Hot Secrets (15 page)

Nodding, Lauren tried a smile but failed. “It’s
easing up,” she lied. “It felt like I got stuck with a huge pin or
something only the prick never stopped hurting.”

Julie pulled back the silk of her shirt. “Dang Lauren, that
burn is deep. I’m not sure it was a cigarette. Let’s grab a cab and
go to the ER.”

“No,” Lauren said, knowing she couldn’t miss work
before her trial. “I have some Advil in my purse, and I can get
some ice at the restaurant. If it still hurts after that I’ll
consider it. It’s feeling better already.”

Julie didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Only she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure at
all.

***

Dirt Diver was already sitting at a corner table of
Lauren’s favorite restaurant, out of her line of sight, when she
and her friend walked in. Lauren was nothing, if not
predictable.

He watched her slide into her booth, holding her arm
where he’d taken his military issue mobile welder and scored her a
new tattoo. Burned like a hell, he bet. Well, that’s what the
little bitch deserved. Tear her down, one piece at a time. That was
Dirt Diver’s plan but it was proving so damn easy, even with her
new boyfriend, that he was quickly becoming bored. He was going to
fix that though. He was going to give himself a challenge and prove
to her just how vulnerable she was, how much it sucked to feel like
a victim that couldn’t escape her torture. Because he was that
good. He could let her nestle down in the Walker Brothers’ castle,
let her pull down her guard, and feel safe, and still destroy
her.

It was time to turn this into a full fledged
nightmare for her.

Chapter Twelve

Lauren sat in the corner booth of her favorite lunch
spot, and instead of anticipating the first bite of the heavenly
chocolate cake the place was famous for, she fantasized about the
ice Julie was scavenging for her.

“Here you go,” Julie said, sliding into the seat
across from Lauren. “Relief is here.”

Lauren held it to her arm. “Thank you.”

“No problem. And I ordered our usual. I wasn’t sure
if you would be up to staying long, so I thought we should rush the
food.”

Lauren felt the chill on her arm, a slow numbness
easing the pain. “This helps.” Her attention locked on a familiar
face. “Isn’t that David Sullivan?”

Julie turned in her seat. “Where?”

“Too late. You can’t see him anymore.” Lauren made a
face. “Weird though. I know that was him. He looked right at me and
pretended not to see me.”

Julie gave Lauren a hard stare. “Of course he did.
You prosecuted the biggest case of his career, and he lost.”

“And so he avoids me?”

“He was passed over as partner after losing the
case. I’m pretty sure he thinks you ruined his life.”

Lauren’s eyes went wide. “I did not ruin his life.
That’s like blaming you for breaking up the marriages you legally
dissolved.”

The waitress appeared and set their food down in
front of them, forcing Julie to put her reply on hold. The minute
the woman walked away, Julie leaned forward, her voice low. “Of
course you didn’t ruin his life. But you know how people can be.
They look for someone to blame and since I went out with one of his
buddies a few years back, I happen to know he blames you. He’s a
big blame thrower, that guy.” She stabbed a piece of chicken on top
of her salad.

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“I didn’t tell you because I knew it would upset
you, just like it clearly is. I knew you’d tear yourself up over
it.”

This day was not going well. Her world felt like it
was imploding on her. Her idea of getting out of the office, and
not letting fear control her, certainly had backfired.

She shoved her plate aside, knowing she should have
listened to Royce. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.” She dropped the
bag of ice on the table, and grabbed a napkin to soak up the water
on her arm. “Get my salad to go, will you?”

Fortunately, the restroom was empty, and she had a
few blessed moments alone. She dried her shirt the best she could,
her mind a jumbled mess. It was hard enough to put someone on death
row, regardless of their crime. She really didn’t need the added
weight of other types of guilt. Like being told she’d ruined the
life of her opposing counsel.

Several people funneled into the restroom, eyeing
Lauren’s arm with interest. So much for her escape. She headed for
the door, pushed it open, and ran straight into a hard wall of
muscle, and when she might have flinched and pulled back, her
nostrils flared with a familiar spicy scent of man.

