Seductive Reasoning (TASK FORCE HAWAII Book 1) (17 page)

“If there is someone who will know about things, it’s Morgan,” Del said. “We definitely need to look at him as an accomplice.”

“He might suspect and not know,” Elle said.

“What the bloody hell does that mean?” McGregor asked.

“It means, reading over this information Adam found on him, he would not question. He came from an affluent background, but other than a trust to send him to school, his family had no money left when he went to college. His father died when he was in high school,” she explained. “The family didn’t realize that the money was gone until after his father was dead.

“And?” Del asked.

“He might want to live the life he previously had so badly that he would just ignore those feelings that told him Stanton is a sociopath. I am not saying that means he should not be investigated, but it might help you to know that. He might have just wanted to pretend nothing was wrong.”

“We can use it against him,” Del said nodding.

Emma shifted her weight again. How did women wear heels all the time? One night in them and she was ready to take them off, find the designer, and beat the person to death with the stupid little tiny heel.

“Is there anything else?”

“No.”

Adam refused to look at her still. She opened her mouth to ask him why, but Del stepped in. “I say we call it a night.”

“I’ll be here in the morning around seven,” Charity said. “I’ll make sure it is all in working order before the bastard shows up.”

A
s they walked
into her flat some time later, she sighed in relief, flinging off her shoes.

“They might be pretty, but they hurt like the devil. How do women walk around in them all the time?”

Del shrugged as he toed off his shoes. “Rosaleigh avoids them, but she doesn’t like to dress up. Marlena will wear them when she has to. Abs lives in them. But then, she’s the crazy one.”

She laughed. “I thought you were.”

He shook his head and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Damn, it felt good to finally have her to himself. The tension in his back eased as they stood there. It seemed that the long day had worn on forever. And the fact that he felt they were treading water in the investigation did not help. He had never been fond of Jin Phillips, but he hated that she’d gotten tangled up in this mess. Granted, part of it was due to the fact of her reporting, but it didn’t make what was happening to her right.

“Did I say something to offend Adam?” Emma asked.

He thought back over the night and shook his head. “No. Why?”

“He wouldn’t look me in the eye.”

He had to fight the smile. Apparently, she had forgotten the entire team was listening on their evening. “It isn’t something you said. It’s what he heard.”

“That makes absolutely no sense at all.”

He sighed. “Love, they heard us on the balcony. As in what I wanted to do with you.”

She blinked. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“But they all made bets on us going to bed.”

“Adam has always seen you as sort of a little sister. Making a bet on something like that is okay. Hearing it is different.”

She thought about it for a second or two then nodded. “Okay, I can understand that. I am pretty sure that Randy and Sean would probably try to hurt you if they heard what you said to me. Which, if you ask me, is very hypocritical.”

“Is that a fact?” he asked, as he kissed her neck. She smelled divine. He knew that Jaime must have sprayed her with stuff, but it mixed with Emma’s natural scent, and it was driving him insane.

“I told you about the kitchen incident.”

He chuckled. “Ah, yes.”

She bent her head to give him more access to her neck. He raised his hand to her hair and slipped his fingers through it. Small pins fell from it as her curls tumbled around her shoulders.

“Oh, that feels wonderful. They were giving me the worst headache.”

She was smiling at him, with all those curls lose, and he couldn’t help himself. He cupped her face.

“I love you, Emma.”

She blinked, then tears filled her eyes.

“Oh, don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry. Since my parents died, there has only been one other person who told me that. No man has ever said that to me in the romantic sense.”

It hurt his heart to hear. This woman was so sweet, so fragile, but people didn’t see it. They didn’t look past her quirkiness and her big brain to see that she needed love just as much as everyone else.

He leaned in close enough to kiss her, but she set her hands on his wrists. He opened his eyes.

“I’m not good with things like this. With emotions. I know I care for you, Del. It hurts so much to know how much I do. But I am not sure just what I have to offer you. I don’t do well at long relationships.”

He knew what it cost her to say that. She needed to learn to trust him, to learn that he would always be there. The only way to prove it was to do just that.

He leaned closer and watched as her eyes fluttered closed. He kissed her, sweet, long, and wet. Pulling back, he set his forehead against hers.

Then, he bent down and picked her up.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a watery laugh.

“I’m going to show you just how much I love you.”

She smiled, and in that moment, right there, he knew there would never be another woman for him.

