A Kiss to Die for

The place was a logistical nightmare. There were too many people, too much commotion beyond his control. The patio doors were wide open, allowing people to enter and exit at will. And with every passing moment, the uneasy feeling drumming inside him grew. Danger was here. He could feel it. But which direction it came from, he didn’t know.

Damn, he needed a drink.

He eyed a passing waiter, tempted to indulge in a shot of whiskey to take the edge off his mounting nerves. But he couldn’t take the chance. He couldn’t afford to dull his reactions with Haley’s life at risk. She was too vulnerable, too exposed, despite the crowded room.

He grabbed some water from the tray instead and gulped it down. Then he turned her way, skimming the graceful lines of her profile, the curve of her slender neck. She wore her hair up, but silky tendrils fluttered loose, softening the effect. And he had the strongest urge to move closer and inhale her seductive scent. To feel her softness wrapped around him and taste her sultry lips.

The dress she was wearing didn’t help. Long, black and tight, it showed off her curves to perfection, hugging her full, round breasts and hips. The dress dipped low in the back, exposing a heart-stopping expanse of naked skin.

Skin he had no business ogling right now. He jerked his attention back to the jam-packed room. It was bad enough that he couldn’t control their surroundings. Worse that he needed to drink so badly his heart was starting to race. But the last thing they both needed was to have lust fogging his brain, making it impossible to keep her safe.

The string quartet ended their piece. The emcee, a local radio personality, announced another batch of prizewinners to a smattering of polite applause. They were down to the final five.

Haley pulled out their ticket stubs from her little purse, then wrinkled her brow. “That’s your ticket. You’re one of the finalists.”

He shot her a frown. “Forget it. We’re not staying to the end.”

“I know. I just need to find my parents, and then we can go.”

Sully scanned the room, the crush of people making him sweat despite the open doors. He tried to loosen his collar, but failed. The rented tuxedo was too damned tight. “You’re sure they’re here?”

“Yes. They make a big show of supporting causes like this. They put on quite a show when I ran away, pretending to care. And events like this give them a chance to cash in on that sympathy again. Besides, I checked with my mother’s secretary. I said I was on the attendance committee.”

He tried to absorb all that. “Your mother has a secretary?”

Haley’s bare shoulders rose. “She has a busy social calendar.”

“Right.” He shook his head, wondering exactly how wealthy her family was. “How long since you’ve seen your parents?”

“Fifteen years. I talked to them on the phone once after I ran away, but...” She lifted her shoulders again, that wounded look flitting back through her hazel eyes, the same hint of vulnerability he’d glimpsed on the porch.

And all of a sudden, the need to comfort her stirred inside him, the desire to erase the tiny frown marring her brow and let her know that she wasn’t alone.

“I don’t see my family, either,” he confessed, then blinked, stunned that he’d let that slip. He never talked about his family. He tried not to even think about them after the mess he’d made of his life.

“Don’t they want to see you?”

They wanted to see him, all right. But he couldn’t stand the shame. He’d failed them all too badly, destroying their confidence and respect.

Not wanting to go down that disturbing track, he tugged on his collar again. “Something like that. It doesn’t matter now.”

But Haley’s perceptive gaze lingered on his. And for one unguarded moment, he wanted to tell her the truth, to confess how horribly he’d screwed up. To reveal the guilt, the regret, the pain.

No wonder the kids in her shelter liked her. There was something soothing about this woman, something solid and warm and kind. Her soft eyes promised compassion, absolution. As if she could make the world all right.

But then her gaze shifted to someone behind him. Her spine stiffened, snapping his attention back to the ballroom and the danger shadowing their heels. His pulse accelerating, he wheeled around. “What is it?”

“My parents.”

The dense crowd parted, revealing a couple heading their way. Sully’s gaze zeroed in on her father, Oliver Burroughs. About six feet tall, the prominent Baltimore defense attorney had Haley’s dark hair and hazel eyes, but the similarities ended there. His stride was an arrogant swagger, his eyes sharp and impatient as they skimmed the crowd. An egotist, Sully decided. A man consumed with his own inflated sense of power.

Sully’s gaze shifted to the woman beside him. Haley’s mother, Catherine, was tall, blonde and still strikingly beautiful, despite her advancing age. She had a slender build and a blade-thin nose in an impossibly flawless face. Like Haley, she wore her blond hair up, but not a strand was out of place. Diamonds glittered around her swanlike throat.

