Killer Love (4 page)

In the dimly lit room, the beam of her flashlight swept over the large oak desk, imported from Italy, the freestanding marble globe with fourteen karat gold inlay, and the photo of her and Bryce on their honeymoon in Cabo, San Lucas.

Shaking her head at what a naïve fool she’d been, she turned away from the photo and moved around the desk. Trying the top drawer, she found it locked. A bolt of anxiety shot through her as the magnitude of what she was doing dawned on her. She was taking a chance...a big one. But the money was hers. And if it was here, she’d find it.

Taking a deep breath, then expelling it slowly, she ignored the apprehension buzzing through her veins and tried the other drawers. All locked.

She searched through the key ring until she found a key small enough that it might open the desk drawers. She inserted the key in the lock, sighing in relief as it turned and the top drawer slid open. She was rifling through papers, absorbed in her task, when a sound penetrated the silence.

Her fingers stilled.

Had it been a door opening?

Raindrops pelted the office window as the storm outside intensified. She glanced toward the closed office door, wondering what was happening just beyond it. If someone were inside, the storm might mask their approach.

Another sound rose over the cacophony in her mind. She recognized this one immediately.

Footsteps.

Who could it be? The creepy guy from earlier? Had he returned to rob Bryce knowing he was out of town? Or, maybe it was Berta, coming to check up on Jade’s illicit activities. Whoever it was, she didn’t want to be caught pillaging her husband’s office. If she were discovered, Bryce would be furious. At the very least she’d suffer the embarrassment of being caught. She was certain his fury from a few nights ago would seem like a ripple on the surface of the ocean compared to the hurricane of rage he’d express if he found her breaking into his office. Besides, if her presence were discovered, she certainly couldn’t complete her search.

With trembling fingers, she slid the drawer shut, turned off the flashlight and slipped it into her jacket pocket. Glancing around the office for a place to hide, she spotted a slatted door a few feet from where she stood. She hadn’t noticed it before, having only been in Bryce’s office a few times. Was it a coat closet?

Only one way to find out.

Her fear of the dark, leftover from childhood, made her hesitate. The fear was so strong, she still slept with a nightlight burning, even at twenty-nine years old. She was being foolish, she knew. The light from the office window would filter through the slats enough that she wouldn’t be in total darkness.

But a closet? How could she bring herself to purposely enter the scene of her childhood horrors? But did she have a choice? She didn’t. The closet was her only hope.

On legs that were numb yet at the same time tingled painfully, she stepped to the door, then paused. Memories crowded her mind. Memories of being a small child locked in a dark closet, never knowing for how long, never knowing what was in the small space with her, never knowing when something would reach out and--

The sound of the doorknob turning broke her paralysis. In spite of every tendon in her body screaming in protest, she pulled the closet door open and slipped inside the darkened cavern. The walls seemed to shrink around her and a shudder ran the length of her body. She couldn’t breathe. Willing air through her lungs, she closed her eyes and silently chanted the mantra she’d learned in therapy...
nothing to fear...nothing to fear...nothing to fear...

She heard the office door close. Then silence. Unable to stand the tension a moment longer, she peeked through the panels. Aided by the light filtering through the office window, she recognized the intruder.

Bryce
.

He was supposed to be out of town. He’d lied to her! Then, she almost laughed at the incongruous thought. Bryce’s lying to her was the least of her problems.

From her hiding place, she watched him turn on the light. He walked over to the desk, his movements jerky and agitated. Now she saw him more clearly and she almost gasped out loud.

He looked rumpled and distraught. His suit was wrinkled and his tie hung loosely around his neck. His blond hair, darkened by rainwater, was mussed as if he’d been running his fingers through it. A heavy scowl marred his features.

His haggard appearance shocked her almost more than his outburst of violence had. She had never seen her husband looking anything other than elegantly composed.

He picked up the phone and punched some buttons. Not bothering with a greeting, he barked into the receiver, “Find them yet?” He listened for a moment, then shook his head. “Motherfucker.” He dropped into his chair. “The cop bitch screwed us. El Lobo’s people will go fucking ballistic. Not to mention the fortune we lost.”

