Relentless Pursuit (2 page)

Pierce heard the murmurs and whispers from the crowd and turned to see what the gossip was about. Tammy Fields had just walked in. He knew Tammy had a crush on him. Shoot, the whole town knew. Tammy was about as subtle as a freight train. But, he wasn’t ready for the commitment she deserved, and she was too much of a spitfire to deserve anything but full attention. Pierce acknowledged he was in a rebellious, have-fun-date-as-many-women-as-you-wanted stage and he didn’t even want to think about dating Tammy yet. Father James even said a prayer for it before they came out just now.  Cade had asked, "Why didn’t he just take her out on a date?" Well, because Tammy would be the woman chasing him down the street with a frying pan when she found out they weren’t dating exclusively.

“She’d be a wonderful girlfriend,” a voice from the back of his head told him. And he had hated seeing her with Cy… but you married that girl, you didn’t date and dump her. And the
marriage
word was strictly forbidden in his vocabulary. Although, he had to secretly admit every now and then, he’d thought about that one little word. Just not yet, though! He’d keep his distance until he was ready to devote himself. For now he was enjoying Jasmine. Jas was a knockout with breasts that he could get lost in and curves that were well worth the ride.

Pierce looked away from Jasmine’s ample assets and back down the aisle just in time to see one of Miles’s Ranger buddies sit down. It was then that he was afforded his first real look at Tammy. He felt his eyes go wide as she stood looking nothing like the Tammy he had gotten to know these last couple of years. Gone was the pink hair. Gone were the clothes of an eighteen-year-old. And gone was the innocent look on her face.

Pierce was in awe of the reinvented Tammy, but not with the six-foot-one Greek with his paws all over her. And what was she wearing? The little black dress crisscrossed over her pert breasts before the neckline plunged to her tight stomach. A gold necklace hung around her neck and disappeared into the depths of cleavage he didn’t even know she had. Pierce’s eyes traveled down the tight dress to where it ended at her knees. Her bare legs were put on display by sky-high red heels. He’d never seen anything so damn sexy in his life.

Pierce felt his hand tighten into a fist and his eyes narrow. Sure, he wasn’t dating her, but that didn’t mean someone else got to! Before he knew it, Morgan was walking down the aisle, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from where the Greek bastard was resting his hand on her knee. Did she think she would be able to get away with this kind of behavior? He couldn’t wait for this ceremony to be over so he could have a few words with her.

The reception was in full swing when Pierce was finally able to stop smiling for pictures. He hurried through his parents’ house and into the backyard that had been transformed into a romantic starry night-themed reception. He paused and looked around until he found her dancing on the floor with her date. The dancing stopped as Miles and Morgan were introduced to the cheering crowd. Now was his chance to confront Tammy. Another dance was going to start and he saw that her new guy had headed to the bar.

Pierce weaved in and out of the crowd until he found Tammy watching his brother and Morgan share their first dance. “Tammy, we need to talk.” Pierce put his hand on her arm and felt its smoothness under his rough hands.

“Hi, Pierce! Don’t you look dapper? I’m glad you’re here. I want to introduce you to Demetri. He’s just gone off to get me some wine.” Tammy smiled up at him. “Demetri is competing in a triathlon next month. Isn’t that something? I thought you might like to hear about it. I know you like to run, but I don’t know if you enjoy the other aspects of a triathlon.”

Pierce smirked. “Triathlons are for sissies. If you want a rush, try riding a bull that’s intent on killing you. But we have more important things to talk about.”

Tammy’s brow furrowed in confusion as she continued to look up at him. Dammit. She was such a contradiction. She was all sweet and caring, but in this outfit she was a commanding siren. “What’s so important, Pierce?” she asked in that sweet Southern voice of hers.

“What do you think you’re doing bringing that guy here?” he accused not so tactfully. But he was angry and ignored his harsh tone.

“Morgan said I could bring a date. Why do you care?” Tammy snapped sharply. “You’re here tonight with Jasmine, right?”

Pierce watched as she crossed her arms under her chest and he felt like groaning. That dress was going to be the death of him. “I don’t care about her! I’m just enjoying myself. And I care because you shouldn’t be with someone like that. He’s only here to get laid.” Pierce felt his jaw tighten as he thought about that man with his hands on her.

