Branded Page 11

  Chapter Twelve

  Xander waited until he’d shut the front door behind him before he pulled out his cell phone. Sam answered within seconds.

  “Is Nicole right? Are you giving back her computer? She said the police were not likely to charge her and were considering other suspects.” The tiny seed he’d kept buried in the back of his mind, wishing she was truly innocent, had bloomed like a toxic algae along the Oregon Coast. There was no going back, and only time would tell how deadly it was. “Have you found new evidence?”

  Sam released a long-suffering sigh. “Yes and no. We’ve searched her computer, and it’s clean. We have no legal reason to hold it any longer. But that’s only one avenue shot down. No new evidence. Everything else still points to her.”

  His newfound hope wilted. “No new suspects, then.”

  “No. Absolutely nothing that would lead to someone besides her. We’ve got enough circumstantial evidence to arrest her, but I don’t want to take the chance it won’t hold up in court.” He paused for a long moment. “You’ve got to get us something, Xander. Something substantial. Something concrete. A confession would be nice.”

  Damn it. He didn’t want to do this anymore. Didn’t want to push her. Didn’t want to hurt her. But if he didn’t, would more harm come to others at her hand? He had to see this through to the end. He just wasn’t sure how he’d ever let her go. “I gotta go. She’s waiting for me.”

  “Good luck, man.”

  Xander hung up, a heavy weight settling deep inside him. He had to get this done and over with. If he could keep his heart in check and play his cards right, he was certain he could break her this weekend.

  He entered the darkened house to find she’d exited it and now stood leaning against the rail on the back deck. He placed the groceries on the counter and walked toward the windows, drawn to the beautiful sight before him. She stood, head tilted back as though facing down the winds. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted as though she was engaged in a rapturous affair with nature. Beyond her, the untamed Pacific Ocean crashed against the beach.

  Desire slammed into him, low and hard.

  He wanted her.

  He crossed the floor in quick strides and left the house, removing one barrier between them. A tiny sliver of sun still floated on the water as he walked up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist, trapping her between the railing and him. “Nothing like a Seaside sunset.”

  She leaned into him, wrapping her arms over his. “It’s so beautiful. I can’t even begin to describe it.”

  “Many have tried. Most have failed to capture its brilliance.”

  “Sounds like you know something about it.”

  “I should. I’ve been coming here for more than twenty years. Although not as much during the past two.” Even though he now owned it, he had too many fond memories of being there with his family. Knowing his dad could have been around if he’d had a little faith, if he’d made better choices made it hard to be there at times. It was easy to blame Nicole’s father for his dad’s death, but ultimately, his dad had made the choice to end his life, he realized.

  “You said you inherited the place. From your parents?”

  “My dad. He died some years back.” Part of him really wanted to tell her, wanted to explain how their lives were interconnected and give her a chance to respond, to defend herself, but that would put her on guard. And who knew, it was possible she had nothing to do with her father’s activities.

  “I’m sorry. Were you and your father close?”

  “We were, at least when I was younger. We grew apart after I went to college. Or rather, I pushed him away. I was far too eager to be my own man, to make my way in the world.” He gave a derisive laugh. “I couldn’t wait to prove I could do as well as he did.”

  She turned in his arms, facing him, her hair blowing around her face. Her breasts pressed into his chest. She seemed so feminine and harmless in his embrace. “You miss him.”

  He should take a step back, put some distance between them. Instead, he studied her engaging eyes now filled with concern, her pink lips that could easily lie as tell the truth. “I do.”

  She lifted a hand, drawing her fingers along his jaw, setting off every urge and alarm he had. “I wish I could have met him. He sounds like an amazing man.”

  He considered her gaze, pondered her sincerity. She did care about him, he could tell. “He was.” More than anything, he hated that she had two sides. If he wasn’t trying to pretend to forge a relationship with her, it would be easy to focus on the criminal side of her. But getting close to her, learning her nuances like he would any other potential lover, made it so damn difficult to keep the two separated.

  “At least you have wonderful memories to cherish.”

  “Something you never had.” If only her father was still alive. He’d beat the shit out of him for Nicole as well as for stealing his family’s money.

  She slid her gaze from his eyes to his mouth and back again, the gesture possibly innocent, possibly seductive. Either way, he couldn’t resist the invitation.

  He lowered his lips to hers, a fire bolt of attraction burning him. He tightened his hold, her body growing soft, pliant beneath his tender attack. He angled his mouth to better taste her, and she slipped her fingers into his hair, holding his head. Her tongue met his, eager and fervent. She kissed him as though the same need surged through her veins. He pinned her against the rail, and she responded by pressing her hips against him, her softness cradling his hard length.

  It was obvious she had every intention of taking this as far as he’d let it go.

  He pulled away, both of them inhaling, trying to refill their lungs. Desire colored her features, left her cheeks flushed, her mouth looking more kissable than ever.

  He needed a way out. “We should start dinner.”

  A flash of disappointment sparked in her eyes, but she quickly recovered. “Of course.”

