Her Kind of Man (27 page)

K
ent entered his condo. He hadn't talked to Allina since earlier. There was something about her tone that didn't sit right with him. She'd asked him if he'd sent her flowers and then practically hung up on him. He'd had to go into another meeting so he hadn't had a chance to call her back. Once it was over, though, he'd called her but she didn't answer. So he'd packed up and left the office, telling his boss he was going to finish his work from home.

He'd gone back to his mother's house after work to check on her and make sure she ate something. She'd talked his ear off about Syd's wedding and Sunday dinner. He hated to, but he had to sneak out while she was in the bathroom because he was anxious to get home and check on Allina.

On Kent's way home, Morgan called. Allina had called his brother to let him know that Isaac had found her. He'd hung up on his brother and called Allina. Again she didn't pick up.

Now he called out, “Allina?”

Pausing, he listened for her. The condo was quiet: no television, no radio, no off-key singing, no clinking of pans in the kitchen…no Allina.

His gaze traveled over the room, and his eye caught on the black box sitting on the table. Stalking over to the table, he yanked the box up, letting it fall open. The box of bullets fell out but the gun was gone.

He tried Allina's phone one more time, but he was pretty sure she wasn't going to answer.

Hanging up, after leaving her another message, he dialed Morgan. While he waited for his brother to pick up he walked through the house, checking all of the rooms.

“What's up, Kent?” Morgan grumbled.

“Allina's gone,” Kent said. The bedroom was empty and his bed had been stripped down to the mattress. “And so is my gun.”

He heard Morgan let out a string of curses. “Have you checked the house? See any signs of a fight?”

“I'm walking through,” he told Morgan. When he got to the laundry room, he opened the lid on the washer and saw the bedding inside. “Did she say anything else to you?”

“No. Just that he'd found her and she needed to reach you. I'm leaving work right now,” Morgan said. “I'll go to the bar, check on Syd. If you need me, just say the word.” They decided that if something went down, it would be best if Morgan was with Syd, since Isaac had issued a threat against her.

“I'll call you if I hear from her,” Kent said before he ended the call.

Kent pushed the office door open. The computer was on. He stepped over to the desk and peered at the monitor. Next to the keyboard was an envelope. After he shut the computer down, he picked up the envelope.

A couple of pictures fell out onto the desk, of him and Allina at the Ice Box, and of Allina's mother. That fuckin' asshole had someone following her, which meant he knew where Kent lived. The longer he stared at Allina's face in the pictures, the cloudier his vision got. He could only imagine the terror Allina had felt when she saw the pictures.

There was a second envelope on top of the printer. He picked it up and pulled out the paperwork.
Son of a bitch
. Inside was documentation highlighting Isaac's past, from payoffs to complaints of sexual assaults to court orders denying personal protection orders. There was also an obituary for a woman named Tina Pollard.

He called his brother again and told him about the pictures and the envelope. Morgan then told him that he'd already called Red to give him an update.

A gamut of emotions spread through Kent. On one hand, he was terrified. Allina was gone, and he didn't know if she'd left on her own or if someone had taken her. If she'd left on her own, with his gun, then she'd felt she needed it. If she didn't leave on her own, then whoever took her had his pistol. Either way, the situation was bad.

On the other side of his fear was anger. He wanted nothing more than for her to be safe. And he wanted to beat the brakes off Isaac. He wouldn't be satisfied until he made that man bleed, damn the consequences. Because he knew who Allina was with. In his heart, he knew she was with that goddamn minister.

His phone rang and he recognized Red's number. “What's up, Red?” he said.

“Are you still at home?” Red asked.

“For now.” Kent went back into the living room.

“Any idea where she is?”

“No,” Kent grumbled. “But I need you to do something for me. I have an envelope full of shit on Isaac. When I see you, I need you to take a look. We're probably going to need your skill set.”

“That must be the file I sent
her
earlier,” Red said. Kent heard Red tell someone he was out of there. “I'm on my way,” Red told him. “Be there in twenty minutes.”

Kent picked up his baseball cap from the floor and set it on the table. A piece of paper was sitting on the table, with Allina's handwriting on it. “I think I know where she is,” he said to Red.

“Where?” Red asked. “You want me to meet you somewhere else?”

“Meet me at the Westin Hotel at the airport, room 434.” Kent walked over to the coffee table and snatched up his keys. “I'm on my way there now.” Kent balled up the piece of paper in his hand and tossed it in a small trashcan on his way out the door.

