Quinn finished the last suture on a patient and stepped back out of the way, allowing a nurse to finish up. He was through for the day and a thousand miles past tired. Problem was, would he be able to sleep any better tonight than he had for the last few months? He already knew the answer was no. Not since before Charlene’s murder had he slept for more than a few hours at a time. Insomnia and exhaustion were the new norm for him.
Disposing of his gloves in the receptacle beside the door, Quinn stepped out of the exam room and breathed a sigh heavy with disgust. He was tired of it all. The not knowing who killed Charlene, the knowledge that while suspicion was no longer on him, the stigma of doubt remained.
And his own paranoia was almost as frustrating. Every time a patient came into the ER and gave him an odd look, he immediately assumed they were wondering if he was a murderer. Every sly glance from the hospital staff made him want to turn around and snarl that he was innocent. Each whispered word he couldn’t make out had him wondering if it had been about him. He was fucking sick of it all.
And Sam. Oh holy hell, Sam. That was the worst part. The way he had treated her continued to pound into his conscience even months later.
The incredible hurt on her face had been real. How many times had he picked up the phone to call her? How many nights had he lain awake, aching for her? He hadn’t contacted her and wouldn’t. Yes, he felt like shit for the way he treated her, but that didn’t negate what she had done to him. Having her believe he was a killer was bad enough, but as soon as he was cleared, she had come to him expecting things to be forgotten and forgiven. That was way too reminiscent of his entire marriage to Charlene. Sometimes sorry just wasn’t good enough.
She had come to his apartment to seduce him. The way she had dressed left no doubt. And she had gotten what she wanted—they both had. But he had been rough with her … rougher than he’d ever been with any woman. He felt like shit for that. Still, the forgiveness she apparently thought would be automatic wasn’t there. He doubted it ever could be.
Her explanation for doubting him might well have been true, but that didn’t lessen the hurt. Everything they’d had before Charlene’s murder all felt like a lie.
Why the hell did it matter anyway? He doubted he would ever see her again. Atlanta was a big city. She might be a cop here, but as long as no one else committed a murder around him, they should never cross paths again.
He ignored the aching, hollow feeling in his gut. He would get over it … eventually. He had no choice.
As was his usual routine, Quinn updated the patient’s family. After answering their concerned questions, he did what he had been longing to do all day. He grabbed his keys and jacket and marched out the door. Settling into the plush leather of the car seat, he contemplated a late night run in Centennial Park. Nothing was stopping him, other than sheer mental and physical exhaustion, that is. The ringing cellphone beside him interrupted his grim thoughts.
“Braddock.”
“Dr. Braddock, this is Detective Murphy.”
Despite the knowledge that he had basically been cleared of Charlene’s murder, Quinn couldn’t help but stiffen. He hadn’t heard from the detective in months. Any communication between him and Detective Murphy went through his attorney or Paul Haney, the private investigator Quinn had hired. And even though the PI hadn’t dug up any new suspects, he was at least a good buffer between Quinn and the police department.
“What can I do for you, Detective?”
“I’m just calling to let you know that we still haven’t identified any new suspects.”
“That’s what I’m hearing from my investigator. Why did you—?” And then it hit him. “You’re closing the case?”
“No, we’ll never close the case until it’s solved, but unfortunately we can’t expend as much energy on it as we have been.”
Which, to Quinn, meant the same thing. The man who had cold-bloodedly murdered Charlene was never going to be caught. And the suspicion surrounding him would remain.
“I appreciate you letting me know, Detective. I’m going to keep my investigator on it. If he learns anything new, I’ll have him contact you.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t find the killer, Dr. Braddock.”
“I am, too.”
“It cost us a damn good detective, too.”
“Who’s that?”
“Detective Wilde. She left the force. I thought you knew.”
Quinn was glad he wasn’t driving, because he would’ve lost all focus. Sam had left the Atlanta PD?
“When?”
“About four months ago.”
Just a few weeks after their argument. Did it have anything to do with him? Stupid question, asshole. She had loved her job. Had he hurt her that badly?
“No, I didn’t know. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, well. Shit happens and all that.”
Yes, it certainly did.
