Skylar (The Love Family Series Book 1) (4 page)

“Why?”

“Because…she wasn’t you. Sky, this was a mistake.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You should leave.”

“What! Why?”

He walked over to the door and pulled it open. “Because I thought…”

“You thought what?”

He steeled himself to hold her gaze, refusing to look at the red marks on her chest. If he did, he’d tip his hand on why he was ready to let her go. He couldn’t afford the chance she’d figure it out. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. This won’t work.”

“So that’s it?” she asked. “One lousy date and you’re giving up?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t peg you for a quitter, Luke.”

His heart tightened. “I guess you don’t really know me.” He swallowed around the lump in his throat as she stormed into the bedroom, walking out with her shoes in her hands. If this was his fault, he had to shift the focus away from her. There was no way he’d let her get hurt. “I’ll have the limo take you home.”

“Don’t bother. I can find my own way.” She stopped in front of him and shoved the rose against his chest. “You don’t deserve me, Luke.”

He gripped the doorknob tightly in his hand to stop himself from reaching for her.

One last look into his eyes and she walked out without ever looking back.    

He eased the door closed behind him.

“I never did,” he answered beneath his breath. The acknowledgement was a painful pill to swallow. His chest clenched. She was right. She deserved better, someone who wouldn’t dare put her in the crossfire of someone trying to kill him.

Chapter 3

Skylar slammed her front door and flung her shoes across her living room. “Asshole,” she grumbled to herself. Thankful she’d slipped out the back entrance, bypassing her brother and parents standing in the lobby, she’d caught a ride with Benji leaving after his shift.

She stormed to her room, pulling his shirt apart. Buttons flew in every direction, bouncing on her hardwood floors. She slid the offending material off her arms and tossed it on the floor, stomping on it for good measure because it belonged to that no-good, mind-changing man.

She didn’t need this shit. She’d been the one to tell him it wasn’t a good idea, but what did she do? She was stupid enough to listen to him because he was a nice guy, and now look where that had gotten her.

“Stupid jerk.”

She walked into the bathroom and grabbed the porcelain sink, taking several deep, calming breaths.
We wouldn’t have worked. It’s better this way.
She lied to herself. Why did he do that to her? After repeatedly asking her out since he’d arrived home, she’d finally agreed to a date and he’d just let her leave. Who does that?

“That jackass bought me roses for cripes’ sake.”

She caught her angry gaze in the mirror, and her face softened as she stared at her reddened chest. She hadn’t looked at it before, but now…under the bright bathroom lights, she understood more than what his words were telling her.  The resignation in his eyes hadn’t been from their crappy date. The shithead was pushing her away.

She tsked. “Stupid, stupid man.”

She lifted her shoulders, giving her chest one last glance before getting in the bath to ease the tension in her muscles. Any other woman would give up at the first sign of rejection. It sucked for him; she wasn’t just any other woman. He needed help, even if he’d never ask for it from her. She took her time in the bath, careful of her minor burn, before climbing out. Her body relaxed as she redressed her chest in ointment and dressed in a loose top that wouldn’t cling to her skin along with a pair of yoga pants. She’d gathered her hair and had put it in a ponytail when her doorbell rang.

“Sky…open up,” Olivia called out.

Skylar opened the door to find her best friend pacing back and forth on her front porch. Her red cheeks glistened with perspiration; her damp hair was slicked back, and her jogging clothes were sticking to her as she caught her breath.

“Hey.”

“Oh my god. I just heard. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Come on in.” Sky spun on her heels and headed toward the kitchen to pour them both a glass of wine. She handed one to Olivia. “If you don’t want wine, I can get you bottled water.”

“No, I need this.” She raised her glass in the air.

“Were you jogging?” Skylar asked in disbelief.

Olivia drank half her glass of wine before she answered. “It was a stupid idea, but never mind that. Why aren’t you still with Luke?”

“He kicked me out,” she answered. The realization still aggravated her. “Let’s get back to what in the world possessed you to jog.”

Olivia shrugged. Her cheeks reddened the longer Sky waited on an answer. “I figured it was time to get back in the game. I’m not getting any younger.”

“I don’t know why you torture yourself. You’re beautiful just the way you are.” Skylar grinned.

