Killer Love (27 page)

The mom had actually bought his line of bullshit about being a good mother.
Yeah right, lady. You won’t let your daughter go off with a stranger but everything’s fine as long as a rapist goes along too.
Fucked up broad.

He followed the man’s beat up truck to an apartment complex. One look at where Jade lived and he cringed. The apartments were old. Time and weather had worn the paint job almost completely off the building. The sidewalks had large cracks in them.

Inside wasn’t any better. Chunks of tile were missing from the floors. An unidentifiable odor permeated the air. It smelled old...and cheap...and low class.

Jade had left their home to live in a hovel like this? She must have lost her mind. She’d almost been raped. She was living in poverty. It was time he came to her rescue. Eventually, she’d thank him.

Greaseball stopped midway down the hall. He pointed toward a door at the end. “Jenna lives in 1026B.” He gave a quick look around. He seemed nervous. But not as nervous as he was going to be. “Ashley, we need to go back to the store and get your mom.”

“I don’t think so,” Bryce said.

“What?”

He pulled a gun from his pocket and shoved it into the guy’s ribs. “I don’t think so,” he repeated.

“What the fuck is this?” Greaseball’s face faded to a starker shade of white.

Ashley backed away. She stared at Bryce as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

“Hey,” He waved the gun toward her, then put it back into greaseball’s side. “Come back here. I hate to do this to you because from what I saw, your life is fucked up enough with this asshole and your stupidass mom. But, unfortunately, your life is going to get even more fucked up.”

She stopped, still not saying anything. Her face crumpled and tears spilled down her cheeks.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, man?” Greaseball whined. “What’s your beef?”

“Shut up and walk. Both of you. Walk slowly, no sudden moves. Take me to Ja...Jenna’s apartment.”

Finally, the girl spoke. “You’re not really her brother, are you?”

Bryce laughed. “Just move!”

They reached Jade’s apartment door. Bryce knocked. No one answered. “Jimmy the lock, asshole. Don’t even pretend like you don’t know how to pick a lock.”

The guy shook his head. Bryce jammed the gun further into his side. He grunted and bent to work on the lock.

Bryce hadn’t underestimated his skills after all. They were inside in no time. He made greaseball sit in a chair.

He pulled a rope from his coat pocket and tossed it to Ashley. “Tie him up.” She stared at him, not moving, tears still streaming down her face. “Tie him up or I’ll blow your fucking head off.”

She tied him up.

“Sit down over there and be a good girl, got it?” She nodded and sat on the couch. Bryce bent toward Dennis. “What’s your name, asshole?”

He gave a resentful glare. “Dennis,” he spat.

“Okey dokey, Dennis.” Bryce looked at Ashley. “No. I’m not her brother. I’m her husband.”

He took a knife from his pocket and shoved it beneath Dennis’ chin. The man’s eyes rounded in terror. “That’s right, asshole. You tried to rape my wife.”

“No...No! I swear. She came on to me. She’s a fucking tease. I swear I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re a lying motherfucker.” Bryce looked at Ashley. “Turn your head, little girl.”

Chapter Nineteen

Luke stopped at an IHOP a few hours out of Solitaire. She’d barely spoken to him the entire trip. She kept seeing what he’d done to that man. He’d been like another person. Cold, heartless, determined. Yes, he’d done what he had to do but how could he bring himself to do it? And, was the guy telling the truth? Had Luke told Bryce where to find her? She glanced over at him. Silent and moody, he stared at the menu.

What was he thinking right now? If he had told Bryce where to find her, then why? She was so tired, still grieving over Katherine. She couldn’t think about it anymore.

They gave the waitress their order and Luke pushed up his sleeves, revealing the leather wristband.

“You wear that a lot.” She pointed to the wristband. She noticed writing but couldn’t make it out. “What’s that insignia?”

“It says ‘Guardian Angel’.”

Intrigued in spite of her exhaustion, she asked. “Where did you get it?”

His face closed and for a moment he didn’t speak. “My sister gave it to me.”

“You have a sister?”

“Had a sister. She died.”

“I’m sorry. Want to talk about it?”