“Funny, I’m also here to enjoy myself and get laid. See, no problem after all, but thanks for looking out for me,” she said with a shrug of her bare shoulders and a little smirk on her face.

“No, you are not. You aren't getting laid tonight or any other night, thank you very much. If you’re going to get laid, then it'll be by me, dammit, and no one else.” Pierce felt his face heat up, but he was too angry to stop his posturing. Maybe he should've thought this out better.

“Oh no you aren’t. You had that chance for two years but you blew it repeatedly by ignoring me and choosing other women over me. What did you expect, that I'd spend the rest of my life sitting at home pining over you?” She stood ramrod straight and stared him down.

Pierce’s mind went blank and so he said the only thing he could think of, “Well, yes.”

“You’re an idiot, Pierce, and you just confirmed that I made the right choice with Demetri. Excuse me, I’m going to go dance with my date.” Tammy turned her head and walked off.

Pierce was sure she was swinging her hips just to irritate him further. Pierce cursed under his breath as he saw Demetri slide his hand around her tiny waist and lead her out to the dance floor. He felt someone come to stand next to him and knew it was his sister before he even looked over at her.

“You know I love you, right?” Paige Davies Parker asked as she bounced her son, Ryan, on her hip. Her shoulder length brown hair was swept up into a fancy style and she glowed in the one shoulder gown she was wearing.

“Yes,” Pierce answered hesitantly. Where was his sister going with this?

“Normally you're so empathetic, but you were too harsh this time and shoved her right into his arms. Very poorly done, Pierce.” Paige left him standing there watching as Demetri guided Tammy to the dance floor.

When Demetri’s hand slid down her waist and rested on the round curve of her bottom, he let loose with another curse and turned toward the bar. The only thing that was going to get him through tonight was to drown his sorrow and stupidity in a bottle of bourbon.

CHAPTER TWO

Pierce groaned as the bright morning light tried to penetrate his eyelids. Everything hurt. Everything was pounding. His head was spinning and his face was throbbing. God, how much did he have to drink last night? A better question when he could finally open his eyes—where was he? And why was he on his stomach in something wet?

“Get up! Get up! Aw, that’s a good bird.”

Ah, so he was at home. He bet Paige dragged his drunken ass home last night. Gus, his blue-fronted Amazon parrot continued to squawk until Pierce opened his eyes. Everything spun and he slammed them shut before he could even get his eyes fully open.

“Shut up, Gus,” Pierce mumbled into the floor.

“Get up! Get up!” Gus squawked again. Okay, that was it. He was going to get up and throw a cover over his cage and then crawl into bed and spend the day nursing a hangover.

Pierce tried to roll over and felt pain shoot through his side so he gave up and lay back down on his stomach. What on earth had happened when he was drinking? He felt as if he’d been beaten up. Oh no! Had he gotten into it with Demetri? Why couldn’t he remember?

Pierce slowly opened the eye that hurt less and used his hand to block out the morning light. As his vision focused, he realized it wasn’t the morning light that had woken him up, but his lamp had been knocked over and was shining right in his eyes. He shoved the intrusive light away and slowly pushed up onto his elbows and looked around his house.

“What the…” Pierce held up his hand into the light and saw the blood dripping from his wrist and falling into the pool of blood on the floor beneath him. “Jesus!” Pierce scrambled back and hit something hard.

He ignored the pain shooting through his body as he spun around to see what he had run into. Lying next to him was the bloodied and battered body of Dr. Oldham. “Doc!” Pierce scrambled forward and felt for a pulse. There was none, but that didn’t stop him from starting CPR.

Pierce’s head spun, but he pushed the blackness and the cobwebs clouding his mind away. He leaned forward and started chest compressions. He needed an ambulance immediately. Looking around his house for the first time, he saw that it was a disaster.

His lamp was on the floor. Pictures knocked from the wall and his coffee table was smashed. His baseball bat lay near the front door and he felt his stomach start to recoil. Now he knew what happened to Dr. Oldham. Pierce continued CPR, he’d look for his cell phone in just a minute. 