He swung his gaze to Haley, marveling at the difference. Haley certainly couldn’t match her mother in looks. Her mother was more beautiful, at least in a superficial way. But Haley radiated an inner warmth he found far more appealing. She was softer, more authentic.

More tense. She clutched his arm with a death grip despite the smile pasted on her face. And his admiration for her rose. No matter how much she dreaded this confrontation, she didn’t intend to let them know.

“Hello, Mother.” Her voice was calm.

“Haley.” The woman shifted her eyes to Sully. She sized him up and dismissed him in one cool glance. Not worth her time, he guessed.

Her gaze skipped back to Haley. She didn’t bother to do the air-kiss thing. “How lovely to see you after all this time.”

He’d never heard anything less sincere.

“It’s been a while,” Haley agreed. “Since I was a teenager, I think.” She paused, but when her mother didn’t answer, she soldiered on. “Hi, Dad.”

Oliver Burroughs spared a glance at his daughter, his eyes lacking any warmth. Sully could see this attorney ripping his opponents in court to shreds.

“I was hoping to talk to you,” she added.

“We don’t have anything to say.”

Haley’s chin went up. Her smile didn’t slip, but her fingers dug into Sully’s arm so hard he expected bruises to form. “Please. It’s important. I need information. It has to do with the Ridgewood gang.”

Her father’s eyes turned even colder. He glanced at Sully, then back to his daughter again. “You know I don’t discuss my clients.” He grabbed a drink from a passing waiter, then turned away.

But Haley released Sully’s arm and blocked his path. “Please, Dad. I only need information. It won’t take long, but...my life could be at risk. Can’t we go somewhere to talk?”

Her mother’s pinched nostrils flared. “Really, Haley. Your imagination always did get the best of you. And you heard his answer. Now please don’t act crass and create a scene. You’ve damaged the family enough.” She took her husband’s arm and pulled him away. A moment later she stopped to greet the senator. Her forced laughter floated back.

Sully glanced down at Haley. She stood stock-still, her eyes stricken in her flushed face. His anger rose, his own face heating at the need to avenge the slight. What the hell was wrong with her parents? How could they ignore Haley’s plea for help? Their daughter’s life was at stake.

He balled his hands and stepped forward, determined to make them talk.

“Don’t.” She tugged his sleeve, the flayed look in her eyes twisting his heart. “It’s not worth it. I was wrong to come here. I thought... It doesn’t matter. Let’s...let’s just go.”

“Good idea.” This was a waste of time. Finding the killer in this crowd was futile, like searching for a diamond in a gravel pit. It could be anyone—or no one. There wasn’t any way to tell. And people were already whispering, spreading word of Haley’s humiliation at her parents’ hands.

Even more anxious to leave now, he placed his palm at the small of her back and steered her toward the door. But the crowd had tripled since they’d arrived, making it difficult to move.

Behind them, the music stopped. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the emcee announced. “This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. We’ll now announce the three finalists in our auction. Please come up when I call your names.”

Good. The distraction would draw the crowd’s attention to the stage, enabling them to sneak away without another scene.

“Kenneth Jones, Camille Henson and Sullivan Turner,” the man boomed out. “Please come to the stage.”

Haley stopped and turned back. “You have to go up there.”

“I don’t care about the raffle. Let’s get out of here.”

“Please.” Her eyes pleaded with his. “If we leave now, they’ll think they drove us out.”

He knew she meant her parents. And he couldn’t blame her for wanting to preserve her pride. “It’s not just that. I can’t leave you alone in the crowd.”

“I’ll go up with you.”

“You’d be too exposed.” And even though he had his sidearm, he couldn’t risk opening fire in a crowd this size. The collateral damage would be too high.

But she didn’t budge. “Nobody’s going to shoot us in the ballroom. And it will only take a minute. We’ll accept whatever the prize is and leave right after that.”

He glanced around. People were pointing and looking his way. His heart sank. She was right. They’d look like cowards if they slipped out now.

“Fine.” Not seeing an alternative, he trailed her to the small corner stage where two other people waited with the emcee. Taking his position beside Haley, Sully scowled at the audience, watching for signs of animosity.

Haley leaned toward him. “Try to look happy. You’re about to win something.”

“Right.” He bared his teeth.

The emcee introduced Senator Riggs, who thanked an endless stream of sponsors for their help. He finally wound down, and the emcee took the microphone again. While a drum rolled, he reached into a clear, plastic ball and pulled out a ticket stub. “In third place, a two-week cruise to the Black Sea, Camille Henson.”

Sully clapped. But he caught sight of Haley’s parents in the crowd and it was all he could do not to glare.

