Authors: Christy Reece
“How many photos in total did you find?” Riley asked.
“Sixty-nine,” Brennan answered grimly.
“If it weren’t so perverted, it would be funny.”
The calm way Kacie said this fooled no one. And none of them needed to ask what she meant. The photographs revealed just one sex act.
“And they were just in Kacie’s bedroom and bathroom?”
“Sixty-seven were. We found two others. One glued to a framed photograph of Kacie on the bookshelf in her office. The other was on my pillow in my bedroom.”
“This framed photograph of you, Kacie. Any special significance?” Justin asked.
“Yes…” Her answer was hoarse, husky. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Yes, it was my very first magazine cover.”
“It’s definitely a woman,” Riley said softly.
“Shit, Ingram. Don’t start that again.”
Riley shook her head, her mutinous expression saying she wasn’t backing down. “You’ve got this weird, blurry view of women, Kelly. You think they can’t come up with perversions just as well as men? Think again.”
“Not saying that at all. I’m just saying don’t go jumping to conclusions based on your bias against women.”
“Oh, for the love of…I don’t have a bias. You do. I know men and women are both equally capable of evil acts.”
“Why do you think it’s a woman?” Kacie asked.
“Jealousy factor,” Riley said. “A man might post those photos on your wall, desecrate your underwear drawer with…well, use your imagination. But a woman will be more subtle, more willing to go the extra mile. Because she—”
“Knows how to twist the knife where it would hurt the most,” Kacie finished.
“Exactly.”
Brennan didn’t know, didn’t care. He just wanted the bitch or the bastard found and strung up by whatever method would cause the most pain.
But first he or she had to be identified.
“Justin, you and Riley check out the lobby security feed. When you get back, check for fingerprints, any evidence he or she might’ve left behind.” Brennan turned to Kacie. “Good thing you didn’t unpack. We’re going to a hotel for a few days.”
“No. That pervert is not going to force me out of my home.”
“It’s just for a few days. I’m going to have security cameras installed inside the apartment.”
She swallowed. “Everywhere?”
“Just in the common areas. I’ll be the only one with access to the feed.”
Even though she still didn’t look all that thrilled, even with the knowledge it would just be him, Brennan didn’t care. Until this shit was over, her personal freedom would have to be limited.
She opened her mouth, most likely to argue, but stopped when Riley and Justin stood.
“We’ll go watch the feed. Who knows? Maybe he”—Justin looked at his partner—“or she left a clue this time.”
Kacie stayed seated as Brennan led the LCR operatives to the door. She was more exhausted now than she would be after a full day of shooting. It was almost impossible to believe that she had felt the least bit optimistic that this would be over soon. Whoever was doing this would stretch this out for maximum pain.
“Want me to help you up?”
The question rankled, and judging by the gleam in Brennan’s eyes, he had said it intentionally to get a snarky response. But Kacie was fresh out of snark. She was just so damn tired.
“Get your pretty ass up, Kacie Dane. We’ve got places to go, rat bastards to catch.”
“Some rats can’t be caught.”
“This one will be. Now get up.”
Before she could respond, Brennan was at the table. He pulled her chair out and then lifted her up and put her over his shoulder.
“Dammit, put me down. I don’t need you to carry me anywhere.”
“Apparently you do, my love, or you would’ve gotten up on your own.”
My love.
Had he actually called her
my
love
? Was that a slip of the tongue? Maybe he called everyone
my love
. They’d known each other for a few weeks now, and she’d been around him almost twenty-four/seven. He wasn’t one to use casual endearments, and she’d certainly never heard him call anyone
my love
.
Energy surged through her. Okay, so she had some sadist who was torturing her, wanting to ruin her or worse. So she might possibly lose the career she’d worked so hard for. And so she would suffer extreme and total mortification if any of those photos or the video got out to the public.
So the hell what?
She had met an amazing man, who through his enduring patience and kindness, had helped her in numerous ways. And he had called her
my love
.
Shimmying her body, she said, “Let me down.”
He apparently heard the need in her voice, because when he dropped her feet to the floor, he was looking at her as if he wanted to devour every inch of her.
Leaning forward, his intent was clear. He’d just touched his mouth to hers when a cellphone rang.
Sighing deeply, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Remember where we left off.”
He answered the phone, his eyes going from warm and sensuous to ice cold in a flash. “We’ll be down in a minute.”
Shoving the phone back into his pocket, he said, “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Midtown.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s where we’ll find the rat-bitch who’s doing this.”
Chapter Thirty-one
“Let me do the talking. Understand?”
“I have a right to ask questions, Brennan.”
“Yes, you do, but I’m compromising the interrogation just by letting you be in the room.”
“You have no right—”
Brennan twisted around in his seat and glared down at Kacie. They were in the backseat of Justin’s SUV. Riley sat up front with Justin, and they were both getting an earful.
“I have every right. This is my job. Understand? When the time is right, you can ask her all the questions you want. Until then, you keep quiet.”
Okay, yeah, he probably could’ve been a little more diplomatic, but he was so furious he was just glad he could speak a coherent sentence. After all Kacie had done for the bitch, for her to repay her like this…
“You’re one hundred percent positive it was her, Justin?” Kacie asked.
“No doubt about it,” Justin replied. “Saw her face clearly. She walked into the elevator and came out about fifteen minutes later. Plenty of time to post the pictures.”