Kent sped to the hotel, grateful that he lived five minutes from the expressway. From there, he was able to make it to the airport in record time, ten minutes to be exact.

Allina walked into the nearly empty hotel lobby. She searched the area for the elevators. When she spotted them, she dashed over to them and punched the up button.

Stepping into the elevator, she pressed the 4 button and leaned against the wall as it ascended. Clutching the huge white envelope in one hand and cupping the bottom of her purse with the other, she peeked out of the elevator. She'd made two copies of the file Red sent just to make sure Kent saw it when he got home. She looked right, then left, and walked out, going down the hallway toward room 434.

Dragging her feet, she approached the door. She'd practically left a trail of bread crumbs for Kent to find. The only problem was she wasn't sure when he'd actually see it. Although she was hesitant, she'd tried to call him and it went straight to voicemail. Thinking back to what he'd told her earlier, she hoped he would get off work early and head straight home.

When she finally reached the room, she opened her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans. Lifting her hand, she knocked.

Isaac answered the door dressed in a pair of dress slacks and a button-down shirt. Narrowing his eyes at her, he stepped aside and motioned for her to come in.

She sidestepped him, careful not to brush against him as she passed. She didn't want any part of her to touch him, not even her purse. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun so that he couldn't pull it, and she was wearing gym shoes in case she had to run.

Whirling around, she glared at Isaac. “What do you want?”

“I've come to take you home. We have a wedding to plan.”

Frowning, she threw her arms up in the air. “Are you nuts? There is no way I'm going to marry you.”

“If you don't want to go down for killing your aunt and your father to go to jail for hiding it, you will.”

Allina retreated, blown away at his accusation. Only he didn't have it right. He thought
she
killed her aunt. Still, he could do serious damage. Her family would be implicated if the prosecutor had good cause to reopen the case. She couldn't let that happen.

“Now, I bought you a plane ticket,” he said. “We're going back in a matter of hours.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you,” she said, her chin held high.

“Do you really think you have a choice?” he asked, cocking a brow at her.

When she'd first met Isaac she'd thought he was so handsome, but the man standing before her now was ugly, inside and out. She scowled at him. “If you think you have the upper hand, think again,” she snapped. “You're delusional. I didn't kill my aunt. An intruder did that. You're a freakin' fugitive, however. You're going to jail. And your father will not be able to get you out of it this time.”

“They don't have anything on me,” he said, waving a dismissive hand at her.

“See this,” she held up the envelope. “Proof that you've been crazy as hell since you were a teenager. Looks like they're building a pretty decent case against you. You'll be lucky if you ever see the light of day again, especially since you killed Carla Little's mother.”

Isaac blanched at her, his eyes growing wide. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me,” she said. In reality, Allina had read the file. She'd watched enough
Law and Order
to know the evidence against Isaac was shaky at best. All circumstantial. She needed to goad him into a confession. “You want to talk about what you think you know about me. I told you, I know a lot about you, too.” She flung the envelope at him, reached into her back pocket, and grabbed her phone. Pushing the button, she shoved it back in there while he looked through the file. “You're going down, and then I'll be free.”

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“Don't you worry about that,” she tossed back at him. It was something he seemed to have grown fond of saying to her when she asked him a question. “You're done. By the time all your dirty deeds come out, you'll be lucky if you find any supporters. And I'm sure the bishop will wash his hands of you as well.”

The sting of the slap that came next brought tears to her eyes and she staggered back from the force of it. She glared at him, her hand on her cheek. She grimaced in pain as the fire spread through one side of her face.

The ire in his eyes gave her pause. She eyed the door, looked around the room for a blunt object, then darted for the door but he grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back. She stumbled backward but managed to remain standing. When she fumbled to open her purse he grabbed her by her neck, pulling her to him.

Allina clawed at him as she struggled to breathe. “Let me go,” she gasped.

“See what you made me do?” he mumbled in her ear. “You're not so big and bad now, huh?” His breath on her skin made her cringe. He yanked her purse away and tossed it across the room. It landed next to the bed with a muffled thud.

He shoved her hard and she fell to the floor and tried to crawl to her purse, but he grabbed her leg and dragged her across the room. Kicking and screaming, she tried her best to connect with his chin, his gut, his stuff…something. She hoped someone would at least hear her frantic cries.

With one move, he picked her up and threw her on the bed. Climbing on top of her, he growled, “Do you let that fool get on top of you like this?” he asked. “You let him touch you?”

Allina looked in his eyes. There was nothing there but contempt. She bucked under him, “Get off of me!” she shouted.

