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Trap 'N' Trace

Page 11

by Tee O'Fallon


  “What the heck was that about?” Dayne took his eyes off the van only long enough to text John Benton to confirm when the vehicle had left the property. After the text came in, he balanced the flower box under one arm, grabbing his and Remy’s bags. He fully intended to have a serious sit-down with Kat about letting outsiders into her house because Manny just pinged a solid ten on his creepy-as-shit-delivery-guy radar.

  He was greeted with the now-familiar sight of Remy stalking around with Angus’s jaws clamped around one of her legs, dragging the puppy along the floor.

  Laughter came from the kitchen where Kat, Emily, and his friends watched.

  “I’ll take those.” Emily hopped off a stool and slipped the box from under his arm. “I take it you met Manny. Kat orders a dozen roses every week, and every week, Manny delivers them like clockwork.”

  “Yeah. About Manny—” His phone buzzed with another incoming text and he set down the bags. Silver Jag approaching. Seconds later, the new keypad by the door dinged.

  “C’mon,” Kade said to Kat. “I’ll show you how the new system works.” He stopped with her by the keypad. “Press this button and you can talk to whoever’s at the gate.”

  She pressed the button and spoke into the intercom. “Who is it?”

  “Colin,” an impatient voice snapped. “The code isn’t working.”

  “I know.” She grimaced. “I’ll buzz you in.”

  Emily cleared her throat. “I’d better get these in water then pack up and go home. Kat, I’ll talk with you tomorrow about your schedule for next week.” Hastily, she took the box of roses into the kitchen.

  Outside, a car door slammed. Then the door handle jiggled. The guy actually thought he could walk right in as if he owned the place. Or has a special place in Kat’s life. Maybe he did. Dayne hoped not. Not for personal reasons. She deserved better than a pompous prick like Colin.

  Kat opened the door to a scowling Colin.

  “Why didn’t you give me the new code?” He set his shiny briefcase on the floor then leaned down to kiss her. In a perfunctory fashion, she turned her head, offering him her cheek.

  “Who are these people?” Dayne didn’t miss the condescending emphasis. “And what’s wrong with your neck?”

  Ignoring his last question, she indicated Dayne. “This is Dayne, whom, of course, you’ve already met, and these are his friends.” When she introduced Kade, Jaime, and Markus, he acknowledged them with a grunt. Dayne, he completely ignored. “They just installed a new security system. Don’t feel bad about not knowing the new code. Even I don’t know it yet.”

  “Let’s talk over here.” He led her into the living room out of earshot.

  “Who’s the dick?” Jaime hooked his thumb in the direction of the living room.

  “Boyfriend?” Markus raised his brows.

  Dayne crossed his arms. “Not sure.” Kat and Colin’s relationship was still a mystery to him. Not that he cared what the guy was to her, as long as he didn’t get in the way. But he had to admit, he was curious about the mixed signals bouncing back and forth between them, so who knew?

  Kade began packing up the last of their tools. “As much as we’d love to stay and watch this episode of Keeping Up with The Vandenburgs play out, me and the boys got a date with a case of beer and a stack of poker chips. Sorry you can’t join us.”

  “Something tells me,” Jaime said as he tossed a screwdriver into another toolbox, “he’s got his hands full.”

  Markus shot him a look of sympathy. “True that.”

  “Let’s get the new code set.” He went into the living room, making no pretense of pretending he wasn’t barging in on Colin’s private conversation. “Kade’s leaving and needs to show you how to set the new code.”

  When Kat rose from the sofa, so did Colin. “Good. I’ll need it. I still can’t believe you didn’t call me after getting attacked last night.”

  “I told you, I’m fine. I didn’t want to worry you.”

  The moment she walked past Dayne, he blocked the other man’s path. “Give her privacy to set the code.”

  Colin’s face went red with indignation. “Nothing about her life is private. Not from me.”

  “Do you live here?” Dayne asked with a sharp edge to his voice.

