The Pleasure of Sin (16 page)

No.

It couldn’t be. Could it?

Could the man Clay hired have really done this? Had Mr. MacLean gotten too close to the truth?

The truth about Clay?

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Clay asked, his hair still ruffled from sleep.

His hands closed around her arms, his eyes narrowing on the phone she still cradled against her. “Who called?”

She looked down at it, snapping it shut. “It was Mom. She just wanted to find out how I was doing.”

“Oh,” he said, his lips curling on a smile. “Well, come back to bed.”

She pulled out of his embrace, crossing the room to slide her phone into her purse. “I can’t. I promised Zoë I would meet her for coffee.”

She felt the intensity of his stare on her back, but she didn’t turn around to face him. She couldn’t. If she did, he might see too much.

And she couldn’t allow that to happen.

“Okay,” he said. “Maybe we could meet for lunch at Antoine’s?”

“We’ll see,” she replied over her shoulder as she headed toward the stairs.

* * * *

Clay watched her climb the stairs with a sense of foreboding. She was hiding something. He was sure of it. The only time she ever gave herself to him completely was in bed. Everything else was a struggle for control. She wouldn’t give in. And neither would he. He couldn’t.

Not while she had this foolish idea of finding Ruby’s killer.

He had to stop her.

And he would.

* * * *

Jade sat in the small office waiting for Detective Ambrose. She glanced over her shoulder to see him striding toward his office. Once inside, he closed the door behind him.

“Good Morning, Ms. Monroe. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, taking a seat behind his desk.

“It’s okay. What happened to Mr. MacLean?”

“According to the coroner’s report, he was shot three times at close range. The presence of water in the lungs suggests that he was still alive when he went into the water. We don’t know if he was pushed into the water or if he fell from the force of the shot.”

Jade looked away, her stomach turning. She gripped the arms of the chair for strength as she tried to maintain her focus. “Why would someone kill him?” Even as she spoke the question aloud, she was afraid she already knew the answer.

His lips formed a grim line. “We think he may have come too close to something he was working on. Since it appears that the only case he was actively pursuing was your sister’s murder, there’s a good bet that there is a connection.”

She closed her eyes at his statement. It confirmed her worst fears. She was responsible for the poor man’s death. If she hadn’t involved him, he would still be alive.

“I want you to know, Ms. Monroe, that we are still actively working on your sister’s case.”

“Has there been any progress?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

He reached across the desk to grab another file folder, opening it. “We were able to obtain a few DNA samples, which we cross-checked against the database. Unfortunately, there are no matches so far. We have asked a few suspects to come in to give voluntary samples, but that hasn’t been very successful.”

She straightened in her seat. “I don’t understand.”

He shrugged. “Unless I can show probable cause and get a search warrant, I can’t force people to submit to testing. And, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like a lot of people are interested in cooperating.”

“Who have you asked?”

He fished through the papers, squinting to better read the type. “Clay Devlin, for one.”

A chill raced up her spine. “Clay?”

He nodded, his eyes still focused on the paper in front of him. “I approached him about it. Asked if he would just come in so we could clear him as a suspect.”

“And?”

His eyes met hers. “And he said he would have to speak with an attorney and get back with me. So far, I haven’t heard back from him.”

The air seemed to rush out her lungs. Clay wasn’t cooperating with the police? Why? Fear made her heart beat faster and her palms began to sweat. Clay wasn’t capable of something so brutal and vile.

Was he?

Surely she would sense it if he was. Or had her passion blinded her to the truth?

The fact that he didn’t want to give a sample that could potentially clear him was pretty damning evidence.

“What about Alex Talbot?”

He bit back a laugh. “Ms. Monroe, I’m sure by now you’re aware of just how influential Mr. Talbot is in this town,” he explained.

She lifted her chin in defiance. “Does that mean you’re afraid to ask him?”

