by C. J. Thomas
My fingers extended when I reached for her hips. She froze as water splashed off the backs of her shoulders. I wasn’t after more sex. Seeing her broken body was enough of a reminder to know that it still needed time to heal.
Spinning her around, I squirted a dab of shampoo into my palm. Smashing it into my opposite hand, I worked it deep into her scalp. She washed it out and I was quick to massage rejuvenating oils over each flare of her delicious curves. By the time I was finished she twisted around, pressing her slick body against mine.
My chest squeezed tight to see the terrified look still lingering in her gaze. “We can’t stay here, Kelly.”
I didn’t know where else I could hide her. This was the safest option, but now that it seemed to be compromised I didn’t know what else to do. I knew that I could never leave her alone again. “I know.”
When she laid her head against my chest, I believed that we would get through this. It might not always seem possible but we had to stay positive.
By the time the soap suds were washed away and our fingers were beginning to prune, I turned the shower knob off and we toweled off together.
“Get your things packed,” I said, disappearing into the large walk-in closet.
“Where are we going?” Kendra said as I heard her switch on the TV.
Buttoning my shirt, I heard her flicking through the channels. A second later, she stopped on a local news channel. Stepping out of the closet with pinched brows, a wave of heat caught under my collar.
Kendra stood a mere two feet from the screen, clenching her towel tight to her chest.
I moved closer, filling the space at her side. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. How did he not get arrested? And, even more confusing, why was he on TV surrounded by friends? Feeling my stomach drop, I held my breath and listened.
“The city will now be offering a reward of $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Sylvia Neil,” Oscar said as he looked into the camera lens.
We shared a glance. Kendra gripped her shoulders tighter.
Lunging for the remote, I turned the TV off. I didn’t need to hear any more of what he had to say. Something happened between last night and this morning, and I needed to figure out what it was.
“Now what?” Kendra asked, her face going pale.
“I need to make a call.”
Dialing the mayor, I listened to it ring. His secretary answered and patched me through. Mayor Bentley answered, “I assume you saw the news conference?”
“What the hell is going on?”
The mayor sighed.
“I thought we had something.”
“We did.”
“What happened? It sure looks like Oscar doesn’t have a worried bone in his body.”
“Kelly, some things were revealed in his interview with the detectives that had me questioning your intentions.”
“My intentions? If I’m not mistaken, I do believe that our feelings toward Oscar’s involvement in Mario’s death were mutual.” Kendra’s eyes watered as she stood and stared with a deepening look of disappointment twisting her face sideways. I turned my head away. “What did he say?”
There was a long pause. “That you know where Sylvia Neil is hiding out.”
“Of course he would say that,” I snapped. “He’s going to say anything to take the focus of our investigation, off of him, and move it onto someone else.”
“If it’s true, Kelly—”
“I can assure you it’s not.”
“I hope the district attorney’s office is wrong but, at this time, I have to believe my Chief of Police and the evidence supporting it.”
“Your district attorney—an elected official—killed an innocent man. That’s the investigation now.” I jabbed my index finger toward the ground, listening to my voice rise. “Not whether or not I’m obstructing justice.”
The line fell silent but I could still hear the mayor breathing.
“Is this what Internal Affairs believes as well?”
“You know I can’t comment on their findings.”
“Then tell me about the perp who Oscar hired to kill Mario. Have you got a confession from him yet?”
“Until Sylvia Neil is brought in, this conversation is over.” The mayor hung up and I glanced over my shoulder to find Kendra still staring on with wide, doe eyes.
“What was that about?” she asked.
“Get dressed.” I rolled my eyes to where I’d stashed my weapon. “We have a long day ahead of us.”
32
Kendra
I could feel Kelly’s irritation zapping the air between us.
After watching him holster his gun beneath his left arm, I was afraid to ask any more questions. We both had our bags packed and stacked by the front door within ten minutes. It wasn’t like I had many things to begin with, however, I did take a couple changes of clothes and the new toothbrush Kelly had given me when first coming here. My hair was still wet when we left Kelly’s main residence and loaded up the car.
Kelly tossed the bags into the back and looked around nervously.
I knew we weren’t safe here but his behavior added to my growing anxiety.
What was he looking for? Why was he acting weird? And what was said on the phone just now?
I stood, wedged between the passenger door and car, watching Kelly kneel. He poked the ground as if studying tracks that weren’t supposed to be there. He was looking for clues to the intruder who I know I saw last night. A second later, he stood and checked the windows. He disappeared around the back and, a minute later, emerged on the other side of the house.
“Anything?” I asked.
He shook his head and fell heavily into the driver’s seat.
Feeling his sense of urgency, I followed his lead, quick to buckle myself in.
He found nothing to prove that I’d truly seen someone outside last night. It wasn’t that I thought he didn’t believe me, more that I’d begun doubting myself that maybe I’d just made it all up.
Kelly backed out and set the wheels in motion.
I could see that he was stressed, feel the tension he held inside.
