Victim of Deception (3 page)

M
ax tossed his garment bag on the bed. Unzipping the side pocket, he withdrew a white clasp envelope. Frankie had met him at the airport and handed the envelope to him. He’d offered the guest room in his house for a couple of days, but Max had declined and rented a hotel room instead. He wanted to be alone when he looked at the contents.

His friend was a strange guy. Frankie liked the hunt, liked to dig up information about hidden treasure. He searched the Internet, old newspapers, courthouse records. The research turned him on, not the physical search for the pot of gold. He didn’t care about actually finding the treasure. Max had never been able to understand that. Frankie had a lot of money, but he could have so much more if he found the riches he helped others to find. Yet he was perfectly happy earning his finder’s fee from people like Max before he started the next research project.

Max would be all too happy to give Frankie the twenty percent finder’s fee he demanded if the contents of this envelope led to the bearer bond worth millions.

He unfastened the clasp, but hesitated before opening the
envelope. Before he looked inside, Max decided to shower and have a drink.

Anticipation always made the prize sweeter.

The flight from D.C. had been rough thanks to strong thunderstorms. Even a seasoned flyer would feel queasy after the bumpy ride. Max stood beneath the warm spray, letting the water revive him. Only a full body massage would feel better right now…followed by a naked, willing woman.

He lowered his head so the water could beat on the back of his neck. Leslie had certainly been willing. She’d been a pleasant diversion for a few hours, even though neither his heart nor his mind had been with her. His mind had been too focused on getting to Texas and looking inside that envelope. His heart…

His heart still belonged to Karessa.

Women had come and gone in his life in the five years since he’d fallen so hard for the beautiful blonde. None of them came close to making him forget about Karessa. So many times, he’d thought about calling her, seeing if she’d give him another chance. He’d always hung up before the call had gone through. The way he’d hurt her, she’d never forgive him. And he couldn’t blame her for that.

So he remained alone, taking pleasure from women whenever his body’s urges became too strong to ignore. The women paraded in and out of his life through a revolving door. With each new one, he hoped for that spark, that connection that might lead to love.

It never happened.

Max turned off the faucets and opened the glass door. After swiping most of the water from his body, he wrapped the oversized towel around his waist and padded back into the bedroom. An investigation of the small refrigerator and bar produced a miniature
bottle of bourbon and can of Coke. He’d rather have Scotch, but right now he wouldn’t be picky. He mixed the drink and propped himself up on the bed with the pillows behind his back. Once he’d emptied half the glass, he reached for the envelope.

His instant erection made him shift on the bed. Uncovering a new treasure always gave him a hard-on.

Ignoring the randy part of his body, he bent open the clasp and dumped the contents on the bed. One thing about Frankie—he was thorough. He always included the notes he took during his research so Max could be sure of every step Frankie took. After years of working with him, Max trusted Frankie enough to ignore the handwritten notes and scribbles. All he cared about was the bottom line.

He searched through the paperwork until he found the single sheet of neatly typed blue paper, Frankie’s trademark.

Fingering his thick mustache, he read from the beginning. Charles and Belinda Blackburn had moved to America from England in 1898. Already a man of means, he’d made a fortune with wise investments. Part of those investments included buying a bearer bond from a small railroad. Over the years, that railroad had been absorbed into a larger one, which was bought out by a national transportation company.

That company had been bought by Tharwood Energy.

“Holy shit,” Max muttered. Tharwood Energy was the largest producer of electricity in the United States. If one of those bonds still existed, it could easily be worth millions, Frankie claimed.

Max’s erection throbbed.

Scanning farther down the sheet, Max searched for where the Blackburns had lived. They’d settled in a small town outside the city limits of…

Fort Worth.

“Hell.”

Of all the hundreds of cities in Texas, it had to be the one where Karessa lived.

Max pushed his damp hair off his forehead. It didn’t matter. He could get in and out of the area within a few days. He’d find the bond and leave before there was even the slightest chance of running into Karessa.

