Flash Point (8 page)

They pulled up outside Kate’s shop a few minutes later, becoming the first responders on the scene. Beating Tyson—or whoever else might’ve been on duty at the sheriff’s office.

Parking the truck by the curb, Todd kept on the emergency lights and then hurried into the shop. His concern tinged with a bit of frustration when he found Kate tampering with the heating vent. She stood on her tiptoes and struggled to pry the vent open.

The jeans she wore slung low on her hips, so when her red sweater lifted with her stretching, he spotted the flash of creamy skin. Skin he’d kissed…caressed. His pulse jumped and he flexed his jaw, trying to shove thoughts of sex with Kate from his mind.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded tersely, crossing the room to her. “If this is some kind of gas leak, then you should’ve waited outside.”

She jumped and spun around, guilt and shock filling her eyes. “I don’t think it’s a—”

“Outside, Kate.”

She folded her arms across her chest and swallowed hard. Resentment flickered in her gaze now. “Todd, maybe when you say jump, other women do it while batting their eyelashes. But this is
my
shop and I’m not leaving until I know what’s going on. And as I told the dispatcher I don’t really think it’s a gas leak, but she insisted on putting out the call for help anyway.”

Todd’s slight frustration lurched to full-on irritation as he advanced on her. Despite her little speech, she seemed to realize she’d picked the wrong fight, because her blue eyes widened and she backed up until she hit the edge of the display case.

Her tongue darted across her mouth and her breasts rose and fell beneath her sweater.

“Look, Kate, there’s being stubborn, and there’s being foolish. And I don’t want to see you getting hurt,” he growled.

She laughed at him. A little, high-pitched sound of disbelief before she rolled her eyes.

“Hey, Todd,” Jeremiah called out from behind him. “I think we’re okay here, pretty sure it’s not a gas leak.”

Todd’s jaw snapped shut. Yeah, he’d pretty much figured that out too. That smell wasn’t gas, it was the sour smell of something rotting. But Kate couldn’t have known that, and the fact she’d stuck around trying to Nancy Drew it out herself sparked a fierce concern for her safety that he hadn’t known was possible for him to feel for a person. Someone outside his family, that was.

Turning on his heel, he joined up with Jeremiah near the vent. Together they pried the grate free and tugged it away the wall.

The door to the shop chimed as Todd reached for his flashlight.

“Got some kind of problem I hear, kid?” Todd heard his brother Tyson call out to Kate.

Apparently the sheriff’s department had just arrived on the scene.

“Yeah, something’s going on in the heating vent,” Kate muttered, and then her tone shifted to surprise. “Oh, hello, Walt.”

Walt was here now? Todd’s jaw clenched against the surge of anger and annoyance that rushed him. He pushed it aside as he shown the flashlight into the vent.

“Good morning, Caitleen,” a concerned voice—he could only assume was Walt—said. “What’s all the fuss?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

Todd moved the beam of light around the interior, until a small, dark shape was reflected.

“What is that?” Jeremiah muttered next to him.

Todd frowned. It wasn’t pretty, whatever it was. “Looks like a dead animal.”

He reached in and pulled the small creature free. “Possum.”

“Oh my god.” Kate was at his side in an instant, her hand over her mouth. “How did it end up in there? The poor thing must’ve gotten stuck. Is it dead?”

“Yeah. It’s dead.”

And it had probably dead for quite awhile. Todd’s gut clenched and his jaw ticked. In fact, it looked like road kill from the side of the road. Which was making him think someone had deliberately placed it in there.

“It’s got blood all over it. And his face is all smashed in,” Kate whispered suddenly. “How did it—”

“Tyson, take her out of here,” Todd said tersely.

“Don’t take me outside, tell me what’s going on—”

“Come on, Caitleen,” Walt said gently, and he heard their retreating footsteps. “This is not something for the eyes of a lady. We should let them handle this.”

Tyson came around to observe the situation, then glanced outside. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Anger, hot and potent, gathered in Todd’s belly. “If you’re thinking that somebody stuffed this little guy in here already dead, then yeah.”

“Shit. Who’d Kate piss off?” Jeremiah shook his head and took the dead possum from Todd’s hands. “I’ll take care of this poor little guy.”

