Turning Point (The Kathleen Turner Series) (23 page)

Matt Summers.

He left the way they’d come, and when I was sure he was out of sight, I hurried over to Lucy.

“Are you all right?” I asked, crouching down beside her.

“I’m fine,” she said tonelessly.

I helped her to her feet. “Why didn’t you let me help? I know I could have stopped him!”

I was furious with Matt for what he’d done, and angry with Lucy for not letting me crack him upside the skull.

Lucy pinned me with her eyes, which seemed filled with far too much knowledge and despair for someone her age. “You know nothing,” she said flatly. “Don’t interfere again.”

She swiped some blood from her lip before turning and walking away. Stunned, I could only stare after her, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Back at the bar, Jack shot me a dirty look, which I ignored, still shaken by what I’d seen. My heart broke for Lucy. Why did she let Matt do that to her? Now more than ever, I knew Lucy held the answers to what had happened to Amanda and Julie. Was she afraid she’d end up like them? That she’d be beaten like Julie, or that she’d disappear like Amanda?

Though I kept a lookout, I didn’t see Chance. I worried about him, wondering where he’d gone last night when he’d left the parking lot, if he’d been following that van and why.

“Hey.”

I looked up to see Mike standing at the bar.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”

“Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day,” he said. “We have a few private parties coming in and I’m short a couple dancers. Come early and Penny’ll dress you for the part.”

I just stared at him. No one messed with Mike, no one with any sense, anyway. “But… I don’t do that,” I finally stammered in protest.

“You will tomorrow,” he shot back. “Or you can call tonight your last night here.”

Shit. I couldn’t leave yet. I still hadn’t figured out what was going on with Lucy or if she knew what had happened to those girls. Gritting my teeth, I said, “Fine.”

I’d figure some way out of it tomorrow, but I couldn’t let him fire me tonight.

“Don’t get all bitchy,” Mike grunted. “It’s just for one night. Some fancy politicians or something. Do a couple lap dances, give ’em a show, you’ll have a thousand bucks to take home by the end of the night.”

I blanched. A thousand dollars? For one night? Crystal had been right. That kind of money would certainly come in handy for struggling college students.

After I’d cleaned and restocked, I grabbed my purse to leave. Not bothering to say good-bye to Jack, I headed out the door.

It was late, but I knew where I had to go, and I pointed my car in the direction of downtown.

A short while later, I was knocking on Kade’s door. Nerves tangled in my stomach as I waited for him to answer, rehearsing in my head the apology I wanted to make.

The door opened and I stood there, mouth agape.

A woman had answered. About my height, she was reddish-blonde like me, and well-endowed, with blue bedroom eyes. She studied me for a moment before glancing back over her shoulder.

“Is this the next one, or did you want to make a party of it?” Her voice had a sensual, throaty quality that I immediately envied.

I heard Kade before I saw him as he stepped around the corner into view. “What are you—”

He abruptly stopped speaking when he saw me.

Kade’s black hair was wet, as though he’d just taken a shower. He was barefoot and shirtless, his jeans zipped but not fastened. I knew immediately what the woman was here for and what they’d been doing.

My face grew hot and I backed away. “Sorry to… interrupt,” I stammered. “I didn’t know you had… company.”

“She was just leaving. Weren’t you, sweetheart?”

I unwillingly glanced over to see the blonde standing behind him, her purse and coat slung over her arm. She gave me a smile, which I didn’t return.

“Come inside,” Kade ordered.

Reluctantly, I walked into his apartment, the blonde passing me by on her way out the door.

I didn’t know what to do or say, my thoughts and feelings a jumbled mess at seeing the unknown woman and knowing she’d just had sex with Kade. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room.

Kade came up behind me but didn’t speak, just walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine rack. I watched as he uncorked it and poured the red liquid into a glass.

Settling himself onto the couch, he took a drink, his eyes on me. “So to what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked, his tone suggesting that this visit was anything but pleasurable for him.

“Who was she?” I countered, the question popping out of my mouth. I inwardly cringed at the peevish tone of my voice.

Kade raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck do you care?”

“I don’t,” I sputtered, backtracking. “I was just… curious, that’s all.”