He set her on her feet, then turned her around. After unzipping the dress, she let it fall to the ground in a pool of green satin at her feet. She hadn’t lied to him. She wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing beneath the dress. She turned around to face him. Her curls dripped over her skin, and she looked like Aphrodite to him. No shame, completely comfortable in her own skin.

He picked her up then, laying her on the bed. He took his time, using his hands, his mouth, and his tongue to love her. There was no doubt in his mind of what he felt, what he wanted from her. And now, he wanted her to understand.

Kissing her flesh, reveling in the taste of it, the feel of it against his tongue, he sighed in appreciation. Nothing would ever fill him with such satisfaction as making love to Emma. He took her over into pleasure twice with just his hands and mouth.

When he finally entered her, it wasn’t a joining for sexual needs. He felt connected to her as he had never been connected to another human. He was on his knees and she was on his lap. As his orgasm approached, he knew he wanted her there, right there with him.

“Emma,” he said. “Look at me, love.”

She did as he asked, and he felt his heart take a tumble once more.

“Come with me. Together.”

And in that instant, he held her gaze and watched as her orgasm rushed though her body. Her eyes went blurry with desire once more, before they slid closed and she moaned his name.

It was enough to send him over the edge. He thrust into her one more time, then he gave in to his own pleasure. Together, they fell into blissful surrender, their bodies, their hearts, and their souls joined as one.

T
he next morning
, Emma sat on her lanai drinking her first cup of coffee with Del. It was peaceful, unlike it had been before. She’d had some peace at times. Sean had given her that, the security she needed, the family connection. But this was different. Sitting there, smelling the first whiff of her Kona, and watching the reflection of the sun as it shimmered over the waves—all while sharing it with Del—it filled her with such happiness.

Of course, the man who was making it so special wasn’t really paying attention to her, she thought with a smile. Instead, he was going through the texts he’d gotten in the last few minutes. She didn’t blame him. Hopefully, they would get some kind of information today that would end everything. And maybe, they would be in time for Jin.

He looked up from his phone. “Charity already has the room set up.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I figured she would. She’s a little like me. When she has a job to do, she can’t sleep.”

Del leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. Inwardly, she sighed. He was about to give her another lecture. She would much rather he try to talk her into bed. Although, honestly, it wouldn’t take much. She would also love to hear he loved her again. That would do the trick. As he droned on, she thought about that moment he’d said it. It must have been at least the tenth time she’d thought about the memory, and how different making love had been the night before.

“Hey, are you paying attention?”

She blinked. “Sorry.”

Del’s sigh was loud and filled with irritation. “You need to be very careful, Emma.”

“I will be.”

“This man has fixated on you.”

“Not to get me. Not that. He wants to dance around in front of me then disappear. He wants to best me. And in turn, best the team. We won’t let that happen.”

He took her free hand. “I’m serious. Just make sure you do what I say. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”

She smiled as she set her coffee cup down on the small table beside her chair. Leaning forward, she took his other hand.

“I will listen, don’t worry.”

He studied her for a second, then he leaned forward and brushed his mouth over hers.

“I would much rather spend the day here.”

She smiled. “So would I. Apparently, though, we have a killer to catch.”

He studied her again, like he had the last few days. Something in his gaze told her he had something on his mind, but he just said, “We will talk, really soon.”

“We have been talking.”

He rolled his eyes. “About other things. It’s not the right time.”

She wanted to ask him what, but his phone chimed that he had another text. He gave her a quick kiss and picked it up.

“That’s Adam. He’s going to talk to the owner of the property. Evidently, he knows him.”

She smiled. “It’s Honolulu. Everyone knows everyone else.”

He laughed and kissed her again. “Let’s get going.”

A
dam looked
up from his desk when Del and Emma walked into the squad room. Del knew from his second-in-command’s expression that he had something.

“What do you have?”

“I talked to Henry Faang. He owns the property, and has offered to let us search it. I explained how important it is to make sure Stanton doesn’t know.”

“And he agreed?”

He nodded, a smile curving his lips. “The man didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he doesn’t really like Stanton, or his assistant. He said he got a real uncomfortable vibe off the two of them.”

“Then why did he rent to them?” Emma asked.

“They wanted an eight-month lease, but would pay for a year in advance. Seems Stanton told Henry he was working on a project here. You know, those high rises that there have been all kinds of protests about on Kauai?”

