Extreme Measures (7 page)

A lump took up residence in Stuart’s throat. Everyone knew about Billy Chambers. He'd transferred to Attica only a few days before Arlin and him had escaped. Word was he was legendary. He'd killed one prisoner over a serving of mashed potatoes. Chambers didn't make friends, but he had enemies by the score. Even with as much experience as he had, Stuart didn't want to be one of them.

"I'm not so sure I believe you."

A muscle twitched beneath Arlin's right eye. "Then call my bluff." He turned back around and held his thin arms away from his body. "Shoot me, but if Billy hasn't heard from me within three days, he's going to come looking for you. And he's very good at finding people."

Damn. None of this was going according to plan. "You really think that guy's going to keep his word? If you do, you're dumber than you look." He tucked the pistol in the waistband of his pants. "It's almost dawn. Get your ass together. I want to be on the road within the next thirty minutes."

Arlin smiled and disappeared into the bathroom. "Sounds good to me."

His cackle made the hairs on the back of Stuart's neck rise. So three days it was then. Once Arlin made the call to Chambers, Stuart would wipe the smile from his face with a bullet between the eyes. And he doubted he'd feel one ounce of emotion.

Chapter Five

"Your cell phone is buzzing. Incessantly, I might add."

The whiskey-toned voice opened Matt's eyes, and he was surprised to see Erin standing over him with a cup of coffee in each hand. How in the hell had he not heard his cell phone or her approach? He shifted on the sofa, putting his back against the cushions. A quick check of his watch told him he'd slept a good four hours. Apparently so soundly he couldn’t even hear his own alarm. He leaned over and switched it off.

"I thought you could use some coffee." Erin sounded pleasant enough, but he wasn't taking any chances. Close to the end of their marriage, she could change on him in a heartbeat just like a wounded tiger, and from what he’d seen so far, that hadn’t changed much.

"Thanks." He accepted the mug and brought it to his lips, dragging the scent of the fresh-brewed coffee into his lungs. The steaming liquid resuscitated him, the warmth sliding down his throat like a shot of whiskey. He closed his eyes on a sigh. “You still make good coffee.”

When Erin didn’t respond, he placed the cup on the coffee table in front of him and sat up straighter. He’d slept too hard, and now the knots in his shoulder protested. With a grimace, he rolled his back forward.

“I guess I could have given you the guest bedroom.” Erin sounded slightly guilty.

He managed a smile before swinging his gaze toward her. For a brief moment, time stopped. He’d forgotten how good she looked in the mornings. Those long copper locks of hair swept over her shoulders, gleaming in the light of the early morning sun as it beamed through the window. Her eyes still had that sleepy look like she'd just crawled out of bed, and with her face devoid of make-up, she literally glowed. Damn.

"Matt?"

He snapped back to the conversation. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"I have to go open the coffee shop in about an hour. I'd really appreciate it if I could go alone."

His hand froze in its reach toward the mug. "So that's what this nice gesture is about?"

Her teeth nibbled her lower lip, giving her an almost innocent look. "Not exactly, no. We’ve both been on edge since you arrived.”

"And suddenly, you're feeling the need to make things right? Like they ever were right." Calling her bluff, he pushed himself to his feet. "You're not opening the shop today." He snatched his mug and strode past her, catching a faint scent of warm vanilla musk. The aroma tickled his nostrils, and a surge of pure lust punched him in the stomach. She still wore the same perfume after all these years, and his body reacted identically to the scent.

He didn't have to look behind him to know Erin had followed him into the kitchen. "Of course I'm opening the shop today. My customers depend upon me." Her tone had that edgy quality that gave Matt the heads-up. She was preparing for battle.

"I'm sure they do, but they'll just have to settle for a lower quality coffee shop this morning." He turned his head slightly and caught the gleam of anger in her eyes. Good to know he still recognized the signs.

Seconds ticked by before Erin finally responded. "What if Stuart shows up at the shop? You believe he can find me anywhere so wouldn’t he look at my place of work first?”