  “No,” he spat out. “But I should know the code. I’m here all the time, and I’m her lawyer.”

  Well, that’s news. “Then make yourself useful. Go write a legal brief or something, because you’re not getting the code.” He maintained his position, blocking both Colin’s view and his path to the door.

  “Kat!” he shouted around Dayne’s shoulder. “This is ridiculous. I’ve always known the code to the gate.”

  “Colin, please.” She sent him a pleading look. “I’m trying to concentrate here.”

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake.” Colin crossed his arms, wisely taking a step back.

  “Only those with a need-to-know are getting that code.” Dayne locked eyes with the man again, not fully understanding his adolescent dislike for the guy but still content to go with his gut on this one. His gut had never steered him wrong before. “And you’re definitely not on that list. As her attorney, you should be more concerned with her well-being than having access to her property.” Whether that property included her body was anyone’s guess.

  “She’s all set,” Kade called out, picking up his toolbox. “We’re outta here, boys.”

  “Later, man.” Jaime clapped Dayne on the shoulder.

  Markus shook Dayne’s hand, sending an undisguised warning look at Colin. “Call if you need us.”

  “Will do. Thanks, guys.” Dayne walked his friends to the door.

  Emily appeared with her jacket draped over her arm and her purse in her hand. Over her shoulder, Dayne noticed the vase of wilted pink roses on the kitchen island had been replaced by a fresh bunch of yellow ones. Courtesy of creepy Manny. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Emily said, smiling at him and Kat. “Colin,” she added, although when she looked at the other man her smile was frosty, confirming his earlier suspicion.

  The door shut and the three of them were alone. Remy sniffed Colin’s expensive-looking briefcase.

  Colin rushed over, inserting his foot none too gently between Remy’s snout and the briefcase. Remy’s lips drew back in a snarl, revealing sharp incisors that had taken a chunk out of more criminals than Dayne could remember.

  “Remy, nein!” As entertaining as it would be if his K-9 clamped her teeth around Colin’s ankle, that wouldn’t go over too big with his SAC or the FBI director. Being a lawyer, and, as Jaime so succinctly put it—a dick—he didn’t doubt for one second Colin would sue the agency and him, personally.

  Obediently and reluctantly, Remy backed off, still keeping a watchful eye on the other man.

  “Colin!” Kat inserted herself between him and Remy. “She was just curious.”

  Ignoring her ire, Colin pointed to the two large duffels. “What are those?”

  “Overnight bags,” Dayne answered bluntly, knowing it would piss Colin off.

  His eyes widened. “Why does he need overnight bags?”

  Kat led Colin back into the living room, sitting a good three feet from him on the sofa.

  Dayne leaned against a fluted column between the foyer and the living room, allowing him to see and hear everything. Giving this douche bag any privacy wasn’t at the top of his list.

  Kat patted Colin’s hands. “Dayne is my official bodyguard until the person who killed Amy and the private investigator is caught. He’s staying in the guest room.”

  Colin’s jaw went hard. “The hell he is.” Over Kat’s shoulder, he glared at Dayne. “You’ve got a security team outside and a brand-new system inside. You don’t need him. I’ll stay with you. I can protect you just as well as he can.”

  “No. You can’t.” Dayne ground his teeth
as he pushed away from the column. “You aren’t armed, and you aren’t trained in physical combat. Do you even know what to do if someone breaks in?”

  “I’ll call 911.” He rose and gave Dayne what he assumed was intended to be an intimidating glare that wouldn’t have scared a field mouse.

  He snorted. “By the time the police arrive, she could be dead.” Something he’d never allow to happen.

  Kat dragged a hand down her face, weariness evident in her eyes and the slump of her shoulders. “I’m in good hands and it’s already settled, so just let it go.”

  “Fine.” The man’s face softened. “But call me if you need anything.”

  “I will.” She took him by the elbow and led him to the door. “Thank you.”

  He began to reach for his briefcase then froze in mid-reach. The briefcase was gone.

