Killer Love (6 page)

Before she could answer, the door opened and a nurse entered the room. “Give me a few minutes, gentlemen.” The portly, red haired woman commanded. “I need to check on my patient.”

The agents moved a few inches, barely allowing enough space for the nurse to squeeze through. "I guess I didn’t make myself clear,” she said. “I want you out of here. Shoo, go on, out!"

The men exchanged glances. “Miss, we need to...” light grey began.

“You need to get out, now!” She glared at them until they left the room.

“How you feeling, sweetie?” the woman asked, all traces of gruffness gone from her voice.

"I'm not sure yet."

"My name is Rosalyn and I’ll be taking care of you. If you need anything at all, just push this button." Rosalyn picked up the remote and showed Jade the nurse button. "Are you in much pain?"

"Not too much."

"Believe me, honey, you can thank the drugs for that.” She placed a cylinder in Jade’s hand. “Here's a morphine pump that you can use yourself. See this button on the end? If you start hurting, just give it a squeeze and you should be in la la land in no time."

"How bad is my injury?"

"It was a pretty nasty cut but, thank heavens, nothing vital was damaged. Missed your carotid artery. The doc put some stitches in you. Now it's just a matter of lettin’ nature and the good Lord do their work. The doctor will be in later to check on you and you can ask him about it then. I know it doesn't feel that way to you right now, but you're a very lucky young woman. You're doing amazingly well considering what happened. You must be one tough cookie, although a body couldn't tell it by lookin' at ya."

Rosalyn fussed around her, readjusting her pillows and smoothing the hair off her brow. She checked the monitors and stuck a digital thermometer in Jade’s ear. "Good girl, you're coming along fine. Do you feel like talking to R2 and D2 out there or do you want me to make them go away?"

Jade didn't think getting rid of the FBI would be an easy task but she had a feeling that if anyone could do it, Rosalyn could. "No, it's okay." She smiled at the older woman. "I'll talk to them."

"Ok, but if you get tired or start hurting, call me and I'll send 'em packin'."

As soon as Rosalyn was out the door, the agents re-entered. Standing next to her bed, they gazed down at her with matching looks of concern.

“Is Bryce in jail? Did you catch him?” she asked.

“Yes, he was apprehended this morning."

She nodded, feeling marginally better but not completely safe.

"Mrs. DiMarco, we need you to tell us, as accurately as possible, exactly what happened. Please start from the beginning."

Jade told them everything she could think of, starting with Thursday night when she interrupted the meeting between Bryce and Mr. Smith.

“I’m sorry. I don’t really know much. I overheard my husband on the phone, but I’m not sure what it all meant.”

“We’re very sorry for what you’ve gone through and we appreciate your cooperation. I know that speaking is probably painful for you but if you could just tell us as much as you can about that night, it would be a big help.”

Her throat had started to hurt even more but she didn’t want to hit the morphine pump until she told the agents everything she could. She nodded and slowly, painfully, began speaking.

She told them what she’d overheard about the ‘cop bitch’. When she said that, the two agents looked at one another and then back at her, waiting quietly as she continued.

"There was blood on Bryce's hands." She shuddered at the memory. “Or at least, I think it was blood.” Pain and horror strangled her words. “I’m pretty certain he’d hurt someone that night.”

Miller took a deep breath. He pursed his lips and expelled air. “Mrs. DiMarco, did your husband say anything about where the person was? Maybe something about where he left the victim?”

Jade shook her head. “No, not a thing. Can you answer a few questions for me?”

“We can try.”

“What exactly was my husband involved in?”

“He kidnapped young runaways, girls who were living on the streets. His intention was to sell them into prostitution. Brothels in Mexico seem to favor young American girls."

Jade had braced herself for something horrible but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined something like this. Bile rose in her throat. She closed her eyes to hold the nausea at bay. She didn’t want to humiliate herself in front of the agents. The heart monitor beat an unsteady rhythm as the reality of her situation filled her senses. She’d been married to a monster. “I should have known. Oh God, what have I done?”