“Oh, yeah. It looks like the developer is going to lose those. There’s some kind of state law about it or something.”

“Yes. Also, he said he talked to Stanton just a few days ago, and he told Henry he would be leaving soon.”

“Of course he is. He’s got his third victim,” Emma said. She looked at the board. “But...that is a thought. Maybe the loss of the project sped up his plan. Could be that is why there is a rush.”

Adam nodded. “That might be true. I thought Graeme and I could go out there.”

“You need a woman to go with you. Take Cat,” Del said.

“I can go,” Elle said walking into the squad room. “If you find her, you’ll need a doctor.”

“Good idea.” Del glanced at the clock, and noticed it was inching toward their meeting time. “Best if you go now while the assistant and Stanton are here. It will make it easier.”

“Right, Boss. Make sure to ping me if he doesn’t show. I don’t want to put Henry in any kind of danger.”

He nodded. “Will do.”

“McGregor, let’s go.”

The Scot came out of the office and looked at Elle. “You’re coming?”

“You might need a doctor.” Then she brushed by him.

Del knew what this meant for her, what memories it might bring back up, but she was going to do it for Jin, and to catch Stanton. No one else on the team knew of her past, so he decided to intervene.

“Elle? A word?” She nodded, and they walked over to the other side of the room. “Are you sure?”

Without taking her gaze from his, she said, “If we find her alive, she will need someone who understands. Adam and McGregor have their strengths, but this is not one of them. I can handle it.”

He nodded.

“We can have EMTs on call,” McGregor said, as Elle walked toward the exit behind Adam.

She turned to respond, but Del had heard enough.

“Quit bitching and go.”

McGregor nodded and followed them out.

“No one else knows?” Emma said.

He looked at her. “About Elle? You know?”

She nodded. “I had everyone on the team checked out. Well, I didn’t. Sean insisted on it.”

He thought about her brother and that he’d probably looked over his career in the military. If there was someone who could hack into the military database, it was Sean. The man had years under his belt working for MI-6. And if he couldn’t, one of his lovers or Emma could do it for him.

“Ass.”

“Hey, you would do the same thing if your sister was going to be working in this job.”

He opened his mouth to say no, then snapped it shut. “Okay, point taken. Although, your brother can probably hack into more places than I can.”

She chuckled. “First, it was all over the London tabloids when it happened. I know that is probably one of the reasons she left. Secondly, you can’t hack into anything. Just ask me, and I’ll do it for you. Sean is good, but I am much better.”

“I did not hear you say that.”

“Do I need to repeat it?”

He looked at her. “No, love, I was just saying...” he saw Charity rounding the corner. “We’ll talk about what you should tell your boss later.”

“You’re not my boss.”

Charity smiled. “Hey, you two. I want to go over what I set up in the room. We only have a few minutes before they arrive.”

Emma straightened her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

A
n hour later
, Emma felt as if she had worn a massive hole in the floor. Patience was not her strong suit. Not when she wanted to complete a project. And if ever a project needed to be completed, this was the one. She might not have proof right now, but she felt it in her bones that Stanton was the murderer.

Del’s phone chimed, and he looked down. When he looked up, the expression on his face sent ice slicing down her spine. She had never seen that particular look from Del before. Determination stamped his features and his eyes had grown cold.

“They’re here.”

She nodded and tried to keep her nerves steady. Her stomach turned over and she pressed her hand against it.

Del glanced at her hand, then back up at her.

“Are you okay?” Del asked. “Just say the word and we abort.”

“No. We have to do this. If anything, we need to keep them here so that Adam can search the house.”

“You tell me, we stop.”

She smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you know if I need you to come in and beat him up.”

At that moment, Stanton appeared in the hallway. Marcus was accompanying him, as was that assistant of his. Morgan followed a couple paces behind Stanton. The expression on his face told Emma he was not very happy about being there.

Marcus held the door open for them. Stanton smiled at her, but there was nothing pleasant in it. It didn’t reach his eyes, and there was a predatory feel about it.

“Ms. Taylor, I had no idea you worked with the police.”

She smiled. “Sorry, I thought everyone knew. This island is so small, we are always in everyone else’s business.”

“No worries.”

“I just work on a contract basis when they have complex cases or issues. They really can’t afford me full time, and I don’t like to be tied down. My office is right down here.”

He followed her down the hall, then turned to his assistant.

“I’m sure they can find some place for you to wait.”

