Black Ice (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (12 page)

He kissed her forehead. “They’re not that bad.”

“You don’t know them that well.” A few beats passed before she said, “Merry Christmas.”

He pulled her tighter against him. “Right back at you.”

* * * *

When the brand new year rolled around, Blake realized it’d be no less stressful. Blake hung up the phone and made her way toward the guys in the department. “Toxicology came back on the vial.” She handed the paper to Ryder. “It matches the ME’s report on the substance in the victim’s body. It’s GHB.”

Ryder snatched the paper from her. “So, what? She planned to rape her?”

Blake shrugged. “High doses cause you to lose consciousness. Maybe her intentions were for Sophie Stevens to pass out while driving. At least that way, it would appear that a wreck killed her and she wouldn’t be at fault.”

“Get someone over there to haul her ass in.” Ryder shoved the paper at Blake. “And, Warren, I talked to Lou. You’re not on the case which means you need to leave and enjoy your paid vacation until this is over.”

Her jaw dropped. “Why?”

“Seth Cameron attacked you, and you killed him. You’re in danger, and until everything is settled, you’re staying out of harm’s way. The killer picked you out specifically, Blake. I don’t know why, but he did, and I don’t want your body to end up in one of those bags.”

“You can’t be serious. I’m the one that found the lead. I’m the one that has been busting my ass to figure out what happened to that girl. The killer didn’t target me. Seth Cameron did because I pissed him off when
you
arrested him.”

“We’ve all been busting our asses, Blake. I can’t babysit you and protect you twenty-four-seven when I have a killer on the loose that needs to be locked up.” He dragged her into an interrogation room so no one would hear. “Look, it wasn’t entirely Lou’s decision. The entire department agrees. And I…If something happens to you…I don’t even want to think about that.”

“So you did the exact opposite of what I asked you?” Blake shook her head angrily. “You went to Lou and asked him to keep me off of this case instead of trying to get me back on.”

“Blake, you were attacked. You shot and killed a guy linked to this case! Why the hell would I let you continue making enemies when I don’t have to?”

“It’s not your place to make that decision for me. Like you, it’s part of my job. Enemies come with the territory.” She turned away from him, afraid she’d cry. “You don’t get to dictate to me, Ryder. You knew that from day one. We’re partners. We agreed to work together for a common cause.”

“And we protect each other as well.”

“By turning on me?” She whirled around. “By taking my job away from me? Who are you protecting, Ryder? Are you looking out for what’s best for me or what’s best for you?”

His jaw hardened. “You need to leave, Blake.”

“Screw you, Ryder,” she snarled. “This isn’t going to solve shit, and you know it. You need me. You said it yourself. You can’t work this case alone, and I’m your partner!”

“Not at the expense of your life! Have you stopped to think about what went down before Christmas? Really, Blake? A guy almost killed you. A couple nights before that, Seth Cameron attacked you. Not to mention you have an ex-boyfriend who evidently has separation issues.” He held out his hand. “Do you see the picture I’m painting here? Trouble is following you wherever you go and it needs to stop. Besides, I work better without partners, so whether or not I can solve this case without you isn’t a question. You’re not on the case, end of discussion.”

“You suck as a partner. No wonder your last one went out on his own. You’re a domineering jerk that uses people to gain glory from his superiors.” She unclipped her badge and threw it at him. “Don’t bother worrying about me, Detective. I’m off the case, and you can solve this all by yourself. Gain your own glory for once in your life.”

“Quit making this personal.”

“How could it not be? It became personal the moment you kissed me. It has nothing to do with my ability to perform my job. My job hasn’t ever been the issue. You know damn well I’m good at what I do. You only want me off this so you rise to fame and become the hero. Ryder James saved the day! Well, good for you.” She took a step toward the door and met his eyes. “Lose my number, Ryder. Lose my memory and everything else that comes along with it. I want nothing to do with you ever again. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing so for a while now. As I’ve proven, I have a perfect shot.”

She sat the gun on the table and brushed past him, doing her best to keep her emotions intact. The rest of the office tried to look busy as she cleaned out her desk in anger. She wasn’t suspended but she didn’t feel like coming back. Not until Betsy returned—if Betsy came back. Stuff went flying as she threw it into an empty box.

How could she be so stupid as to trust him? He put on a great act. The hospital stay, the kiss, his words. She’d been played like a fool.

Ryder came up beside her, standing with his cop face painfully intact. “When you cool down, we’ll talk about it.”

“When I cool down?” Her voice was low, anger evident. She stopped and faced him. “I am cool.”

He glanced inside the box. “Why are you cleaning out your desk? You’re making a scene.”

“Go screw yourself, Ryder. I’m good at my job, and no matter what you try to do, you won't take that from me. You’re an arrogant dickwad that deserves to rot in Hell for all I care. I’m cleaning out my desk because you suck as a partner. I’m not coming back until Betsy does. She knows what it’s like to be real partner. She’s someone that’s got your back. You could seriously take some lessons because you obviously don’t understand the meaning of the word teamwork.”

Okay, maybe she could have handled that better. People stared and she really didn’t care. Professionalism went out the window along with everything else. She took a deep breath and met his eyes.

“Have a nice life. I’m done.”

She grabbed the box and moved past the cubicles toward the front. She stopped when she reached the doorway, glancing back one time before continuing forward. She barely made it to the car before she broke down in tears. She didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve to have everything taken from her.

* * * *

Ryder dialed her number for the fifth time and got her voicemail. She still refused to answer his calls. He slammed the phone down and pressed his fingers on his temples. He’d done the right thing. They planned to make her take a mandatory leave with psych evaluation anyway, since she shot someone in self-defense, but he pressed Lou to take her off the case. It
was
the right thing.

