Face the Music (COBRA Securities Book 9) Read online

  “Someone’s bugged,” Hunter announced. He held up the man’s phone with a handkerchief. “He’s got a tracking app.”

  A niggling suspicion tugged at Luke. He jogged over to Layla, who was fussing over Dorian’s injury. “Let me see your purse.”

  She paused dabbing blood from Dorian’s shoulder. “Why? It hasn’t been out of my sight.” She handed it over.

  He crouched to the sidewalk and dumped the contents, finding what he was looking for. He held it up.

  “Is that—”

  He nodded.

  “How did that get in there?”

  “Who have you been close to? Could Bev have dropped it in when you met with her?”

  “No, I didn’t take my purse that day.” She scrunched her eyes in thought before realization dawned and she covered her mouth. “Mrs. Anders.”

  “Mullins’ housekeeper? That must be why she insisted you have tea with her.”

  He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Talia. “Sorry to wake you, but I need you to question the housekeeper, Mrs. Anders.” He told her about the fire and the tracking device. “Let me know what you find out.”

  #

  “Talia, darling, open up.”

  Mullins frowned when his knock went unanswered. He shifted uncomfortably and adjusted the fit of his pants. He could feel the effects of the Viagra kicking in. He knocked harder and placed his ear against the panel. He didn’t hear the shower running. He turned the handle, opened the door and walked inside as if he owned the place. And he did.

  The room was empty. He checked the attached bath. Dark. Where could she be this late at night? He eyed his watch. Past midnight.

  Dammit, he needed a woman and Talia was right under his roof. He was paying her…she should be available at his beck and call. He stalked down the stairs, not bothering to close her door, and checked the exercise studio. Not there. Maybe she was taking a midnight swim in the pool. Naked. His drug-enhanced body reacted to the mental image. He needed to find her, fast.

  She wasn’t in the pool either. He planted his hands on his hips. She didn’t have a vehicle so she was most likely in the house. Was she with one of the other staff members? Malone? He growled as he stomped across the lawn, intending to confront Malone in the carriage house. A shrill cacophony of sirens stopped him. What the hell? It sounded like every emergency vehicle in the county was descending on his house. Panic struck. Had Layla turned him in? Were they arriving to arrest him?

  He walked as fast as his aroused body would allow, keeping to the shadows as he rounded the house. He’d already planned his escape route through the woods if necessary. Relief washed over him to see the Farber’s house down the road engulfed in flames. It’d been on the market for a few months with no nibbles, so maybe they torched it for the insurance money. Farber wasn’t above breaking the law and Mullins should know. He’d taken part in many of the man’s schemes.

  Now that his freedom was safe, he was on a mission. Spinning around he marched to the carriage house. If Talia was with Malone, he’d fire them both on the spot.

  #

  Talia heard weeping as she approached Mrs. Anders’ door. Tears of sadness? Or guilt? She knocked twice. “Mrs. Anders? It is Talia. I need to speak with you.”

  Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor and the door whipped open to reveal the housekeeper in her bathrobe, her face red and splotchy.

  “Hello, dear.”

  “May I come in?”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Mrs. Anders stepped back and Talia padded inside. The small room was neat and tastefully decorated with a queen bed, dresser and a small desk and chair. She didn’t know much about the woman except that she was a widow with one grown son and one granddaughter.

  “What can I help you with?”

  “Mrs. Anders, when Layla Brooks visited—” It was all she got out before the older woman burst into noisy tears. Talia recoiled. She did not do well with sobbing women. Her father drilled into her that crying was a sign of weakness.

  “He threatened my granddaughter,” Mrs. Anders wailed. “He had pictures and he knows where she lives and goes to school. He said he would hurt her if I didn’t do what he said.” She buried her face in a tissue.

  “Who threatened you, Mrs. Anders? Senator Mullins?”

  She glanced up. “What? No. The senator isn’t the most compassionate man, but it wasn’t him. I don’t know who the man is. He accosted me in the grocery store parking lot. He showed me pictures of my granddaughter and told me all I had to do to keep her safe was to drop a small object in Layla’s purse. I didn’t think it would harm her.” More blubbering followed.