Kelly was only being thorough. He was flawed in needing to be so detail oriented when it came to matters of importance. I finally convinced myself that was all this was. He did it because he cared, not because he didn’t trust me.
Though he drove near the speed limit, his knuckles were white on the wheel.
I didn’t know where we were going, where he was taking me next. Settling into my seat, I stared out my window, choosing to be quiet. We remained silent for a long time before I finally held up my cell and, asked, “Kelly, could my phone be tracked?”
One quick glance at it and Kelly tore it from my grasp and tossed it out his opened window.
Stunned, my eyes rounded and I hit his arm. “What the fuck?”
Without bothering to look me in the eye, he said, “Now we don’t have to worry whether it is or not.”
My veins opened up and swelled the tips of my fingers. Crossing my arms, I seethed with anger. I knew we had to get rid of it, but he didn’t have to do it like that. Smacking my lips, I thought back to this morning and felt the pang of regret twist my side.
Apparently, sucking him off only put him in a bad mood and now I was the target of his frustration. If only he knew how difficult it was for me to go that far with him, then maybe he would think twice about the way he was treating me. But at least I didn’t have to squirm with the feeling of having him bury himself deep inside of me as my thoughts drifted to Oscar Buchanan and what he might have done.
Kelly picked up his cell. He scrolled to a number and hit the call button.
I kept my head turned away as he talked. It didn’t take me long to figure out he’d called Giselle. They were discussing the news, Sylvia’s reward, and details I couldn’t follow just from his side of the conversation.
I stared out the window, watching the city pass by in long contrails of color.
Pulling my hair back, I tied it into a ponytail and got lost in my own thoughts.
It was nice not to have to worry about being chained to my phone. The constant wonder of who was going to call next or how Madam was going to find her way back into my life. Though I was concerned about how Alex would react when she called and couldn’t get a hold of me. Then I snapped back to what was happening inside the car when I heard Kelly say, “Do me a solid and have a clean cell phone waiting when we arrive.”
Kelly finished his conversation and set his phone on the dash. “That was Giselle. She’ll have a new phone for you the next time we see her.”
I didn’t react. No nod, not even a smile. All I wanted to know was what we were doing now. “What was that we saw on the TV?”
Kelly lowered his brow and looked to his side mirror.
“First, the mayor said Oscar turned himself in, and now he’s increasing the pressure by announcing a reward for information that leads to Sylvia’s arrest?”
Kelly’s breath thickened. “There are more moving pieces to this story than what appear on the surface.”
“Right,” I said, thinking Oscar had far more clout than either of us imagined. But, the truth was, Kelly’s plan had already backfired and now anything was possible. “Are you sure Bentley can be trusted?” I asked, turning to face Kelly head-on.
He rolled his eyes, locking his gaze momentarily on mine. “I’m asking myself right now if the mayor has been bought.”
He mumbled his words, thinking more aloud than looking for my response. I wasn’t sure he expected me to answer but I couldn’t let that go unacknowledged. “What makes you say that?”
Kelly’s eyes twinkled with surprise as if he didn’t realize I was actually listening. “Someone planted the idea in the mayor’s head that I may be purposely hiding Sylvia and obstructing the investigation against her.” He flipped his blinker on and merged into the next lane. “It has to be Oscar. It makes sense, and is probably the reason he offered to be interviewed so easily.”
“But you’re not.”
One brow raised as he gave a sideways grin. “They could assume that she’s my client and I’m aiding and abetting their suspect to act as a bargaining chip for when charges are brought against me.”
“We have to do something,” I said, feeling charged to make things right.
Kelly looked away.
“Let’s fight back using Madam’s tactics.”
“I think that would only complicate our problems.” Kelly rubbed his hand over his face.
“She needs us. More than we need her.” I reached over and touched Kelly’s arm. “Let’s use that to our advantage.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Anonymously leak what she wants from you and let the public decide.” My eyes brightened, suddenly feeling more like myself. “I don’t understand why we have to be the heroes when we can let a reporter claim the fame.”
Kelly’s jaw ticked as he thought it over. “It won’t stop Madam from revealing all our secrets.”
“At this point, what do we have to lose?”
Kelly shook his head with a furrowed brow. “The only way this will stop is if she’s taken out of the equation.”
Suddenly, my heart stopped. My gaze naturally fell to where I knew his gun was hiding.
“We’re the only people who can stop her from controlling this city. Nothing will stop her insatiable greed.” Kelly’s hardened gaze landed on me. “Don’t you understand? She’ll do anything—including taking us out—to get what she’s after. We have to take down Oscar. He’s her lifeline. Without him, she’ll drown.”
I knew he was right. Madam couldn’t be trusted. Even if I offered my testimony in exchange for protection and immunity, I knew it would only be signing my own death certificate. Madam would find a way to erase me from this earth, just as she did Mario.
“How is it that they are always one step ahead of us?”
Kelly merged and exited the highway, never answering my question.
When I recognized the cross streets, I knew we were heading to his penthouse. When we pulled into the underground garage, I asked, “What is it you’re hoping to find here?”
