Dark Seduction (10 page)

He met her eyes as he relaxed his grip. “Nothing.” He managed a smile. ”I’m just glad to have you here.”

Chapter 10

Night air chilled Tori’s face as she walked down the street toward Jeremy’s apartment, and she burrowed into her coat, glad it wasn’t raining right now.

Before she’d left Carla’s townhouse, she’d changed into dark clothing—jeans, a sweater, athletic shoes, a warm jacket, and had pulled on gloves and a knit ski hat, and was glad she had. The day had been clear for once but oncoming rain was heavy on the air and it was cold.

In her pockets she carried her small Sig and her flashlight along with her cell phone and some cash. Carla’s ID and credit cards were in the wallet in Jeremy’s apartment.

She’d parked Carla’s black BMW a few blocks away away so that no one would see her car in front of his building—just in case. Last thing she needed was speculation about Jeremy and Carla if someone saw the car.

Logan hadn’t been happy with her leaving and driving her home when he wanted her to spend the night. She’d had to leave because she needed to get her wallet back from Jeremy’s apartment. That certainly would have been hard to explain to Logan.

She’d told him she had a headache and that she had an appointment to get a manicure and pedicure done first thing in the morning and would need a fresh change of clothes. She didn’t really have an appointment but she would make sure that she did in the morning.

Her stomach twisted as she remembered the words that had come out without her meaning to.
“I love you, Logan.”

Why had she said that? To gain his trust?

Or because she really meant it…

She shook the thoughts from her mind to focus on the here and now.

As she neared the apartment building, the double doors opened. She drew into the shadows, not wanting to be seen, thankful that it was a dark night.

A man exited the building. He wore dark clothing, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and the collar on his jacket was up. She waited for him to move on but when the streetlight hit him he looked in her direction—

Brian Eckhart, her partner.

She caught her breath, wondering if she should let him know she was there. But then she frowned. Why was he coming out of Jeremy’s apartment building after midnight? Brian didn’t live in this part of the city.

She watched as he turned and headed in the opposite direction and she let out a slow breath. He was her partner, but there was something odd about him being there when Tori had just met with Jeremy in that same building earlier today.

When she was sure it was clear, she pulled her hat lower and hunched over just in case someone else was around that she knew. She jogged up the few stairs and grabbed the handle of one of the front doors. The door squeaked as she opened it, a loud whine in the otherwise quiet night. She winced before starting up the staircase and going up two flights to Jeremy’s floor.

She headed down the hall from the stairs, reached his door, and knocked on it, the light rapping sound echoing down the hallway. No answer. Again she knocked lightly on it, not wanting to be heard by neighbors, and again no answer.

Her brow wrinkled as she dug in her pocket for her cell phone and called the number Jeremy had given her. A ringing noise came from the other side of the door and she waited for him to answer it.

It just kept ringing.

Cold dread trickled through her.

Brian.

Here.

Tonight.

No. They wouldn’t have.

Heart in her throat, she turned the doorknob. Not locked. No light came from his apartment as she cracked it open.

She slipped her Sig out of her pocket along with her small flashlight. She held them as she pushed the door open with her shoulder and moved into the darkened apartment. The door creaked. She used her flashlight to clear the apartment living room before closing the door behind her.

Since she’d seen Brian leave, she really didn’t expect anyone to be there but she intended to make damn sure that was the case.

Blood rushed in her ears as she waited until her eyes became adjusted to the dark. If anyone outside was watching, she didn’t want to alert them by turning on a light so she didn’t flip on a switch.

She looked around the living room. Nothing was disturbed and she hoped that the sick sensation in her gut wasn’t right. She moved down the hall slowly, glad she was wearing athletic shoes. She slipped into his computer room where the displays gave off a blue glow that illuminated the room enough to see by.

A scream strangled in her throat and she had to clench her teeth to keep it in. On the floor was a body, facedown on the carpet, a body that was deathly still. A pair of thick glasses lay beside it and a dark stain was on the carpet beside the head that was turned to the side. The air was heavy with the smells of blood and death.

Hands shaking, she tucked away the flashlight in her jacket, not needing it to use it due to the light from the monitors. She knelt on one knee beside the body, close enough that she could see Jeremy’s face, eyes wide and unseeing and the gaping hole at his throat. She didn’t have to touch his skin and try to find a pulse to know that he was dead.

She’d come face to face with death plenty of times in her career. But she’d never seen an innocent like Jeremy murdered by her own organization. Murdered because of information she had given the PIA. It wasn’t a far stretch to come to the conclusion that her own organization was responsible for Jeremy’s murder. After all, they utilize assassins like Brian all of the time.

But this? Why Jeremy? All he’d done was give her direction that would help the PIA get into Savage Industries computers to steal what information they needed. She didn’t believe for a minute that Jeremy was one of the bad guys.

The realization that she needed to get out of Jeremy’s apartment hit her. Probably no one would discover the body for a while. She had to find her wallet and leave.

She hurried to look under the desk close to where she’d dropped her purse. Nothing was there. Then she remembered that he had told her he would put the wallet somewhere safe.

Glad she was wearing gloves, she searched the office. She looked around the computer, in drawers and on shelves—nothing.

After she looked everywhere she could think of in his computer room, she stood and thought about where he might have put it. His bedroom? Bathroom? Living room? Kitchen?

