Escape in Passion Read online

  She just wasn’t sure who to believe.

  And that was why she hadn’t taken Vic out yet. She had the means and the know-how. Marshall had taught her to fire a weapon, and she was a damn good shot. But she wasn’t about to pick up a weapon and blow some guy’s head off without knowing the truth.

  Julia had to know the truth.

  From what she was seeing of Vic, he didn’t seem crooked. But time would tell.

  When the telephone rang, she walked to nightstand and lifted the receiver. “Hello.”

  “Hello, sweet pea. I was worried I might get you out of bed.”

  She smiled at her mother’s friendly voice and sat on the bed. “No, I’ve been up for a while. It’s snowing here, and it’s so pretty.”

  “How long are you planning on staying there?”

  “I don’t know. A few weeks? I like it here.”

  “I wish you would come home. I worry about you out there on your own.”

  She didn’t like to worry her mother. “I’m fine, Mom. I’m a big girl. I just needed to get away; please understand that.”

  “But why so far from home?”

  “I’m but a call away. How is Dad doing?”

  “Oh, you know your father. He’s a good pretender. He’s grieving still, but it’s getting better every day.”

  No, it wasn’t, and both she and her mother knew it. Her father had been utterly devastated when Michelle had died. They all had, but her father the most. Michelle had been his treasure. Not that he didn’t love his daughters equally, but Michelle had the same likes and dislikes as their father, which brought them closer.

  “Give him my love.”

  “I will, darling. Please, keep safe.”

  “I always do.” She blew a kiss to her mother before hanging up. Glancing at her sister’s picture, the tears began to fall. God, how she missed Michelle.

  ***

  Vic had been asked to join Tom and Cassie for dinner, and he was running late. Rushing into the house to change, Vic scooped up the ringing phone, thinking it was his friend chastising him for being late.

  When he heard his sister’s voice, he cringed.

  “It’s about damn time I got a hold of you. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been about you? I even had to lie to Mom and Dad and tell them I’d talked to you already and that you were doing fine. You owe me, bro.”

  “I’m just on my way out, Patty. Can I call you back—”

  “No!” she shouted through the line. “You will sit your ass down and talk to me. You owe me that much.”

  “Don’t start on me, Patty.”

  “Oh, I haven’t even begun. You’ve been there for months, and the only word we get from you is one damn phone call to tell us you’re moving. No explanation, nothing. And you have the balls to ask me to have your mail forwarded and to be at your apartment when the movers show up. What the hell is going on?”

  “I was transferred.”

  “You asked to be transferred,” she corrected, and he winced. “That’s right; I talked with your superior. Did you think I wouldn’t?”

  He should have known better. Of course his nosey sister would call to investigate things. “Fine, I asked for the transfer.”

  “Why? Look, I know you went through a rough time last summer with—”

  “Don’t. Look, I really do need to get going. I promised Tom and Cassie I would be at their place an hour ago. I love you, Patty, and just know that I’m safe and happy. I promise I’ll call Mom and Dad this weekend.”

  “You damn well better, bro, or I’m coming down there to kick your ass.”

  Vic hung up the phone with a hearty expulsion of breath, realizing he’d gotten off easy. This time.

  He quickly threw on some sweats and a sweatshirt, then his jacket and boots before he headed out the front door. He came to an abrupt halt at seeing Julia at his gate.

  “Hi.”

  She was bundled in a white bomber jacket, her hood up and a scarf around her face and he nearly didn’t recognize her. Until she spoke. Her voice had a distinctive sound to it. A little higher and a lot young. “Hi.”

  “You were heading out? Of course you were. Are you going to work?”

  “No, to a friend’s.”

  “Oh, okay.” She headed back to the gate.

  “Julia.” He caught up with her. “Did you want something?”

  “I decided to go out for a walk and wound up here. Just thought I would pop in and say hi.”

  He could tell she was shivering, and a big part of him wanted to put his arms around her and warm her with a hot, smoldering kiss. “You’re freezing.”

