Hot As Blazes (27 page)

Jo squirmed when the operator mentioned the house.

“It’s been a rough night. We need an ambulance and the coroner.” The motherfucker would never bother her again.

“Is someone dead?”

“Yep, nine mil between the eyes.”

Jo bobbed.

“It’s okay, baby.” He cinched her with an arm around her waist and calmly finished the call.

“How did you find me?” Her small voice drifted up from his chest.

The night loomed large and imposing. The scent of charred wood and smoke enveloped him. “I heard the explosion when coming back. When I got closer―” He said in a strangled tone, “God, I thought you were dead, Jo.”

He squeezed her tightly never wanting to let go. The night was a waking nightmare. Worse than when trapped on the roof in Iraq. “There was nothing I could do. Everything was gone. The heat of the blaze forced me to the dunes.”

She laced her fingers in his shaking hands. Her wide, black pupils reminded him of a doe’s. Her face so pale and her cheek swelling by the second. “And?”

“The blaze looked like something from a movie.” He rubbed a hand across his forehead. “The engines and trucks hadn’t arrived yet. My phone vibrated. I figured Bobby had gotten the nine-one-one call about the house. Instead, the display showed the GPS position of the pager. I held onto hope.”

“Harley didn’t tell me he set you up.” She stared unblinking.

He smirked. “Did you really think I wouldn’t get involved?”

Her colorless lips managed a smile.

“I grabbed my gun from the truck and started for the beach. Praying he wanted you to see the house burn and hadn’t killed you or found the transmitter. The inferno lit the beach. I saw the gun he had on you. Taking cover in the sea oats, I bided my time. It was all I could do not to rush the fucker when he pistol-whipped you.”

She trembled as he relayed events. “How did you know when…”

“You forget where I spent nearly a year.” He’d never talked in detail about his time there. Understanding lit her eyes. “I figured he’d left his vehicle at The Post, so I kept a few feet ahead and then waited at the crest of the dune. You gave me the break when you fell forward. Perfect headshot.”

She swayed. “You were a sniper?”

“Close enough.” She didn’t need to know everything.

“Lucky me to have a sharpshooting Hemanus.”

His nickname forced him to smile. “Guess so.”

Police cars screeched into the parking lot blinding him with blue strobes. He held her, dreading the next several hours.

“Hold your hands where they can see them,” he said softly.

* * * *

Shit, her gun.

Bobby led the pack of police. Two officers forced the gathering crowd back and rolled yellow tape around the scene.

Spattered blood on her clothes made her stomach swim. Her bother squatted next to where Ray and she sat in the sand.

The lines etched in his forehead made him appear ten years older. He slid his arm around her shoulder. “You okay, sis? Let’s get you in the car.”

Inside the Crown Vic, she slipped him her pistol and her phone for safekeeping. Things were already complicated. She worried about Ray as the officers began their investigation. An officer patted him down, even though his gun lay at his feet.

She shuddered, remembering how Vic’s gun remained frozen in his hand.

“Ray saved my life, Bobby.” She broke into a sob.

“It’ll be okay, Jo. It’s defense.”

“Then why are they taking him?” She stuttered as cold seeped into her bones.

“He has to make a statement. So do you. It’s gotta be done by the book so no one can say there was any favoritism. Especially, with you being my sister.”

After an ambulance ride to the hospital and three hours in the ER, the night didn’t seem long as she reran the night’s events after leaving The Casino. No broken cheek, but a butterfly bandage there accented her black eye. She went to see Harley but he’d already checked out.

Bobby came for her to give her statement. Afterward, she sat in his office dozing. The uncomfortable straight-back chair didn’t matter to her weary bones.

“I’ll take you to Sarah’s, if you want.” He drummed his pencil against the desk pad.

“I’m not leaving until Ray is released.”

Bobby stood and stretched. “I’ll go check with the detectives.”

“Jesus, the man was going to kill me. My testimony put him in jail. How much more is there to it? Vic was holding me at gunpoint. His weapon was in his hand and loaded.”

“I told you everything has to be by the book. Here’s your phone,” he said placing it in on his desk.

