In that second she did know him. James Heck, who insisted sheAEd stolen the aborted Roberts case from him. James Heck whoAEd been paid by Barlow to discredit her in front of Grayson.
James Heck, who held her prisoner.
oIAEm really sorry, James!o Amber blurted out his name before she could call the words back.
Footsteps stopped. His harsh breath died into silence. She heard the rustle of his clothing as he turned in her direction.
oFigured it out, did you, Amber Babe? Took you long enough.o Gla.s.s crunched beneath his feet.
oThatAEs too bad, Amber.o His hair rasped against his collar as he shook his head. oReally too bad. Because, you see, now that you know who I am, IAEll have to kill you.o
Chapter SIXTEEN.
The offices of Heck, Sleuth & Company were as dismal as HeckAEs residence, Grayson mused as Roger pulled the Porsche up to the curb. No night guard in this office building, although several signs posted numbers to call in the case of break and enter. Like anyone would, he scoffed mentally. Except for the offices of Heck, Sleuth & Company, the building seemed abandoned. For Rent signs covered broken windows. Re-zoning notices plastered the front door. Whoever owned the building was hedging their bets.
Roger looked up at the remains of what must have been an impressive skysc.r.a.per and groaned. oGuy sure knows how to pick a place.o oMust have been a spectacular building at one time.o Grayson peered through the notices that covered most of the gla.s.s on the front door.
oSure,o Roger agreed. oIn the twenties. Looks like the place has been rotting ever since.o What Grayson could see of the lobby lay in darkness, but a light shone from a nearby hallway. HeckAEs invoice specified Suite 401. He couldnAEt imagine the owner filling even four floors of such a dismal building. Perhaps Heck was one of the last tenants left on the lease. oI doubt thereAEs a guard,o he murmured. Why guard a building you were trying to evict people from?
oNot a human one anyway,o Roger said.
Grayson shook his head. oI doubt heAEs paying for an electronic alarm system, either.o oNo, but I wouldnAEt put it past a guy like Heck to have son of Cujo sleeping in his office.o Grayson tried the door and found it quite securely locked.
Backing up, he debated throwing his bruised shoulder against it, when Roger stepped between him and his intended target. oIAEm not going to let you put your foot through that door, Gray.o Against the lightening sky he could see RogerAEs stricken expression. Dawn approached, meaning Amber had been missing since just after dusk. oItAEs not like you to resort to brute force like that,o Roger admonished him. oIAEm the one who always goes rushing headlong into things, remember?o But was that really true? Grayson wondered, scanning the building for another route of entry even as he pretended to give Roger his attention. Or did they just act out the roles their parents had reinforced? RogerAEs just not responsible enough to run the firm, Grayson remembered his father saying when he had balked at the idea of law school. And Roger had lived up to that notion. But tonight it was Roger thinking with his head while Grayson would have run recklessly into disaster.
oThereAEs got to be another way in. A loading bay, electrical access. Something!o oLetAEs look around back,o Roger suggested.
They made their way through what had once been a landscaped garden. The remnants of shrubs lay like tumbleweeds on the freezing ground. Yellowed gra.s.s rose tall as hay before dying off in patches for the coming winter. Like a ghost the figure of a Grecian woman stood in the center of an abandoned fountain. One of her arms was missing and half of her face had been worn away by the weather. Grayson shuddered. oWhat kind of creep is this guy?o oA desperate creep obviously.o Roger turned away from the fountain and went to investigate the metal doors on the loading bay. oDid Amber ever say exactly what kind of work he did?o oBasic PI stuff, I gathered.o Grayson tried the padlock on the door. oWait a minute. Amber did say something about that Heck guy being angry at her for stealing one of his clients.o He could tell by the look on RogerAEs face that they drew the same conclusion. oThis is shaping up to be an entirely different scenario altogether.o oYou think James Heck has a personal vendetta against Amber,o Grayson said, voicing this new fear.
oThink about it. This Heck guy is furious with Amber for stealing his client, so he does a little PI work of his own and finds out that AmberAEs got a gig going at Barlow & Charles.o oHe wouldnAEt know that she was working off a court settlement.o oRight. So he goes to Barlow, hoping to get in on some of AmberAEs action. Or maybe heAEs worked for Barlow before.o The possibility only intensified GraysonAEs desperation. He gave the lock another urgent shake. Rust came away in his hand, but the lock held. oWho knows what Barlow was into behind my back?o oBarlow pays Heck to pull a prank that will make you angry enough to fire Amber.o oNo one expected us to get personally involved.o Something nagged at the back of GraysonAEs mind, demanding his attention. oWait a minute, Amber did say something about this Heck guy hara.s.sing her to go out with him.o Implication hit him like a blow to the stomach.
