Trial by Fire (11 page)

With a gracious nod, Sam said, “I’ll make a point of saying it at least once a day if that will make you more comfortable. But tell me, what did I miss?”

Seeing the serious man’s expression, Nate decided to forego his usual sarcasm. “You’ve got it about right, Sam. I was laying the groundwork. I wanted them all worried and if they happen to know who killed Mike, I wanted them to be scared shitless. And as you surmised—to get that message out on the grapevine.”

Nate sat quietly for several minutes then caught Sam’s reflection. “As for what you missed, I’m not sure. Until we get more evidence, I’m flying blind. But I will tell you that I’m not so sure that it is a professional hit.”

At the surprised murmurs from both Dan and Sam, Nate agreed. “I know, I know. It sure as hell looks that way. And yeah, the killers were definitely pros when it came to inflicting terror. But think for a moment. What if someone wanted it to look that way?”

Warming up to his task, his voice took on more urgency.

“Something’s not right. And if you think about it, I think you’ll agree. For example, do you have any idea how much you’d have to pay a pro to do a job like that? Hell, hit men want to get in and out as quick as they can. They want to kill and be gone. Without a trace. The chances of leaving evidence behind when you spend two or three fucking
hours killing
a guy are 100%. No professional killer is gonna be up for that. Too many chances to get caught.”

Dan interjected, disbelief underlying his serious tone. “What are you thinking, Nate? That it
wasn’t
professional?”

“I’m not sure, Dan. That’s what’s got me wondering. Either someone paid a small fortune to off the guy in the most vicious way possible or wants us to think that it was a paid-for job. Either way, the question in my mind is why? Why torture him for fuckin’
hours
? And in such a suggestive way? You tell me, Sam. Go out on a limb, hotshot. What does the torture say to you? What’s the underlying message?”

Sam hesitated then ventured a guess. “Well, to begin with, it’s got sex written all over it.”

Nate slammed his hand on the steering wheel with such force that the 911 almost swerved off the road. He exclaimed, “Precisely!” Managing to tamp down his excitement he added, “Sex AND vengeance.”