  “Where the hell is my—”

  Chewing sounds came from the kitchen. Remy lay in the middle of the floor, chomping away on one corner of Colin’s briefcase, while Angus licked noisily at another. Both corners of the leather were mangled and glistening with saliva. A big hunk of leather hung off Remy’s end. His dog took that moment to lift her head, panting in a way that made her look like she was smiling.

  She is. Dayne fought the urge to give his K-9 a high five. He should have known she’d seek retribution against the dude because he’d nearly kicked her in the face. Remy was extremely well mannered, but when someone was mean to her, watch the fuck out.

  Colin’s eyes rounded, and he charged over, grabbing the handle and trying unsuccessfully to wrench the case from Remy’s jaws. “Let go, dammit.”

  His dog growled under her breath, maintaining a solid grip on the briefcase as she and Colin battled in a tug-of-war.

  “I’ve got this.” Dayne swung into action, clamping onto Colin’s arm and jerking him away. “Remy, aus.”

  His dog released the briefcase, which promptly fell on Colin’s foot.

  “Ouch.” He jerked his foot away.

  Wimp. “Sorry about that.” Dayne handed Colin back his property, teeth marks and all. A gooey chunk of leather hit the floor with a sloppy, wet splat. “Bad dog,” he admonished. Good girl. “She’s always had a taste for fine imported Italian leather, which I assume this is made of. If you like, I can forward you an FBI property damage claim form.” One that would take at least six months to be processed.

  “No need.” Colin’s eyes burned with rage and indignation. “I have ten others just like it.”

  Dayne arched a brow. “Of course you do.”

  Colin turned with a huff. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said to Kat, and, as before, she offered her cheek, not her lips, for him to kiss.

  The door slammed shut behind Colin. A few seconds later, his car started with a throaty rumble and roared as he gunned it down the driveway. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Then he shared something with Kat he rarely shared with anyone.

  They both burst into laughter.

  Chapter Twelve

  Saturday morning, Kat looked at herself in the antique English Regency Cheval mirror—her mother’s mirror, and one of Kat’s favorite pieces. It had been several days since she and Dayne had laughed together over Remy destroying Colin’s briefcase. She couldn’t have come up with a more fitting punishment for his rude behavior. Although he probably did have ten others just like it.

  His family’s law firm was enormous and one of the most prestigious in the city. Colin’s father, and his father and grandfather before him, had been her family’s legal representatives over the decades.

  “Maybe it’s finally time for some changes,” she muttered.

  Angus lifted his head to watch her from the foot of her bed. He cocked his head, first one way then the other, looking totally adorable. Aside from that one bout of laughter with Dayne, Angus and Remy were the only ones who elicited any smiles from her lately. Not even Colin made her smile anymore. It hurt to acknowledge it, but he was no longer the boy she’d once known.

  As a child, he’d been fun to play with. As a teenager, he’d been her constant companion. After he graduated from law school, she began noticing changes. At first, they were subtle. Once he started working for his family’s law firm, his disrespect and rudeness toward those outside his social and financial stratosphere became more obvious. Lately, it had been snowballing.

  “Angus, what do you think of Colin?” The puppy gave a quick shake of his head.

  “I know what you mean.” Added to his growing list of negatives, she’d never felt that special tug for him in her heart. That was probably why she could never consider marrying him and why it never occurred to her to call him after being attacked.

  She fingered the thin strand of pearls around her neck, examining the black jacket and skirt suit she’d dug from the back of her closet. Black clothing was something she hated. This was an outfit she only wore for one type of occasion. Funerals.

  Her heart felt as heavy as a ten-pound brick. Today, hers and Dayne’s schedules held nothing but grief.

  Rebecca Garman’s wake was in the morning, followed by Amy’s in the afternoon. Even if Dayne hadn’t insisted she accompany him to Rebecca Garman’s wake, she would have gone anyway. To support Dayne and because of an oddly morbid connection she felt to the woman.

  She took Angus’s soft little face in her hands, staring into his dark eyes. “Were you there when it happened?” she whispered. “Did you see who killed her?”

