SEDUCTIVE: A Contemporary Romance Anthology Page 19

  He wanted to be the only man in her life, the only one to see her sensuous side. It might be a caveman response, but denying it wouldn’t make it go away.

  There was so much more to her than sex. She knew who she was and lived her life by her own rules. She was a defense attorney because she believed everyone was innocent until proven guilty and wanted the law to reflect that principle.

  No matter how much it might frustrate him when someone he considered a criminal walked, it was the American system of justice. That was why he had gone to her office yesterday. He needed an attorney to defend a kid he knew was innocent. He swallowed as a lump formed in his throat. He had wasted so much time ignoring her, hating the fact she worked for the opposite side when, in reality, they both worked for the same team.

  The bank was now a burning shell. The stone walls still stood, but the interior and roof were engulfed. Flames shot into the night sky and through the tiny crevices left by the shattered windows. Occasionally, the sound of the interior collapsing or an explosion could be heard above the constant crackle and hiss of flames.

  Even if it was pure make-believe, he imagined she was alive somewhere. Aunt Valerie will always be number one. He stood, allowing the blanket to fall to the ground.

  Damn, Sophia was smart, way smarter than him.

  He flipped the oxygen mask over his head and shoved it into the hands of a startled paramedic. He scanned the crowd, looking for anyone who would help. He spotted FBI Special Agent Finn Callaghan standing off to the side observing the scene.

  Mateo knew how to track Sophia, but he needed help.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Mateo didn’t waste time on niceties. “We need to find Sophia. I mean Miss Reed.”

  Agent Callaghan stared at the fiery bank. A stark expression flickered in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t see how…” The tall, broad, serious agent rested against his AWD Ford SUV. He almost looked relaxed, but Mateo knew better. The by-the-book agent was tenacious and incisive. He had tackled corruption within the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Department without flinching.

  Mateo grabbed Callaghan by the lapels. “Sophia thought the robbers would try and make their escape through the tunnels that run under the old city.”

  Callaghan gripped his wrists and shoved him back. He wasn’t rough, but his actions were deliberate, telling Mateo without words to calm down. “There are tunnels under the city?”

  He flexed his fingers, forcing himself to focus. “Apparently.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No, she said she did a local history project in…” He waved away the thought. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is she’s still alive and she’s wearing a smartwatch.”

  Callaghan straightened away from his vehicle. “Is it GPS enabled?”

  “I believe so. It had texting ability. I need a computer with that app that finds lost devices.”

  Callaghan opened the door of his SUV and reached inside. “You’d need her password to make it work.”

  “I think she gave it to me.”

  Callaghan opened his laptop and then passed it to Mateo, who placed the computer on the driver’s seat and crouched down. With a few keystrokes, he had accessed the app and typed what he believed to be Sophia’s password, auntvalerie1.

  He ground his teeth when the words Incorrect Password appeared on the screen.

  He was on the right track. He knew it, but there could be several combinations of Aunt Valerie. Maybe Sophia had called her Val. No, she wouldn’t have said Valerie if she didn’t mean for the whole word to be used.

  Who was Sophia? What did he know about her besides the fact that she wound him in knots? She was intelligent and observant. When working on a case, she inspected and verified every last detail. Details… She was a detail-oriented person. Aunt Valerie will always be number one.

  That was it. She hadn’t said Aunt Valerie came first. She’d said she was number one.

  He typed AuntValerie#1. The app opened to reveal a pinging dot.

  “I have her. She’s moving.” His pain and fatigue vanished as his heart pounded against his ribs. Sophia was alive. He would see her again. He wanted to collapse on the ground and pray, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t over yet. “She’s in trouble. Old Woman must’ve taken her for a reason. He obviously doesn’t need her as a hostage, so why would they burden themselves with a witness?”

  Callaghan shoved him aside and climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’ll drive. You navigate, and on the way you can tell me about this old woman character.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Sophia climbed out of the cramped tunnel into a small, dark, musty shed. The smell of rotting wood filled the air. Through the open door she could see a streetlight and wondered whether it was past midnight. She itched to look at her watch, but daren’t. Inviting their scrutiny would be foolish. With any luck, they would be distracted by the loot, and she could seize the opportunity to escape.

  “Let’s get everything loaded into the van.” Old Woman turned on a flashlight, illuminating the floor. Scattered around the cramped interior were four large black tote bags, a small stack of gold bars, and three large backpacks. This was obviously the haul from the bank.

  Baby did a little jig, dancing out through the open door and back in again. “We did it.”

  Old Man heaved a bag onto his shoulder. “I want the woman.”

  Bile rose, burning her throat. She instinctively stepped back, wanting to put some distance between herself and the rapist.

  “And you’ll have her as soon as the job is done, not before.” Old Woman placed himself between Sophia and Old Man. The two seemed to be engaged in a childish staring match. She was grateful to have Old Woman’s protection, if only in the short term.

