arlo’s hand was stretched out, as if he was reaching for Darla as he inhaled his last breath.
#
Olivia made a tortured sound in her throat and lunged for her roommate. Alex shot his arms out to stop her. “Babe, there’s nothing you can do for her.”
“But…” All the fight left her and she sagged in his grip. He lifted her into his arms. It said something about how upset she was that she didn’t protest. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. He headed down the hall as he dialed the police. He really wanted to go inside and clear the apartment but he’d been a cop too long to disrupt a crime scene. He’d settle for keeping an eye on the door and a finger on the trigger of his Sig Sauer.
After he called the police, he dialed Derek Benson. It was pretty clear that the person who took shots at them earlier today came to finish the job up close and personal. Darla and her boyfriend had the unfortunate luck to have been home at the time. Collateral damage.
Alex felt a pang of guilt. He knew Olivia staying here was a threat, but he’d never considered her roommate in danger. He should’ve encouraged them to stay at the boyfriend’s place, if he had one. Olivia and Darla looked nothing alike, so it wasn’t a matter of mistaken identity.
“Alex?”
He looked down into Olivia’s face. He was leaning against the wall with her tucked against him. He had one eye on her apartment door and the other on the elevator. “Hum?”
“It was my fault Darla was killed.”
His denial was instant. “It was absolutely not your fault.”
“But someone shot at me today. Then a few hours later, my roommate was ambushed.”
“The only fault lies with the person who pulled the trigger…and me.”
Olivia placed her hands against his chest and pushed back. Confusion colored her eyes. “How could it possibly be your fault?”
“I should’ve anticipated the danger. People were in and out of the building all day with the investigation and then crews fixing the shattered glass. Someone could’ve slipped inside pretty easily. I should’ve insisted Darla stay elsewhere.”
“You absolutely couldn’t know,” Olivia protested. “Just because we share an apartment, why would someone go after her? She has short, dark hair, I have long blonde. She’s about five inches taller than me. There’s no way they could confuse us.”
“Maybe it never was about you. Maybe it was about Darla. Or her boyfriend.”
“Like a drug deal gone bad?”
“Possibly. Did they deal?”
Olivia shook her head. “I don’t think so. They dabbled with pot occasionally, but that was it. I never saw Darla take drugs or Arlo bring them to the apartment. I’d have kicked her out instantly. Actually, the night you arrived was only the second time they’d smoked pot here. She promised me it wouldn’t happen again.” She was thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t even know what Arlo does,” she winced, “did for a living. He
played guitar in a band, but they weren’t very successful.”
“So it could’ve been someone he pissed off.”
She shrugged, clearly unconvinced. “I don’t think so. Not after this morning. It was me.”
“Let’s not jump to any conclusions until the police can investigate.”
“Alex?”
“Hum?”
“Do you think she suffered?”
He ran the back of his knuckles across her cheek. “No, babe, I don’t think she suffered.”
Her voice waivered. “How can you be sure?”
He exhaled. “Judging from the position of the bodies, I’d say someone knocked on the door and as soon as Darla opened it, the person fired. She didn’t have time to react.”
The wail of approaching sirens grew louder and steps pounded in the stairwell. Alex moved Olivia behind him as the door burst open. Four uniformed cops poured out. One noticed Alex’s gun. “Freeze,” he ordered as he pointed his weapon at him. Alex tucked the gun away and pointed down the hall. “Alex Mylonas. COBRA Securities. We called it in.”
“Don’t move,” the man insisted, keeping his gun trained on them. Alex lifted his hands in the air and sighed.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open to reveal Detectives Benson and Kramer. “He’s okay, Swartz,” Benson told the cop. The man looked disappointed he hadn’t nabbed the suspect, but he nodded and loped down the hall to join the others.
“We’re going to take a look,” Kramer told them, indicating Olivia’s apartment with her head. The two detectives migrated down the hall with Alex and Olivia on their heels. No way was he letting Olivia see the bloody scene again, so he stopped just short of the door and waited.
Calls of “Clear” rang out as officers checked to make sure the perp was gone. Alex had no doubt he was. He just sprayed the bullets and took off.
Doors opened up and down the hall as people heard the commotion.
“Olivia?”
Alex turned to see an older woman with a cap of silver hair hurrying over. “Are you okay?”
Olivia nodded as tears filled her eyes. “I’m okay, Mrs. Copley. It’s Darla…”
“Oh my,” the woman said, pulling Olivia in for a hug. “What happened?”
Alex didn’t want Olivia to have to try to explain the murders. “Excuse me, ma’am?”
The woman looked up at him. “Yes?”
“You live across the hall?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Were you home the last few hours?” When he first opened the door, he noted with a detective’s eye that the bodies hadn’t been in rigor yet and the blood was still wet, so the murders happened within the last couple of hours.
“I’ve been home all day,” she confirmed.”
“You didn’t hear any strange noises in the hall? Gunshots.”
Her hand flew to her chest. “Darla was shot? Was it that boyfriend of hers? I always thought he was up to no good.” She shook her head. “No, I didn’t hear a gunshot. I didn’t hear a thing.”
Judging from the holes in the bodies, it’d been quite a few gunshots.
“A silencer?” Olivia cut into his thoughts.
He nodded. “That many shots would’ve drawn attention.”
Detective Benson came out to talk to them. “My theory is that the perp knocked on the door and opened fire as soon as it was answered.”
“Mine, too,” Alex agreed.
“What’s a perp?” a man from the next apartment down asked, obviously eavesdropping.
