In the Shadow of Vengeance Read online

  Elizabeth lost all common sense. She yanked him closer and they molded into each other. For such a big man, his lips were surprisingly soft and so gentle. The taste of mint combined with his spicy herbal scent overpowered her senses. A primal need she had forgotten existed took over, and she kissed him back as she clung to him, his shirt fisted in both hands. Her body came alive. He shifted then broke their connection. Reality returned and common sense slammed back into her, taking her breath away.

  What was she doing kissing Noah McNeil? She wanted to kick herself all the way back to Nebraska.

  “I’m so touched you care, Elizabeth.”

  “You kissed me,” she choked out and shoved at his chest. “Why?”

  “You kissed me back. It was real sweet, but way too short.” He shifted his weight and bit back a grin. “Is that not allowed in this house either? I think I’m going to need a list.”

  “You don’t just go around kissing people, detective.”

  “Since we practically made out in the middle of your living room, you really need to call me Noah.”

  His husky tone was low, seductive. The heat flushed in her face and worked its way down her body to her core. She edged closer until the sound of footsteps thumped down the stairs. They darted away from each other as Erin bounced off the last step.

  “I win. You’re not tearing each other to shreds, but you’re definitely glaring.” She moved past them toward the kitchen. “Danny wants Ben & Jerry’s. I figure that’s okay, right?”

  It took a moment to find her voice. “That’s fine. Just don’t leave the dishes in the room.”

  That last pint of ice cream was the one thing Elizabeth had looked forward to all afternoon. But Danny’s day trumped hers by miles.

  “Mom, you want me to put on the tea kettle?” Erin asked, nodding at the table.

  It took a moment to understand what her daughter was talking about. The only treasure she kept when she left Iowa sat in the middle of the dining room table. “Erin, did you get the teapot down when you cleared the table?”

  “No. I thought you did.”

  A rush of fear hit her in the chest, and she swallowed the shock. If she didn’t move the teapot and Erin didn’t, then how did it get there?

  “Mom, what’s wrong? You have the weirdest look on your face.”

  Elizabeth shook her head to clear it. “Sorry, I must have gotten it down.” She reached to place it back in the china cabinet, but Noah blocked her hand with his.

  “So tea, or no tea?”

  “No tea.”

  Erin disappeared into the kitchen. Noah stood rod straight, his eyes on the cabinet door. When he began to speak, Elizabeth held up her hand. Erin came back through the door with a pint of ice cream and two spoons. She gave Elizabeth a quick hug then Noah before racing back upstairs.

  “Okay, out with it. What’s with the teapot?” Noah asked the instant Danny’s door was shut.

  Elizabeth threaded her hand through her hair and met Noah’s glare. “The kids know it’s special to me. They never touch it. I have no memory of getting it down.”

  “Don’t touch it, Elizabeth.”

  “Maybe I’m just losing my mind.”

  “Or someone wants you to think you are.”

  Chapter Seven

  Noah extended his fingers over the steering wheel to relax the cramp as his eyes scanned the quiet neighborhood. Instead of heading home and crawling into bed after leaving the Merlot home for the second time that night, he found himself in front of Adam’s massive Cape Cod. The property was nestled into a woodland lot that backed up to the Potomac River. The place screamed suburbia, relaxation, and didn’t fit his badass brother’s personality one bit.

  He could sure use Jared’s level head, but that door was closed for now. Adam was much more suited for what he was after anyway. As a cop, Noah had rules he was required to follow. The ex-CIA operative-turned-consultant didn’t follow rules and excelled at working off the grid.

  But just sitting in front of his half-brother’s home set his back up. The man wasn’t his favorite person these days. It was still hard to think of him as a brother. He had known Adam for several years, worked with him on some scary-as-shit assignments.

  Noah wanted his friend back, but the lies, the pretense, learning that this longtime friend was his older half-brother narrowed the line between trust and family. It didn’t matter that Adam kept his identity a secret even from their father because he was trying to protect the McNeils. A lie was a fucking lie. Period.