  “It’s colder than I thought, but it’s really pretty with all the fresh falling snow.”

  “Just give me a second to tell my friends I’ll be a bit late, and I’ll drive you back to your place.”

  “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “Well I’m certainly not going to let you freeze to death. One second, okay?” He rushed up to Tom’s door and rang the bell. When Cassie answered, he fully expected the impatient look she gave him. “I know, I’m late, and I’m sorry. Something came up that I needed to deal with at the office, and now, well, a friend needs a lift to her hotel.” He stepped aside when Cassie looked over his shoulder at Julia.

  “Hotel?”

  “She’s new in town.”

  “Well, invite her in. It’s too damn cold out there to stand there waiting. Come on in—what’s her name?”

  “Julia, but—”

  “Come on inside, Julia. Any friend of Vic’s is a friend of ours.”

  “But, Cassie—”

  “There’s plenty of food for one more. Hi, Julia, I’m Cassie.”

  Damn it, Vic thought as Julia stepped into the house.

  “Hi, Cassie. Oh, wow, you’re pregnant.”

  “What? I’m pregnant? How could that be?”

  “She likes to kid,” Vic informed Julia when she gave him a baffled look.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Julia.”

  “Nice to meet you, too, Cassie. When are you due?”

  “In a little over a week. Vic, help the girl with her jacket. Men.” She rolled her eyes, then hollered, “Thomas, we have company.”

  “Vic’s not company—oh, hi.” Tom paused, coming out of the kitchen, his eyes focused on Julia.

  “Oh, hi, Mr. Muscle,” Julia teased with a smile.

  “Most people call me Tom. Come on in, dinner’s been ready for an hour.”

  “Yeah, yeah, the life of a cop isn’t nine to five, pal. Smells good, though.” Vic sniffed the air.

  “Why don’t you help me in the kitchen?”

  “You know I’m a terrible cook.” Vic knew damn well why his friend was calling him into the kitchen, and he didn’t want to hear it.

  “It’s time you learned,” Tom insisted.

  Vic had no choice but to follow when Tom grabbed his arm and hauled him to the kitchen. “I know.”

  “What the hell is she doing here?” Tom said under his breath.

  “Ask your wife, she invited her in. Look, I met her outside, and she was cold. I came to your door to tell you I was giving her a lift home and would be late. Cassie invited her in.”

  “What was she doing outside your place?” Tom handed Vic a beer.

  “Out for a walk. Don’t start on me, okay? Julia, would you like something to drink?” Vic called out, hoping to end the argument with Tom

  “What do you have?” she answered back.

  “What do you have?” Vic asked Tom.

  “Milk and cookies.”

  Vic narrowed his eyes. “Funny guy. Beer, coffee or…some sort of red juice,” he recited, snooping in the fridge.

  “Beer is good.”

  “You’re going to give her a beer?” Tom voice rang with surprise.

  “She’s legal age to drink.”

  “Barely.”

  “You’re not a dad yet, so stop bossing me around.” He put on a smile as he left the kitchen. “H
ere we go, one beer, ice cold.” Vic handed Julia the beer, and turned to Cassie. “How’s it hanging, Cassie?”

  “Low. The doctor says I’ve dropped and could go anytime now. Thank God.”

  “I felt the baby kick. It was so cool,” Julia gushed. “I can’t imagine having a baby inside of me. I mean someday I want to have kids, but it’s just a little scary.”

  “It can be, but it’s also incredibly exciting.” Cassie smiled, running a hand over her swollen belly.

  Julia’s eyes were glued to Cassie’s belly. “Do you have everything you need for the baby?”

  “And then some. I like to shop.”

  “Me, too,” Julia said jovially.

  “Go figure, a woman that loves to shop,” Vic said with a sardonic sense of humor. “When’s the food ready? I’m starved.”

  “Food was ready an hour ago. It’s on the table whenever you’re ready,” Tom informed them.