He looked at her as if challenging her to continue with the conversation. “You want to hear about it?”

She wasn’t sure. She didn’t like his tone. Or the look on his face. But she nodded.

“Her name was Angel. She was my baby sister. Only twenty-two when she died. Her husband beat the shit out of her on a regular basis. Each time, she would call me and I’d come to her rescue.” He laughed but there was no humor in it. “Except the last time. I told her if she kept going back to him, not to bother to call. Well, she didn’t.”

Jade didn’t want to ask but she had to know. “He killed her?”

“Yeah.” It was only one word but in it she heard a wealth of guilt.

She wanted to reach out to him, erase the sorrow from his face. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault but she was afraid it would sound like an accusation. Instead, she said again, “I’m sorry.”

He nodded and took a drink of coffee. An awkward pause followed. She tried to think of something to say to change the subject but anything she came up with seemed trivial after what he’d told her. She said nothing.

The chatter of the other diners and the clanging of dishes now seemed far away as she and Luke sat in a cocoon of silence. The food arrived and Jade stared at her plate, pushing the food around but not eating.

Luke didn’t eat much either. They finished their coffee and he paid their check. They left, still not speaking.

The silence continued for the remainder of the trip. Jade finally spoke when they arrived in Solitaire and Luke passed the turnoff to her apartment complex. “What are you doing?”

“We’re going to my hotel.”

“What? Why? I need to go home.”

Luke set his jaw and shook his head. “No. Not yet. I’m not sure what the situation is with the Marshal’s office. They probably know what you did. They may be there waiting for you. We need to figure this thing out first. Besides, I need a hot shower and for now, you have to stay with me. We both could be in a lot of trouble.”

She didn’t like it but she went along. He could have his way for the moment but she was almost to the limit as far as taking orders from him. It wasn’t like she fully trusted him anyway.

Luke’s hotel room was tidy other than an open suitcase on the bed. It reminded her he was leaving. Or had been until he’d jumped on his white horse and ridden to her rescue. Had he really been coming to her rescue or did he have a motive of his own?

“Sit tight, I’ll just be a minute,” he said as he headed to the bathroom.

She nodded.
A minute is about all you have, Butler.

Jade lay back on the bed. Her body was weary but her mind worked overtime. How was this all going to end? How would they stop Bryce before he killed someone else?

Her eyes drifted shut. She was on the verge of dozing when the bathroom door opened. Steam from Luke’s shower drifted into the room. And along with it, the scent of his cologne. God, he smelled good. She sat up and swallowed back the desire starting to grow. Sex was the last thing she should be thinking about right now. Especially sex with Luke. One screw up had been enough.

Sex with him could never be enough
, a traitorous voice in her head reminded her.

She glanced at the bathroom door. Luke stood in front of the mirror, his back to her. Wearing nothing but a towel around his hips.

As if they had a mind of their own, her legs carried her to the bathroom door. She stood behind him, watching him spread shaving cream over his jaws. His crisp dark hair brushed the towel he’d slung around his neck.

God, she wanted him. Wanted him like she’d never wanted anyone or anything in her life. What was wrong with her?

Her gaze traveled downward. His taught bottom was clearly defined beneath the damp towel. Her fingers ached to touch him.

Stop it!
Damn. This was insanity. Yet, it was out of her control. She moved a step closer.

For the first time, he became aware of her presence and half turned. He stopped in mid motion, the razor poised above his cheek.

They stared at one another, eyes locked. In his, she saw what she wanted to see. Like a fine whiskey, the amber flames burned in them. Burned for her.

She took another step toward him and brushed the back of her hand over the damp hairs on his chest. She trailed her knuckles lower to just above the towel. He gasped and the razor clattered to the floor. He whipped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Their mouths met in an explosion of desire.

Finally, gloriously, she ran her hands over his bottom where the damp towel clung. Yearning need swept through her. His hungry mouth plundered hers. She could taste the toothpaste on his tongue, feel the shaving cream as it smeared over both of them. The scent of his cologne wrapped around her in a cloud of warmth. She pressed against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his erection push against her belly. She realized she had too damned many clothes on.