  There was more than one occasion when Adam could have said, “Hey, guess what? We have the same father.” Instead, he waited until his violent world dropped right on the family’s doorstep. He had to come clean because he needed his brothers’ help keeping his daughter Anna safe. Noah had to wonder if Adam would have ever let on who he was if he hadn’t been forced into it.

  His parents and siblings all welcomed Adam into the fold. Noah wasn’t ready to join the party. Getting over the feeling of betrayal in his gut took time.

  But time had run out. He had to shift his perspective. He needed Adam’s skills, his expertise, and he needed his brother. Still, Noah’s butt was still planted in the driver’s seat because he hadn’t worked out the best plan of action.

  It had been a hell of a day. Except for the kiss. He tucked in his bottom lip. He could still taste Elizabeth. Damn, could that woman kiss. She was so hesitant at first, like it was her first time. An instant later, she was kissing him back with such passion, she made his knees weak.

  He had kissed his fair share of women. Hell, it was one of his life’s simple pleasures. But that kiss—soft, sweet, and tasting of vanilla cream—would stay with him a long time.

  Then Danny Merlot’s black eye, bloody lip, and bruised body etched itself into his calm. The bastards better run fast and far, because Noah wasn’t going to rest until he gave them a taste of their own medicine.

  He opened the door and stepped out of the truck. He needed answers, and Adam could help him find them. As he half-jogged up the walk, he kicked himself for showing up empty handed. He should have at least had Raúl make a bouquet for Calista and include a stuffed animal for Anna.

  Calista McNeil was the only woman on the planet who had the power to settle Adam down. Noah might be angry with his brother, but he sure as hell liked his choice in women. And his six-year-old niece stole his heart the instant they met. He needed to get over his tiff with Adam just so he could spend more time with Calista and Anna.

  He raised his hand to knock and the door swung open. Adam stood still, his shoulders tense. Of course he’d known the instant Noah drove up and had been watching him.

  “Hey, is this a bad time?”

  “What’s happened?” he asked, and moved away from the door, allowing Noah to enter.

  “Not family related. I know it’s late, but I need to talk to you.”

  There were times Noah needed to eat a little crow and this was one of them.

  A blob of pink sprinted down the stairs. Anna took a flying leap off the third step into Noah’s arms and he stumbled backward. Adam stuck out a hand and balanced him.

  “Uncle Noah, you missed everything.”

  Shit. This was Anna’s big recital day. Of course, his niece celebrated every moment in her life from grand tea parties to Macy dog’s pretend birthday.

  “Yes, I did. I had to work.”

  Calista came from the kitchen with a dish towel in her hands. “I taped it. Your uncle Noah can watch it over and over again with you.”

  He swallowed, which made his brother shake with unleashed laughter.

  Adam raised his arms and Anna jumped into her father’s arms. “Let’s not torture Noah, or he won’t come back.” He set Anna down and glanced at Calista. “Whose turn?”

  “I’ll take this one,” she said, and reached for Anna’s hand. “Kiss your dad and Uncle Noah good night.”

  “Can’t Uncle Noah put me to bed?”

  “Maybe another time.”
Calista took her daughter’s hand.

  Adam kissed her on the cheek. When Noah leaned down for a kiss, she placed her hand at his cheek and whispered, “You can like her. She’s nice, Uncle Noah.”

  “Who?”

  Anna cupped a small hand over her mouth and again whispered, “The woman you like to kiss. It’s okay to like her.”

  Noah’s heart rate pounded hard between his ears as he stared at Anna.

  Adam reached for his daughter and she went to him. “Is that all you need to tell him?” he asked.

  She nodded, then grabbed Calista’s hand. “’Night, Uncle Noah.”

  He followed their progress up the stairs. Once out of sight, he said, “I thought she stopped doing that?”

  “It comes and goes.”

  “Still freaks me out.”