  “You’re in for a treat,” Vic informed Julia as they headed to the dining room table. “Tom here is a fabulous cook.”

  “Better than me?” Julia asked teasingly.

  “Pretty damn close.”

  “You cooked for Vic?” Cassie inquired, sitting down in the chair her husband held out for her.

  “Yeah, as a thank you for helping me with my flat tire.”

  “Well, aren’t you the gentleman,” Cassie teased Vic.

  Vic simply sent Cassie a slow smile, helping himself to the food before him.

  “Wow, this look incredible. Are you a chef, Tom?” Julia scooped up tiny baby potatoes in some sort of creamy sauce.

  “No, but thank you for the compliment.”

  “He’s a famous artist,” Vic said with pride. “But he pretends to be a carpenter half the time.”

  “Famous artist, huh? I’m afraid I don’t know much about art. But I do know food, and this is yummy.”

  “Thank you, Julia.”

  Vic cast his eyes down when Tom sent him a stern look. He knew perfectly well what his friend was thinking.

  Vic hadn’t listened and backed away.

  ***

  “I had a wonderful time tonight. Your friends are nice, and that Cassie is a hoot. She really gives you a hard time,” Julia said as Vic drove her home.

  “She lives for giving me a hard time.”

  “I bet their baby will be gorgeous. I mean, look at the two of them. He’s hot; she’s beautiful. That’s going to be a lucky kid.”

  “In so many ways. Well, here we are.” He pulled to a stop outside her door and put the car in park.

  “Thanks, Vic, for everything.” She leaned towards him for the kiss, and he backed away.

  “Not a good idea.” And that was a big regret.

  “Why not?”

  Yeah, Vic, why not? “It’s just not. Have a good night, Julia.”

  “I think you’re being silly. Who cares that you’re older than me?”

  “Plenty of people would.” Tom, for one.

  “And living for what other people think is the wrong way to live. Thanks again, Vic.” Julia began exiting the car and stopped.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t leave any lights on when I left.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Perfectly. Someone’s in my room.” Her head swiveled to Vic, her eyes wide. “You have to go in and check it out.”

  Yes he did, not because he was a cop, but because he was a decent human being. “You stay here,” he warned Julia as he slid from his car.

  Chapter 8

  Cautiously Vic headed for her door, wishing he’d brought his gun. Yeah, right, like you’d need it here. This was a small town, he reminded himself. If there was a burglar, it was unlikely he had a gun. Probably some kid looking to score booze money. He tried the door and found it locked. Didn’t mean someone wasn’t still inside.

  He hurried back to the car and opened Julia’s door. “Keys.”

  “What’s happening?”

  He took her keys when she held them out to him. “Doors locked. Stay.” He hurried back to her room and cautiously slid the key into the lock. Well trained, he stepped to the side, gave the handle a turn and pushed the door open. Hearing nothing on the other side, Vic stepped towards the door and peered inside.

  “This is Staff Sergeant Davis. Come out with your hands up.” When he still heard nothing, Vic inched his way inside.

  “See anyone?”

  He nearly jumped out of his skin and, spinning, saw Julia behind him. “Jesus Christ. Didn’t I tell you to wait in the car?” He pulled her back outside and out of any danger.

  “Yeah, but then I remembered that I did leave the light on.”

  “What?”

  “I remembered that I left and shut off the lights, but when I was outside, I looked back and saw how dark it was and hurried back inside to turn a light on.”

  “God damn it.” He bit his tongue, reminding himself to stay calm. “Go inside, Julia.”

  “Want to come in for—”

  “No.”

  “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

  “I didn’t need to; the answer would still have been no. Go to bed, Julia.”

  “Want to join me?” she purred.

  His mouth dropped open. “No.” God, yes.

  “Liar. I know you find me attractive, and I find you attractive, too. Why fight it?”

  Vic stepped back when she stepped towards him. “You’re playing with fire, little girl, and you’re going to get burnt.”

  “I’m not a little girl,” she insisted firmly.

