No One to Trust (18 page)

Benny snorted softly and stood, pulling her
up with him. “I’ve got to go. Just know that I love you and I’m
finally…content. If they let me I’ll write letters to you, but I
don’t think that’s a possibility. You can’t tell anyone else about
this, not even our parents.”

She’d been keeping secrets from the time she
was fourteen. Keeping this from her parents wouldn’t be a problem.
Especially considering the way they’d failed to help her brother or
her when they’d needed it most. She nodded and gave Benny one more
hug. Then, he was gone. Out of her house as if he’d never been
there. After watching her brother leave in an SUV with tinted
windows, she shut her front door with shaking hands, unsure how to
feel.

She was thrilled her brother wasn’t dead, but
couldn’t believe he was being placed in the WITSEC program. Or that
Porter knew her brother was alive. Benny said he’d only found out
yesterday and she’d been ignoring his calls the past few days. She
thought she’d seen him at the funeral today, but couldn’t be sure.
There had been so many people.

She’d been there only long enough to be
polite, then slipped out. Sighing, she toed off her shoes and
unzipped her simple black dress as she headed for her bedroom. She
didn’t bother hanging it up, just let it pool in a messy lump near
the foot of her bed before climbing under the covers.

Her eyes felt heavy and gritty. The past week
she’d barely slept. She’d cried more than she’d imagined possible
and now it finally felt as if an entire week of needed sleep was
crashing in on her. Even though it was daylight, she was unable to
stay awake any longer. Pulling the covers up to her neck, she let
the blessed peacefulness of sleep overtake her.

* * * * *

Porter’s heart beat erratically as he eased
open the backdoor to Lizzy’s house. Her place was eerily silent,
but her car was outside. He’d rung her doorbell and called her
cell, but she hadn’t responded. He’d wanted to talk to her at the
funeral earlier, but she’d been surrounded by her family and hell,
she hadn’t been returning his calls. Confronting her at Benny’s
funeral would have been a mistake.

But he couldn’t take it anymore. He wouldn’t
let her erect these walls between them. Not after what they’d been
through together. More than anything he was worried about her.
Especially when he’d heard the faint jingle of her cell phone
inside a few minutes ago. The house was just too damn quiet for her
to be in there and simply ignoring him.

Withdrawing his SIG, he crept silently
through her dark kitchen. A single light above the sink area was
the only source of light. As he continued sweeping the house, his
alarm grew. Once he’d cleared the living room and guest bathroom,
he headed down her hallway.

He froze when he heard a squeaking sound
coming from her bedroom. Increasing his pace he hurried down the
rest of the hallway and stopped only when he reached the partially
open door.

Easing it open with his foot, he took a step
inside. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Lizzy stood near
her bathroom door wearing a bra and panties and carrying a glass of
water. When she saw him she let out an ear piercing scream.

He immediately tucked his weapon into the
back of his pants and held up his hands. “It’s just me!”

Lizzy’s hand flew to her chest and she
slammed the glass down on the antique desk next to the door. “What
the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to scare me to
death?”

“I’m sorry. I called and rang the doorbell
and…” Now he felt like a fucking stalker. After everything she’d
been through he’d just been worried. Not that she’d be suicidal or
anything, but shit, he’d been concerned. “I’m sorry, Lizzy.”

She dropped her hand and took a tentative
step forward. The light from the bathroom shone around her,
illuminating her long, lithe frame. “How’d you get in?”

“I was worried about you so, I, uh, picked
the lock to your backdoor.” He swallowed hard, fighting back the
guilt inside him.

Instead of reaming him out, she just stared
at him for a long moment. “Benny came by today.”

She knew.
Thank God.
“I just found out
last night from Grant. I tried calling, but…” She hadn’t answered,
something they both already knew. “How are you?” It’d been hell to
watch her grieve at the funeral and not be able to tell her Benny
was alive.

