Boxed Set: Traitorous Heart Volumes 1-6 (The Traitorous Heart Series) (13 page)

“Woodhills on 20th.”

He nodded. “I know the place.” He wrote down the name. I mentally did as well.

“Anything else you want to tell me?” Cage glanced at his watch.

“I don’t think so,” Birdy said, shaking her head.

“’Kay, I’m going to get the police report, follow up on a few things on my end, and I’ll see you at the arraignment tomorrow morning.” He shoved the paper and pen in his briefcase, snapped it shut, and stood.

I stood too. “That’s it?”

“For now. Are you going to get her some clothes for tomorrow, or should I send someone to do it?”

“I’ll handle it, of course.”
You son-of-a-bitch.

“Excellent.” He stuck out his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Dandelion. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you a lot more over the next few weeks.”

“You got that right.”

Cage smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Pam—er, Birdy, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He opened the door and walked out.

“I’ll be back later with your clothes, ’kay?” Birdy stood. “Love you,” I said.

“Love you too.”

CHAPTER 6

Katie

After
I
got my driver’s license back from the plump policeman, I ran after Cage. It was a crisp October morning; the air was chilly, especially in the shade, and smelled like fresh-baked bread and cigarette smoke.

Cage was a little ways down the street on his cell. A long black limo turned onto 21
st
and pulled up in front of Cage. He didn’t wait for the driver to open the door, just got in.

I wasn’t done talking to Cage. The man was cold-hearted and rude. He needed to be more considerate of Birdy’s feelings and I was just the woman to set him straight. I made a rash decision.

I ran over to the limo, pulled on the door handle, and slid inside.

“What the hell?”

I faced Cage. “Listen, you need to not be so rude to Birdy. She’s sweet, tender-hearted, caring, and—”

“I get it.” He hung up his phone and slid it into his pocket. I noticed he seemed more relaxed. He flipped down the TV screen and used a remote to flip the channel to Sports Center. “You ever seen a Rangers game?”

“No.” I shook my head. “But listen. Birdy didn’t kill Reid.” Even though I didn’t have any kind of proof and she looked guilty, none of that mattered. I knew Birdy and if she said she didn’t do it, then she didn’t do it.

“Of course not,” he uttered, placing ice in a glass.

Drinking? Already? It wasn’t even ten in the morning. “Seriously?” I asked.

He smirked, opening the small refrigerator and pulling out a container of orange juice. I still wasn’t convinced. He could be adding vodka or schnapps. It wasn’t unheard of. Hell, I’d seen Birdy’s dad drink vodka straight right before he was due in court.

But Cage didn’t. He filled his glass with only orange juice, put the container back, and took a drink. “Where do you get off judging me?” he asked when the glass was half empty.

I shrugged.

“Take me to 3 Gramercy Park West,” Cage told the driver.

“That’s Reid’s apartment.”

“I know. I have the police report and Birdy’s information. Now I want to see the apartment for myself.”

“Is that something you normally do?” I stared out the window, watching as we turned off 21
st
and into traffic.

“It’s something I normally do, yes. Most lawyers don’t, but then I’m not most lawyers.”

“So you like to get down and dirty.”

He gave me a sultry look.

I blushed, realizing what I’d just said.

Cage chuckled. “Yes, I suppose I do.” 

There was an awkward silence. A cheer came from the TV screen. I glanced at it. Some guy stood up on the ice. His face was covered in blood. “Nash. Bout time you started doing your job.” Cage took another sip of orange juice.

“Hockey, huh?”

“Is there anything else?”

“Let’s see. There’s football, basketball, baseball… yeah, a few other things.” I smirked.

He chuckled, polished off his juice, then pulled the rest out of the fridge. I hadn’t eaten yet this morning and my stomach growled in complaint.

“You hungry?”

I crossed my hands over my stomach. “A little.” The thing was, I was hungry but I didn’t think I could eat. I was too worried about Birdy, my stomach in knots over what happened to Reid.

Cage pressed a button.

“Yes, Mr. Devereux?”

“Can you stop at Gaston’s Bakery?”

“Of course, Mr. Devereux.”

Cage released the button. “There. We’ll get you fed.”

“That’s not necessary. Although I would like to go into Reid’s apartment with you, if that’s all right?”

He regarded me a few moments until I started to squirm. “What are you doing?”

The twelve year old in me wanted to say,
Take a picture it lasts longer
, but I resisted.

“You seem to really care about Birdy. And I’ve read your file. I know you graduated top of your class from Harvard. Why don’t you have a job yet?”

Well wasn’t that the two million dollar question.
“I haven’t found the right place yet,” I finally replied.

“I see. Where have you applied? And excuse my French, but why the fuck haven’t you applied at the firm where I work? You’re obviously tight with Birdy. I’m sure you could get a job there regardless of your credentials.”

I cleared my throat. I didn’t need to explain myself to him. It was none of his damn business.

“I’m waiting.” He crossed one leg over the other, the picture of a confident man who always got what he wanted.

“I don’t want to work for Birdy’s dad. I-I…” I wiped away some nonexistent dust from my pants.

“You what? Don’t want to be a lawyer?”

I glared. Upset he was making me voice the truth. “I don’t want to get a job based on who I know. I want a job based on my merit.”

He snorted. “You’re naïve. There are a thousand hungry lawyers vying for a job right now. Merit doesn’t mean shit. In this business,” he paused and shook his head. “In any business it’s who you know over what you know. It’s a fact. That you know Jonathon Bird is huge. Most guys would give their left nut to have the in you do. Use it, for God’s sake.”

