SEE HIM DIE (11 page)

She nodded.

“My partner says that’s where they found the murder weapon. Hidden in the trunk.” Blake shrugged. “Cannon will believe you got your car back, stashed the weapon in the trunk so you could take it somewhere and dispose of it, but you didn’t get the chance.”

“Barbie was right.” She met Blake’s gaze. “We can’t win this war.”

Blake gave her arms a quick squeeze. “I’m nowhere near ready to give up.”

“What do we do?” If he was still prepared to fight, so was she.

“We turn this around on Barton.”

“How do we do that?” Julie thanked God he had a plan, because she had no idea what to do.

“I only see one option. We talk to my brother’s former partner in the FBI and turn over the contents of the jump drive to him. Maybe he can help us set up Randall. If we can prove his involvement, we could set a chain reaction in motion that would take him down.”

“So we’re not going to meet with Lieutenant Cannon?”

“Not yet.”

Apprehension welled in her chest. “What will he do?”

“They’ll be looking for us. As long as they don’t find us, we’re okay.”

“He’ll call you.” Cannon was Blake’s boss. He surely had his number.

“I won’t answer.”

She nodded. Blake was right. This was the only option. Sitting in jail depending on a court-appointed attorney for help was the last thing she wanted to do.

Julie took a deep breath. “Where do we begin?”

“We get the jump drive.”

Royal Court Apartments

Mobile, 9:30 p.m.

“Are you sure this is the only way?”

She was nervous. Blake got that. He reached across the seat and took her hand in his. “You have the names of dead guys on a list along with a ledger that could prove Barton Brothers Industry has been doing business with organized crime. It will make all the difference.”

“You’re right.” She sighed. “I’m having a little trouble with the thought of going back in there, that’s all.”

She didn’t have to explain. He understood. “As long as you stay close, you don’t have to go in the bedroom.” Leaving her in the car or outside the apartment alone was something he wasn’t prepared to do. Whether she fully understood it or not, Randall Barton was capable of anything.

She intertwined her fingers with his. “I’m sticking with you.”

Her trust meant more to him than she could possibly know. He intended to prove to her that not all men were lowlife cheating bastards. “Let’s do this.”

Blake climbed out of the car and moved around to her door. He’d shut off the interior light to prevent it from coming on when the doors opened. It was cloudy tonight, ensuring the moon wouldn’t give away their movements. He was grateful for the cover.

Julie got out and stood next to him. He reached for her hand and headed through the darkness. She had been right about the lack of security lights around the apartments. Most residents were in for the night—another stroke of good luck. Across the parking lot, a man sat on his front steps smoking a cigarette. Steering clear of the guy’s line of sight, Blake led Julie behind the first row of apartments. Her place was in the next building. The single story apartments were connected by common walls. Each had a rear patio door, which led out into the tree-lined green space on the back of the property.

They reached her apartment without incident. While Blake disabled the flimsy lock on the sliding door, Julie kept an eye out for company. Since there was no longer a police seal on the rear door, he had to assume they had released the scene. No need for further investigation. They had their killer.

Anger stirred in his blood. How could a good cop like Cannon not see this was a setup? Was he in Barton’s pocket?

Blake hated to believe that could be the case, but he couldn’t see any other plausible explanation for the lapse in solid police work. The lock released and he slid the door open. The lingering smell of death filled his lungs. He eased the door closed behind Julie.

“Tell me where in your bedroom you hid the jump drive and I’ll get it. You can stay here and keep an eye on the door. Don’t turn on any lights or make any noise.”

“The top drawer of the bureau.” She hesitated. “It’s tucked in a travel size box of… feminine
wash
.”

He chuckled. “Brilliant.”

“I figured no one would want to look there.”

“Stay put,” he reminded her.

“I won’t move from this spot,” she promised.

He moved quickly. He didn’t want her in this place any longer than necessary. Once he was in the narrow hall away from any windows, he flipped on the pocket size flashlight he’d picked up just for this task. Bloody handprints smeared the white walls. His mind conjured the images of her staggering blindly away from the horrific scene in the bedroom. His gut clenched at the horror she had faced. He’d witnessed the shock and terror still gripping her when he’d questioned her. Randall Barton had done that to her with no care for her feelings.

Hell, a man who would have his own brother murdered wouldn’t so much as blink at damaging another person’s psyche.

In the bedroom, it was obvious the small space had been searched. Careful to avoid the bloody spots on the floor, he reached the bureau and opened the top drawer. Sure enough, the box of douche lay to one side of the tousled panties. He should have reached first for the box, but his fingers apparently had a mind of their own. He touched the delicate fabric of her underthings. Imagined her in nothing but one of the sexy scraps of silk.