  Baby loaded his arms with gold bars. “I don’t want her, and I think it was stupid to bring her.” Then he turned his back and walked out carrying his haul.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. None of this made sense. Why would Old Woman, who was clearly in charge, agree to bring her along? Eventually, they would have to kill her. She looked around the shed, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. She squinted, trying to make out silhouettes in the murky darkness. There was some kind of tool hanging on the wall behind her.

  “Are you going to stand and stare at me all night or get to work?” Old Woman snapped at Old Man who was still intent on outstaring his boss.

  Sophia took another two steps back until her hand wrapped around the handle of what she hoped was a hammer. She gave it a tug, freeing it from the pegboard. There was a small crack as the old board gave way. She coughed, hoping to cover the sound.

  “Okay, you win, but if you try to keep her for yourself, I’ll beat you within an inch of your life.” Old Man dragged a tote bag outside.

  Old Woman turned to face her. “You can keep the wrench.” He grabbed the bottom of his mask and tugged it over his head.

  Her hand tightened around the metal grip. She didn’t want to look. Seeing his face meant he would have to kill her, but she couldn’t turn away. She shouldn’t have worried. His face was cast in shadows. She could make out the outline of his head, but that was all.

  Old Man entered. “What the hell are you doing? She’s not supposed to see us.”

  “It doesn’t matter now.”

  The man who’d been disguised as Old Woman backed away, allowing Old Man access.

  Her stomach felt like it had sunk to her knees, and she muffled a cry. Old Woman had lied. He’d said Old Man couldn’t have her until they’d loaded their haul, and yet she could still see valuables, backpacks, and tote bags stacked near the entrance to the tunnel. The time difference between when she’d expected to be assaulted and now was probably only minutes, but she wanted to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

  Old Man stepped forward as he tore off his mask, too. “This is like having Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one.”

  She edged back, but in the small confines of
the shack, there was no room to maneuver. Her attacker had short pale hair on a large head with jug ears, and although she couldn’t see his face clearly, she imagined he was salivating.

  He grabbed her jacket, yanking it open. Buttons pinged as they hit the floor.

  She swiped at him with the wrench, managing to hit him on the side of his head. He yelped as he stumbled sideways and then righted himself.

  “You bitch.” He fisted his hand and pulled back his arm ready to strike.

  Sophia closed her eyes and covered her head, waiting for the blow, but it didn’t come. A sickening gurgling sound echoed through the night air. Old Man slumped onto the floor, clutching his throat.

  Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. She gripped the wrench tighter.

  “I’ve always hated rapists. I won’t hurt you, but it’s in your own interest to wait here until I call you.” Old Woman backed away.

  “W-who are you?”

  He stopped before he reached the threshold. “I’m Ethan.” Then he walked out of the shed. As he passed through the door, she noticed the glint of a bloody knife in his hand.

  She exhaled, putting a hand against the wall to steady herself as her legs turned to jelly. He wasn’t going to slaughter her…for now.

  A sweet metallic smell filled the air…blood. Suddenly, her skin felt too tight, and she suppressed the urge to gag. Now wasn’t the time to fall apart. She turned her gaze away from the dead body at her feet. Instead, she focused her attention on the haul from the robbery. Allowing Old Man access to her early was a distraction, another tactic, making it easier for Ethan to kill him.

  Was Ethan murdering his cohorts so he could keep the money to himself? It wouldn’t be the first time a criminal had massacred his partners, but that didn’t explain why she was here. She had seen his face and witnessed a homicide. He would have to get rid of her. She needed to get out of here. Her legs felt heavy, as though they didn’t belong to her body. It took all her willpower to force her feet to move.

  She stopped at the door. Ethan was ten feet in front of her, crouching under the streetlight. On the ground next to him lay another dead body. She stepped forward. A warning screamed in the back of her mind, telling her to run, to try to get away, but the compulsion to see the face of the man she thought of as Baby overwhelmed her common sense.

  “He was just a kid who liked shooting and blowing stuff up. He wasn’t bad. He just got caught up with the wrong people.” There was no emotion in Ethan’s voice, no regret or remorse. He was simply stating the facts.

  “Why did you kill him?” She wished she hadn’t asked the question, wished she would have just turned and ran. But in her heart she knew that would never work. Ethan was a predator who was capable of hunting her down.

  “I have my orders.” Once again his voice was emotionless and flat, as though he had disconnected his feelings.

  Sophia stared at the dead young man. He had a handsome face and shaggy hair. His skin was so smooth he looked as if he belonged in high school instead of robbing banks.

  Ethan ran the tip of his knife over his victim’s cheek. “Normally, I spend some time with my prey. I enjoy the feel of the blade as it splits the skin.”

  A lump formed in her throat. He was a sadistic bastard who liked cutting people.

  He stood, still staring at the body on the ground. “Unfortunately, I have other things I need to do.”

  He strolled toward her, his movements unhurried and graceful. The light reflected off his balding head, his hair thinning at the front. She couldn’t make out any other distinguishing features. His eyes looked brown, but blue eyes tended to appear dark at night so there was no way to say for certain. He could also be wearing contacts, but would someone wearing a mask go to those lengths? Maybe this guy would. He had calculated everything else, why not his appearance?

