Page 12 of Renegade
“What? He’s dead?”
I nod. “He was on Highway 101. He must have just left your hotel.”
“And?” she presses. “I can tell there’s more.” Gemma knows me well.
“And I wonder if it wasn’t an accident at all. I wonder if someone killed him on purpose, and if so, was it because they wanted him dead or because they wanted Kenzie dead and thought she was with him?”
“Why would someone want to kill McKenzie?”
I absentmindedly rub her feet. She moans as her head rolls back, and my cock hardens immediately. What the fuck? I try to focus on our conversation. “That’s the million-dollar question. The necklace he gave Kenzie…she said it had a silver emblem on it that stood for valor. Did he say anything else about it?”
“Not really. Just that it was rightfully McKenzie’s, since her brother had saved his life.”
“Is that exactly what he said?”
She rolls her eyes. “It was something like that!”
“Think, Gem. What did he say exactly? This is important.”
She closes her eyes for a minute, her long lashes sweeping over the curve of her cheek. Then she opens her eyes and shakes her head. “I can’t remember exactly. I’m sorry. Dr. Morris said that right before he died, Liam gave it to him and asked him to get it to his sister so she’d know what kind of man he was. Not that Kenzie needed a necklace to know Liam was a hero.”
“Do you know where he got it?”
She shakes her head. “That was really it. When he handed it to her, he said what I already told you. McKenzie said it was beautiful and asked him what the symbol stood for. He said, ‘Valor.’ Did Charlotte give you the necklace?”
“No. She’s looking for it. She says she can’t find it.”
Gemma frowns. “That’s not like Charlotte.”
“True. I’m sure it will turn up—this is Charlotte, after all—but I can’t wait around for that. I’m headed to California the day after tomorrow. I’m going to talk to Dr. Morris’s family and see what they know about the necklace. I have a feeling it means something.”
Gemma sits up abruptly. “I’m coming with you.”
“Nope. Forget it! I already have enough to worry about, keeping McKenzie safe. I’m not putting you in danger too.”
“Well, no one’s trying to kill me because my brother hid stolen weapons,” she rationalizes. “And even if they were, I can take care of myself. I know how to shoot a gun, and thanks to some extensive hand-to-hand combat training, I can take down a man twice my size. I was taught by the best.” She regards me coolly. “Unless you’re doubting your skills as an instructor.”
I don’t try to hide my grin. “You manipulative little shit.” How dare she turn this back on me. But Gemma’s always had a quick mind and impressive reasoning skills. Not to mention straight, full-on ballsiness. It’s a lethal combination. In high school, she could talk her way out of just about anything. “Well played,” I concede. “But the answer’s still no.”
“C’mon. Don’t be such a chauvinist. I could help. What makes you think his family’s going to tell anything to some badass, scary-looking guy they’ve never seen before?”
“I’m not scary looking,” I say with a frown.
“Yes, you are. You look imposing as hell with that intense stare thing you do and all those muscles. Well, at least, until you smile. But they’ve met me before, so I’m a shoo-in.Please!” She pouts adorably and stares up at me with those mesmerizing green eyes, and I’m a fucking goner. God help the man she marries.
But she has a point. Dr. Morris’s familyismore likely to talk to me if she sets up the meeting and goes with me. Besides, Gemma can take care of herself. I made damn sure of that nine years ago. But the thought of spending every second with her, of sharing a hotel room and, God forbid, maybe even a bed with her, sounds like more than I can handle right now. Because I can’t seem to stop thinking about my best friend as something more. And I know she has no interest in anything other than friendship. She made that crystal clear when we first met and she informed me, in no uncertain terms, that she would never be part of my “harem,” as she called it.
“Don’t you have to work?” It’s my last hope.
“Nope!” she crows. “It’s too hot and muggy here right now for outdoor engagement photos, and we don’t even have any weddings booked until the end of the month. I did all my outstanding photo edits while I was in New York and got caught up with paperwork today. I’ll wrap up everything else tomorrow, and Charlotte can hold down the fort this week.” She bats her lashes at me. “So, I can go?”
“Fine,” I say with a slow grin.
“Yay!” She throws her arms around me and plants a kiss on my lips. I have a feeling I might have just made the biggest mistake of my life.
…
The next day while Gemma’s at work, I make our flight arrangements, book a hotel room—one with two beds!—rent a car, and spend the rest of the afternoon analyzing Liam’s bucket list. Yesterday, I’d found the copy of the list in Kenzie’s dresser drawer, right where she said it would be, made a photocopy to keep for myself, and spent a solid two hours trying to figure out a geographical pattern to it. The items on the list span the globe, and I’d wondered if mapping the various locations would show anything of interest, maybe make a picture or show a pattern that might be a clue of some sort. Unfortunately, it just yielded a meaningless crisscross of lines, no matter how I tried to configure it. So I’m back to the drawing board today.
