Cut to the Chase (12 page)

M
ia found her surroundings to be more than accommodating. Chase really knew how to make his guests feel welcome. Her room contained a king-sized bed, a walk-in closet, beautiful handcrafted matching furniture and a full bath with a garden tub and a glass-enclosed shower she had just taken advantage of. The only problem with her room was that it was directly across from Paul's.

She couldn't stop thinking about him or the way his kiss made her feel. It had been both gentle and intense, and she would be lying to herself and anyone else who may have been enjoying their show in the park if she said that she didn't want more. The man could definitely kiss. She had kissed enough guys to know. But that was the extent of her experience in that area. She didn't really have a solid reason why she had never felt the need to expand her skill set, other than she hadn't found the right guy. Mia wondered if Paul knew just how inexperienced she was and cringed. She may be a half-decent kisser, but when it came to the actual act or pleasing him orally, she didn't know where to begin. There was not a doubt in her mind that she would disappoint him in the bedroom if presented with the opportunity.

Paul needed to get Mia out of his system, which was next to impossible, especially after her casual remark about needing a shower.

The clusterfuck of emotions that he was experiencing was more than overwhelming. He would be focused one minute, giving his full attention to the morbid reason for their trip, too distracted and incapacitated due to his desire for Mia the next. Paul took her lead and decided to get a shower of his own and release his pent-up frustration.

He knew it wouldn't take long. His cock hadn't fully settled down since their kiss in the park. Paul tried to clear his mind of everything, including Mia, as he stroked his cock. He just wanted this to be quick and done with. Maybe then he would be a lot less on edge, which would enable him to think clearly when in Mia's presence. But as he felt his climax mount, all Paul could think about was bending her over on the shower bench and taking what he wanted to be his and his alone.

With his palm against the tile wall and his other hand working vigorously on his cock, he closed his eyes and visualized Mia taking it all, and filling her with his cum. Hot, demanding spurts of semen shot against the shower wall and he groaned, allowing her name to escape between breathless pants.

It took longer than usual for him to catch his breath and for his heart to return to a normal rhythm. As he finished his shower, washing off the remnants of his frustration, he realized that all he'd done was put a Band-Aid on his problem, a bandage that was already coming undone and curling at the sides. He cursed at himself, knowing that his need for her would continue to fester and increase with each passing minute.

Pissed off, he dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and decided to join the others for dinner. He opened his bedroom door and found Andrew waiting for him. Any doubt that Andrew didn't bear witness to the kiss in the park was laid to rest. Andrew's typical stone-faced expression was replaced with anger, and if Paul was being honest with himself, he couldn't blame Uncle Drew one fucking bit.

“A word, Mr. Whitley,” Andrew said, walking into Paul's room.

Paul closed the door behind him and was instantly pinned against it by one powerful forearm across the back of his neck. “Mia may be a grown woman, but she is also my niece…and someone who has experienced more heartbreak than anyone I know,” Andrew said, his voice so steady that it was scary.

Whatever military hold Andrew had on him was working, as it both secured him against the door and caused him just enough pain to bring him discomfort. Paul knew he deserved it. “She told me about her parents, what she went through,” Paul said through gritted teeth. He may deserve to be accosted by Andrew, but he didn't have to like it.

“Was that before or after I saw you mauling my niece in the park?” Andrew asked. Andrew tightened his grip before he released him. Paul wanted to rub the arm that had been in Andrew's vice grip, but didn't.

“I'm sorry that you saw me kissing Mia. But I don't regret kissing her. I don't take advantage of women, nor do I kiss every beautiful woman I see.” For a moment he thought about securing the mask he wore in court, the one that showed no emotion. But out of respect for Mia, he couldn't lie. “I have feelings for her,” he said. Paul was both surprised and oddly at ease with his admission.

“You just met her,” Andrew said. Andrew's anger receded somewhat, but was unfortunately replaced with disbelief.

“I'm aware…and I can't explain it. That's the truth,” Paul said. The two men stared at each other. Paul knew that Andrew was analyzing him, trying to detect deceit. And it was absolutely uncomfortable.

“I brought her onto this case and I will surely take her off if I deem it necessary. She is like a daughter to me. Don't expect me to do anything less than a father would do if his child was hurt. Are we clear, Paul?”

Andrew had never called Paul by his first name. He had kept it professional, addressing him as Mr. Whitley at all times. But right now, in the middle of Paul's bedroom, he was just a man that cared for his niece, plain and simple. Paul had to give it to the man. He knew exactly how to make his point, and he didn't even need to raise his voice or throw a punch.

“We're clear,” Paul said.

Andrew stared at him for a moment and then nodded.