“Your husband is the one we’re after, ma’am. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She opened her eyes but rather than look at the agents, she faced the wall. The images of the kids at the shelter were superimposed over the green surface. She thought of them in the clutches of a madman...taken from everything they know...forced into a life of pain and degradation with no means of escape. Her heart leaden with misery, she whispered, “I should have figured it out. I might have been able to help those poor girls.”

“I’m sure there wasn’t anything you could have done.” Miller awkwardly attempted to comfort her.

“How many?” The guilt overwhelmed her. It seemed to overpower the physical pain she’d felt a few moments earlier.

“Pardon me?”

“How many girls? How many?” She turned back to look at them. Courtney’s face and her battered arms rose to Jade’s mind. Girls like that were already victims and the monster she was married to had made them even more so. Her voice rose and the pain sliced through her throat as she yelled hoarsely. “How many lives did he ruin while I stood by and did nothing?”

“Please calm down.” Miller glanced at the door as if afraid the nurse would burst in and blame him for the state her patient was in.

Jade lowered her voice, attempting to regain her composure. Her neck felt as though a thousand needles tattooed it at once. “I need to know.”

Miller sighed. “We don’t know how many. That’s part of our investigation. We’re hoping this was his first attempt but we just don’t know right now.”

The door opened once again. Rosalyn bustled in. giving the agents a scathing look. “Time's up. This girl needs rest."

The men hesitated. Rosalyn planted her hands on her hips. "If I have to, I’ll call the doctor. You can speak to her later when she's feeling more rested. She won't be any good to you if you wear her out."

The agents left and the nurse slipped an injection into Jade’s IV. "This will help you sleep."

"I don't want to sleep," Jade sobbed. "I need to do something. I have to..." Her words trailed off as her limbs began to relax. She no longer had the will to argue, she was so very tired. Her eyelids drooped.

As she drifted to sleep, she saw the face of a wolf; its red eyes gleaming, glistening fangs poised to rip out her throat.

Chapter Four

Luke stood next to Wayne and watched Bryce DiMarco through the one-way glass of the interrogation room.

The bastard looked perfectly relaxed, like he didn’t have a care in the world. Other than the deep scratches on his face from the leap he’d taken through the office window, he seemed completely unscathed.

“Smug sonofabitch,” Wayne muttered.

Luke nodded but didn’t reply. A surge of fury moved through him. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he fought the urge to kick the door in and smash his fist into DiMarco’s face.

“You going in alone?” Wayne asked.

“Yeah.”

“You should try to calm down first.”

“I’m calm,” Luke replied although his tone was everything but.

“Maybe I should go in with you.”

Luke’s eyes swept over his partner. Wayne was a massive black man with forearms the size of tree trunks. He was an imposing figure, but with his Brooks Brothers wardrobe and mild disposition, intimidation wasn’t exactly his forte.

“I tell you what, if DiMarco needs any fashion tips, I’ll be sure to give you a yell.” He walked away, not giving Wayne a chance to reply.

DiMarco looked up when Luke entered the interrogation room, self-assurance radiating from his pores.

Luke flipped a chair around and straddled it, crossing his arms over the back. He wondered if DiMarco recognized him, if he could see any resemblance between him and El Lobo. There was no familiarity in DiMarco’s eyes. That was good. The man was not as crafty as he would like to believe.

“Where is she, DiMarco?”

“I have no idea to whom you’re referring.”

“Bullshit. Tell me what you’ve done to her.”

DiMarco clasped his hands together and rested them on the table. Giving a little shrug, he smiled. “I want to see my attorney.”

“We all want a lot of things. Unfortunately, we don’t always get them.”

“You have to bring in my attorney.”

“He’s on his way.” Luke leaned in closer to DiMarco as if sharing a secret. He almost gagged on the expensive cologne DiMarco wore. “I thought in the meantime, you and I could have a little chat.”

“I won’t say a word until he gets here.”

“I’m sure you know you’re in a lot of serious trouble. It might go a little easier on you if you cooperate with us before your attorney arrives.”

DiMarco seemed to consider this for a moment. Then he shook his head. “I’m well aware of my rights. I don’t have to talk to you without representation.”

