Turning Point (The Kathleen Turner Series) (34 page)

Kade bent down and did as requested, the cell phone stopping at my feet.

Kade’s eyes met mine. “This reminds me of when we first met.”

Panic threatened at the edges of my mind and I struggled to understand. My nails dug into Garrett’s arm, my breath in shallow pants.

“Pick up the phone,” Garrett ordered me.

I slowly bent my knees, my upper body remaining upright against his as I scrabbled blindly. My fingers closed over the phone and he pulled me up again.

“You remember that, princess?” Kade said.

My eyes jerked to his, the brilliant blue striking a memory, and suddenly I knew what he meant.

“Hold the phone up so I can see it,” Garrett said, then he told me a series of letters and numbers to punch into the screen. It all seemed like gibberish to me, but even I could see that the accounts were steadily declining, the numbers evaporating into thin air.

“What the fuck is this?” Garrett yelled. “You said you’d unfreeze my accounts!”

“I did,” Kade replied evenly. “Or rather, you did, when you entered your password. They’re currently being drained by the FBI. They might let you have some back, but you won’t need it where you’re going.”

Garrett seemed frozen in shock, and I took my opportunity. Shoving his arm down and away from me with all my strength, I twisted underneath his arm. As soon as I was clear, a shot rang out. Garrett cried out in pain, falling to the floor and clutching his side.

Kade was instantly there next to me, and I fell into his arms. My whole body was shaking. Kade cupped the back of my head with one hand while his other rubbed soothingly up and down my back.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

I forced myself to pull away, making a concerted effort to keep from falling apart. I nodded, brushing my hair back from my face. “I’m fine.”

Kade caught my injured hand in his and pushed the sleeve of my sweater up to inspect the jagged and bleeding cuts. Blood dripped sluggishly from my hand, staining my skin and clothes a garish red.

I pulled my wrist from his grasp, tucking my hand against my side.

“You’re not fine,” he said quietly.

He turned away and approached Garrett, who was half-sitting, half-lying on the floor, blood seeping from his wound. The look that had come over Kade’s face was terrifying in its stark coldness, the icy fury in his eyes deeply unsettling.

“You hurt her,” Kade accused. His voice was calm and quiet, and even more frightening for being so. I watched him warily.

“She wouldn’t cooperate,” Garrett hissed. Sweat had broken out on his forehead.

Light glinted off the blade in Kade’s hand. I hadn’t even seen him pull it, and I inhaled sharply.

“You hurt her. I hurt you.”

“Kade!” I called out, desperation pushing aside my fear. “Don’t. Please.”

I moved slowly forward, a hand outstretched. I really didn’t want to see Kade inflict pain on Garrett, no matter how much he may have deserved it.

Kade glanced at me, and I was relieved to see the cold rage ebb from his eyes. I let out a silent breath when he lowered the knife.

“You think this is over, Kade?” Garrett snarled. “The girl led me right to you. First to your apartment, then here.”

Kade’s face was an unreadable mask. “You’re lying. No one knows about her.”

Garrett laughed, a hissing wheeze. “You’re blind. You follow her around like she’s a bitch in heat.” His laugh faded and his gaze turned hateful. “It’s only a matter of time before you get her killed.” He turned my way. “An assassin in love with you. Your life expectancy just dropped by half.”

“Fuck you,” Kade growled.

Garrett coughed, a hacking sound, as he clutched the wound in his side. When he stopped, he was panting for breath. “This isn’t over,” he hissed. “Even if I go to jail, they’re going to know about her. Her name, address, where she works, her friends, what she eats, where she goes, who
she fucks, everything. Everyone’s going to know exactly how to break Kade Dennon.”

I reacted an instant too late. “Kade, no!” I shouted, leaping for him. But even as the words left my mouth, I saw the glint of metal. A grunt left Garrett’s mouth just as I reached Kade, grabbing for his hand, the hand wrapped around the hilt of his knife buried in Garrett’s chest.

Garrett’s body fell back onto the floor, his eyes open but unseeing.

We were locked in that macabre tableau for only an instant before Kade pulled me away. I couldn’t tear my horrified gaze from Garrett, but Kade held me trapped in his arms, forcibly turning my head and moving us across the room.