After he left the room, Jo checked the time. Six-thirty AM. Light poured through the mini blinds. The last hours seemed surreal. She scanned her phone and read a text from Harley. She pressed his speed dial.

“Jo, where are you?”

“Long story.”

“I got a message from Bobby that the asshole tried to kill you.”

Their conversation sounded like dialog from a movie. “He didn’t count on a pissed off Hemanus.”

Harley chuckled. “Sorry, I missed the fun. The hospital had my phone turned off. Listen, you’re not the first call this morning. DEA found something interesting.”

“Shit, now what?” She rubbed her eyes. They felt like they’d been rolled in sand and broiled.

“Their IT people found Vic’s e-mail address in Sarah’s business partner’s e-mail contacts. Some guy named Nate.”

Her stomach dropped like a stone, remembering the sweaty handshake at Christmas. Prick. “Sarah’s scum partner sent the e-mails in Bobby’s name.”

She kicked the trashcan beside the desk.

“And that’s not all. It seems Nate has an on-line gambling problem. He’s been skimming money from their partnership.”

The phone slipped from her fingers. Not really a revelation at this point, but how did Vic know Nate?

“You there, babe?

“Uh, yeah.” Her brain had turned into fried noodles from lack of sleep.

“DEA has probably already been in contact with the detectives.”

“Think they’ll catch him before he learns Vic’s dead?” Oh, please let her interrogate the motherfucker. She’d bring a barbed wire whip.

“Hope so.”

She chewed a nail ready to go down the hall and rip heads to free her savior.

“How’s Ray?”

That’s what she wanted to know. The more time passed, the antsier she became. “Bobby went to see if they’re done questioning him. So, why did you set him up to get my pager SOS?”

Harley cleared his throat. “He came by when he got back from Pennsylvania. Man to man. Asked my real intentions. I respect him for that. I couldn’t tell him about the investigation, but warned him that it was more than your fear of Vic. After I told him what I had planned for your protection, he asked me to add his number. He didn’t want you to know.”

“Why?” She started to work on another nail.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t think he could protect you?”

Her head throbbed. “No, I just didn’t want him getting killed.”

“Okay, now what do you think?”

“I should’ve let him decide.” She stood and paced.

“You need to tell him that.”

Of course she did. She needed to drop to her knees and a whole bunch of other things but first she wanted him out of interrogation or wherever the fuck they had him. “Did you tell him that there’s never been anything physical or romantic between us?”

“No. I said you’re hot as fuck and that he’s a lucky son of a bitch. Oh, and give him some of those sweet cheeks if you haven’t already. He certainly deserves something special.”

So that’s the way he wanted to play. “You want me to tell Tami you guys are on for another date? I think you two might be soul mates.”

The connection died.

Most of the puzzle pieces were in place. Now to find uncover the strife between Ray and Harley. Then again, the saying about sleep dogs might apply.

The frowns marring Ray and Bobby’s faces when they filed into the office told Jo she didn’t need to update them on DEA’s findings.

Ray shut the door behind them.

“Jesus, Jo, you could have clued me in on Harley.” Bobby shot her an angry look.

“He swore me to silence. I knew it wasn’t you and I didn’t really believe it was Sarah. When you said the business was in trouble, her partner went through my mind. So how does Nate know Vic?”

“That’s the million dollar question.” Bobby tossed a file into a bin on his desk.

Vic never ever mentioned Nate that she remembered. His uncommon name should have rang a bell. Her ex-boyfriend had a lot of family in Florida, maybe he was a distant relation. “Vic’s dad and uncle were extremely close. They run a business together. Kinda sounded like a godfather type of family.”

Her brother nodded and scribbled some notes. “Ready to get out of here?”

More than.

Ray and she filed out of the office behind Bobby. She slumped next to Ray in the back of the cruiser as he drove from the station. Her lover should have been on his way to work by now. Hell, he had probably looked better after crawling from a burning building than he did this morning. His hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes were on her head. Everything fell on her shoulders. She was a Black Widow, only her poison killed slowly.

Ray’s body warmed her as she leaned against him. Where she wanted to be, forever in his arms. She needed to apologize, wanted to claim him her hero and proclaim her love, but didn’t know where to start. Shooting straight to the heart, she said, “Thanks for saving my life.”

