Stolen Seduction (32 page)

from Malcolm. I got her hooked up with a new apartment on the other side of the city, in a good

neighborhood. Got her a job with my ex-partner, Jack, doing secretarial stuff at his PI firm. Made

sure Malcolm didn’t know where she’d gone. Since no one would talk about his involvement in Dee

Dee’s murder, we didn’t have crap on him, but I knew he did it.”

Hailey’s stomach tightened. “Then what?”

“I kept my distance from her for a while. If Malcolm thought I’d been the one to get her out of

there, I didn’t want him following me to find her. After about three months, I figured things were

safe, you know? So I went to see her at Jack’s office. And the change in her…it was like night and

day. She was a different woman. Her hair was short, her eyes sparkled. She’d gained at least ten

pounds that made all the difference. And she smiled. All the time. It was like…the way I think she

might have been before she’d come to Chicago.”

A tiny piece of Hailey’s heart pinched. “You loved her.”

His eyes finally met hers, only they weren’t soft like his words, they were very hard, and very dark.

“No. But I could have. I think…I wanted to. I took her to dinner. And the whole time she was grinning at me and talking nonstop about Jack and her job and how happy she was, all I could think

about was what it would be like to be with her. Not just for sex, but long-term. With someone who

had that much energy and love of life.”

This was the woman he’d considered marrying. Hailey almost didn’t want to hear the rest. Knew

she had to.

“I walked her back to her apartment,” Shane went on, not waiting for a reaction. “I wanted to go in-side with her, but I didn’t want her to feel like she owed me or that I was only interested in sex.

When she invited me in, I said no, even though I was already thinking about when I was going to

see her again. I kissed her good night instead, then left.”

She didn’t know how, but Hailey instinctively knew that was the last time he’d seen her. “Then

what?”

Shane’s eyes hardened. “He’d been waiting for her in the apartment. All those months he’d been

watching me, waiting for me to lead him right to her. As I was walking back to my car he…”

Shane’s eyes slammed shut, and he swallowed, hard. “The things he did to Dee Dee were nothing

compared to what he did to Julie.”

Hailey pressed a hand against her mouth. “Oh, Shane. That’s horrible. But it wasn’t your fault. He

—”

Shane’s eyes popped open, and her words died when she saw the danger flare in their depths. “If it

hadn’t been for me, she’d still be alive. I couldn’t bring her back, but I sure as hell could do something about him.”

Now it all made sense. “You went to arrest him,” Hailey said quietly.

“No,” Shane corrected in a tone that held nothing but ice. “We didn’t have enough evidence to bring

him in for questioning, let alone arrest the piece of shit. I went to kill him. I waited and I planned,

and I made sure enough time had passed so it wouldn’t look like a retaliation hit. But I had absolutely no intention of bringing him in or letting him see even a thread of justice.”

A lump formed in Hailey’s throat. And she thought about the scar on his side. “You found him.”

“Yeah,” Shane said coldly. “I did. We fought. I took a knife to the side, which is how I got the scar,

but in the end, he’s the one who left that warehouse in a body bag.”

He didn’t elaborate, but she could almost envision the scene. The run-down slum, the empty warehouse. The sounds of fists cracking bone and bullets echoing in the vast space.

“There was an Internal Affairs investigation. They knew about Dee Dee. They knew about Julie and

that I’d gotten her a job with Jack. They knew I was up to my eyeballs in shit. The only reason I

didn’t go down is because Tony lied for me.”

Hailey’s heart went out to him. The man had a clear dividing line between right and wrong, and in

his mind he’d stepped over that line. Way over. She thought about what Lisa had told her in the

kitchen last night, about how much Shane had changed in the last few months, how he never smiled

and had pulled back from those he cared about. The memory of what he’d done and that law he was

forced to uphold because of his job were obviously eating away at him.

She took two steps toward him, cautious not to touch him yet, because his eyes were still blazing

and he looked ready to pound something, but she was determined to get him to listen to her. “What

Malcolm did to Julie and Dee Dee was wrong, Shane.”

