Executive Protection(35)

Removing his reading glasses, Wade eyed him with disapproval.

“The FBI has an artist’s sketch of the shooter,” Darcy announced.

Wade’s hard eyes moved to him. “And how, might I ask, do you know this?”

“I went to the vacant office where the gunman made his shots,” Thad said. “I ran into a janitor there, who told me he saw a man leaving the office the night of the shooting. He gave a description.”

“I thought I told you not to investigate that case.” Wade stood, anger beginning to brew and storm over his brow.

“He shot my mother,” Thad said simply. Did he really expect him not to investigate? When Wade didn’t dispute that point, Darcy went on.

“There’s more. We think the shooter could be Cam Harmon.”

“Cam Harmon.” Wade looked as if he were searching his memory.

“The man Lucy Sinclair met online after my mother was shot,” Thad reminded him, wondering if Wade had truly forgotten or if he was deliberately minimizing this.

“Online?” Wade questioned. “How would Harmon have known she was on a dating site?”

Thad had already considered that. “He could have heard her talking when she was away from Kate’s room.” The security would be too tight there, and Lucy wouldn’t have been alert to someone spying on her.

The chief nodded haphazardly, not really buying the likelihood. But he leaned on his desk with his hands. “All right. I’ll pass this along to the FBI. On one condition.”

He had Thad’s undivided attention. Would he really pass the information along?

“You stop investigating the shooting,” Chief Thomas said. “I can’t keep having to tell you that. You must leave it up to the feds. Understood?”

“Understood,” Thad said. “Thank you, sir.”

“Get out of my office.”

Darcy led Thad out into the main office area, where talking and the tapping of keyboards echoed off the high ceiling and nearly bare walls.

When they were out of sight of Chief Thomas, Darcy stopped. “How do we know if he tells the feds?”

“We wait to hear about an arrest.”

Darcy nodded, not satisfied. “Where’s Lucy?”

“At the estate.” Where she was safe. Unless Jaden had something to do with all of this and he and Darcy had just sent agents after the wrong man...

* * *

On Friday in early March, Lucy almost forgot her hair appointment and had rushed out of the estate. Now leaving the salon with bouncing, shining auburn hair, she walked toward her car. Haircuts always made her day.

Speaking of day, it was beautiful outside. Not a cloud in the sky and it had warmed into the sixties. She breathed in the fresh air. Reaching her Subaru, she was about to open her door when a man called, “Lucy?”

Immediately recognizing the voice, Lucy turned.

Cam stood in a navy blue suit, brown eyes and cropped blond hair a good disguise for the kind of man he truly was.

“Do I need a restraining order?” she asked him.

He put his hands up. “No. I just want to talk.”

Her pulse knocked her rib cage as she opened her car door. He always said that. “Leave me alone.”

She looked around the parking lot. There were a few other people walking to and from the strip mall where her salon was located. He’d be foolish to try something now.

“I’m sorry for the way things turned out between us.”

His apology held an eerie tone. They barely knew each other and he made it sound as though they’d been together for months, maybe even years.

“All that talk about stay-at-home moms.” He grunted a laugh. “It was stupid.”

Of him? She couldn’t argue there.

“I’m going to leave you alone for a while, okay? Give you some distance. Then maybe a few months from now, we can try again.”

He made her sick to her stomach. “No means no, Cam,” she said. “I don’t want to see you again. Ever.” She leaned toward him and pointed her finger. “That means never. How much clearer do I need to make it?” What was it going to take before he finally left her alone?

His gaze remained steady on her. And then he stepped forward.

Lucy opened the Subaru door and sat on the driver’s seat. But as she pulled the door to close it, Cam took hold of the door frame. Forcing it open wider, he stepped into the open space and crouched with eyes that gleamed menace.

“How much clearer do I have to make it, Lucy?” he asked.

She dug into her purse for her cell phone.

“You and I will be together again,” he said. “If I have to lock you in a room, I will.”

Real panic began to rear up inside her. She believed he would do that—if given the chance. “You’re crazy.” She retrieved her phone and navigated to the keypad.

Cam gripped her wrist and pried the phone from her hand, throwing it to the floor on the passenger side.

When she turned to him, he grinned. “I always get what I want. And I want you.”

“Go to hell, you psychotic bastard!” she hissed. Provoking him like this probably wasn’t wise, but she’d be damned if she was going to let him treat her like this! She leaned over, stretching her body to reach for her phone.

Cam grabbed her hair and pulled her back. With his other hand, he pushed her back against the seat. His face contorted with rage, brown eyes feral and mouth pressed tight.