Shades of Desire (17 page)

As she ran, she thought about the oddly matched couple at the farmers’ market. She thought about Pete and what he’d shouted out to them. And she tried to remember what it was about the woman’s posture that had caught her attention… .

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

S
HANNON
’
S
EXPRESSION
WAS
almost comical. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and her normally clear complexion was mottled and red with fury. “You left him there? For the whole fucking world to find? Are you crazy? You brought the cops down on us!”

“What was I supposed to do?” Carter said, hating the whine in his own voice. “The cleaners were due any minute. Plus, it was all over the news—he was the prime suspect in Lauren’s—Lindsay Monroe’s—murder.
He
was the connection. I figured if we severed that connection, we’d be safe. You and me. Matthew. I wanted to protect us.”

“Protect us? You’ve gutted us. You didn’t even search his car to see if there was anything inside that could incriminate us. You stupid idiot. You fool.”

His head began to throb, and rage settled into his bones. “Don’t call me an idiot. I thought things had changed between us.” He put a hand on her arm. Stroked her skin. Tried to bring back the connection they’d made when she’d seduced him. Tried to calm both of them down and resist the sudden temptation he had to choke the air out of her body.

She flung his hand away. “I thought so, too. I was wrong. I just pray that Matthew doesn’t grow up to be as much of an idiot as his father!”

He lost it then. He struck out at her. Slapped her hard enough that she fell back. He saw the blood on her lip, but it was the look of utter shock on her face that filled him with pleasure. She thought she was the strong one. No more. “Don’t you talk to me that way. I’m through with you demeaning me. I’m the man of this house. The leader of the church. The head of this family. You will obey me and show me the proper respect.”

She laughed. “I’ll obey you? And how do you think you’re going to accomplish that?”

He felt a flash of hesitation before he crouched over her and shoved his hand between her legs.

More shock in her eyes. But there was also fear. And desire.

He liked it. He liked the expression of uncertainty on her face.

He liked the way she watched him unbuckle and unzip his pants.

He liked the way she fought him when he shoved up her skirt and ripped her underwear off her body.

He liked the way she cried out when he dug into her, pushing past her dry, resisting muscles, and how she grew wetter and wetter as he powered into her.

And he liked how she climaxed as he poured his seed into her barren body.

Afterwards, when she was struggling to catch her breath, her sobs blending in with the sounds of Matthew crying from his cradle, Carter stood and buttoned his pants. He looked down at her, filled with the triumphant knowledge that things had finally changed. He was running the show now. Not her. “I will take care of this. I’ll make sure it gets done. That’s all you need to know. Do you understand?”

When she didn’t answer, he kicked her just hard enough to show her he meant business.

She gasped. “Yes. Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Now, get up and tend to Matthew.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

M
AC
TOLD
J
ASE
about Hanes’s death, then proceeded to do some research on the Crystal Haven Church. What he discovered didn’t reassure him. Rather, it merely fed his concerns that Alex Hanes’s death wasn’t the end of things. On a hunch, he pulled up the names of the church’s leaders and, along with Arthur Clemmons, ran the names for property records in both Redding and Plainville. Nothing.

After throwing his stuff into his bag, he walked to the hotel lobby. There, he was surprised to see Jase, who had said he was heading back to San Francisco immediately after they’d talked. Instead, he was leaning against the reception desk, a thick pile of papers in one hand and a wide, flirtatious smile on his face.

Didn’t the guy ever give his dick a rest?

“Hey, Tyler,” he called. “Did you decide to stay another night and lose your room key?”

Jase glanced up and jerked his chin in greeting, then leaned closer to the woman behind the reception desk. “See what I have to put up with? I’m telling you, I could really use some TLC. What do you say?”

The bubbly, well-endowed blonde actually giggled. Her gaze jumped back and forth between Mac and Jase, an assessing gleam in her eye. “I don’t know, your partner looks like he could use a little loving himself. Maybe the three of us—?” Her gaze landed on Mac’s crotch and stayed there.

Wow. He’d been hit on plenty, but never so blatantly. He was a little embarrassed to admit, even to himself, how flustered it made him feel. Heat flooded his face but no place else. He kept his expression stony. “Sorry. Not my thing.”

Obviously enjoying the show, Jase’s grin widened. He turned back to the woman and tsked. “You’re a naughty girl, Eve. I’m afraid we don’t come as a package. You probably can’t tell by looking at him, I know, but Mac here’s a little…old-fashioned.”

Eve
pouted, then shrugged, quickly moving on. “Call me when you’ve got some time and we’ll get better acquainted.”

“Awesome.” Jase straightened and joined Mac. “Looks like you’ve still got it, old man.”

“Another word and you won’t be able to make the date you just made.”

“Hey, if you’re interested, after all—” Jase laughed when Mac glared at him. “Probably for the better. I mean, I wouldn’t want you to feel bad when you can’t keep up.”

“Listen, Hanes is dead, but it doesn’t mean this case is closed. There are plenty of loose ends we need to tie up.”

