“H,” Billy whispered in her ear. “What’s going on?”
“Can’t…talk…now,” she managed as quietly as she could, swallowing back the bile.
Slurping sounds drifted to her ears. The bed shook and jiggled. Hailey wiggled her arms around and pressed her hands against her ears so she didn’t have to listen.
She was never having sex again. Not after this. She was never going to be able to look at a bed again without remembering this horrendous night.
Suddenly the mattress stopped moving. Were they done already?
“Are you going to let me see it? Tonight?”
In a moment of clarity, Hailey recognized the voice. And the burning pain in her arm slid to the wayside.
Lucy Walthers, a secretary at their main headquarters in Miami, and a woman Hailey interacted with on a weekly basis. No way. Lucy was screwing Bryan? She was at least ten years younger than Bryan.
“Let’s not talk about that now,” Bryan said.
The bed moved once. Stopped.
“Tonight, Bryan. You know I’ve been waiting so long.” When he grunted in obvious frustration, she added in a sexy voice, “If you let me see it, I’ll let you do that thing you’ve been begging me to let you do for months.”
Silence. And then he groaned. “Yes, yes, yes. Tonight, yes.”
She laughed, the bed dipped, but then the mattress stilled and her voice grew serious. “Where is it?”
“Somewhere safe. Someplace no one will find it.”
“You’re so clever. They all underestimated you, didn’t they?”
He growled and the bed bounced once, like they’d rolled across it. “They all did. Especially Garrett. And Hailey, that bitch. She’s never getting a piece of this company. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure of that.”
“Whatever it takes?” the woman asked in a startled voice. “You don’t mean…”
“That’s exactly what I mean.” Bryan groaned, the way a man does when he’s on the edge of control.
“Bryan, wait—”
The bed picked up steam again and skin slapped above, followed by a series of grunts and groans. But Hailey barely heard it. Because at the moment, all she could focus on was the roar of her blood echoing in her ears.
Thoughts of Bryan’s ‘message’ filtered back through Hailey’s mind as she lay there, hands covering her ears.
What had her father written in that note he’d left her? Your participation in this endeavor is a matter of life and death. You’re the only one I trust. At the time she hadn’t thought he’d meant her life. Now she wasn’t so sure.
Out of nowhere a memory from her childhood erupted in her mind, one of her many Indiana Jones adventures with Bryan in this very house.
And like a lightbulb going on, she instantly knew just where he’d hidden it.
CHAPTER TWO
Four hours later
She’d passed parched two hours ago.
Hailey scanned the patrons of Players Sports Bar as she pushed the side door open and stepped into the smoky establishment. It was close to ten o’clock, three hours after she’d planned to be here. She glanced around the room, but didn’t see anyone she recognized. No doubt Mr. Dark and Mysterious was long gone, but considering the way her luck was running lately, that was probably a blessing in disguise.
She found an empty table in the back corner, shrugged out of the thick winter jacket she’d changed into in the car and sat with her back against the wall so she could keep an eye on the door, just in case. Even knowing this was one of those weaknesses she’d never cop to Billy—or anyone—didn’t stop her. Sure, she was flirting with danger by even being here, but no matter how many times she’d tried to talk herself out of this little pit stop on her way back to Lake Geneva, curiosity kept winning out.
A waitress came and took her order. Minutes later she was savoring the hops lingering on her tongue and the golden liquid sliding down her throat. She needed this after what she’d been through. Deserved it after what she’d had to endure.
Billy had been going nuts sitting in the van while she’d been in that house, but he was getting no sympathy from Hailey. He hadn’t been subjected to Bryan and Lucy screwing each other blind. She shuddered at the memory. Took another long drink. And that didn’t even take into account the nice gouge in her arm she’d gotten from a metal spring thanks to their little gymnastics routine. Luckily, she’d had a tetanus shot recently, but the slice still hurt like an SOB. The only good part about the whole ordeal was that she’d gotten what she’d come for.
