The Eyewitness Read online

  Praise for Nancy C. Weeks

  What the industry is saying about Nancy C. Week’s Shadow series . . .

  In the Shadow of Greed received honorable mention for the 2014 RONE Awards - Suspense/Thriller

  In the Shadow of Evil won second place in the 2014 Ancient City Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Awards.

  “Ms. Weeks has written a thrill ride! She sends her readers up one hill only to have them fall down a slippery slope with no sure end in sight.”—InDTale Magazine

  Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

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  Contents

  Cover

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  ‘In the Shadow of Greed’ Excerpt

  Copyright

  Contents

  Start of content

  The Eyewitness

  The D’Azzo Family, Book 1

  Nancy C. Weeks

  Avon, Massachusetts

  To law enforcement officers now in service, those who have retired, and those who have sadly fallen. You have my heartfelt thank you and respect for your sacrifice and commitment to keeping those I love safe. May God bless you and keep you safe. And to the victims and families of the horrific 2002 Beltway sniper attacks, I have not forgotten you and will continue to keep you in my prayers.

  Chapter One

  Not tonight. Please don’t come over here.

  Emersyn D’Azzo gulped her frozen margarita, the cold rushing right to her head. The brain freeze didn’t bother her half as much as who was heading her way. Ted McJerk hit on her every time she stepped foot in the popular cops’ hangout, Grayson’s Tavern. And just her luck, he made a beeline through the crowd the instant he spotted her.

  “Just keep moving,” she whispered under her breath.

  “That’s not happening. Put that guy in his place,” Tessa D’Azzo ordered, sticking her straw into her sister’s drink. “His offensive jokes make me gag. Where’s your backbone?”

  “You dragged me here. You do it.” She threaded her fingers through her short waves. “For one night, what I would give for a drama-free zone. I don’t want to hurt the guy’s feelings.”

  “He doesn’t give a damn about yours.”

  “Be nice, Tessa. He’s socially awkward. With all your background in behavior science, I’m sure you’ll say the right thing.”

  Her sister let out a loud grunt. “I thought you wanted to be self-reliant.”

  Before Emersyn could reply, a heavy arm landed around her shoulders.

  “Emmy,” Ted said and took a disgusting sniff of her hair. “Man, oh man, you’re fine tonight.”

  His gaze roamed slowly down her body, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. She glanced down to make sure she was still wearing clothes before shrugging his arm off her. “I’m having a drink with my sister, Ted. This isn’t a good time.”

  He edged in closer. “You can take a few moments for one dance.” He eyed Tessa. “You don’t mind if I borrow your sister, do you?”

  “But I do.”

  The deep, masculine voice sent an arousing jolt right into Emersyn’s core. And damn it to hell, her mouth went dry, making it impossible to swallow. She fingered her straw then took a deep drink. This time she welcomed the burning chill against her lungs. Detective Alec Pearce had a knack for showing up at her worst moments. Why the hell was he here?

  Ted moved away from her as if he’d been burned. “Alec, good to see you.”

  “You do know you’re hitting on my partner’s daughter, right, Ted?”

  “Just asking her for a dance.”

  Emersyn glanced between the two; she preferred Ted’s company to the man who seemed to go out of his way to make her crazy.

  Alec reached for her hand and set it in his palm. “Actually, she promised this dance to me. They’re playing our song.”

  The muscles in her body tensed as her fingernails dug into his skin. “I don’t—”

  “Music is on, Em. Shall we?” His other hand went around her waist, and he gave her a swift yank.

  “Jerkball, let go,” she hissed in his ear.

  His grip tightened. “It’s just one dance. Play nice.”

  He escorted her to the small dance floor near the bandstand. Every instinct in her wanted to slap his arrogant expression right into next week, but that would make a scene. It was what half the bar expected the instant he got within striking distance. They were all waiting for her to let loose. But this was a new day, a new diploma, new job, new Emersyn. Emotions in check.

  “My name is Emersyn. I would think you would remember something so simple.”

  Alec’s face lit with a grin as his arms brought her close and their bodies began to move to the music. She shot a glare at Tessa, pleading for her to do something. Instead, her sister, the traitor, took another sip of Emersyn’s drink, lifted it in a toast, and rotated in her seat.

  A chuckle came from deep in Alec’s throat. “Tessa likes me. You can thank me now.”

  “I can also knee you where the sun doesn’t shine.”

  He lifted her chin with his thumb. “Now that wasn’t nice. I sacrificed a night with that blonde”—he nodded to a beautiful woman sitting at the end of the bar—“just to keep Lecher Ted from hitting on you . . . again.”

  “What makes you think I needed rescuing?”

  “Oh please, Tessa, make the creep go away. I’m ever so sweet and don’t want to hurt the poor jerk’s feelings.”

  She yanked out of Alec’s hold, but he was ready and moved her back into his arms without missing a beat.

  “Relax. I’m teasing.”

  “You are such an ass.”