The limo pulled out of traffic and in front of Gaston’s Bakery. I’d eaten a pastry from here once and still remembered how delicious it was. There was a line outside the store and down the block.

“Mr. Devereux, did you want me to go in?”

“No, thank you, Emmett. I’ll do it.” Cage gave me a hard look. “Think about what I’ve said.” He got out. I watched him walk past the line. The smell of sugar and cinnamon permeated the air, making my mouth water. I really was hungry. Griffin and I had burned a lot of calories last night.

One of Gaston’s employees saw Cage coming and held the door open for him. He patted the kid on the shoulder, obviously thanking him, and walked in.

Some guy was talking about the Rangers game. I blocked him out and thought about what Cage had said. Would it be better to get a job I didn’t deserve because I knew Birdy’s dad? It seemed unfair, but maybe that wasn’t the way to look at it. I hadn’t sought out Birdy and become friends with her to get ahead. She wasn’t like a sister to me so that I could use her as a means to get to her father. I loved her and always would. It didn’t matter if I never became a lawyer. Maybe I should submit my resume. At least that part of my life plan could continue. Right?

Cage came out of the bakery holding a white box tied with brown string. Several of those in line gave him dirty looks. Cage ignored them and got in the limo. The aroma that immediately filled the air nearly made me cry. It smelled so good my mouth began to water. 

He seemed to notice. “Want one?” He opened the box and pulled out a lobster claw. It was covered with a thin layer of sugar.

“Yes,” I said, taking it from his outstretched hand.

Cage knocked on the window between the back and front. It came down. “Take one,” Cage insisted.

“Thank you, Mr. Devereux,” the driver said, pulling a claw from the box.

“Of course. And as soon as you can, let’s get to that address I gave you.”

“Right away.” I watched the driver shove half the lobster claw in his mouth. Then he put the limo in drive and eased into traffic. Cage took one for himself, taking a bite.

I took a bite of mine and nearly cried. The pastry melted in my mouth. It was so soft, yet crisp. Gaston’s really had the best pastries.

We ate in silence. Cage ate three and offered me another, which I declined. He let the driver have it.

When we pulled in front of Reid’s apartment building, Cage climbed out first and then stuck out his hand to help me.

“Thank you,” I said.

He laughed, wiping a chunk of sugar from the side of my mouth with his thumb.

“How embarrassing.” I looked away.

“You mean delicious, don’t you?” He stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked. It was as though his mouth was elsewhere, and a shot of desire pulsed between my thighs. He walked toward the apartment doors. I stayed behind, taking a deep breath.
Fucking lost my mind.

Flinging my purse onto my shoulder, I followed Cage. He was already speaking to the doorman. The guy in the green and gold suit was a few inches taller than Cage, maybe six foot four but a lot wider. He reminded me of a freezer.

“Have you seen this woman?” In one hand was a picture of Birdy.

The doorman took the photo. “You cops?”

“No,” Cage said. “Worse, I’m this woman’s attorney.” He pointed at the picture. “And this is her best friend, Katie.” Cage indicated me.

“Hi,” I said, shocked Cage hadn’t called me Dandelion.

“I told the cops everything I know.”

“Can you tell us too? We want to help her.”

The man seemed guarded. He shrugged. “She’s been here before. A few times.”

That surprised me.

“And were you working last night?” Cage went on.

“Yeah. She was here last night. I buzzed her up for Reid.”

“I see. And what time was that?”

“Like I told the cops, I don’t know the exact time, but I’m guessing about nine-thirty.”

“Anyone else come in after her?”

“Sure, man. This is an apartment building.” He snorted.

“Right. Anyone look out of place?”

“This is New York City. No one looks out of place.”

Cage smiled when the doorman handed back the picture of Birdy. On the inside of his wrist were three numbers tattooed in black. “Did some time in the Army, huh?” Cage asked, indicating the man’s wrist.

“Yeah, man. That’s right. What you know?”

“Ex Delta Force.”

That explained his short hair and uptight personality.

“Right on.” The man visibly loosened up. “You out for good?”

Cage glanced back at me. “Yeah, a bum knee took me from my brothers.”

“Sorry, man.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Harley. If you need anything, let me know.”

Cage nodded, shaking Harley’s hand. “Mind if we take a look upstairs?”

Harley opened the door. “I’m not supposed to, but no one is up there now. Don’t touch nothing and hurry.”

“You got a deal,” Cage said, patting Harley on the shoulder as he walked by.

Harley tipped his hat to me and smiled. I returned the smile, thinking that man probably knew more about Reid, like what kinds of women he’d buzzed up, and how many, and who. He was probably a wealth of information. Sometime soon I’d have to come back and talk to him by myself.

CHAPTER 7

Katie

When w
e
got up to Reid’s, Cage went under the yellow tape and into his apartment. I closed the door after I did the same. It was deathly quiet, the only sound the ticking of the large silver clock over the fireplace.

Cage was bent over the pools of blood. I noticed yellow sticky tags on the floor and the wall, and realized they marked specks of blood.

“It looks like he was shot from behind.” Cage stood and walked over to the landing leading up to Reid’s bedroom. He had his hand pointed like that of a gun and backed up. “The killer probably stood here.” He went up the landing and disappeared into Reid’s bedroom.

I went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There wasn’t much inside: beer, cheese, yogurt, a pound of hamburger, a bottle of unopened white wine, and a red pepper. I turned and glanced into the living room. The layout was open. From the front door you could see past the living room and into the kitchen and vice versa. I could see the door from where I stood.