oThis may not be about Barlow at all,o Roger said, voicing GraysonAEs own thoughts.
oIf this Heck guy thought Amber stole his client--o oThen his little revenge plot to steal her client fails,o Roger interjected.
oThen on top of that she turns him down personally--o oIt makes this Heck guy--who sounds like heAEs unbalanced anyway-!all the more desperate.o Roger stopped talking abruptly.
Grayson rattled the handle again, to no avail. oWe have to get in there! This is the place, IAEm sure of it. If HeckAEs our man, it makes sense heAEd hold her in a place like this. I mean, whoAEd come here? Bet even the landlord hasnAEt been here in ten years.o He reined in the urge to throw himself against the metal doors, knowing it would only gain him a dislocated shoulder. oIf we could get our hands on some bolt cutters, weAEd be through there in a minute.o Roger eyed the sky which was turning from dark gray to faintest pink. oItAEs nearly dawn, Gray. We canAEt just hack our way through a lock in broad daylight. ThereAEs got to be another way in. A side door, a broken window ... Gray?o RogerAEs voice came as if from a distance as GraysonAEs attention was captured by a faint ray of light spilling out from one of the lower windows into the darker shadow between the side of the building and a row of half dead poplar trees.
Grayson leapt from the crumbling concrete of the loading dock into the brush beneath. Skeletal trees marked the property line between what had been a building next door. One wall of the foundation was all that remained of the neighboring structure. The rest had been bulldozed and covered with gravel. A weather beaten sign announced daily parking for five dollars. But the ticket dispensing machine bore the scars of numerous collisions and years of rust.
He pushed through waist-high stalks of dead plants, heading toward the pale glow of light heAEd seen from the loading bay. Down in the low ground between buildings it was harder to see. The wind shook the dried leaves in an eerie death rattle.
Roger crashed through the brush behind him. They werenAEt going to win any prizes for stealth he thought, whirling and holding up a finger for silence. Chastened, Roger continued more quietly.
Ahead the yellowed stalks of gra.s.s were gilded with light. He crept closer, wincing at the sound of gra.s.s crunching beneath each footfall. Hidden by the fence of tall stalks was a bas.e.m.e.nt window. Grayson flattened himself against the wall and looked down.
Among the overgrowth of weeds, he wouldnAEt even have noticed the window if it wasnAEt for the pale light leaking from the room beyond. Recessed into the wall, the window was also sheltered by a low wall of corrugated metal.
Crouching by the wall, he craned his neck to see down inside. But the only view was of a narrow concrete hallway that branched off at right angles into another beyond. The faint light came from around that corner. Too dim to be cast by a lamp, Grayson realized, more like a flashlight. If it had been any lighter outside, he wouldnAEt have noticed it.
oSee anything?o Roger asked.
oJust a hallway.o Grayson jumped down into the well around the window. Putting his hands against the frame, he heaved with all his strength. But the rusted metal held. He didnAEt dare risk making enough noise to break the gla.s.s.
oThereAEs got to be another way in.o Roger slunk away from the wall and moved quietly along the side of the building.
Grayson pressed his ear against the gla.s.s, listening intently. Over the crunch of RogerAEs footsteps he thought he could hear the low murmur of voices. No, a single voice, he decided. Someone talking on the phone, maybe. Or talking to himself.
oGray!o RogerAEs whisper brought his head up. Ahead he saw Roger crouched in the tall gra.s.s.
Running close to the wall, he tried to make as little noise as possible. Roger knelt beside a crumbling set of stone stairs that led to a rusting metal door. His hand closed upon the metal handle. Predictably it was locked. But the rusting lock didnAEt look all that st.u.r.dy.
oOne good tug,o Roger said, placing his hands above GraysonAEs.
oOn the count of three,o Grayson said, bracing his weight.
oOne, two...o A piercing scream tore through the bas.e.m.e.nt below them.