He had to give her credit for maintaining her control so far. Propping one hip against the granite-topped counter, he faced her. "And when he realizes you’re not there, he’ll find you here which would be better for everyone. Your customers will be a hell of a lot safer if they didn’t run into Stuart. And I can’t protect all of them, Erin. The less people I have to worry about the easier it will be for me to do my job.”

A few more seconds ticked by with Erin studying the floor. When she finally responded, her tone declared war. “This is ridiculous. The coffee shop isn’t just a hobby to me. It’s my business, and I can’t just shut it down because you think Stuart
might
show up here.”

“And you’d be willing to risk not only your life but the lives of your customers just to put another nickel in the bank?” He didn’t even realize how harshly that sounded until the words left his mouth. Amazingly, Erin didn’t react.

He watched her breasts rise as she took in a deep breath. Thumping her mug of coffee on the table next to his, she straightened and walked to the window. The silky white robe she wore swished with every movement. The slight sound drove Matt crazy.

"If you expect me to believe I’m next on my brother’s kill list, I need some proof.” The look she gave him carried more venom than a rattler’s bite. It stung that she didn’t believe him, but he wouldn’t give her what she asked for.

"And I need a pay raise. It’s not happening, either.” Showing her the photo would be a last resort. No one deserved that type of slap in the face.

Her lips thinned. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

The spark in her eyes intrigued him. He had this insane urge to make it intensify, to see how far he could push the envelope. "Do you see me laughing?" he finally responded.

The sash of her robe slipped, the silky material dropping enough to give him a peek of sexy black lace. His gaze followed the line of skin from her neck to her cleavage. Damn. The woman always did have skills. "As much as I appreciate the view, it's not going to change my mind."

Her gaze dropped, and she tightened the sash with an exasperated sound. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, Matt, and it certainly didn’t prevent you from doing your job then, either.”

Pure silk swept out behind as she departed the kitchen. "Just so you know. I fully intend to ignore your dictate. I'll be leaving in a few minutes so you might want to think about taking a shower. If you're going to shadow me, that's the least you can do."

Matt watched her leave, a foolish grin curving his lips. Damn. He needed to get a grip, but he’d forgotten how much he’d enjoyed sparring with Erin. Actually, it was the making up that he’d enjoyed the most.

Only this time, there would be no making up, no soft body to drape over his in the aftermath. Just as his brain came up with a list of creative invectives, his phone rang.

“Giles.”

“Erin’s aunt was found dead this morning by her next door neighbor.” Jacob’s opening words pushed a curse from Matt’s mouth.

Erin only had one aunt she wasn’t very close to, and there wasn’t any love lost between her and Stuart, either. So his arrival on Felicia’s door step told the tale of his desperation.

Matt bit out another curse before asking, “How?”

“Blunt force trauma to the head.”

Two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, Matt looked over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone. “Any idea how long she’s been dead?”

“Medical examiner says around twenty-four hours, give or take a few. The house was too warm for an accurate timeline. There’s some jewelry missing and the woman’s car. We’ve already got an APB out on the station wagon.”

Listening to his supervisor with half an ear, Matt mentally calculated the time it would take to drive from New York to South Carolina if Stuart obeyed the traffic laws. Knowing his ex-brother-in-law, Matt didn’t doubt the guy would play it smart. Even so, if Stuart had discovered Erin’s whereabouts through Felicia, he should have arrived in Charleston eight to ten hours ago. Maybe he had.

A vice clenched down on Matt’s nerves. Even if Stuart had decided to lay low after stealing Felicia’s car, if he had Erin’s address, the bastard wouldn’t have waited long. He’d have been too anxious to get on the road.

A tight fist squeezed his heart, and his focus slipped. “Was there any indication that Stuart has Erin’s location?”

“Negative. The place was tossed a bit, mostly paperwork. Were Erin and her aunt close?”

“Not unless things changed a lot in four years.”

The old woman had been a bit of a pill, alienating most of her family before she even retired from teaching. Her judgments and negativity ran off the rest shortly after she took her pension. He couldn’t imagine Erin had become close with Felicia since their divorce.

“You should find out. If Erin had any contact with her, O’Malley could have all the information he needs.”

Matt gripped his cell so tight the case creaked in protest. “I need to get her out of here.”