Quicker than lightning, Luke reached across the table and grabbed the man by his shirtfront. Leaning in, he spoke directly into DiMarco’s face. “You’d better tell me where she is, slime ball. I could kill you right now and nobody would give a damn.”

Luke detected fear in DiMarco’s eyes, but his voice was steady when he replied. “You don’t scare me, tough guy. You don’t have a thing on me.”

“What about attempted murder?” Luke spat, releasing DiMarco with more force than necessary.

The chair almost toppled over as DiMarco landed heavily back in his seat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You damn near killed your wife.”

“Something happened to Jade?” DiMarco asked, his face plastered with a look of insincere concern. “Is she okay?”

“You slit her throat, asshole. She barely survived.”

DiMarco did a poor job of hiding his disappointment that his wife was still alive. “I did nothing of the sort. I don’t know who did this to my wife, but I can assure you, he will pay.”

“I don’t need your assurance,” Luke said. “
I’m
going to make sure he pays.”

The man must have seen something in Luke’s eyes that scared him because he looked away and swallowed loudly. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Where are those girls you kidnapped? Where is Delia Grimes? What have you done to her?”

“I don’t know anything about kidnapped girls and I don’t know any Delia Grimes. I will not say another word until my attorney arrives.”

As if on cue, the door opened and Parker Williams entered, looking every bit the polished, successful criminal attorney he was reputed to be.

“What the hell’s going on here, Butler?” Williams slapped his briefcase on the table and glared at Luke. “You can’t question my client without my presence.”

“Fuck you,” Luke replied. He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

****

When Jade awoke, Rosalyn stood beside her bed, checking her vitals. "How you doing, sweetie?"

"Better, I think," Jade replied, although her neck was throbbing. She squeezed the morphine pump. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About four hours. You needed the rest. Best thing to start the body to heal, you know."

"Are the FBI agents still here?"

"Right outside. They're as antsy as a virgin on her wedding night. I told them they couldn’t talk to you until tomorrow but they won't leave."

"It’s okay. I’ll talk to them now."

"Are you sure?" she asked, brows drawing together like a thundercloud.

Jade nodded. The nurse made grumbling noises but opened the door and told the agents they could come back in. They didn’t speak until the door closed behind Rosalyn.

“How are you feeling, Mrs. DiMarco?” Miller asked.

“Better, thank you.”

“We need to talk to you again if you feel up to it.”

She nodded. She knew they would talk to her whether she felt up to it or not.

“Were you able to remember anything more than what you’ve already told us?” Connor asked.

“No. Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. Something may come to you later. If it does, you will let us know?”

Jade nodded slowly, painfully. “Of course I will.”

“We appreciate your cooperation. Now we need something else from you.”

“What?”

“We need you to testify against your husband at his trial. Do you think you can handle that?"

Jade thought about seeing Bryce in a courtroom. Of looking into the face of the man who had done more than just betray her. The man who had destroyed her life and the lives of countless others. “I don’t think my testimony will help your case that much. I don’t really know anything about what Bryce has done.”

“The details he revealed in the conversation you overheard are extremely important. And the fact that he tried to kill you, the things he said when he threatened you. All of that is evidence against him.”

Her stomach clenched. She recognized the feeling. Fear. She was afraid of her husband. She felt like a coward and she hated herself for it. But there it was. “I’ll do what I can,” she replied without conviction. “Did you find the other man?"

"What other man?"

"The one I told you about. The man Bryce met with at our house on Thursday night. Mr. Smith, El Lobo, whatever his name is." She tried to remember everything she could about the mysterious stranger. "He came in when Bryce...the night he...” Her voice broke. The agents waited silently for her to continue. But she had already been through this. They knew what had happened to her. Now they needed to find El Lobo.

"We checked it out. There was no one matching the description you gave in the area.” Miller told her. “Maybe you were hallucinating."

"No, I was not hallucinating," she said firmly. "He was there. He helped me for some reason. I think he used his shirt to stop the bleeding. You’ve got to find him. He was involved in this thing with Bryce and he’s still out there.” Her voice shook as she thought about the innocent victims of her psychotic husband. “More girls could be hurt."