Forcing his mind back to business, he fished the jump drive from the box. He tucked it inside his sock. If they were caught before they got back to the cottage, he didn’t want anyone finding it. Blake had no second thoughts about the next step. Whatever information the device contained was headed straight for Special Agent Collin MacBride.

He clicked off the flashlight and hurried back to where Julie waited.

“You found it?”

“I did. Let’s get out of here.”

They retraced their steps in the darkness. The clouds had completely blocked the moon now. Blake could smell the rain in the air.

At the car, he opened her door and waited for her to get inside.

“What the hell are you doing, Duncan?”

Blake whirled to face Lutz. When the calls from his partner had stopped, he’d wondered what he was up to. “You should just get back in your car and drive away, partner.”

“No way. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”

Blake considered punching his lights out but decided to go with a different strategy. “All right. I’ll tell you what’s going on.”

Bay Haven Drive

Wednesday, July 1, 1:00 a.m.

“You’re certain your partner can be trusted?” Julie stopped her pacing and crossed her arms over her chest. She was worried. She had every right to be. The next twenty-four hours were make or break time. “He was born and raised here,” she went on when Blake didn’t immediately reply. “What if he’s one of Randall’s
friends
?”

“We can trust him. Lutz is one of the good guys.”

The last two hours in this cozy cottage—cozy being the key word—had her thinking about things she had no business thinking about. Just looking at him made her want those forbidden things.

“This Agent MacBride in New York,” she dared to move closer to Blake, searched his eyes, “you really think he can help?”

“My brother was his partner. He wants the person who ordered Luke’s murder the same as I do.”

Julie had no sisters and brothers. Her parents had been her only family. She knew how much it hurt to lose them. She could only imagine how much it hurt to lose a sibling. The idea of losing Marie, even if they weren’t connected by blood, tore at her heart.

Could Randall really be such a horrible person? How had she not seen that kind of evil in him? Dear God, what else had her own husband done that she didn’t know about? Deep down inside, she quaked with the idea that she had shared herself completely with him for more than three years. How could she ever trust her instincts again? Assuming she didn’t spend the rest of her life in prison for a murder she didn’t commit.

She shook off the troubling thoughts. “Now we wait?”

“MacBride will call me back by nine. If he can make a case for opening an investigation into Barton, he will. One of the names on that list was a federal judge, which is FBI territory.”

More of the worry that wouldn’t let go piled on her shoulders. They had followed Lutz to his house and sent the contents of the jump drive via the Internet to Agent MacBride. The ball was in his court now. “Randall is rich. He’ll hire the best lawyers money can buy.”

“He already has about a dozen on retainer.”

How in the world could they hope to bring him down? “What if he finds out what we’re doing?”

Blake cupped her face in his hands. The ability to breathe deserted her. “You have to trust me. We will get him and we will clear your name.”

Her fingers tingled with the need to touch him. “I do trust you.”

His lips spread into a gorgeous smile as he dropped his hands back to his sides. “Thank you. After what you’ve been through, that’s a huge compliment.”

Six months
. Austin hadn’t touched her in more than six months. He had treated her as if she were unworthy of his attention for months before that. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her as if she was valued, treasured.

‘Would you kiss me?” The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

He looked at her for a moment. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

She smiled. “For the first time in a very long time, I am very sure.”

“It would be my pleasure.” His big hands cupped her face once more, and then he dipped his head to press his lips to hers.

Julie didn’t know what she’d been thinking asking a virtual stranger to kiss her. She leaned into him, her body unable to do anything but mesh with his. His arms went around her waist and she sighed against his lips. Every hard muscle of his lean frame seemed to cradle her body… seemed to draw her in.

He traced her lips with his tongue, gently parting them, and then delving inside. Her body arched instinctively against him. She felt the thick ridge of his desire and heat fired through her. She smoothed her hands over his chest, relishing the feel of the solid contours. Her heart pounded so hard, the rush of her own blood was deafening. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire. Every part of her wanted to join with him. She wanted to feel him inside her.

How did she ask him to make love to her?

Would he want to?

Would it be just another mistake?

She’d made so many already.

Her fingers found their way to the buttons of his shirt. She released one, and then another in silent invitation. He groaned, his lips devouring hers. He lifted her against him and carried her to the room he’d slept in last night.

She held her arms up and he tugged the silky blouse up and off. They unfastened the rest of his buttons together. She couldn’t wait to touch his bare skin. Her breath caught as her palms slid over that sleek terrain. He felt strong and warm and she wanted to touch him everywhere.