The amusement swiftly left Jase’s face, and he frowned. “Relax, Mac. We’ve been working nonstop. You know what they say about all work and no play.”

“Yeah. That it makes for a great case closure record.” God, he really did sound old. Lighten up, he told himself. At least a little. “With the exception of Ward, my closure record is better than anyone’s. And the only reason she’s leading is she recently closed a case with multiple vics. I plan on catching up, so help me out.” His attempt to lighten the mood aside, Mac didn’t miss Jase’s eyes flicker when he mentioned Carrie Ward. For a moment, Mac almost felt sorry for him. It was obvious Jase’s feelings for Ward went deeper than his normal carousing, but it was none of his business. He glanced at the papers Jase held. “Anything of interest in there?”

“Some. I just did some research on Crystal Haven. Turns out it’s part of a huge network, just one small satellite of a national organization that’s been growing like kudzu. I made an appointment to meet with the church leader, Reverend Carter Morrison, at two. Four and a half hours from now,” he pointed out, obviously still irked by Mac’s implication that he was slacking off on the job. It was a point well taken.

“I did my own research, too. Morrison could be Lindsay Monroe’s
M
, but the website lists a dozen church employees with first or last names starting with
M
.” Mac rubbed the back of his neck. “But Morrison’s obviously the best place to start. Sorry. I was out of line. It’s just this case is going in so many different directions my head is starting to spin.”

“Whether it was Hanes or not, you’ll figure it out, Mac. You always do.”

“Thanks, Jase.”

He gave him a two-finger salute. “Anytime. So, did your research on the church prove fruitful?”

“I probably came up with the same stuff you did.”

“I know you’re headed down there next, but since I’ve already got an appointment with the reverend, why don’t you let me handle that side of things?”

Mac’s first instinct was to say no. He was used to doing things on his own. Sure, he relied on other cops now and again—that was part of the job. But he was itching to see Crystal Haven for himself. The problem was, he was itching to see Natalie, too.

That was telling. When was the last time a woman had ever seriously competed with the job? He couldn’t remember another time. On the one hand, that concerned him. Made him wonder if he was losing his edge. On the other hand, it made him wonder if perhaps he was finally getting his priorities straight.

Despite his snide comments about Jase’s hound-dog ways, he knew Jase was a good cop. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let Jase take this part of the investigation. In a way, it might get things back on track between them. “It’s bugging me that the church doesn’t have a security system. Like I told Detective Brass, it’s damn inconvenient for us. But at the same time…”

“It seems pretty damn convenient for someone else?”

Mac grinned. “Stop. You’re scaring me.”

Jase shrugged. “Dude, I’m not just a pretty face. I thought you knew that already.”

“I guess I forgot. Won’t happen again.” The look they shared assured Mac that whatever damage had been done to their relationship had been repaired. “Anyway, I checked the system and the church has been hit several times over the years. Two burgs. A few vandalisms. Even an attempted rape on an employee, the church secretary. The church is loaded. So why no system?”

“It’ll be one of the first things I ask Carter Morrison.”

“Good. Let’s shake them up a little. Let them know we’re on the trail. Call me and let me know what you’ve got. And what you think of him.”

“Him specifically? Any reason for that?”

Was there? Anything other than a bad feeling, that is? “I pulled up some YouTube videos of a few of his sermons.”

“Good thinking. That never even occurred to me.”

“It would have eventually,” he said, and he meant it. Jase was smart. He obviously didn’t say it enough, because the other man looked slightly surprised before he wiped his expression clean. “The guy’s got what it takes. He’s charismatic. An impressive orator.”

“But?”

“He’s got a wandering eye. Seemed to me he focused a little too much on certain members of his audience. The young, pretty type.”

“Lindsay?”

“Maybe, but we don’t even know if she attended the church yet. Given the connection with Hanes, it’s likely she’d been there at some point. It’s worth checking out, that’s for sure.”

“I agree. In fact, you might be interested to know that the lovely Eve is more than just a pretty face, as well. Turns out she used to live in Sacramento, and while she never attended Crystal Haven or met Reverend Morrison personally, she has a cousin who used to sing for the church choir.”

Mac’s brows rose. “Small world.”

“Isn’t it, though? Although Morrison never tried anything outright, Eve’s cousin seemed particularly outraged by his wandering eye and the rumors of more, given that his wife was several months pregnant at the time.”

“When was this?”

“About six months ago. She’s since had the baby. I’m going to get in touch with the cousin, too. Her name’s Nina Parker. I’m wondering if Morrison has changed his ways now that he’s a father or if he’s even more hell-bent on proving his masculinity.”

“Good work. So I’ll leave it to you. Call me after you talk to them.”

“Will do. Hey, did you ever get in touch with Carmen?”

“I did. She’s an amazing woman.” Unlike Natalie, Carmen Delgado was completely blind and had been from birth. He’d spent the better part of three hours talking with her last night, about what her life was like, what her limitations were and whether she thought she could help Natalie adjust to her new life. She’d been interesting, smart, beyond kind. Beautiful, too. But just as had happened with the hotel receptionist, Mac hadn’t felt a spark of attraction for Carmen. The only woman he seemed interested in at the moment was Natalie.

