While no one dared to testify against Marco De Rousse, Elizabeth had doubt he was responsible for the contract hit put out on the person who had testified against the De Rousse family. Derek said the hit was a show of force: you come after mine, we go after yours. Each year, the price increased. Now it was in the millions. If anyone ever discovered it was Elizabeth who gave testimony, her children, parents, and siblings would become targets for retaliation.

  Noah cleared his throat. “About Danny’s warning—”

  “Do you believe there was a man in Danny’s room?” Elizabeth’s lungs drained of air.

  “I don’t know. Danny’s convinced. Have you ever seen the guy who attacked you before?”

  “No.”

  “Do you mind telling me what happened?”

  “The guy seemed strung halfway out of his mind.” Memories of the attack were the last thing her nerves needed. She had to move, but pacing in the tight place was not an option. “Maybe the attack just frightened Danny. I was still a little shaken when I got home. I should have calmed down first.”

  “Did this guy attack any other passenger, or did he single you out?”

  “I got on the train, and right before the doors shut, he stumbled in, knocking this woman into the first bench. There wasn’t a free seat, so I moved down the aisle to put some distance between us, but I think it pissed him off because he came at me.”

  “How?”

  “He went a little crazy and grabbed me, shoving me up against the two doors. He held me in place with his arm at my throat while he tried to yank my purse off my shoulder. I gave him a good kick between his legs, shoved him, and he fell back. One passenger held him down until we got to my stop.”

  “What other man hurt you?”

  This time she was the one who stepped back. Shit. Of course, he would pick up on that. Her life was a lie, and she hated how it turned her into a quick-thinking liar.

  “There isn’t another man. I don’t know what Danny is talking about. Unless it’s Mendoza—”

  “Elías Mendoza will die in the hole we put him in.” Noah’s voice went deep as every muscle in his body tensed.

  Elizabeth swallowed. Everything about the man’s demeanor changed in that instant. And her instincts might have been defective with relationships, but they were spot on in other areas. Detective Noah McNeil could charm; be fun-loving, even; but underneath all that charisma was a dangerous man. She needed to remember this moment.

  She walked toward the door, almost surprised her knees didn’t tremble out from under her, and pulled it open. “I’ll get you that name.”

  Noah moved into the small foyer, clutching the paper bag. His hard stare cut into her, the mixture of irritation and confusion, familiar. But beneath that was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. Desire.

  He stepped into her personal space. She held herself perfectly still. When he finally spoke, his deep baritone voice oozed sex and a slight hint of malice.

  “I get you don’t like me, and even understand why you don’t want any McNeil near Danny.”

  “I don’t blame you for what happened to Danny.”

  He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The simple touch sent an electric jolt through her, but she held her stance. Damn. She needed to stop staring at his mouth and wondering what those full lips felt like—tasted like.

  “Yeah, you do. Don’t lie to me, Elizabeth. I don’t deserve that.”

  “I’m not lying—”

  “I’m a trained human lie detector. I don’t care if you don’t like me or trust me. Don’t lie to me.”

  She knocked his hand from her face. She had to pin her arms to her side to keep from shoving the damn stubborn man down her steps. “You’re right. I don’t trust you and I don’t want you near my son. And that has nothing to do with what happened. I just don’t like you.”

  Noah let out a forced laugh and then reached for his wallet. Pulling out a card, he pressed it into her hand. “That was honest, and for the record, the feeling isn’t mutual. And, I like your kids.”

  He eased past her. On the first step, he turned and placed his hand flat on the door, keeping it from closing. “This isn’t going away. If you don’t want my help, then reach out to someone.”

  “I don’t need—”

  “It’s not a dream, Elizabeth. It’s a warning. Listen to Danny.”

  Four

  Noah took in several deep breaths as his conversation with Elizabeth replayed in his head. How would she get Danny to open up to her? The kid carried the weight of the world on his shoulder, and he got that trait from his mother. For the first time since they met, Noah glimpsed what her world must be like with no family support group surrounding her.