  His lips brushed over her ear. “Enjoy our moment, Em.”

  Impossible. They had more layers of misunderstanding between them than her mother’s chocolate cake, heated words that couldn’t be unheard and arguments with no closure.

  After her father had mentioned at dinner that Alec was joining them for dessert, she’d jumped at Tessa’s offer to buy her a drink at the tavern. It was the perfect place to hide out. A lone wolf like Alec wouldn’t be caught dead in the crowded, noisy bar. But here he was. She’d run but not far enough.

  “I’m sorry I missed your graduation ceremony, but I have a little something for you,” he whispered.

  “You didn’t need to do that.”

  “I’m proud of you.”

  The words sounded so genuine. “Dad seems resigned to the idea of me at least working alongside cops, if not as a cop.”

  “Joe doesn�
��t want you anywhere near the job. But you found a way around that. Instead of crawling in the gutter looking for the worst mankind has to offer, you’re picking through what they left behind.”

  She halted in the middle of the dance floor. “You think that’s why I became a forensic scientist?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  The music stopped, and they stood still, glaring at each other. Our thing. “I can’t do this tonight,” she said, dropping her hand to her side. “Thanks.”

  “For?”

  “Saving me from another go-around with Ted.”

  “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  For once, there was no comeback. Instead, he eased her against him and tucked her hand over his heart. “Dance with me, Emersyn.”

  That sexy, got-to-have-you-now voice was back, and her other four senses came out to play. Being close to Alec Pearce, taking in his spicy, clean soap scent, feeling the strength of his arms around her wasn’t an awful feeling. Confusing? Hell yes, but her body sure enjoyed it. It’s just a dance, right?

  She lowered one hand to his hip and brought the other around his neck, her cheek resting against his. Alec tightened his grip around her waist as he spun them around the dance floor. The move put their bodies in sync, and there was no mistaking the effect she had on him. Her lips brushed against his skin, sending shock waves through her.

  He sucked in a breath and tilted his head. Their gazes held for what seemed like an eternity. He was so damn gorgeous, his deep brown eyes with a hint of gold, lush lashes, and a dusting of five-o’clock shadow on his square jaw that she ached to feel rubbed against all her soft places. As if he read her mind, his mouth caressed her bottom lip. He waited, expecting her to pull back. Need took over, and she lost her mind.

  His lips were soft, tender, and he tasted like mint with a hint of bourbon. She fisted his dress shirt. There wasn’t anything in her past to prepare her for what he was doing to every nerve in her body. And for this instant, she felt in control.

  As they circled the dance floor, a sense of weightlessness came over her. Alec deepened the kiss, and their bodies molded into each other. His muscles were hard, powerful. His thigh stroked hers, making her knees weak as tiny sparks fired beneath her skin. Her control drifted into the music.

  Then he jerked back, and a rush of cool air hit at the same time as her father’s angry bellow.

  “What the hell is this?” Joe D’Azzo stood with his fists on his hips, body rigid.

  Emersyn scanned the bar. Every eye was on her. Heat shot to her cheeks for the second time that night, and she moved out of Alec’s arms. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

  “Sister time is up. Everyone is waiting for you at home.”

  Hell, he wouldn’t even look at her. “Okay. I didn’t realize it was so late.”

  “The house is filled with family, some who’ve come a long way. I think you should respect that.”

  That one word, you, was spit from his lips. The erotic, sensual kiss had evaporated into thin air. Emersyn prayed for a hole to open up so she could drop into it.

  “We can go,” she said and searched for Tessa.

  Her dad glanced from her to Alec then back to her. The familiar expression—eyes narrowed, almost cold, mouth pressed in a hard line, jaw clenched—meant final, absolute, no discussion. And it still had that power, turning a mature woman into . . . What? She stiffened her spine. It was a damn dance. Shit. Get over it! “I didn’t mean—”

  “You never do.” He turned and headed toward the entrance.

  “Dad, wait.” She started after him, but Alec pulled her arm.

  “Let him go. Talking to him now won’t do any good.”

  She yanked free. God, did history just repeat itself?

  She started toward the door, but this time Tessa stopped her. “I’ll talk to Dad. Explain things. It was my idea to drag you here so you could avoid another interaction with Alec. Dad isn’t a stranger to the tension between you two.” Her gaze drifted to the dance floor. “But damn, Emersyn, that was some—”

  “It was just a dance.”

  “That was so much more than a dance, and you know it.”

  Emersyn glanced back at Alec, who hadn’t moved. His every feature was like stone, angry, unforgiving. “He kissed me.”

  “Dad’s partner. Off-limits. We need to fix this for both of them.”

  Embarrassment pounded against Emersyn’s rib cage. “No, this is on me. I’ll deal with Dad.” New Emersyn, right? She’d hurt her father, and it was up to her to face him like an adult. With no other escape, she followed him out onto the sidewalk of Fells Point.

