CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Liam walked Piper to her room and closed the door behind them. With a finger to his lips indicating the need for silence, Liam pulled an electronic signal detector from his pocket and searched the room for bugs and cameras.
His gut clenched when he discovered three bugs and one camera had been planted in Piper’s room. Once the equipment was dismantled, he wrapped his arms around Piper.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered.
“Even if we lock the rooms, the security team will have keys. It’s easy to plant more bugs while we’re out.”
“Is my uncle responsible?”
“I don’t know, Sunshine but I’ll learn the truth before I’m finished. How is your lip?”
“The medicine Matt used to numb my mouth has long worn off.”
That explained the small amount of food she consumed at dinner. He reached into his pocket and drew out a packet of capsules. “Mild pain meds, courtesy of Matt. Should help you sleep.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I don’t feel safe in this house.”
Liam cupped her nape. “I’m right across the hall. If anything scares you, come to me or call out. I’ll hear you.”
He bent and captured her mouth. Although Liam’s kiss was thorough and filled with sizzling passion, his touch remained gentle in deference to her injury.
When he lifted his head, Piper said, “I can’t wait until my lip is healed. I want a real kiss.”
“Is that right?” Pleasure zinged through his bloodstream at her words.
“I’m addicted to them.”
“Same here.” After a soft brush of his thumb over her bottom lip, Liam released her. “You need ice. I’ll bring you more along with a bottle of water.”
He returned to the kitchen and found it lit by a light over the stove. A quick search netted him a plastic bag which he filled with ice and kitchen towel. Liam grabbed a bottle of water, then went to Piper’s room and knocked one the door.
A moment later, Piper let him inside. “Thank you, Liam.”
Because he couldn’t resist her tempting mouth, Liam stole another series of soft kisses before going to his own room. Inside, he searched the room and dismantled a camera and two bugs.
He called Zane.
“You’re late,” was his greeting.
“Needed to take care of Piper and get rid of bugs and cameras from our rooms.”
A soft whistle sounded over the speaker. “Bold.”
“This is the second time I’ve cleared electronics from both bedrooms.”
“Suspects?”
“Too many to count. You wouldn’t believe how many people work at Romano’s estate. What do you have for me?”
“The ballistics test came back from the incident in Copper Ridge. The bullet that killed Gavin James didn’t come from the weapons carried by you, Simon, or the three tangos you and Simon captured or killed.”
“Either Gavin’s killer is Baker’s partner or someone else from Hartman drove to Copper Ridge to ensure Gavin didn’t pass on the information he discovered.”
“Given his history, is it possible an angry Copper Ridge husband or boyfriend took exception to Gavin hitting on his woman?”
“Maybe. The shot was precise, though, and Gavin didn’t have defensive wounds. If an angry spouse or boyfriend went after Gavin, I think he would use his hands and fists in a fit of rage. This feels like cold-blooded, premeditated murder. Anything from Otter Creek?”
“The only fingerprints that shouldn’t be in your home came from Jared Spencer. The rest belong to members of Bravo, Durango, and their wives or girlfriends.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Not what I wanted to hear, Z.”
“You’ll like this bit of news even less. Spencer made a play for Delilah.”
Liam stiffened. “Is she all right?”
“She’s fine. Molly was in the back room, putting stock away. She arrived in time to stop him from doing more than scaring Delilah. As soon as Molly appeared, Spencer left Wicks.”
“I need to convince my teammates to go home. They and their families are in danger because of me.”
“Funny. Matt thought you’d say that. He said you should concentrate on ending the threat to Piper. PSI personnel and trainees have the families covered.”
He’d be wasting his breath trying to send his teammates home. They had each other’s backs in firefights and out. Bravo wouldn’t leave Hartman until he and Piper left. “Copper Ridge police have anything else?”
“They still want to charge Simon with murder but can’t. Someone anonymously sent them traffic cam footage showing his journey to the resort, complete with time stamps in the corner. Once the ME confirms time of death, Simon will be off the hook for James’s murder. No question Simon killed the thug after you arrived at the resort and wounded the second one. To this point, the wounded man won’t talk.”
Liam frowned. “He’s not claiming Simon shot him for no reason?”
“That’s right. He also hasn’t lawyered up.”