Amber screamed at the shock of cold steel against her throat. A big mistake. She heard HeckAEs laughter above her head, knew he feasted on her fear. The impossibly sharp edge pressed against her skin could only belong to a large knife. She shouldnAEt have screamed. He was enjoying it far too much.
oNot so brave after all, are we, Amber?o He chuckled again. oWho would have thought with all that false bravado?o Could it be that he only meant to frighten her, to shake her up? No, the rational part of her brain insisted. She knew who he was. There were laws against forcibly confining someone, laws against uttering death threats. No, James Heck was merely toying with her, prolonging the pleasure of his great revenge.
And she would never see Grayson again. The thoughts poured into her mind before she could stem the flow. Not only would he never know what happened to her, Amber thought dismally, but his last memories of her would be of their late night argument and their terse words the next morning. If only she could tell him she was sorry....
Thoughts of Grayson forced her mind back to work on a solution. Amber swallowed carefully.
oLook, James....o It was hard to talk with the blade of a knife pressed against her throat. oIAEm sorry I hurt you.o Amber imagined herself talking to Grayson. Picturing his face before her lent conviction to her words. She felt the blade slip a fraction of an inch away from her throat. oI didnAEt realize how selfish I was being. I was too wrapped up in my own problems.o oSure you were, babe.o HeckAEs harsh voice jolted her back to reality. oThe whole lot of you laughed at me. At the a.s.sociation lunches, the Christmas parties. aeSo howAEs it going, James? Still peeking into windows?AEo he mimicked a pa.s.sable imitation of her voice. oDid you think I didnAEt know you guys called me Heck Sleaze and Company?o The knife dimpled her flesh. Amber didnAEt dare draw breath to answer.
oI was the bottom of the barrel. Until you stole even that from me.o oI didnAEt know you were bidding on the job, James,o Amber whispered. Not being able to see stretched the tension between them. Better that way, she decided. That way she couldnAEt see his face contorted in anger. She wouldnAEt know when the moment came. oI was just trying to keep my own firm from going bankrupt.o oLike you needed clients,o Heck spit through his teeth. oWith that lawyer boyfriend of yours feeding you work.o Irony was Grayson hadnAEt been paying her at first. SheAEd been working off the last of the court settlement. She decided not to share that with James Heck. The last thing she needed was to hear him laughing at her before she died.
oYou could have left me to my pathetic life, Amber.o The sadness in his voice made his heart clench. Sadness mixed with righteous anger.
Enough anger to make him feel righteous about killing her. Amber felt the pinch of the knife again. This time there was a purposefulness to the bite of the blade that hadnAEt been there before.
oWait!o she said hoa.r.s.ely. Unlike the other times he didnAEt loosen his grip on the knife so she could speak. oYou donAEt have to kill me to fix this, James. I could help you. IAEd be happy to, really.o oSure, like you helped me out of a job. Out of my livelihood. Out of my life!o The blade vibrated with his anger.
oToo late, Amber Babe. You had your chance.o ****
AmberAEs scream. Grayson knew it instinctively. Terror lent him strength. He threw the sum of his weight into one desperate tug, felt Roger mirror his action.
The ancient rusted lock gave suddenly, unbalancing them both. Together they fell in a heap. Grayson was the first on his feet.
It was darker inside now as the sky lightened with dawn. Grayson bolted down the narrow hallway, Roger close behind him.
They came to another hallway, followed the wan light to the left. The narrow hall opened suddenly into a large open room.
In one sweeping gaze, he took in the bound shape huddled on the floor, the greasy figure of James Heck looming above. In the pale glow of the flashlight, he saw the gleam of a knife.
Caught by surprise, Heck whirled in their direction. Grayson sprang.
The impact knocked Heck to the floor. Grayson sprawled awkwardly on top of him. Anger burned through him, bright and hot. Fury that he would harm the woman he loved. Outrage that a worm like James Heck would sink to terrorizing a blindfolded and bound woman. Especially one as tiny as Amber Shaw.
But anger also drove James Heck, who for being pudgy, was also stronger than he looked. Despite the impact, Heck hadnAEt lost his grip on the knife. Grayson looked up just in time to find it sailing down in his direction. He rolled out of the path of the nasty looking blade, giving Heck a chance to half scramble to his feet.
From the corner of his eye he saw Amber trying to struggle to her bound feet, her head c.o.c.ked, listening intently.
oWell, if it isnAEt lover boy,o Heck snarled.
oGrayson?o AmberAEs hoa.r.s.e whisper cut through him and he longed to go to her, but for both their sakes he had to keep an eye on that knife.
Heck lunged at him. The knife flashed in the wan light. Grayson leapt backward. He felt the rush of air as the blade narrowly missed his chest.
