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.He made it to the hood of his SUV when the man walked to the next hotel door, pulled out a card key from his pocket and let himself in.Relaxing his grip on the gun, Brit took a deep breath.He couldn’t do it.He couldn’t leave her when a man who’d already committed three murders was looking for her.Grabbing his cell phone from his pocket, he hit the memory button until he found Quarles’ number.Brit spoke as soon as his partner answered.“Remember the diner from yesterday? Meet me at the hotel parking lot across the street.”“That chick’s there, isn’t she?” Quarles asked.Brit hadn’t explained last night, but he knew Quarles had been suspicious.Brit hadn’t wanted to admit it then, but now he didn’t care what Quarles knew.“Yeah.Just meet me there.And tell Adams we’re going to be out all night.” Brit looked at his watch, thinking about his appointment with Payne at midnight.“And hurry.”~Twenty minutes later, his partner pulled up beside him.Brit gave him the short explanation about his meeting with Payne.“No,” Quarles said.“Let me go talk to Payne.You stay here and babysit.You’re the one who has the hots for her.”“Look, you don’t know Payne.You don’t know how he works.I do.He won’t talk to you.I just need you to watch out for her.Look, you’re my partner.And I’m asking this as a favor.”Brit didn’t know how Quarles would react to him throwing down the partner card.Considering they’d only been partners for two weeks, and the fact that Brit had mostly treated Quarles like a stomach virus, he honestly figured Quarles would tell him to blow smoke up someone else’s ass.“One hour,” Quarles said.The man held up a finger.“After that, I’ll come looking for you.”Brit thumped Quarles’ shoulder.“Thanks.”“Thank me by getting your ass back in one piece with something that we can use to take down these guys.”“You got it.” Brit started to walk away, but he heard Quarles speak.“By the way, I took your sister to dinner tonight.”Brit turned, his brotherly instincts on alert.“Why?”“Because I was hungry.” He paused.“Because I like her.Because she’s beautiful.” His voice didn’t waver.“Is this going to be a problem?”Brit looked at his partner.“She doesn’t even live here.”“She visits regularly.And Austin isn’t that far away.”Brit popped his knuckles.“What do you want to come of this?”“Come of it?” Quarles chucked.“It’s a little soon to be asking me my intentions, isn’t it?”Brit frowned.“I swear, if you hurt her, I’ll shoot you.And I’m not joking.”Quarles didn’t flinch.“I’m not planning on hurting her.We had dinner and we actually had a nice time.”Frowning, Brit got into his SUV and drove to meet Payne.As his tires hummed against the pavement, he mentally collected everything he knew about Quarles.He’d talked about a few women he’d known in the past—relationships that had fizzled out.He was probably Brit’s age, maybe even older.His family lived somewhere in east Texas.The man had a dog and took the damn thing to the vet constantly.Truth was, Quarles seemed decent enough.And Brit respected that he’d been upfront with him.But Brit simply didn’t want to know the man who was trying to get into his sister’s pants.However, Big Sis probably wasn’t waiting for baby brother’s approval either.Susan had always done things her way.A freelance photographer, she’d made a name for herself and didn’t live her life by anyone else’s rules.He actually respected that about her, too.After a minute, Brit decided he didn’t have the right to tell Susan what to do.But he hadn’t lied to Quarles.If the man hurt his sister, he’d answer to Brit.Turning the corner to the house where Payne had said he’d be, Brit noticed the knots in his shoulders had lessened.The sleep he’d had in Cali’s presence had worked magic again.Hope vibrated in his chest, and for the first time he felt like he might be able to do this.Find Keith’s and Anderson’s killer, live through the grief, and Cali.What with Cali? That was the million-dollar question.“I’m not having sex with you.”Something told him that might change.Or maybe it was just him hoping.After checking the address twice, he parked his SUV in the driveway.He got out and looked up and down the street at the overgrown lawns, the wrecked cars parked in the front yards.Not what you’d call suburban paradise.Rent must be cheap.His gaze moved again to the shack of a house.Not a light on in the place.The tension crawled back into his shoulders.He pulled his gun out of his holster and eased toward the porch.He took the first cracked step up to the house.The wood slats on the porch moaned.The door stood ajar.Something felt wrong.Deadly wrong.Then he smelled the blood.Chapter Twenty-Three“I’m going to be longer than an hour,” Brit said into his cell phone thirty minutes later when Quarles answered his line.