His frown made the lines around his eyes deepen. “No. It means that he refused. And, if I’m going to accuse a man like Alex Talbot of murder, I’d better damned well have the evidence to back it up.”

“He was seeing Ruby before she died,” she said, her tone firm.

His eyebrows drew together. “She told you this?”

“No. Her friend Zoë told me.”

He scooted papers on his desk until he found the report he was looking for. “That would be Zoë Bell, I assume. Worked at Mystical Notions with Ruby?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll check it out,” he assured her. His eyes met hers across the desk, his lips forming a thin line. “Ms. Monroe, I don’t have to tell you how dangerous what you are doing is. Off the record, I’m willing to bet that whoever pulled the trigger on Davis is the same person who killed your sister.”

She drew in a shaky breath at his candor. “I know.”

“That means they’ll be coming for you next,” he warned.

He was right, she knew.

She had started a firestorm, and it was way too late to put it out.

All she could do now was hope that she made it out alive.

Chapter 22

Jade scooped up the last of her belongings. She took one last look at the bed before making her way down the stairs. She had to hurry. If Clay knew she was leaving, he would surely come to stop her. When she reached the door, she took one last glance around. As much as she knew it was the right thing to do, she didn’t want to go. She wanted to believe that there was a logical explanation for his refusal to cooperate with the police. But common sense told her that she was a fool.

It didn’t seem possible that Clay could ever hurt Ruby. Deep down, she still didn’t want to believe it. But was that her head talking? Or her heart? Did she just want to believe that he was innocent? Was she closing her eyes to the truth? Until she knew for certain, she couldn’t stay with him. She headed toward Ruby’s apartment, ignoring the constant ringing of her cell phone.

It was him.

She knew it.

She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. Not after what she had just learned. She needed time to think. Turning the corner to Ruby’s apartment, she slid the key into the small door. As she opened it, a firm hand gripped her upper arm.

She turned to find Lloyd Tomlinson towering over her, his dark eyes menacing. “We need to talk,” he said, his tone harsh.

Her eyebrows drew together. “Mr. Tomlinson, we have nothing more to say to one another,” she replied. She tried to pull her arm away, but his grip tightened painfully.

“We’re not done until I say we’re done.”

His fingers dug into her skin, his touch meant to bruise. Before she could even think about what she was going to do, she yanked hard, twisting her body away from him. Caught off guard, he stumbled backward. She raced up the stairs to Ruby’s apartment, her head turning to watch him start up the stairs after her. Her heart beat so fast, she thought she might faint. She fiddled with the keys as he drew closer.

“Stupid bitch,” he bit out.

Finally, the key slid into the lock and she was able to get inside. She slammed the door behind her, quickly flipping the deadbolt. He pounded on the door so hard she thought he would surely beat it down. She braced her palms against the door, throwing all of her weight against it for good measure. Somehow, her silent prayers were finally heard as the door stopped its violent shaking.

Hesitantly, her breath coming in short gasps, she pressed her ear to the door. “Stupid bitch! This isn’t over,” he muttered only moments before she heard his footsteps as he descended to the bottom of the stairs.

She leaned back against the door, letting her head fall back against the wood. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her cell phone began to ring again. Her gaze flickered to her purse, but she didn’t move.

She couldn’t.

Had Clay been right?

Was she putting herself in bigger danger by being alone?

All day long she avoided his calls. She knew he must be furious, but she wasn’t about to give in. When she heard a vicious pounding on her door, her heart jumped into her throat. What if Lloyd had come back? He had told her that it wasn’t over. Had he come back to demand that she talk to him?

Or worse, to finish the job?

But the voice on the other side of the door wasn’t Lloyd’s. It was Clay. And he was growing louder by the minute. She crossed the room to open the door. As soon as she did, his face loomed above hers. His hair was ruffled, and his eyes were glittering dangerously.

“Are you insane?” he challenged.

