35

Joshua

“Have Zephyr here by dawn,” I told Mikey, holding the phone with a firm grip, so much so I could hear the plastic cracking. I remained edgy, keeping my weapon close. She was changing into something other than a robe, which allowed me to contact my Capo to ensure she was protected while I visited Liam.

“I’ll make certain of it. I still wish you wouldn’t visit Liam,” Mikey said. “I know you’re the boss, but there’s some weird shit going on.”

“You don’t need to tell me.” I turned toward the doorway. “I emailed you information on Selena Barrios, including what little I found on a case she worked on four years ago.”

“We’re talking about the prosecutor handling trying to put you away.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem, Mikey.”

“Wow, boss. You care about her. I can tell.”

The surprise in his voice made me laugh.

“Yeah, I do. She’s in danger and I’m not going to allow anything to happen to her. I need every stone unearthed, every fucking shadow checked out. I don’t give a shit, this isn’t our city, use whatever muscle and contacts you have. Something is going down in the goddamn town and I’m not going to allow Selena or myself to be used as scapegoats any longer.” Or used for target practice either.

“Got ya, boss. It’ll be tough but I’ll do everything I can.”

“Good. The man arrested in the case from four years ago is Damien Duncan, supposedly one bad dude. See if you can find out where the fuck he disappeared to and if there’s any chance he returned to Louisville. Also see if you can find out anything about his connections.”

“That’s a tall order. I hope you have his social security or something.”

“I doubt you’ll need it,” I told him.

“Whew. I’ll see what I can do.” He whistled under his breath.

“Let me know what you find.”

“Will do. Incidentally, Liam insisted on picking the location of the meeting.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to venture a guess it’s deep in the heart of Irish country.”

“It is. You’ll only have me as backup. The odds aren’t in our favor.”

“Just let me worry about that,” I told him.

He exhaled. “Okay, boss.”

Hearing music in the background of Selena’s house, I ended the call, tossing my phone onto the kitchen table next to my weapon, returning to the dinner I was preparing. It was simple—a salad, bread, the steaks, and baked potatoes—but she needed to eat something. I felt her presence a few seconds later and glanced over my shoulder.

“Interesting. You really can cook,” Selena said in such a way that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“This is hardly cooking, but yes, I can.” I wasn’t prepared to tell her I’d been forced to learn only a couple of years before. Up until then, I’d enjoyed eating out the majority of the time. I’d learned that didn’t bode well when you were no longer living alone.

“And you look fantastic in my robe.”

Even through a crisis of this nature, she could keep her sense of humor. I adored that about her, as well as just about everything else. “Well, I didn’t think I could fit into your shorts and a tee shirt.”

“I’d have lent you clothes belonging to my ex-pain-in-the-ass-cheating boyfriend but oops, he didn’t leave anything here.”

“Ouch.”

“Good riddance. I’ll try not to shrink your Italian trousers.”

“Have some wine.” Chuckling, I didn’t want to push her about details, but what she’d said about her boss alone was enough to be disturbing.

“I think I will.” She hummed along with the fascinating music she’d selected as she poured a glass from the already opened bottle, taking her time to enjoy several sips. “I was newly hired when I was assigned the case, and only after I asked for it repeatedly. My boss finally relented. Damien Duncan was a true sociopath, a man who destroyed lives. I believed wholeheartedly in his guilt. The police believed they finally got him, his fingerprint found at one of the scenes. He killed six women, tying their bodies and slaughtEricag them by removing organs.”

When she shifted her gaze toward me, I could see she was uncertain whether I was capable of something so horrific.

“But he had an alibi. A woman came forward with pictures of the two of them together. There was a time stamp and everything. I thought for certain it had been doctored but every expert that was hired couldn’t figure it out. So he walked free but not without telling me he was leaving town but would return. The note asked if I remembered him. Or maybe not him. I’m not sure any longer. But those who knew me understand how rattled the case made me.”

Which meant it would be perfect to use against her.

“Was this note signed?”

“No, but it was very similar to the notes left all those years ago.”

“That people in your office know about.” I finished the steaks, pulling them off the heat.

The way she looked at me was sadly resigned but I sensed her wheels had been turning in that direction for some time. “Yes.”

“How did your boss threaten you?”

“It was strange, as if she knew that I cared for you without coming out and saying it. She is powerful, someone people look up to. She’s been pushed to run for office, but always said she didn’t want to do that. I think she does. In fact, I think she’s embroiled in some strange power play, using your case to gain political clout ahead of the elections in the fall. Christine was someone I looked up to. She’d acted as if she’d seen something special in me, mentoring me from day one of being an intern.”

“Interesting.”

“Not interesting. Sickening. Nothing has been announced yet as far as additional candidates for the upcoming ticket, but I’m certain soon we’ll have females in every power position given their method of manipulation. That disgusts me. Since I’m up for District Attorney, females would have control of almost every aspect of law enforcement, every top political position including senator and even the medical examiner.”

“That is a strong and powerful hold on the city.”

“Yes, more than anyone should have, a world that I want no part of, it’s true. Not if they’re going to ruin you. Not if you’re innocent.”

“You already know the truth to that question, Selena.”

“Unless you told your soldiers to kill them.”

“You need to ask yourself an important question. If I’d targeted you, how did I know for certain you’d be assigned the case?”

She looked away, thinking about my question, nodding a few seconds later. “You are right. Unless you had a connection to Christine, which I didn’t discover. The truth is that I’m being used as a puppet. The person leaving the notes is using the fearthat almost crippled me years ago against me since I didn’t react as they thought I would.”

“That’s entirely possible, but I will discover if Damien has returned to town. As I said, anyone can be found for the right amount of money and depending on the people you know.”

“I’ll give you everything I have on the monster. What happens if he’s here?” She fisted her hand, her resolve increasing once again.

“Then I’ll handle the situation as necessary.” I noticed the look in her eyes changed, as if she was more than resigned to the fact it was entirely possible her boss wasn’t the mentor she’d thought of the woman as being. But there was more. An entirely different resignation that troubled me.

“You know, I’ve seen terrible things in my life because of the work I do. I always believed I was helping people, protecting the innocent while condemning those who didn’t deserve salvation. I prided myself on being one of the good guys, a champion. I’ve seen bloody, violent images that left me haunted to this day, robbing me of sleep and in some ways, a tiny bit of my sanity. But because I was doing so for all the right reasons, I forged on through the muck and blood, to keep making a difference. When I lost that case with Damien, I was certain I couldn’t do it any longer. If Christine is using that horror so many people went through, I will stop at nothing to destroy her. And her friends. If she dared to take my goodness, my promise made to this community to line her pockets, she will pay the ultimate price. And if she dared to put you in the middle, a man I care for, then I’m not certain what I will do.”

“I’ll be happy to help you do that,cherie. And what if Damien is walking the streets of Louisville?”

She slowly lifted her gaze once again, a strange and very telling look crossing her lovely face. “Then do what you need to do. Do what I think you’ve very good at doing. Eliminate the problem.”

“Let me just say one more time that I don’t like this shit whatsoever.”