His hand brushed against her breast and she stiffened. “I'm not going to just give you up. After all the time I put into you? Let some other man rub his hands all over your body? I don't think so.”

Cupping his hand over her mouth, he murmured against her cheek, “You're so beautiful. Your skin and your mouth drive me crazy. So crazy that I can't stand the idea of him touching you, making love to you. You're mine. Not his.”

She felt a tear stream down the side her face and into her ear. But she refused to buckle for him. She would fight until she couldn't fight anymore. Struggling under him, she glanced at the lamp on the nightstand.

“See, I figure you're just a little hardheaded,” he said, squeezing her neck. “It's a habit I can break.”

He pushed against her, and she felt his erection against her belly. Eyes wide, she bucked even harder.

“It's better if you just give in,” he said. “Isn't that what your little boyfriend told you? I told Carla that as well. She didn't listen, because of her stupid mother. That's why I had to get rid of the woman.”

Trying another approach, she stopped moving. He licked her face and she whimpered. Her tears flowed freely. Steeling herself, she waited until he removed his hand from her mouth and tried to kiss her.

“Get. Off. Of. Me.” She bit down on his lip and when he jerked back, she kneed him in the groin. He keeled aside in pain, rolling off the bed and landing on top of her purse.

She jumped out of bed and bolted for the door, but he managed to grab her ankle and yank, sending her crashing to the floor.

Grunting when her shoulder landed hard, she kicked at him with as much force as she could. She finally got leverage and her heel connected with his neck. He let go of her and she scrambled to her feet.

Her purse was still too far away so she made a run for the door. When she swung it open, Kent was standing there.

Allina trembled with relief. It was all she could do to not rush into his arms and let him carry her away. But Isaac's voice stopped her from rejoicing when he said, “Get away from her before I shoot her.”

K
ent's relief at seeing Allina was short lived. Isaac had his gun pointed at them.

Allina turned around and gasped. “No,” she whispered.

Kent stepped in front of her and raised his hands up at his sides. He didn't have time to think of what he'd just heard. When he'd heard her screams, he'd sprinted down the hallway.

Even though he wasn't looking at her at that moment, he couldn't get the image of her red cheek and scared eyes out of his head. He couldn't think about that right now though. He had to deal with the preacher.

“Hold on,” he told Isaac, trying to keep his voice even. “You really don't want to fire that gun in this hotel.”

“Shut up,” Isaac barked. “I told you to get away from her.”

“Look, man,” Kent warned. “You might as well forget it. I'm not letting you near her. Now put the gun down.”

“Who are you?” Isaac demanded.

With his eyes still trained on the gun, he answered, “A friend of Allina's.”

Isaac snorted. “A friend? I'm not an idiot. I know that you're more than a
friend
to Allina. She is staying with you, right?”

“Does it matter?” Kent struggled to keep his temper in check. Every time he thought about moving forward, he saw the glint from the gun in Isaac's hands. He couldn't risk it going off and hitting Allina, and he didn't want to get shot himself.

“Just answer the question!” Isaac roared.

“I did answer your question,” Kent said. “I'm a friend.” He felt Allina's nails digging into his biceps.

“What kind of friend?” Isaac insisted.

“A good one.” Kent knew he was being coy, but the man in front of him seemed unhinged. Telling Isaac what he was to Allina could likely set the man off. “Aren't you a minister? Your father is Bishop Hunter?”

“What do you know about it?” Isaac asked.

“I know more than you think,” Kent replied. “I'm sure your father wouldn't want a scandal. Maybe you should put the gun away and leave here.”

Kent's eyes remained on Isaac. When he noticed his arms lowering, he lunged for him. He barreled into him, knocking him into the desk. The gun slipped from Isaac's hand and slid under the bed.

Allina screamed his name, distracting him, and Isaac got him in the jaw. A weak hit, but that shit still hurt. Growling, Kent lifted the stupid man up and slammed him back down into the desk. He heard the wood splintering under Isaac's weight, and when he fell to the carpet, Kent delivered a swift kick to his abdomen—or two. He rushed toward Allina.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Kent!” Allina shouted. “The gun.”

He looked down and saw Isaac crawling toward the gun. But before he could get to it, Isaac grabbed it and pointed it at him. He drew back, holding his hands out in front of him. His eyes were focused on the barrel of the gun and nothing else. His gaze swept around the room, and he'd jumped right toward the bed when the gun fired.

“No,” Allina yelled. “Kent!”

