Cut to the Chase (10 page)

M
ia couldn't remember a day that she felt more frazzled and insecure. Paul had just told her that she was beautiful. And what was her response? Nothing…unless you want to hypothesize and speculate on the deer-in-headlights expression that surely had taken residence on her face.

“Paul?”

Mia broke free of Paul's gaze and looked at the man standing over them. She didn't know who this guy was, nor did she care that he had almost taken her head off with a Frisbee. Mia was just thankful for the distraction.

Paul stood and shook the man's hand.

“Of all the people I could hit in this park and I choose your girlfriend.”

The man looked down at her, which made her feel even more pitiful. “I'm Josh.”

Mia rose to her feet, though she nearly lost her balance as her feet tangled in the blanket, and introduced herself. “And I'm deeply sorry for almost clocking you with my Frisbee,” he continued.

Paul playfully returned the Frisbee by slapping it against his chest. “Shouldn't you be in class, as opposed to in a park, giving women the fright of their lives?” Paul asked.

“No, the semester ended a few days ago. I'm not due back for a little while. Shouldn't you be in a courtroom prosecuting or what have you?” Josh said, giving it right back to him.

“I took a few days off. Thought about catching a Phillies game and then heading to the shore for the weekend.” Mia listened as the lie just rolled off Paul's tongue. She was impressed by how convincing he sounded, even for a lawyer. To solidify the charade, Paul wove his arm around Mia's waist and drew her close. Mia smiled, playing her part. The girlfriend comment had initially caught her off guard, but it was probably best they pretended to be a couple. A weekend getaway as friends was far less believable.

“So, how is Erin settling into her new place? I tried calling her but her phone number has been disconnected and my emails have all been returned to me.”

Mia felt his body stiffen against her. “Yeah, her account was hacked. As a precaution, she changed her phone number, too.”

God, the man could lie like no one else! He didn't need a moment to concoct a story. Deception just seemed to naturally spew forth. Mia watched Josh digest the believable explanation. So, this was the Josh in Erin's life. Mia quickly scanned her mental notes in regards to one of Erin's closest friends at Penn and compared them to the real thing. Though he'd had opportunity to commit the crime after gaining Erin's trust over several years, Mia's gut told her that Josh did not meet the profile. Meeting the aspiring doctor by day and suspected playboy by night only confirmed that belief. Erin's attacker valued purity above all else, which most likely would cause him to abstain for periods of time as he sought his next “Angel.” According to Erin, Josh didn't discriminate by insisting that his women meet this particular specification. He happily opened his bedroom to a wide range of beautiful, and always willing, women.

Mia noticed that Paul didn't answer Josh's question about how Erin was settling in and suspected that the omission was most likely intentional. She wondered if Josh was going to refer back to Erin's living arrangements, but she was met with a stop-you-in-your-tracks smile from Josh instead. “Mia, it was nice meeting you, though I apologize for my rude introduction,” Josh said, holding up the Frisbee.

Although Mia could appreciate a beautiful smile from a handsome man like the next girl, Josh's smile didn't spawn the feelings that Paul's evoked. Flushed against Paul's side, she felt claimed and every bit the pretend girlfriend. She didn't want the charade to end, to feel his arm retract with no desire to possess her.

“I survived. It was nice meeting you, too, Josh.” Mia could have sworn she felt Paul's grip around her waist tighten as she uttered Josh's name.

“Well, I'll let you two get back to your lunch,” Josh said, glancing at the food on the blanket. “You know, before I can cause further damage.”

“Good idea,” Paul said, shaking Josh's hand. “And I'll let my sister know that it wouldn't kill her to pick up the phone and call you once in a while.”

Josh chuckled and started to walk away when Mia felt Paul turn her into him. Completely enveloped in his arms, she looked up at him. “You're a very good actor,” Mia whispered.

It was meant as a compliment, but it was clear from the dark look in Paul's eyes that he didn't take it as such. And before she could retract her words or apologize for Lord knows what, he leaned in and kissed her. What started as a soft press of his lips soon turned into a kiss that demanded more. And hell if she was going to be the one to stop such a kiss, one that left her wanting in broad daylight, in the middle of a park full of people.

To her surprise and disappointment, he ended the kiss, leaving her breathless. Although he too struggled for breath, he was composed enough to ask, “Does it still feel like I'm pretending, Mia?”

C
hase felt Erin grip his thigh, which was always welcome, but combined with the shocked look in her eyes, his arousal was doused by panic. He followed her gaze and was equally stunned at what he saw from the back window of his car. “Andrew, would you mind taking Erin up to the condo? I would like to meet with the concierge for a minute and unfortunately, I need to make a few calls in to work.”