“Royce,” she breathed out, relaxing into him. “Oh,
thank God, it’s you.”

He guided her into a corner, hands settling on her
waist. Reaching up he brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes.
“Julie said you were burned. Let me look at your arm.”

Lauren felt her lips quiver as she nodded. “You had
me followed, didn’t you? That’s how you’re here?”

He glanced up at her. “Yes, and I’m pissed as hell
that you left the building. However, I’ll save my lecturing — and
there will be lecturing — for when we’re alone and you’re not in
pain. But damn it, this isn’t a cigarette burn and this wasn’t an
accident. What if he’d have used a knife under the cover of the
crowd? You might not be here right now.”

He was right. She knew he was right. “I thought you
were saving this until later?”

“I am. I’m not even close to saying everything I
have to say.”

She let out a breath and let her lashes lower. “I deserve
this. I was foolish.” She swallowed hard. “I didn’t want this to be
real.” Her gaze lifted and then louder, “I
didn’t want
this to be real. I think… I was in
denial.”

“You’re okay,” he said, his voice softening with
understanding. “That’s all that matters. Right now, we need to get
you to an ER.”

“No. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not, and we both know it. You’re scared.
You’re hurt. We’re going to the ER.”

“I’ll end up in the newspaper.”’

”Then we’ll find a private doctor but you have to
have this looked at.”

“I so don’t need this right before the trial, Royce.
I’m behind. I’m not myself. I almost feel like I need to step
aside, but it’s too late now, it would hurt the case.”

“Maybe that was the idea.”

***

Two hours later, Lauren and Royce were finally back
at her apartment, and he was doing a walk through for safety.
Lauren had called Julie and explained everything that was going on,
and she had eagerly agreed to pick up Lauren’s work for her. She
just hoped she arrived in time to get some work done. The day was
all but lost and the pain meds were going to knock her out when she
finally caved and took them. As it was, the antibiotics were making
her nauseous, which was probably because she hadn’t eaten at
all.

Royce appeared in the hallway, and she felt a surge
of relief when he gave her the ‘thumbs up’ to enter. She rushed
forward and straight to her bedroom so she could change. She wanted
out of the burned shirt so she could separate herself from threats
and fears to focus on work.

Royce followed her, leaning on the door frame as she
dug in her drawer for her sweats. They’d had a fight when he’d
driven her to the doctor’s office, rather than home. They’d barely
spoken while they were there, but as her anger had faded, she felt
him there, by her side, strong and comforting, and… it felt like
a relationship. It felt… right.

She abandoned her drawer and sat down on the bed.
“I’m sorry. I was such a witch earlier. “I just… ”

“Don’t move, Lauren,” Royce ordered sharply. “Don’t even
breath.” He reached for his gun.

“What?” Lauren whispered urgently. “What’s happening?”

“I’m going to explain but do not, I repeat, do not react. Don’t
move until I tell you to. Understand?” He was already closing in on
her, one slow step at a time.

“Yes. Okay. Tell me!”

“There’s a snake on your bed.”

***

Royce stopped in front of Lauren, but he didn’t look at her. He
kept his eye on the snake, knowing it could easily be as deadly as
it was unexpected. “Get ready to run. When I say to run, you get
out of the apartment in case there are more snakes.”

“Yes… yes, okay.”

“I’ll count to three. One. Two. Three.” He shoved her aside and
fired at the snake, but as he suspected, it moved and he missed. He
grabbed a handful of the comforter and threw it over the snake and
then fired over and over. He reloaded and yanked the comforter
back, ready to fire, but thankfully, he didn’t have to. There was a
pile of dead snake in the bed.

“Lauren,” he called, turning to find her standing in the
doorway. “I told you to get out of here.” He grabbed her and
started walking towards the door, getting her the hell out of here,
all but dragging her to the hallway. “Are you trying to get
yourself killed today?”

She held up her phone. “I was afraid you’d get bitten and
seconds could mean life or death. You might be Mr. FBI, Royce
Walker, but you can die just like the rest of us.”

He stared at her a moment, her words sinking in, and eating away
at his anger. For the second time now, she’d tried to protect him.
It defied anything he’d ever experienced with a woman and he liked
how that felt.

