“He’s probably right.”
“Listen, Maleah, I have some rather important news for you and Derek. Griff and Sanders are both busy handling other matters, so I’ve been delegated to touch base with you two and give you the latest information.”
“Please tell me you have good news to share, or at the very least information that can help us.”
“It’s information that possibly confirms Derek’s tentative profile of the Copycat Carver as a professional assassin.”
Maleah sucked in her breath.
“A contact in Austria sold Luke information concerning a man named Anthony Linden, a former MI6 agent who went rogue. He supposedly killed himself ten years ago instead of allowing the authorities to capture and imprison him. But apparently the rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated.”
“Meaning that Anthony Linden isn’t actually dead.”
“So it would seem.”
“And this information is important to us because?”
“Because this same contact told Luke that the man rumored to be impersonating Malcolm York hired a very-much-alive Linden, who is well-known in certain circles as a professional assassin. And York sent Linden to America six months ago.”
“That’s quite an interesting story, one I’m sure Griff has bought into, right?” Maleah said. “But what about you? Are you buying it?”
“It’s plausible. It’s possible. I don’t know if it’s true, but . . .” Nic’s voice trailed off into complete and utter silence.
“Nic?”
“Oh God, Maleah, if the copycat continues killing, if we can’t find him and stop him soon, I don’t know how Griff is going to bear it. He’s not sleeping. He’s lost his appetite. He’s drinking too much. He’s preoccupied and edgy and keeps shutting himself off in his study, sometimes alone, sometimes with Sanders. I try to talk to him, try to convince him that he’s not responsible for all these deaths, but it’s as if he doesn’t even hear me.”
“I wish I knew what to tell you,” Maleah said, her heart aching for her dear friend. “Griff’s a strong man. He’s not going to fall apart. You know that when he shuts you out, he thinks he’s protecting you. Nic, you know he loves you.”
“If he would only tell me everything, all the horrible things about Malcolm York and Amara, then maybe I could help him. Whatever secrets he’s keeping from me are part of what’s tearing him apart. He knows that the real York is dead, and yet . . . Oh, Maleah, I wish that the copycat killer would turn out to be someone seeking revenge against me because of one of my cases when I worked for the Bureau. Or if the copycat is a professional killer, then I wish someone with a grudge against the Powell Agency and not someone from Griff’s past hired this man to exact revenge against the agency.”
“We can’t rule out either of those possibilities. Not yet. That’s one reason I have to go back to see Browning. If only I could persuade him to tell me what he knows.”
“If he actually knows anything. And you do realize that the odds of that are very low. Besides, all the evidence is beginning to stack up in favor of Griff’s theory.”
“I’m sorry, Nic. I’m so very sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who’s sorry that the copycat deliberately involved you by choosing to emulate the murderer who killed Noah Laborde.”
“If Griff’s theory is correct, then someone very badly wants to torment Griff by whatever means necessary, even going so far as to strike out at his wife’s best friend.”
“Don’t go back to see Browning again. I have a very bad feeling about it. Please, Maleah . . .”
“I have to go. Don’t worry about me. I’m tough.” Maleah faked a laugh. “Besides, I have Derek. If Browning chews me up and spits me out in little pieces, Derek will put me back together.”
“Oh, Maleah.”
“Hey, you take care of yourself and that husband of yours. I’ll be fine. I need to hang up now and go fill Derek in on the news from Luke.”
“Call me tomorrow, after you see Browning.”
“Okay, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll call.”
As soon as they said their good-byes, Maleah went to the bathroom, freshened up and changed into a pair of faded navy sweat pants and an oversized yellow, navy, and white striped T-shirt. After slipping into a pair of navy Skechers, she slid her room key into her pants pocket and left her room.
Maleah stood outside of Derek’s closed door. Once she had worked up enough courage to knock, he opened the door in two seconds flat.
They stared at each other, neither of them saying a word.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Swirls of thick black hair formed a perfect T across his upper chest and disappeared into his unsnapped jeans.
Why oh why did he have to look so good? All lean and muscular, handsome and sexy, he was dark, tantalizing temptation wrapped up in a to-die-for package.
Say something, you idiot.
Say what? I want to jump your bones?
Tell him about Nic’s phone call. Give him the latest information from Luke Sentell. Don’t keep standing here staring at him. Just open your damn mouth and say something.
But when she opened her mouth to speak, Derek forcefully grabbed her shoulders, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.
Chapter 25
Derek drove his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss, taking her breath away. Capturing her neck and threading his fingers through her hair, he pulled her into his room and kicked the door shut. Without conscious thought, going strictly by instinct, she wrapped herself around him and lost herself completely in the kiss. His lips were firm and warm, his tongue moist and hot.
He walked backward, taking her with him step-by-step, his hands roaming over her shoulders and back, and then delving lower to cup her butt. Her femininity clenched and unclenched in an age-old preparation for mating, as her mouth worked feverishly against his.