Todd watched Jeremiah leave the shop, and then his gaze caught on Kate and Walt. Walt had her in his arms, was stroking a hand down her back and brushing a kiss across her forehead.

Jealousy blindsided him, tightening his throat and coiling every muscle in his body. How the hell could she let another man touch her? After what had just happened between them barely forty-eight hours ago.

“
Todd
.”

He blinked, tearing his gaze away from the couple and meeting Tyson’s questioning stare.

“What?”

“I said I don’t think this is a random prank.”

“No shit,” Todd replied tersely and scrubbed a hand down his jaw, forcing his focus back to whoever was targeting Kate. “I’ve never thought any of them were. The rock through the window. The flat tires.”

Tyson nodded. “Time to talk to her.”

“Great idea. Let me grab her.” The idea of making her leave the circle of Walt’s arms was more appealing than he wanted to admit.

Todd moved toward the door and Walt glanced up, spotting his approach. Then, holding Todd’s hard stare, Walt caught Kate’s chin in his hands before kissing her on the mouth.

The hell he did
. Hot anger coiled in Todd’s belly as he thrust open the door, barely restraining the low growl rising in his throat.

“Kate,” he damn near snarled. “We need to talk.”

She jerked away from Walt, her eyes blue pools of surprise and guilt. She nodded and ran her tongue over lips that had just been beneath another man’s.

“Umm, I need to go, Walt,” she murmured, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I’ll catch up with you tonight?”

“That sounds great, Caitleen. See you then.”

Todd held the door and Kate scooted in past him, the curve of her hip brushing his thigh. His blood heated and he ground his teeth together, willing his cock not to get the wrong idea.

He shut the door behind her, noting that she didn’t meet his gaze and seemed entirely too fidgety as she made her way toward the back.

Curling his fingers into fists, he resisted the urge to catch her arm and halt her. And he bit his tongue to stop himself from revealing just what he thought of seeing that schmuck next door kissing her.

And when Tyson sat her down to begin questioning her, Todd managed—just barely—to turn his thoughts to darker issues. Like who had it out for Kate and her shop…

What the hell was wrong with him? Todd scrubbed his hands over his eyes and wished like hell he could sleep. Instead, he’d spent half the day tossing and turning before finally getting up and taking another shower.

Why did getting kicked to the curb by Kate bug him so much? It should have been
his
damn fantasy. Kate with no strings attached. Hadn’t he wanted that for months now?

Instead, his stomach burned with bitterness and jealousy while instinct pricked in the back of his head that something was off.

He sat in his kitchen, sipping a soda and staring out the window at the setting sun.

There had to be more to it. Something else going on, but what? It was there, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Damn if he didn’t wish there was someone else to ask. Someone else who might know exactly what was going on in Kate’s little head…

Todd’s fingers crushed around the soda and he shoved back his chair.
Ellie!
How the hell had he forgotten about his sister-in-law’s involvement?

He ran through the house, grabbed his keys and hurried outside to his truck, a resolute smile curving his lips.

Ellie opened the door after the second knock and her expression showed she’d been reluctant to.

“Todd,” she greeted him mildly. “How are you?”

“You need to tell me everything, Ellie. Everything you and Kate plotted.”

She winced and glanced behind her into the house, then lowered her voice. “Give me a minute and I’ll come out—”

“Sweetheart, is Todd here?”

At the sound of Tyson Wyatt’s voice, Ellie scowled and looked about ready to stomp her foot.

“You should have called first,” she hissed and stepped back, opening the door. “Yes, Tyson. Your brother’s here.”

Todd stepped into the house, not really giving a damn about Ellie’s desire to keep their talk under wraps.

“Good,” Tyson came out of the kitchen, a dishrag slung over his arm. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

Todd should’ve been on alert at the hard glint in his brother’s eyes, but he was too focused on Ellie’s guilty expression.

“You slept with Kate, didn’t you?” Tyson asked with deceptive softness.

“Umm, I’ll let you two talk,” Ellie said quickly and tried to slip away.

“Oh no you don’t.” Todd shook his head. “I bet Ellie has quite a bit to say on this whole Kate thing, don’t you?”

“I…”

“There’s been talk around town about Todd leaving the party with Kate on Saturday night,” Tyson glanced down at his wife, his brows drawing into a scowl. “But, sweetheart, don’t tell me you knew about this?”

