Jan Hambright - Relentless

“Who else knew about this place.”

“Just us. For security, I never told anyone where I took the cars. Not even my boss.”

Mick straightened and moved around to the front of the vehicle. Caution slid through his veins and he stopped, but before he could warn her to stay back, she was beside him. He heard her sharp intake of breath.

DIE SLOW KATE. The words were painted across the windshield in dark red.

“Go outside.” He leaned close to the glass and drew in a smell of the substance on the windshield. The iron-rich odor turned his stomach.

Blood.

He backed away and pulled the handheld radio off his belt. “Dispatch, officer 557. I need a lab team at A-1 Storage in Paradise, unit B-3.” He was guessing, but whoever’s blood had been used to paint the message was more than likely dead. His hunch was it belonged to Otis Whittley.

Kate stood outside the unit, her face in her hands. He moved toward her and felt an overwhelming need to protect her from the ugliness inside and the danger outside. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” He stepped next to her. “It’s probably just an idle threat made by some punk kid.”

“Is it…blood?”

“Yeah.”

She leaned into him, taking him by surprise. Like a bomb hooked to a physical timer, desire exploded inside him and he craved her like air. He put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest, satisfied when she relaxed into him. “The Beamer will go to evidence, then to impound. If the lab confirms it’s blood on the windshield, you’re looking at posttrial before the car is released.” The return of the BMW wasn’t his worry. The threat bothered him.

“Do you think we were followed last night?”

“That would be my guess.”

“Maybe not.” She looked up at him and he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes.

“What do you mean?” He released her and stared into her upturned face, watched her swallow, and look away.

“I came over here this afternoon.”

“What!”

“I wanted to make sure you hadn’t had the car hauled away. It’s my livelihood. After you left this morning, there was a black car parked across the street. I couldn’t see the driver or get a plate number, but after I went inside, it took off. I thought I was just being paranoid. I took Cody to see his dad, and we made a swing by here.”

“We have no idea what’s going on.” Mick grasped her upper arms. He had to infuse some caution into her.

“It didn’t seem important.”

“Everything is important. The threat on the window doubles it.”

“Look, Mick, I can take care of myself.”

“Where is Cody?”

“He’s with my friend and her family. They took him to Disney World for a week.”

He relaxed his grip on her and dropped his arms to his sides. “Do you have somewhere else you can go besides home?”

“I suppose.”

“Go. Chances are whoever did this watched your house this morning and followed you here. It’s not safe. Someone means business.”

“I can’t leave.”

“Look at me.”

She complied, staring into his eyes, making his heart race as he searched her face, hoping she didn’t fight him. “This isn’t a polite request. It’s an order. If I didn’t think you were in danger I wouldn’t ask you to leave. It’s better to use caution.” He touched her arm and a zap of heat infiltrated his system.

“How long?”

“As long as it takes to get a handle on this case.”

“I have to put my life on hold while you look for a handle?”

“It’s a lot more interesting to hunt Robears than to try and reason with them.” He wanted the words to stick, to raise her awareness level to the danger he could feel in the air, but she gave him a sly smile instead.

“You’ll have to hunt me if you drag this out.”

“Understood.” She smoothed a stray strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. He didn’t doubt she would run if given the chance.

KATE GLANCED in her rearview mirror at Mick’s headlights. It was comforting to know he was behind her. A foreboding she couldn’t shake had taken hold of her at the storage unit and its grip was unrelenting. Did someone have it in for her? Mick certainly seemed to believe it. Should she believe it, too?

Flipping her blinker, she pulled down the quiet street lined with little square houses. It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it was one she could afford. She parked in the driveway, turned off the engine and climbed out of the Bronco.

Anxiety bubbled inside of her. The early twilight air held a trace of humidity, but it wasn’t cold. Somewhere nearby a dog barked, probably at the end of a chain or shut up behind a backyard fence. The smell of a barbecue hung in the air. All was well. There was no visible cause for her feelings.

Mick pulled into the driveway and got out of his car. She studied him in the glow of the porch light as he moved toward her, like the hero in a vivid dream. Maybe he was the source of her unsettled emotions.

“If you grab a bag, I’ll take you to your friend’s house. I want to make sure you’re not followed.”

“You don’t have to coddle me.” She took the steps slowly. “I’m not helpless.”

“I’m painfully aware of that, but you are the focus of my investigation and it got personal today.” He was right behind her.

Turning on him, she prepared to reason herself into her own bed, but his features were hardened with determination.

“Don’t even, Kate. Never mind that you can take care of yourself. I need to get some sleep tonight and if that means you stay somewhere safe, then so be it. Would you rather I slept on your couch?”

A twinkle of mischief sparkled in his green eyes and she tensed as anticipation hatched in her mind and flowed into her bloodstream. “I’ll get my bag.” A night with Officer Jacoby a short distance away was more than she wanted to deal with right now.

She pushed her key into the lock. The door gave against the pressure and creaked open.

“Mick…” Terror sizzled through her veins.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“The door’s been jimmied.” The sound of gunmetal against leather alarmed her, as he slid his pistol from its holster.

Was someone inside? Waiting?

Mick reached for Kate and pulled her behind him, taking her place on the step above. He stayed to the left and pushed the door all the way open.

In the back of the house he saw movement. For a brief second a human silhouette appeared in the hall and disappeared into another room.

“New Orleans police. Come out with your hands up.” He reached inside and flipped the living-room light on.

The once-cozy place was trashed. The sofa and chairs had been sliced to ribbons. Pictures lay on the floor with the glass smashed out. Chaos reigned.

“Go to my car.” The house was as still as death, but he’d seen the room the suspect was hiding in. “Lock the doors and stay down.”

“Okay.” She shuffled off the steps behind him and a measure of relief invaded his body. The perpetrator would have to go through him first.

“Come out. No one has to get hurt.” Mick crept into the entryway and scanned the dining room and kitchen. All clear.

Footsteps echoed on the other side of the kitchen wall, then the distinct snap of a window latch clicked.

He hugged the wall. Gun ready. His heart pounded in his ears as he slipped down the corridor and paused outside the room. “This is your last chance. Give it up.” The sound of the window being opened reached his ears. In an instant the suspect would be gone. Movement at the front door caught his eye and his heart slammed into his ribs.

Kate stood in the doorway, her eyes filled with terror.

A knife, inches from her throat.