  He flexed his tense shoulder muscles and pulled out of the parking spot across from the brownstone. The sun had gone down and a dense cloud cover blocked any light from the full moon. He was acting like a damn stalker and needed to get the hell out of there before Raúl spotted him and laughed himself sick.

  Shit, stalking Elizabeth Merlot would be so much easier to explain. Instead, his reality took a flying leap into something distorted and unbelievable. The kid bought a handgun off a ganger to protect his family because Evan Nash told him to. Son of a bitch. This couldn’t be happening again.

  Noah had a hard time accepting the supernatural events surrounding Jared and Jennie. It made his skin crawl three years ago and nothing had changed. But as much as he wanted to discount what Danny said, the message was clear.

  His name is Evan, and he used to be a cop.

  Elías Mendoza had killed Evan Nash, Jennie’s father, when Jennie was just ten years old. Evan haunted Jared’s dreams for years until Mendoza was finally arrested. The damn ghost, spirit, whatever the hell he was, couldn’t be back. If so, there was only one reason. Mendoza was also back, and that was impossible.

  Mendoza spent his days in one of the most secure prisons in the country. His brothers kept a close eye that it stayed that way. Taking a trip out to Colorado every few months had become a morbid but necessary pilgrimage.

  Noah pressed his foot down on the accelerator as his heart pounded against his ribs. Once on the highway, the speedometer climbed past eighty, but the speed did nothing to ease the tension cramping his shoulder and neck muscles. He took an exit into a quiet community due west of Baltimore. Making his way through the winding streets, he parked on the street in front of a two-story colonial. Instead of using the doorbell, he shoved his key in the lock and let himself into his brother’s home.

  Jared popped his head up over the sofa. “What the hell, Noah? We could have been naked.”

  Jennie lay next to him on the wide sofa, watching the Orioles game.

  “Then I would have closed my eyes. We need to talk. Now.”

  “Did you see Danny?” Jennie asked, moving off Jared.

  Noah tucked his fists in his pockets. “I’m not talking to you. Jared, kitchen.”

  She charged across the room and poked him in the chest. “You have news about Danny, then damn it, say it.”

  He gave her his meanest expression, brows raised, teeth clenched, but she didn’t back down. A chuckle rose, and he swallowed it. Damn, she was something else. At five foot four, she was a good foot shorter than he and Jared, and they had a good hundred pounds on her. Yet if he didn’t spill his guts, she would poke him until he did.

  There was a time when he had hated Jennie. Real bone-chilling, want-to-hurt kind of hate. He had never misjudged someone so badly in his life. That stupidity would live with him for a long time. She loved his brother to distraction, which made her number one in Noah’s book. He loved her as much as he loved his sister Emma, even though Jennie was the biggest pain in his butt. She had him wrapped around her little finger and she knew it. Somehow, he was going to have to get rid of her so he could talk to Jared about Danny.

  He placed both hands on her shoulders. “Danny is fine and home having dinner with his mom and sister.” He kissed her cheek. “Now buzz off. I need a word with Jared. It’s police business.”

  She studied him for a moment, then moved out of his path. “But you talked to Danny, and he’s okay?”

  “I talked, he grunted. Not much of a conversation. Erin gave me a hug, though. At least she still likes me.”

  The tension eased from around her eyes. She touched Jared’s arm. “Make it quick. You’re on my time. You get him from six a.m. to six p.m. I get him the rest of the time. I’ll be upstairs,” she added to her husband.

  Noah waited until she was gone before addressing his twin. “I need a drink, something stronger than beer.”

  “Is this police business?”

  “Not even close,” Noah said as he headed into the kitchen. He went to the cabinet above the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of bourbon. Reaching for a glass, he poured a shot and gulped it back. “Jennie will stay upstairs, right?”