“Me neither.” She plopped into one of the kitchen chairs and rubbed her calves. “Now, what do you mean he kicked you out? Is he an idiot? Did the smog from New York kill his brain cells?”

“Oh, he’s still plenty smart. He’s just been away so long he forgot that we Loves can see through his bullshit. I have to admit that I didn’t catch on right away, but I understand now.” She grinned.

“Now that sounds devious. You’ve got a plan, don’t you?”

“I’m working on it. Let’s just say that Luke Tanner has met his match.”

“Now, do you care to tell me who tried to kill you?”

Skylar sipped her wine. “Probably his tramp ex-girlfriend that showed up, but I have no idea.”

“Can’t you use your mojo stuff with your superpowers and tap into the assassin.”

Skylar chuckled. “You know I can’t.”

“I know.” Olivia rose to her feet. “But it would be cool if you could. What about your brother’s ability to spot liars? Maybe Declan should question everyone on the island.”

“I’m sure he’s already working on getting the names of witnesses and anyone who had access so he can round them up and quiz them to find the culprit.”

“I guess that little gift comes in handy in his line of work.”

“Yeah, I guess. It’s a shame it doesn’t hold up in a court of law.”

Olivia walked back to the front door and pulled it open. “Let me know if you need any help being devious. I can do devious.”

Skylar chuckled. Olivia didn’t have a devious bone in her body. “Sure ya can. Will you schedule a few of the part-timers to cover at the shop the rest of the week?”

“Absolutely.” Olivia walked out on the porch. “Call me if you need me.” She wiggled her fingers and started in a light jog up the path.

Her usual emerald green energy streams had brightened to seafoam green. Either exercising was good for her, or it was from the mention of Declan. Skylar smiled, watching her friend cross the street and turn the corner out of sight.

****

Luke poured himself a glass of bourbon over rocks and collapsed into the plush living room chair. He rested his elbow on the armrest and sipped the burning liquid, letting it dull the reminder of how the night was supposed to have gone. He ran through the mental list of names that might have hated him enough to kill Sky or him. Amanda and her daddy held the first and second spot at the top of the list with a handful of other people he’d pissed off.

When he’d decided on pharmaceuticals as a career path, he hadn’t accounted for how many people would have varying agendas. Everyone from the drug companies to the politicians and all the way to the insurance companies tried to manipulate him. Each liked their fingers in the pie, not to mention citizens that blamed him for deaths of loved ones for diseases he’d yet to cure. The world was filled with twisted people. When Luke had gone up against all of them with a cheaper version of a very expensive antibiotic, every roadblock possible had been thrown at him and his company, but he’d overcome the aversions and offered it on the market.

His company was one of the few for the people and not greedy about how much could be put in his pocket. It was his own little way of giving back to the world that had given him so much. His decision wasn’t just the talk of the industry, but in the business field as well, each of them coming up with their own reasons on why he’d kept the drug so cheap. A marketing ploy for another product? The millions he’d make from people switching because of the price? Cheaper ingredients? Ridiculous accusations, each a stab in the dark into his character.

The average Joes of the world had called him a modern day Robin Hood. Taking from the rich and giving back to the poor. He liked to think he fell somewhere between. Compassion in that industry was hard to find. The people in his labs worked diligently to discover cures and help the needy. Compassion ran heavily through his veins. Had he started in a desk job, he might have turned out differently. He took another sip. Nope, even doing that, he knew he would have ended up just the same.

His life in the city was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. The women he dated no more than silicone looking to get a slice of him. His heart had always been on the island. He knew it even if he couldn’t act on it. He’d lied to himself about it, but not anymore. The days of dating women like Amanda McGregor were over. He was ready for something more real, and he couldn’t have that until he got rid of the cobwebs in his closet. 

He set the drink on the table next to him and rose, running his hand through his hair. Drinking his sorrows away wouldn’t help solve his problems. He would handle them like everything else in his life. Grabbing his card key off the table, he left. He stepped on the elevator and hit the number five on the panel. He might not own the damn place, but he sure as hell could make it known that Amanda wasn’t welcome in his private world, the place he’d kept separate from his corporate life, not wanting to taint the people on the island. Her presence was a reminder of the dual lives he led; and right now, he wanted only to get back to the one person his soul craved. He wanted Skylar, and it was time for Amanda to quit playing her games.