Fear and horror choked me. My mind kept replaying Kade sliding the knife between Garrett’s ribs.

“Kathleen, look at me,” Kade said, tipping my chin up. “You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

“You just… killed him.” My voice was a choked whisper. Part of me couldn’t believe it. I’d known Kade had killed people, had seen him kill before, but never like that. “Why?”

“He knew about you,” Kade replied simply. “Hurt you, because of me.” His blue eyes turned intense. “It wasn’t a difficult choice. No one is going to hurt you. Not while I’m around.”

I didn’t know what to say. His declaration sank deep into my gut. I couldn’t explain how it made me feel. A man was dead, killed by Kade, because of me. Not that he’d been a good man. His intention to kill Kade had made him a threat no matter what deal they could have struck. But Kade had
been planning to turn him over to the FBI, if it hadn’t been for me. I felt as though Garrett’s blood was on my hands.

Our eyes locked and I was unable to look away, trying to puzzle through the riddle that was Kade Dennon. A good man… who did bad things.

Kade looked away first, releasing me before pulling out his cell and dialing. “Donovan, it’s Dennon. Did the wire transfers complete?” He paused. “Good. Garrett’s here at the house, but didn’t survive. Can you send someone over to collect the body?” A few moments later, he ended the call.

I was reeling, my thoughts spinning and my emotions hanging by a thin thread. “I want to go home,” I said.

He didn’t say anything, just gave a curt nod.

We walked outside and I shivered. Kade took off his coat and slung it over my shoulders before helping me into the car.

Once we were on the road, I cleared my throat.

I didn’t want to do this, but knew I had to. “I need to talk to Blane,” I said.

Kade wordlessly dialed a number on his cell and handed the phone to me. Holding it to my ear, I heard Blane answer.

“Yeah?”

“Blane, it’s me,” I said.

“Kat? What’s wrong? And why are you calling me from Kade’s phone?” The suspicion in his voice rankled my already fragile temper.

“Kade’s taking me home,” I said, then got straight to the point. “Why is the case getting dismissed?”

Blane was silent.

“Did you know Billy was Matt’s son?” I asked. “Did you use the information I gave you about Lucy for your case?”

“Kat, let me explain…”

That was all the confirmation I needed. I hung up.

I felt curiously numb inside. It didn’t feel like when I’d seen Blane with Kandi. Then, my heart had felt torn into shreds. Now, I felt detached. Perhaps I was still in shock, I didn’t know. What I did know was that I was exhausted, my hand hurt like hell, and I didn’t have a clue what to say to Kade about what he’d done.

We reached my apartment and he followed me inside. Tigger ran to greet me and I absently gave him a quick scratch behind the ears. I went to the kitchen sink and pushed up my sleeve. Kade reached around me and turned on the water.

I didn’t speak as he gently washed the blood from my hands, dried now. A breath hissed through my teeth at the stinging sensation. When they were clean, Kade grabbed some paper towels, dabbing my skin dry.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I looked up at him in surprise.

“I wasn’t careful enough,” he continued. “After they got my apartment, I suspected it was Garrett that had leaked information on me in Denver. I didn’t think he knew about you, though, and I should have foreseen that.”

“How could you have?” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. “You thought he was a friend.”

“I have no friends, remember?” he said with a bitter smile.

“You have me.” Even after what had happened tonight, it was still true.

His smile faded and his eyes grew serious. “How long before you betray me?” he murmured.

“I won’t betray you,” I replied, shocked. “Why would you say that?”

“Because everyone does, eventually.”

My heart broke a little at the resignation in his voice, the dead certainty in his eyes.

“I swear. I will never betray you.”

I couldn’t say whether he believed me or not, though I hoped he did. He leaned down, and my breath caught, but his lips grazed my forehead.

“I should go,” he rasped, the backs of his knuckles brushing my cheek.

I allowed him to lead me to the door in silence, my fingers threaded through his.

It was cold outside, the frigid air drifting into my apartment as Kade stood, framed in the doorway. He pulled me toward him, his arms encircling me, and I rested my head on his chest.

“Be careful,” I murmured.

“For once, maybe I have a reason to be,” he replied, sounding surprised. His chin rested on the top of my head, and I could feel the beat of his heart against my fingers. We stood there like that, the silence comfortable, not oppressive.