“What? Payne’s not talking?” Quarles chuckled.“Can I be the guy who hits you this time?”Brit pressed a thumb against his temple.“Duke told you about that?” Not that he cared.“Oh, yeah.He’s quite proud of it.” Quarles paused as if waiting for Brit’s comeback.When Brit didn’t offer one, Quarles cleared his throat.“What’s up?”“Someone got to Payne.”“Dead?” Quarles asked.“Yeah.”“Crap.You think it’s about his talking to us?”“What else can I think?” Brit stepped away from the door as the paramedics wheeled Payne’s body out.“I know for a fact that you offered that lowlife protection.This isn’t your fault.”“I know,” Brit said.“But he’s still dead, isn’t he?” Guilt pinched at his gut.“Where are you? I’ll be right there.”“No.Don’t leave her.”“Brit.The chick’s fine.If that bastard Humphrey knew she was here he’d already have shown up.”“Please.” Damn, did he really say that? Cali’s manners were rubbing off on him.“I’m wrapping things up here, and I’ll be back there.I don’t know if Adams told you, but I’m only working half shifts.I’m on the task force.”“Me, too,” Quarles said.“I talked Adams into it when I heard you were on it.”Brit leaned against the wall, trying not to look at the blood smeared on the floor.But damn, he’d seen too much death this month.“You didn’t even know Keith.”“He was a fellow officer.That’s all I need to know.”“Yeah.” Brit stepped outside on the porch and took a deep breath, hoping to cleanse himself of the images.“Keep an eye on her.I’ll be there soon.”~Soon turned into three hours.It had taken him an hour to fill out the dreaded report and another two to find Rina Newman and get her under police protection and set up in a hotel.She’d insisted on it being a five star.Brit hadn’t argued.If Adams refused to pay for it, not having her death on his conscience was worth the price of a fancy hotel for a few days.The way he figured it, Rina had tipped someone off about Payne’s slip of the tongue or Payne had done it himself.Either way, whoever had gotten Payne could get to Rina.Brit didn’t think his conscience could take another hit.Quarles wasn’t happy when he finally returned to Cali’s motel, and neither was Brit.He looked at his partner [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He made it to the hood of his SUV when the man walked to the next hotel door, pulled out a card key from his pocket and let himself in.Relaxing his grip on the gun, Brit took a deep breath.He couldn’t do it.He couldn’t leave her when a man who’d already committed three murders was looking for her.Grabbing his cell phone from his pocket, he hit the memory button until he found Quarles’ number.Brit spoke as soon as his partner answered.“Remember the diner from yesterday? Meet me at the hotel parking lot across the street.”“That chick’s there, isn’t she?” Quarles asked.Brit hadn’t explained last night, but he knew Quarles had been suspicious.Brit hadn’t wanted to admit it then, but now he didn’t care what Quarles knew.“Yeah.Just meet me there.And tell Adams we’re going to be out all night.” Brit looked at his watch, thinking about his appointment with Payne at midnight.“And hurry.”~Twenty minutes later, his partner pulled up beside him.Brit gave him the short explanation about his meeting with Payne.“No,” Quarles said.“Let me go talk to Payne.You stay here and babysit.You’re the one who has the hots for her.”“Look, you don’t know Payne.You don’t know how he works.I do.He won’t talk to you.I just need you to watch out for her.Look, you’re my partner.And I’m asking this as a favor.”Brit didn’t know how Quarles would react to him throwing down the partner card.Considering they’d only been partners for two weeks, and the fact that Brit had mostly treated Quarles like a stomach virus, he honestly figured Quarles would tell him to blow smoke up someone else’s ass.“One hour,” Quarles said.The man held up a finger.“After that, I’ll come looking for you.”Brit thumped Quarles’ shoulder.“Thanks.”“Thank me by getting your ass back in one piece with something that we can use to take down these guys.”“You got it.” Brit started to walk away, but he heard Quarles speak.“By the way, I took your sister to dinner tonight.”Brit turned, his brotherly instincts on alert.“Why?”“Because I was hungry.” He paused.“Because I like her.Because she’s beautiful.” His voice didn’t waver.“Is this going to be a problem?”Brit looked at his partner.“She doesn’t even live here.”“She visits regularly.And Austin isn’t that far away.”Brit popped his knuckles.“What do you want to come of this?”“Come of it?” Quarles chucked.