  Her father’s reaction wasn’t new. Her older brother, Nathan, was her father’s sports pal, Tessa was his confidant, and Emersyn was his pain in the ass. They constantly butted heads. He saw red when she could only see blue. But that was years ago. She had hoped living on her own and earning a position at the top of the class, would prove to her father she had changed, matured.

  Her hand clenched the steering wheel. Their relationship had changed. This was a bump in the road, and she could fix it.

  She parked at the curb in front of their home and got out. Her father stood on the porch with Simba on his leash.

  “Can we talk?”

  His expression hardened as he moved down the steps. She blocked the sidewalk. “I’m not trying to piss you off, Dad.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.” He maneuvered around her, tugging on the leash when Simba tried to get a hug from his favorite D’Azzo.

  “It wasn’t about you. I wasn’t looking for Alec, and I didn’t want to have to deal with him tonight.”

  “You didn’t seem to have any trouble dealing with him on the dance floor.”

  “Okay, that happened, but it—”

  “Don’t, Emersyn.” He stopped so quickly she bumped into his back. His expression was pained, as if he was trying to choose his words carefully. “I overreacted. You’re a grown woman. I get that. Now, can we drop it?”

  He crossed the driveway and headed toward the bike trail. She jogged to keep up with his hurried stride. “It started as a dance and ended up . . . Well, you saw how it ended. But it meant nothing. I’m going to my corner, and Alec will return to his.”

  “Fine.”

  “I understand he’s your partner, and, Dad, I respect that.”

  “Good.”

  Damn it, the man was so stubborn. “I’m going to be living with you and Mom for a couple months until my place is ready.”

  “I know.”

  “This can’t be like . . . We can’t be walking on eggshells ...”

  “Bad Birds,” the Baltimore Orioles fight song, trilled from his back pocket. His expression instantly changed, the hard lines around his eyes softening almost to a grin as he answered it. Emersyn could barely make out Nathan’s voice. He hadn’t made it to her graduation. Some undercover operation had consumed his life for the last eighteen months. Calls from him were sporadic at best, and visits were rare. She missed her brother like crazy, but, as usual, his timing sucked. She needed two minutes to settle things with her father. Nathan had to understand.

  She tugged on her father’s elbow and drew the phone away from his ear, stopping him in his tracks. “Dad, I don’t want this between us. Are we good?”

  His expression softened, and he began to say something but shut his mouth. His shoulders stiffened. Emersyn could almost feel the anger that roiled through him. But it wasn’t directed at her.

  Simba let out a low, deep growl.

  “Get back to the house. We’ll talk later.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Go. Now.”

  A man stepped out from behind the tall oak tree at the fork in the trail. His face was shadowed.

  “D’Azzo, leave it alone,” he said.

  “Never.”

  Her father’s ruthless tone spiked a chilled d
own Emersyn’s spine. Simba rushed the man. Her father pulled him back and, at the same time, shoved Emersyn behind him.

  “Who is that?” She searched for some kind of weapon.

  “Emersyn, for once, listen to me—”

  The rest of his words evaporated into a whoosh of air as the roar of gunfire echoed in the quiet neighborhood. He stumbled into her, and they both plummeted backward. Her head bounced against the hard asphalt. Pain shot through the back of her head to her frontal lobe. He landed on top of her, his weight pressing the air from her lungs.

  “Dad?” she gasped.

  She squirmed out from under him and rose to her knees. Both hands quickly covered the quarter-size hole in his shirt. She let out a scream for help then used her weight to put pressure on the wound. A thick liquid gushed between her fingers. Blood.

  “Listen,” he choked out in a hoarse whisper.

  “Please, Dad, hang on.” She let out another shriek for help. A car’s headlight beam blinded her at the same time that a sharp, burning pain spewed from her chest. And reality hit.

  One shot fired. The bullet had slashed through her father and into her.

  “Dad, don’t go. God, you can’t leave me.”

  Footsteps sounded from the street. She tried to call out for help over Simba’s barking, but the words stuck in her throat as pain ripped through her body. Her hands lost feeling, and her head felt as if she were floating.

  Alec’s hand grasped her shoulder as he leaned his ear toward her father’s lips. Her dad whispered something then went still. Alec turned toward her, his features cold, as blotches of blood soaked through his shirt and tears escaped the corners of his eyes. The image took her breath away.

  “Please help my dad.”

  She blinked, fighting a wave of nausea. As darkness clouded her mind, one truth shot past the fog. Her father was gone.

  Chapter Two

  The obnoxious machine taunted Emersyn to wake. Each beep matched the steady rhythm of her heart as it drummed against her rib cage. Sharp, unrelenting spikes of pain followed each pulse. Tears pooled beneath her eyelids as an overpowering heaviness and nausea kept her from making the slightest move. Raising even one eyelid would force a new truth, an unbearable reality to the surface. If she could calm the throbbing pain, maybe she could fall back into a dreamless sleep.