“Am I interrupting?”

I jumped guiltily backward out of Kade’s arms, my eyes going to the spot over Kade’s shoulder where Blane now stood.

Kade leisurely turned, raising an eyebrow. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy, brother?”

The look on Blane’s face was murderous. My heart lurched into my throat.

“Relax,” Kade huffed in exasperation, loosely gripping Blane’s shoulder as he made to pass him.

Blane grabbed Kade’s wrist, pushing him away. “How many other times have you been with her when I’m not around?” he snarled.

Kade’s eyes narrowed, his body stiffening. “A lot,” he retorted. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re the one that made me stay with her to protect her when you couldn’t.”

“That was a mistake I don’t intend to repeat.”

“Good to hear,” Kade shot back.

I watched, barely breathing, unsure if I should intervene, say something. To my relief, Blane said nothing further as Kade warily turned his back and left.

“Are you through playing alpha dog with your brother?” I snapped, angry at the way he’d treated Kade, and not sure I wanted to do this right now. I was exhausted, angry, and disappointed, but in the end, I relented.

Wordlessly, I opened the door wide, then turned and walked inside. I went into the bathroom, retrieving some salve for my injured hand and a few bandages for the deepest cuts. Sitting cross-legged on my couch, I examined the wounds.

Blane remained standing, watching me.

“What happened to your hand?” he asked.

Like I wanted to tell him. “Why are you here, Blane?”

“I came by to explain,” he said.

I didn’t reply, not trusting my emotions or temper to not say something I’d regret.

“I did use that information to get the case dismissed.”

My hand faltered slightly as I fumbled with the salve, his confirmation killing something inside me. My optimism, maybe.

Blane took the seat next to me. I shifted away from him, his presence overpowering. I didn’t want to succumb to his influence or manipulation. Not this time.

“Kat. Look at me.”

I unwillingly met his gaze.

“Hear me out. The rape conviction, it’d give him twenty years. He’d be out in five. That’s why I took what you gave me and went to the feds with what I knew.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Kade got enough to give them so they can pursue the human trafficking,” he explained. “They’re going to prosecute him for that. The penalty for trafficking is twenty years per violation.”

I stared at him, trying to understand.

“He’s going away for good,” Blane said. “I honored my part of the deal with Summers. You’re in the clear. But the feds have enough now for warrants. They’re watching and listening.”

“Why didn’t Chance tell me this?”

“Maybe they hadn’t talked to Chance before this went down. It happened really fast,” he answered. “The point is, he’s not getting away.”

I shook my head, partly amazed at his machinations in outwitting Summers, partly chagrined at yet again being the last to know.

“The point is, you don’t trust me,” I said. “Haven’t trusted me. I don’t think you’ll ever trust me.” My anger had dissipated, but not the hurt. “So much could be avoided if
you’d just talk to me. You should have told me from the beginning that Summers was blackmailing you. Why didn’t you?”

Blane stared at me. “Do you think I wanted you to know? Would want you to feel guilty for something that wasn’t your fault?”

I tried to protest, but he interrupted.

“I know you,” he said. “So don’t tell me that wouldn’t have happened. I could see the guilt on your face the second I did tell you.”

I couldn’t say he was wrong. I had felt guilty, still did.

“We’re in this together,” I said. “If you want me to be open and honest with you, then I have to trust you’re doing the same.”

“You’re not going to change the fact that I’m going to protect you, whenever I can,” Blane said, his voice flat. “That’s too ingrained in me.”

“Understood. So long as you know that I don’t react well when I find out you’ve been keeping things from me.”

“Understood.”

We sat for a moment before he cracked a small grin. I couldn’t help a tiny smile back.

“I do think it’s really cool that you outsmarted that SOB,” I admitted.

“You do, do you?” he asked, a twinkle coming into his eyes.

“I mean, for a lawyer and all, it’s pretty clever,” I said archly, teasing him.

Glancing down at my hand, Blane’s smile faded. “You want to tell me what happened to your hand? Why Kade was here?”

I reached for the salve and bandages. “Just another day in the life,” I dismissed. “A guy Kade knew broke into your house. I got in the way and he decided I could use a few less fingers, then thought he’d use me as leverage against Kade, yadda yadda yadda.”