She modeled it for him again. He was taller than her, but with a step and expertise she could land it easily.
“That’s crazy.”
“It works.” She chuckled. “Grab my shoulder.”
Luke hesitated.
Piper wiggled her eyebrows. “Scared?”
“Honestly? Little bit.” No need to use a knife-hand strike at her. His lopsided grin dizzied her plenty.
“Shoulder. Grab it.”
Luke faced her and clasped her shoulder. She used the knife-hand strike, just missing his groin. Then she rammed the same arm—elbow up—into his chin, swinging with her right hand, giving him another knife-hand strike to the side of his neck. Again, withholding force.
“You move like lightning. And thanks for not making contact. I’d like to live pain-free the rest of the night if possible.”
Piper folded her hands in a prayer-like gesture and bowed. “I can take care of myself.”
“Still won’t stop a bullet.” Luke frowned. “Overconfidence could ruin you.”
Piper didn’t need a lecture, and overconfidence had nothing to do with it. It was called survival.
“What if I came in from behind?” Luke darted around her and sank into her personal space, his chest pressing against her back, his body heat seeping into her shirt. His right arm slid around her neck, gently putting her into a headlock. Masculine cologne and fabric softener tickled her ribs. She swallowed and grabbed his forearm, corded with muscle. Could she save herself from him?
“I’d... I’d grab your arm like this.” She clutched his arm, tucked her chin into the crook of his elbow, but had a hard time moving quickly. The feel of his skin brought back so many memories of cuddling over a movie or holding hands through the park.
“And?” he whispered, lowering his head. The hint of cinnamon escaping his lips toyed with her senses.
“And then I’d extend my legs.” As if she were about to do a jumping jack, she widened her legs, pulling her weight forward to throw him off balance. Dropping on one knee, she brought her head straight down to the mat. When she almost made a connection, she twisted to the left, which caused her body to dip and turn, sending him over the top of her and onto the mat.
Luke looked up, grinned and froze.
What happened?
A glint dangling from her neck caught her eye.
Oh.
“You...you still have that? Still wear that?” Luke sat straight up and fiddled with the silver infinity symbol, dangling on a silver chain.
A gift from Luke. Forever. That was how long they were supposed to be together.
He was too near. With his hand only inches from the tender hollow area on her neck, she jerked back and tucked the necklace into her shirt.
“I like it.” She shrugged. What was she supposed to say? I’ve clung to this knowing it could never be. Every time I touch this necklace I think about you. By the way, I wear it every day.
She extended her hand. “Come on. I’ll show you my office.”
Luke accepted her hand and brushed off his jeans. “I seriously think you could beat me up.”
“Ain’t no thinkin’ about it.”
“Unless I sucker punched you. TKO immediately.”
Piper elbowed his ribs. “Which you would never do.”
“No, Piper.” He paused in the hallway. “I would never hurt you.”
She licked her dry lips. But he had. Worse than any sucker punch.
Without responding to his statement, she hurried down the hall. She switched on the light. “Yeah, this is my office.”
Luke’s arm brushed her shoulder.
“It’s nothing special. Well, that’s not true. This whole place has been my sanctuary. My hope for the future and my safe haven.” It meant everything. “Mama Jean gave me the funds to put down on it. I felt guilty taking it. It was like she was rewarding me, but if she ever knew who I really was—had been—”
“She’d have given it to you anyway. Mama Jean is forgiving. Like God.”
Piper trailed her finger along her dusty faux wood desktop. “I don’t think God’s so forgiving. Look at where I am. The middle of a murder investigation, somebody’s scapegoat. My own house was demolished. And someone wants me six feet under!”
Luke’s brow gathered, making a deep crease. “You think God’s doing this to you because He’s not forgiven you?”
“If I believed in Karma, I’d say it’s coming around to bite me in the behind.” Piper wasn’t sure what to believe. The God she’d learned about as a child was loving, kind and fair. These circumstances would be fair. She deserved to have done to her what she’d done to others. Wasn’t that the Golden Rule or something?
“Piper, God isn’t wreaking punishment on you because He’s mad at you.” Luke placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned down and looked her squarely in the eyes. “I can’t say I know why God allows these kinds of things to happen—I see them every day—but it isn’t to be vindictive.”
Luke was too much in her personal space. Piper needed air. Lots of air. She inhaled and exhaled. “I don’t know. Let’s—”
His head snapped to attention. “Did you hear that?”
Piper craned her neck, listened. She was too focused on him. “No, but the building is old. Could be pipes or something.”
“Maybe.”
Piper took another deep breath and hairs spiked on her neck. “Luke, do you smell that?”
Wary eyes made contact with hers. “Yeah. Smoke. Stay here. Close the door.”
“I can—”
“Take care of yourself. I know. Stay put anyway.” He shoved her farther into the office and closed the door behind him.
It was probably nothing.
Piper clutched the knob. Twisted. No. She’d stay put. Offer him another olive branch—if she did as he requested, he might trust her. But could she trust him again fully?
She tapped her hand on her thigh. How long was she supposed to wait?