He kissed her fast and hard on the lips. “Damn, I’m crazy about
you, woman. Stay here, and since you often reinterpret my words to
your own definition, that means
don’t
move
.” He turned to go back inside, when a thought stopped
him dead in his tracks.

He scrubbed his face and considered a moment, before dialing
Luke. “Someone left Lauren a snake for a present. I need someone
over here to make sure there aren’t any more.”

“Holy fuck,” Luke grumbled. “Is it poisonous?”

“I didn’t ask it before I killed it.” He glanced at Lauren. “But
if it was, this is attempted murder.”

“No,” she mouthed. “No.”

“I’ll get someone over there right now,” Luke said.

“And get Julie to bring Lauren’s work, and some clothes, to my
place. Lauren is coming home with me.” He hung up.

“Murder? You think someone just tried to kill me?”

“Or scare the hell out of you.” And he was going to make the SOB
pay for it, too.

“It worked. It worked really well.”

“I know, baby,” he said, reaching for her and wrapping her in
his arms. “We’re going to get this asshole. You have my word. You
just have to let me protect you. No more running off to lunch like
you did today.”

“No more running off period. Seriously, Royce. I might be hard
headed, but I’m not an idiot. I’m going to trust you completely
from now on.”

She trusted him, and his secret pact with her father was going
to be the poison that killed their relationship.

Chapter Thirteen

An hour later, Royce had Lauren back at his place,
and she was soaking in his bathtub, naked and trusting and
everything he wanted in a woman, but just hadn’t known it. Until
now. Until Lauren. And instead of being with her, showing her that,
telling her that, he was a room away, pacing his living room while
Luke lounged on his brown leather couch.

“This is absolute hell,” Royce murmured. “I’m lying
to her and she trusts me. I have to talk to her.”

“Not now,” Luke said. “Not when she’s in danger. You
don’t want her pushing you away and making it impossible to protect
her. Besides, you left out information about her father,” Luke
said, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees. “You didn’t
lie. She’ll be upset, but she’ll get over it. It’s not like you
slept with her best friend.”

“No. Ironically, you did.” He sat down on the arm of
one of two leather chairs framing the couch, keeping an eye on the
bedroom door directly across from him.

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that,” Luke said.
“But since you brought up Julie, when I called her to have her
bring over Lauren’s work, she told me that the attorney who
defended Sheridan was at the restaurant today. She thought it was a
strange coincidence. Apparently, the Sheridan loss spiraled into a
career disaster he blames Lauren for. I’m going to see him
tomorrow. I’ll send one of our guys to talk to Sheridan. A man
about to be executed tends to get chatty.”

“What about Sheridan’s family?”

“There’s a brother, that’s it. I plan to check him
out. There is also a woman.”

Royce’s brow inched upward. “He killed his wife.
What woman are we talking about?”

“Some chick that started writing him while he was in
prison.”

“Ah,” Royce said. “Never have understood the
jailhouse groupies. What’s your take on her?”

“I don’t think it’s much of a lead. She broke off
contact with him some six months ago, and is even pregnant now with
some other dude’s kid.”

“I’m not sure that means squat in the world we live
in.”

“I’m going to check her out. But the way I see it,
if Sheridan is involved, then he would probably have taken out a
contract on Lauren. It’s cleaner.”

“Who says this isn’t a contract? Maybe whoever hired
this guy wants Lauren played with before she’s killed. Maybe that’s
why this attorney Sullivan was there today. He was watching when
she got burned, eating up her fear.”

“I like it as a theory,” Luke agreed. “I’m sold on a
professional for hire. This person, who I’m calling a man, but
could be a woman, hasn’t made mistakes. He’s invisible, even with a
camera on. He knows what he’s doing.” His cell phone rang and he
answered it, his gaze going to Royce’s. “Yeah. Thanks.” He snapped
the phone shut. “The snake wasn’t poisonous.”

“So, this guy’s playing with her.”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “But there’s more. The place was
a regular radio shack. He’s been watching her, recording her.”