Letting his excitement die down, Nate shook his head and muttered more to himself than the others. “Now we just have to figure out what Mike did to warrant such a grisly death. Whatever it was, somebody wanted him to die in the most painful way possible. In a way that made up for the way Mike wronged him.”

~~~

“I feel as though I am imposing, Nate. You really don’t have to babysit me. I could have ordered-in Thai food and—”

“Nah, Sam. You’ve lived in a big city too long. Do you have any idea what a coup it will be for my aunt to tell all her friends that she had the ‘talk of the town’ at her house for dinner? You’ll never meet a kinder woman than Mama D. Hell, she even took me in as a kid when my mom OD’d on me. But as good natured as Mama D is she in an inveterate gossip. Loves to be the bearer of a great story. And what could be better than a visiting police commander and a black guy at that. Besides, you’ll give me the excuse I need to spirit Erin away. Mama D will be so bowled over by you, she won’t notice when I skip out. I tell you the woman has a calculator in her brain that keeps track of how many minutes a week I spend with her. Don’t have to tell you I owe her the equivalent of six years of one on one time.”

Sam frowned. “You skipped over that one, Nate. Your mother OD’d? On what?”

“What else? Meth and probably an advanced case of STD’s given her profession.”

“I’m sorry, Nate…”

“Don’t be. Happened a long time ago. I was six at the time. Mama D was my mother’s estranged sister. She and Marcus took me in. Until I got to be too much to handle. Then the Chief stepped in.”

“Chief
Roberts?
” Sam was incredulous.

“Yeah. He always says he saw a good kid about to go bad and played the good Samaritan. Me? I think he just wanted someone who could keep up with him on the basketball court. Mama D and Marcus didn’t object. I think they were afraid I would corrupt Luke and Connor. Hell, they shoulda known, nothing could corrupt ConnorfuckingFreud. Even as a kid, he was the good one. The golden boy. Now Luke was a different story. He’s still in Afghanistan. Also special ops. Nope, Luke was as bad as me. He just hid it better. He’s my best friend. We both take care of Connor, although he’s convinced it’s the other way around.”

Walking up the sidewalk to the impressive three story gabled home where he’d grown up, Nate was disappointed to see that Erin’s car wasn’t there. Damn. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep up the front. No sleep last night, coupled with the ordeal of Laura had his nerves strung tight. There was one thing and one thing only that could loosen the knots in his gut and that was a dark-haired seductress with bright tourquoise eyes. Forcing what came as close to a smile as he could summon up, he ushered Sam up the stairs to the veranda and then in the front door.

He hollered, “Hey, Mama D, the hottest man in your life has arrived. Just remember: even though you’re my best girl, I’m a taken man. But, I do have an unattached guy here who is almost as good-looking as I am.”

A sprite of a woman turned the corner her face lighting up like a Christmas tree when she saw Nate.

He took a couple of strides toward her then picked up the diminutive woman and swung her in a circle.

She shrieked an excited squeal. “You… you scallywag. Put me down, you big tease. Your best girl, my butt. If I was, you’d come and see me at least once a week!”

Noticing Sam for the first time, she flushed in excitement.

“Oh you did bring him! Chief Roberts told me you had a guest from California. I was hoping you would invite your friend to dinner.”

Nate grinned to himself and let her little white lie stand. Mama D had called earlier and threatened him with his life if he didn’t bring his friend to dinner. Said she’d heard he was movie star handsome.

“First off, Mama. He’s not my friend. Too goddamned good-looking to be my friend. Before I know it, you’ll be preferring him to me and that just won’t cut it!”

Mama D puffed up like an outraged toad. “Nathan Stryker. You know how I feel about swearing. Especially in front of your nice, new
friend.”

“Oh, oh. Now I’m afraid I’m going to lose you for sure. This is Sam Carter, Mama. Commander Samuel Carter. And believe it or not the dude has sworn all of one time in my presence. See why I’m worried about losing your favors?”

“Oh Nathan, you big tease. You know I’m crazy about you even if you do say some of the nastiest things.”

Turning to Sam, she showered him with a huge smile.

“Hello, Sam. Please don’t listen to Nathan. If he didn’t like you he would never have brought you here—”

At that moment there was a chorus of girlish voices and three young women came barreling down the hallway clearly excited at the prospect of a guest.

Nate managed to catch each one of them before they ran Sam over and made quick introductions.

“Hang on, Sam. You are about to meet three of the most gorgeous girls you’re likely to see… except that each one is a bigger pain in the ass than the one before. But, hell what can you expect from girls?”

An outraged chorus erupted from the girls as they crowded around Nate. Gathering them all in a bear hug, Nate looked over the tops of their heads and grinned at Sam.

“The girls think I am a chauvinist pig, just because I think Mama D and Marcus ought to lock them up in the attic until they are at least thirty years old and past their prime. That’s the only way I can think of to protect them from all those hormone factories otherwise known as teenage boys who are sniffing outside their door!”

After the shouts of outrage had died down and Amy and Cherie had primly introduced themselves to Sam, Glenna sidled up to him with a frown pinching her brows together in a straight line. She stood for a moment staring at Sam thoughtfully.

Nate grinned and murmured, “Be prepared, Sam. At nine years old, this one hasn’t learned to edit her thoughts—which is why she and I get along so well.”