  Jared removed the bottle from his hand. “We don’t keep secrets from each other. You know that.”

  “Rethink that.”

  He grabbed the bottle and poured himself another drink and then saddled one of the kitchen chairs. “Evan is back and talking to Danny Merlot.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “That’s crazy. Are you sure? Son of a bitch! Why?”

  “Hell, Jared, I stopped asking those questions three years ago,” he whispered. There was no explanation.

  “Tell me what you know,” Jared forced out.

  Noah spent the next few minutes going over the events of his evening while Jared helped himself to his second glass.

  “This is your wife’s fault.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “She sent me to check on Danny. I broke a date for this shit.” Noah yanked his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “Had I been lucky, that sweet new recruit Doria’s training could be in my bed right now. Instead, I’m stuck with whatever the hell this fucked-up thing is.”

  “First of all, thank the heavens you listened to Jennie. You kept Danny from…shit, I can’t even finish that sentence. And, what the hell were you thinking asking Doria’s BFF’s granddaughter out? Are you trying to lose every strand of hair on your head?”

  “Well, that kind of information should been have shared during the introduction, right?”

  “It was, dumbshit.”

  “Are you going to tell Jennie about Danny and Evan?”

  His twin glanced at the doorway. “You might as well come sit down,” he said to his wife.

  Noah shot his brother a glare. Jared shrugged as Jennie dropped into his lap. “I told you, I don’t keep secrets from my wife.” He hugged her close.

  “Are you sure Danny is talking to my father? Maybe someone broke into the Merlots’ home.”

  There was no avoiding the truth. The fear edged into Jennie’s eyes wasn’t on him, but he took it anyway. He ripped open barely sealed wounds, hurting her, again.

  “You’re right. Though either scenario is a nightmare.” Noah raked a hand over his neck muscles. “I didn’t have time to talk with Danny. Elizabeth wasn’t in a friendly state of mind. She thinks he was dreaming.” He reached for Jennie’s hand and covered it with both of his. “Danny could have heard about Evan and somehow got it into his head—”

  “I never talk about my father to anyone outside the family.”

  “Kids have elephant ears, right? Anita and Raúl could have talked about your dad. TJ could have heard and told Danny.”

  A lone tear slipped down Jennie’s cheek. She wiped it clean, shaking her head. “I need to talk to Danny.”

  “It could have nothing to do with Mendoza,” Jared whispered, bringing her into him.

  “And it could have everything to do with him.”

  “Jennie, can you still feel Mendoza’s presence?” Noah asked, swallowing a sour lump that threatened to choke him.

  “No, I haven’t felt Mendoza since the wedding. I’m not connected to him anymore.”

  “I don’t want you worrying about this,” Noah said. “You and Jared have wasted enough of your life on that bastard. I’m going to look into this guy who attacked Elizabeth and see where that leads me. Then I’ll talk to Danny, maybe show him a photo of Evan, and see if he recognizes him.”

  “Don’t keep me out of this, Noah McNeil.” She rose and moved to a row of framed photos on the wall, selecting one. She opened the back and took out a photo, handing it to him. He placed it in his inside pocket.

  “I’ll get out of your hair and let you get on with your evening.” He set his glass on the counter by the sink and headed for the front door. Jared and Jennie followed. “Don’t worry until there is something to worry about.” He met his brother’s glare. “I’m on the Merlots. You—”

  “I’ll check into Mendoza,” Jared said, following him to his truck.

  Noah unlocked the glove compartment and handed his brother the brown paper bag. Jared looked inside and scowled.

  “Damn. What was the kid thinking?”

  “He’s scared, Jared. We got him into this mess. We have to get him out.”

  “No, the fault is all on Mendoza. I spend too much time trying to convince Jennie of that fact. Don’t make me have to do the same with you.”

  Noah let out a heavy groan. “My head knows that, bro, but when I saw Danny this afternoon in that alley, I wanted to hurt the guy for putting a gun in the hands of that kid.”

