friends.”
“We worked together. He was good at what he did.”
Braden let Chase’s casual dismissal slide. His brother had been friends with Jason for nearly ten years. No matter what he said, Braden knew Jason’s death would tear Chase apart. He also understood that Chase would refuse to talk about it.
“I don’t understand how this ties in to Beth.”
“Jason died in the alley across the street from where she parks her car. The same alley Markko was in that first night,” Chase continued in a harsh tone. “Whether you like it or not, Markko and that woman are connected.”
“Her name is Beth, Chase. Would it kill you to say it?”
“Are you sure about that?”
“About her name? ” Braden slammed the orange juice onto the counter, sloshing some out onto the granite. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve got someone checking into her, and so far, they’re having trouble finding anything.”
“Maybe that’s because there’s nothing to find,” Braden ground out.
“Look, you may think I’m being paranoid, but better paranoid than stupid. They are connected. We need to figure out how, before someone else dies.”
“And just how do you propose we do that?” Braden snorted. He could only imagine how Beth would react to So, there’s a homicidal asshole following us around. Any idea what he wants?
“She working tomorrow?”
“Yeah. The morning shift.”
“Then meet me at her place. We’ll sniff around. We’ll know if Markko’s been there.”
“I haven’t been to her place. How do you propose we find it?”
“I’ve got the address.”
“Do I even want to know how you managed that?”
“She had to list her address on her employment records.”
The blood drained from Braden’s face. “Please tell me you didn’t break into Angie’s records, Chase.” Angie would go ballistic if she ever found out.
“Fine. I didn’t break into Angie’s employment records.”
Braden sensed the quiet amusement in Chase’s voice. He’d never been appropriately afraid of Angie. “Shit. You better have put everything back exactly the way you found it.” Angie would notice if anything in her office above the café was out of place. God help them if she ever realized they were responsible.
“She’ll never know the difference. What time is Beth leaving in the morning?”
Braden didn’t like the way Chase sneered Beth’s name, as though it were something foul, but he let it go. He’d deal with it tomorrow, after Chase was confronted with the reality that Beth had nothing to do with Markko.
“I don’t know. I’ll call you when she leaves.”
“Fine.”
Braden shoved the carton of orange juice back in the fridge. “Has Jason been taken care of?”
“I handled it.” Chase’s voice was quiet, and Braden wondered exactly how he’d handled it.
“Chase…”
Chase cut him off. “Call me in the morning.”
The line went dead before Braden could say anything else. Tossing the phone on the counter, he flipped the lights off in the kitchen and made his way down the dark hallway, quietly pushing open the door to his bedroom.
Soft light from the balcony spilled onto the empty bed, revealing twisted sheets spilling over the side of the mattress.
He glanced toward the bathroom, the door hung open and the lights were off. As he turned to head back into the hallway, a shadow of movement on the balcony caught his attention.
Braden stepped through the open door, the fresh scent of impending rain heavy on the night air.
His breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on Beth. She stood at the railing, eyes closed and head tilted toward the sky, the wind caressing her face and fondling her hair. Barefoot and in nothing but the shirt he’d worn last night, the soft glow of the street lights illuminated her silhouette beneath the thin fabric. A spark of awareness touched her, and she glanced over her shoulder, her dark blue eyes capturing him.
“Sorry.” She pulled at the hem of
“We worked together. He was good at what he did.”
Braden let Chase’s casual dismissal slide. His brother had been friends with Jason for nearly ten years. No matter what he said, Braden knew Jason’s death would tear Chase apart. He also understood that Chase would refuse to talk about it.
“I don’t understand how this ties in to Beth.”
“Jason died in the alley across the street from where she parks her car. The same alley Markko was in that first night,” Chase continued in a harsh tone. “Whether you like it or not, Markko and that woman are connected.”
“Her name is Beth, Chase. Would it kill you to say it?”
“Are you sure about that?”
“About her name? ” Braden slammed the orange juice onto the counter, sloshing some out onto the granite. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve got someone checking into her, and so far, they’re having trouble finding anything.”
“Maybe that’s because there’s nothing to find,” Braden ground out.
“Look, you may think I’m being paranoid, but better paranoid than stupid. They are connected. We need to figure out how, before someone else dies.”
“And just how do you propose we do that?” Braden snorted. He could only imagine how Beth would react to So, there’s a homicidal asshole following us around. Any idea what he wants?
“She working tomorrow?”
“Yeah. The morning shift.”
“Then meet me at her place. We’ll sniff around. We’ll know if Markko’s been there.”
“I haven’t been to her place. How do you propose we find it?”
“I’ve got the address.”
“Do I even want to know how you managed that?”
“She had to list her address on her employment records.”
The blood drained from Braden’s face. “Please tell me you didn’t break into Angie’s records, Chase.” Angie would go ballistic if she ever found out.
“Fine. I didn’t break into Angie’s employment records.”
Braden sensed the quiet amusement in Chase’s voice. He’d never been appropriately afraid of Angie. “Shit. You better have put everything back exactly the way you found it.” Angie would notice if anything in her office above the café was out of place. God help them if she ever realized they were responsible.
“She’ll never know the difference. What time is Beth leaving in the morning?”
Braden didn’t like the way Chase sneered Beth’s name, as though it were something foul, but he let it go. He’d deal with it tomorrow, after Chase was confronted with the reality that Beth had nothing to do with Markko.
“I don’t know. I’ll call you when she leaves.”
“Fine.”
Braden shoved the carton of orange juice back in the fridge. “Has Jason been taken care of?”
“I handled it.” Chase’s voice was quiet, and Braden wondered exactly how he’d handled it.
“Chase…”
Chase cut him off. “Call me in the morning.”
The line went dead before Braden could say anything else. Tossing the phone on the counter, he flipped the lights off in the kitchen and made his way down the dark hallway, quietly pushing open the door to his bedroom.
Soft light from the balcony spilled onto the empty bed, revealing twisted sheets spilling over the side of the mattress.
He glanced toward the bathroom, the door hung open and the lights were off. As he turned to head back into the hallway, a shadow of movement on the balcony caught his attention.
Braden stepped through the open door, the fresh scent of impending rain heavy on the night air.
His breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on Beth. She stood at the railing, eyes closed and head tilted toward the sky, the wind caressing her face and fondling her hair. Barefoot and in nothing but the shirt he’d worn last night, the soft glow of the street lights illuminated her silhouette beneath the thin fabric. A spark of awareness touched her, and she glanced over her shoulder, her dark blue eyes capturing him.
“Sorry.” She pulled at the hem of
Similar Books