Classic ‘80s rock pumped out of a jukebox at the end of the room. Pool balls clacked and thumped against bumpers. A group of twentysomething college kids were playing darts along the far wall, drinking and laughing without a care in the world. She glanced at the flat-screen TVs mounted over the bar, which were replaying the day’s sports news on ESPN, as her nerves slid back to the normal range and her heart rate slowly came down.
One beer. Then she was gone. Since they’d driven two cars into the city, she and Billy had split up after she’d finally gotten out of the house. If she didn’t get back to Lake Geneva soon, he’d start to worry. A little of her curiosity had been eased, seeing where Mr. Dark and Mysterious hung out after work. Enough to get her by for the next few months, at least. Tonight of all nights wasn’t really the time to “bump” into him anyway.
She finished her beer and was just pulling a ten out of her pocket when the bell above the big old oak door at the front of the bar jangled. And Detective Shane Maxwell stepped inside.
Her stomach did a little flip, and her hand froze in her pocket. Though she tried to keep her pulse steady and even, it jerked back up in the triple-digit category. Just like it had when she’d met him in Key Biscayne three months ago. Just like it had when they’d danced and talked most of the night together at the wedding of her ex and his sister shortly thereafter in Puerto Rico. Just as it did whenever she thought of him, even now.
Okay, coming here had been a bad idea. Her mind hadn’t been playing tricks on her all these months after all. He was just as gorgeous as he’d been back then. Tall, fit and athletic, with naturally tan skin, deep chocolate, mysterious eyes, and all that messy dark hair. Since she’d seen him in shorts and a tee on Rafe’s boat in Florida, she knew the body beneath those worn jeans and that faded leather jacket was in superb shape. And just the visual was enough to make her hormones surge all over again.
Really, really bad idea. She was clearly still operating on an adrenaline rush from the night’s activities, because she most definitely wasn’t up to seeing him. Not tonight, at least.
As she was reaching for her jacket from the back of the chair, she heard the bartender’s booming voice say, “Hey, copper. How ‘bout a cold one?”
Sound in the bar seemed to fade into the background, and from her spot near the back hallway, she heard Shane’s deep and sexy voice—a sound she knew all too well. “Mick, you read my mind.”
“Long day?”
“Longer than Bonds’s home-run streak.”
Liquid poured, then glass clapped against the wooden bar. And the fact Hailey was zeroed in on exactly what was happening way across the room was a big ol’ red flag that it was time to leave.
She grabbed her coat and turned without looking at Shane, then realized way too late she was trapped. The brick hallway led to a pay phone and the bathrooms. The side exit that spilled out into the alleyway between this building and the next was up dangerously close to the end of the bar where he was sitting. She’d slinked in easily enough earlier, when activity in the bar and attention on the Cubs scouting report on the big screen had distracted the patrons. But there was no way she was getting out that side door now without Shane seeing her.
Shit.
“You see the news about Blane?” the bartender asked.
“Didn’t have to,” Shane said. “Heard about it downtown.”
“Shit, man. Dumbass rookie. Boy’s set for life with the Cubs if he wants
, local hometown talent and all, then goes and gets himself in trouble with that girl. What was he thinking?”
“Wasn’t,” Shane said, his glass clinking against the bar again. “Most of these guys aren’t when there’s a girl involved.”
“Pride of Chicago, my ass,” the bartender said with a huff. “Girl flashes her titties at him and he’s toast. You think the charges’ll stick?”
“Don’t know,” Shane answered on a sigh. “Doesn’t look good for the Pride, though.”
Hailey’s mind spun as she tried to block out the conversation. Maybe there was a window in the bathroom. If there was, she could make her grand escape unscathed after all.
“Some new faces in here,” Shane said as Hailey moved with haste toward the hall. “Those college kids back there giving you any troub—”
Whether he’d stopped talking or she’d finally just blocked out his voice, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she was happy to be out of there. Hailey closed and locked the single bathroom door, then cursed when she discovered no window. Dammit, things were not going the way she’d planned, not that they ever did.