“It’s a little soon to be asking me my intentions, isn’t it?”Brit frowned.“I swear, if you hurt her, I’ll shoot you.And I’m not joking.”Quarles didn’t flinch.“I’m not planning on hurting her.We had dinner and we actually had a nice time.”Frowning, Brit got into his SUV and drove to meet Payne.As his tires hummed against the pavement, he mentally collected everything he knew about Quarles.He’d talked about a few women he’d known in the past—relationships that had fizzled out.He was probably Brit’s age, maybe even older.His family lived somewhere in east Texas.The man had a dog and took the damn thing to the vet constantly.Truth was, Quarles seemed decent enough.And Brit respected that he’d been upfront with him.But Brit simply didn’t want to know the man who was trying to get into his sister’s pants.However, Big Sis probably wasn’t waiting for baby brother’s approval either.Susan had always done things her way.A freelance photographer, she’d made a name for herself and didn’t live her life by anyone else’s rules.He actually respected that about her, too.After a minute, Brit decided he didn’t have the right to tell Susan what to do.But he hadn’t lied to Quarles.If the man hurt his sister, he’d answer to Brit.Turning the corner to the house where Payne had said he’d be, Brit noticed the knots in his shoulders had lessened.The sleep he’d had in Cali’s presence had worked magic again.Hope vibrated in his chest, and for the first time he felt like he might be able to do this.Find Keith’s and Anderson’s killer, live through the grief, and Cali.What with Cali? That was the million-dollar question.“I’m not having sex with you.”Something told him that might change.Or maybe it was just him hoping.After checking the address twice, he parked his SUV in the driveway.He got out and looked up and down the street at the overgrown lawns, the wrecked cars parked in the front yards.Not what you’d call suburban paradise.Rent must be cheap.His gaze moved again to the shack of a house.Not a light on in the place.The tension crawled back into his shoulders.He pulled his gun out of his holster and eased toward the porch.He took the first cracked step up to the house.The wood slats on the porch moaned.The door stood ajar.Something felt wrong.Deadly wrong.Then he smelled the blood.Chapter Twenty-Three“I’m going to be longer than an hour,” Brit said into his cell phone thirty minutes later when Quarles answered his line.“What? Payne’s not talking?” Quarles chuckled.“Can I be the guy who hits you this time?”Brit pressed a thumb against his temple.“Duke told you about that?” Not that he cared.“Oh, yeah.He’s quite proud of it.” Quarles paused as if waiting for Brit’s comeback.When Brit didn’t offer one, Quarles cleared his throat.“What’s up?”“Someone got to Payne.”“Dead?” Quarles asked.“Yeah.”“Crap.You think it’s about his talking to us?”“What else can I think?” Brit stepped away from the door as the paramedics wheeled Payne’s body out.“I know for a fact that you offered that lowlife protection.This isn’t your fault.”“I know,” Brit said.“But he’s still dead, isn’t he?” Guilt pinched at his gut.“Where are you? I’ll be right there.”“No.Don’t leave her.”“Brit.The chick’s fine.If that bastard Humphrey knew she was here he’d already have shown up.”“Please.” Damn, did he really say that? Cali’s manners were rubbing off on him.“I’m wrapping things up here, and I’ll be back there.I don’t know if Adams told you, but I’m only working half shifts.I’m on the task force.”“Me, too,” Quarles said.“I talked Adams into it when I heard you were on it.”Brit leaned against the wall, trying not to look at the blood smeared on the floor.But damn, he’d seen too much death this month.“You didn’t even know Keith.”“He was a fellow officer.That’s all I need to know.”“Yeah.” Brit stepped outside on the porch and took a deep breath, hoping to cleanse himself of the images.“Keep an eye on her.I’ll be there soon.”~Soon turned into three hours.It had taken him an hour to fill out the dreaded report and another two to find Rina Newman and get her under police protection and set up in a hotel.She’d insisted on it being a five star.Brit hadn’t argued.If Adams refused to pay for it, not having her death on his conscience was worth the price of a fancy hotel for a few days.The way he figured it, Rina had tipped someone off about Payne’s slip of the tongue or Payne had done it himself.Either way, whoever had gotten Payne could get to Rina.Brit didn’t think his conscience could take another hit.Quarles wasn’t happy when he finally returned to Cali’s motel, and neither was Brit.He looked at his partner [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]