“She went back to Alabama. Last I heard, she and her sisters were going to open a private security agency in her hometown.”
Guilt sliced deep. Sam had left the city and he hadn’t even known. It suddenly hit him that the usually closemouthed Detective Murphy was being more than a little chatty.
“Is there a reason you’re telling me all this?”
“If it hadn’t been for Detective Wilde, you might still be a suspect. In fact, you might be on trial right now. Did you know that?”
A sick feeling wedged in his gut. “I thought some witnesses came forward and said they’d seen another man.”
“They did, but she was the one who found them. Took vacation and worked night and day on clearing your name.”
She hadn’t told him any of that. Why hadn’t she? Had he given her a chance? No, he’d been so hot for her, filled with dark desire and a deep hurt. The next morning, he’d been disgusted with his weakness and had treated her like a prostitute he’d hired for the night.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I’ve never seen anyone more devastated than she was when she left the force. I thought you should know that.”
Quinn couldn’t figure out whether the detective was playing matchmaker or trying to make him feel even worse. Didn’t really matter. Sam had left her job and moved away because of him.
“Thanks, Murphy, for telling me that.”
“If you see her, tell her we want her back.”
Was he going to see her? Could he go to her home and apologize? Would she forgive him? Whether she forgave him or not, he had to see her.
Eager to put his plans in place, Quinn promised he would relay the message and ended the call. Adrenaline raced through his blood. For the first time in months, he felt alive. He wasn’t out of the woods by any means, but the knowledge that Sam had done all of that for him gave him hope. If she had cared about him that much, did she still have feelings for him?
He had to find out. But more than anything, he had to apologize.
“I really hope you can help me.”
Samantha watched the woman across from her closely. She’d said her name was Lauren Kendall and that the Wildefire Agency had come highly recommended. Since Samantha and her sisters had only just opened the doors for business, that news came as quite a surprise.
Lauren was frightened. The nervous fidgeting in her chair, along with her difficulty in keeping eye contact, made that obvious. Still, something was off about her story.
On the pretense of reaching for her iced tea, Samantha glanced over at her sister Sabrina, who was tapping her pen on the notepad in front of her. Was Bri getting the same vibes?
“You say this man has been following you for about a month?” Bri asked.
“Yes.”
“When did you first see him?”
Lauren looked down at her hands, which were twisting nervously in her lap. “I was at a restaurant with some of my friends. He stared at me a lot, but I didn’t really pay attention to him. But then I saw him the next day at my gym, which I thought was kind of odd.”
“Did he speak to you?” Samantha asked.
“No. Just gave me one of those looks.”
“What kind of looks?”
“You know. The creepy kind, when a guy’s eyes go up and down your body like he’s imagining you naked.”
“And when did you see him again?” Bri asked.
“About a week later. I was at the grocery store and saw him in the parking lot, staring at me.”
“Has he approached you … said anything at all to you?”
Lauren’s gaze moved to the window as she answered, “No, not yet.” Her eyes returned briefly to focus on Samantha, who’d asked the question. “But I know he will soon. I’m just so afraid of what he’ll do when that happens. I need protection.”
“You’ve gone to the police?”
“No, I didn’t really have anything to tell them. I figured they’d say that until he does something to me, they can’t act.”
She was right about that, but still there was something not right. Or was there? Samantha glanced over at Bri again, who, surprisingly, instead of looking at Lauren, was glaring at Samantha. What was that about?
“So will you take my case?” Lauren asked. “Protect me until this guy goes away?”
“Can you give us a few minutes?” Bri asked. “My sister and I need to discuss some things.”
“Oh, of course.” Lauren haltingly stood, twisting the shoulder strap of her purse with her hand. “Should I wait out in the hallway?”
Samantha hit a buzzer on her desk. Within seconds, Wildefire’s new receptionist opened the door. Standing barely over five feet tall, with soft ash-blond hair and a generous figure, April Cantrell had the pleasant kind of personality that instantly put people at ease. After raising four boys, all of whom were now out on their own, she had been looking for an office job to fill her time. After one interview, Samantha and her sisters had agreed that the calm, efficient April would be a perfect fit for the agency.
“April, would you take Lauren to the sunroom and see that she has some refreshments?”