What was he doing here so late? Lisa had said he stopped by for a quick drink after his shift—usually between six and seven P.M. Not ten o’clock at night!
Okay, so think. She could go back out, take her chances he was too wrapped up in his conversation to notice her, or wait.
For some reason, waiting sounded a helluva lot better than facing the fire.
She paced. Sat on the closed toilet lid. Told herself she was being childish. All she had to do if he saw her was say she’d been in town for business—which was true—engage in a little conversation—like she’d originally planned—then hightail it out of here. Easy.
She stood and looked at her reflection in the mirror over the single sink. The makeup had done a good job covering her bruised eye and cheek, and in the dim light of the bar, she was pretty sure no one could tell she’d been knocked around recently. She pulled the band out of her hair so her curls could hide a portion of her face. Not great, but better. Dropping her hands, she lifted the sleeve of her sweater and checked the cut on the back of her arm.
The bandage Billy had slapped on in the van was bloody, but nothing fresh, which meant the bleeding had stopped. One good sign, at least. Her jaw clenched. Idiot, Bryan. Another reason she didn’t feel guilty about what she’d done tonight.
She lowered her sweater again, rolled her shoulders and told herself to quit stalling.
She heard laughter and music, glasses clanking and the sounds of ESPN’s SportsCenter from the bar when she stepped out into the darkened hallway. No Shane. Breathing easier, she turned and ran smack into one very hard, very familiar chest.
“You made a wrong turn at Tallahassee, Officer Roarke.”
Heart thundering against her ribs, she looked up, thankful the hall was dark enough to camo her bruises, and saw that sexy lopsided almost-smile of his. What would it look like at full grin?
“I…” Thump, thump, thump. In an instant she got lost in those smoldering eyes just like she’d done three months ago. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.” Shane’s voice was as soft as a whisper and as dangerous as a lover’s first touch. And he was standing so close she could feel the heat radiating off his muscular body and smell the beer lingering on his tongue. “You are the last person I expected to see in Chicago in January. What are you doing here?”
Oh, man. How to answer that one?
She should really step back. She had enough problems already to last a lifetime. Her arm ached, her face hurt, and her adrenaline was suddenly back in the out-of-this-world range. But just like she’d done in Puerto Rico at that wedding, she pushed aside the rational side of her brain that said she was flirting with disaster where he was concerned. “I’m here for work. Not here. Um, in Lake Geneva, I mean. But there were a few errands I needed to run in the city.”
Liar.
Had she really thought seeing him tonight was a good idea? Oh, good God. She was seriously losing it.
“Errands, like, hanging out in a dive bar all by yourself?” The sparkle in his eyes said he was baiting her and she should be careful.
And like a fool, she ignored it.
“No. That was an afterthought. Sorta.” And a bad one. Her palms grew sweaty.
“An afterthought,” he said, eyeing her carefully. He shot a thumb over his shoulder behind him. “Shoulda been your first thought with this crowd. What kind of business does a Key West patrol officer have up here?”
“None. I mean, a patrol officer doesn’t. But I do. I’m taking a break. Leave of absence, really.” Lovely. Now she couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. If that wasn’t a sign she needed to bail, nothing was.
“Why?”
His sister must not have filled him in on what had happened with her family, thinking he wouldn’t care. And why that bothered her so much at the moment was as much of a mystery as was the fact she hadn’t cut and run already.
“My father died.”
“What? When?”
“Two weeks ago. Heart attack.”
“Oh, jeez. I’m sorry.”
She had to avert her gaze because the concern pooling in his chocolate eyes was suddenly too much to deal with. And because even though she and her father hadn’t seen eye to eye recently, there’d been a time, ages ago, when they’d been close. The memory of that stayed with her, and it hurt, just a little, just beneath the breastbone, whenever she thought of never seeing him again.