Their shoes were kicked aside and they peeled off each other’s jeans.

He drew back and stared at her. “Wow.”

Julie suddenly felt the urge to cover herself. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”

She lowered her arms, revealing herself to him. “You don’t have to say things like that.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I mean it. You’re beautiful.”

Before she could argue anymore, he kissed her long and deep. The worries about tomorrow and the doubts about herself slipped away. He kissed a path down her throat and over the swell of her breasts. Somehow they unfastened her bra and let it fall away. He dropped to his knees, his fingers sliding along her skin. He kissed her hip, slipped her panties down her thighs. She stepped out of them. He dug a condom from his wallet and she smiled. With the foil package in hand, he kissed his way back to her lips.

“My turn.” Settling on her knees, she peeled off his socks, and then eased his boxer briefs down his long legs. The air stalled in her lungs. “You’re,” she lifted her gaze to his, “the one who’s beautiful.”

He ushered her to her feet. “Come here.”

They climbed onto the bed together. On some level she understood this was happening way too fast… that circumstances were driving them. But it had been so long. She needed to feel wanted… she needed to feel beautiful.

He teased her lips, her breasts, her belly. Her body arched, wanting more. He moved between her legs and nuzzled her intimately. She gasped. Needing him inside her, she reached down, helped him slide the condom into place, and then she guided that thick part of him to the spot that yearned to be filled. He took his time, filling her slowly, completely.

Pleasure rushed through her. She called his name as he started to move in that age-old rhythm. She came so fast tears filled her eyes.

“Let’s slow it down a little bit,” he murmured against her throat.

He kissed his way along her torso, pausing at her belly button. Then he moved lower, spreading her thighs farther apart so he could pleasure her in the most intimate manner. In seconds he had her coming again. Her mind and body melded into pure sensation.

It wasn’t until the next time he brought her to completion that he followed her there. Their bodies collapsed together. Julie felt genuinely cherished for the first time.

How had she not known that this was the way it was supposed to be?

She snuggled deeper into his arms. She wished she could stay right here and that the nightmares in her life would fade away.

She stilled. Would she ever see Blake again when this was over?

She hoped so.

Why couldn’t she have met Blake Duncan first?

She hoped this wouldn’t be their last night together.

8:45 a.m.

Julie stared out at the water from the screened porch. Blake could feel the worry and the fear emanating from her. He wished he could say the right words to reassure her. But there were no words. What they were about to do was dangerous on several levels.

Cannon was mad as hell that they hadn’t turned themselves in yet. An arrest warrant had been issued for Julie. Last night Lutz had given Blake a heads up on his status. Cannon had placed Blake on indefinite administrative leave pending an investigation of his actions. Not to mention he had been named a person of interest in Austin Barton’s homicide as well as Barbie White’s. Cannon wanted his service weapon and his shield ASAP.

Whatever happened next, Blake figured his career was over. He exhaled a lungful of frustration. There was always the PI gig.

As crazy as it sounded, whatever he was about to lose, last night had been worth the cost. Julie was the part that had always been missing. His sisters would laugh if he admitted as much. They’d always told Blake that when the right woman came along he would be helpless to do anything other than to follow his heart.

He was squarely there this morning. The helpless sensation had hit him the moment Julie bared herself to him. From that instant, all he’d thought about was the ways he could protect her and show her how beautiful and perfect she was. He’d made promises to her and said words to her he hadn’t expected to say any time soon.

I don’t want to lose you, Julie. No one has ever made me feel this way
. She’d echoed those same words, sealing the bond between them.

He moved up behind her. “You okay?”

She managed a small smile. “As terrified as I am, for the first time in a long time I’m definitely okay.”

She leaned into his chest. His arms went instinctively around her. Fate sure as hell had a sense of humor. This was one messed up way to find each other.

“You know, we could just take off. I have a few resources. There’s a gorgeous boat I’ve been eyeing. We could buy it right now and sail off into the sunset.”

She smiled up at him. “I love that plan except we both have people we care about and I don’t think either of us really wants to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders.”

Before he could launch a protest, his cell rang, bringing reality back with it. They were in for a rough ride. He dragged it from his pocket, didn’t recognize the number. His senses on point, he accepted the call. “Duncan.”

“I need to speak to Julie.”

Marie Morrison. She sounded upset. “Is everything all right?” he inquired.

Julie was watching him now, her own instincts stirring.

“Please, just let me speak to Julie.”

A new tension throttling through him, Blake passed the phone to her. “It’s your friend.”

Julie’s eyes rounded with fresh worry. “Marie, is everything okay?”

