Open Wounds (10 page)

Chapter 16

Kellie kicked off her shoes and leaned back in her office chair, a sigh of pure pleasure escaping her lips. It had been a long day and she was frustrated at the lack of progress they’d made. There had been no sign of Michael Lambert at his apartment and no one could tell them when he’d last been seen or where he might be right now.

If Michael had any brains, he’d be halfway to China by now. The two detectives hadn’t disagreed with her assessment of the situation. She frowned. She was a detective too, in a way, even if she and her oldest friend didn’t view it the same way.

But determining whether an officer was guilty of misconduct was a hard choice to make and an IA officer had to see the evidence, read the reports, and know whether to kick the officer to the kerb or not.

She had been a cop for almost seven years now, but had never felt the desire to go for her detective’s exam or a higher rank. She liked her job and did it to the best of her ability, with many short-comings that would’ve hindered her in any other position.

She was a desk jockey and it suited her temperament well. She wasn’t one for confrontations, despite being able to spar with the best of them, her sharp tongue cutting even the most arrogant and self-assured officer.

She’d never planned to go into law enforcement. Her only goal as a kid had been to leave the neighbourhood, and she had dabbled with the idea of being a doctor or a lawyer, but in reality anything was better than the future waiting for her under Coleani’s thumb.

It wasn’t until she turned sixteen that she met Detective Sergeant Ed Graham. She couldn’t recall what he said or did that inspired her, but when she enrolled at Harbour Bay University at eighteen, she found herself thinking about him and what he stood for, what he’d wanted out of his career.

He’d told her it wasn’t glamorous, that some days it downright sucked, but when it came to picking her courses she’d selected justice administration and criminology. When she received her diploma and had gone through basic training at the Police College in Goulburn, Kellie returned to Harbour Bay and worked her way through a variety of desk jobs until she found her true calling.

It amazed her how her short association with the detective had such an impact on her life. Had Amelia experienced something similar?

But unlike Kellie, she’d had no failings hampering her choice of vocation. That time of her life had been extremely educational and had changed her astronomically. She couldn’t see herself doing anything else even with the bad hours and horrible pay
—
which was exactly what Ed Graham had told her it was like.

A cop’s job wasn’t easy, knowing what happened in the world and being powerless to stop it without the proper evidence. Knowing who the bad guys were and watching them walk out of the LAC with smirks on their faces, always getting the better of the police, since they were bound by law to follow certain rules.

Twelve years ago, Coleani commanded only a twelve block radius. His base of operations, his restaurant along with his strip club and so called pharmacy, all dominated one street
—
Lowell Avenue.

Kellie shuddered to think how much more he had gained over the years. He was a determined man, a man who started at the bottom. Thirty
or forty years ago, no one had heard of Dick Coleani, a snotnosed kid who worked from sun up to sun down, a man whose violent and sadistic nature put him on the radar of Charles Wright, the Al Capone of Harbour Bay who trained Coleani from a child and turned an already rotten kid into an even worse teenager and a cruel, brutal adult whose only goal in life was to extend his empire.

Kellie remembered walking past the drug dealers trying to make a sale, the occasional overdose victim lying in the doorway of the local convenience store. By six, she’d overheard many of her neighbours’ marital disputes and the screams of pain that followed. She’d shopped for groceries at the most infamous store in the neighbourhood which acquired the title of most robbed.

She had always admired the poor teenage boys who were either courageous enough or stupid enough to work there and it always seemed to surprise her when nobody noticed the filth they lived in.

She logged onto her computer and retrieved the double homicide file. The crime scene photos immediately appeared on her screen and she clicked through each slide.

Her stomach rebelled. She could never understand how someone could do something so horrible to another person and often wondered where people’s hearts were.

The answer was simple. Some people didn’t have a heart.

“What are you still doing here?” Darryl said from behind her, causing her to jump. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he added. “I should’ve hummed or something. I know what it’s like to get absorbed in a case. Even Donovan’s gone home for the night.”

Kellie raised an eyebrow at him as he parked his gorgeous bottom on the side of her desk. “Really? That is amazing. I didn’t think she ever went home.”

He smiled. “Some days it seems like it. So, what are you still doing here, sticking your nose in my case?”

She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. “It’s my case, too, Detective Hill, and if I choose to review it, that’s my prerogative.”

“Wow, you have a bite, don’t you? Donovan didn’t warn me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a little tense at the moment. Meeting Coleani brought back a lot of memories I’d rather forget and this afternoon’s adventure is still fresh in my mind.”

“It must’ve been hard for you, growing up as you did, in that neighbourhood under his thumb.”