“Is their crime scene team any good?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“If they are, the techs should find multiple bullets and shell casings from the two thugs shooting at us. I didn’t fire and Simon fired twice.” Both shots hit their mark.
“Makes your story more viable. Anything else I can do?”
“Did you get the contact information for the members of my military unit?”
“I did. You’ll be disappointed if you get in touch with them, Liam. Spencer did a great job convincing your buddies that you’re responsible for his unjust imprisonment.”
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll call you in six hours.”
Liam took a quick shower. A short time later, he sprawled on top of the covers fully dressed and fell into a light sleep.
He woke three hours later to the sound of a floorboard shifting with a soft squeak. Before the sound disappeared, his hand wrapped around the grip of his Sig. Fabric brushed against a wall.
He waited for the intruder to open his door. He relished the coming confrontation. Perhaps by the end of it, Liam would have answers to lingering questions and Piper would finally be safe.
Instead of entering Liam’s room, the intruder passed by his door. Sliding from bed, Liam moved with soundless steps across the room.
Liam turned the knob, opened the door a crack and checked the hall. Nothing. He frowned. Someone had passed his door. He’d heard the intruder trying and failing to be stealthy. Where was he?
His gaze shifted to Piper’s door. Liam’s eyes narrowed. Her door was ajar. Had Piper left the room? His hand tightened around the grip of his weapon. Holding the gun at his side, Liam crossed the hall to Piper’s room and pushed open the door as a muffled cry came from inside.
A black-clad figure with a mask stood over Piper, hands clamped around her throat. Shoving his weapon into his MOB holster, Liam sped across the room and tackled the man fighting to control Piper’s panicked struggles, forcing him away from her.
He took the intruder to the floor and thumped his head against the hardwood twice. When the man groaned and went motionless, Liam pulled a zip tie from his pocket and cinched his wrists together behind his back.
He stood. “It’s Liam. Are you okay?”
Piper scrambled from the bed and threw herself into his arms.
Liam moved her further away from the downed intruder. “Piper, are you hurt?”
“No.”
He frowned at her raspy voice. “I’ll turn on the light.”
Keeping her against his side, Liam circled to the opposite side of the bed and turned on the lamp. The dim light gave him just enough vision to see the red marks on her throat.
Liam growled. Was his aim to kill her or knock her out? Either way, this clown would be sorry he’d laid a hand on Liam’s woman.
He nudged Piper to a nearby chair. “Stay here.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want you close when I take the mask off his face in case he’s faking unconsciousness.”
“Can’t we just call the police?”
“How did he get into the house? This place has security crawling all over it.”
“I wish I knew.”
“We have two possibilities. Either the security measures are subpar, or he was already on the estate. I want answers before we call the cops.”
Liam flipped the intruder onto his back and yanked off the mask. His lip curled. No wonder he knew where Piper was sleeping tonight.
“Who is it?”
“The guard at the front gate.”
“Why would he want to hurt me?”
“Let’s find out. Still have water in the bottle I brought you?”
Piper retrieved the bottle and tossed it to Liam’s outstretched hand.
He unscrewed the cap and dumped the contents on the guard’s face.
The man choked and sputtered, his eyelids fluttering up. He saw Liam and scowled. “You’re a dead man,” he snapped.
He ignored the threat. “What are you doing in this room?”
A sullen glare was his response.
Liam considered his options. On the house tour, he’d discovered Romano’s room was in the other wing on the first floor. Should be far enough away to keep Piper’s uncle from investigating a muffled scream. However, the guards roamed the house at thirty-minute intervals. In fact, the guard’s sweep should be occurring in the next ten minutes, not enough time to get as much information as Liam wanted from this clown.
Fine. He’d get what he could from this guy, then leave him for the cops when the guard appeared. When the gatekeeper tried to get up, Liam shoved him down. “Stay.”
The guy cursed at him.
Liam crouched and gripped the area between the man’s neck and shoulder, pinching one of the nerves. The other man gasped, his face losing all trace of color. “Watch your mouth,” Liam said, voice soft. “There’s a lady present.” After receiving a nod of compliance, Liam asked, “Name?”
“Rusty.”