He continued to read. The house the Blackburns had built—the house where Frankie believed the bond was hidden—still stood. The owner recently passed away and had left it to her grand-niece.

Karessa Austin.

“Aw,
fuck
!”

Max wadded up the paper and threw it across the room. He watched it bounce off the wall and fall silently to the thick carpet. Karessa’s house. He couldn’t even contemplate the odds of the one thing he wanted being inside her house. There was no way he could get it now.

Max stared at the crumpled piece of paper for several moments before he rose and picked it up from the floor. Smoothing it out, he quickly scanned the words again. The bottom line on the blue sheet drew his attention: the bond’s estimated value—$176 million.

Max groaned.

He couldn’t possibly give up on such a huge prize. Surely he could find a way to get inside the house, find the bond, and get out before Karessa discovered his presence.

Yeah, and the sun would start coming up in the north tomorrow.

He needed a fool-proof plan. Max began to pace as he thought of his options. The first step would be to catch the next plane to DFW Airport. Once he arrived in the Metroplex, he’d rent a car and…

He didn’t know yet what he’d do after he rented the car, but the plane ride and drive to Fort Worth would give him time to come up with something.

Flopping back on the bed, Max slipped his hands beneath his head and stared at the ceiling. He’d see Karessa. He knew of no way to get around that. His heartbeat increased at the thought of seeing her again. Gorgeous curly blond hair. Huge green eyes. A luscious figure with full, round breasts. A perfect ass. Long, shapely legs. A sweet, tight pussy.

Max groaned softly. His erection flared back to life, and it had nothing to do with finding the bond.

Her last words to him were, “I hope you rot in hell.” Hell couldn’t be any worse than the pain he’d felt because he’d hurt her.

He wished he could make it up to her. Knowing that wouldn’t be possible, the smartest thing he could do would be to find the bond and get the hell out of her life…permanently.

“You’re looking at a lot of money, Ms. Austin.”

“Karessa, please. And I don’t care. I’m not going to say money is no object, but I ’m not opposed to spending it. I want the house to be perfect when it’s done.”

She studied the handsome contractor as he totaled figures on his calculator. Marco had recommended Grayson Construction, saying Kevin Grayson would do a good job for her and wouldn’t screw her over financially. Marco’s recommendation was enough for her.

Besides, Kevin was
really
nice to look at.

Inwardly, Karessa sighed. She couldn’t help the way she felt. It’d been a while since a man had held her, touched her, made love to her. Maxwell Hennessey had completely spoiled her. He’d been an incredible lover, taking her to heights she’d never been,
and likely would never be again. She’d dated since Max and she’d had lovers. No other man had made her body sing.

Kevin appeared to be in his late thirties. Perfect. Maybe she should find another contractor and concentrate on something more personal with Kevin.

A glance at his left hand and the gold wedding band on his fourth finger quickly shot down that notion.

Oh, well, it was a nice dream.

Kevin made a couple of notations and removed a piece of paper from his clipboard. “Here’s my estimate. I suggest you get at least two other contractors to give you estimates also.”

Handsome and scruples, too. Life simply wasn’t fair.

Karessa accepted the piece of paper from him. “Marco recommended you. That’s good enough for me. When can you start?”

“My crew is finishing up a job this week. We can start first thing Monday morning.”

“That would be perfect.”

“What are they going to do?” Mary asked.

“She’s going to renovate the house, make it more modern.”

“What will that mean for us?”

“Nothing. No one can see us, so we won’t be in the way.”

Mary rose from the living room loveseat and walked to the window. Crossing her arms over her stomach, she looked outside at the beautiful spring day. The sun shone, a gentle breeze rustled through the oak trees. She could step out on the veranda and feel the breeze. It wouldn’t be enough. How she’d love to walk beneath those trees while the wind caressed her face.

She sensed Aaron come up behind her. “What’s wrong, Mary?”