Pierce gave one last chest compression and then sat up to pat down the pockets of his torn tuxedo to look for his cell phone when the front door was shattered in. He dove away from the door and tried to leap to his feet, but a gun was in his face before he could move.

“Lexington police! On the ground! On the ground, right now!” someone shouted from behind a raised rifle.

“Help him!” Pierce screamed as he was shoved to the ground. “Please, help him! He needs an ambulance!”

“On the ground! Hands behind your head or I will shoot you!” A S.W.A.T. officer jammed his knee into Pierce’s back and pulled his arms painfully behind him until they were encased in steel cuffs.

“Aw, that’s a bad bird, that’s a bad bird!” Gus squawked as he flapped his wings in agitation as the officers stormed past his cage.

Pierce looked frantically around as people flooded his small house. He could hear them calling for EMTs and then he took a breath when he saw Cole, Annie, and Marshall standing at the front door.

“Marshall! What’s going on? What happened?” Pierce called out. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be his brother, the local sheriff.

“Pierce Davies, you’re under arrest for the murder of Howard Oldham. You have the right to remain silent…” the officer who just cuffed him started as Pierce was yanked to his feet.

“Marsh?” Pierce asked frantically.

“Just don’t say anything, dammit.” Marshall’s jaw was tight as he watched Pierce being dragged out the door. “The only words you need to say are that you invoke your right to counsel and want your attorney. I’m calling Henry now.”

Marshall pulled out his cell phone, but Pierce wasn’t allowed to talk anymore. He was shoved into the back of a cruiser and the door slammed shut. His head spun, his heart pounded, red and blue lights flashed. What the hell had just happened? This had to be a dream.

Pierce looked out the window at his brother arguing with the detective in charge. He could hear Marshall asking to ride along with his brother, but his plea was shot down immediately. Cole, the Special Agent in Charge of the Lexington FBI office and Pierce's brother-in-law, put his hands on his hips and narrowed his silver eyes under his black cowboy hat in a move Pierce recognized from when Cole stood his ground with Paige. Annie, Pierce’s sister-in-law who was married to Cade, was a retired DEA agent and a current deputy in Keeneston. She tried next but was similarly rejected from accompanying Pierce to the police station. Pierce was pretty sure he saw steam coming out from under Annie’s red hair as she glared at the detectives.

The police detective turned his back to Pierce and spoke to Marshall. “Look, I appreciate you letting us come into your jurisdiction, but we have a murder and possible kidnapping to investigate. You gave us permission to enter your jurisdiction when Mrs. Oldham filed her missing person report and we tracked Dr. Oldham’s phone to this location. You granted us the authority to investigate in your county and while I thank you for that, I can’t let a sheriff, an FBI agent, or a former DEA agent ride along with my suspect to feed him information that could hinder our investigation. Especially when there is such a blatant conflict of interest! I’m sorry, but due to that conflict, the Lexington PD will be running this investigation alone.”

Pierce rested his head against the cold window and closed his eyes. “Wake up. It’s time to wake up,” he repeated until the door to the cruiser was opened.

“Time to go. Detective Cowell, you take the suspect,” the other detective said as he started to drive away. Pierce watched as his brother and family grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

“Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?” the tough-as-nails young detective asked him.

“I do.”

Marshall cursed and kicked the ground. He turned to his brother and sister-in-law in complete confusion. “What just happened? Pierce couldn’t have killed someone, could he?”

“You know he didn’t, Marshall!” Annie shot back to him, her agitation clear in her voice.

“The best thing to do now is to call Henry and get him to the police station before they start interrogating him. He looked out of it and I don’t know if I trust him to remember to keep his mouth shut.” Cole said as he placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the ongoing crime scene investigation.

Marshall took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’ll call him now.” Marshall dialed the number and waited while it rang and rang. He cursed again when Henry’s voicemail picked up. “He’s not answering. Dammit!”

“Call Tammy. She might know where he is,” Annie suggested as she scrolled through her phone for Tammy’s cell. “Here you go.”

Marshall dialed Tammy’s number and waited. It rang and he held his breath willing Tammy to pick up the phone.

“What?” a tiny sleepy voice said over the line.