“Perpetrator…the person who committed the crime,” Mrs. Copley answered. At the looks of surprise, she said, “What? I watched all of the CSI episodes. I could practically process that scene myself.”
Benson smiled and then asked her a few more questions. Other officers rounded up the neighbors and quizzed them on anything unusual they’d seen or heard, but no one could provide any insight into who committed the brutal murders.
Chapter Sixteen
It was the early hours of morning when Alex navigated into the underground parking garage of the hotel BeBe booked for them. Olivia was quiet and pale, but she was hanging in, keeping it together. She was one of the strongest women he knew. He wished he could take the pain away. It killed him to see her hurting. He really wished she hadn’t seen the bodies. It was something that could never be unseen.
He found an open spot close to the entrance and he helped her from the SUV. “I’ll come back for the bags after we get settled into the room.” Once the bodies had been removed and the scene processed, Detective Kramer had packed a suitcase for Olivia. His clothes were still in the shopping bags, so that served as his luggage.
They took the elevator to the lobby and approached the desk. BeBe had already taken care of signing them in, so they just needed to pick up keys. The room was registered under a COBRA Securities account, so it would be impossible to trace it to them. Seeing as how his name was plastered all over the news with the release of the shooting video, that was a necessity. The elevator took them to their floor. Alex slid the key card into the slot and pushed open the door.
Olivia inhaled sharply. “Wow, this is incredible.” Floor to ceiling windows overlooked the glowing lights of Manhattan. There were two bedrooms located on either side of the main living room. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but BeBe did a wonderful job as always.
“Wait here and keep the door locked. I’ll get the luggage.” Because he couldn’t help himself, he brushed a kiss across her lips before he headed down to gather their belongings. He stopped at the front desk and asked for a map of the hotel layout. He needed to know all of the entries and exits just in case. He sent a quick text to BeBe, thanking her for the arrangements and letting her know they arrived, then he grabbed a cart to load the bags. He placed Olivia’s suitcase on first, then all of the shopping bags and he wheeled it back to the elevator. When he entered the suite, Olivia was standing in front of the windows with her arms wrapped around her middle, gazing at the twinkling multi-colored lights of the city. He didn’t even realize he was moving until he came up behind her and gathered her in his arms. She sighed and turned, lifting her arms around his neck.
“Alex, I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
She pulled his head down for a kiss that rocked his world. All of his blood fled south but he called on the one functioning brain cell left to do the right thing and break the kiss. He would feel like a first-class jerk for taking advantage of her after all she’d been through today. He touched his forehead to hers. “Olivia—”
She stuck a finger against his lips. “No, shh. Please, Alex. I came close to dying today. So did you.” Her voice broke. “Darla did die.”
“But—”
She ignored his protest, weak as it was. “I’m sad but I’m not broken. You aren’t taking advantage of me. If anything, I’m taking advantage of you. Life is short and anything can happen. Tomorrow isn’t a guarantee. I don’t want to live another moment without feeling you inside me again.”
Alex groaned. How could he say no to that? His willpower crumbled and he crushed his lips to hers. She moaned and he reached down to slide an arm under her legs and lift her up. He had Olivia in his arms again and this time, he was going slow. He wanted to learn every nook and cranny on her beautiful body. Last time, they hadn’t even managed to get undressed. He planned on rectifying that now.
He gently placed her on the bed and gazed into her eyes. “You are so damn beautiful.” His voice was a low rumble as he kissed a path from her lips to her neck. Her skin was creamy and smooth and tasted divine. Sliding his hands up her stomach, he lifted her shirt to reveal a peach bra that cupped her lovingly. He ran his fingers across the lace edge and she gasped. The clasp was in the front so he unhooked it and slowly peeled the fabric apart. Her pink nipples were tight and puckered and absolutely perfect. He could come from just looking at her. He ran the back of his fingers across one breast and her spine arched off the bed.
“Alex.”
He lowered his head and feasted, her moans urging him on. He alternated from one breast to the other, ignoring the needs of his own body to pleasure her. Her hands gripped his head, her nails digging into his scalp. He was so hard he could easily pound a few hundred nails and he needed to be in her right now but he forced himself to go slow. The last time, he fell on her like a horny teenager. He wasn’t doing that again. Although, he wanted her more than his next breath, he was afraid it would be over embarrassingly quick. He’d been dreaming of this for months.
“Alex, please, I can’t take any more. I need you now.”
#
Olivia was drowning in sensations, the pleasure almost too intense to bear. And Alex was only playing with her breasts. At her plea, he moved back to her lips. He was an amazing kisser and she could almost climax from that alone. His hand coasted down her stomach to slide beneath the band of her yoga pants. When he touched her through her panties, her back bowed off the bed again. Then he slid a finger beneath the band and she gasped.
“You’re ready for me, baby.”
“Yes. Please, Alex, now.”
He sat back on his heels and peeled his shirt off. The muscles of his eight-pack were clearly defined and her fingers reached out and traced the hard ridges. She reveled in his ripped body. There wasn’t an extra ounce of fat on him. When her gaze landed on the round hole in the middle of his chest, her heart squeezed painfully. He could have died that day. A life without Alex in it wasn’t something she wanted to think about. Her gaze travelled to the bandage around his bicep. Another gunshot. Another brush with death.
“My turn.” She lunged up and forced him to his back. He went without protest. She leaned down and pressed her lips to the bullet wound and felt his entire body shudder. He gripped the back of her head and urged her up to meet his lips. When she reached for his zipper, he stilled her hands.
“Babe, I wanted to go slow, but I need you too much.”
Vigilante Page 10
