Deadly Questions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 8) (8 page)

“Kill him, too,” Frankie ordered.

Finn staggered as one of Frankie’s men punched him in the face, fighting to keep his footing and not leave his brothers vulnerable. “Okay, now I’m pissed.”

“What a great way to spend an afternoon,” Mandy said, holding the door of the police station open and ushering the three Hardy brothers out in front of her.

“I’m sorry,” James said, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared down at his wife’s unreadable face. “Things just got out of hand.”

“We weren’t charged with anything,” Grady said. “We were just issued tickets for disturbing the peace. They should have just let us go. I have no idea why they called you.”

“The only reason you weren’t charged is because of Judge MacIntosh,” Mandy replied. “He called in a favor.”

“What?” James’ eyes widened. “You told him?”

“He was in my office when I got the call,” Mandy said. “He called down here and talked them out of pressing misdemeanor charges. That’s why you only got civil infractions.”

“I … shit, baby,” James said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Get in the car.”

“We have to go and pick up my Explorer,” James said, his expression worried as he studied Mandy’s clenched jaw.

“Why don’t we do that,” Grady offered. “We’ll drop it off at your house.”

James shot him a look. “I can drive my own truck.”

“I think you’re scared of being alone in the car with your wife,” Finn teased.

“I wouldn’t be so full of yourself,” Mandy said. “Emma and Sophie know you two were arrested, too. I called them before I came down here.”

“You tattled on us?” Finn was incensed.

“I had no idea how long I would be down here, and I didn’t want them to worry,” Mandy replied, nonplussed. “I don’t tattle.”

“Does Ally know?” James asked.

“I told Jake.”

“And I suppose that wasn’t tattling either?” Grady asked, scowling.

“I’m not apologizing,” Mandy said, placing her hands on her hips. “Now get in the car. I’ll drive you to the Explorer.”

“Why don’t you let me drive?” James asked, holding his hands out for the keys. He had no idea why Mandy insisted on driving a Focus. When her first car exploded, she’d bought the exact same model several weeks later. He hated the car. He still didn’t want her to drive.

“I can drive my own car,” Mandy shot back.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t,” James replied carefully. “Are you mad?”

“Why would I possibly be mad?”

“I don’t know, because you had to bail us out of jail?” Finn supplied.

“Thanks for helping,” James growled.

“No problem.”

“Get in the car,” Mandy repeated.

“I know where the Explorer is,” James said. “I can get us there faster.”

“No, you just don’t trust me to drive,” Mandy argued. “You never let me drive.”

“I let you drive,” James protested.

“When?”

“I … .”

“When have you ever let me drive?”

The stiff set of Mandy’s shoulders was enough to make James uncomfortable. He didn’t like the stern expression on her face – although, for some reason, he found it adorable.

“Fine. Drive.”

“Great,” Mandy said, pointing to the car. “Get in.”

When they got to James’ Explorer, all three men piled out of the car.

“I’ll see you at home, baby.” James blew her a kiss and started to shut the door.

Mandy ignored him, her frame unnaturally rigid as she stared out the front window of the car.

James straightened, fixing his brothers with a worried expression. “Maybe you guys should take the Explorer back. I’ll ride with her.”

“She’s pissed,” Finn said. “Maybe you should give her some time to calm down.”

“I think she’s more pissed about the driving than she is the arrest,” Grady said. “How come you never let her drive?”

“I don’t know,” James said, keeping his voice low. “I just like to drive.”

“Yeah? Well, she’s going to be driving you around the bend tonight,” Grady replied. “We’ll park the Explorer in the driveway and leave the keys in the mailbox.”

“What? Are you scared to come in the house?”

Grady inclined his head in Mandy’s direction. “I’ve seen that look before. You two are about to go ten rounds and then make up. I don’t want to be there for either of those things.”

James ran his hand through his hair, glancing back down at his pouting wife. “Well, at least I have the making up to look forward to.” He slid back in the passenger seat. “I’m going to ride with you, baby.”

“Should I thank you now or later?” Mandy’s tone was dripping with sarcasm, causing James to grimace.

Mandy followed Grady and Finn as they pulled onto the expressway, setting the cruise control once the traffic lessened.

“So, baby, how was your day?”

“Great.”

James rolled his neck, cracking it as he tried to relax. Watching his wife zip in and out of traffic was driving him crazy, and he found his hands constantly resting against the console as his body braced for an impact he was sure was about to come.

“Stop doing that,” Mandy ordered.

“I’m not doing anything.”

“I’ve been driving for ten years,” she said. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I didn’t say you didn’t.”

“Oh, good grief,” Mandy said. “Do you want me to pull over so you can drive?”

That was exactly what James wanted, but he didn’t think admitting it would get him very far. “I’m fine.”

Mandy shook her head, her lips moving but no sound coming out.

James pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew he should be cowering – or at least begging – in the face of her anger. She was just so cute. “You know, we only got involved because the women were being mistreated.”

“I know.”

“It just got out of hand,” James said. “That Frankie guy was yanking the one woman’s hair, and Grady just reacted. When they jumped him, I couldn’t ignore it. He’s my brother.”

Mandy scowled. “Is that why you think I’m angry?”

“Well, you were happy with me in bed this morning,” James said. “Something had to happen between now and then, and getting arrested is pretty high on my list of possibilities.”

“I’m not angry that you got arrested,” Mandy said. “I’m not angry that you stood up for your brother, or tried to help two women who obviously needed it.”

“So, you’re just angry about the driving thing?”

