Shrouded in Darkness (Shrouded Series) (12 page)

“Malcolm. It’s Malcolm, isn’t it?” she asked. “It all makes so much sense now. A while back, I thought it might be him, but only for a short time, because I couldn’t come up with his motivation. He’d stopped being vindictive over a year ago. But he’s the one looking for the formula.”

“Yes.”

“And you? What about you? You want this formula too. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? For the copy? You’ve been going through my house searching for it.” An expression of what looked like disgust flashed across her face. “Did you get what you came for?”

Even though she tried to mask it, Jake heard the hurt beneath the bitterness. It made him feel that much more of a creep. “No.

It’s still missing. At least, I think it is. I don’t think Malcolm’s found it.”

“But he might have—the way he went through each room. Then again, there’s a lot of anger and frustration behind the destruction, which might mean he didn’t find it.” She hugged herself. “It has to be pretty important for Malcolm to break in and rampage through here like some crazed person. Then there’s you, secretly sneaking around, digging into places you have no business. What’s on this disk? This scientific formula?”

Jake stiffened in surprised, even though he knew she’d eventually ask that question. “I can’t tell you.” The firelight illuminated the objection in her face. “Please. Believe me. It’s for your own safety.”

“My safety?” She rubbed her arms. “Come on, Jake. You don’t expect me to believe that—”

“It’s the truth! Too many people have died because of this. The whole wing of Miltronics was completely destroyed. Twelve people were murdered. These were people I worked with on a day-to-day basis. Many of them I considered friends, not just co-workers.” And he was to blame. Because of him, they were dead. “I was the only one that got out of the building alive. Every day I’m so damned thankful I’m still breathing, and I want to keep it that way. That’s the reason for the disguise.”

“But the newspaper said the police caught the person.” Frowning, she walked around the back of her chair.

He could tell she didn’t believe him. “The real killers found the perfect scapegoat for the police. They hired a janitor who’d spent some time behind bars. They had to know his record. They do background checks on every employee. He wouldn’t be any different. What better person, than someone with a prior record for burglary and not too swift in the intelligence department? At least not enough intelligence to work with those type of explosives.”

Bitterness roughened and deepened his voice. “He was a patsy, and the police on the case, either lazy or incompetent, decided to zero in on him. Hell, who could really blame them? He’d been spotted on several occasions loitering around Miltronics after his shift. And of course, there was the evidence he’d conveniently left around his apartment.”

She placed both hands across the top the chair. “You sound like you know who did it.”

He heard the question in her voice and decided enough was enough. Margot needed to know how dangerous her ex-husband really was. After all, didn’t she have a right to protect herself? “I can’t prove anything, but I know Malcolm was involved. He might not have lit the fuse, but he was right there planning everything.”

“Malcolm? Malcolm had something to do with those deaths at Miltronics?” Her voice rose in amazement. “My, God! It explains so much! The way he came barging into the house the other day. And he has it in him. There’s a dark, almost black side to his personality. But to actually cross that line—act on it. It’s all so hard to imagine.”

“Yes, well, you better believe it. He’s more than motivated. There’s a lot of money at stake. His, and a number of other investors.” Jake stepped over several books. “I’m surprised Malcolm hasn’t talked much to you about Miltronics. I can see John keeping quiet, but I would think Malcolm would have confided in someone.”

“Oh, now I understand. You suspected me of knowing what Malcolm was doing. What with Malcolm being my ex-husband?”

Hurt and reproach thickened her voice. “But now, you don’t still think I’d—”

“Of course not,” he returned quietly. “Granted, in the beginning I had my doubts. But it didn’t take long to figure out that you’re not in any way involved with Malcolm’s schemes. Plus, you are, after all, John’s sister. That says something in itself. I trusted him. He was one of few I could count on.”

“Thank you, I think.” She pulled a wisp of hair back around her ear and laughed without humor. “As to Malcolm—he’s never gone into any great detail as to the goings on at Miltronics. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t important to him. Quite the opposite in fact.”