She nodded slowly. “It was. Everyone says life is unfair, but you never want to believe that. The naive and young like to think that good always triumphs and the bad guys get locked up. It’s a nice dream, but it doesn’t exist and that’s extremely frustrating.” She rubbed her hand over her forehead, trying to erase a headache that had snuck up on her. “No matter how many of Coleani’s boys you get off the street, there’s still more and it won’t ever stop. Not until we get Coleani himself, and he’s such a slippery bastard.”

Darryl rested his hands on either side of his thighs as he took in her fierce expression. “I take it this is about more than just the case?”

“You must be a detective,” she said sarcastically before smiling. “Mia and I were lucky. We got out of a place no one ever leaves unless they’re dead. My parents tried. They wanted something better for themselves, and it was clear it wouldn’t happen there. My father worked himself to death for no benefits, nothing to pass on to his wife and child except a mountain of bills my mother couldn’t handle.

“I was ten when I caught her coming out of Coleani’s strip club smelling of smoke and sex. She wasn’t a bad mum. She just wasn’t good at taking care of herself, let alone anyone else. Once my father died, she went downhill fast. She tried her best but couldn’t break even. It was then I decided I wouldn’t live and die in that neighbourhood. I would get out and nothing would stop me.”

Kellie still remembered that day like it was yesterday. She had never been so disappointed with her life. While her father had been alive, things were good
—
not great, but not bad either. After he died, her mother existed in a drug induced coma, and Kellie had to take over the responsibilities of paying bills and making sure there was food in the house. Her mother had been weak, wanted the easy way out, and in the end had sold her body for a pittance.

“Looks like you made good on that,” he told her, admiration in his voice.

“But to what end? Men like Coleani are still out there. The scourge of mankind, to put it dramatically. He sets out to ruin people’s lives to make money. He uses little boys and makes them into monsters, bottom-feeders like himself. I hate that man.”

“Maybe you should recuse yourself from the case. Especially if you’re going to make this personal.”

She scoffed. “Don’t kid yourself, Hill. They’re all personal. Every last one of them. I bet you can remember every victim you ever had, am I right? You can probably remember the circumstances of each case and could recite how each one of them died. So don’t tell me it isn’t personal for you.”

“No, but the difference is when I’m on a case, I don’t think about the people involved. I think about the evidence. That’s all I see. That’s all I can afford to care about. Any wrong move and a lawyer can have a case dismissed,” he told her coolly, his disdain for lawyers coming through loud and clear. “Sure, when it’s all over I think about the injustice, but the law is there for a reason and I have to believe the right thing will eventually be done. Coleani will have his comeuppance. I guarantee it.”

“Before how many more lives will be ruined? One day, Detective Hill, you will get involved in a case where it will be personal and you won’t be able to make that distinction. You’ll think with your heart first and your head later, but that won’t make you any less of a good cop.” She stood. “Passion is what drives us. If you don’t care about the people, how are you doing the right thing by them?”

She slipped her feet back into her shoes and grabbed her purse. Darryl also stood, causing them to stand mere inches apart. Kellie stepped back, removing herself from the intimate circle. She could feel his body heat even after she stepped away and her heartbeat raced.

“You may be right, Kellie, but I hope that day is far away. I’ve seen what cases like that can do to a cop. It makes them take chances, even take the law into their own hands and I’d rather not join them. When you start to feel nothing…or too much…it’s time to move on.”

“I’m not about to step away, Detective, but I will try to be objective about this. It’ll be a trial, I know that. I don’t hate easily, but when I do, I have good reason. We have a case to close and justice to be had. Will you walk me out?”

Darryl nodded. “Sure. Come on.”

Chapter 17

Kellie followed Darryl across the deserted car park of the LAC. The moon, bright and full reflected on car windows, overshadowing the small insignificant stars around it. The ground was damp from a quick shower earlier in the evening and the clouds bringing rain had caught the humidity in the air.

She moved cautiously across the pavement towards her car. Silently, Darryl slowed, matching his usually long stride to her skirt-hindered smaller ones. She was always edgy at night, alert for any danger. She held her keys in her hand, having removed them from her purse earlier while waiting for the elevator to open so she could escape the male dominated carriage.

She was acutely aware of him, his presence overwhelming her. Every breath she took filled her lungs with the decadent scent of him
—
spicy and woodsy and completely male, sending her stomach fluttering. Her hormones were in chaos and her body craved him. She’d never had such a potent response to a man before. She felt off-balance, her world turned upside down. God, she wanted him.

Nick could be considered hot, but Darryl blew him out of the water with his sexy liquid brown eyes and short hair. He was just so
—
wow
. It was the only word she could think of that described him. Six feet of healthy male. Wide shoulders. Thick, strong chest. Hard, defined pecs.