“Mr. Montclair would like to leave in thirty minutes,” Andrew said. “Ms. Whitley wanted to know if you were going to join them for dinner.”

“Yes, I'll be right out,” Paul said.

“Very well,
Mr. Whitley
,” Andrew said before turning and leaving the room.

Although Paul was grateful that Andrew was able to shift back into his role as bodyguard, the emphasis on his name did not escape his attention.

S
ome days can't make up their minds, wavering back and forth between seasons. But this evening was beautiful, warm and comfortable; the scent in the air promising that summer was here to stay. And it was an exact replica of the night Erin had been raped.

Erin felt the knots in her stomach tighten as she directed Chase toward the science building at Penn. He pulled the car into the visitor center's parking lot directly across from the building where she had spent countless hours studying, biting her nails, and even doing a little praying now and then when faced with a challenging exam. Chase raced around the car and opened her door. He took her by the hand and lifted her out of the car.

Someone had either lit a fire under Mia or she was trying to avoid Paul from duplicating the gentlemanly gesture, because she was on the sidewalk before Paul could even unbuckle his seatbelt. Erin couldn't help but smile at the possibility that Paul had finally met his match. With everything going on, including the wonderful late afternoon she'd had with Chase on his balcony, she didn't have a chance to confront her brother about the kiss she had witnessed in the park. There would be time to grill him later. For now, all she wanted to do was get through the night.

“I think we should start in the very classroom in which Erin took her last final,” Mia said.

Erin nodded, keeping her eyes on the building ahead.

“You don't have to do this, Erin. I can take Mia to wherever she needs to go, including the cemetery,” Paul said.

Erin reached for Chase's hand and held it with a death grip. She stopped in her tracks, only now realizing how lucky she really was. Chase, Paul, Andrew, even Mia, were here to support her and find an ending to a very gruesome story. And it wasn't without consequence. Chase and Paul were putting their own lives on the line and Mia, a woman she had recently met, had skipped work and put in some long hours to help her. “I'll never be able to thank you enough…everything you are doing for me…I…” Erin couldn't finish because Chase's arms were around her and snuffing out the sobs with his chest. He held her for a bit before she faced her support system. “I guess I just needed to get that out of my system. Now, let's do this,” she said, feeling more confident as she met the loving stares of two men and a caring woman who had always shown her genuine respect.

“Lead the way, Erin,” Mia said.

Erin knew that the building would be open. The accelerated summer program started about a week after graduation and, as she predicted, the campus was alive with ambitious college students who simply wanted to get ahead in their studies. Erin led her entourage down the hall to the stadium-seating classroom. A few stragglers were quickly gathering their books and Macs, probably eager to continue their night of studying at the impressive library down the street. Erin felt their pain, remembering how grueling, how intense those last remaining classes could be. After the last student had left, Erin glided down the aisle and stood where she had handed her exam in to Dr. Farrell.

“Show me where Dr. Farrell was standing,” Mia instructed.

“I was standing here, with my back to the doors and…” Erin's voice trailed off. She closed her eyes and saw Dr. Farrell in her mind's eye.

Erin felt feminine fingers squeeze her hand. “It's in the details, Erin. What do you remember?”

“We…Dr. Farrell and I, were talking right here, in this spot, when I noticed him looking past me, toward the wooden doors over there,” Erin said, pointing to the back of the room. “I followed his gaze, but no one was there.” Erin rubbed her eyes. “I hadn't thought about that detail, until now. That maybe my attacker had been watching me, even in class.”

“Erin, I know our preliminary profile suggests that we are dealing with someone who is established, older perhaps, but we can't rule out the possibility that he may have been a fellow student. Can you recall how many students were in this particular class?” Mia asked.

“Had to be around twenty-five…thirty maybe. Predominantly male of course,” Erin said. “But I would only be able to name a few of them. I wasn't much of a social butterfly.”

“Okay, I'll get my hands on last year's yearbook somehow and we'll put a list together.”

Erin admired how Mia's mind worked. It was always churning. She wasn't afraid to explore all possible options. Although Scott Morris was a suspect, it was clear that Mia wanted to refrain from putting all her eggs in one basket. Because what if they were wrong? What if Scott wasn't the man who had attacked her? What if he was the man Sam had described? A man who had been offered a dream job at a world-renowned hospital in the same city in which she was planning to attend medical school. A man whom she had met only once while working as a volunteer and who had not contacted her again until his father had passed. A man who had suffered through cancer and lived. A man who devoted his life to helping others battle the same disease.

A
necessary evil. That was what their trip to Philadelphia was.