  “Yeah, but it changes how I see the world, too. I have a great bottle of Scotch that should help.”

  He followed Adam into the living room. A drink was the last thing he needed but he accepted it, taking a sip. “This supernatural crap is going to turn me into an alcoholic.”

  His brother let out a low, deep laugh. “Wait until you have children. The supernatural crap will be a walk in the park.” He placed his glass on the table and studied Noah. “You look like shit. What’s going on?”

  Noah gulped down the rest of his drink and briefed Adam on the events of the last few hours. When he mentioned Danny’s attack, the friendly, loving father and husband sitting across from him morphed into an angry, dangerous soldier. Adam was lethal when he needed to be. The gang members better hope he got to them before Adam.

  “Danny is going to be fine in a couple of weeks. As for his attackers, I’ll give you everything I have on them, but don’t kill them until I get a chance to talk to them.”

  Adam twirled the shot glass between his palms. “So who is messing with Elizabeth Merlot, and does it have anything to do with Danny?”

  “On the surface, everything fits. Some junkie targeted Elizabeth on the train because she was the closest to him. Maybe the whole teapot thing was just your ordinary break-and-enter. We showed up unexpectedly and the guy took off before he could really take anything. But why her place? Elizabeth is raising two kids on her own and doesn’t have a lot of money.”

  “And Danny went looking for these guys, and that pissed them off so they beat the crap out of him,” Adam added. “So what has you so wound up?”

  Noah pressed his thumbs at his temples. “More supernatural crap I can’t explain.” He met his brother’s gaze. “How much do you remember about Jared’s interaction with Evan Nash?”

  “Everything.”

  “Evan may be talking to Danny.”

  Adam’s eyebrow lifted and his neck muscles tensed. “That’s—”

  “Fucked up? Yeah. So now you see why I’m trying to connect some dots.”

  “How does he even know about Nash?”

  “He doesn’t. He mentioned the name Evan. I showed him a photo and he ID’d him as the man in his room.”

  “So you’re thinking this has something to do with Mendoza? The bastard is isolated from the inmates and doesn’t have any visitors.”

  “There are ways to get information in and out even from a facility as secure as his.”

  “There are only a few people in the prison he has contact with and I’m watching all of them. Mendoza isn’t your threat.”

  “Maybe.” Noah reached inside his leather jacket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “This is everything I have on Elizabeth Merlot. She is clean as a brand-new whistle.”

  “You want me to check into Danny’s mom? Why?”

  “She’s lying to me.”

  Adam stiffened and narrowed his eyes. “Bro, that’s not a reason for a thorough background check. She has a right to her privacy.”

  “I know that, but—”

  “People lie, Noah, for all kinds of reasons. Not all of those reasons are bad.”

  “Something is really off with her. I noticed it the first time we met. She’s closed off, extremely protective of her children …”

  “As am I. That makes me an attentive parent. She’s raising her kids on her own. Of course she is a little overprotective.”

  “Adam, it’s more than that. I feel it here,” he said, pressing a hand at his stomach. “Somehow, all this is connected to her, but I can’t protect her or Danny unless I know what I’m up against.”

  “Have you tried talking to her?”

  “She doesn’t like me very much.”

  Adam let out a loud gruff chuckle from the back of his throat. “Well, it’s about time a woman isn’t licking your bootstraps.” He lifted the Scotch bottle and tipped off his glass. “I’ll dig a little and see what pops. But, Noah, if you’re expecting honesty from others, you have to give it.”

  “I do.”

  “If that’s true, you would have come clean about your fears, a.k.a. Evan Nash, with Ms. Merlot.”

  “Hell no. The expression on Elizabeth’s face was a deer in the headlights when she noticed the teapot. She wants to run. If she does, then there will be no one around to protect them from whatever the hell is making me feel like this. She may not think she needs my help, but damn it to hell, I’m sticking to her like glue anyway.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I need to get Erin and Danny out of Baltimore. Now! It’s not safe for us here.” Elizabeth shot up from the kitchen chair, almost knocking it to the floor. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at Derek, who sat calmly placing the papers back in his briefcase. “I don’t see the problem. Three years ago, you offered. What’s changed?”