  Talia raised her voice to be heard. “Someone has tried to kill Layla four times already.”

  The bawling cut off abruptly. Mrs. Anders’ hands covered her mouth. “Is she okay?”

  Talia nodded.

  “Was it because of what I did?”

  She hated heaping more guilt on the woman, but she needed to know the consequences of her actions. “Only the last one. What you dropped in her purse was a tracking device. It was used to find where she was staying. Someone burned the house down tonight.”

  “Oh, no! Was anyone hurt?”

  “Mainly the man responsible.” She took out her phone and accessed the picture Luke forwarded to her. “This will be hard to look at, and you need to ignore the blood, but I need you to tell me if this is the same man who threatened you.”

  Mrs. Anders glanced at the screen and gasped. She closed her eyes and turned away nodding. “Yes, that’s him.”

  Talia slid the phone in her pocket. “Thank you.”

  “Just let me change.”

  Talia turned to the housekeeper. “What for?”

  “You’re a cop, right? You’re here to arrest me?”

  “No, I am not a cop. Just a yoga instructor. But I would advise you to tell the police what you have told me when they do come.”

  The older woman nodded. Talia bid her goodnight and left the room. She’d just pulled out her cell to call Luke when the back door slammed opened. Glancing around frantically, she noticed the pantry and ducked inside. She barely got the door closed before Mullins stalked by and then his footsteps suddenly stopped. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears. Had he seen her hide? Carefully leaning forward, she peeked through the louvered slats. His back was to her as he poured himself a drink and dialed his phone.

  “Where the hell are you?” Pause. “Yeah, I saw the flames. Is Talia with you?”

  Talia stifled a gasp. He was looking for her? This late at night could only mean one thing. He turned around and she gasped out loud this time. There was a tent in the front of his dress pants. She slammed her eyes shut. She was never leaving the pantry.

  “Do you have her cell number? Me, either. Send her home if you see her. Tell her to come directly to my room. I’ll be waiting.” He finished his glass of water, burped and slammed it on the counter before stalking out of the kitchen.

  She sighed against the shelves. That was a close one. Her cell vibrated a text. Thank goodness she’d silenced the ringer. She fished it from her pocket. From Hunter. Mullins looking 4 you. Stay hidden.

  She dialed his number and spoke softly. “What did you tell him?”

  “That I saw you earlier but you decided to go for a run.”

  “Thank you,” she sighed. “I fear he is medically enhanced.”

  “You mean…”

  “Yes, the blue happy pill. I should sleep in the pantry so he does not try my room.”

  There was a pause. “You can stay in the carriage house. I’ll be tied up here for a while.”

  “Thank you but I think all hell would break loose if he saw me coming from your room.”

  Hunter chuckled. “You’re probably right. Why don’t I come back and make sure he stays in his room?”

  “No, don’t be ridiculous. I can take care of myself.”

  “Of that, I have no doubt.”

  She shivered at the deep timbre of his voice.
She couldn’t focus on that. She had a job to do. “How is Dorian?” Luke had told her about the fire and Dorian getting shot.

  “He’s fine. Just a flesh wound.”

  “Have you identified the shooter?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Listen, I need to call Luke but you should hear this, too. I will patch him in.” She rang Luke and then initiated the three-way call. “I just spoke to Mrs. Anders. She admitted to putting the tracking device in Layla’s purse. She was threatened by a man who approached her at the grocery. He had pictures of her granddaughter and he threatened her life if she didn’t do as he said. She ID’d him from the picture you sent to me.”

  “She didn’t know his name?”

  “No. Nothing about him.”

  “Okay, good job,” Luke said. “Get some sleep. All hell is about to break loose tomorrow.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kai Costa glanced up from the basketball magazine he was flipping through and did a double-take. Tiffany Mullins was tiptoeing away from their group and sneaking down the stairs. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled. He tossed the publication down and followed. Why would she be sneaking away? Maggie McQueen and Kayla Hepburn had made them pinky swear they’d stay close when they agreed to the trip to the library. It’d been Tiff who begged to come, saying there was a book she wanted to find. Melody had a prior commitment and had to leave for a few hours. His mom was super-busy. The company she owned with Kendall and Olivia was getting slammed with business, so she couldn’t leave. Tiff had asked Maggie if she’d take them. Maggie agreed and Kayla offered to drive since she had to run a few errands anyway.