Morgan did not look any happier with this situation, but he nodded.

She waited until Stanton stepped into her office, then she turned and closed the door in Morgan’s face. Stanton settled in his chair as Emma sat down behind her desk.

“A bit on the Spartan side,” he said, looking around the room with disgust.

“I don’t do much work here. Team meetings, and sometimes I meet with clients, but not that often. I only permit face-to-face meetings with people I find to be important.”

“And you say you work on contract with the police?”

“As I said, they really can’t afford me, but I do like the work. It fills the time and keeps me from having to pay parking tickets.”

“That is understandable. You must make a large amount from gaming organizations.”

“It definitely pays the bills. So, what did you want to discuss?”

“
I
really don’t know
what you’re looking for, Adam,” Henry said as they walked through the house.

Adam nodded. He knew Henry from his days at UH. He had been a big supporter of Warrior football. He was barely over five feet tall, and dressed as Adam always found him. Shorts, Hawaiian shirt and
slippahs
.

“Just let us look around,” he said. “If we need your help, we’ll ask.”

“No problem. I didn’t like Stanton at all. And that stupid assistant of his. He was an odd one.”

“Mr. Faang,” Elle said with a smile.

“Call me Henry, dear.”

She nodded. “Henry, thank you so much for doing this for us.”

“No problem. I’ve known Adam for years, and when the police need help, I always help.”

Adam didn’t correct Henry’s idea that they were cops. They were, but different. He also didn’t have time for it.

“Have you been out here much since they rented? Does anything look out of place?” Elle asked.

“Not really. It was rented as is.”

Adam walked into the master bedroom and looked around. It looked completely normal, if a little too tidy for two men who lived together. Immaculate condition, not a speck of dirt or dust. It was weird.

“This place gives me the creeps,” McGregor said as he stepped into the bedroom.

“I know what you mean. I have a cousin who has OCD, and it isn’t this clean in his house.”

Adam stepped into the bathroom and looked through the drawers. Nothing. He noticed a window over the tub. In the middle of the yard stood a steel shed. It looked brand new. No rust, no paint worn off. It couldn’t be more than six months old.

“Henry,” he called out. “What’s in that shed?”

Henry poked his head through the doorway. “Shed? There isn’t a shed on the property.”

“Then what’s that?” he asked, pointing to the window.

Henry shuffled over to Adam and stood beside him. “That was not here when I rented it, and it wasn’t approved.”

They walked back out into the living room. There was a sliding glass door that led out to the lanai then to the yard.

“Henry, I need you to stay in the house while we check it out.”

Elle opened her mouth, but Adam caught her eye. He did not want Henry to see anything, just in case they found Jin’s body. The woman had been through enough. Elle must have picked up on his reasons and nodded.

“Just an FYI, gentlemen, there are some keys hanging by the back door that leads to the lanai,” Elle said. “They might be to the lock on the shed.”

Adam smiled. “Thanks.”

He grabbed the keys as they walked out the big sliding glass door.

“This bloke is definitely a freak.”

Adam nodded as they approached the shed. He slipped the key into the padlock and felt the snick. Slowly, he undid the lock and slipped it out of the holes. They both pulled out their guns. He looked at Graeme, who nodded. He opened the door, standing to the side, as it swung open. There were bars in there, a cage of some sort. It was dark, and he couldn’t see very well, but he saw a gurney in the middle of the cage with a body on it.

“Bloody hell,” Graeme whispered, shock dripping from his words. Weapons lined the walls...things no ordinary person should own. Many of them looked to have been handmade, and definitely fashioned for torture. Adam saw the lock on the cage and looked around. There, on the wall beside the door, was a key. He grabbed it and prayed it would open the lock. He sent a prayer to the heavens.

“Get Elle.”

McGregor hurried off to do his bidding. Adam had the lock undone by the time Elle came rushing in, her bag with her. He walked into the cage, his revulsion growing by the moment.

Elle said nothing as she approached him and the body. There were tables of tools, some for tattoos, and some he was sure were used in torture. Lined up in precise order were ropes of various sizes. Blood stained all of them.

He watched as Elle felt for a pulse, holding his breath as he waited. A sigh escaped from her lips as she looked up at him. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but there was also hope.

“I have a pulse. It’s weak, but she’s alive.”

He pulled out his phone and started punching numbers. He hurried out of the shed, but Elle stopped him.