The smoke alarm shrilled.
No. Not her safe haven.
The smoke grew more pronounced.
Where was Luke?
EIGHT
Piper paced her office, gnawing her thumbnail. When was it legitimately time to come out and find Luke? Trust or no trust, what if he was hurt? Or worse.
“Luke!” she screamed. “Are you out there?” This was ridiculous. She opened the door; a fog of smoke choked her. Practically blind, she dropped to her knees, then army crawled down the hallway, coughing, sweating. No flames in this direction.
“Luke!” He wouldn’t leave her. But he didn’t answer, either.
Cracking and popping like wood kindling resonated. She pulled her shirt over her nose and stood, groping the wall until it opened into the martial-arts room. Everything was engulfed in flames.
No! Piper’s stomach turned. She needed to move fast, but her feet were cemented to the floor. The lobby area was blocked by flames. She’d have to maneuver around the back hall to the sparring room.
She hacked, smoke filling her lungs, the burn intense. Feeling along the warm walls, she turned the corner. “Luke,” she rasped and dropped to her knees.
Need oxygen. Where was the fire department? How much time had elapsed? Piper sputtered and tried to keep her mouth and nose covered. Her eyes burned.
Gotta find Luke.
She stumbled into the sparring room, where smoke hung like heavy drapes. Her head spun. Tired. So tired. “Luke!” The taste of burning wood filled her mouth, coating her tongue with soot and punching her gag reflex.
She groped the air and recoiled when her hand connected with flesh.
“Piper!”
Luke. He coughed and grabbed her, pulling her along. “Can’t get out the front. It’s in flame
s.”
“Back door. Quick.”
Flames would be licking up every solid inch of her dojo. They danced across the ceiling, taunting them.
They were going to die. Right here in Piper’s sanctuary.
“I think I found the door.” Luke thrust forward. Must be ramming his shoulder against it. “I can’t open it.”
The blaze came with roars. Cracking. Splitting. Hissing. Ready to consume her. This was punishment. God was taking it all. And had Mama Jean not loved Him so, He might have taken her away from Piper, too.
“I—I can’t—” Luke continued battering the door. Piper helped him. Together they pushed, but it was steel. “I’ve got to get you out of here, Piper.”
Window!
“The storage area. Has a window. Not very big...but...enough.” Could they make it in time?
Luke gripped her hand and urged her forward. “Stay down, nose to the carpet. I’m going to get you out of here, Piper. I promise.”
Her throat ached and burned, as if poison ivy had infected it.
“I—I don’t know which way,” Luke said.
Scorching heat surrounded them. Sweat slicked down her back. With little strength, Piper felt along the wall and yanked Luke to the left, the commercial carpeting scratching against her skin.
Snap. Like twigs breaking.
Roar. Hiss. New bursts of flames shot from the walls.
Luke mumbled. Sounded like prayers. She hoped God listened to Luke.
“Where’s the window?” Blinding, inky smoke had smothered this room, too; not a sliver of moonlight gave the location of the window. Piper was disoriented.
So sleepy.
Something shook her shoulders. No, not something. Luke.
“Piper!” A ripping noise then pressure on her wrist. Was he tying his shirt to her? Ringing pierced her ears.
Dragging. Luke was dragging her.
“God, help us!” he hollered, and she squinted, eyes watering. The fire had found them. Inhaling the door.
Coming right for her.
The clinking of glass shattering drew her attention away from the clawing flames. Luke untied the bond tethering her to him and lifted her. “Piper, you can fit through the window.”
Was that sirens in the distance?
“Luke...”
“Be careful—there’s glass.” He heaved her up to the window, and the cool night air fanned her scorched face. She tried to inhale oxygen, but her lungs burned. “Go, Piper!”
Wait.
You can fit through the window?
Luke couldn’t? No! She wasn’t going to let him take her punishment. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Piper,” he urged through coughing and wheezing. “I’ll be right behind you.”
“You promise?” Her stomach roiled, but she wouldn’t move an inch farther.
“Right behind.”
That wasn’t a promise.
“Piper, if you ever loved me, even for one minute, please go!”
She propelled herself out the window, a burning sensation sliced down her side and she toppled to the ground.
An arm wrapped around her and yanked her up.
* * *
“I’m fine.” Piper snapped off the oxygen mask, flicked the finger probe from her index finger and glanced around the curtained hospital room. “Where’s the man who was in the dojo with me?”
A nurse reapplied her mask. “He’s here, as well. And he’s going to be fine. But if you keep taking this off, you might not be.” She gave her the same look Mama Jean had when she meant business.
Luke was going to be okay. He’d risked his life for her.
Her side burned. She peered at her seven stitches and winced. Glass had done a number on her while she burrowed out the window. Why couldn’t they open it?
“The police are outside waiting to talk with you.”
Had Luke already spoken to them?
“You’re one blessed woman, you know that?”
Piper frowned. “I don’t know if I’d use me and the word blessed together.” They’d barely escaped with their lives and her dojo was gone. Sure, insurance might cover it when they proved she hadn’t burned it down for the cash, but she’d think the stitches and almost dying would contribute to the fact she hadn’t.