“She not only knew about it, she helped plan it,” Todd said tersely. “I didn’t set out to seduce Kate. She seduced me.”

“Kate seduced
you
?” Tyson’s scowl deepened. “I know you, Todd, and I’m calling bullshit.”

Ellie groaned. “No, it’s true. It’s my fault, Tyson. I should’ve talked her out of it.”

Tyson glared at them both, before lingering on Ellie. “Seriously? Ellie, you helped her do this? Why the hell would you do that? It’s like throwing a bunny in the lion’s den. She can’t handle Todd.”

Jesus Christ, they were acting like he was a goddamned sociopath or something.

“I think Kate can handle a helluva lot more than you guys think,” he muttered, thinking of she was all over Walt this afternoon.

But Ellie and Tyson seemed to be in their own conversation now. “Tyson, she was
determined
and she would’ve done it without my help anyway.”

Todd gave a harsh laugh. “Yeah, she would’ve. She had a goal and she made damn sure she accomplished it.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? She
told
you about that?”

I figured it was a good opportunity to check that sleep with a firefighter fantasy off my list
. Her words flickered through his head, making something curdle in his stomach.

He gave a small nod. “Yeah. She did.”

“Told him what?” Tyson demanded.

Todd hesitated, not really wanting to air the truth aloud. It was offensive enough in his head.

“Ellie,” Tyson’s voice sharpened. “What did she tell him?”

Ellie groaned and then muttered, “That she was a virgin.”

Chapter Ten

Todd heard the words, but it took a second before they sank in. There was a roaring in his ears as every muscle in his body went taut.

What the fuck?

“Say that again?” he said unsteadily, taking a step toward her.

Ellie’s eyes went wide. “Shit! You said she told you.”

“
That
is not what she told me.”

Jesus Christ. Kate had been a virgin?
A fucking virgin
? He turned away, thrusting a hand through his hair as his stomach took a huge nosedive.

“Oh for God’s sake, you can’t tell me this is a surprise,” Tyson snapped. “Damn it, Todd, have you been living under a rock?”

Todd bit his tongue before he snarled at his brother to shove it where the sun didn’t shine.

No, he hadn’t fucking known. Though apparently he should’ve. Kate had always seemed a bit innocent, but that night she’d thrown him off balance. Sexy outfit, coming on to him like he was the last guy on earth. All with Ellie’s help, no doubt. But it had all been an act. His skilled little seductress had been anything but skilled.
Kate had been a virgin.

It made sense. How tight she’d been, the slight look of pain in her eyes when he’d entered her. And he’d been a selfish idiot, brushing it off as the size of his dick.

Nausea and self-disgust swept through him.

“Where are you going?” Ellie asked.

Todd wasn’t even aware of walking out the door, only driven by the instinct to confront Kate. She’d been a virgin and she hadn’t told him. The betrayal stabbed hard in his gut.

Why had she done it? And why would she want a one-night stand for her first time? He sure as hell didn’t believe the whole I-only-wanted-to-fuck-a-fireman thing anymore. That had been a wall thrown up to distract him. One he’d be sure to tear down in her face when he found her.

He gripped his keys and climbed back into his truck, backing out of Tyson’s driveway faster than he should’ve.

When he drove by her house and her car wasn’t there, he let out a string of curses before heading into town. He spotted her car outside the Italian restaurant and pulled up to the curb and parked.
 

He was about to make one helluva scene, but right now, he didn’t give a flying fuck.

Kate took another sip of wine and forced another smile at Walt. This whole evening had felt forced. Holding his hand, attempting to respond to his flirtations and compliments. But she was trying, because this was her future. A guy like Walt. Not Todd-the-Bed-Hopper Wyatt.

“It’s so awful what’s been going on with your shop, Caitleen,” he said softly, concern in his eyes as he took her hand again. “Do the police have any suspects?”

She hesitated and shook her head. The attacks on her shop had her on the edge. If she wasn’t so miserable with the whole Todd situation, she’d probably be freaking out about it a little more.

Another potential suspect had flitted through her head. Or a dozen of them…any of the women who’d dated Todd. Because more than a handful of them had probably seen her leave Ryan’s party with him on Saturday night and didn’t like the fact.