The elevator dinged and Luke stepped off, heading toward room 504 and passing one of the night maids cleaning an empty room. He knocked on the door. A crashing sound came from inside.

“Open the door, Amanda. I know you’re in there. I can hear you.”

He waited for an answer, only to be met with silence. He beat his fist against the wood. The sound echoed through the hallway.

“You aren’t going to get away with this. Open the damn door.” He banged again.

The door next to Amanda’s opened, and a man stuck his head out, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “Dude, some of us are trying to sleep.”

Luke ignored him and knocked again. When she didn’t answer, his head slumped forward in defeat. He took a deep calming breath; demanding she leave would have to wait. Just one more thing he’d tackle tomorrow.

He stepped back and made a quick apology to the neighbor before heading back down the hall. His mind raced with options on how best to handle her. The maid held towels pressed against her chest, giving him a wide berth as he passed.

“Sorry.”

She nodded once in acknowledgement and continued to watch him until he stepped on the elevator. He hit the button for the penthouse and pinched the bridge of his nose. What the hell had he been thinking? That he could just leave everything behind? The elevator doors slid open and he stormed back into his suite, letting the door close behind him. Walking straight into the bedroom, he emptied his pockets before unbuttoning his shirt. He unhooked one of the cufflinks and set it on the dresser before reaching for the other. When he found the cufflink gone, he paused. His brows dipped as he searched the surrounding floor. Nothing. He retraced his steps to the living room, his gaze sweeping the carpeted area. Nothing.

“Great.” He finished taking off the shirt and changing before returning to the living room. Grabbing a paper and a pen, he started a list of every single person he could think of that might have it in for him. From employees he’d terminated to competitors, even ex-girlfriends. He racked his brain, afraid he’d forgotten to add someone’s name that thought he might have wronged them. Seven names rounded out his suspect list. Two women and the rest men. Three ex-employees that he’d fired, Amanda and her father, and two scientists that he’d just pulled his funding from, for lack of meeting deadlines or producing any viable results. No one but Justin knew why he’d come to visit, the trip disguised as a celebratory birthday visit, so he brushed any information of his new bid on the building to the side, as it was not even public knowledge yet. He was sure when word got out, he could add more to his list, locals that might look at a lab on the island as some hazardous health issue, but that was a worry for another day, not today. 

Luke left the note on the table before taking a shower and heading to bed. The plans he’d mentally made to talk Sky into another date to wine and dine her were on hold. Finding the wannabe killer and stopping any additional attempts took priority.

Chapter 4

Skylar’s stomach dipped and she clenched her fist when passing the closed sign hanging on the restaurant doors. Last night she hadn’t considered any hotel or restaurant ramifications from what had happened, but the reminder was bold and in her face, and she was pissed. Crime scene tape was strung across the door. Anger seeped into her core as she pulled out her phone and shot off a text to her brother.

Any chance the attempt was to ruin the restaurant or the hotel?

Can’t talk. I’ll contact you in a few.

She shrugged and slid the phone back into her purse. Skylar quickened her pace through the hotel lobby, ignoring the stares and bypassing questions. Butterflies assaulted her belly, knowing in just mere minutes she’d be confronting Luke. She’d tried to mentally prepare herself for any of his retorts, but now that she was here, her stomach flipped and flopped as if the elevator was dropping from beneath her feet.

The elevator dinged the top floor, and she stepped out. “It’s now or never.”

She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin as she rapped her knuckles against Luke’s door.

“Just a sec,” he called out. Locks unclicked before the door opened.

“Sky…What are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?”

He opened the door wider, letting her pass. “You shouldn’t be here.”

She fiddled with her car keys before spinning on her heels to meet his gaze. “You’re an ass.”

His lips twitched. “I thought that was evident. I’m sure your brother tried to warn you.”

“No, see…that’s the thing.” She waved her keys around as she paced to the large hotel window. “You almost had me convinced to walk away.” She turned to face him and her brow rose. “But you forgot something very important.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We Loves…we don’t leave our friends high and dry when they need us the most, no matter how stubborn and pigheaded they can get.” She gave him a saucy grin and waited for his rebuttal.