Damn it, where did he put it?

A sense of urgency had her turning the house upside down as she tried to find her wallet. It didn’t matter what she did since he’d been murdered by the agency. It would probably look like a robbery gone wrong rather than a professional hit.

She had to find it. She couldn’t let any sign be here that Carla had visited Jeremy. It would raise too many questions and the police would be at her doorstep to interview her as soon as they found it.

Her flashlight helped, but she wished she could turn on the lights—that would make her search a lot easier.

Safe...safe… He was going to put her wallet someplace safe.

Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

It was almost two a.m. before she knew it and she had torn the house apart but hadn’t found the wallet. Maybe Brian had taken it after he’d killed Jeremy. That would actually be the best scenario. He wouldn’t have known that she planned to return the same night for it. He’d know that it wouldn’t be good for the cops to find the wallet there while she was undercover.

The question was, did Brian find it? She couldn’t very well call and ask. What if she wasn’t supposed to know that the agency was responsible for Jeremy’s death?

As far his body… It probably wouldn’t be discovered for a few days, maybe after a day or two when he didn’t show up for work.

Perspiration coated her skin from working so hard to find the wallet. She braced her hands on her hips and looked around one more time.

Damn.

She tugged down the cap and slipped her flashlight into her pocket. She was probably safe leaving at this time. Not likely too many people around at two in the morning. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again she saw the formerly clean and orderly apartment now a disaster. She looked one last time in the direction of Jeremy’s computer room then slowly opened the door, and slipped out into the hallway.

Chapter 11

The way Carla had insisted on leaving him last night didn’t set well in Logan’s gut, and he wasn’t sure why. Had he been expecting more out of a relationship with her than she planned on giving?

But she’d told him she loved him… Had she meant it?

And did he love her… Yes, but it was strange. It was the same feelings he’d had for Tori but confused. As if he loved both Tori and Carla, as if they were one and the same.

So damned strange.

He dragged his hand down his face and he felt his stubble against his palm as he looked out his windows and watched water roll down the panes. The sky was gray, the clouds fat with rain, a slow drizzle coming down on the city.

Maybe Carla just wanted friends with benefits, something that he wasn’t interested in. He didn’t plan on being used until her next conquest came along. He’d had his share of one-night stands, but being a friend with benefits was different and not in the least bit appealing.

Yet, the way she seemed to have changed…the dinner…their night together.

And her words. That she loved him.

His phone vibrated in his pants pocket and he reached in then drew it out to see who was calling.
Carla
.

“Toes and fingernails pretty and polished,” she said when he answered, and some of the tension eased from his shoulders. She’d apparently been telling the truth about getting a manicure and pedicure. “Are you up for lunch and a movie?” she asked.

“I was thinking dinner and the theater.” He turned away from the rainy view. “I have some things I need to take care of during the day.” And he knew she loved the theater over movies. She’d probably just picked movies because that’s what he preferred.

“Wonderful,” she said, but he thought her voice lacked its usual enthusiasm when it came to the theater. “What’s so important that you would turn down a movie with me?” She had a pout in her voice, but from experience, he knew she was just pretending.

“I have to go into the office.” He gritted his teeth as his attention turned back to his call from earlier this morning, before he’d stopped to think about his night with Carla.

He could picture the way her brows were probably knit together. “On a Saturday?”

“Yesterday afternoon someone hacked into the company’s computer system.” He clenched the phone tighter. “I need to go in and run some damage control.”

A pause before Carla said, “That’s horrible. Do you know who did it?”

“We’ll track down the person or persons responsible.” Anger edged his words. “It won’t be too difficult.”

Another pause. “With today’s technology I don’t suppose it will take too long.”

“Does tonight work for you?” he asked.

“Sure.” Her tone brightened but there was something else there that he couldn’t define. “Have you picked out a show?” she asked

“Why don’t you select one you want to see?” He grabbed his jacket, preparing to leave. “Let me know what time it starts and I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay,” she said, then added. “Don’t begin to think you can back out on me.”

He gave a low laugh. “I promise I’ll love whatever you pick out.”

“You’d better.”

“I’ll call you later,” he said before disconnecting the call.

* * * * *

Damn.
Tori paced the living room in Carla’s townhouse. How had Logan’s team caught the breach in the system? They must have had securities in place that Jeremy hadn’t known about and they stopped it.

Had
Jeremy been killed by her own people? If not, why would she have seen Brian leaving his apartment building?

She shoved her hair behind her ears and continued moving back and forth across the floor. She had to do something.
Something.

What if someone saw her spending time with Jeremy, someone who recognized both of them?

What if the police found her wallet in Jeremy’s apartment, in some place she hadn’t thought of looking? She hoped to hell not.

Her days as Carla might now be numbered.

After changing into a blouse, jeans, and athletic shoes, along with one of Carla’s jackets, she grabbed her purse and an umbrella. She headed out the front door then locked it behind her before opening the umbrella and stepping out into the rain. It pattered on top of the umbrella, a rhythmic sound over her head. The rain-washed air smelled clean and fresh.

The next order of business was finding a location safely away from the townhouse to call in to the agency. The line and phone were supposed to be secure, but she didn’t want to take the chance that something would go awry and lead the wrong people straight to Carla’s home.