Roger! he thought suddenly. Where was Roger?
A blur rushed by him, kicking dirt into his eyes. Grayson blinked. HeckAEs eyes widened as he took in the twin rushing toward him. So he hadnAEt known. Grayson leapt in RogerAEs direction.
Too late Heck turned to meet RogerAEs onslaught. Caught off guard, he brought the blade down, unsure which twin to target. Grayson knocked his stroke wide. The knife clattered to the ground. Then Heck was pinned under Roger, who had always been better at fighting. Grayson turned to Amber ****
Sounds of a scuffle echoed through the bas.e.m.e.nt. Harsh breathing. The male smell of sweat. Amber heard Heck call someone lover boy, then what she thought was GraysonAEs grunt of surprise. The dull impact of a punch being thrown in tight quarters. She called GraysonAEs name, got no answer. Someone rushed past her. Another set of footsteps, moving quickly. Another impact. She struggled to get her bound feet under her, failed and sprawled awkwardly on the floor.
Then suddenly there were warm hands on her back, warm hands turning her gently. The dull light was unbearably bright after the suffocating darkness. GraysonAEs face swam through her tears.
His hands moved over her shoulders, probing gently, feeling along her arms until he located the cold metal handcuffs pressed tightly into her skin. oAre you hurt?o His aching concern for her brought another wave of tears.
oNo,o she croaked. oJust cold and stiff.o He pulled her handcuffs and all into his arms. oWeAEll get you out of here, get you warm,o he promised. She felt the warm brush of his lips against her cold cheek.
Amber flailed against him, forgetting for an instant that her hands were bound and she couldnAEt touch him. Glancing past Grayson, she found Heck pinned to the floor by Roger. oHe wears the keys on a ring on his belt.o Heck bucked against Roger as Grayson bent over him. It took both of them to hold him to the ground while Grayson relieved him of his weighty key ring.
Metal cuffs fell away. Amber felt the pinp.r.i.c.k rush of circulation returning to her hands. Grayson helped her sit up, while he went to work on the coa.r.s.e rope that bound her feet.
Circulation only brought a wave of shudders. Her teeth chattered noisily. She couldnAEt stop shaking.
oHang on.o Grayson draped his jacket over her coat. With a worried look in her direction, he brought the handcuffs over to Roger.
oSit up,o Roger ordered. When Heck would have made a run for the hallway, Grayson wrenched his arms behind his back and tightened the handcuffs.
The look James Heck shot in her direction sent another wave of shudders down her spine. oItAEs not over, Amber Babe--o oShut up!o Roger shook him roughly. Knocking Heck back onto the concrete, he used his weight to hold him in place while Grayson secured his feet.
Satisfied Heck wasnAEt going anywhere, Roger pulled out his cell phone. Amber looked up to find Grayson standing before her.
oCan you stand?o He rubbed gently at her chafed ankles, urging circulation back into her calves and thighs. She leaned against him, not caring if the warm salt of her tears soaked his shirt. He drew her close, burrowing under the layers of their jackets, warming her with his body.
oOh G.o.d, Grayson!o Violent shudders wracked her body. oIAEm so sorry about all those horrible things I said the other night. I do love you. I do want to marry you. The whole time I was here I kept thinking IAEd never see you again, and the only thing youAEd remember of me was our argument.o oHush, Amber.o Placing a finger beneath her chin, he looked intently into her eyes. oItAEs going to be all right. We have the rest of our lives to make it up to each other.o ****
Two hours later, and still Amber couldnAEt get warm. She sat in RogerAEs Porsche, running down his battery by blasting the heater. Police swarmed through the bas.e.m.e.nt. The ropes that had bound her legs disappeared into an evidence bag. The bruises on her wrists and ankles were cataloged as thoroughly. SheAEd recounted the story of her ordeal at least three times and still she was due downtown tomorrow to make a statement. Grayson wanted to take her to the hospital. Roger offered to drive. The police wanted to fingerprint, prod and question some more. But Amber just wanted to go home.
Which was the crux of the problem.
She hadnAEt slept in her own apartment in weeks now. In fact, the crowded rooms made her claustrophobic. She longed for the wide open s.p.a.ce of GraysonAEs loft schoolhouse, the expanse of his wide bed.
But the last time theyAEd been there together, theyAEd fought bitterly. Now that James Heck was in police custody, the matter of their life together still needed to be resolved.