“I don’t understand any of this,” Kacie whispered. “What could have happened to make her hate me like this? And where on earth did she get those pictures? Or the video? How did she even get into the apartment?”
“We’ll get our answers, then you’ll get yours.” Seeing the pain reflected in her eyes, Brennan softened his tone a bit as he amended, “Fine. You can ask her first. But after what she’s put you through, she doesn’t deserve your compassion.”
They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride to Midtown. Brennan knew Kacie was probably going over every conversation she’d ever had with the woman, trying to find that one kernel of information that would explain her behavior. Unfortunately, and all too often, there wasn’t an explanation, at least not a reasonable one any sane person would accept.
Justin found a parking space a half block from the office building that housed the Kacie Dane Foundation. Vigilant until the end, Brennan, Riley, and Justin surrounded her as they walked the short distance to the building.
They walked inside, and Brennan gave a cursory nod to the security personnel, and then the four of them loaded onto the elevator. All were quiet, each in their own world, their own thoughts. Brennan’s were about getting to the truth and getting justice for Kacie. And if he knew the kindhearted and gentle woman beside him, her mind was still whirling with the whys.
The elevator dinged and slid open. As a group, they headed down the hallway. Brennan pushed the door open and walked in. Kacie was behind him. Behind her were Justin and Riley.
The instant they entered the small waiting area, several doors opened. Stewart and Marta walked out of their office at the same time that Molly, Tara, Hazel, and Tammy came from their offices.
“You’re back,” Tara squealed with glee and headed toward Kacie. Molly was right behind her, asking, “When did you get back? Did you have a fabulous time?”
Marta, Stewart, and Hazel moved slower, but they headed her way, too. The only one who hung back was Tammy, who gave a bright, enthusiastic smile and said, “Welcome back.”
No one seemed to notice that Brennan stood in front of Kacie, shielding her. Tara moved to go around him, and Brennan caught her wrist. “Hold on a sec.”
Even though everything inside him was urging him to act, take down the bitch immediately, he would stick to his agreement and give Kacie the moment she’d wanted.
“It’s great to see you guys, and I have loads to tell you, but...” Her eyes went to the woman standing beside Brennan. “Tara, can we talk with you for a moment?”
As if she had nothing to hide, Tara turned back to her office. “Want to go in there?”
“Fine,” Brennan said. “Let’s go.”
“What’s going on?” Stewart asked.
Kacie threw the rest of her employees a reassuring smile. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Brennan wrapped his hand around Kacie’s arm as they followed Tara into her office. Riley and Justin came in right behind them.
The instant the door shut, closing them in Tara’s office, she said, “What’s going on? Uh oh, what did I do?”
“Why, Tara? Why would you do this?” Kacie asked softly.
“Why what? What do you think I did?”
“Okay, enough.” Gently nudging Kacie away, Brennan stood in front of Tara and glared down at her. He’d been trained by some of the meanest coaches in football, but nothing could top the training three Navy SEALs had given him on intimidation tactics. If this look didn’t scare the shit and the truth out of her, nothing would.
“Why are you guys looking at me like that?” She tried to look around him to see Kacie. “Kacie, what’s going on?”
When Kacie didn’t answer, tears filled Tara’s eyes. “I don’t know what’s happening here, but I refuse to let you try to intimidate me. I deserve better.”
“Like hell you do, you—”
Kacie put her hand on Brennan’s arm. “Brennan, no…wait—”
“Riley, would you escort Kacie into the another office and stay with her until this is over?”
“No, dammit, I’m not leaving.”
Riley was smart enough not to argue. She took Kacie’s arm and urged her forward. “This is what we do, Kacie. Don’t worry. He won’t hurt her.”
Kacie spared one last look at Tara, who was now sheet white and had tears flowing down her face. The look of betrayal seemed completely incongruent with what she was being accused of doing.
Kacie opened the door and walked out to the lobby area. Surprising her, Riley stood at the door and watched her.
“Aren’t you going back in to help question her?” Kacie asked.
“No. Brennan and Justin have this.”
“But you—”
“Trust me, the way I’m feeling right now, Tara’s much safer with those two than with me.”
At a loss as to what she should do right now, Kacie stood in the middle of the room.
“Kacie,” Molly called from her office. “Is that you?”
Molly came to the doorway. “Hate to ask you, but while you’re here, would you mind taking a look at some of the mock-ups for next year’s funding gala? If we can get them to the printer this week, they’ll give us a ten percent discount.”
It was better than just standing here, feeling useless.
She went inside the office and sat in front of Molly’s desk.
Handing her a folder, she said, “I like the third one from the top the best, but all of them have potential.”
Her mind on what was going on in the outer office, Kacie opened the folder, barely paying attention to what she was looking at. Several things registered at once. The door lock clicked, Molly laughed softly, and Kacie found herself staring down at photos of Harrington raping her.
Molly!
Chapter Thirty-two
Brennan was getting a bad feeling about this. Not only was Tara not breaking, she seemed realistically appalled at what she’d been accused of doing. He’d seen liars before, could usually spot one within a minute or two of interrogation. The answers he was getting didn’t feel like lies.
“Okay, let’s try this a different way. Why did you go to Kacie’s apartment while she was gone?”
She blushed guiltily and looked down.
At last he was getting somewhere.
“I…was going to borrow one of Kacie’s dresses.” She jerked her head back up, an earnest, pleading look in her eyes. “I was going to get it dry-cleaned and have it back in her closet before she got back. I swear I was.”