“Here’s how this is going to play out, Rusty. You tell me what I want to know or you’ll wish you had never been born. What are you doing in Piper’s room?”
The man clammed up.
Liam sighed. “We’re doing this the hard way, huh?” He glanced at Piper. “Lock yourself inside my room, baby.”
“I’d rather stay with you.” Fear glimmered in her eyes.
He hoped she wouldn’t regret her choice during the interrogation or in agreeing to marry Liam. “No matter what, don’t interfere.” He turned back to Rusty, clamped a hand over his mouth and bore down hard on the same nerve he’d pinched a minute before.
The response was immediate. Rusty’s body bowed as pain wracked through his body. His scream was muffled by Liam’s hand. When he eased his grip on the nerve, the guard moaned, breathing rapid.
“Why were you in Piper’s room?” he asked again and lifted his hand for the man to answer.
Another round of cursing.
Liam repeated the same procedure, this time holding the grip long enough that tears left trails down Rusty’s face before he eased up. “You should know I love Piper,” he said, voice soft. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect her. I won’t blink at killing you right here, right now. I have the perfect cover story, after all. I walked inside this room to see your hands around her throat. The bruises you left behind will attest to my version of events. It’s too bad you were hurt in my struggle to protect the woman I love. How do you think I feel right now?” Liam let the fury and determination to protect what was his show in his gaze.
Rusty swallowed hard, fear growing in the depths of his eyes.
“That’s right. Wouldn’t take much to convince me to rid the world of one more lowlife. Piper will tell the cops you attempted to kill her. Total justification for my actions when the cops show up. You think the officers will have much sympathy for a man who breaks into an unarmed woman’s bedroom and attacks her? I’ll ask you one more time. Why were you in this room with your hands around my woman’s throat?”
“I wasn’t trying to kill her, I swear.”
“Doesn’t take much pressure to crush a windpipe. Want a demonstration?”
A fast head shake.
“Too bad. Talk to me before I decide you aren’t worth keeping alive.” He was almost out of time. The guard making the rounds would be coming in another three or four minutes.
“I was supposed to scare her into talking.”
“About what?”
“Her boyfriend.”
Liam’s smile was more a baring of his teeth. “I’m her boyfriend. Are you talking about her ex, Gavin?”
“Yeah.”
“What were you to find out?”
“Where he hid the information he stole. I was supposed to get it back. That’s all.”
“Who sent you?”
“Don’t know. Just an email contact with money dumped into my account.” His gaze shifted to the left as he said those words.
Liam stared at him. The idiot was lying through his teeth. “You expect me to believe you took on a job without knowing who your employer is?”
That brought his glare back to Liam. “Hey, the money was good. What do I care where it came from as long as I don’t have to do nothing illegal?”
“Breaking into a woman’s room and threatening her with bodily harm isn’t legal anywhere, dude.”
Footsteps approached the room. Liam was out of time. He turned to see the guard in the doorway.
“What’s going on in here? What did you do to Rusty?” The guard’s hand edged toward his weapon.
“Don’t do it,” Liam ordered. “I’ll kill you before your weapon clears your holster.”
The guard froze.
“Your friend broke into Piper’s room. I found him with his hands around her throat.”
The other man’s mouth dropped open.
“Don’t believe him, Ed,” Rusty spat out. “The lady invited me in.”
“Liar,” Piper said, disgust lacing her voice.
Liam turned his head to look at Rusty. “This is your only warning,” he murmured. “Close your mouth.”
Rusty paled again and fell silent.
“Call the cops, Ed.” Liam stood. “Your buddy, Rusty, is going to have a long talk with the police.”
“But he said the broad invited him.”
“If you won’t help, go back on your rounds and I’ll notify the police.”
Ed raised his chin, defiance in his gaze. “I ain’t calling the cops on a friend.”
Liam pulled out his cell phone and made the call himself. He also sent a text to Simon who was on watch outside the estate grounds so he’d know what was happening.
Simon called. “Need help?”
“I’ve got it.”
“Is Piper all right?”
“More bruises to add to her collection.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Update our team leader and the boss.”
“You can’t talk freely?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll take care of it. Let me know if you need me.”
Within a couple minutes, sirens sounded in the distance. Now the fun would begin.