So, she sat in RogerAEs car, while the police questioned Grayson and Roger for the millionth time. And James Heck glared at her from the back of a police cruiser.
Finally, the police released Grayson and Roger. The convoy of cruisers pulled out of the parking lot. Amber saw James Heck twist in the seat to shoot a last hate-filled glare in her direction before they disappeared around a corner.
And then it was Grayson sliding into the seat beside her, lifting her into his lap. His arms tightened around her, as if he tried to heal her with the force of his embrace. The heat of his body began to warm her, and she felt herself slipping off into a doze. Dimly, she was aware of Roger sliding into the seat beside them, of the car motor roaring to life. Warm and safe at last, Amber drifted off to sleep.
She awoke to golden flickering light and the sound of water running. Drowsily, she lifted her head to find GraysonAEs loft aglow with candles. Towers of them burned on his dresser, along the headboard and lit up the bathroom beyond. She struggled from the mummy-like wrappings of his down quilt and jumped when he appeared in the doorway, a towel draped over one arm.
oMadam, your bath is ready.o oBath?o she asked in a pitiful attempt at humor. oDo I smell that bad?o His worried expression cracked into a smile. He gathered her into his arms and pressed a kiss on the top of her tousled hair. oYou smell just fine to me. But itAEs just what you need to work the kinks out of those muscles.o He was wearing a pair of worn sweats, his chest bare in the heat. Fires burned in both of the fireplaces and heAEd moved the electric heater close to the bed. Nuzzling into the center of his chest, she found the downy hairs damp with sweat. But he said nothing, made no move to turn down the heat.
GraysonAEs hands moved in slow circles at the base of her neck, urging her abused muscles to relax. Now that it was over, she found every muscle ached with fatigue. Muscles she didnAEt even know she had cried out in individual agony. And beneath it all the sick feeling of relief and exhaustion.
Warm fingers brushed her flesh as he fumbled with the tiny b.u.t.tons of her blouse. His hands drifted over her skin as he spread the cloth wide and moved behind to unfasten the clasp of her bra. Desire flickered in their wake, a smoldering ember. oGrayson, I need--o oHush.o His lips covered hers in a gentle, soothing kiss. oI know what you need.o His fingers strayed to the zipper of her pants.
Soon she stood naked before him, pressed against the soft cotton of his sweats. Which did nothing to hide the arousal he could no longer conceal.
But then he was lifting her, carrying her easily toward the claw-foot tub in his candle lit bathroom. Heat steamed the windows and the mirror, but the water was pleasingly warm. As soon as she sank into it, Amber felt her eyes closing.
GraysonAEs hands moved tenderly over her, ma.s.saging sore muscles, washing away the smell of mold and rot. She smelled the familiar scent of his shampoo, felt his hands sink into her crimson curls as he soaped her hair. She ducked her head under the water to rinse. Eyes dark as night looked back at her as she surfaced.
oGrayson--o she began, having no clue what she would say next. But he sealed her lips with one finger.
oAmber, I love you.o When she would have said more, he covered her mouth in a gentle kiss. oMore than anything else in this world.o He knelt beside the tub on one knee.
Then his expression clouded and he looked around as if heAEd forgotten something. oHang on!o he said, panicked. She heard his rapid-fire footsteps on the ladder, then him padding across the wooden floor below. The refrigerator door opened, then shut. He knelt again beside her. oI know I didnAEt do this the right way last time.o He reached into the water for her hand and slid the metal tab from a pop can onto her finger. oBut it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would marry me.o oYou still want me?o she asked hoa.r.s.ely, feeling the pressure of tears building once again. oAfter all the awful things we said?o He pulled her against him, heedless of the water that sloshed over the side of the tub. oI donAEt intend to let you out of my sight, so you might as well marry me Amber.o Amber leaned against him, warm and safe. An unfamiliar feeling of peace washed over her, as she felt the depth of her love for him, free at last of the fear and doubt that had plagued her for so long. She looked down at the flattened metal ring on her finger and laughed.
oSo?o She heard the fear in his tone, and answered him with a kiss that left no doubt as to her feelings. oOf course IAEll marry you, Counselor.o oSoon?o he prompted, as if she might change her mind. She wouldnAEt, Amber thought. During the long night in HeckAEs company sheAEd been plunged into the darkest regions of her soul. Life had given her a second chance, a life with Grayson.
His hand closed over hers, covering the impromptu ring.
oSoon,o she agreed.
EPILOGUE.