  “If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck,” he recited, then nearly lost his breath when she lunged at him, planting her mouth firmly onto his. “Damn it, Julia.” He pushed her away, shoving her into her room and slamming the door behind him, hoping no one saw the kiss. “You’ve got to stop this.”

  “Why?” She sauntered up to him, unzipping her jacket. “I think you’re sexy, and I’m curious to know what you’d be like in bed.”

  “Oh, Christ.” He jumped out of her reach, running a hand over his hair. “You’re curious. Fuck. Have you even had sex yet?”

  “Of course I have. I’m not a virgin. I’ve been with men before.”

  “Wonderful. Well, I’m not going to oblige you your curiosity, Julia. Maybe it’s time you headed out of here.” Grabbing the door knob, Vic thrust it open. “And save us both the anguish.”

  He left her standing by the door, and those few steps to his car were the hardest steps he’d ever taken.

  ***

  Julia dropped onto her bed, sulking. What was it going to take to convince him to take her to bed? Okay, her plan had changed, big deal. She was still going to find out the truth about her sister’s death, just in her own way. So what if that involved seducing Vic. He was the last person with Michelle before she died. People often spilled more after a good bout of sex. And maybe a small part of Julia thought that by being with Vic, she’d feel just a bit closer to her sister.

  She knew how foolish that sounded, but she didn’t give a damn.

  Besides, she really was beginning to doubt what Marshall said about Vic. He wasn’t a crooked cop any more than she was…well, a virgin. And maybe if she became closer to Vic, she could find out the truth behind why Michelle really had left her husband.

  Throwing her jacket over the chair, Julia sat on her bed and clicked on the TV. She just had to figure out how to convince Vic to take her to bed.

  ***

  It had been days since he’d heard from Julia, and Vic couldn’t be sure if he was relieved or not. The thought that maybe she’d left town left a burning ache in his chest. What he needed was to find a nice woman who was willing to have a one night stand and give his libido the pleasure it had been craving. And where was he going to find a woman like that in a town as small as Passion? In a town of two thousand, it wasn’t likely he would find someone for a quickie, and even if he did, he’d end up running into her often enough for it to be awkward.r />
  What he needed was to go into the city, find some bar and have a couple of beers while he trolled for women. There was bound to be someone available looking for a one-night stand.

  And, God, was he sounding desperate.

  “Truth hurts,” he muttered to himself, lighting a cigarette.

  “Talking to yourself is a bad sign, you know.”

  Tom strolled into the office, a sarcastic grin on his face. “Depends on how you look at it. If I was declared insane, I would be put in a nice comfy padded room with a beautiful white jacket and fed three squares a day.”

  “The fact that you said that with as much sincerity as you did scares the hell out of me. Patty called again.”

  “Oh, Christ.” Vic laid his hand over his face and cursed his sister. When Tom closed his office door, Vic knew he was in for it. “That padded room’s looking mighty good now.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me what happened last spring?”

  The hurt he heard in Tom’s voice made his own heart ache. “You had your own shit to deal with at the time.”

  “And that’s a load of crap. We’re friends; hell, more than friends, and you not telling me you were nearly killed hurts.”

  “Don’t do that,” Vic said on an oath. “Don’t lay the guilt on me. I didn’t want to talk about it, okay. I just wanted to get past it.”

  “I knew something was wrong when I’d talk to you on the phone. You were drunk in the middle of the afternoon.”

  “How do you know I was drunk?”

  “I could hear it in the way you spoke when I called you. Talk to me about it, Vic.”

  When Tom pulled up a chair and took a seat, Vic knew he would have no other choice. Drawing on his cigarette, he began, “It was a drive-by, a hit on me, and it took an innocent life.”

  “A woman named Michelle Kent.”

  Vic nodded, her name still producing a sinking feeling in his gut. “One bullet grazed my arm while three took her out. By the time I drew my weapon, the car was gone.”

  “Why was a hit out on you?”

  Vic took another drag, giving him time to relax before going on. “You want the long version or the condensed?”