“I killed a man, Hailey. In cold blood. Premeditated and all that shit.”

She wasn’t so sure of that. She knew him way better than he thought she did. For whatever reason,

he was trying to get her to think badly of him right now. Only it wasn’t working. She remembered

how he’d been adamant Lisa and Rafe go to the police when things had turned during their search

for the Furies and he’d been shot. How he’d pressured her to come clean with him in Lake Geneva

about Bryan’s murder. No matter what he thought he’d gone there to do, his moral compass would

have kicked in at the last minute.

The scar on his side confirmed that. If he’d gone there just to kill Malcolm, he could have done it

without the struggle, without the injury that had left him in the hospital for over a week, without the

scar that told her he’d more than likely killed Malcolm in self-defense.

“When did Chen arrive?” she asked.

“Right after it happened.”

“And what was IA’s final finding?”

His jaw clenched. And he hesitated, then finally said, “Exonerated.”

There it was. By definition that meant the incident had never happened, or his actions were found

lawful and didn’t violate any written policies. His partner would never have been in the area unless

Shane had called and told him where he was. And if Chen had known, then Shane hadn’t wanted to

go through with his plan in the first place. “Self-defense is not murder, Shane,” she said quietly.

“Doesn’t matter,” he snapped. “I went with the intention of killing him, and I did.”

She took a step closer. “You stopped him from killing any other young girls. No one in their right

mind would blame you for that. I certainly don’t. And if you expect me to be shocked, you’re talking to the wrong person. I worked the streets, remember? I know bad things happen to good people

and that justice isn’t always served. If you’d have taken him in, there’s no telling how long it would

have been before he was out again.”

“You don’t get it, Hailey. What I did to him doesn’t matter right now.” He took a giant step back before she could touch him. “I killed someone for a hooker I barely knew. I didn’t love her. Didn’t

even really know her. What I feel for you is a thousand times stronger and a million times hotter,

and that makes me dangerous. To you, to anyone who crosses you, to the SOB who’s setting you up

for your cousin’s murder. When I said what happened last night between us won’t happen again, it’s

not because I don’t want to be with you. It’s because I don’t trust myself around you. And I can’t—

won’t—let anything happen to you because of me.”

A thousand thoughts and feelings rushed through her. He hadn’t said he loved her, not in so many

words, but it was there, hanging in the silence between them. Her heart soared, and a joy the likes of

which she’d never really known swept over her.

But just as quickly it dropped like a stone into her stomach.

Because the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes finally registered.

What he felt for her wasn’t enough to convince him she was good for him. Not enough to get him to

see that she’d made him laugh and smile the last few days when no one else had in almost a year.

Not enough to break through the barrier of guilt he’d built around himself. Somehow, she had to get

him to see he wasn’t responsible for what Malcolm had done.

“You can’t blame yourself because you weren’t there when it happened, Shane. You did everything

you could to help her, to get her a better life.” She moved toward him. “You can’t stop living because of it, either.”

He stepped out of her reach before she could touch him, and the searing look in his eyes warned her

not to try. “You can’t just say that and expect me to feel it. You weren’t there. You didn’t see what

he did to her. You don’t have to live with the knowledge if you hadn’t gotten involved, she’d be

alive now.”

“Who’s to say Malcolm wouldn’t have killed her anyway?” she countered. She wanted to pull him

close, tell him it would be okay, but she knew it wouldn’t be. Not until he was able to let this go.

“Shane—”

“Look,” he said quickly, “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just telling you the way it is. I’m not relationship material. I thought last night…maybe there was a way…” He lifted one hand. Dropped it.

“But I know now there isn’t. This ends here.”

He sounded so final. Like he’d made up his mind and she had no say in it whatsoever. But instead

of being hurt, she was suddenly angry. Frustrated beyond belief because he couldn’t see what he

was about to throw away. “So that’s it. All because you say so. End of story. Thanks for the fuck,

and see ya.”