“Of course.” She gave Lauren one of her sweet motherly smiles and said, “Follow me, dear.”
Samantha and Bri were silent as they watched the tall, incredibly beautiful Lauren practically glide out of their office. In just that short walk, the woman oozed sex appeal as if it were as natural to her as breathing.
The instant the door closed, Samantha opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, Bri burst out, “I hate what he’s done to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That bastard Braddock. Before you met him, you would have called Lauren out on her lies. Instead, you kept looking at me as if to make sure your instincts were right.”
Samantha held back a sigh. Quinn’s first name was never mentioned in the house. If he was brought up at all, he was always “that bastard Braddock.”
She wished she could deny Bri’s claim but she couldn’t. Confidence in her judgment had taken some near-fatal blows. First she had suspected Quinn of murder, destroying their relationship. Then she had shown up at his apartment dressed for seduction, in the silly, vain hope that he’d be so enamored that forgiveness would come quickly. Instead he’d used her and she had let him. To compound matters, she’d thrown her parents’ deaths at him as an excuse for her poor judgment. His treatment of her should have come as no surprise.
After her fiasco with Quinn, her world had been teetering on the edge. Then, only days later, she’d learned some news that had sent everything free-falling and careening into another dimension, exploding everything she thought she knew.
Her sister Savannah had found letters from their granddad casting serious doubts that their father, Beckett Wilde, had actually murdered their mother. After hearing that, Samantha had barely known which end was up. So much of her life and the decisions she had made had been based upon what had happened to her parents. Her distrust of Quinn had been directly related to that one horrific event. And it had all been a lie.
Not only was her confidence in her judgment destroyed, the parameters by which she’d lived had been demolished.
Since those dark, chaotic days, the real killers of her parents had been arrested and were now in prison. That painful part of her past had been put to rest, though the remnants would remain for years.
It had been with mixed regret and relief that Samantha left her job in Atlanta. She had lost total faith in herself. Savannah’s suggestion of forming a security agency seemed like the perfect solution. Being back with her family again, in her hometown that was dearly familiar, where she was loved and appreciated, felt right. At some point, she would put those dark memories of Quinn behind her, too. It was just taking more time than she’d hoped.
Unable to deny or defend herself against Bri’s accusations, Samantha chose to ignore them. “So what do you think Lauren is hiding?”
“You’re not even going to argue?”
Blowing out an exasperated breath, Samantha stood. “What do you want me to say, Bri? Everything you said is right with the exception of one thing. You keep blaming Quinn for what happened and it’s not his fault. I’m the one who betrayed him by not trusting him.”
Bri snorted. “You were doing your job, Sammie. If he couldn’t understand that, then he’s an idiot.”
“He’s not an idiot, he was hurt.”
“Yeah, and he hurt you to get back at you.”
There were no secrets between the sisters. They knew what happened. Samantha wanted to say his treatment was justified but couldn’t bring herself to that point. The hurt he had dealt her might have been deserved, but that didn’t lessen the pain.
“Look, we’ve been there and done this before. It’s over and done with. Even though Charlene Braddock’s killer was never caught, at least Quinn is no longer a suspect. That’s the most important thing.”
Bri snorted again. “Yeah, heaven forbid he thank you for saving his ass.”
“He doesn’t know I had anything to do with clearing him.”
“Yeah … right.”
“What’s going on?”
They’d both been so involved in their argument, neither of them had heard Savvy come in.
“We’re just discussing a new case.”
“Sounded to me like you were arguing.”
Samantha shrugged. “Not arguing. Just having a lively conversation.”
“About Quinn,” Savvy said.
Samantha rolled her eyes and glared at Bri. Both she and Bri had agreed that they would keep anything unpleasant away from their sister for the next several months. Savvy and her husband, Zach, were going to be parents. Considering what had happened with Savvy’s first pregnancy, no one wanted to do anything to jeopardize this one.
With her slender arms crossed over her chest in a stubborn stance, Savvy narrowed her eyes and targeted both of them. “Okay, you two. I know you’re only trying to protect me, but I’m fine. The doctor has said we’re both doing great. So stop keeping things from me or it’s really going to piss me off.”