He dropped his arms. The color of his eyes and energy darkened with his glare. “Sky, you don’t understand how dangerous these people can be.”

“Oh?” Her brow rose. “So you have it all figured out?” She pulled out her phone. “Tell me who, and I’ll let Declan know so he can arrest them.”

Luke let out an aggravated breath. “I don’t know who it is yet, but I’m working on it.”

“Great.” She grinned. “Then we should be able to find this son of a bitch pretty quick.”

“Sky—” His refusal was interrupted by a knock on the door. “This conversation isn’t over yet.”

“You’re damn right it’s not,” she called after him.

Luke opened the door, and Declan stomped into the room, not waiting for an invitation. His gaze landed on Sky before turning and holding up a sealed evidence bag. “Do you care to tell me what the hell you were doing outside of room 504?”

“Wait, 504? That’s Amanda’s room.” Skylar walked over to her brother and took the bag. The cufflink that she’d given Luke was sitting inside the plastic.

“Sky, it’s not what you think.”

She tried to hide the hurt in her eyes, and a knot grew in her stomach. “Did you go see her?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation. “But it’s not what you think. I went to tell her she’s wasting her time here and I’d never take her back. I was going to insist that she leave, or I’d call her father to come get her.”

“Did you talk to her?” Declan asked.

“No,” Luke answered. “I banged on her door, but she never answered.”

“Did she say anything to you?”

“No. I heard a crash inside, so I knew she was in there, but when her neighbor poked his head out into the hall and told me he was trying to sleep, I left.”

“Can anyone else confirm your story?”

“Why?” Skylar turned to her brother.

“Luke, I need you to answer my question. Did anyone else see you banging on the door and when you walked away?”

“Yeah, one of the maids.” He nodded. “She was restocking towels in one of the empty guest rooms. She watched me get on the elevator.”

Declan let out a sigh. “I know you’re telling the truth because of my abilities. We’re still checking the security tapes to prove you weren’t involved, but as a precaution, I’m going to need your alibi and I was hoping to avoid a trip to the station for questioning.”

“What the hell do you mean, alibi?” Skylar handed the bag back to her brother.

“Amanda McGregor was found dead in her room this morning by one of the maids.”

Skylar’s breath hitched as she covered her mouth with her hand. Amanda was dead?

“What? How?” Luke asked.

“My forensic investigator, who was here last night, thinks she drank drain cleaner.”

Skylar’s eyes widened. “How can she tell?”

“Drain cleaner is some lethal shit. When ingested, it causes a whole slew of problems to the body. A few of those are bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears. She was found lying on the floor with a glass near her hand. The bottle was sitting on the dresser. The room was in shambles and it looks like she put up a fight.”

“Oh no,” Skylar said.

Luke’s eyes glassed over. He remained unmoving and quiet as if processing the news.

“Have you checked the security cameras to see if anyone was seen coming or leaving?” Sky asked. “Besides Mr. Obvious,” she said, gesturing to Luke.

“We’ve got a team acquiring everything.”

“Luke, do you know anyone who would want her and you dead?”

Luke walked over to the table and picked up a piece of paper. He glanced at it once more before handing it to Declan. “I don’t know about Amanda, but I made a list.”

“Perfect.” Declan ran his finger down the list of names. “I’ll call in a favor and have the authorities on the mainland check alibis while we compare these names with the ferry’s manifest to see who else might have followed you here. If the killer came in via personal boat or helicopter, that might be harder to track, but we’ll check those angles too.”

“Whoever is responsible knows where you’re staying.” Skylar added, walking into his room. She pulled clothes from his closet and shoved them into his bag.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked with Declan following him.

“You can’t stay here. You’re an open target.”

“Sky, I’m going to be fine. I’ll just be extra cautious.”

“And what if somehow they get into the kitchen and they spike your food, or worse, they steal a waiter’s uniform, come to deliver your food and  shoot you.”

“You watch way too much TV.”

“Mmm hmm. Don’t blame me if that psycho comes to kill you in your sleep. You watch. Someone is going to kidnap your ass, put you in handcuffs, weigh you down with concrete shoes, and dump your butt overboard into the ocean.”

Declan and Luke smiled at each other.

“What? It could happen.”

“Uh...” Declan cleared his throat. “What if the target isn’t him and it’s you, Sky?”