He was silent, then said, “Maybe I shouldn’t have, but she wasn’t going to tell us anything.” He slammed his fist on the desk and cursed again. Jade jumped, covering her mouth to keep from crying out. “The bitch protected those girls to the very end. No matter what I did, she wouldn’t break.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, then drew back and stared at it with a puzzled expression. A dark smear appeared on his cheek. He pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his face, then his hands.

Dear God, was that blood? Jade’s legs quivered and she planted her palms against the wall. The cold surface was solid and reassuring. A link to reality in a world that had suddenly become a surreal nightmare. She held on tightly...squeezing her eyes shut as hot tears threatened to spill.

The recent glimpses of Bryce’s violent nature hadn’t prepared her for this. She had no idea what was going on. No idea what Bryce was involved in, but she knew he’d done something bad. Something very bad. And she knew if he caught her here, listening in on his conversation, she’d find out exactly what he was capable of.

Her chest pulsed with the effort of holding back sobs.

Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry
.

“El Lobo is meeting me with the cash. I won’t take him to the warehouse until I hear from you. I’ll stall him as long as I can.”

Jade’s lips parted as she tried to pull air into her lungs. Her breath hitched, a faint sound but one that seemed deafening in the dark silence of the closet.

Bryce lifted his head, peering around the office. “I need to go. Find those goddamned girls and I’ll deal with El Lobo.”

The blood in Jade’s veins turned to ice. He knew she was here. If Bryce looked for her, he would find her. She pressed herself against the wall and waited, motionless, like a deer caught in the scope of a rifle.

His chair creaked so she knew he’d gotten up, but she couldn’t tell if he headed in her direction. The thick carpeting would muffle his footsteps. He could be anywhere.

She heard him breathing and knew he had to be close--mere inches from where she hid. Her body tensed. Perspiration pooled in her armpits. She pressed further against the wall, her hysterical mind clinging to the foolish hope he wouldn’t find her.

Seconds later, the closet door flew open.

A scream tore from her throat as her husband loomed in front of her, filling her vision. His face registered shock, then, what she thought was sorrow before he grabbed her shoulders and jerked her from the closet.

Underneath the scent of the expensive cologne he wore, she detected the odor of sweat and the river. She choked back the surge of nausea rising from her chest.

“Jade? For God’s sake, what are you doing here?”

She couldn’t speak. Fear raced through her body, numbing her vocal cords.

Bryce shook her roughly. “Answer me, damn you.”

“Where did the blood come from?” she managed, her voice barely more than a whimper.

Something flickered in his eyes. “What blood?”

“I saw it. You wiped it off but I saw it. What have you done, Bryce?”

A gasp of air escaped from his clenched teeth. “You’re my wife. You’re supposed to trust me.”

“Please let me go.”

She tried to pull away but he held her tightly. He was so close, his hot breath seared the skin of her cheek. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me what the hell you’re doing here.” His voice held the warning hiss of a cobra.

She stared at him, not believing what was happening. “Who did you hurt tonight, Bryce? What’s happened to those girls?” She dreaded the answer even as the question fell from her lips.

“What girls? What have you heard?” His fingers dug into her flesh. “You’re working with the police, aren’t you?”

Jade shook her head. “I wasn’t working with the police. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The strength in her voice surprised her. Inside, she was a quaking volcano.

“Liar.” Bryce snarled, shaking her once more. Fury emanated from him, exploding like fireworks in his ice blue eyes.

Seized by desperation, she pleaded with him. “You’re hurting me. Please let me go.”

He reached into his pocket. Grabbing her hair, he jerked her head back. Needles of pain shot from her scalp to her neck and tears sprang to her eyes. Something sharp and cold pressed against her exposed neck. Her horrified mind recognized the object.

A knife.

She was going to die. Her heart ached with betrayal at the same time fear kicked into high gear...into terror. The man who’d once swore he loved her, had promised to cherish and protect her, was about to end her life.

She’d always heard when people were about to die, their life flashed before them. But that didn’t happen now. All she saw was her father...heard his voice telling her what a good catch Bryce was. Would he feel the same when he was looking down at the corpse of his daughter? She’d always wanted to please her father, and now it looked like she would die trying.