When he toppled them over and onto the bed, she went with him willingly, as hungry for him as he was for her. Changing the dynamics of the kiss, he eased his tongue from her mouth and nibbled on her lower lip. She moaned deep in her throat as he slid his hands between them and lifted the edge of her T-shirt, exposing her naked belly and the lace bra covering her breasts. The moment he lowered his head, his breath scorching her skin, she forked her fingers through his hair and brought his mouth to her breast. He suckled her through the thin material and then flicked his tongue across first one hard nipple and then the other.
Squirming, her body throbbing, she rubbed herself against him and felt how much he wanted her.
“Oh, baby . . . so sweet . . .” He shoved his hand between her thighs and palmed her mound. “We’re going to be so good together, honey, so good.”
Baby? Honey?
Generic terms, endearments he had probably used countless times with numerous women.
He had not called her Maleah. He hadn’t even called her Blondie.
Her vow to Nic echoed inside her head, softly at first, but growing louder with each passing second.
I refuse to become another notch on his bedpost.
Gradually coming to her senses, she shoved against his chest. His deliciously warm, hairy, muscular chest.
Stop this right now. You are not going to have sex with Derek Lawrence.
“Get off me,” she told him, her voice a ragged whisper.
“What’s wrong?” He lifted his head and stared at her. “Did I hurt you?”
Yes, you mortally wounded me. With words. Baby. Honey.
“No, you didn’t hurt me.” She shoved him up and off her.
He rolled over onto the bed while she sat up, took several deep, steadying breaths and started to stand. He reached out, grasped her wrist and held her in place on the edge of the bed.
“Look at me, Maleah.”
Now he remembers my name.
“What just happened?” he asked.
She looked everywhere but at him. “We almost made a terrible mistake.”
He sat up so that they were side by side. He cupped her chin and turned her to face him. “Why did you stop what was happening between us? You were into it as much as I was, wanted me as much as I wanted you—as much as I still want you. You can’t deny the truth.”
“I’m not denying anything.” When she looked at him, it was all she could do not to give in to her baser instincts. God, how she wanted him!
“Then please tell me what just happened? What did I do wrong?”
How did she answer that question? With a lie? The truth? A half-truth? “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just came to my senses before it was too late.” Unable to continue direct eye contact for fear he would know she was lying, she averted her gaze.
He squeezed her chin. She glared at him, and then jerked out of his grasp and got up. “Put a shirt on, will you? You shouldn’t have come to the door half naked.”
“Are you afraid if I remain partially unclothed, you won’t be able to keep your hands off me?” he asked jokingly as he rose to his feet.
“I’m not the one who grabbed you and kissed you,” she reminded him.
He came up behind her, lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck. Shivering at his touch, she closed her eyes and stood perfectly still as he whispered in her ear, “The moment I opened the door, I knew what you wanted. You were begging me to kiss you.”
Snapping around with the intention of blasting him for his accusation, she didn’t realize until it was too late just how close his body was to hers. Her breasts collided with his chest as her belly encountered his erection. She sucked in her breath and shoved against him. Smiling at her, he stepped backward.
“I wasn’t. I didn’t . . .”
That’s it, Maleah, lie to him again.
“Despite what you think, I knocked on your door to tell you that Nic called me with information.”
He looked at her questioningly. “Business first, huh?”
“Yes. No. Damn it, you know what I mean. Business only.”
“Ah, Blondie, do I have to keep telling you that you’re no fun?”
When she glared at him, he laughed as he walked over to the dresser, opened a drawer and removed a white T-shirt. While he slipped into the garment, Maleah pulled out the desk chair and sat. He turned around, his gorgeous chest now covered, and grinned when he saw that she had avoided sitting on the sofa.
“You sure do blow hot and cold, don’t you?” He flopped down on the sofa, propped his feet up on the coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest. “You went from not being able to keep your hands off me to not even wanting to sit by me.”
“Will you please drop it? If you want me to take full responsibility for what happened, then I will. You’re irresistible. I fought my attraction to you for as long as I could. I took one look at your magnificent bare chest and went wild. Pick your fantasy, Mr. Lawrence. But that’s it. I am not going to discuss what happened.”
He ran his gaze over her slowly, appraisal in his eyes, as if she were an object on the auction block and he was considering a purchase. “Okay. I’ll go along with however you want to play this. Let’s chalk it up to just one of those things.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She couldn’t tell if he was sincere or if he was making fun of her.
Silence hung between them for several minutes, then she cleared her throat and said, “Griff received information from Luke Sentell that, if proven true, could substantiate your theory that the Copycat Carver is a professional assassin.”
Uncrossing his arms, his eyes widening with interest, Derek leaned forward and said, “As much as I like being proven correct in my assessments, I know I’m not going to like this new information, am I?”
“Probably not.” Now that they were discussing their current case, Maleah relaxed. As long as she kept her relationship with Derek strictly business, she’d be fine. “I have no idea how Luke made contact with this man, but I assume it all boils down to who you know. Griff has contacts all over the world. And we have a former Interpol agent working for the agency now, as well as Luke, who is rumored to have been a Black Ops agent.”
“Is there a reason why you’re taking the scenic route with this information instead of—?”