Mandy rolled her eyes. “I don’t care about the driving thing,” she said. “Well, I do, but that’s a mild irritation. Most of the time I find it funny.”

“Then why are you angry?”

“Because you could have been hurt,” Mandy said. “Those men are animals. They treat women as property. They treat them worse than … dirt. You could have been killed.”

“That’s why you’re angry?” James relaxed. “You know, we’ve been trained to fight. We were never in any real danger.”

“Then why fight?”

“I … .”

“You like to fight,” Mandy finished for him. “Admit it.”

“I don’t like to fight,” James said. “When it’s necessary, though, I’m not going to run from it. Those guys deserved what they got.”

Mandy made a sound in the back of her throat. If James didn’t know better, he would have thought it was a growl. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”

“Oh, whatever.”

James reached over, rubbing his hand over his wife’s shapely thigh. “You’re right,” he said. “I do like fighting.”

Mandy shifted her gaze to him.

“Watch the road, baby,” James said. “I only meant I like fighting with you. I like to make up, too.”

Mandy fought the urge to smile.

“So, if I buy you dinner, can we make up when we get home?”

“You are incorrigible,” Mandy muttered.

“I love you, wife,” James said. “And I would never put myself in a position where I could be taken away from you. I was never in any real danger today.”

Mandy sighed. “I love you, too.”

“Good,” James said. “Now keep your eyes on the road. You’re making me nervous. If I knew you drove like this, I would have bought you a tank.”

“HEY,
sweetie,” Finn said, letting himself into Emma’s apartment. “Sorry I’m late. I picked up dinner.”

When Finn turned, the woman he saw sitting on the couch was not the one he was expecting.

“Who are you?”

Emma appeared in the living room, her hands clasped tightly at her waist as she met Finn’s worried gaze. “Thank God you’re home,” she said. “I was about to freak out.”

Finn gave Emma a quick kiss. “What’s going on?”

“This is Lily,” Emma said. “She’s … she’s in trouble.”

Finn looked the blonde woman over. Her hair was tousled, her face flushed. And, even though the light in the apartment wasn’t great, Finn was almost positive he saw the hints of a bruise forming on her high cheekbone. “What happened?”

“She was attacked,” Emma said. “A man came to her apartment and attacked her because she was talking to us.”

Finn furrowed his brow. “How did he know?”

“That’s what I came here to ask you,” Lily said, her voice tinny. “I told Emma my story because I trusted her. Obviously you’ve been asking questions of the wrong people.”

“We’ve been down in Detroit,” Finn said. “We’ve been asking questions, not spreading information. We didn’t tell anyone about you.”

“You must have told someone,” Lily challenged. “How else would they know where to find me?”

“I don’t know,” Finn said. “Have you told anyone else?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?” Finn pressed. “You told Emma.”

Lily narrowed her green eyes dangerously. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“No,” Finn said, holding his hands up in a placating manner. “I’m just saying that it’s a hard story, and it’s your story. People want to tell others when something bad happens. It’s just human nature.”

“I didn’t tell anyone,” Lily said. “I’ve managed to stay off their radar since I ran, and now they’re back.”

Finn exhaled heavily, shuffling over to the chair next to the couch. He kept his movements small as he sat in it, not wanting to inadvertently scare the woman on the couch. “Okay, let’s take this from the beginning,” he said. “Did you recognize the man at your door?”

“No,” Lily said. “He said he worked for Christian.”

“And Christian was your … .”

“The man who took me in,” Lily finished.

“Right,” Finn said. “When was the last time you saw Christian?”

“The afternoon I was taken,” Lily said. “I never went back after that. I left all my things, and I just … ran.”

“When was that?”

Lily searched her memory. “Almost two years ago.”

“And how long were you with him?”

“A couple of months.”

“When you ran, how did you do it?” Finn asked.

“Well, I hopped on a bus and went north,” Lily said. “I didn’t have the shoes to do it on foot – or any shoes, for that matter.”

“Did you change your name?”

Lily shook her head. “No.”

“Then how do you know this Christian didn’t just find you on his own?” Finn asked.

“You don’t find the timing somewhat coincidental?”

Finn shrugged. “It is cause for concern,” he agreed. “I can promise you that we never mentioned your name, or your story. He had to have found you through some other means.”

“I don’t see how,” Lily said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“We’ll find out,” Finn said. “I promise. For now, I don’t think you should go home.”

“Where am I supposed to go?”

“I can put you up in a hotel,” Finn said. “No one will be able to find you there.”

“Or you can stay here,” Emma offered.

Finn internally cringed.

“Here?” Lily looked around dubiously.

“Yeah, you can sleep on the couch,” Emma said. “It’s comfortable.”

“I think a hotel is a better option,” Finn said carefully.

“Why?” Emma asked, confused. “She can sleep on the couch. It’s not a big deal. Why waste the money?”

“He doesn’t want me around you,” Lily said. “He thinks I’m beneath you.”

“That’s not true,” Emma protested.

“No, it’s not,” Finn agreed. “This apartment is very small, though, and a hotel would allow Lily to have her own space.”

“But … .”

“Emma,” Finn said. “This apartment is too small for three of us. Lily would be safer – and happier – in a hotel.”

“And then I wouldn’t be here hobnobbing with you,” Lily said. “Admit it, you just don’t want your girlfriend to hang out with a former prostitute.”

“That’s not true,” Finn said. “I admire what you’ve done for yourself.”

“Oh, whatever,” Lily said, heading toward the door. “I’m leaving. I want you people to stay away from me. You’re going to get me killed.”

“Lily, no,” Emma said. “You’re staying here with me.”