“Well,” he sneered, “I couldn’t sleep, so… you know… thought she’d be a good diversion.” He took another drink, watching me.

I winced at the reminder of what I’d said to him last night. I swallowed, trying not to stare at his chest, or the way his jeans gaped at the top as I summoned the courage to say what I needed to say.

“Why are you here?” he asked, interrupting my thoughts. “I’m a remorseless killer with blood on my hands, remember?”

I flinched. “Um, yeah, about that.” I took a deep breath. “I want to apologize for what I said, Kade. You were just trying to help and I… I shouldn’t have said those things… reacted like I did.”

Kade gave a careless shrug. “Like I give a fuck what you think about me.”

His gaze was cold and hard, very much like it had been at first between us. I could practically see the wall he’d put back up, shutting me out. Not that I blamed him.

My heart sank. Deep down, I’d been afraid of this. “I’m sorry, Kade.” I just looked at him, hoping he could see how I felt, hoping I hadn’t permanently broken the tenuous peace between us.

Tipping the glass back, Kade finished his wine. He rose from the couch and stood directly in front of me. I flinched
but didn’t back away. Tipping my head back, I could see his icy blue eyes as he gazed down at me.

“I don’t want you, and I don’t want your apology,” he said in a low voice rife with contempt. “Now get the fuck out.”

Stunned, I watched as he turned his back, dismissing me, and walked away. A moment later, the door to the bedroom closed.

I couldn’t move. The pain gnawing my gut threatened to engulf me. I hadn’t known, hadn’t expected, that he wouldn’t forgive me. That the things I’d said would kill whatever friendship we’d had. I wrapped my arms tightly around my waist, as if I wouldn’t fall apart if I just squeezed hard enough.

Blane was forbidden to me, and now I’d lost Kade as well?

A persistent buzzing wouldn’t go away, and I finally looked up to see what it was. Kade had left his phone on the kitchen counter. I walked numbly toward it and stood staring at the metal rectangle.

The caller ID said only “Terrance.” I knew Terrance. He’d been the terrifyingly large black man who’d helped Kade and me infiltrate TecSol. It felt like ages ago.

Without thinking, I reached for the phone.

“Hello?”

“Yo, who’s this? Where’s Kade?”

“Terrance,” I said. “I… it’s Kathleen. I’ll get Kade. Hold on.”

Numbly, I walked to Kade’s forbidding bedroom door and knocked. The thought occurred to me that the unknown blonde had been in there with him just a short while ago. I roughly pushed the image aside as Kade jerked the door open.

“I thought I told you—” he began.

“It’s Terrance,” I interrupted. “For you.” I held the phone out to him.

The look he gave me sent a shiver down my spine, and I took an instinctive step back.

“Yeah,” he barked into the phone.

I watched him as he listened, and he never took his eyes off me. After a few moments, I had to look away from his piercing gaze.

“Got it. Thanks.”

He slid the phone into the pocket of his jeans.

“Don’t ever, ever answer my phone again,” Kade threatened.

I flushed hotly but nodded. “I’m sorry,” I managed, my voice strained and weak to my ears. “I saw it was Terrance and thought it might be important.”

I still couldn’t look him in the eye. I felt horrible, and every moment that passed in Kade’s presence was only making it worse. Regret smothered me, threatened to choke me.

“I was right about you all along,” Kade sneered.

I jerked my head up, confused. “What?”

“Does Blane know you’re screwing some guy behind his back?”

I just stared at him, nonplussed. “What are you talking about?”

“The bouncer you were all over last night. I assumed you didn’t want to be carried out of the fucking parking lot, but I guess you like to play rough.” Kade’s insolent shrug belied the fury in his eyes.

“That’s not… I’m not involved with him,” I denied.

“Blane said he was at your apartment in the middle of the night,” Kade accused. “Calls you ‘Strawbs.’” He leaned forward to hiss in my ear. “What does he call you when he’s fucking you?”

I didn’t think, just reacted. My hand lashed out toward his face. Kade caught my wrist in midair before it could strike. The look in his eyes made me starkly afraid of him for the first time in a long time, but it didn’t quell my anger.