“Sorry. I was thinking out loud.” Maleah forced herself to look at Derek. “Luke paid this person, some man in Austria, for the info, and as of right now, he has no way to verify the validity of what he was told. But supposedly there is or was a man named Anthony Linden, a former MI6 agent who went rogue and became a hired killer. When the authorities caught up with him about ten years ago, he reportedly killed himself rather than be captured.”
“Let me guess—Linden didn’t kill himself. He’s alive and well and still working as a professional assassin. And for some reason Luke believes Linden may be our copycat killer.”
She marveled at how easily Derek connected the dots. She snapped her fingers. “Just like that, you put it all together. So, how about making an educated guess as to why Luke and Griff think Linden is our guy.”
“Hmm . . .” Derek stroked his chin. “The mystery man who calls himself Malcolm York and Anthony Linden are somehow connected, right?”
“Right. Supposedly Linden is working for the mysterious Mr. York, who sent him to America six months ago.”
“Six months ago, shortly before Albert Durham visited Jerome Browning for the first time, and less than two months before the Copycat Carver began his murder spree by killing Kristi Arians.”
“Is Griff right? Is all of this happening because of him, because the fake Malcolm York is exacting revenge for the real York?”
“Your voice is trembling,” Derek told her. “That happens when you’re upset and worried. Tell me what’s really going on with you.”
Maleah hated that he knew her so well. Damn his extraordinary powers of observation. “I’m concerned about Nic . . . and about Griff, too, because she’s worried sick about him.”
“If I promise I won’t bite, will you come over here and sit by me?” He patted the sofa cushion. “We’re friends now, aren’t we? Talk to me. About your concerns for Nic and Griff and about anything else that’s troubling you.”
She eyed him suspiciously.
He lifted his arms in the air on either side of him. “I promise I won’t touch you.”
She rose from the chair in a slow, languid move and walked toward the sofa. “I have to go back to see Browning tomorrow.”
“No, you don’t. You do not have to see him ever again.”
“I do. If he knows—”
“He doesn’t know squat,” Derek said. “The copycat, whoever he is, Anthony Linden or John Doe, didn’t share any big secrets with Browning. Why would he?”
“But you said that maybe Browning knows something he doesn’t even know he knows. Maybe he can—”
“Damn it, Maleah, he can’t help us.” Derek reached for her, then stopped dead still and clenched his hands into fists.
She released a relieved breath. If he had touched her, she didn’t think she could have resisted the urge to throw herself into his arms.
“Nic said that Griff isn’t sleeping or eating and he’s pulled away from her. He blames himself for what’s happened. He thinks it’s somehow his fault that five people associated with the agency have been murdered.”
“I don’t claim to know any more about Griffin Powell than you do, but I understand him as one man understands another. Any man, especially one as powerful as Griff, hates to admit that something in his past has come back not only to haunt him, but could be the reason for five murders. And although he would never admit it, Griff’s scared out of his mind that something might happen to Nic. He’s the type who wouldn’t want the woman he loved to see any weaknesses in him, not even if
she
was his major weakness.”
“He would rather withdraw from her, even risk alienating her, than to share his fears with her and let her help him? That is so wrong.”
“Yeah, I know, but we men are strange creatures.”
“Would you do that?” she asked. “I mean assuming you loved someone the way Griff loves Nic, would you put up barriers to prevent her from—?”
“I’m not Griff. I haven’t lived his life. I don’t have his secrets. I didn’t say he and I were alike. I said I understood him as one man understands another.” He gazed into her eyes. “You and Nic are best friends. You’ve shared confidences and probably know each other better than anyone else does. You understand her, right?”
Maleah nodded.
“But even though you and Nic are both strong, independent women, you’re also different. There are things she has lived through that you haven’t and vice versa. I can’t see you letting the man you loved keep secrets from you. If he did, you’d walk away, wouldn’t you?”
She stared at Derek, wondering if he, too, had more deep, dark secrets, ones he had never shared with anyone. “She’s tried leaving him, but she always comes back. Love makes us weak and it certainly can make fools of us all.”
“Have you ever loved anyone like that?” he asked.
“No. Have you?”
“No.”
They sat there staring at each other for several minutes and finally Derek said, “Okay, Blondie, if you’re damned and determined to visit Browning again in the morning, then we need to talk about it. I’ll take on the role of Browning and play devil’s advocate, no holds barred, and we’ll see how you react.”
“You want to see just how thick my skin is, don’t you?”
Derek grinned. “When it comes to sparring with Browning, I suspect your skin is thick enough. But I happen to have firsthand knowledge as to just how really soft and smooth your skin is.”
When she reached over and socked him on the arm, he held up his hands in a surrender gesture. “For the record, I want it to be noted that you touched me first.”
She socked him again, harder the second time.
“Ouch. That hurt.”
“Good. I wanted it to hurt.”
“You’re a hard-hearted woman, Maleah Perdue.”
“Yes, I am, and you’d do well not to forget it.”
Derek burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing? Why aren’t you—?”
He leaned over and without laying a finger on her, he kissed her. She mumbled and spluttered and then placed her hands on his chest to push him away. But suddenly, he lifted his head and smiled.