“If there’s anything I can do—”
She waved a hand and pulled her gaze from his strong chest. “Thanks. No. Really, I’m fine. It wasn’t a complete surprise. His health hadn’t been good lately. He asked me to help out with the company about six weeks ago. I’m only staying on until a new CEO can be appointed.”
Double liar.
“So what are you doing in Lake Geneva?”
“Oh. Um. We’re midway through construction on a new resort there. Unfortunately it’s way behind schedule. With everything surrounding my father’s funeral and such, this is the first chance I’ve had to get up here to check things out.”
He nodded slowly, and again she had to look away because those eyes of his were just too much to deal with. They made her think of dancing and laughing and his hands on her hips, his body pressed up against hers, his breath fanning her cheek and all the incredible places they could have gone that warm night in Puerto Rico if he hadn’t walked away.
Her cheeks heated at the memory, and she took a small step back to break the spell she was slipping under. She’d fantasized about him for the last three months, but the reality was, if he’d been interested, she’d have heard from him before now. The fact she hadn’t was what she needed to remember. That and the fact the very last thing she should be thinking about right now was a guy.
“I should get going,” she said.
“What? You can’t leave yet. I just got here. Let me buy you a drink.”
A drink? With him? And those sexy smoldering eyes? Ah, no.
“I can’t,” she said quickly. “I have to drive back to Wisconsin tonight before the roads freeze much more. And besides, I’ve reached my Cubs limit for the night. In fact, I think I’ve reached it until at least the play-offs.”
He chuckled then, a smooth, rich sound that vibrated all the way through the floor and into her toes. “It’s kind of a religion around here.”
“Ah, yeah. I got that. Spring training hasn’t even started.”
“Pitchers report in two weeks. Can’t get here soon enough.” He grinned then, and oh, man, yeah. That smile at full force was too much. She had to glance toward the door to keep from staring. Before she could figure out a way to say goodbye, he touched her at the elbow. “How about coffee?”
“Oh, I—”
“Come on, don’t say no. My sister Keira gave me this espresso machine for Christmas that I haven’t figured out how to use yet. This is the perfect excuse to break it out.
My place is just around the corner.”
His place? Oh, holy hell, no. That was a monumentally bad idea. “I shouldn’t—”
His fingers tightened on her elbow, and she looked up to see that mischievous spark in his eyes all over again. The same one she’d seen in Key Biscayne. The same one she’d seen in Puerto Rico at that wedding. The same one she’d dreamed of way longer than was smart, and which had driven her here tonight when she should be safe in Lake Geneva right this minute, licking her wounds. “I don’t bite, Hailey. And besides, even if I did, we both know you could kick my ass anytime you wanted.”
Their eyes held, and she felt her lips slowly curve at what he was obviously remembering. The night he’d shown up in Key Biscayne to find his sister. Hailey had been there and thought he was an intruder. She’d taken him down hard to the patio, disarmed this beefy Chicago homicide detective and started reading him his rights before Lisa had come barreling out of the dark and announced he wasn’t a peeping Tom, but her brother.
“I guess one cup of coffee wouldn’t hurt anything,” she heard herself say before she thought better of it.
His grin widened. “Quick and painless. I promise.”
Her heart thumped. She seriously doubted that.
But damn if she wasn’t thinking how sweet a little pain, the likes of which only he could provide, would go along well with some espresso.
He wasn’t sure how he’d ended up walking down a windy Chicago street in the middle of January with Hailey Roarke, but Shane wasn’t about to go overanalyzing anything right now. Life had thrown him a curveball when he’d stepped inside Players after work on this miserably cold day and seen her standing there, looking as hot as she’d been in Florida. He knew it was wrong—she was his new brother-in-law’s ex-wife, for crap’s sake—but for once in his life, he was determined to enjoy the surprise that’d dropped in his lap, no matter where it took him.
He glanced sideways at her, shivering in her puffy black jacket with the fur-trimmed hood, her curly blonde hair tumbling down to her shoulders, and had a sudden urge to wrap his arms around her and let her heat thaw him out.