Paul understood why they had to retrace Erin's steps that night, starting first at the classroom and now walking the few city blocks to the cemetery, but it didn't make it any easier to stomach. He looked ahead, just in time to see Mia's arm link through Erin's. The sight was comforting and disturbing at the same time. He was happy that his sister felt at ease at the moment, but was distressed at the ominous reason why Mia had entered their lives.

Chase too looked unsettled, as he constantly scanned their surroundings. Paul had a feeling that all Chase wanted to do right now was take his sister home and barricade her in her room. Paul could definitely relate. He didn't know exactly how he would handle things if he was in Chase's shoes. It was less than a second later that he received a vision of himself throwing Mia over his shoulder and securing her in some impenetrable bubble.

Paul was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that they had arrived at their destination. He almost slammed into Mia from behind, but stopped just in time. Chase started to walk toward Erin, perhaps to give her some support as she confronted her worst nightmare, but Mia gave him a look that told him to stand down. Chase stopped, and though he looked a little peeved, he obeyed and stepped back. Paul took Chase's lead and gave the girls some space. Andrew, however, did not stay with the men but dutifully carried on with his assignment and followed Erin.

Mia still held on to Erin's arm and gently swung her around until Erin's back was to the entrance of the cemetery. Standing face-to-face, Mia held both of Erin's trembling hands in hers and then asked, “Erin, I want you to look over my shoulder and tell me what you see.”

The sight of his sister shaking infuriated him. Erin didn't deserve this. She had been through enough already. All he wanted to do was protect her, like he had always tried to do. But in the end he had failed her. He had let her out of his sight, just long enough for that monster to swoop down and crush her spirit.

“There's a restaurant on the corner, a used bookstore, and a deli,” Erin said, surveying the establishments across the street.

“Can you recall if those stores were in business a year ago?” Mia asked.

Paul watched Erin exhale, as if she was becoming a little more relaxed. Mia's tone was soothing and patient.

“The restaurant, Celia's Soups, was definitely there, as I visited it frequently for lunch. And the bookstore, well, I worked there for a little while to earn some cash. But the deli…” Erin shook her head. “I don't remember that place at all. Must have just popped up sometime this year.”

“You're doing great, Erin.” Mia smiled at her. “Is the bookstore open at the moment?”

Erin shook her head. “No, it's sort of a mom-and-pop-type shop. It closes early. Seven o'clock on weekdays.”

“And how about Celia's Soups?”

“It's alive and well. Actually, it looks like business has picked up since last year,” Erin said, sounding surprised.

Mia squeezed her hands. “Erin, this is what I noticed. There's not a lot of foot traffic here. With the exception of the soup shop, the block is relatively quiet, especially for a summer evening.”

Paul saw his sister swallow before shaking her head. “That night…it was just like this. The sounds, the smells…well, it's like I have gone back in time.”

“But we're with you this time,” Mia said, looking at Chase and then at Paul before putting her attention back on Erin. “Will you walk with me?” Mia asked.

Erin nodded and without explicit direction, she led Mia into the cemetery. Paul felt helpless…again. He looked over at Chase, who appeared equally miserable. Chase was pacing atop the cobblestones. Paul had seen Chase unnerved before. Finding your ex-fiancée dead in a bathtub would rattle anyone. But what had really rattled Chase, what seemed to unravel him until there was nothing left, was when he had thought Erin left him for good. And that was what he wanted for his sister: a man who would do anything for her, love her, risk everything for her. That was what she deserved.

“All I want to do is get the girls away from this place. They have five more minutes,” Chase said, looking over at Mia and Erin.

Paul knew what Mia was doing. He had to admit that she chose the proper course of action by sequestering them and stealing Erin away, safely out of earshot. Chase would not have been able to handle hearing what had happened amongst the tombstones. It would have driven Chase mad. And as for himself, it was a wise decision that he wasn't invited to participate in the discussion. He had lived it and once was enough.

Chase's cell phone buzzed, sounding louder than usual in the quiet and very secluded cemetery. Paul watched as Chase withdrew his phone from his pocket and read the incoming text message. Chase's face went white at first and then changed to a fiery red within moments.

“He's here,” Chase said, his voice a gravelly whisper.

Those two words had the ability to paralyze a man. But there was no time for that. All he could think about was getting the girls to somewhere safe. “Andrew, we need to get them out of here…now,” Paul said.

Although he had given Erin and Mia some latitude, Andrew had remained in close proximity to them at all times. But as he heard his name pierce the silence, Andrew rushed over and calmly asked the girls to come with him.

The look of horror on their faces only fueled Paul's anger. There were already too many memories associated with this godforsaken place. The only way this nightmare was going to end, the only way he could ensure Erin's and Mia's safety, was to finish what he had started all those months ago.