He grinned at Glenna and said, “Okay, squirt. Out with it. As if we could stop you.”

Glenna pressed her lips together, her disappointment obvious.

“They said you were black. But you don’t look black. You look more brown, like my friend Cecile.”

Ignoring the older sisters’ gasps and Mama D’s frown, Sam stepped up and shook her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Glenna. And yes, I can see why you are disappointed. The same thing happens to me when someone says their friend is white and they turn out to look like you. But I hope that we can be friends even if we don’t completely meet expectations.”

Glenna squinted up at him and then said. “Uh, okay. But first, why do you have that kind of a beard? It doesn’t look like Nate’s and I like his best.”

Nate’s smile widened. “You know what, squirt, that is precisely what I’ve been wondering. C’mon, Sam out with it. What the hell do they call that fancy scrub decorating your chin?”

Sam winked. “For both of you outspoken ones, we call it a billygoat beard. A friend of mine had one and I thought it was hot, so I grew mine out. What do you think, Glenna, now that you know it has such a cool name, you think you could get to like it almost as much as Nate’s?”

Before she could answer, her sister called out, “Erin’s here! Erin’s here!”

Sam quickly became second best as the family turned as one to greet the woman coming through the doorway.

As he moved toward the beautiful woman, the fist that had been gripping Nate’s chest loosened its hold. Nate sucked in a deep breath. For the first time since he left her naked in their bed this morning, Nate knew what it felt like to drag in a lung full of air.

Chapter 11

Erin responded gratefully to the excited greetings from Nate’s adoring cousins. The girls, Mama D and Marcus—and especially Connor and his wife Kaitlin—had made her feel a part of a family that she had never had. She loved all of them and appreciated them taking her into their lives and their hearts. In part, it was a reflection of how much they loved Nate, but she’d come to believe Nate when he told her that they were all crazy about her in her own right.

Giving Mama D a peck on the cheek and a hug, she nodded to the tall man standing politely to the side. He must be the visiting police commander that Connor had told her about. Gosh, he was handsome; movie-star handsome.

But the commotion behind her faded into the distance when she saw Nate. She snagged a breath, but it didn’t do much good. She never failed to be surprised at the way she reacted to his presence. It was as though he turned on an electric switch that sent a current of sensation first to her brain then made a beeline for her chest before flooding her core. If he hadn’t reached for her it’s likely her knees would have buckled and she’d end up in a puddle on the floor. But he did reach for her and pulled her up tight against his strong chest. Breathing in his unique odor of subtly expensive cologne and strong man, she reveled in the smell and feel of him. If it hadn’t been for the crowd of people behind her she would have moaned.

She would have been embarrassed by her overwhelming reaction to him if he hadn’t responded to her in the same way. When he saw her walk in the door, a light flashed in his eyes that she knew was reflected in hers. His emerald green gaze darkened with lust and another emotion that stole her breath. No man had ever looked at her the way Nate did. Oh there wasn’t a man she met who didn’t ogle her, rake his eyes over her voluptuous body. She’d come to expect their open perusal—and ignore it. It was part of being who she was. But Nate’s gaze was different. It was blatantly sensual, no make that sexual. His eyes caressed her as surely as his hands soon would. They ran over her lips, her throat and made her nipples tingle and peak. At his sexy smile, moisture dampened her secret folds and the nub at the top of her sex throbbed with need. And damn, that was before he touched her.

Nestled in his arms she allowed herself to sink into his strength. His voice was low, meant for her alone.

“God, darlin’, I missed you. So much, Erin.”

Erin felt as well as heard the need in his voice. Glancing up at him, she didn’t miss his rigid jaw or the taut lines around his mouth and eyes that mirrored the strain in his voice.

She whispered, “Are you okay, Nate?”

He barked out a short laugh. “I am now, darlin’.”

Hearing the girlie cousins’ snickers behind them, Erin eased out of Nate’s tight grip and turned to face them. Heat warmed her cheeks at their giggles. Good grief, she hoped she wasn’t so obvious that even the teenage girls could see how she felt. When she’d slipped out of his arms, Nate dragged her in front of him and held her against his chest. The bulge against her back confirmed that he was as aroused as she was. For a brief moment she convinced herself that the girls were too young and Mama D too excited about her coveted role as hostess to notice. But a quick glance at the man standing to the side with a knowing smile quirking his handsome face indicated that they hadn’t fooled him.

Nate nudged her forward and said, “Erin, meet Sam Carter. Sam, this is Erin. And just so we’re clear from the beginning, anyone who so much as looks at her sideways will be missing a key body part.”

Sam put up his hands in a gesture of surrender and bowed slightly. Grinning at Nate, he said, “Forewarned is forearmed. I’m pleased to meet you, Erin. But given the look on Detective Stryker’s face, I will stay at a respectable distance to ensure I leave this charming gathering with all body parts intact.”

Both Nate and Erin laughed, but Mama D didn’t hide her chagrin. Bustling over to them, she shook her finger at Nate. Her plump cheeks sported embarrassed spots of crimson.

“Nathan Stryker! I swear, you get more incorrigible every day. Erin, do something about him!”

Erin quirked a brow and asked the flustered woman, “What would you like me to do, Mama D?”

“I don’t know. But, for goodness sakes, make him behave!”