“Don’t say it like that.”

She glanced around the room that only a few hours ago had been cozy and warm and the only place

she’d wanted to be. Now just seeing the rumpled bed and remembering what they’d done there left

a hollow ache in her chest. “Why not? That’s all it was, wasn’t it?”

“No, it wasn’t. It was—”

She finally spotted her shoes under the chair on the far side of the room. To distract herself she

dropped into the same chair they’d made love in last night and stooped to tie the laces. “You’re going back to Chicago as soon as we find that sixth sculpture, aren’t you?”

His mouth snapped shut. Then quietly he said, “Yes.”

She nodded. Didn’t bother to look at him. Hated that the ache was spreading. Hated even more that

she wouldn’t tell him to leave now and save her some angst. Because if she did, there’d be no way

for him to change his mind. And how desperate did that make her? God, was she ever going to learn

with men? “Then I guess we’d better get busy finding that bronze so you can get home sooner

rather than later.”

“Hailey—”

A knock at the door cut off his words.

He glanced at the door, then back at her. “I don’t want it to end like this.”

The regret in his voice was too much, and she stood quickly, pinned her eyes on his and pulled up

the one trait that had saved her every other time life had thrown her a curveball. “I think you do. I

think this makes it easy on you.”

A fist pounded against the door, followed by Rafe’s muffled voice. “Maxwell?”

Irritation creased Shane’s features as he jerked his head to the side. “What?”

“Open the damn door, cop. I’m not gonna keep yelling in my own house!”

“Fuck,” Shane muttered, stalking to the door. He disappeared around the corner. “What?”

“Good morning to you, too, sunshine,” Rafe grumbled. “Glad to see you slept so well. Your sister

sent me up here to tell you breakfast is ready. And to find out if Hailey said anything to you last

night. No one seems to know where she is.”

“I don’t—”

She’d had it with all the men in this house. Hailey grabbed her bag from the floor, headed for the

door and pushed her way past Shane. Rafe’s surprised eyes darted to her. “I’m here,” she said. “Are

Billy and Nicole ready to go?”

“Uh, yeah.” Rafe shot a curious look between Hailey and Shane.

“Good. I want to get out of here as quick as we can.” She brushed past Rafe and headed for the

stairs.

“Hailey, hold up,” Shane called.

She didn’t dare stop. Did not want to get between her ex-husband and the man she’d just spent an

amazing night and maddening morning with. And there was no way she wanted to know what kind

of male posturing was going on behind her. “I’m leaving in twenty minutes, with or without you,

Maxwell. So if you’re still planning on tagging along, you’d better get your ass in gear.”

C HAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A January storm was rolling in off the Caribbean as they set out across the Keys. Hailey glanced up

at the swirling sky and couldn’t help noticing it fit her mood to the letter. After landing the Roarke

Bombardier on the short flight strip in Marathon, they’d rented a power boat and set off for her father’s private island. Shane and Billy were above, driving the boat, while Nicole held her head over

the side, green as grass. Hailey had retreated belowdecks to get some peace and quiet. And to get

away from Shane’s scrutinizing gaze.

She hadn’t been in the mood to talk with him, but he’d needed to fill her in on Chen’s phone call

last night. Bryan’s autopsy results had come back, and they weren’t what anyone had expected.

Technically, his heart had stopped. He hadn’t actually died from the neck wound after all. Though

that was good news for her, it didn’t clear her name completely. And though the toxicology report

hadn’t come in yet, Hailey couldn’t help focusing on what it would say when all was said and done.

Would it be the same thing that had killed her father? Digoxin? Or the poison she’d been given that

had made her so sick? One thing was eerily clear to her now, though: only one person in her family

had a heart condition and also was a horticulture hobbyist. And Hailey had been at his house just

before she’d gotten sick.

“How much farther?” Nicole asked as she slinked down the steps from the deck, looking pale. She