Her eyes narrowed at his sarcasm. “Hello to you, too,” she replied, giving him her back as she walked into the room.

He shut the door behind him as he followed her. “I’ve been calling you all day. Where the hell were you?” he demanded.

She turned to face him, her anger rising to a full boil. “I was at the police station, if you must know,” she explained.

“The police station?” he inquired, a scowl forming on his face.

At her silence, he asked the obvious question. “What happened?”

She looked away, unable to maintain his gaze. “The private investigator I hired was murdered.”

“Jesus!” he hissed, his mouth falling open as his eyes scanned the room. “Do they know who did it?

“They have a few theories.”

“Which are?”

“That whoever killed Ruby knew he was getting too close, so they killed him.”

He turned to look out the window, raking a hand through his hair. For a moment, neither of them said anything.

When he turned back to face her, his impatience was clear. “So, you decided to come back here? Alone?” he scoffed.

When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Why the hell would you come back here without me?”

He crossed the distance between them, his proximity making her lift her chin to return his stare. “I didn’t want to be with someone I couldn’t trust,” she explained.

His eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Why are you refusing to cooperate with the police?”

“Refusing to cooperate?” he repeated, his confusion clear.

“You wouldn’t submit to DNA testing,” she reminded.

He leaned his head back, his eyes rolling. “Oh, that.”

“Yes, that! What are you hiding?” she bit out.

“Nothing.”

“Then, why won’t you do the test?”

His jaw clenched. “I wanted to get some legal advice before I did anything. I’ve never been involved in anything like this before, Jade. I’ve never been a suspect in a murder case. I thought I should consult an attorney.”

She nodded, her disbelief evident. “Right,” she muttered.

Suddenly, he grabbed her, hauling her against him. “This doesn’t have a damned thing to do with the test, and you know it.”

“Of course it does. From the very beginning you’ve been hiding things from me. Why should I trust you?”

“You can use that bullshit to run all you want. But the truth is that you already know how you feel about me. You just don’t want to admit it.”

Her eyes glittered. “I don’t know anything about you.”

His face came dangerously close to hers. “You know everything about me. You know how I live, how I fuck…”

“Stop it!”

“It’s true, and I know you. I know every curve.”

“That’s just sex!”

“Is it? Then why am I scared to death that you’ll walk away from me? Why do I sit at work all day and worry about what you’re doing or if you’re okay? It’s not just sex. It never has been for me. And if you were honest with yourself, you would realize it’s not just sex for you either.”

She pulled away from him, wanting to escape. When she reached for the door, his hand slammed against it, holding it in place. She felt his body press against her back, his mouth against her ear. One arm slid around her waist as she felt his erection press against her.

His breath against her ear made her tingle. “You want me just as much as I want you. You have from the beginning. From that first day at the party. Running from it won’t change things. It’s time to submit to it.”

She felt his thumb stroke the underside of her breast. God help her, she wanted to submit. She wanted to give in and let him give her what her body obviously wanted. She pushed back a little, her buttocks coming in contact with the lean muscles of his thighs. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sensation. How easy it would be to do what he said, to submit to the desires that were racing through her body. She felt her skirt inch higher on her thighs.

Closing her eyes, she fought for the strength to stop him. Her panties grew damp with arousal. When his hand slid inside of her thong, she knew she had to put a stop to this. She opened her mouth to tell him just that, but the words died on her lips when she felt his finger slide inside her. His thumb teased her swollen clit.

“See? See how easy it is?”

His words stoked her temper, and she somehow found the will to grab his hand. She pulled it away, escaping under his arm to the other side of the room.

“Get out,” she commanded, her voice sounding way too breathless.

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes still glazed with passion. “You can fight me all you want, Jade. But isn’t it time you stopped fighting yourself?”

She wrapped her arms around her middle. He was right. She did want him. Despite the fact that he had lied and hid things from her, she wanted nothing more than to go back to his apartment and forget any of this had happened.