  Her withdrawal was nearly imperceptible, but he’d caught it. He couldn’t tell her, but at some point, she’d be grateful he’d ended their kiss.

  Her smile was back a second later. “What are we having?”

  “Chicken fajitas.”

  “And you’re cooking?” She lifted her brows in a teasing look, and the awkwardness evaporated.

  “Despite what you think, I really can cook.”

  She laughed. “I guess time will tell, won’t it? There’s no backing out of it now.” She took his hand and headed for the house.

  He opened the door, whistling for the dogs, before shutting them all inside, away from the chilly wind and darkness.

  * * *

  Nicole sat at the bar, watching Xander pull out various ingredients and a skillet. He slid the package of sliced meat into hot olive oil and added seasonings. Sizzling sounds filled the kitchen, and she smiled. She liked watching her man cook.

  She sipped from the bottle of beer he’d opened for her, watching his deft fingers work chopping onions and peppers. So sexy. He caught her smile and returned it, everything seeming fine between them now.

  She still wasn’t quite sure what had happened on the deck. They’d both seemed so in tune with each other. Their kiss had left her smoldering, barely contained heat simmering beneath her surface.

  Then it was as though they’d been doused with a frigid, North Pacific wave. He’d pulled away in an awkward move, leaving her wondering if she’d done something wrong. Yet, he still seemed happy to have her there.

  Maybe she was over-thinking things, and he was just hungry.

  When he added the peppers and onions to the skillet, delicious scents erupted in the air, making her stomach grumble. “That smells so good.”

  He grinned. “Wait until you taste it.”

  “I can’t wait.” For dinner or for what came afterward.

  * * *

  Xander was happy that Nicole had really seemed to enjoy his fajitas, and for some reason, that mattered to him even if she was a felon. The fun, eas
y feelings continued as they did the dishes together, her flicking suds at him, him grabbing her with wet hands and pulling her in for a heated kiss. He just couldn’t reconcile the fact that John Camden had fathered her. Where he was heartless and conniving, she was sweet and caring.

  “I have something for you,” he said as he handed the skillet to her to dry.

  Her eyes lit up, sparking a similar response inside his chest. “What is it?”

  “The surveillance video.”

  She stopped mid-wipe, the dishtowel growing slack in her hand. “Really? How did you get it?” Then she started wiping faster.

  “My friend managed to get a copy.”

  “Have you watched it?”

  “No. I wanted to watch it with you.” That was a lie, and it killed him to say it to her. But he desperately needed to see her reaction and couldn’t watch the video and her at the same time. In his opinion though, it didn’t do much more than show her walking inside the building.

  “Let’s go then. I can hardly wait.” She put the pan away as he dried his hands and drained the sink.

  Xander retrieved the disc from his room while Nicole turned on the TV. They sat together on the couch, and he pushed play on the remote.

  “My lawyer said he had a copy, but in all this time, he’s failed to produce it.”

  “Might want to consider another attorney if anything else happens.”

  She’d thought the same thing on more than one occasion. He’d done a great job when she’d first been brought in for questioning, but then he’d turned sort of inept in her opinion. No, she wasn’t paying him a ton of money, but didn’t he have some personal pride or ethical oath that made him do the best job possible regardless of pay?

  A black and white image of the front entrance of First Freedom appeared on the screen. A couple of people walked by on the sidewalk. Then Nicole approached with hurried footsteps.

  “There I am.” She scooted forward to the edge of the couch, anxiety pouring from her into the room.

  He slid forward, too, to better see her face.

  “I was in a hurry because I’d forgotten my pass and had already missed my bus. If I really rushed though, I could make the next one, and I wouldn’t be too late getting home.” She glanced at him. “Stormy has a hard time if I’m gone too long. She’s good for a regular workday, but after that she starts having accidents.”

  The screen flipped to inside the building, showing her approaching and entering the elevator.

  “I can’t believe there wasn’t anyone else around,” she said as she studied the TV. “People really do clear out of there at five o’clock.”

  Another point of view screen change.

  “That’s my floor.” The camera caught her exiting the elevator, and they watched as she walked out of view.

  A few minutes later, she returned and got back in the elevator.

  “Did you only get your pass and leave?” It did seem as though she’d been gone longer than it would take to retrieve her pass from her desk.

  “I did, but it took me a minute to find it. I’d shown my pass to Mary earlier in the day, and we’d been interrupted while we were talking. I left my cubicle, and she’d put my pass down, so it took me a few moments to shift through the piles on my desk to find where she’d put it.”

  Could be true. Could be the perfect reason to have a couple of extra minutes at her desk. Although, if it was a lie, she’d come up with a great excuse off the fly and had delivered it without blinking. Her tone of voice hadn’t changed. She hadn’t even glanced at him to see if he believed her. In fact, she’d given her excuse so matter-of-factly, it was hard not to believe it.

  The video ended with her exiting the elevator and then the building.

  “Did you see my face?”

  Her statement jerked him out of his speculations. He glanced at her, but she was still staring at the TV.

  “I was happy. I’d found my pass, and I knew I would make the next bus.”