  “You’re going after the ganger, too?”

  “Yeah, I promised Elizabeth I’ll keep Danny’s name out of it,” he said, nodding at the bag, “as long as he gives me a name.”

  “So how do you plan to handle Elizabeth Merlot? I assume you are going to be sticking close to Danny.”

  Noah didn’t miss the sarcastic undertones. “There is nothing between us. She hates me, and I’m not that stupid.”

  Jared shifted his position and seemed to struggle not to laugh in Noah’s face. “You really are, and there is nothing you can do about it, dear brother. You need to do something soon, because what you feel for Elizabeth isn’t going away. You can hide behind every woman on the planet, and she will still be right here,” he said, poking his finger into Noah’s head, “And right here.” This time, he placed his palm on Noah’s heart. “Believe me, there is only one move. See what’s there, and deal with it.”

  Noah shoved his brother’s hand away and stalked behind his truck, opening the driver’s door.

  “Noah.”

  This time, there wasn’t a hint of laughter in his twin’s voice. “What?”

  “You have a knot in your stomach the size of Cleveland, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, you, too?”

  Jared nodded. “This isn’t good.”

  “My thoughts exactly. And I didn’t see it coming.”

  Jared turned back toward his home, then met Noah’s gaze. “Jennie’s pregnant.”

  He took several steps toward his brother. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We just found out, and we wanted the news to be ours for a little while. Nothing can touch her now.”

  “You two have this weird-ass connection. She feels what you feel. You can’t keep it from her, but if you focus on your family, stay calm, positive, she’ll feed off of that.”

  “You’re going to need Adam’s help with this. I know you have a problem with him because he kept his relationship to us a secret, but he’s our half-brother and will be there for you.”

  “Okay, problem solved.” He pulled Jared into a hug. “And there is Raúl, too, so chill. I can always call in Mac and Jason.” Noah had already decided he would need his younger brothers’ FBI connections. “Austin is only a plane ride away.” He stepped back and stared at his twin, a warm feeling spreading through him. “Wow, you’re going to be a great dad.”

  “If things get bad and you don’t let me know, I’ll kick your ass. Got it?”

  Noah let out a hard laugh. “You could never before. What makes you think you can take me now?” He nudged him in the shoulder. “Stop being such a mother hen. We’ve been to the supermax prison holding Mendoza. The only way he’s leaving that place is in a black bag.” He paused before adding, “Your real problem is Jennie. You’re going to have your hands full keeping her out of this. Good luck with that.”

  “If this develops into something, I’m taking her on a long-overdue vacation. No one’s ever going to hurt her again.”

  “Damn straight. Keep a bag packed.”

  Noah got into his truck and drove out of the cul-de-sac. His house was close enough to his brother’s that grabbing his first morning coffee from his brother’s kitchen saved him ten minutes on his commute, but far enough away to have his own space. Just as he reached his driveway, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He dug it out and checked the number. Johns Hopkins Hospital. His sister Emma worked as an emergency doctor at Hopkins.

  “Emma?”

  “No. This is the emergency room at Johns Hopkins. I’m looking for Detective Noah McNeil.”

  “And you got him. What’s this about?”

  “Sir, we have a young teen who’s been badly beaten. He won’t give us his name, but he had your card in his pocket.”

  Danny. Son of a bitch. “Is this kid about five feet, 100 pounds with dark brown hair to his shoulders?”

  “Yes. Do you know him?”

  “His name is Danny Merlot. Let me talk to him.”

  Noah backed out of his driveway while he listened to the muffled conversation.

  “Detective, he’s being difficult.”

  “Put the phone to his ear.”

  An instant later, a moan pierced a hole in Noah’s gut. “Danny, I’m on my way. You hear me?”

  “Don’t tell Mom.” The words were followed by another groan. “Promise!”

  “You can’t keep this from her. Now tell the nurse how to get in touch with your mom.”

 

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