He pulled the keys from the ignition, cracked his door, and said with a grin, “Follow me inside and you’ll find out.”
33
Kelly
The woman working reception recognized me immediately.
I tightened my grip on Kendra’s hand as I did a quick scan of the front lobby. Smells of coffee and maple syrup wafted through the air as the restaurant filled with sleepy-eyed patrons looking to fill their empty bellies. A man wearing a dark suit and red tie moved to the elevators. This was a place—my home away from home—where I had taken millions of steps inside, yet it never felt as foreign as it did to me today.
The receptionist was still staring when Maxwell emerged from around the back corner.
Tugging on Kendra’s tightly clasped hand, we moved toward my driver and met him halfway. “Find anything I asked?”
He shook his head, shifting his tired eyes between Kendra and me. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve even checked your place every couple of hours since we last talked. I haven’t seen anything, Kelly.”
Maxwell scrubbed his hand over his face. The lines around his mouth and eyes drooped with exhaustion. He didn’t have to stay up all night to stake the place out but he had, and I would make sure he was rewarded for his loyalty.
“Have you seen today’s news?” I asked.
Maxwell gave a small shake of the head, angling his shoulders to the front door with one hand in his pocket, the other still pinching the tip of his chin.
“The DA’s office has offered a reward for information leading to Sylvia’s arrest.”
Maxwell held my stare.
“But that’s not all,” I muttered.
His brows raised.
“The mayor has also suggested that he has reason to believe I’m hiding her and obstructing their investigation.” His eyes narrowed just a fraction to make me believe he questioned my actions. “I’m not,” I said, needing to hear it myself. “This is Oscar’s diversion to buy himself more time before his true colors are revealed.” Kendra’s free hand latched on to the crook of my elbow. “Not knowing what Sylvia is up to has me awfully nervous.”
I flicked my gaze back to reception. The woman pretended to work but her constant attention on me was beginning to irritate me. “Sylvia wanted to go this alone,” I said. “I just hope she had the foresight to know Oscar would be sending an army after her.”
“We need to get our hands on those security tapes.” Maxwell gave a curt nod.
“Does the name Matt Fletcher ring a bell?” I still had more to discuss before we got to the tapes.
Maxwell took a moment to think it over. “No. Why?”
“He arrested the man who killed Mario. A Narc detective.” We made our way to the front desk. “Could be who’s behind tossing my apartment.”
“Hopefully you’ll have better luck getting access to those files than I did.”
“Mr. Black,” the receptionist greeted me. “The manager is expecting you.” Her eyes flicked to Maxwell. “Will he be joining you?”
“They will both be joining me,” I said, pressing my hand in the small of Kendra’s back.
“Very well.” She smiled, though it never hit her cautious eyes. “Right this way.”
We were invited into the back room. It was a nondescript door behind the front desk that opened into a small room with a single desk. Behind the desk, another door was open to the many security monitors keeping track of the building’s many hallways and entrances.
A man stood from behind the desk. “Mr. Black. I’m Managing Director Milner.” He extended his hand. We shook. “First, I do apologize for having you jump through hoops.”
“I just need to review the tapes,” I said, glancing to the dark security room in the back.
“I looked into the matter myself after
our phone conversation.” I rolled my neck and held his gaze. “There weren’t any other reported break-ins the night in question, or in recent history.”
“Besides my own place, you mean?”
“Right. Besides your own.”
The skepticism in his voice made my jaw clench. He didn’t believe that there was a break-in but I couldn’t burn this bridge. I still needed his help. One look inside my apartment and it would be clear someone had been there, uninvited and unwelcome.
“We have thorough security measures and make your safety our priority.”
“Then let’s see the tapes,” I said as Maxwell moved to the back room and peeked his head inside. Kendra refused to let go of me. The manager glanced down and I knew something was up. “What is it?”
“They were taken, Mr. Black,” he said from under a sunken brow.
“By who?” Kendra’s head lifted on a thinning neck.
The manager flicked his gaze to her, then reached for a business card on his desk. “By the detective who was sent here to investigate.”
Snatching it out of his pinched fingers, my eyes fell to the name. My head rang with thoughts of Fletcher. My breath stopped when I read the name: O’Brien. “Sent here to investigate … who called the cops?”
“I was under the impression you knew.” Milner quirked a brow.
My eyes flicked up off the card. “When was this?”
Maxwell stepped forward, curious to know the answer as well.
Milner shifted his eyes between us. “Last night. Late. Around 10PM.”
I glanced to Maxwell. He gave a mild shrug like he didn’t know. “But you saw the tapes before they were taken, right?”
The manager pinched his lips.
“Shit.” I sighed. “Even after I told you that my apartment was broken into, you didn’t bother to see who was on the floor?”
“Mr. Black, I understand you’re upset but I’m not at liberty to discuss an ongoing investigation.”
Shaking my head, my veins pulsed with a need to strike. “Are you telling me that, or is that what Detective O’Brien instructed you to say?” My nostrils flared and my cheeks grew hot.