Shaking her head, she walked to the end of
her bed and sank down on the edge of the mattress. “I have no idea.
I…” Her voice cracked and she wrapped her arms around herself in a
protective gesture.

Screw it. He crossed the distance between
them and gathered her in his arms. To his relief, she didn’t pull
away. She molded to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and
plastering herself against his body.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant this week. I
didn’t know how to talk to you,” she whispered against his
neck.

The feel of her hot breath sent a shiver
through him. Wanting to feel all of her against him, he picked her
up and stretched her out on the bed. After quickly divesting his
weapon on the nightstand and taking off his shoes, he slid in next
to her and held her tight.

“I’m not walking away from you, Lizzy. I’m
glad your brother is alive but even if he’d died, this thing
between us…I don’t want anyone else and I’m tired of fighting it.
You’re stubborn and sexy and you’re it for me,” he murmured against
the top of her head.

He felt her smile against his chest. “Oh,
really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Her smile grew wider. “Good. I know I’ve been
a jerk the last week, but…I just didn’t know how to deal with
anything. I felt guilty that I was alive and Benny wasn’t, like it
was somehow my fault. That maybe if I’d been at the marina things
would have ended differently. I was hurting and knew I’d take all
my anger out on you. I didn’t want to bring you down with me.”

“I want for better or worse from you, Lizzy.
You can bring me down all you want.” He slid a hand down her back,
snagging the back of her bra as he moved south.

She shuddered against him, arching her back
into his chest as she lifted her head. With the dim light from the
bathroom illuminating the room, it was hard to see much, but her
eyes were filled with heat. “For better or worse, huh?” she
whispered, her voice unsure.

He nodded. “This week without you has been
hell. I love you, Lizzy and I won’t let you walk away from me.”

“
Won’t
?” She lifted a dark eyebrow as
she shifted her body so that she fully straddled him. Looking down
at him, she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra.

As it slid down her arms, displaying her
breasts, his brain short circuited for a moment. Eventually he
found his voice. “You’re mine,” he growled, unable to keep the
hunger out of his voice.

She leaned down until their noses almost
touched. “I love you too, Porter.”

His mouth was on hers before she could say
another word. In a few quick moves he had her pinned beneath him as
he took her mouth in a frenzied kiss. Heat built inside him like a
raging inferno as she grappled with his shirt and he struggled to
get his pants off.

After being deprived of her sweet body for a
week he knew this first time between them would be fast and hard.
But he’d take it slow the second time around. And there would
definitely be a second time tonight. Maybe a third.

Lizzy had gotten under his skin in the best
way and just the thought of being inside her again was making him a
little bit crazy. Even when he knew this was the first night of
many. Because he’d been serious about for better or worse.

He wanted the whole package from her.
Marriage, a house, kids, everything. The woman was absolute grace
under fire and her loyalty to her brother was simply amazing. He
knew she’d make a perfect life partner. And that’s what he wanted.
Lizzy as his partner for life—through the good and the bad
times.

About the Author

Katie Reus fell in love with romance at a
young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom's stash. Years
later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing
it. However, she didn't always know she wanted to be a writer.
After changing majors too many times, she finally graduated with a
degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new
love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal
romance and sexy romantic suspense. For more information on Katie
please visit
her website
.

* * * * *
Keep reading for extras including a preview of KILLER SECRETS (a
novella), and for a preview of HIS SECRET PAST (a full length
novel). Both Available Now.
Also preview ONE NIGHT TO REMEMBER, an erotic historical romance
novella by author Kristin Miller. Available March 2, 2012.

Killer Secrets
Copyright © 2011 by Katie Reus

Eve Newman pressed her back up against one of
the stone pillars at the entrance to the Underwood’s long, winding
driveway. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing here but for
the tenth time in the last hour she regretted her decision to put
any credence to that anonymous email.
‘Want the story of the
year? Underwood mansion. Nine o’clock. Tonight. Don’t trust anyone
and don’t be seen.’