Dragging her mouth away from his, she whimpered, “Luke...”

“I know, baby.”

“I want you. This is crazy.”

“This, sweetheart,” he murmured as he rained kisses along her cheeks, her jaw line, her eyes, nibbling on her lips in between, “is amazing. Too real, too powerful to ignore.”

She nodded and slid the towel from his neck as his lips once more found hers. “Mmmhmm,” she moaned deep in her throat.

His hands began working the buttons of her blouse. In seconds, he had it undone and slipped it off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He slid his fingers beneath her bra, teasing her nipples. Sharp waves of pleasure surged through her, pooling into damp heat between her thighs.

With all the craziness that had happened the past few months, with all the fear and anger she’d lived with since Bryce had gone mad, all she could think about now was this man and how good this felt. How right. Her heart squeezed with joy. Some small part of her mind asked a question. Did she love him? Is this what it felt like? No. She wouldn’t think about that now. Wouldn’t try to analyze it because in spite of how wonderful he made her feel, the thought of loving him was terrifying.

He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. She smiled. Her hands continued to roam over his shoulders...his chest.

His shoulder.

Her eyes dropped to where her hand had been. For a moment, her brain didn’t register what it was seeing. And then it did and she was suddenly as cold as she had been hot before.

On his shoulder was the image of her nightmares. A wolf’s head. A tattoo. Dear God.

“Jade?” His passion laced voice filtered through her mind.

She stepped away, backing further from him, shaking her head. Her skin tightened, her heart aching as she suddenly understood...so much.

“What’s wrong, baby? What is it?” He moved toward her.

“No!” she screamed. She felt the dresser behind her and stopped. The gun. Luke had left his gun on the dresser. Her fingers reached back until they felt the cold metal. Then it was in her hands.

In one motion, she released the safety and brought the gun up, pointed at his chest.

“Jade? What the hell is going on?”

“You sonofabitch.” Her words choked out on a sob. “You were working with him the entire time.”

“What are you talking about?” Luke stepped toward her.

“Stop. Stop right there or I swear, I’ll shoot you.”

He stopped, shaking his head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you. Talk to me.”

“Talk to you? Okay, let’s talk. Why the fuck were you working with Bryce?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Her body trembled. Her heart shattered. Nothing had ever hurt like this. Not what Bryce had done, not even Katherine’s death.

Memories of what Agent Jackson had told her about El Lobo rushed over her. The vicious killings, how they hadn’t been able to figure out who he was. She had figured it out. He was a dirty cop.

“The tattoo.” She nodded toward his shoulder. “I saw that tattoo the night Bryce cut my throat. As I was losing consciousness, I saw the image of a wolf. I thought I was just hallucinating until right now. Now I know what it was. It was your tattoo. You’re El Lobo.”

His face paled. He lifted a hand and rubbed it over his eyes. “That’s what this is about? I was undercover for the FBI. Good God, I would never work with that slimeball. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Undercover?” The gun wavered as uncertainty surfaced. “Why didn’t you just tell me that? Why keep your identity a secret all this time?”

“It was part of the operation. We weren’t supposed to reveal our identities.”

She shook her head. “Why did you lie to me even after the case was over? Once the operation was over with, you could have told me.”

“No. I couldn’t. Besides, what was the point?”

She needed time to think. Her mind wouldn’t process the whole picture. She glanced behind her. A pair of handcuffs lay on top of the dresser.

She picked them up and tossed them to him. “Handcuff yourself to the leg of the bed.”

He caught the cuffs but shook his head. “Are you out of your mind? I just told you everything. We don’t have time for this. You need me.”

“Yeah, right. I need another person in my life who pretends to be someone they’re not. Who keeps secrets from me. Who uses me for their own agenda.”

“I didn’t do that, Jade. I was just doing my job. I swear. Why would I have tortured Kenner for information if I was working with Bryce?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you didn’t. You made me leave the room. Maybe you set it all up and you were trying to squeeze more money out of Bryce before you told him where I was.”

“Jesus, Jade.”

“Put the goddamned handcuffs on. Now!”