  “Three years ago, we thought your cover was compromised. It wasn’t then, nor is it now.” He stood. “I know you’re worried about Danny, but there isn’t anything solid to justify relocation.”

  “You’re wrong. This isn’t just about Danny buying that gun and getting beat up. There is something else going on here.” She pulled her hair back, twisted it in a bun, and allowed it to drape down her back. The simple action kept her from picking up the salt shaker and heaving it at the damn man’s head. She’d had her fill of thickheaded men this week. Her patience was on a thin thread.

  “I’m not asking for a new identity. I work for a national chain of hotels. Why can’t I be transferred to someplace like Seattle or even Hawaii? I can be an event planner anywhere.”

  “Elizabeth, you know the rules. Just because your kid is going through a rough patch—”

  “A rough patch? You call an eye so swollen he can’t even see out of it a rough patch?” She stalked around the island. “One of those damn rules was you were going to protect my children.”

  “I’m sorry. Bad choice of words.” He pulled a chair out from the table. “Please, sit. What happened to Danny was terrible, and I’m not making light of it. All I’m saying is that it doesn’t have anything to do with—”

  “It has everything to do with the price on my head.”

  “Our sources haven’t heard anything for a couple of years; no recent chatter, nothing to indicate your cover has been compromised. I’m not saying we can’t work something out in time. The only way we could make a transfer in your timetable is if your life were in danger.”

  “So I just wait around until one of us is hurt again or killed.”

  She slammed a hand over her mouth, bent at the waist, and tried to fill her lungs. Tears filled her eyes and she didn’t care. Since she found the teapot on the table two nights ago, she couldn’t relax. Every nail pop or floor creak made her jump. Danny kept her company most of the day, but nights were the worst. Her eyes popped open every five minutes. She would dash out of bed and check and recheck the alarm. She stalked her kids while they slept. Everything in her pushed to run, and fast. And Danny’s words he was there to hurt you and he or someone else will be back haunted her waking hours and gave her the worst nightmares if she dared fall asleep.

  Derek cleared his throat. “Look, maybe I can arrange for someone
to stay close for the time being until things return to normal.”

  Elizabeth let out a heavy breath. “I don’t need a babysitter, Derek. I need you to listen to me. I don’t have any proof, but something is coming and I don’t want to be here when it arrives.”

  “Just because a teapot was left out on the table? You’re jumping at rabbits. Give me something concrete. Until then—”

  “This conversation is going in circles. I know what I have to do. Maybe you should leave, Derek. Now.”

  The floor seemed to crumble out from under her. She had only one protector and she was about to kick him out of her house.

  Derek didn’t believe her. His every feature screamed she was overreacting. Maybe she was slowly turning stark raving mad. The only thing she trusted about herself above all else was her maternal instinct. It never overreacted.

  She had been living like a ghost for years. The experience had taught her how to live off the grid. If Derek wouldn’t help her, then she would do it all on her own because it was up to her to protect her children.

  “We can work this out.”

  A shadow appeared across the entrance of the kitchen. “I think the woman asked you to leave.”

  Noah’s large frame took up the doorway, his eyes dark and his stance rigid. Erin, who stood behind him, slipped under his arm. She dropped her backpack into an empty chair and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth.

  “Look who I found on our doorstep.” She gave a quick hug, then said, “Hi, you,” to Derek, with a big smile.

  Shit. How much did Noah and Erin hear of their conversation? One glance at Derek and she knew the same thought was on his mind.

  “How’s it going, Tinkerbell?” He grabbed his case, and with one arm, pulled Erin into his shoulder while eyeing Elizabeth over the top of the girl’s head. “I came by to drop some stuff off for your mom.”