  Or she could be happy because she’d just heisted ten mill. He rewound the video and replayed the part where she was exiting the building. She did have a smile on her face, but it was more of a relieved smile than total exhilaration which he would have expected from someone who’d committed such an extravagant crime.

  “And look, you can see my TriMet pass in my hand.”

  He backed up the video again to the point where she left the building, and sure enough, she had a card in her hand. He would have to have Sam use his technical equipment to zoom in to make sure it actually was a TriMet card.

  “I don’t see how they can pin me with grand larceny just because I was in the building.”

  “At the exact time it happened.” He reminded her.

  She frowned. “Let’s watch it again.”

  They replayed it several times, Nicole’s agitation growing with each viewing. “Is this the only video they have? I know they have other cameras in the building. Where are those videos?”

  “Why?”

  “Because whoever did this was in there with me. Maybe a different camera picked up him or her.”

  It was his turn to frown. Had Sam checked all the other videos, or had they focused on these because they thought it was Nicole?

  “As soon as my attorney officially produces the video, I’m going to have him ask the police for the other videos. Wait!” She gripped his forearm. “I think I saw something.”

  Xander sat straighter in his seat as he backed up the video through the boring section between her exiting the elevator on her floor until she returned.

  “There!”

  Off to the very edge of the screen was the slightest movement. He played it again. “It looks like a person’s head moving along the top of the cubicles.”

  “Yes. Someone is there!” Her voice echoed with excitement. “It could have been the thief or someone else who may have seen something.”

  Irritation pinched him. Why hadn’t Sam caught this? “There is definitely someone there.”

  “With the timing, I think it would have had to have been the thief.”

  “You could very well be right.” Which would make things so much better for both of them.

  Her face suddenly dropped, and she put a hand on her chest. “I can’t believe I was that close.” She glanced at him. “Do you think whoever it was took advantage of the fact that I was in the office and used my computer on purpose?”

  “I don’t know, Nicole, but it’s starting to look that way.”

  * * *

  “I’m going for a walk. I need to clear my head.” She and Xander had reviewed the video so many times she was beginning to think the world had lost its color. “Want to come with?”

  “Definitely. I hope you brought a coat.”

  “I did. Besides, I’m sure you won’t let me get too cold.”

  He grinned at her flirty comment. “You are correct, mademoiselle.”

  “Good. I’ll just go grab it out of my suitcase and be right back.”

  Nicole headed up the stairs, surprised to find Xander had placed her suitcase in one room and his bag in the other. Had she totally misinterpreted his invitation? As far as she knew, when a guy invited a girl away for the weekend, it usually included sleeping together. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t shown interest in her. Their kisses had been phenomenal.

  Time would tell, she supposed. It was only a few hours until bedtime, and then she’d have her answer.

  She came downstairs buttoned into her red wool coat, her hair tucked into a soft, white cashmere hat that would not only keep the wind from tangling it, but it had the added benefit of keeping her ears warm. The black, lined leather jacket Xander wore set off his golden-brown eyes and gave him a sexy, dangerous look. Rugged, yet classy. They leashed up the dogs and headed out the back, down the stairs and into the soft sand.

  A half-moon reflected off the crashing waves, casting enough light to illuminate their way. It didn’t take long for them to reach the compacted sand recently washed by
the waves.

  “The tide is out, right?” she asked as they turned parallel to the ocean and began their way down the beach.

  “Actually, it’s on its way in right now. It will be high tide before too long.”

  “So, everyday around eight-thirty it’s high tide. When is low tide? Eight-thirty in the morning?”

  He laughed. “It doesn’t work like that. The tides are always changing according to the moon’s gravitational pull. Two high tides and low tides every day, depending on where the moon is in its rotation of the earth.”

  She lifted her brows, feeling like an imbecile. “Of course. I knew that.” Somewhere in the back of her mind she seemed to recall hearing how tides worked. Maybe in a high school science class where she’d probably zoned off. She’d used her college days studying art instead of science. “I’ve never spent much time at the beach, so I didn’t really think about it.”

  “You’re ninety minutes from the coast. Didn’t your parents ever…” He trailed off, obviously realizing his mistake. “Sorry.”

  She shook her head. “I was in Astoria once for a couple of hours with my aunt, and we did stop at the beach, but I guess I wasn’t interested in the tides. But now I know. Tides change with the force of the moon.” She gave him a reassuring smile. Gone were the days where she felt sorry for herself because of her upbringing, and she didn’t want Xander focusing on that either. “Hey.” She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m not living in the past, so don’t you. I have a good life.”

  He stopped, turning to her so the moon was at his back. His gaze bored into hers a second longer than was comfortable.

  “What?” It was great having a gorgeous guy staring into her eyes on a moonlit beach, but something seemed off.

  “I just…” He shook his head, continuing to stare at her. “You’re not at all what I expected.”

  That was an odd thing to say. “What do you mean? What did you expect?”

  “I don’t know.” He seemed to struggle, searching for the right words. “You’re different. You have more…depth.”

  She raised her brows? “Depth? That’s…great. Not beauty or intelligence. Just depth. Exactly what a girl wants to be noticed for.”