There wasn’t a soft part anywhere on him. She’d felt that and more when he’d been on top of her during the attack. At the time, she hadn’t fully appreciated her position. But in the aftermath, disappointment filled her that she hadn’t been able to enjoy that delicious weight bearing down on her, his chest crushing her breasts, his warm breath on her face as he stared deep into her eyes. She imagined him slowly lowering his head to take her lips with a rough, passionate kiss full of promise.

Her blood heated with arousal and an ache began, gaining momentum with insistence she do something about it. And fast.

Kellie tried to move quicker but a combination of her heels and tight skirt made it impossible. She silently cursed her outfit and Amelia, who had been right. She would’ve killed for a pair of jeans and sneakers right about now. If only to get away from the delicious male beside her. The man was in serious danger of being attacked by a blonde with carnal thoughts. Her overactive imagination painted vivid pictures of what she could do to him.

She bit back a moan and a curse. How dare he have such control over her? She could barely think with him around and she was perilously close to losing her sanity. Was he even aware of what he did to her? Of what she’d like him to do to her?

Candles. Silk sheets. Darryl’s impressive naked chest. Her cries of pleasure.

“Do you see your mother often?”

The sound of his voice almost had her tripping over her feet as she startled once again. Darryl reached out and caught her arm before she landed face first. She murmured her thanks even as her face flamed. Thankfully it was dark enough that he wouldn’t be able to see.

Seriously, what the hell had happened to her?

She should be thinking about the case, Coleani, Mia, and a thousand other things instead of fantasising about Darryl. It was hardly professional and she was pretty sure it fell under sexual harassment. She tried to push thoughts of him aside and focused on his question.

“No,” she replied, coolly. Thoughts of her mother always had that effect on her and this time she felt thankful for it. Anything to cool off the desire she had for Darryl. “She OD’d a couple of years ago. I guess she figured I no longer needed her here, so she just ended her pain.”

Darryl sent her a sideways glance. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. Her mother had been gone long before she’d died.

“Don’t be. She was never a very strong person. Even before my father died. She was a follower, happy to go along with someone else’s plans. What about you? How did you end up in Harbour Bay?”

She felt the topic of conversation was safe enough as she led him towards her car. She had to admit she was interested in knowing more about him. Even if it would simply add more fuel to the ever growing fire inside her. She wanted to know him. She wanted to connect with him and not just in the most basic of ways.

“You don’t know? I thought you would’ve read it in my file,” he stated, obviously fishing for information.

“You know that would be an invasion of privacy. Besides, I rather like asking questions. It helps me fine-tune my people reading skills. I like to know when someone is lying to me.”

Darryl smiled almost indulgently, and touched her arm, stopping her. The touch burned and he quickly released her. Had he felt it too?

“Okay. I moved around a lot as a kid. My father was in the army
,
so when I finished my Detective’s exam I looked for a permanent position which led to Harbour Bay. Satisfied?”

Hardly.

“So do you think you’ll stay here? I mean after all those years of moving around, I’d think you’d want some semblance of stability, am I right?”

He took his time answering. “You’re right. I want a place to hang my hat, so to speak, and I really think Harbour Bay may be that place. I just don’t know yet. Time will tell.”

“Harbour Bay’s not so bad. Discounting the serial killer and Dick Coleani, of course, but of all the places in the world, it’s home, and I’d never want it any other way.”

Darryl gave her a onceover that warmed her from the inside out, the heat in his gaze enough to enflame her. “I can certainly see the appeal.”

She blushed and turned away. The harbour’s salty breeze washed over her, the bright beam from the nearby lighthouse glowed through the darkness. She glanced back, uncertainty creeping up her spine.

She hated being out in the open, vulnerable to attack. There were so many shadows where a person could hide in the parking lot. She felt herself slip into panic mode. She gripped her keys harder, the serrated edges of the metal digging into her palm as she watched the distance grow between her and the building housing Harbour Bay’s LAC. Bright yellow lights shined through the windows where the night shift were hard at work.

The elongated L-shaped light mud brown, four-storey building was a hideous piece of architecture. Once a convict barrack, it had been renovated in the seventies to accommodate the growing police presence in Harbour Bay, and today it was the second largest Local Area Command in NSW.

A stone memorial, a tribute to Harbour Bay’s officers who’d fallen in the line of duty stood in the courtyard of the L which housed the entrance to the building. The grounds surrounding the LAC were lush and well maintained. During the day, many admired the vibrant coloured pansies planted in the garden beds that drew attention away from the building behind them.