“Sammie and I both think Lauren is hiding something.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, first of all,” Samantha said, “she said we came highly recommended.”
Savvy and Bri both laughed, bringing much-needed humor into the room.
“I’d love to know the person who highly recommended us to her. Apparently they’ve heard of us without any effort on our part,” Bri said.
That was all too true. The agency was in its infancy. Samantha and Bri had just returned from a two-week training event in Birmingham. Savvy was going to wait on her training until after the baby was born. They’d had no cases, done no advertising. They barely existed, except on paper and in the phone book.
“Could Brody or Logan have made the recommendation?” Savvy asked.
Brody James and Logan Wright owned a security agency in Mobile. Both men had served in the army with Zach and had been a tremendous help to the Wilde sisters when they had decided to form their own security agency. The men had also offered to send business their way.
Samantha shook her head at Savvy’s question. “Right after Lauren called and made the appointment with us, I called Brody and asked. He said neither he nor Logan had ever heard of her.”
“So why do you think she came to us?” Savvy asked.
Bri shot Samantha a challenging look. Ignoring her sister’s obvious goading, Samantha said, “I think her fear is real, but I also think she knows who her stalker is and figures we’re such amateurs, we wouldn’t see through her.”
Bri nodded. “I agree. But why not tell us the truth? We’d still help her, whether she knows her stalker or not.”
“Why don’t we ask her?” Samantha said. If they were going to help Lauren, then she was going to have to come clean with them.
Savvy and Bri both nodded their agreement.
Samantha hit the intercom buzzer.
“Yes?” April answered.
“Would you ask Lauren to come back into the office?”
“Absolutely.”
Seconds later Lauren entered and stood in the middle of the room. Still twisting the strap of her purse, she asked shakily, “So, will you take my case?”
“We have a few more questions,” Samantha said. She nodded at the chair Lauren had sat in before. “Have a seat.”
Amazing how someone could look afraid, relieved, and beautiful at the same time, but Lauren managed to do all three as she settled into the chair. She gave each of the sisters a bright, encouraging smile and said, “What else did you need to know?”
Seeing no reason not to go for the heart of the matter, Samantha said, “Why are you lying about not knowing your stalker?”
The confident smile disappeared, replaced by a surprising vulnerability. “I was afraid you wouldn’t take the case if you knew the truth.”
“I can guarantee we won’t take it if you don’t tell us the truth,” Samantha said.
“He works for Armando Cruz.” Lauren spoke with such quiet drama, it was apparent that she expected the name to be recognized.
Samantha glanced at Savvy, who was looking as clueless as she herself felt. She then looked over at Bri and was surprised to see dark fury in her sister’s expression.
“You know who she’s talking about, Bri?”
“Yeah, I do.” Bri sprang from her chair and went to the window. Taking a brief look outside, she turned back to Lauren. “Did you make absolutely sure he didn’t follow you here?”
Lauren nodded vigorously. “I took two buses, paid cash for a used car in Birmingham and used a fake name. No one followed me.”
“You’d better hope to hell you’re right, because if you’ve brought that scum to my town and endangered my family, Armando Cruz will be the least of your problems.”
Feeling decidedly uneasy, Samantha said, “Maybe you should clue Savvy and me in on who this Armando Cruz is.”
“He’s a drug lord out of Mexico,” Bri answered. “He relocated to Miami a few years ago. He’s been tied to a half dozen or so murders, but the cops can’t make anything stick.”
“He’s responsible for three times that many,” Lauren said.
“How do you know this?”
“I’ve been his mistress for over two years.”
Few things surprised Samantha or her sisters anymore. After learning the truth of their parents’ murders, nothing seemed impossible or shocking.
Bri, who’d been keeping a watchful eye out the window, looked over her shoulder to Lauren. “This man that’s stalking you … he’s not really stalking you, is he?”
“No, he’s trying to find me to bring me back to Armando.”
“Why?” Savannah asked.
Lauren shrugged delicate shoulders. “Armando told me more than once that I’d have to die to leave him.”
“How long have you been trying to get away from him?” Savvy asked.
“Almost from the moment I met him.” Eyes haunted, her smiled strained, Lauren suddenly looked much older than the lovely young woman who had walked confidently into their office.
