I t was impossible to get the images of Maria out of my head .

The bruised, battered skin and dull, dead eyes. It was awful, and despite my previous knowledge of the event that initially got Kelly interested in Nash, I never imagined, nor could I have prepared myself for, what I saw in those photos .

There was a mixture of fear and sadness swirling around my chest. And with Giselle and Kelly both staring at me like this was my decision to make, I knew I had no choice but to agree and follow along .

“Fine. You’re right.” I turned to Kelly. “I want to know what Nash knows .”

Giselle whipped around in her seat, gathered her things, and opened her door before stepping out .

“You won’t regret this.” Kelly squeezed my hand .

“Don’t be so sure.” I took a deep breath before opening my own door and letting the hot dry air quickly engulf me .

Looking up and down the street, I knew Alex and Nash were still here despite my warning for Alex to leave. And as my mind raced to understand why she’d ignored my advice, I could only hope that it was because Nash wanted to stay—that he had nothing to hide—and cooperate to the fullest extent possible .

Kelly quickly found me at the front of the car and murmured, “This is the right thing to do .”

“C’mon,” I said, not wanting to give my decision any more thought than I already had. “Follow me.” I waved them on, leading the way. “I’ll show you where she lives .”

With Kelly and Giselle flanking both my shoulders, I pushed through the front doors with gusto. The cool air from the building hit my face and prickled my scalp. There was no sense in delaying the inevitable, but I also couldn’t stop my mind from reliving the nightmare that played out the last time Nash was brought into the police station for questioning. He’d been cleared once, and I could only assume that he would be again .

Marching through the front lobby, I heard Kelly say in a soft voice to Giselle, “Nash owns this building, doesn’t he ?”

“From what I understand.” She nodded .

When we came to a stop at the elevators, I knew that this wasn’t going to go over well. Alex was going to be pissed, and the raw ache in my stomach from feeling like I was betraying a friend left my nerves frayed .

Kelly narrowed his gaze and eyed me. He didn’t have to say anything because the look alone told me everything he was thinking. But I wasn’t going to purposely mislead them. My games were over. The ball was in Alex’s court now .

Tapping my toes, I pressed the up button again. Shortly after, the metal doors slid open and we stepped into the empty car. The moment we started traveling up to the 12^th floor, the walls began closing in on me. As if feeling my jitters, Kelly moved his hand to the small of my back .

Closing my eyes, relief swept over my body and relaxed my shoulders .

“Kendra, remember what you said .”

I arched a brow at him .

“That, if anything, you’re here to distract Alex .”

Dropping my chin to my chest, I nodded .

“Leave the heavy hitting for us .”

A deep calming breath did little to relieve my anxiety as the seconds ticked away like hours. It seemed to take forever to reach Alex’s floor. But once we did, my mind went blank before I found myself knocking on her door .

We all held our breaths as we waited, then the door opened .

Alex’s round eyes drifted to both Kelly and Giselle before landing on me. “I suppose there’s no use in pretending we don’t know why you’re all here,” she said .

“We would like to speak with Nash, if he’s home.” Giselle stepped forward .

Dropping her gaze, Alex nodded and opened the door all the way. “C’mon on in. He’s in the kitchen .”

I stepped to the side and let Kelly follow Giselle through the threshold. Then I embraced Alex. “Why didn’t you leave ?”

She shrugged. “Nash didn’t want to .”

We held hands as we looked into each other’s eyes. I felt bad that it had come to this. But there was no turning back now .

“C’mon, let’s go be there for Nash,” I said .

Alex kept her arm linked with mine as we made our way inside, finding everyone waiting in the kitchen. Not a second passed before Nash’s gaze landed on me. “Good to see you, Kendra .”

“Hey, Nash .”

He skirted the counter and took my arms in his hands as he leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Thanks for the warning,” he whispered quietly in my ear so no one else could hear .

Casting my gaze to my feet, I nodded once .

Kelly’s loud clapping made me turn my attention to him. “Nash, would you prefer if we talked in the living room ?”

Nash held out his hand. “No better place than there.” He smiled .

Alex shuffled her way over to me and together we watched the three of them make their way to the living room. Giselle took a seat on the chair while Kelly sauntered over to the big bay windows with his hands stuffed inside his pant pockets .

“Tell me the truth, Kendra.” Alex leaned her shoulder into mine. “Should I be worried ?”

Swallowing down the lump forming in my throat, I stared at Kelly with eyes round as coins, not knowing how to respond. “Honestly, I don’t know,” I whispered .

Alex’s grip tightened on my arm and I felt her muscles go stiff .

Giselle opened Maria Greer’s folder and my heart thumped hard in my chest .

“Do you recognize this woman ?”

Nash barely looked at the image Giselle slid toward him on the coffee table .

“Are you asking because you don’t know, or because you want me to confirm what you already know ?”

Kelly pivoted on his heel and turned to face Nash. “Your cooperation will speed up the process. I suggest you make this easy on all of us .”

Nash glared at Kelly before fixing his gaze back on Giselle. “I know her. Or, shall I say, knew her. We had a history .”

“What kind of history?” Kelly took a step closer to Nash .