She rubbed a palm across the back of her chair. “He was so fixated with that company. He didn’t need any children, not when Miltronics was his baby. I used to ask him about his work, but he guarded every little thing that went on there. After a while, I gave up. Then I didn’t care. Our marriage had never been a good one. It took all of one year to figure that out.”

Jake tried to tell himself he wasn’t jealous of her time with Malcolm. He tried to tell himself he wasn’t bothered that she’d had a relationship with the bastard. Maybe he’d also be able to convince himself it didn’t hurt to know Malcolm had had his hands on her or that he’d held her, done things to her that Jake had only been able to imagine.

Margot shook her head. “Johnny really hated him near the end. He never told me why, but I’d just mention Malcolm’s name, and he’d act like a scalded cat, ready to leap the walls at the least little provocation. I had no idea.”

“Yes, well. It’s just as well you didn’t. That might be why you’re still alive.”

She frowned and shook her head. “My brother—” Then she stared at him. Even with the room’s distance he felt the sudden intensity of her gaze. “Is that why Johnny’s dead? Because he knew too much?”

“Margot—” An explanation lay blocked deep in his throat. What could he tell her? The truth? And shatter her world or what little belief she had in it now? He’d never wanted her to find out.

“I’m beginning to see.”

The look of horror on her face wrenched at Jake’s gut. He attempted to close the distance between them, but she warded him off with a raised hand.

“My brother’s car accident—wasn’t an accident. He was murdered, wasn’t he?” It was more a statement than a question. The conviction, the realization was there in her face. “He was murdered all because of this formula.”

“It’s more than that. It’s not just the formula.”

“Then what?” she demanded, her voice rising in anger and disbelief. “I want to know why! I deserve to know why my brother was killed!”

She pushed at the chair with such force that it rocked forward and dropped back on all four legs.

“Margot, I can’t prove anything. Remember that. This is all conjecture.”

She frowned. “But you believe it.”

He sighed. Some things he just couldn’t lie about. “Yes.”

“But the car accident. There’s no explanation. He hadn’t been drinking. They couldn’t find anything wrong with the vehicle.

He never mentioned having any enemies. Why would someone want him dead?”

“He threatened to start talking about what was going on at Miltronics if—Well, the reasons are unimportant now. The fact is—

Malcolm couldn’t let John talk.”

“Malcolm? No. I don’t want to hear this.” As she stepped back, her heel caught the glossy cover of a book, and she slid sideways. Quickly, she righted herself, and turned, stumbling over the debris to the doorway.

She was running. He didn’t want her doing that, hiding, wounded and alone. He rushed after her. Before she reached the door he caught her by the arm and swung her around. She lunged at him. He dodged before her knuckles connected with his cheek. With both hands, he caught her wrists and hauled her into his arms.

“Don’t—” Her face a mask of anguish, Margot pushed against him, using her hips, stomach and chest, but Jake didn’t let go.

Instead, he drew her closer, cradling her against his body, leaving her no leverage to break free. After a moment of struggling, she slumped against him and clutched his shoulders.

“Why?” she cried. “I don’t understand.”

Margot buried her head against the hollow between his neck and shoulder. The wild beat of her heart against his chest pounded in time with her deep sobs of despair which wracked her body. With a trembling hand, he smoothed the silken tendrils of her raven hair from her brow and just stood there, holding her. For how long? He didn’t know, and he didn’t care.

She was in shock. And who wouldn’t be if they’d just learned their brother had been murdered? His throat tightened with helplessness and shame. He was indirectly to blame for her despair. How he wanted to take away her pain. Somehow find a way to make her life easier. But he didn’t know how. Then he realized he was grasping at some fantasy.

He didn’t have the ability to help Margot. How could he? A man doomed to die can’t help the living. He can’t seek revenge and...he can’t do a damn thing.

Her breath whispered against Jake’s neck and jaw as she lifted her head. The reflection of the fire shimmered off a lone tear doggedly clinging to one cheek. With a gloved thumb, Jake brushed the drop from her skin. Even though she’d stopped crying, he didn’t want to let her go. As she eased gently from him, he reluctantly dropped his hands to his sides. She stepped away, letting cool air touch the fabric of his shirt and his heated skin.

“I need to think,” she muttered. “This is all so crazy.”