“Not a problem,” Andrew said. He pulled over, letting Chase off at the door before driving into the parking garage beneath the impressive building.

Erin lipped the words “Thank you” through the window. Chase smiled at his love and waited until she was out of sight before retrieving his phone from his front pocket.

Instinct told Chase that it wasn't his job to put a spotlight on what he had witnessed. But he still felt the need to give Paul the heads-up that the scene in the park did not go unnoticed. Chase couldn't be certain if Andrew had seen his niece and Paul in a very heated embrace. He typed a quick text and pushed
SEND
:
“Sorry to interrupt, but we just arrived. Penthouse floor.”

A few moments went by before he received Paul's response:
“Did Andrew see us?”

Chase felt like he was back in middle school passing notes, except that he was thirty and performing the task virtually:
“Hard to tell…but your sister definitely noticed.”

Chase wasn't sure if it was wise for Paul to pursue Mia, considering her involvement with Erin's case. But who the hell was he to stop them? If anyone had even suggested that he should have stayed away from Erin, he would have pummeled them. Nothing, not even Paul, would have kept him away from her. A few seconds passed before another text came in:
“Shit.”

Though Chase felt his pain, he couldn't help but smile. He texted back:
“That about sums it up. But in all seriousness, we have new info on Morris. See you in a few.”

What the hell was he thinking, kissing Mia out there in the open for anyone to see? With no thought to the consequences?

The truth was that he didn't think. He acted, not on impulse but on pure need. Paul wanted her at that moment and was determined to have her. He could still taste her on his tongue and feel her body melt into him as he deepened the kiss, which only thwarted his cock's efforts to stand down. Chase's first text prompted him to release Mia. He turned away in attempt to gain some semblance of control and responded to Chase.

Immediately after the second text, Paul gathered the remnants of their lunch and the blanket.

“That was Chase…seems like he has learned more about Scott Morris. Let's head over,” Paul said, evading her gaze. He suddenly felt guilty for kissing her, though the way her fingers had thrust through his hair as his lips sealed over hers and how she'd allowed a gentle moan to escape suggested that she wasn't bothered by the kiss.

The lust in her eyes evaporated completely and it was replaced with a seriousness that he had become familiar with. And just like that, her game face was back on. Paul decided to keep Mia in the dark in regards to what her uncle may or may not have seen. No sense in causing her worry if Andrew hadn't witnessed him losing himself with his niece.

Mia took the blanket from his hands and walked next to him toward the street. She was again his competent, and very beautiful, criminal profiler.

His? Yes, that was exactly what came to mind when he thought about Mia…and it scared and excited him at the same time.

C
hase's condo in the sky was built for comfort with all the amenities. Although the clean finishes reminded Erin of his penthouse in New York, there were stark differences between his two residences. The penthouse, with the exception of Chase's home office and the nursery, was a lavish dwelling with a modern flare, whereas the Philly condo had a more homey and traditional feel. She wondered if Gabrielle had some influence on the penthouse's appearance, because the Philly condo seemed much more comfortable…more like him. Erin pushed the thought from her mind, not wanting to dwell on that possibility.

Erin lounged in one of the many leather couches as she listened to Chase disclose what he had learned from Sam. The information he was relaying was unsettling, and as she looked over at Mia and Paul, who were interestingly enough sitting on opposite sides of the room, it was clear from their facial expressions that they too were bothered by the news.

According to Sam, Scott had a legitimate reason to leave Philly a year ago and set up roots in New York. No one in their right mind would pass up the career opportunity he had been presented. And as Chase explained further, the job offer was made months prior to Erin's rape, suggesting that Scott had not followed her to New York to continue from where he had left off.

That fact alone was interesting, but nowhere near as intriguing as the discovery of him having cancer. She had not heard about that before, neither from the medical community nor from her mentor, his father. But by that time, she already had completed her volunteer work two months prior to her leaving Philly. Communication with Dr. Mitchell Morris had basically ceased as a result.

Erin pulled out her cell and typed in a search for both father and son. There were hundreds of hits for Dr. Mitchell Morris, which wasn't surprising considering his noteworthy status in the field of medicine, and an impressive number of articles pertaining to Scott about his own successes. But the article that captivated her, the one she assumed Sam was referring to, was the inspiring story that discussed Scott's battle with colon cancer and the father who had helped him not only to survive, but to thrive and overcome such a devastating diagnosis. If Scott had cancer and received an aggressive treatment schedule under the direction of his father, it would explain why he had to delay his start date in New York.