He rolled to his back, but Isaac had already managed to stand up. The gun in Isaac's hand was pointed directly at Kent. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Allina spring forward and swing the heavy bedside lamp, hitting Isaac in the head. The man fell to the ground like a dead tree.

Allina stared at her ex-fiancé, her mouth open. “Oh my God!” she gasped.

Kent's gaze fell to Isaac, who was knocked out cold. Blood seeped onto the carpet from where Allina had hit him, but it wasn't an overwhelming amount.

“Is he dead?” she cried. “Did I kill him?”

Jumping off the bed, he reached the preacher and felt for a pulse. Shaking his head he said, “No.”

Before he could tell her to call an ambulance and the police, Red rushed in. His friend stopped in his tracks when he saw Isaac lying in the middle of the floor.

“Holy shit,” Red stopped and stared down at Isaac. “Damn. Did you kill him?”

Glaring at Red, Kent said, “No. He's not dead.”

“The police are on the way,” Red explained. “The front desk had already alerted them because someone called them about the commotion.”

Kent stood up and pulled Allina into his arms. She pushed against him and stepped back.

“Wait,” she said, grabbing the phone out of her back pocket. “I recorded everything. He said he killed Carla's mother.”

Kent couldn't help the pride that swelled in him at Allina's tenacity. He gently took the phone from her hand and gave it to Red.

Turning into him, Allina buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

A few minutes later, the cops were all over the room. Red was off to the side answering questions because Allina was still crying. Rocking her slowly, Kent murmured words of comfort in her ear until an older police officer approached them. The cop asked him his name and wanted an account of what had happened in the room.

Allina looked up then, her eyes tired and dull. “Officer, I can tell you what happened.”

Kent was proud of Allina as she gathered herself enough to explain everything to the officer. While she was talking, the paramedics rushed in and tended to Isaac. The minister had regained consciousness, but still needed medical attention.

Allina paused in the middle of her story when they wheeled a handcuffed Isaac out of the room. She tugged at her ear and let out a ragged breath before she continued.

Kent hated that she'd gone through something so similar to her aunt's death. He imagined her instinct to protect him was a lot like the way her mother had felt when she'd walked in on Allina's aunt molesting her.

He couldn't say that he wouldn't do the same thing if put in that position. In fact, he was very sure he would have shot Isaac himself, given the chance.

The officer finished up his questions and gave them his card. Kent directed the officer back over to Red. When he and Allina were as alone as they could be in the middle of a crime scene, he brushed a hair away from her eye. “Are you okay?”

It was a silly question, but he asked anyway.

“I guess. I just want to go home.”

“Then we're going home,” he told her, helping her to her feet. “I'm sure Red can handle everything.”

They walked slowly toward the door. Red nodded at them and blocked their exit. “I'm going to push for attempted murder, stalking…everything I can try for. I've already contacted a colleague of mine at the Prosecutor's office to give him the heads-up.”

It probably wasn't ethical, maybe it was even a little shady, but Kent appreciated having friends in high places. “Good. On top of everything else, maybe he'll die in prison.”

The thought occurred to him that Isaac might still pose a credible threat. Although he hadn't had a chance to talk to Allina about why she'd come to the hotel, he suspected it had to do with Isaac somehow knowing about her parents' involvement in her aunt's death.

If Isaac did know, then Kent was confident the minister would use anything and everything in his power to stick it to Allina and stay out of jail himself. Kent intended to make sure Isaac would never hurt Allina again.

The car ride home was quiet. Allina sat in the passenger seat, staring out at the passing scenery. He'd managed to convince her to leave the rental car she'd been driving at the hotel. They'd pick it up in the morning. Kent wanted to ask her what she was thinking about but he figured he'd give her time to process everything that had happened.

When they arrived at the house, his condo was lit up. Scanning the lot, he noticed Morgan's truck. Shifting the car into park, he turned to Allina. “We have company, Allina.”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Okay.”

“Before we go in, do you want to take a minute?”

Her gaze, glistening with unshed tears, locked on his then. Taken aback by the emotion shining in her brown orbs, he reached out to her, but his hand stayed suspended. He didn't know what to say, what to do at that point to make her feel better, other than being there with her, letting her know that he loved her no matter what.

“I wasn't going to go,” she said. “But he'd sent those flowers, left those pictures, had my mother run off the road.”

Confused, he asked, “What?”

“Yes. My dad called and told me. She's fine, thank God.” She stared ahead, a dazed look on her face.