  He pulled out his cell to snap pictures of Tiff, not that he was a tattletale or anything. He decided to click the video app instead. He jogged to catch up with her, his cell leading the way. He was halfway down the stairs when he saw a man grab her.

  “Maggie, Kayla, help!” he yelled. “Hey, stop! Someone stop that man! He’s kidnapping her!”

  He dropped his phone and flew down the stairs, jumping several at a time. The man had Tiff’s mouth covered and her arms pinned against her sides. She was squirming and kicking but the man was halfway out the door. Kai ran as fast as he could. Maggie and Kayla were yelling behind him but he kept going. The man threw Tiff in a car and Kai dove for him.

  “What the hell?”

  Kai was swinging and kicking and screaming like a banshee, anything to force the man to let her go. “Tiff, get out!” She was yanking and pulling at the handle, her eyes wide in terror, but she was locked in.

  The man backhanded him and stars exploded in his eyes. He fell to his knees, momentarily stunned. He shook it off. He didn’t have time for pain. He lunged forward and grabbed the man’s leg before he could slip inside the car.

  “You stupid, shit.” The man kicked him in the chest and air whooshed from his lungs. Somehow, he managed to hold on to his shoe. He fell backwards when it came off. The man dove inside and slammed the car into gear.

  “Stop!” Maggie shouted, her gun aimed at the car.

  Kayla was beside her but she put her arm on Maggie’s and lowered her weapon. “You can’t shoot. Tiffany’s in there.”

  Maggie rushed to him and gathered him in her arms. “Kai, honey, are you okay?”

  He couldn’t answer because he couldn’t breathe. His chest hurt and he was having trouble sucking in air. Plus, his ears were ringing and his face throbbed where the man hit him. And his pride was shattered. He felt like a failure. Tiff was gone.

  Kayla announced that she was calling for an ambulance but he waved her off. He hated hospitals. “Okay,” he wheezed. Maggie helped him to his feet and he tried to hide the wince, but she narrowed her eyes at him.

  “You’re going to a hospital.”

  “No,” he croaked. “Don’t need it.”

  Gracie ran up to him, sobbing. She threw her arms around him. He whimpered like a little girl. He was afraid a couple of tears were about to leak out but he ruthlessly pushed them back.

  “I love you, Kai. Don’t be hurt,” his stepsister cried.

  “Not,” he fibbed. And it was a lie because she kept squeezing harder. He was three seconds away from crying uncle. He patted her on the back, silently begging her to let go. Finally, she lessened her hold. He looked at Maggie. “Need to find Tiff. I got this,” he held up the shoe.

  Kayla took it from him as she spoke on the phone, giving a description of the getaway vehicle.

  “I got pictures, too.” He reached for his cell phone, dismayed when he couldn’t find it.

  “Are you looking for this?” A young girl with short brown hair approached him and handed him his phone.

  “Thanks,” he managed.

  “Did something happen to Serina?”

  Sean, who had been silently weeping in the background, lunged forward. “How do you know that name?”

  “Some man gave me this to go up to Serina and pretend my name was Pearl.” She held up a twenty.

  “Who’s Serina?” Maggie asked.

  “That’s the name Tiff used when she played her favorite online game,” Sean said, his face crumpling again. “It’s my fault,” he said. “I was supposed to watch out for her.” Gracie went over to hug him.

  “No, it’s mine,” Kai insisted. “I should’ve been able to stop him.”

  “It’s neither of your fault,” Maggie insisted. “It’s mine. I let her out of my sight.”

  Kai winced when he looked at his phone and the cracked screen. His dad would kill him. He was a little hard on iPhone screens. He pulled up the video, relieved that you could see the man’s face. He paused the video and held it up. “Here he is.”

  Maggie took it from him. “I’ll get this circulated.”

  Sirens shrieked closer and a black SUV skid to a stop. The door swung open and his dad came running.