Nash turned his head to Kelly. “We dated. She was one of my interns .”

Alex squeezed her eyes shut and I knew that she didn’t want to hear any more of what Nash had to say. Lifting my hand, I draped my arm over her shoulders and pulled her close to my chest .

“And do you know where she is today ?”

“Dead. Murdered.” Nash didn’t flinch when he said the words .

Alex pushed herself away and muttered something about making everyone drinks. Her story about meeting Nash wasn’t too different than Maria’s, and I was sure it couldn’t have been easy to hear .

“And you know this, how?” Giselle pressed .

Falling into the corner of the couch, Nash clasped his hands together and sighed. “Been over this with the cops already.” Then his brows knitted. “I was under the impression they caught the man who—” he paused to look at Maria’s glossy image, “—took her away from us .”

Silence swept the room as we all wrestled with our own thoughts .

I hated how we were here again, everything always connected back to the missing money everyone suspected Blake Stone had stashed away in a studio somewhere in Hollywood. Memories of the Santa Marta cartel and professor Ted Fields came rushing to the forefront of my mind as if it happened yesterday. And a sharp pang stabbed my gut as I turned to look at Alex, remembering that she had been kidnapped by those same men who now seemed to be framing Nash .

Nodding, Nash said, “I saw it with my own eyes. They arrested him .”

Kelly slowly moved to the couch. Sitting on the opposite end, he crossed one leg over his knee and leaned back .

Shaking his head, Nash turned to Kelly, “Why are you asking about the case? Did something happen ?”

Kelly glanced at Giselle. “We’re just covering our bases,” she said. “Before the case is brought before a judge .”

“I’m no fool,” Nash said. “I know what that really means. It means new evidence has been discovered to rethink the case .”

“You’re right,” Kelly said .

“It’s possible we might use you as a witness.” Giselle lifted her eyes to Nash. “Would you be okay with that ?”

Nash thought quietly for a minute. “As long as that’s all this is, and I’m not being added back to the suspect list I was already cleared of once before .”

“There is something else we should tell you.” Giselle leaned forward and jabbed her pointer into the center of Maria’s image. “The prosecutors working the case,” her eyes flickered up to Nash’s, “will want to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury, and there is a good chance they’ll use evidence of these injuries .”

Nash didn’t say anything, only stared at Maria, keeping his distance from the picture Giselle was painting. “Get on with it. What are you suggesting ?”

“So, what I’m getting at, Mr. Brooks, is did you inflict those types of wounds on the victim ?”

The sounds coming from the kitchen stopped, and when I turned to look, I found Alex staring into the living room, frozen stiff as if waiting to hear Nash’s answer .

But Nash only blinked and rubbed his face .

Leaning forward, Kelly rested his elbows on his knees and began going through the images of Maria’s battered body. “You know how it looks, don’t you, Nash?” He looked at Nash out of the corner of his eye. “From my perspective, it looks like you have a temper. That you enjoy beating women .”

Nash glanced toward Alex. “It’s not what it looks like .”

Reaching inside his suit jacket pocket, Kelly pulled out another photograph. “Do you know this woman ?”

The lines on Nash’s forehead wrinkled. “Unfortunately, I do.” Then his eyes flicked up to Kelly’s .

“Why unfortunately?” Giselle asked .

Nash snapped his head over to Giselle. “Because she’s the one suspect no one is looking into .”

Alex gasped and Kelly and Giselle shared a look .

“What exactly are you implying?” Kelly asked .

Nash smirked. “Sylvia Neil is conniving, manipulative, and could never accept the fact that I no longer wanted her in my bed. She’s an amateur sex addict. And if I had to guess who killed Maria, I would bet everything I owned, it was her.” He paused for a long second. “She’s the one who did this. Not me !”

Alex hurried into the living room with a tray full of empty glasses and a pitcher of water .

“Nash, are you a member of any nightclubs that participate in eccentric sex?” Giselle continued .

Alex stopped mid-stride, and even from across the room, I could see her muscles tense like she knew the truth—like he was guilty of inflicting such injuries, whether intentional or not .

When she glanced in my direction, I gave her a look like ‘really?’ but she quickly looked away, leaving me to believe she was hiding something from me. Then I turned my attention back to Nash when I heard Kelly say, “And one more thing, when did you stop attending Mint ?”

My eyes widened at the word Mint .

“Was it before or after Maria’s murder ?”

It was clear that Nash thought the question was absurd .

“Was it before or after?” Kelly pressed .

Seconds ticked by before Nash’s mouth opened. “Before .”

Standing, Kelly said, “Thanks for your time, Nash.” Then he quickly found me and gently guided me to the exit with Giselle a step behind .

When I glanced over my shoulder, I found Alex staring at me like this was my fault. Wanting to tell her sorry, I couldn’t. Not with the chaos that stood between us .

Nash followed us to the door. “Why does it matter if it was before or after? Does that finally clear my name, once and for all? Because it should. I didn’t do it. What did Sylvia Neil say? Have you talked to her ?”

Stepping into the hall, Kelly paused, turned, and took a step toward Nash. “I suggest you keep your mouth shut before you make yourself look guiltier than we already suspect you are .”