“What the hell do you mean the target could be Sky?” Luke asked while taking the shirts out of Skylar’s hands and hanging them back up in the closet.

She tossed her hands in the air. “I’ll be sleeping with my 9mm. I’m not sleeping with the damn fishies. When they come for me, they better be ten feet tall and bulletproof, or you won’t be investigating a missing person but another homicide.”

“Forensics found both glasses laced with the cleaner. If Amanda was trying to win you back, she wouldn’t have tried to kill you.” Declan shrugged. “What if it’s Sky’s enemy? This might not have anything to do with Luke.”

“Why would it be Sky’s enemy? She didn’t even know Amanda.”

Declan shrugged. “Technically, Amanda knocked the drink on Sky. For all we know, it could be a stalker and in some twisted sick sense, he may think that he was protecting Sky. We have no idea who we’re dealing with yet.”

Luke pulled the shirt back off the hanger and tossed it into the suitcase. He walked back to the closet and gathered the rest of his clothes, carrying them into the room and dumping them on the bed. The streams of color changed right before her eyes. His normal blue turned darker from determination. Declan glanced at her and winked.

A master manipulator at work. At least Declan knew what buttons to push to make Luke see the danger he was in, even if he had to twist the issue. She held in her smile.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to molest you,” she teased and walked into the bathroom, helping him move along with packing his things.

“Honey, that’s the last thing I’m worried about,” he said from the bedroom.

She leaned around the doorway back into the bedroom. “Did you just call me honey?”

He grinned.

She walked out of the bathroom carrying his cologne while twisting the top back on tight. “You think this is funny?”

“Personally, I think you forgot to take your meds, Sky,” Declan answered.

“She didn’t forget her meds, Dec.” Luke moved to stand in front of her and rested his palms on her arms. “She’s just worried, and this is how she handles it.” He glanced over his shoulder at his best friend. “Remember when she was worried bed-wetter Tommy Sampson wasn’t going to ask her to prom.”

Skylar’s mouth dropped open, and she brushed Luke’s palms away from her. “And if you’ll recall, I was right about that too.” She narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Maybe I’m overreacting, but what if I’m not?” She glanced to her brother. “Someone has already tried to kill us once, and now Amanda’s dead. Whoever killed Amanda, and spiked our drinks, isn’t playing around.”

She set the cologne on the dresser and walked out of the room into the living room. Plopping down on the couch, she cupped her head in her hands. Why was this happening? She clenched her eyes closed, replaying everything in her own life since Luke had arrived home. She’d broken up with Ryan, but he wasn’t the type of guy to kill. She let out a deep breath, coming up short with any other suspects that might have been tied to her.

The couch dipped beside her and a hand rested on her back. Luke’s intoxicating cologne drifted to her nose.

“How about this…” He rubbed small circles on her back. “All I have today are a few conference calls, and I can do those from anywhere. You and I can take the boat offshore where no one can find us while your brother figures everything out. That way we’ll see anyone coming after us.”

“Unless he’s a long-range sniper. We wouldn’t see him coming.”

“You watch way too much crime TV. So how does a couple of days out on the water with me sound?”

Hope was restored that he wouldn’t be leaving. She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes. “You’d do that for me?”

His face softened. “Of course.” He rose and held out his hand. “I’ll pack a small bag, leave my stuff here as a decoy, give your brother the key and then we’ll swing by your house to get your things. We can be on the water by noon.”

“You good with this?” she asked Declan and held her breath.

“Yep. We’ll set it up with a tracking device, and as long as you two keep in contact if an emergency comes up, then we should be good.”

“Or if you have another dead body,” she mumbled and took Luke’s hand. He let her pull him up from the couch. “We’re going to need to stock the galley.”

“We’ll hit the grocery store on our way out,” Luke called over his shoulder as he disappeared into his room.

Declan tossed his arm over Skylar’s shoulder. “Take your 9mm, the Sig, and the flare gun. If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to shoot.”

She glanced up at him. “Thanks, Dec. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

Declan lifted the list of names in his hand. “I’ll call you if we get a hit on his list.”

“What if you don’t? What then? We can’t stay out on the water forever.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“I hope you’re right.” She chewed her bottom lip and swallowed around her dry throat.