A doctor stepped inside. “X-rays are clear, Miss Kennedy. No damage to your lungs. You need a couple more hours of oxygen, and then you’ll be free to go.”
Piper thrust her head on the pillow, wincing again at her tender side. She pulled her mask down. “I want to see Luke. And I’m going to keep yanking this off until I do.”
The nurse sighed. “Fine.” She set her up with a rolling oxygen tank and led her to Luke’s curtained room in the ER. He was wearing an oxygen mask with a finger probe monitoring his levels, too. Soot stained his face, and sweat had left greasy lines down his scruffy cheeks.
Piper stood by his bed and touched his filthy hand. His other one was bandaged. Probably cuts from breaking the window.
Who’d done this to them? Chaz definitely would have, and then stood in the distance watching as everything Piper could claim as her own literally went up in smoke. Boone might have, too, if he was working with Sly Watson—or all three working together.
Piper gave herself the small pleasure of running her hands through Luke’s hair. Tiny flecks of premature gray flickered. This man was more than beautiful—he was brave and willing to put her first. Was it his duty to protect as a law enforcer or did he have feelings for her? Either way, she was thankful.
His eyes fluttered open and blinked a few times. A smile formed under his oxygen mask, and he removed the mask. “You’re okay.”
“Thanks to you.” Piper touched his bandaged hand. “Cuts?”
He nodded. “I’ll live.”
“I should knife-hand strike you for that stunt.” A tear threatened to roll down her cheek. “The police are here.”
He nodded again. “Have a nurse send them in.”
Piper moved to go, but Luke grasped her hand and squeezed. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes warmed, and Piper didn’t have to wonder anymore. Not just duty. He cared.
Was that enough?
* * *
The hospital had released them late last night, and Luke sat in Piper’s rocking chair running the past few hours around in his head. He’d filled in the Jackson detectives on the events leading up to the fire, but he’d kept the cigarette box they’d found in Piper’s kitchen. His connections at the Memphis TBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, might be able to put a rush on the prints.
His chest still pounded. Thank You, God, for protecting and getting us out.
Luke was sure it had been over for him inside that dojo, but he couldn’t let Piper die. Stubborn woman wasn’t going to leave him. The thought moved and terrified him at the same time.
The fire department had fought their way in and rescued him.
The detectives had confirmed what the uniformed officers had said at the scene. Someone had nailed the window shut and started the fire at exit points.
Whoever set the fire wasn’t trying to scare or abduct Piper for information. They wanted her dead—and Luke, too. Or maybe he was collateral damage. Either way, whoever was behind all this must have found what they wanted. Why else try to kill Piper now?
“You want a glass of water?” Piper held one out as he glided in her rocker. “I’m going to ride over to the dojo.” She rubbed her temples. Another one of her headaches. “I can’t talk to the insurance company until tomorrow. Are you sure you don’t mind staying at a hotel one more night?”
He’d never used his hotel room. Instead, he’d kept watch from Piper’s car. Only when the sun rose had he gone back to his room for a quick shower.
“No. It’s fine. I can go with you if you want, but it’s late.” Luke gulped down his water.
Piper collapsed on the coffee table. “I can do it alone.”
Luke sighed. “I know you can. But you don’t have to. Piper, it’s okay to need a shoulder to lean on.”
Her lip trembled. “Everything good in my life is gone. Not that I can’t find a new location, but that’ll take time. I’ll lose some of my students. Braxton and Kelly are out of jobs, and I can’t afford to pay them even a partial salary while waiting to relocate. I feel like I’ve brought everyone into my chaos.”
“That fire wasn’t your fault. Some sicko made a choice. God made a way for us to escape. Took us through the fire without getting burned. And not metaphorically.”
Piper lifted one shoulder. “Maybe He saved us because of you. Either way, I’m thankful to be alive.”
Luke wished she’d see that this wasn’t continued punishment. “Why go to the dojo? To sulk over ashes? What will that accomplish, Piper?”
“You’re right. I can’t stand over a pile of ashes and wonder what if. I have to buck up, go back to Memphis and find Boone Wiley and hope it’ll lead to Chaz. Right after we talk to Sly. Any news on Harmony?”
Luke had called Eric an hour ago. “No, but Eric has put feelers out with other divisions. If anyone fitting her description hits, we’ll know.”
“Every other body has turned up. Makes me think she’s alive.” She set her glass down and rubbed her hands together. “I have to believe she is.”
“We can hope and pray.”
Piper stood. “You should go get some real sleep. I know you pulled an all-nighter in my car last night.”
Luke smirked. Nothing got by her. “I don’t like leaving you here alone. Why don’t you get a hotel room? Same floor as me. That way I won’t worry. My treat.”
Piper shook her head. “What he wanted wasn’t here.”
“That fire wasn’t about scaring us, Piper. He attempted murder. He failed. He’s going to try again. So I’d like you as close to me as I can get you.” How close could he draw her without her overtaking his heart? How close was safe?
Fatal Reunion Page 9