“My first instinct was to lock myself in the room and wait for you to get home,” she continued, “but he called and demanded I meet him. I figured I needed to confront him and get him to confess to the murder, and I'd record him. But things went left when he slapped me.”

Fury rolled off Kent in huge waves. He could tell she'd been hit, but hearing her actually say it made his blood simmer.

“Kent, he hurt me,” she whispered softly.

His mind raced. When he'd barged into the hotel room earlier, he'd only had a quick glance at her before having to focus all of his attention on Isaac and the gun. From the file he'd skimmed, it seemed as if Isaac had done more than harass some of the women in his church. Kent had seen the effects of sexual assault firsthand when Syd was brutally raped in college.

“I mean, for a minute, I thought he was going to…” She shook her head and balled her hands into fists before releasing them again. “He was on top of me, he kissed me, taunted me. He would have. But I fought him off.”

“Don't think about it,” he told her, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb. “He didn't. That's really all that matters.”

“It was bad,” she continued. “Thinking that he could possibly rape me. But when he pointed that gun at you? I—something kicked in and I didn't think. I had to stop him.”

“You did the right thing,” he assured her gently, taking her hand in his.

“I can't lose you,” she said.

Caressing her face with his hands, he swept his thumbs under her eyes and pulled her into a kiss. She tugged at his shirt with one hand while her other cupped the back of his head.

“You won't lose me,” he promised. “You believe me, don't you?”

She nodded. “I believe you.”

Allina leaned into Kent as they entered the condo. Syd greeted them at the door. It had been a long, crazy day but Allina was happy to see her friend.

They'd sat silently in the car for twenty more minutes. He didn't ask her to talk anymore and she didn't. He just held her hand. That was what she needed most.

“Girlfriend,” Syd said, hugging her tightly.

“I'm glad you're here,” Allina told her friend. Morgan was there too, holding the baby, and she smiled at her godchild. The brothers greeted each other in their usual way, with a distinct handshake that she'd seen them use only with each other. She'd always meant to ask what that was about.

“Do you need anything?” Syd asked, rubbing a hand up and down Allina's back.

“I could use some help in the bedroom,” she told her friend.

Syd nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Allina to lead the way. Once they were in the bedroom, Allina sat down on the bed.

“I noticed the comforter and sheets were in the washing machine,” Syd said, climbing up next to her. “I threw them in the dryer. They should be done shortly.”

Allina wanted to confide in Syd about her experience with Isaac, but frankly, she was exhausted from talking about it with Kent. “Thanks, Syd. I really appreciate all of your help.”

“Anytime,” Syd said. “Red called. He's on his way.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Allina said.

“Go ahead.”

“How much trauma do you think one person can handle?” Allina asked.

“I wish I knew,” her friend said. “Seems like there is always something lurking around the corner. Are you ready to talk about what happened tonight?”

Allina shook her head. “I don't want to talk about it again. I'm just tired.”

Even though she'd said she didn't want to discuss the events of the day, she knew she'd have to talk about them eventually. Just not that night.

“Well, you need to rest,” Syd said. “Morgan and I are going to take the baby home. She's cranky and I'm exhausted, too. We just wanted to be here when you got home, make sure you didn't need anything.”

“Thank you, Syd. I…” Shaking the image of Isaac holding that gun on Kent out of her mind, she forced herself to focus on her friend. “I love you, Syd.”

“Aw, I love you, too.”

They embraced again before Syd walked out of the room. Allina lay back on the mattress, pulling a small blanket over her. Ten minutes later, Kent appeared in the doorway. She smiled at him. “Everybody gone?”

Nodding, he joined her on the bed. “Yep, even Red.”

“I'm so tired,” she told him, yawning.

“Well, let's get you in the shower first. Then I'll put you to bed.”

The hot water beating down on her body was just what Allina needed. She turned and let it massage her back. It was hard to believe how things had changed in the blink of an eye. One minute, she was deliriously happy, ready to conquer the world. The next, she'd been fighting for her life.

The terror she'd felt in that hotel room was akin to the fear in the pit of her stomach the first night her aunt had snuck into her bedroom, and the night her mother had killed her. Closing her eyes, Allina wondered if she'd ever be able to get the image of either event out of her mind.

Kent had been great. He'd listened when she just wanted to talk about it, get it out. He'd let her cry, scream, vent. She loved him for it. She heard the sound of the door closing and called out, “Kent?”

“Yeah, babe.”

Even the sound of his voice filled her with undeniable peace in the midst of her storm. Before she could tell him she'd be done in a minute, the shower door opened and he stepped in, immediately pulling her into his arms.