Blake wished he had put the call on speaker. All he could do was watch the kaleidoscope of emotions play across Julie’s face. Something was very, very wrong.

The grave expression that suddenly claimed her face stole Blake’s breath.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there.” Julie ended the call and handed the phone back to him.

“What happened?”

Julie moistened her trembling lips. “Randall has Marie.”

Blake opened his mouth to demand what the hell that meant, but she went on, “He’ll let her go if I come to him.”

Fury blasted Blake. “No way.” He would not take her to that bastard.

“If I call the police, he said he would know.”

Of course he would. “Son of a bitch!” Blake plowed his fingers through his hair.

“I have one hour to get there. If I don’t show, he’ll hurt her.”

“I’ll call MacBride.”

She grabbed his hand before he could make the call. “She has two children who need her. I won’t take that risk.”

“If you do as he asks, do you really believe he’ll let her go?”

Her blue eyes filled with tears. “I have to believe.”

Peninsula Drive, Mobile, 9:40 a.m.

“Once we drive through that gate,” Blake warned, “there’s no turning back.”

Julie hadn’t spoken a word to him since they left the cottage. He had insisted on telling his partner what they were doing. She was mad as hell that he’d risked Marie’s safety that way. He’d assured her again they could trust his partner. Julie prayed he was right.

“I’ll walk.” She reached for the door handle.

He grabbed her arm. “We both know what’s going to happen in there.”

She faced him. “We do. That’s why you should let me take it from here. Randall has taken enough from your family. I won’t be the cause of him taking more. You wait here for Marie, and then I want you to drive away.” Her heart thundered with determination rather than fear this time. She would not allow Marie or Blake to be hurt by Randall.

She was the one who’d gotten herself into this situation. No one else. Blinded by the idea of having a family of her own, she had married Austin Barton within weeks of meeting him. She had played the neglected wife for three and a half years. Maybe if she had done something when she’d first suspected Austin was not the man she thought he was, Blake’s brother might still be alive. Instead, she’d lived for months in denial.

This was her mess. She had to clean it up.

Blake said nothing in response to her suggestion. Instead, he lifted his foot from the brake and rolled up to the gate.

“Stubborn fool,” she muttered.

“Stubborn runs in the Duncan family.” Blake pushed the buzzer. Five seconds later, the massive iron gate with its ornate B opened.

“Last chance,” he said.

“That’s right.” She wrenched the door open and got out.

“Julie! Stop!”

She ran through the gate without looking back. She heard the car lurch to a stop and him shouting, but she still didn’t look back. Two of Randall’s bodyguards rushed past her. To stop Blake, no doubt.

The massive front door opened as she stormed up the steps. She didn’t bother to swipe away the tears sliding down her cheeks. She didn’t care how she looked or what she had to do as long as Marie and Blake were safe.

As soon as she crossed the threshold the door closed, shutting out the commotion outside.

“Mr. Barton would like to see you in his study,” another bodyguard announced.

Julie couldn’t remember this one’s name. There were so many. Why hadn’t that given her pause before?

“I’m not going anywhere,” she announced, “until Marie is escorted out the front gate.”

“She’s walking through the gate now.” With a knowing sneer, the man gestured to the massive windows that flanked either side of the door. “As is your other
friend
.”

Julie hurried to the window. Marie stood just outside the gate, one hand on her mouth, the other on her abdomen as if she were crying or sick to her stomach. Julie imagined both were true. Blake tore loose from the two bodyguards dragging him off the property. Julie bit her lips together and tried to stem the wave of tears. His face was bloody. He didn’t want to leave her. She prayed he would stop fighting and just go.

The guards shoved him to the ground and hurried back inside as the gates closed. Blake tried to get to the gates before they closed but he was too late.

“Mr. Barton is waiting.”

Julie took a moment to smooth away the tears. How could he do this? Where were the police? Did no one care what was happening inside this five-acre compound?

With a final look at the man she now understood with complete certainty that she loved, Julie turned away from the window. “We wouldn’t want Mr. Barton to wait, would we?”

“I’ll need to ensure you’re not armed or wearing any sort of communication device.”

Julie rolled her eyes and held up her arms while he patted her down. When he was satisfied she presented no harm to his boss, he gestured for her to precede him. Her sneakers were quiet on the marble floors. Randall’s house was even grander than Austin’s. What did a man with no wife, much less children, need with a mega mansion like this?

The guard opened the double doors and waited for Julie to go inside. Apprehension coiled tighter in her chest. She had no idea what would happen next. As long as Marie and Blake were away from the danger, she no longer cared. This was her fault. She’d married into this malicious family.