“Check this out, James. Flip on the news, Channel 5.”

He flipped on the news and immediately saw Blake’s face plastered on the screen. Beside it, a reporter informed the general public of Blake Warren’s association with the Sophie Stevens’ murder case and the second death that occurred two nights ago. His second-guessing left his mind when they went on to report her involvement in the shooting with eerie details. The reporter informed the general public of how Blake claimed self-defense and footage played of his house, showing where the scene happened.

“Who leaked this to the media?” Ryder stood up and stared at his co-workers. “I want some answers, and I want them now. What the news reporter said was not common knowledge. How did they get this story?”

No one had any answers.

He grabbed his jacket and headed for the front, pushing the doors open with brutal force. He doubted Blake went to his house. Frustrated, he unlocked his car door and climbed in. He did the right thing. Someone targeted her specifically, and if she stayed off of the case, then the less chance she’d have of being harmed. Theoretically.

Anyone who knew Blake had to know how intelligent she was. When she had a lead she acted like a bulldog with a bone, going after it with aggression. And he’d bet good money wherever she went, she worked on putting the pieces together to solve the case.

He took her badge and gun, but he could never take away her insight or association—that scared him the most. With plenty of psychos walking free, her simple association with the department, with the case, put her at a higher risk.

He drove to her place. On the north side of town, her house reminded him of a cottage straight out of Hansel and Gretel. Granted, it wasn’t made out of candy but definitely cute in its own way. Two cars he didn’t recognize sat in her driveway. One had dealer tags and the other was a resident. He figured she rented a car, and the other belonged to her mother.

He parked and climbed out. A golden brown sidewalk lead him to the front door. He smiled at that. Her own personal yellow brick road. He climbed the porch stairs and pressed the doorbell.

“Just a moment,” her mother answered. The door locks clicked, and Lisa’s eyes widened in surprise before she smiled at him. “Ryder. This is a surprise.”

“Is Blake here?”

“Yes. She’s in a mood.” Lisa waved him in. “Maybe you can soothe it. Blake!”

“What?” She came around the corner dressed in a pink and black racerback tank with matching yoga pants. She stopped dead in her path when she saw Ryder and narrowed her eyes. “Go to hell.”

Ryder moved past Lisa and grabbed Blake’s arm. “Upstairs. Now.”

She didn’t bother to struggle, which surprised him. He led her upstairs and into her bedroom, locking the door behind them. “First things first. I’m not here on a personal note. Your picture is plastered all over the news with vivid details of what happened. Do you have any idea who could have leaked the story about you?”

She sat on her bed and stared at him. “No. Why? You think I did as some twisted payback?” She shook her head. “I’m not stupid, Ryder. I know you think otherwise, but I’m good at my job.”

“Just stop for a moment.” Ryder sat on the bed beside her. “I take you out of the department to keep you from being a target and someone makes you headline news. Someone wants you to be in the spotlight.”

“So let me back on the case, and I can do my job.”

“You’re not getting back on the case.” He huffed a breath. “Have you pissed anyone off at work?”

“If you’re interrogating me, you might as well put the cuffs around my wrists because I’m not saying anything otherwise. You’re not my partner. You’re not my boyfriend.”

“I suppose it could be Levi,” he continued, ignoring her. “He would be the only one that had something to gain by keeping you in the spotlight. I suppose a death of a civilian could potentially ruin a cop’s career if they suspected foul play. But how did the bastard know about it?” He glanced over at her. “You can stop being a brat, too. It’s very unbecoming. And I am your boyfriend, your partner, and everything that goes with it. Might as well accept it now.”

Her jaw dropped slightly. “No, you’re not. You think Levi is trying to ruin me?”

“Why not? He comes to the station, you pull a gun on him, and I punch him. He hangs around and follows you home. Calls you, threatens you. All of this
was
on the same night of Seth Cameron’s death.” Ryder met her eyes. “Do you think he’s involved with the murder in some way?”

“There’s no connection. The only link is me.” She stood and paced around the room. “Levi has nothing to gain but satisfaction from my humiliation. I chose the police academy over him, and he can’t stand it. If he can cause me to lose my job then he wins.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Taking me off the case is giving him satisfaction.”

Ryder chuckled, unable to help himself. “Okay, so Levi’s not connected. How did he know the details, assuming he’s the leak? Is he connected to Seth Cameron?”

“Everything is documented when a death occurs. All it takes is a human being with half a brain to figure out what documents to look at and how to find them.” She frowned. “He has a degree in computer technology. The man could hack into anything and leave no trail. He was MIT-worthy, but too psychotic to actually be offered a job. No one that prestigious would hire him, even if he was pretty damn good. It wouldn’t be hard for him to hack into the system.”

A psychotic computer technologist. Ryder didn’t even want to think of the possibilities of him interfering with their case. “He wouldn’t hack into the system and try to erase evidence, would he?”

Blake’s eyes lit up. “Maybe. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

Ryder thrust his fingers through his hair and groaned. Something else for him to worry about. “Don’t shoot me for asking this, but can you talk to him? See what he wants and if there is a link between him and the murder. If he knew Seth or the Stevens family, then that’s part of the case. I’d hate to think he worked for the murderer with his skill. What if he causes us to lose everything we’ve got so far?”

She reacted exactly as he expected her to. “Hell no.”

“Blake,” he pleaded.

“No.” She crossed her arms and shook her head. “You can’t ask me to do that. I’d have two murders on my hands and that one probably won’t be in self-defense.”

He reached for her hand and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping both arms around her. He didn’t know what to say. Maybe the two weren’t connected, but his gut said otherwise. He could only imagine what she went through. From what he gathered, she struggled for a while before she finally got away from him. She practically went into hiding at the academy.