“No problem. Tell Ms. Jones I said hello, would you?”

His words were innocuous, but the tone he used made Mac mutter, “Bite me.”

Jase laughed. “Careful. Eve might hear you and take that as an invitation.”

Shaking his head, Mac turned before Jase could see his grin. Then he thought of something. “Hey, Jase.”

“Yeah.”

“You said the church is a satellite of a national organization. Find out the name of the conglomerate’s leader and do a property check in both Plainville and Redding. We’re still looking for the place Lindsay was killed. When the church secretary told me Arthur Clemmons was off at a church retreat, it got me thinking that churches have retreats plenty of places. Why not up here?”

“Makes sense. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

* * *

W
HEN
M
AC
SHOWED
UP
at Natalie’s house, he couldn’t help frowning at the coolness with which she greeted him. Yeah, she was pissed off, all right, but why? Because of their kiss? The way he wouldn’t let her blow it off? Because he’d stuck her with Liz and hadn’t let her see her friend? Or because
he’d
tried to blow off their kiss?

Hell, he was so all over the place, he couldn’t blame her for being mad. Didn’t matter.

Yes, he could understand her fear at the first two, and her anger at the latter two. But frankly, he wasn’t feeling particularly charitable, either. She’d pushed that kiss, and whether she knew it or not, she still might be in danger despite Hanes’s death.

Plus, they still hadn’t talked about the stunt she’d pulled when she’d tricked Liz into driving her to the same park where a killer had likely first set his sights on her. Didn’t she understand that he couldn’t do his job and worry about her safety at the same time? Or maybe women were incapable of such rationality. His ex had loved to play games, starting fights just when he was getting ready to leave on an important call. Getting even more pissed when he couldn’t stay to talk things out, despite his reassurances that he’d call as soon as he could.

After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, during which Officer Lafayette made herself scarce, Mac asked Natalie to sit down with him. She took the same chair she’d chosen the first day they met, and he sat on the sofa next to her. He studied her for several quiet moments.

She was still a little flushed, and she’d obviously just worked out. Much like the first time he’d seen her, her tee was still slightly damp from her sweat. Her workout clothes were bulky and drab, and he wondered if she’d donned them in anticipation of seeing him. As if she’d wanted to reestablish boundaries by making herself as unattractive as she probably imagined herself to be in her own mind.

She needn’t have bothered.

According to Carmen Delgado, the fact that Natalie was living independently and doing the things she did was pretty unusual for someone who’d recently suffered the degree of vision loss she had. She’d also agreed, however, that given the extremes to which Natalie had lived her life before losing her vision, her current tendency toward agoraphobia was a sign she wasn’t fully dealing with her situation. He saw that clearly. He saw her.

It didn’t matter what Natalie wore or how grubby she was. She might be blind but he wasn’t. He saw her and he wanted her. More than anything he’d ever wanted in his life. He hated that he couldn’t have her. But he could at least enjoy being with her, even as he worked the case. And maybe, just maybe, he could help her see herself—her true self—again, too. “Do you remember me asking you about Alex Hanes, the man we believe killed Lindsay and attacked you? Well, we found him. He was a parolee out of Arizona.”

He watched the play of emotions on her face. Surprise. Relief. Curiosity.

“Where was he?”

“In Sacramento.”

Her brow crinkled. “Is that where you were last night? Why you didn’t come by like you said you would?”

He could tell immediately she regretted the way she’d phrased the question. So she’d been looking forward to seeing him and had been disappointed when he hadn’t shown? The knowledge filled him with far too much pleasure for comfort.

“Actually, I was interviewing someone last night. I called. Wanted to talk to you. But Liz said you were asleep.”

She plucked at the edge of her shirt, and the small movement, both inherently stubborn and jittery, made him almost smile. “This morning, I tracked Hanes’s brother to Sacramento, and when I called I discovered that Sacramento PD was there.”

“And they’d taken him to jail?”

“No. He’s not in jail. He died of a heroin overdose sometime last night.”

“A drug overdose?” She seemed to reflect on that for a few seconds. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about that.”

“Forget how you’re supposed to feel. What
do
you feel?”

Automatically her hand rose to her throat, where the bruises Alex had left on her were fading but still visible. “He hurt me. I really think he would have killed me. But something about him, something I heard in his voice, told me…” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

He leaned forward. “No, go on. Please.”

She licked her lips before saying, “Something in his voice told me he thought he was doing the right thing. What God really wanted him to do.”

“He was crazy then.”

“Yes,” she agreed faintly. “Crazy.”

He winced. Okay, so he’d used that word again, even though he now knew better, but she didn’t seem to take offense. “Many say that most criminals hurt others only because they’re not right in the head. That society or biology has left them incapable of rational thought.”

“But you don’t believe that?”