His chin rested on top of her head, but his smile was audible through his exhale. “There’s no one else I’d rather rescue, Dahlin’.”

Ahh, her pet name. She wasn’t sure how he’d feel after playing one hundred and fifty questions all night with the detectives. The grilling they’d put her through made her want to admit to anything to escape. Last night before he left for coffee, he’d said he’d die for her. He’d more than proved his point. “I love you,” she whispered and snuggled closer.

His lips caressed her temple. “I love you, too, baby. More than you’ll ever know.”

“Where to, my felonious sister and sniper best friend?” Bobby waited for the signal light to change.

The sunny day made last night’s events seem unreal. “I want to see what’s left of the house.” She nearly strangled on the words. The house no longer existed.

Ray groaned and his body tightened. “Christ. Yeah, and I need to get my truck.”

“Suppose I’ll be staying with Sarah a bit longer, if she’ll let me,” Bobby said. “Hey, at least our family photos are safe.” He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Sarah had borrowed them to scan into her computer.”

“You haven’t called her?” Jo asked.

“She’ll be back in town this afternoon. I’m hoping to hear more info from the detectives before then. I’d like to explain everything face-to-face.”

“Think she’ll have you back?” Ray swiped hand over his chin stubble.

Eyes hidden behind aviator shades, he studied him in the mirror. “Hard to say.”

The Hummer sat angled off the road, deep in the sand, left in a hurry.

Splintered remnants of the house’s pilings rose up like wicked black fingers. None of them had the courage to trek up the driveway. Tears burned the back of her eyes. Both men remained silent.

A telltale muscle worked in Ray’s jaw. “Are you coming home with me? Or would you rather stay with Bobby at Sarah’s?”

Jesus, she was homeless—she could be dead.

She had no clothes or shoes other than what she wore. No driver’s license, keys, credit debit card, or anything else she needed to survive in the world. She touched her pocket, mildly reassured by her cell. Strangely, her truck, phone, a pistol, and plausibly the tall hunk holding her were all she could claim.

“Jo?” Bobby roused her.

Both men stared at her, waiting. “Maybe the two of you should flip a coin and see who gets stuck with me.”

She could barely see from her right eye.

Ray’s arms came around her. “Come on, we’ll go to my place.” His blue eyes lightened. “After some sleep, we’ll see what you need first. I called Captain Brody and took leave until Wednesday. Tomorrow we can drive to Manteo and get you a new driver’s license.”

Bobby handed her his sunglasses. “You don’t want everyone to think Ray beat you.”

Damn, she must look like shit.

“I’ve already called the insurance company about the house. They’ll be contacting you, so be making a list of your stuff. And Jo, you don’t know who shot Vic. If anyone asks, it was dark. You heard gunshots and Vic fell. Somewhere in the mix, Ray and I showed up. The department wants to keep this low profile. The press will be told he was a former drug dealer and torched our house because of your testimony against him. It’s in yours and Ray’s best interest not to mention him, especially where the public is concerned.” He patted her on the back.

Would her name ever make the news again in a good light?

* * * *

Anxious to have some time alone with Jo, Ray helped her into his truck. He’d offed her ex-boyfriend right in front of her. Yeah, he’d blown up the house and had her a gunpoint, but he didn’t want her to think he was a cold-blooded killer. “You okay?” He brushed her hair back as she sat. For several minutes last night he’d thought he’d lost her forever. His chest ached at the memory.

She leaned toward him and latched her arms around his neck. “I am because of you.”

“We’ll pick up some breakfast on the way, anything else you need right now?”

She paused and then raised her brows. “Birth control pills.”

“Yep. I’m on it.” His body tightened. Sex hadn’t entered his thoughts before now. He was still praising God she was alive. He hopped in the truck and aimed for the bypass heading for the pharmacy. After all, she’d been through he tried to keep his mind on the current errand.

After an easy script pick-up at the pharmacy, he cruised through a fast food drive thru for breakfast.

“Where’s Craig?” She unbuckled her seatbelt as they arrived at the house.

“On days for the next few weeks. He’ll be here most nights when I’m on shift.” He’d feel better with someone in the house with her while he was on shift. He opened the door and followed her inside.