Margot walked over to the fireplace. He watched her stare at the flames as she regained her breath and her composure. The glow of the fire touched her skin to gold. Other than the soft hiss of the fire, the only other sound was her breathing which had slowed somewhat. Even so, he sensed the tension coiled within her.

She bowed her head, and a thick wave of hair fell forward, obscuring her expression, but he knew she must be feeling raw and exposed. From what he’d learned, Margot valued her privacy and probably hated having him catch her at such a weak moment.

“You know,” she said, her voice hoarse and low, “Johnny never told me a thing. He was in trouble—probably way over his head—with no family member other than myself to turn to. But he didn’t come to me. He didn’t trust me enough for that.”

“No,” he argued, compelled to ease her pain. “You’re wrong. He wanted to protect you. He knew if he told you anything about the goings on at Miltronics, he’d be putting your life in jeopardy. Especially since you were so close to Malcolm.”

“Close?” She laughed, an ugly, harsh sound. “For all of six months!”

With her gaze still on the fire, Margot straightened and pulled her hair back around an ear, exposing her profile and the determined lift of her chin. “Malcolm isn’t going to get away with this. I’m not going to allow it.”

As she turned to face him, Jake tensed. “I don’t like that look. Whatever you’re thinking—don’t.”

She lifted her chin even higher. “Oh, I’m thinking. For the first time in a long while—I’m thinking. Maybe it’s about time I really faced Malcolm—held my own. Show Malcolm that—”

“Shit, Margot.” He advanced on her, but still had the forethought to keep far enough into the shadows. “Don’t even think of messing with Malcolm.”

“Why? He’s only a man—”

“—with powerful friends. You tangle with him and you’ll get someone upset.” He sighed, growing more aggravated. “It goes further up than Malcolm. To people even I don’t know. But one thing I do know, these people have money and power. Lots of it.

What is that saying—power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? Well, Malcolm’s on his way. He’s always had money, but now he has a glimpse of the power he can have with Miracell, and it’s gone to his head. So don’t mess with him, not when it comes to Miracell or Miltronics.”

He wanted to shake that stubborn look off her face or, better yet, kiss some sense into her. “What do you think he’s going to do if you threaten him and Miltronics? He’s not going to calmly take it. Didn’t you just tell me Miltronics is his little baby? Well, he’ll be just as fierce and protective as any father. He’ll retaliate harder and deadlier then you can even imagine.”

The determination in her face didn’t ease, much to Jake’s dismay. Damn, but she could be pig-headed.

Turning away from Jake, Margot walked back to her desk and once again stared into the fire. She didn’t want to argue. On Malcolm, they’d never agree. Plus, Jake would only get upset if he knew she had every intention of exposing Malcolm for the killer he was.

She’d start by looking into Johnny’s car crash. The answer was there. Some small piece of evidence had to have been missed.

Someone had to be hiding something. And she was going to be the person to find it. She might have failed her brother while he was alive, but she’d be damned if she failed him in death.

Margot inhaled a deep, shaky breath and found her gaze captured by the fire’s hypnotic orange and yellow flames. Their heat was deadly, yet soothing. She was exhausted yet tense, numb yet focused. Johnny. She would make sure he hadn’t died in vain.

“Are you all right?”

She stiffened, all thoughts of Miltronics, her brother and Malcolm disintegrating as she became aware of Jake right behind her.

She felt his warmth, smelled his cologne.

“Yes,” she whispered.

He slipped a hand onto her shoulder, his fingers curving over to her collarbone. The leather cold, yet oddly hot, felt erotic against her skin. Margot didn’t dare move. She sensed him directly behind. Inches away. If she backed up, her bottom would push up against his hips and his sex. The thought whirled through her body, tightening her breasts, heating her blood. Her breathing changed, grew deep and shallow. Desire. It squeezed below her belly, weakening her legs so much so that she latched onto the edge of the desk with both hands.

“I—˝ She cleared her throat. “I’ll be all right.”

The thick, hoarseness of her voice gave her away. Jake had to know now. He had to know she wanted him, wanted something to happen between them. God help her—she wanted it bad.