She shrugged. “Restless, I guess. I’ve done the same thing over and over for a century. I’d like to change something. I’d like to take a walk outside.”

“I know,” he said softly.

“I don’t like strangers in our house.” Turning to face him, she bit her bottom lip. “Do you think she’ll change our bedroom?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I don’t want our room changed, Aaron.”

“There’s no way we can stop it, baby.”

“People have made changes to the house over the years. No one has ever touched our bedroom. It’s almost as if…as if Eva put a spell on it so no one would go in there.”

“I think she did. Remember the two guys who came and took our bodies away? I don’t know how she could’ve gotten anyone to do that without them telling the sheriff.”

“She was a witch, Aaron. We know that now.”

“Yeah, we do.”

“At least she was good to Katie. I’m grateful for that.”

“She smothered her, Mary. Katie barely got the chance to breathe without Eva’s permission.”

“But she loved her. That’s the important thing. She loved her and took care of her.”

Aaron smiled tenderly. “You always try to see the good in people.”

“I’d rather see the good than the bad.” She wandered away from the window toward the television. “Watching this has shown us how the world has changed, even if we haven’t been able to see it ourselves. We’ve seen a lot of good and bad over the years.”

“Grace’s computer has helped us see the world, too.”

Mary smiled. “You do love playing with that thing.”

Aaron grinned. “Yeah, and I’m getting good at it.”

“You’re good at everything you do.”

His grin faded. “There’s one thing I’m not good at—getting us out of here.”

“You don’t have to be good at that. She’ll get us out of here,” Mary said, nodding toward Karessa.

“You can’t be sure of that, Mary.”

“Yes, I can. I feel it here.” She touched her chest, over her heart. “Our great-great-granddaughter will help us. I promise you that.”

M
ax parked beneath an oak tree seventy-five feet from the house. Several vehicles were parked at odd angles on the property, so he doubted if one more would raise any suspicion. He saw a van from a satellite company and one from a plumber. A blue truck held various sizes of glass and windows in its A-frames. Apparently, Karessa had decided to do some remodeling of the old house.

Great. With people coming and going all the time, he’d never get any alone time to search for the bond.

A gray pickup with Grayson Construction stenciled on the side was parked closest to the house. A memory tickled the back of Max’s mind. He’d gone to college with a guy named Grayson. They’d played football together. What was the guy’s first name? Keith? Kelvin? No, Kevin. Kevin Grayson. He watched the man talking to Karessa on the steps. Right height, right build, if Kevin had kept himself in shape over the years.

Max chuckled. Grayson wasn’t exactly an odd name. Besides, he’d gone to college with Kevin in Florida. Running into an old college chum in Texas would be highly unlikely.

The man stood to one side, his back to Max. His position gave
Max an unimpeded view of Karessa’s body. She wore faded jeans and a pale green T-shirt. He narrowed his eyes, studying her. She’d put on a few pounds in the last five years.

The extra weight only made her sexier. Her breasts looked fuller, her hips more rounded. He wished she’d turn around so he could see her ass. With her weight gain, he’d bet it was larger, too.

He groaned as blood surged into his cock. He’d love to drive his shaft deep inside Karessa’s wet pussy. Or into that sweet ass.

Karessa smiled at the man. A surge of jealousy tore through Max. Those beautiful smiles should be reserved for
him
.

Forget it, man. She’ll never have anything to do with you. Get in the house, find the bond, and get on with your life.

Max rubbed his mustache. Guilt gnawed at him. The bond wasn’t left to Karessa, but it might be in her house. He didn’t like taking something away from her.

He couldn’t think of the bond belonging to Karessa. This was a job, just like every other job he’d ever done. As long as he remembered that, as long as he didn’t let any leftover feelings for her confuse him, he could pull this off. He
would
pull this off.

The man turned and headed for the gray pickup. Max watched him. It
was
Kevin. Older, yes, but he still looked the same as he had in college. He wondered if Karessa had awarded the remodeling job to Kevin. If so, that would be the perfect way for Max to get inside the house without anyone questioning his presence.