She was relieved by Darryl’s presence. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone in the dark. That he would protect her, just as he’d done earlier under the rapid gunfire. She shivered at the memory and knew she hadn’t come to grips with the fear she’d felt at that moment. Hours later, she still rode the adrenaline high although it slowly ebbing and she knew she would crash soon enough. Hopefully, no one would be around to witness her meltdown.

Kellie stopped at her white 2010 Ford Focus sedan. Small droplets of water remained on the roof and windshield. Kellie pressed the button on her key fob. Her indicator lights flashed as she unlocked her car. She opened the car door and threw her purse onto the passenger seat before turning to face Darryl.

“Thank you for walking me. I appreciate it…and the company.”

Darryl nodded, his dark gaze watching her. “After a day like today it’s smart to be vigilant.”

Gunfire. Cries. Glass shattering.

Kellie shivered at the memory. Her gaze drifted to his lips. A lifeline as she felt herself begin to spin out of control, the past threatening to swamp her. His lips were long and thin. Sensual. What would it be like to taste him? Would once be enough to sate her? Or would she become so addicted to him that she wouldn’t be able to think straight? She mentally shook her head. Her mind was already scattered.

Standing so close to him, she could feel the heat from his body. His reassuring presence empowered her, making her stronger even when her knees wanted to buckle. Or was that
because
of him? Darryl Hill was hazardous to her mental health. And probably her heart, too, if she let him. He had the ability to shatter her if she wasn’t careful, if she allowed the walls around her to fall. But it was tempting, and she wasn’t sure she could ignore it.

“Can I ask you something?”

Darryl rested his hip on the side of her car as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Sure. Fire away.”

She glanced away as she gathered the courage to ask the question that had been tormenting her. “You and Mia
—
you’re just partners?”

Darryl frowned. “Yeah, what else would we be?”

“Amelia’s an attractive woman and you’re a good looking guy. You spend your days together,” she said slowly. “Something could have formed and spilled over into the night.”

Darryl unfolded himself from his lazy position and stood to his full height. She tilted her head so that she could keep looking him in the eye.

“I spend all day with Doyle and Matthews too. Are you going to suggest we also get it on?”

Kellie backpedalled. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s fine if you two had or have a personal relationship.”

However, the very idea of Mia
—
or any woman
—
sharing this man’s bed caused jealousy to rear its ugly head. She’d never been the possessive type, but Darryl proved she didn’t know everything about her own identity.

He searched her face and she wondered what he saw there. Hopefully not the raw desire she felt.

“Donovan’s a great woman. Feisty, loyal, a good cop and an even better partner…but there’s no way in hell I would sleep with her. For one, she doesn’t appeal to me that way, and I’m not about to ruin a good friendship just for a roll in the sack. Secondly, I doubt I’d survive the night without getting handed my balls in the morning.”

Relief flooded her. “What about other women? Are you currently involved with anyone?”

Darryl stepped closer, invading her personal space. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. He was a scant inch away from touching her and her body quivered. She swallowed hard and suddenly her breath returned in quick, short puffs.

She held his gaze. His eyes glittered in the dark as he noted her reaction. She wet her dry lips and his expression turned hungry
—
no,
starving
. She had never seen that look on a man’s face before. She felt lightheaded.

His brown eyes held her captive. “Why do you want to know?” he said, his voice feather light, his breath tickling her bangs.

“Because I don't get involved with men who belong to someone else.”

Was that her voice? She hardly recognised the husky timber that was more Kathleen Turner than Kellie Munroe. It wasn't the first time she’d propositioned a man, always the aggressor, needing to control the situation but this was something more. She refused to analyse it though most would say what she feeling was a direct result of her earlier fear or her unbalanced equilibrium due to her adrenaline high. She was happy just going with shared attraction. Something she was sure he felt though wanted to fight.

She stepped forward until their bodies touched and laid a hand on his well-defined chest, just above his heart. It galloped beneath her touch. She smiled. He wasn’t as unaffected by her as he seemed. His nostrils flared and his pupils dilated as she lifted her head, her lips tantalisingly close. It wouldn’t take much for either of them to cross the small distance and press their lips together.

He shuddered. “This isn’t a good idea.”

She slid her hand up the row of buttons on his shirt and deftly popped them open revealing the wide expanse of his chest. She slipped her hand inside to stroke him, feeling the wiry hair beneath her soft palm.

She held his gaze. “Answer the question, Detective.”

She knew the game she played was extremely seductive, and Darryl had been right when he said it wasn’t a good idea. But nothing had ever felt this right.

“I’m all yours,” he replied, the words sounding like they’d been torn from him.

She liked the sound of that. “Then…come home with me tonight.”