Elizabeth Stewart - Harm’s Way

“Is there any possibility this could have been accident?” Harm pressed. “Drunk driver? Speeder who couldn’t stop?”

“Over here,” Duff ordered, turning and walking a few feet to the middle of the street, Harm following after him. A large pool of blood and a smaller one about two feet away were drying on the sun-baked afternoon asphalt.

“You used to be a cop,” the old detective commented. “You tell me.”

Harm surveyed the scene, tracing the path of the car in his mind, watching it speed out of the alley, engine roaring, striking Pete as he pushed Elgin Collier to relative safety and then continuing around the corner and away. His gaze swept the entire street.

“No skid marks,” he observed quietly.

“Nice to see being a private eye hasn’t ruined your cop sense completely.”

“Pretty obvious.”

“Which brings us to the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Why? I mean, I assume this had something to do with your client, this Collier woman.”

“I can’t breach client confidentiality, Duff, and you know it.”

“Why was Pete with her?”

“Harm’s Way was hired to investigate a problem Ms. Collier has and to provide her with personal security.” He frowned and looked into the middle distance. “Today was supposed to be the last day of the assignment. Pete and Sarah were going away for a few days.”

“What kind of problem?”

“Look, Duff, Ms. Collier isn’t exactly my client. I mean, I was hired for her but not by her. It’s sort of complicated. I understand she’s been admitted to St. Luke’s overnight for observation but her doctor seems to think that aside from some cuts and bruises, she’ll be fine. You can talk to her and she can tell you whatever she feels comfortable with. No doubt my client will want to talk to you as well.

“I can’t say for sure, of course, but if you want my opinion, both personal and professional, yeah, I’d say it was meant for her.”

“Any idea who might have been behind the wheel?”

“Not a clue. Yet.”

“Okay Harm,” the other man agreed, “I’ll leave it at that until I talk to the lady. But this is a police investigation now. Anything you know or find out, you give to us. I know how you feel about Pete. I feel the same way. But I won’t have you pulling some lone wolf, avenging angel crap on me. You’re not a cop anymore. You get sideways of this investigation, I’ll throw your ass in the can. Remember that.”

“Harm,” he growled into the tiny cell phone, almost lost in his huge hand.

“It’s Jessica.”

The sound of her voice made his stomach tighten and he gripped the steering wheel harder.

“Pete’s out of surgery,” she continued solemnly. “Doctor says he came through okay and he’s probably gonna make it. There’s a lot of damage though, internal organs, broken bones. He’s in Recovery right now. As soon as they take him up to ICU and get him settled, they’ll let Sarah see him. Right now, only family’s allowed. Twenty-four hours at least.”

Her voice faded and Harm could almost see her gathering strength to drop the other shoe.

“His right leg is shattered,” she whispered, “both bones almost crushed below the knee. Probably got run over by the wheels. They did what they could but…but with the nerve and muscle damage, they’re not even sure they’ll be able to save it. If they do, he’ll probably never be able to use it again.” Tears overwhelmed her.

At least she had her tears, he thought bitterly. All he had were rage, frustration and a horrible sense of helplessness. A red haze of violence engulfed him, something primitive and elemental. Plainly and simply, he wanted to kill this bastard with his bare hands. Or better yet, with his car. Feel the impact of steel on bone and flesh, the thump of his bumper and wheels squashing him like a bug.

“All right,” he murmured, “stay with Sarah. As long as she needs you. Don’t worry about the office. I don’t want her going through this by herself. You’re on the clock and the company credit cards are yours to the max. Whatever she needs or wants. Make sure the doctors know anything Pete needs…specialists, medicines, therapy…anything, is covered. Tell them not to bother Sarah with the details. Just do it.”

“You’re a nice man, Campbell Harm,” she sniffled.

“Yeah, well don’t go spreading that around,” he told her gruffly. “It’s lousy for the image.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. And thanks for calling. I appreciate it. Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

Flipping the phone closed, Harm’s mind had already focused on the problem of finding the driver. Chances were slim to none that the police would be able to catch him. If the car had been stolen, it would have been abandoned, probably within the ten-block police search area and would, no doubt, be found wiped clean and devoid of forensic evidence.

A bulletin would have gone out almost immediately to mechanics and body shops to be on the lookout for any suspicious body damage to the front of big, black cars. That meant, the car was probably at the bottom of the river or more likely, hidden safely in a garage, no doubt far from the crime scene and would remain so for several days or weeks or months even until the furor died down and it could be taken somewhere and safely repaired.

As much as Duff might be personally involved, a hit and run, especially that cost no lives, would very quickly get moved down the priority list by the other myriad, never-ending crimes of a big city.

No, it fell to him to nail this sonofabitch. It would require a cunning, foolproof trap. He didn’t know just yet how or where he’d spring that trap but he did know one thing: he already had the perfect bait.

Irresistible.

He’d known it from the first moment. Something…mystical and magical about her that excited his heart and his mind as well as his cock. She’d captured his soul; his body had simply followed her Siren song.

What had begun as furtive glances, stolen caresses, secret longing from afar, smoldering under its cover of anonymity had suddenly blazed forth into uncontrollable passion. A fiery heat sweeping away everything and everyone standing between them.

All the careful planning, thoughtful work was about to pay off. In a little while, he would possess her at last.

Closing his eyes, the thought of her stirred his cock. Warm, full, inviting lips. Eyes, dark and lit with desire. Ivory velvet skin, hot with longing, under his fingertips. Her body, naked, waiting only for him.

His cock strained inside his silk briefs and bulged like an angry fist against his zipper.

You have to put it out of your mind, he told himself, at least for a little while. Until you’re safely away and she’s yours alone.

But the picture of her refused to leave him. In his mind, her nipples hardened under his fingers, his tongue raising them taut and erect as his cock. Soft moans and purrs of pleasure and need escaped her.

Her scent overpowered him…a hint of wildflower perfume, hot, ragged, peppermint breath and aroused female musk surrounding and tying him to her like silk cords. He had become a willing prisoner.

No use, he knew. She called him and his body, mind and soul screamed to go to her.

Quickly, he moved to the other room, locked the door and removed his trousers and briefs, releasing his strangling cock. Reaching to the vanity, he grabbed a tiny bottle of hotel lotion and shook a large dollop into his hand, sitting there creamy and white as she would be soon.

Closing his eyes, he smoothed the thick, cool cream over the length of his cock, the shaft like hot steel, the head tender and engorged. He felt her kneeling in front of him, taking him gently into her mouth. Her tongue made slow, soft circles around his swollen tip and her sucking sent shock waves of molten lava through his blood.