The drum roll sounded again. “In second place, for ten thousand dollars, Kenneth Jones. That means Sullivan Turner is our grand-prize winner, the proud owner of a new Chevrolet Corvette.”

Cameras flashed. Haley turned toward him and gave him a squeeze. But his heart began to race, the light from the cameras flickering through his memory, yanking him into the past. And suddenly, he was back in that desert valley, the world exploding in a roar of flames, surrounded by bodies and blood and screams.

His limbs began to shake. A clammy sweat broke out on his brow. And that god-awful panic consumed him, the frantic need to fight back. He grabbed Haley’s arm, struggling to anchor himself to the present, knowing if he lingered another minute he was going to lose it and come undone. He had to get away from the flashing lights now.

But the senator stepped into his path. “If I could have your attention for another moment,” he boomed into the microphone. “I’ve just discovered that our winner is none other than Sergeant Sullivan Turner from the United States Army, who not only earned a Purple Heart, but a Silver Star, one of the highest commendations there is. He’s a real-live hero! I’m sure you’ll all join me in thanking him for his service to our country.”

Applause broke out. Sully’s gut tightened to steel. Hell. This was all he needed, for the senator to broadcast that. Desperate to hold it together, he gripped Haley’s arm even harder and turned to go.

But a man carting a camera blocked his way. “Sir, we need you to come outside and stand by the car for a couple of photos.”

“We’ll be right there,” Haley promised before Sully could refuse. Then she towed him through the crowd. “A Silver Star?”

Ignoring the people surging toward him, he mopped his brow with his sleeve. “It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?” She shot him a look of disbelief. “How can you say that? That’s a huge award.”

An award he didn’t deserve. “It’s nothing.”

“But—”

“Forget the damned medal. Let’s just get out of here.” He knew he sounded surly. But there were too many people, too much noise. And they all seemed to be pressing toward him, offering congratulations, making it impossible to breathe.

Haley pulled him out the doors to the patio. His pulse still chaotic, he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the fresh night air. Light spilled from the mansion, illuminating the garden beyond the wall. But past the perfectly trimmed hedges lay acres of unlit fields and woodland—where a shooter could easily hide out.

“Come on.” Hurrying, he limped toward the side of the mansion where the Corvette was parked. The photographer was waiting by the car, along with the senator and another man Sully didn’t recognize. Several teenage valets hovered nearby.

“Man, this thing’s loaded,” a tall, dark-haired boy was saying to his friends. “Seven-speed manual transmission...” He ducked his head under the hood and rattled off a list of stats.

The photographer motioned Sully over, then turned to the valets. “Sorry, boys. I need you to step aside for a minute.”

Haley waved him on. “I’ll wait over here.” She joined the valets near a stand of trees.

Anxious to get this over with, Sully strode to the Corvette. The photographer got to work, taking photos of him shaking hands with the senator and accepting the keys from the dealer who’d donated the car.

Sully’s jaw started to ache. The pounding in his temples increased. And with every passing second, the uneasy feeling inside him grew. He didn’t like this. The guests were beginning to leave. Several lights near the tent had gone out. And Haley was too far away.

He pushed away from the car. “That’s enough.”

“We just need one more shot,” the photographer said. “In front of the mansion this time. If you could drive the Corvette around to the portico, we’ll take it from there.” Without waiting for an answer, he jogged off.

Haley caught his eye. “Go ahead. I forgot my shawl inside. I’ll go get it while you drive the car around.”

He hesitated. He still didn’t like this. The feeling of danger kept getting stronger, despite the thinning crowd. And no matter how damaged his instincts, he wasn’t going to let Haley out of his sight.

He glanced back at the car. The valets still lingered nearby, salivating over the Corvette.

“Hey,” he called to the tall kid who’d recited the stats. “You want to drive the car to the front for me?”

The kid’s eyes widened. “Sure.”

Sully tossed him the keys. Then he pulled Haley toward the entrance, away from the unlit grounds.

Male laughter erupted behind him. Sully glanced back as the kid swaggered to the Corvette, putting on a show for his friends. Another valet pulled out his cell phone and took a picture of him leaning against the car.

Sully shook his head. He’d once been that young, that cocky. That idealistic and naive. Back when he’d still felt immortal, when his life had been blessedly simple, when all that mattered were girls and cars.

The kid opened the door. More raucous laughter broke out. He got in and cranked the engine. Still smiling, he punched down on the gas pedal and took off.

The car exploded in a ball of fire.

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