Jacob cleared his throat. “You’re not there just to protect her, Matt.”

“I’m aware of that, but she’s a target right now. If I take her out of the equation, I’ll be able to track Stuart quicker once he gets to Charleston.”

“If O’Malley knows where his sister is, you can bet your sweet ass he’s inbound. Which means you don’t have time to make a getaway. The best you can do is put Erin in a hotel.”

Matt dismissed the idea as quickly as his boss suggested it. No way was he leaving Erin unprotected.

“You could notify the locals to keep a watch out,” Jacob continued before Matt could voice the thought.

“If I can’t get her out of Charleston, I’d rather keep her with me.” He heard the bedroom door open. “I’ve gotta go.” A finger punch disconnected the call, and he returned his cell to the front pocket of his shirt just as Erin came down the hallway.

“Who was that on the phone, or is that something I’m not supposed to know?” She’d changed into a blue summer dress, pairing it with a lightweight white sweater, and the look gave her an air of innocence, of hope Matt wasn’t ready to crush.

“We can talk about it on the way.”

Suspicion crept into her eyes. “Are we going to my shop?” She assessed him for a long moment when he remained silent. Then she gave a short, jerky nod and captured her purse from the entrance table. “Fine. Ready when you are, Agent.”

“Give me a few minutes.” He needed more time to come up with a plan, a way to protect Erin without putting her in harm’s way any longer. Halfway to the bathroom, he paused and added, “In case you were thinking about going anywhere without me, I kept your keys.”

She sat on the arm of the sofa and crossed her legs. “You don’t think I already knew that? We haven’t been divorced long enough for me to forget your determination.”

“Good to know.” He gave her a wink then headed into the bathroom. Once behind closed doors, he turned the water on full blast to drown out his return call to Jacob.

The station wagon sputtered, drawing Stuart’s attention to the gas gauge. “We need gas.”

“Again?” Arlin straightened in his seat and leaned forward to peer at the gauge himself. “Damn. What does this thing get, like two miles to the gallon?"

"It beats walking," Stuart responded. He patted the pocket of the checkered shirt he’d looted from the trunk of the car, probably a remnant from Uncle Bill before he kicked the bucket. Damn. Down to two cigarettes. He needed the nicotine. “We gotta get cigarettes anyway."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm ready for some action." Arlin scratched his nose and burped. "Maybe we could take some time for a little extracurricular activity."

The thought appealed to Stuart. He could use something to take the edge off, give him some control before he found his sister. "Yeah, maybe."

"Gas station two miles ahead," Arlin read the passing green sign aloud.

"I can read."

"I get first dibs on the best looking gal we see."

Not as long as I have the gun, you don't
. Stuart took the exit, whipping the car around the curve. Arlin hit the passenger door hard with his shoulder and cursed.

The station sat off the main road a few feet, and except for a two-toned van with a missing bumper, the parking lot was empty, giving Stuart a measure of relief. The less people, the easier things would be. And he couldn’t depend on Arlin not to do something stupid.

As he brought the car to a stop, he killed the engine and looked toward Arlin. "I'll go inside and pay. You stay out here." Long strides carried him toward the glass doors.

"Hey!" Arlin called out. "Let me know if the cashier's a looker."

Stuart’s legs jerked as he stepped over the metal threshold and into the air-conditioned interior of the store. He kept his head low to avoid the security cameras. The clerk behind the counter gave him the once over then went back to reading her book. He considered her for a moment then dismissed her. Too young. He needed a woman. How long had it been?

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of the worn jeans that were too loose, he moseyed up to the counter, a slight smile on his face. “I need to fill up on pump three.”

The girl snapped her gum, punched a few keys, and gave him the nod. “You gotta prepay.”

Stuart dug a twenty out of his pocket. “Here you go.”

She snorted, the ring in her nose bobbing. “Yeah, right. Like that’s gonna fill up that tank you got out there.” Her polished black fingernails returned to the keys. “You got twenty on pump three.”

The edginess returned full force. He didn’t like the girl’s attitude or the way she looked at him like he was stupid for even handing her the twenty dollar bill. Blood rushed to his face as he mentally counted to ten. It hadn’t ever worked for him in prison.