  Angus’s eyes were sad, as if he, too, understood the solemnity of what was happening today. She was also quite certain he missed Remy. Dayne and his K-9 had left an hour ago so he could drop by the police station then his house to pick up a suit. Kade was downstairs covering for him while he was gone.

  She slipped into a pair of shiny black Dolce & Gabbana pumps. Over the last couple of days, Dayne was always there, watching over her, but he’d done it coldly, efficiently. It was almost as if he were distancing himself, doing his duty to protect her but with as little human or personal interaction as possible.

  They’d shared meals Francine left for them on the stove, but no sooner did he clear his plate than he’d go outside to walk the property with Remy and one of the guards, or busy himself on his laptop reading emails or whatever reports Detective Paulson sent him. He always stayed up until she went to bed. They’d been coexisting, nothing more.

  Once, she’d tiptoed down the stairs, stopping just short of the one stair she knew creaked and would give her away, to find him in the kitchen, watching a Yankees game on the tiny countertop TV. Aside from their mutual distaste for nosy reporters, that might very well be the only thing they had in common. Baseball.

  Her parents had been huge Yankees fans, sharing their love of the sport with their only child. To this day, she made a point of watching as many games as possible to keep track of the team’s standing throughout the season.

  A bell chimed on the new white intercom by her bedroom door, indicating the front door had opened. Dayne was home. Her home, anyway.

  Angus jumped off the bed and scampered out the door, barking the entire way down the stairs. The puppy’s excitement over Remy returning was infectious. She liked seeing the two dogs so happy together.

  Taking one last look in the mirror, she smoothed down the lapels of her jacket and grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand. Halfway down the stairs, low voices drifted to her. Dayne and Kade’s. When they caught sight of her, the conversation immediately ceased.

  Her throat went dry. Words didn’t come because Dayne was no longer wearing the black polo shirt and cargo pants she was accustomed to seeing. The black suit he wore made him look taller and more powerful, accentuating what she already knew was a sculpted chest and abs, and thickly muscled arms. A crisp white dress shirt with a blue silk tie gleamed beneath his suit jacket. And he was freshly shaven. The man looked good. Really good. No, make that a
mazingly handsome. In a way that would have women staring at him while he walked toward them and watching his perfect backside as he walked away.

  She heard pounding, felt pounding. Was someone at the door? Nope. It was her own stupid, completely irrational heart thumping faster in her chest.

  His green gaze dipped briefly down her body like a gentle caress. She cleared her throat. “Good morning, gentlemen.”

  “Morning.” Kade’s dimples deepened as he glanced from her to Dayne. Vaguely, she noted Kade also wore a suit, a dark gray one. “Well, then, I guess I’ll be going. We’ll meet you at the wake.”

  “Thanks, man.” Dayne clapped him on the back then watched his friend leave.

  Something vibrated, and Dayne tugged out his phone. “Andrews,” he said. “Yeah.”

  While Dayne took his call, she checked her own cell phone, knowing there were several messages she’d been ignoring for days. Several were from Colin. One was from Penny, announcing that if she didn’t hear back from her by this evening, she and “the girls” were coming over. “Shit.” That was the absolute last thing she needed after what was sure to be a sad, depressing day.

  She shook her head in disbelief. Never in her entire life had she thought—let alone spoken—so many curse words, and for once in her life she didn’t care. Didn’t give a shit, more like it.

  Life had just thrown her so many curve balls she couldn’t keep up. Changes were happening whether she wanted them or not.

  “We should go,” Dayne said. “Will anyone else be here today? Francine or Emily?”

  “No.” She went to the closet and slipped on a light, three-quarter length black coat over her suit. Remy joined her by the door, waiting for Dayne. “I give everyone the weekends off.”

  “What do you want to do with Angus?” The puppy dropped his rubber squeaky toy at Dayne’s feet and began sniffing his dress shoes. “The fringe on all those living room pillows looks mighty tasty.”

 

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