Erin stared at the picture of Dr. Mitchell Morris and Scott at the top left corner of the article. She couldn't help but notice how tired her mentor looked, how that glint in his eyes was no longer present. She had noticed its absence at the benefit as well, but had chalked it up to him not feeling well. It was a very real possibility that his son's cancer had taken a toll on him, expediting the aging process due to stress and anxiety. Parents never stopped worrying about their children, no matter how old, how successful they were.

Erin's eyes gravitated over to a playful Scott Morris. He appeared relaxed in jeans, t-shirt and a Phillies cap, and was smiling at his dad. Erin assumed that he had worn the cap in an attempt to conceal his hair loss from the chemotherapy. Erin couldn't dismiss the thought that their expressions did not match. Where Scott appeared youthful and carefree, Dr. Mitchell Morris looked exhausted and defeated. That had to be one of the most challenging aspects of being a parent. The worry—the concern that the other shoe may drop, that your child's illness could return—never went away.

“Erin, when did you confirm your acceptance with NYU?” Mia asked.

“I believe it was in March.” Erin watched as Mia digested that information. “Which makes it difficult to pinpoint who made the decision to move to New York first.”

Mia smiled. “Maybe not. But we'll need to do some investigating to figure that out.”

“I'm all ears, Mia. What do you have in mind?” Chase asked.

Mia looked over at Erin. “I don't want to exploit Dr. Mitchell Morris's death, especially knowing how much you respected him, Erin, but…the article Chase mentioned just now might be the in we need to ask a few questions without drawing attention.”

Erin appreciated Mia's compassion but was also impressed by Mia's ability to remember the details. “I think we need to do any- and everything to rule out suspects, and right now the only one we have is Scott. So have at it, Mia,” Erin said.

“Good. Under the guise that I'm writing my own article to memorialize Dr. Mitchell Morris, I'll have the opportunity to ask his former colleagues some questions and allow them to share some stories about their dear friend. I'll also want to talk to the staff at Scott's former place of employment. This article would be presented as a tribute to a man that was not only a diligent doctor, but a father who cared and nursed his son back to health.” Mia looked down at her watch and frowned. “Well, what are your thoughts about extending our stay one more day?” she asked, looking at the group. “I wanted to spend some time at the scene, but prior to that I wanted to walk the path Erin took that night. Tomorrow, we can concentrate on our ‘article.'”

Although Erin thought Mia's idea about the article was sound, she stopped comprehending what Mia was saying and a wave of nausea overtook her. Erin knew that going back to the scene of the crime was going to be difficult. How could it not be? But she was also aware that it was necessary for the investigation…and maybe for her recovery. Erin felt Chase weave his fingers through hers, as if sensing her sudden discomfort. She looked up at him and kissed him gently. Erin couldn't get over how far they had come in such a short time. This caring and accepting man was the same domineering boss she had first encountered in his office just several weeks ago. And he was all hers. She snuggled into him, savoring how protected she felt in his arms.

“I have taken off from work until further notice,” Chase said.

“And I don't have a job, so no problem there,” Erin said with a sheepish smile.

Erin looked over at Paul. She noticed that he had been unusually quiet during the debriefing. It was possible that he was being his typical reserved self, remaining silent while he processed some heavy information. But Erin couldn't help but think he appeared distracted. She thought about what she had seen in the park and wondered if that was contributing to his detached demeanor. Although the visual of her brother kissing a woman with such passion was definitely awkward, she found herself hopeful that her brother was digging himself out of the hole he had been in for the past year and was allowing someone else in. On a more selfish note, she couldn't be more pleased that the woman he had been kissing was Mia. Erin had liked Mia from the moment she met her.

“I have some personal days coming to me. I'll stay as long as is needed,” Paul said. Erin watched him first glance at Mia before he looked at her. She couldn't help but smirk, prompting Paul to scowl.

Paul stood and grabbed his black duffel bag. A soft chuckle escaped from Chase as she felt him release her and rise from the couch.

“I'll show you where you can crash,” Chase said, smiling at Paul. “Mia, can I show you to your room?”

“That would be great. I could use a shower and a change of clothes before we head out,” Mia said.

Paul didn't say anything. He didn't have to. The way his body went rigid at the sound of Mia's voice spoke volumes. Her brother, that impenetrable fortress with the flawless foundation, had begun to crack.

It was about frickin' time.