“I’m not sleeping with him, you jackass,” I spat. “He’s a friend. That’s all.” I jerked my wrist out of his grip. “And what’s with the anger? Haven’t you been trying to sleep with me for weeks now? Where was all this righteous indignation for your brother when we were in Denver?”

“That’s different—”

“How in the hell is that any different?” I yelled. “You love Blane, you’d do anything for him, yet you’ve been trying to steal his girlfriend from under his nose. What kind of brother does that make you?”

Kade gripped my upper arms, yanking me toward him. I winced as his fingers dug into my skin. “Me wanting a shot with my brother’s plaything is completely different than you making an ass out of him by sleeping with some loser,” he gritted out.

“Fuck you, Kade,” I hissed, struggling to get out of his grip. “I’m not Blane’s play anything. He loves me.”

“Bullshit,” Kade scoffed, easily holding me prisoner. “You’re delusional if you believe that.”

“You calling Blane a liar?” I shot back.

“I’m saying he can’t possibly be in love with you.”

My heart twisted at those words and tears stung my eyes.

“Why the hell not, Kade?” I retorted. “I’m not good enough for him or something? You think he deserves better—”

Then the world exploded.

W
hen I opened my eyes, I couldn’t make sense out of what had happened.

I was lying on my back and my head was aching. Moving slowly, I verified that all my limbs were still attached and functioning. Groaning with pain, I carefully sat up.

Kade.

I gasped, memory hitting me now. I was in Kade’s apartment—what was left of Kade’s apartment—but Kade was nowhere in sight.

Debris was everywhere, clouds of dust obscuring my vision. I coughed, the effect on my headache making me want to disconnect my head from my neck. With shaking hands, I started picking through piles of wood and plaster, crawling because I couldn’t trust my legs to hold me if I stood.

“Kade?” I called, my voice weaker than I would have liked, or maybe it was just that the blast had left a persistent ringing in my ears. I tried again. “Kade!”

Nothing. I started to panic. Where was he? How far had the blast thrown him? What if…

I couldn’t finish the thought, just started moving faster, crawling through the mess, wondering if each piece of debris I moved would reveal Kade’s body.

“Kade!” I croaked.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I spun around to see Kade crouched next to me, alive and whole.

Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. His skin was warm and alive, albeit coated in dust. I could feel his breath and the strong beat of his heart.

“Hey, easy now. It’s all right,” he said, cradling me close.

“It’s not all right,” I choked out. “I thought you were… were dead.”

His hand cupped the back of my head as he held me. “I keep trying to tell you, I’m hard to kill.” At his words, I pressed closer to him, inhaling the scent of sweat on his skin.

“It’s not funny,” I muttered.

“You’re right, it’s not,” he said, pulling away. I let him disentangle my arms. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, but he frowned at something on his hand. Pushing my face down, he probed the back of my head.

“Ow,” I complained, jerking away.

“You have a nasty cut on the back of your head,” he said, his face grim. Blood was smeared against his palm.

“That’s why I have such a headache then,” I mused. “But other than that, I’m fine. You?”

“Fine,” he said curtly.

I started to speak, but he cut me off. “Wait here a sec.”

He was gone and I heard things falling as he dug through the debris, returning in a few moments with shoes on his feet and a couple of guns.

“We have to get out of here.” His tone was calm but firm, and I realized that whoever had set off the explosion might want to make sure no one made it out alive.

“You well enough to shoot?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Though I quaked inside to think of having to do so.

Wordlessly, Kade handed me an automatic pistol while he kept the other, much larger, gun. He pulled his black leather jacket out from under a pile of rubble and put it on.

Standing, Kade went to a door off his living room, which I’d always assumed was a closet. Opening it, he crouched down and jerked up the carpet. Once that was up, he pulled up an honest-to-goodness trapdoor.

At my openmouthed stare, he said dryly, “You didn’t think I’d live on the top floor without having an escape hatch, did you?”

I gave a huff of laughter despite myself.

“Come on, let’s go,” he ordered, reaching for my hand. “I’ll lower you down.”

Tucking the gun in my waistband, I sat on the edge of the hole, legs dangling, and stared nervously into the gaping darkness below me.

“Trust me.”

I looked up at Kade. Without hesitation, I raised my hands so he could grasp my forearms, lowering me slowly into inky shadows.