“Make quite certain we’re not disturbed,” Randall ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

The doors closed with a soft click and Julie jumped. She stood stone still a dozen feet from where Randall waited. He sat in one of the two elegant leather chairs flanking the fireplace. Despite the early hour, he held a tumbler of amber liquor in his hand.

“Would you care for a drink?” He lifted his glass. “I’ve been drinking all night.”

Julie took a deep breath and moved toward him. “No, thank you.” She settled in the chair opposite him. “I’m here, what do you want from me?”

Randall studied her for a long moment. “There’s a warrant for your arrest.”

The sound of his voice sent a sharp spike of apprehension through her. “I suppose that means you’re harboring a fugitive.” She placed her hands in her lap, one atop the other, to hold them still.

He nodded his handsome head. “Perhaps.”

How could anyone so depraved be so attractive and seemingly kind? “You should call the police. I’m certain you want your brother’s killer brought to justice.”

He sipped his drink. “We both know you didn’t kill Austin.”

God Almighty, she wished she had some way of recording this conversation. “Does that mean you did?” As much as she had grown to hate Austin, she felt sorry for him in a way. How awful to be murdered by his own brother.

“We both know I didn’t, but I arranged for the unpleasant matter to be handled.”

Matter? What a sick bastard. “He was your brother.” Nausea churned in her belly.

“I still grieve the loss.” He sighed. “That said, I refused to allow him to destroy all that I have built. We came from nothing.” He plopped his glass on the table next to his chair. “I built this empire one piece at a time. He apparently had forgotten all the sacrifices I made.” He grabbed his glass and downed the last of the contents. “My brother, as you may have noticed, had grown reckless and self-indulgent. I had hoped his marriage to you would change him. I handpicked you for him and he threw you away. He chose instead to wander farther down a dangerous path.”

Stunned, Julie mentally grappled for some sort of response. She had met Randall first. Had he really arranged her and Austin’s whirlwind marriage? Dear God, she had been a bigger fool than she had thought.

He stared at her long enough to make her uncomfortable. “I wanted you so very much.”

Just when she’d thought nothing else he could say would startle her, he did.

“As always, I made the necessary sacrifice for the family.” He shook his head. “I should have had him killed then.”

The realization she’d been denying crashed down on her. Randall had just admitted to her that he’d killed his brother. He would never allow her the opportunity to tell anyone. He was going to kill her. She had understood that possibility coming in and still, somehow she had hoped she was wrong.

“The person who killed Austin,” she somehow managed to say, “tried to get to me, too. Is that why I’m here? For him to finish the job?”

Randall smiled. “Of course not. You came home a little earlier than anticipated, which created a bit of a conundrum. He only wanted to frighten you.”

Fury lashed through her. “You told the police I cheated on Austin. You wanted them to believe I killed him.” Maybe she wouldn’t die today. Maybe he simply wanted to see her one last time before turning her over to the police.

He smiled. “There is a reason for all things as you will see.”

Julie braced for the next level of this nightmare.

“I will see that this murder business is cleared up. My brother was murdered by a jealous lover obsessed with Miss White. Unfortunately, he killed Miss White as well, and then he killed himself. How sad. The confession is waiting with his body—if the police only knew where to look.”

He’d had two other people murdered to provide a way out for her? Julie must have heard him wrong. “Why would you do that?”

“I can’t have my new wife going through a murder trial.”

Shock quaked through her. “Why would I marry you?”

“I can think of several reasons.” He waved a hand dismissively. “Avoiding prison. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your friend and her children. Oh yes, saving the life and career of your detective. It’s quite tragic that his brother had to die. I would hate for the same fate to befall him. I’m certain you don’t want to see him die.”

Fear narrowed her throat as if his evil fingers were choking her. “If I agree, they’ll be safe?”

“Forevermore.”

“He won’t stop trying to find justice for his brother.” Julie’s heart broke. How could she agree to this and never see Blake again?

“He’s wasting his time. He can never tie me to the murder or to any other wrongdoing.”

Oh my God
. He didn’t know she had the jump drive! She’d thought he was setting her up because Austin had told him she’d been nosing around, but he hadn’t. Evidently, Austin, the bastard, had done one good thing in their marriage.

Randall had no idea that at this very moment the FBI was looking for a way to connect him to that list and God only knew what else based on the data on that jump drive. Had the file she’d copied been Austin’s insurance? Had he realized his brother was growing tired of his independence and carelessness?

All she had to do was buy some time.

“All right then.” She nodded resolutely. “We have a deal.”

Randall smiled, his eyes gleaming with victory.

Julie hoped Blake’s FBI friend worked fast. She did not want to become Mrs. Randall Barton.