Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(9)

“You can tell me anything.”

He was a big fat liar but what else could he say?

Her knuckles had gone white and her chest rose and fell quickly in her agitation. Whatever it was she had to tell him she clearly didn’t find it pleasant.

“I probably should have told you sooner,” she began, looking down at the table where her fingers gripped the edge. “But…it’s just that it’s hard to talk about. I’ve spent the last few years trying to put it behind me.”

Wait. This didn’t sound like a brush off. More like a confession.

Travis reached out to capture her fingers with his own. “Honey, whatever you have to tell me is going to be fine. If you don’t want to tell me that’s fine too.”

Aubrey shook her head, her expression resolute. “No, I want to. It’s been weighing on my mind every day.”

He didn’t like the sound of that so he squeezed her hand in encouragement, moving his chair closer to her own.

“Then I want to hear it. But the ballroom of this fine establishment probably isn’t the best place to have a personal conversation. What do you think?”

Her cheeks turned rosy and she looked around as if noticing for the first time they weren’t alone.

“This is not the place. How about a walk on the beach?”

Travis kept his arm wrapped around her middle as they headed for the French doors, his fingers brushing the silken ends of her long hair. Stripping off their shoes at the bottom of the staircase, they dug their toes into the sand as the sound of the waves drowned out the music wafting from the ballroom.

“So what is it that you want to tell me, kitten?”

“I need to tell you–” Aubrey broke off, her forehead crinkled. She pointed to the water lapping at the shore. “What’s that?”

A dark lump was lying on the beach the water pooling around it with each pull of the tide. “I’ll check but it’s probably just a bag of garbage someone dumped. People these days have no respect for nature. I’ll have the resort staff clean it up.”

Except when Travis got a good look he could clearly see arms and legs. Something had been dumped on the beach but it wasn’t trash.

“Aubrey, go upstairs.”

Travis fished for the phone in his pocket intending to call 911.

“What is it?”

Now she was right next to him and could see everything he could by the sound of her sucked in breath.

“You don’t listen worth a damn, woman. I said go upstairs.”

Travis gently shoved her toward the resort and away from the body but she didn’t budge an inch.

“Stubborn as hell,” Travis growled under his breath as he took a few steps forward to get a better look. The man was lying on his back his face only half illuminated but Travis easily recognized him.

“Who is it?” Aubrey asked, her voice quivering and her arms wrapped around her torso. “Is he dead?”

Very dead. Bruce Livingston’s chest was covered in blood, his face ghostly pale.





Chapter Six




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Travis once again had to rein in his displeasure. He wasn’t the most patient of men on the best days and finding a dead body – someone he knew – certainly made it one of the worst. He hadn’t been a friend of Bruce Livingston but he’d never wished anything bad to happen to him.


Travis had already told his story to the first police officer on the scene but the detective who had just arrived wanted to hear it again which meant that the first recitation hadn’t been recorded in any way. He couldn’t help but think that West’s cops would be better organized.

They were currently sequestered away from the other party guests in another hotel conference room. Travis kept his arm around Aubrey trying to comfort her in some way. She’d been pale and drawn since they’d found Bruce dead, shaking and looking close to tears. He blamed himself as he should have been a hell of a lot more forceful about sending her back upstairs but he simply hadn’t known how grisly the scene was until they both were right up on it. It had been way too dark outside even with the full moon.

“Can we get you folks some coffee or water?” The detective from the local police department waved toward a long table against the wall. Probably in his mid-forties, he had that world weary appearance that often seemed to go with a long career in law enforcement. His hairline was receding, his face was tanned and lined, and his suit slightly rumpled. “The resort staff has graciously provided some refreshments.”

“Nothing for me. Aubrey?”

She shook her head as well and took a few deep breaths. “No, I’m fine. I’d like to get this over with and go up to our room.”

From the look on the cops face, Travis didn’t think that was going to happen any time in the near future. The dark haired man had settled in, ordering coffee and pastries while gathering Bruce’s family and friends in the room next to this one. It was going to be a long night.

“My name is Detective Dan Prather and I’m now in charge of this case. Can you tell me how you came to find the deceased?”

Travis squeezed Aubrey’s hand to let her know he would take these questions. “Miss Grayson and I were heading down to the beach and that’s when we saw Bruce lying there.”