Max smiled. This would be so easy.

A shiver danced up Karessa’s spine. She had the spooky feeling someone was watching her. She looked out across the yard. A midsize car pulled out onto the lane, followed by Kevin’s pickup. She couldn’t see anyone standing around.

Still, the feeling persisted.

Karessa descended the steps and looked up at the house. She could swear the curtain moved at the window to the locked room.

Bypassing workers who were still taking measurements and computing estimates, she took the stairs to the second floor. She strode to the end of the hall. Stopping at the door, she studied the heavy padlock that kept her from entering the room. She’d searched for the key for three days, but with no luck. Whatever Aunt Grace had stored inside that room, she obviously wanted to keep secret.

Karessa straightened her shoulders. This was
her
house now. She wanted to know what was inside that room.

“Excuse me, Ms. Austin.”

Karessa turned to see the plumber Eddy standing before her. She automatically smiled. “Yes?”

“I’m through downstairs. Would you like me to start up here?”

His question temporarily took her mind off the locked room. “Yes, please. The main bathroom is two doors down on the left. I’ll be adding another small bathroom that connects to my bedroom. I’ll have my contractor contact you so you two can work out the details.”

“Sounds good.”

He turned to walk away. The toolbox in his hand drew her attention. “Uh, wait please.”

Eddy faced her again. “Ma’am?”

“Can you take off a lock?” She gestured at the padlock. “I can’t find the key. It wasn’t with the rest of my aunt’s keys.”

He stepped closer and examined the lock. “I can unscrew the hinges.”

“Wonderful. Thank you.”

A few minutes later, Eddy removed the hinges and pushed open the door. Karessa stepped into the bedroom…and stepped back in time to the early 1900s. Her extensive study of history helped her recognize the time period immediately. Chinese rugs were scattered across the wooden floor. A chenille bedspread covered the four-poster bed. A large chest of drawers sat against one wall, next to a small writing desk. The opposite wall held a dresser with a large oval mirror. Lacy white curtains covered the windows. A wooden rocker with a faded seat cushion sat near the windows.

The room was charming.

“Uh, Ms. Austin?” Eddy said. “You through with me?”

She turned and smiled at him. “Yes, thank you.” Her smile faded when she noticed his wide eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“Are you okay in there?”

“Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It feels…funny.”

Karessa noticed that Eddy stood outside the doorway. She didn’t need a plumber in this bedroom, but he had no reason to think anything was wrong. “Come in, Eddy. You can see for yourself that everything is fine in here.”

“No, thanks, Ms. Austin.” He thumbed over his shoulder. “I’ll, uh, check out that bathroom.”

He skittered away much quicker than what she thought a man as large as that would be able to. How odd that he wouldn’t come into the room.

Karessa shrugged and walked over to the east windows. Aunt Grace’s windows gave her a view of the backyard. These windows let her look out over the front yard and would give her the morning sunlight. Karessa would much rather wake up with the sun than an alarm clock.

She’d planned to turn the large storage closet next to Aunt Grace’s bedroom into her private bath since it butted up against the current bathroom. Now she wasn’t sure. She wouldn’t have a private bath if she moved into this bedroom, but she liked it so much better than Aunt Grace’s room. This room had…character.

She didn’t understand why it had been padlocked, or why there wasn’t a thick layer of dust over everything.

Karessa threw open the windows and sniffed deeply of the rain-cooled air. A light shower an hour earlier had lowered the temperature and made the air smell fresh. She walked over to the south wall and opened those windows also. A refreshing cross-breeze made her smile. Oh, yes, she liked this room very much.

Realizing she still had several workers in her house who probably needed to talk to her, she turned to go back downstairs. She froze in place when a blur of white flashed before her eyes. It happened so quickly, she wasn’t sure if she’d really seen anything.