  “I suspect your policeman boyfriend will be along to rescue you soon.” He stopped in front of her, bent down to wipe the bloody knife on a mound of grass, and then sheathed it in his ankle holster.

  “Mateo’s still alive?” Some of her tension eased at the thought that this monster could be right.

  Ethan shrugged. “That’s my estimate. He might be a bit singed. If he’s conscious, he would have told someone about your smartwatch.”

  She grabbed her wrist, feeling the device. “You know about that?”

  “Of course. It was stupid of you to take the chance. If the others had seen it, they would’ve killed you, and there would’ve been nothing I could have done to stop them.” He ran a finger along her jawline.

  She stood still, too scared to react to his touch. She needed to concentrate. What was going on here? Most of the takings from the robbery were still in the shed. He hadn’t made any move to load them into the van. Why had Ethan robbed the bank, taken hostages, demanded a ransom, and then set the fire?

  She knew the answer to her last question. He’d set the fire so he could escape. And Ethan had his own reasons for committing the robbery. But there was one question she didn’t understand. “Why did you take hostages and ask for a ransom? Why not just tunnel in at the weekend?”

  “Think about it. I’m sure you can figure out the answer.” His hand dropped to his side.

  “The vault probably has motion sensors that are set once the bank is closed. If you’d burrowed in on the weekend, you would have set them off.”

  “Good job. I knew you were smart.”

  “But why the ransom?”

  “Keep going, you’ll get it.” His voice held a mocking tone.

  “You were always going to escape through the tunnels, but you needed time to break through the floor.”

  “Bingo.” There was a smile in his voice. It reminded her of the patronizing tone a parent might use with a small child.

  “And you had to kill them.” She winced when she heard her own words. She’d meant to ask a question, but it sounded more like an accusation.

  He smiled, looking normal, which was probably the most terrifying thing about him, his ability to seem ordinary. “As a defense attorney, you should know you can’t trust a criminal.”

  “A-are you going to kill me, too?” She didn’t want to hear the answer, but had to ask.

  “No.” He tugged a bundle of folded papers from the pouch in his sweatshirt. “You’ll need these.” He stuffed them into her hand.

  “What are they?” Sophia dropped the wrench and opened the pages, trying to make out the words in the dim light of the streetlamp.

  “It’s an insurance policy. There are a group of businessmen working together. They burn each other’s buildings for profit. What do you lawyers call it? Ah, yes, a criminal conspiracy. They’ve been using the safety deposit boxes to communicate.”

  “Who are you?” She had a hard time believing he was some misguided Robin Hood.

  “I told you I’m Ethan. Ramirez will have heard of me.”

  “Why are you doing this?” The lawyer in her wasn’t satisfied with his answer.

  “I had my orders.”

  “You can’t have known I would be in the bank.” She tried to imprint every detail about him to memory, knowing she would be questioned about this encounter for days if not weeks.

  “No, I was supposed to visit you in your apartment tonight.”

  A chill edged down her spine. “My apartment?” He knew where she lived. It was a nice building with excellent security, or so she’d thought. She would have to move.

  “Yes, now if you’ll excuse me, I need to leave. Don’t follow me.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “Your skin is so silky. It would be a pity to scar it.”

  Once again she steeled herself, forcing her body not to respond.

  Then he turned and thrust his hands in his pockets as he strolled to the end of the street. To a passerby, he might look like someone out for an evening walk and not a criminal who had just committed a bank robbery and stabbed two men to death. He whistled a slow tune when he reached the corner and turned right out of sight. The whistli
ng continued for a few minutes, ringing out in the still night air, and then everything went quiet.

  Sophia glanced at the body on the ground and then at the van that was supposed to be their getaway vehicle. It was partially loaded with their haul. The rest of the plunder was still piled in the shed. Ethan hadn’t wanted any of the money or valuables. He’d engineered the heist just to get his hands on the documents and deliver them to her.

  She needed to find Mateo. She had to know if he was alive. She took one step away from the body and then another.

  A dark SUV pulled up next to her. Had Ethan changed his mind and come back to kill her? She grabbed the wrench from the ground. There was no way she would make it easy for him. She might not win, but she could fight. She would make sure there was evidence, blood, fingerprints, and hair, anything the police could use to identify her killer.

  A tall fit man climbed out of the vehicle. She gasped, taking in the dark hair, the bruised face, and the torn shirt, but her mind couldn’t absorb what she was seeing. Could it really be Mateo?

  He stopped two feet from her. “Are you going to hit me?”

  She dropped the wrench and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. “You’re alive.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Exhaustion dragged at Sophia, making even walking a chore. The sun was rising over the city skyline by the time she left the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Station. Captain Tate, who was in charge of the investigation, had questioned her for hours. She’d handed over the evidence Ethan had given her after getting Mateo to make photocopies for her. Mateo had wondered aloud if Ethan’s criminal conspiracy was linked to the arson case he’d been investigating. He’d come to her office on Thursday because he thought the teen, Ty Washburn, who was accused of Arson, was innocent. Could it be that the businessmen implicated in the documents had set him up? She would look into the matter…later.