The cryptic message annoyed her. As one of
the few journalists in the small town of Hudson Creek, Texas, she’d
had no choice but to follow up on the lead. She certainly wasn’t
going to give the story to someone else and her curiosity wouldn’t
let her ignore it.

Since she’d grown up here—and had attended a
few high school parties at the mansion courtesy of Tara
Underwood—she knew exactly where the security cameras were and how
to avoid them.

Squashing the twinge of guilt at using that
knowledge against her friend’s parents, she peered around the
pillar. A full moon hung in the sky illuminating only one car. The
District Attorney’s Mercedes. Made sense Richard Underwood would be
home. She doubted he’d sent her the email because what could
Richard be doing to warrant such a mysterious message?

Frowning, she glanced down the long street.
The upscale neighborhood was quiet tonight. Still she tucked her
long hair into the thick knitted cap she’d brought and pulled it
down low on her head. Without it, her strawberry blonde hair would
be like a beacon for anyone to see. Wearing all black and feeling
like a thief, she gritted her teeth and sprinted toward the closest
oak tree on the property.

Using the darkness and shadows as her friend,
she hurried toward the six foot wall surrounding the property. Her
heart pounded wildly and her palms were clammy inside her gloves.
She hadn’t even told her boss where she was going. But she wasn’t
totally unprepared. Her Glock 33 was tucked into the back of her
pants as a precaution.

As she crept down the length of the brick
wall, the sound of a male voice shouting made her pause. She was
right in line with the main house but the voice was farther away.
Almost like it was outside, but too muted.
The pool
house.

Careful to dodge two of the security cameras,
she moved fast until she was hunkered down by a couple of overgrown
bushes. The lights from the pool house were on, but the blinds were
shut. She could see two silhouettes moving around inside. The
shapes were too blurry to make out whether the people were male or
female.

After glancing around the back of the large
property to make sure she hadn’t missed any more video cameras, she
pulled her cap down lower and began making her way across the
grass. It was almost nine o’clock so maybe this meeting was what
her anonymous email had been talking about.

A man started shouting again and her
curiosity surged higher. She couldn’t understand what he was saying
but his tone was angry. As she started to move closer, the very
distinctive sound of gunshots erupted.

Pop. Pop. Pop. One shot right after
another.

Then silence. Adrenaline surged through her
like a raging river.

She was standing right in the middle of the
yard like a freaking target. Not caring if any of the cameras
caught her, she ran toward the cluster of bushes lining the pool
house and jumped behind them. She needed to call the cops, but
hiding was her number one priority. Eve held her breath and when
there were no other sounds she raised her head and tried to look in
one of the windows.

The blinds were drawn shut and she could
barely see through the sliver between the edge of the blinds and
the edge of the window. Immediately she spotted a pair of male
dress shoes. Expensive shoes. From the awkward angle it looked like
they were attached to someone lying on the ground. Someone not
moving.

Slowly, she reached down to grab her cell
phone out of her pocket. When she patted nothing, she inwardly
cursed. Sure, she’d remembered her gun but she’d left her damn
phone in her purse…which was in her car a few blocks over. A lot of
good that would do her now.

If someone was dead or dying, she had to get
help.

The sound of a door opening then slamming
shut made her duck back down into the bushes. She hoped her dark
clothing would help conceal her. Even though she hated to move, she
withdrew her gun.

Her hand shook slightly but she’d spent
countless hours on the range. When the time came, she knew she
could use it if she had to. At the sound of footsteps running away,
she inched above the foliage only to see the French door that led
into the main house slam shut.

A light went on in one of the rooms
downstairs then a few seconds later a light upstairs flipped
on.

Taking a chance, she hurried from her hiding
place and ran to the front of the pool house. Eve cringed as her
boots thudded against the stone patio at the front of the small
structure but she couldn’t do anything about it.