“How long have you known?” Bryce demanded. “Who have you told?”

Terror and disbelief squeezed her throat, rendered her mute. Her only response was a slight shake of her head. It was all she could manage with his grip fastened on her hair.

He released his hold and spun her around with her back to him. He clamped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. He slid the dull side of the knife lightly along her cheek.

“I’d hate to mar your loveliness by cutting those beautiful green eyes out of your head, but if you push me, I will do exactly that.” The blade moved to her neck. His harsh laugh vibrated against her ear. “You don’t want to test me, darling. It would be in your best interest to tell me what I want to know. Understand?”

Jade’s brain clicked frantically. She searched for something to say that would delay the inevitable. Terror overtook her. She couldn’t think straight. Barely cognizant of the words tumbling from her lips, she began to speak. “I don’t know anything. I just came here to look for...” She stopped.
I just came here to steal back the money you stole from me.
Wouldn’t that infuriate him even more? “I mean...I just wanted to...”

His hold tightened. The tip of the knife pricked her skin. “Stop fucking with me, Jade. Spit it out or you die right now.”

“DiMarco.” A deep voice spoke from the doorway. Bryce wheeled toward the sound, still clasping Jade against him.

Mr. Smith stood inside the office with a gun pointed at them.

Hysteria bubbled to the surface, coming out as choked laughter. If there had been any hope of survival, it was gone now. Between Bryce’s knife and the stranger’s gun, she didn’t stand a chance. Hysteria changed to tears of despair that spilled down her cheeks. She slumped in Bryce’s grip, facing the certainty of her impending death.

“El Lobo,” Bryce breathed softly, his voice full of awe and...fear?

“Let her go, DiMarco.”

“What? You must be crazy. She knows too much.”

The man pointed the gun at Bryce’s head. “I said let her go.”

Jade detected a faint quiver in Bryce’s body. “Why the fuck are you protecting her?”

El Lobo shook his head. “I don’t give a damn either way but the last thing we need is the messy murder of a prominent citizen’s wife to muddy the waters. Our goal is to make the exchange. Tonight. If I go back empty handed, I’m a dead man. We don’t need a murder rap to draw attention to our transaction.”

“Fuck you.” Bryce stepped back and pulled her with him. El Lobo advanced too.

“This is between you and me.” The stranger’s voice was devoid of emotion. He seemed to be the only one in the room not on the brink of hysteria. “Take it easy. Think this through.” He took another step.

“Stop right there or I’ll cut her fucking head off,” Bryce screamed. Jade could see him from the corner of her eye. His face was an insane mask of fury. “Drop the gun...now!”

“Bryce, please...for God’s sake,” Jade cried.

“Shut up, Jade. Goddamit,
shut up
!”

Bryce’s hold tightened. If the knife didn’t kill her, his grip on her windpipe would. She tugged on his arm, trying to loosen his grasp.

“I get it now,” Bryce said to El Lobo, a note of realization in his tone. “You’re fucking her. That’s why you’re protecting her. I saw the way you looked at each other last night.”

El Lobo’s eyes shifted to Jade, then dismissed her and went back to Bryce. “I never saw her before last night. You’re out of your mind. Listen...”

“You’re fucking lying!” Bryce cut him off. “You two are in on this together. You got the girls already, didn’t you? That’s why they disappeared. You found them and you’re trying to screw me over.”

El Lobo’s face paled beneath his tanned skin. “The girls are gone?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, motherfucker!” Bryce’s trembling hand pressed the knife to Jade’s throat. She tensed, letting out a whimper as she felt the tip of the knife pierce her flesh.

“Ok, let her go and I’ll put the gun down.” El Lobo squatted, the gun out in front of him but no longer pointed at Bryce.

“Drop the goddamned gun and move away from it!”

“Look, we can still go through with the deal.” El Lobo stood, his hands held in front of him, palms up, showing Bryce he was no longer a threat. “She can’t prove anything. Let her go. You stand to lose a lot if this goes bad.”