She stood still, staring at the spot where she thought she’d seen the white blur. Nothing else appeared after several seconds. Karessa swallowed. She didn’t know whether to be frightened, or ashamed of herself for letting her imagination get away from her.

Shaking her head at her own foolishness, Karessa started toward the stairs. First thing Monday morning, she’d show this room to Kevin Grayson and get his opinion on renovating it.

“It didn’t work!” Mary paced back and forth in front of the east windows. “We’ve always been able to get anyone in this house to do what we want, as long as we concentrated together. It worked with Grace. Why didn’t it work with Karessa?” She stopped pacing and faced Aaron. “She’s going to move into our room! I don’t want that.”

“You can’t stop it, baby. We tried to stop her from taking the lock off the door. It didn’t work.” He chuckled. “That plumber certainly didn’t want to come in here.”

Mary scowled. “This isn’t funny, Aaron. She’s going to move into
our room
.”

“Not if we can keep all those workers out of here. If she can’t get anyone to change this room the way she wants it changed, she can’t move in here.”

She hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps she and Aaron couldn’t influence Karessa, but they could easily take care of a few men. Mary smiled. “I like the way you think.”

Max waited until shortly after five o’clock before he wandered into Grayson Construction. He’d seen Kevin’s pickup out front when he’d parked, along with a few other vehicles. The parking lot was now empty except for Kevin’s truck. Perfect. Max wanted to be alone with Kevin while they talked.

He heard Kevin’s voice on the telephone when he walked through the front door. Following the sound of the voice, he found his old friend in a small office at the back of the building. He leaned on the doorway and blatantly listened to Kevin’s conversation. From the exasperated look on his college chum’s face, he guessed that Kevin wasn’t happy.

“So go without me. Your mother will be happier if I’m not there anyway.”

Ah. Must be talking to the little woman.

“I don’t know when I’ll be home. It should be soon. I just have a couple more things to finish up here…Okay, okay. I will…Yeah, me too.”

Kevin jabbed his fingers through his hair. “Stupid mother-in-law,” he muttered as he hung up the phone.

“Problems?” Max asked.

Kevin jerked his head in Max’s direction. His eyes widened before a huge grin spread over his face. “Maxwell Hennessey. What the hell are you doing here?”

Max shrugged. “Thought I’d pop in and see an old friend.”

Kevin rounded the desk and pulled Max into a bear hug. “It’s great to see you, man.” He gestured toward the chair in front of the desk. “Sit down, sit down. You want a Coke or something?”

“Thanks, I’m fine. But it didn’t sound like you are. Trouble at home?”

“Nah. I’m not exactly best friends with my mother-in-law, that’s all. My wife’s wonderful. I don’t know how she came from such a bitchy woman.” Kevin leaned back in his chair. “You married, Max?”

“Nope. Never made it down the aisle.”

“I’ve been married for twelve years. Got three kids.” He grinned devilishly. “Had a hell of a lot of fun making them, too.”

Max laughed along with his old friend. He’d forgotten how easily Kevin always made him laugh.

“Seriously, what are you doing in Fort Worth?”

“Looking for work. I’ve had some…bad luck with some of my investments.”

Kevin clasped his hands behind his head. “How are you with a hammer and nails?”

“Great. I did a lot of carpentry work when I got out of college.”

“I just got a remodeling job today. Big Victorian. The owner wants it completely renovated. If you want work, I got it.”

“Hey, man, I didn’t come here begging for a job from you. I just wanted to say hi to an old friend.”

“You didn’t beg, I offered. You want it or not?”

“Yeah, I want it. I’m not too proud to accept a job from a friend.”

“Be here Monday morning at seven.”

“I will.” Max stood and offered his hand to Kevin. “Thanks, man.”

Kevin also stood and accepted Max’s handshake. “No problem. I wish I could talk longer with you, but I gotta get home. How about if I buy you a beer after work Monday?”

“Deal.”

Max kept his face composed until he slid inside his rental car. Once safely hidden by the tinted glass, he smiled.

Damn, I’m good.