Sensing there was more to the matter than Cruz just wanting his mistress returned, Samantha said, “What’s the other reason Cruz wants you back?”
“What do you mean?”
“She means, do you have information that could put him away?” Savvy asked.
“Not really. I may have picked up some things every now and then.”
Not for a minute did Samantha believe her. But they would get to that later. “Why did you come to the Wildefire Agency?”
Before Lauren could answer, Bri did it for her. “You thought since we were new, we might be so grateful for the business, we wouldn’t ask many questions.”
Savvy leaned forward. “You have to be totally honest with us if you want us to take your case.”
Lauren’s eyes went wide. “You’re still considering taking me on?”
Samantha shot Bri a searching look. She had total faith in her sisters’ abilities, but now that Savvy was pregnant, she wasn’t sure taking this case was the right thing to do. Protecting her sister and her baby was priority number one.
A huff of exasperated breath came from Savvy. “I saw that look, Samantha Camille Wilde.”
Samantha shrugged. “So? Is there anything wrong with wanting to make sure you and the baby stay safe?”
“No, and I appreciate it, but I’m not going to allow you, Bri, or my gorgeous, overprotective husband to treat me like I’m made of spun glass. I’m pregnant, not sick.”
Turning back to Lauren, Savvy ignored the looks both Samantha and Bri were giving her and said, “What exactly did you think we would do, Lauren? Kill this man if he came close to you?”
“I hadn’t really thought it through. I need protection.” Her chin lifted slightly. “And think what you want of my reasons for choosing you, but I did hear that one of you is a former cop, so I figured you could protect me.”
“Until what?” Samantha asked.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean, how long will you need protection? Do you think Cruz will eventually give up and just let you go?”
A deep furrow appeared in Lauren’s brow as if this had never occurred to her. She confirmed Samantha’s thoughts with “I guess I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just wanted to make sure he doesn’t catch me. I hadn’t thought about what happens next.”
“Do you have family, Lauren?” Savvy asked.
“No.” She surged to her feet and began to pace. “Look, I know I should have been honest before, but I wasn’t sure how you’d take to protecting me from someone like Armando.” She whirled around. “I have money … lots of money.”
Samantha met her sisters’ eyes. They were wondering the same thing she was. “How much?”
“Close to two million dollars.”
“And how did you get this money?”
The pacing increased, revealing more than any words Lauren could say.
“You stole it from him,” Savvy said.
Jerking to a stop in the middle of the room, she snarled, “I earned that money. He would only give me enough to buy clothes or jewelry. I deserved it and a whole lot more.”
“How did you steal it?”
“I didn’t steal it, I took what’s mine.”
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Samantha said, “How did you take it?”
“I drugged his drink one night, took his banking passwords he kept in a notebook, and withdrew the money from some of his accounts. I did it over several months so he wouldn’t notice it.” She shrugged. “He had millions and millions in those accounts. I knew he wouldn’t miss a few thousand here or there.”
As if suddenly exhausted, Lauren returned to her seat, inelegantly slumping into her chair. “That’s it … that’s the full truth.”
“So the real reason Cruz is after you has less to do with wanting you back in his bed and more to do with recovering the money you took?”
For an instant, Samantha thought she was going to take exception to that statement. Then, as if deciding that disagreeing wouldn’t help her case, she shrugged and said haltingly, “Perhaps … maybe. I don’t know.”
“So is there a man following you or not?” Samantha asked.
“I don’t know. Someone will be coming for me soon. I do know that.”
Savvy stood and went to the door. “As you might imagine, Lauren, my sisters and I need to confer again. Are you staying anywhere right now?”
Lauren shook her head. “No. I came here as soon as I got into town.”
“Then you need a place to stay for the night. We have plenty of room. I’ll get April to show you to a guest room.”
Tears filled Lauren’s eyes and she once again looked like a fragile, terrified young woman. “Thank you.”
While Savvy spoke with April about which room to take Lauren to, Bri looked over at Samantha. “I don’t like this.”
“Me either.”
“But we’re going to take it. Right?”
Samantha grinned. “Oh yeah. Definitely.”