  “Dad!” Kai lunged forward, dismayed to feel tears on his cheeks.

  “Don’t hug him, Dante!” Maggie screamed when his dad opened his arms. “His ribs are injured.”

  His dad dropped his arms and fell to his knees, his hand gingerly tracing the bruise on his face.

  “Daddy,” Gracie wailed and ran into his arms. Kai’s lips trembled. He wanted his arms around him, too.

  “Kai’s a hero again,” Gracie cried. “He tried to stop the bad man. Even when he hit him, Kai kept fighting. Then the bad man kicked him.”

  Kai hated the worried look in his dad’s eyes, knowing he put it there.

  “Let me see,” his dad said gruffly. He lifted Kai’s shirt and sucked in a breath. He stood with Gracie in one arm. He grabbed Kai’s hand. “We’re going to the hospital.”

  “No, Dad, please,” he cried. “We have to find Tiff.”

  Cops were already arriving in droves. He wanted in on the search.

  “After we get you checked out.”

  He knew better than to argue. His dad placed Gracie in the back seat and urged her to scoot over so Kai could climb in. He made sure no pain showed on his face.

  “How did you get here so fast?”

  “I was in town when Kayla called. Kai?”

  He glanced up from buckling his seat belt, making sure it didn’t hit his injured ribs.

  “You scared the hell out of me again. But I’m so damn proud of you.”

  #

  Layla glanced at the mirror, dismayed at the heavy bags under her eyes. It’d been a long night dealing with the firemen, cops and then finding a new place to stay. They’d arrived at the hotel a few miles from Mullins’ house and dropped instantly to sleep. Today was the day Mullins was going down…at least she hoped so.

  She left the bathroom and her breath caught when she spotted Luke. Even with bed hair and a crease on the side of his face, he was the most handsome man she’d ever met. He stood and reached for her. She walked into his arms.

  Nothing had ever felt so right. She loved the deep rumble of satisfaction in his chest as he hugged her. Their cells chimed simultaneously. She wanted
to let them ring so she could stay in his embrace.

  “Could be important,” he murmured against her hair.

  Reluctantly, she stepped back and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. Her siblings’ adorable faces smiled at her from the screen.

  “Hey, kiddos. What’s up?”

  “Layla?”

  Her blood turned to ice. “Sean, what’s wrong?”

  “She’s gone. Someone took her,” he sobbed.

  Layla’s eyes shot to Luke, who looked grim. “Slow down, Sean. Who’s gone?”

  “Tiffany. She snuck away from us at the library. She thought she was meeting an online friend but a man grabbed her. Kai tried to stop him but he hurt him.”

  Layla sat down hard on the bed. She had trouble pulling in a breath. “S-she’s gone?”

  “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. I was supposed to watch her and I didn’t.”

  His distress overrode hers and she worked to keep her voice from shaking. “Listen to me, Sean. It was not your fault. You do what Dante and the others tell you. I’ll find her.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  She hung up and turned to Luke. “He has her. That monster has Tiffany.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Ike Morris hated Hunter Malone. Ever since the other man came on board, Mullins had fawned all over him like he was the second coming of Jesus, or something. Just because he saved Mullins’ life, it was like he walked on water. He could do no wrong. Ike had been with Mullins for years. It’d taken a long time before Mullins trusted him with his secrets. It’d taken Malone all of two days.

  Well, Ike didn’t trust him. Maybe he was taking his frustration at Mullins out on Malone. Malone hadn’t done anything suspicious but still, Ike had a feeling he wasn’t who he seemed. Something about him rubbed him the wrong way. He was too slick, too sure of himself. He was at a meeting with Mullins right now and Ike hadn’t been invited. Sure, when Mullins needed someone to take pot shots at his stepdaughter, Ike was the man. But for the more important tasks, he used Malone now. That used to be his job.

  Ike glanced around to make sure the coast was clear and then picked the lock to the carriage house where Malone was staying. Mullins hadn’t even offered to let him stay here. He had to find his own apartment. It would’ve been nice to not have to drive to work but did Mullins think of him? Hell, no.