Embers of Torment (Power and Passion #2)

Chapter 13

Della

I t was lunchtime, and Sofie and I sat at one of the tables in the plaza by the café. We'd had a busy morning, so we hadn't had a chance to chat.

"You seem rather lighthearted and energetic today. It's almost like you're glowing. Did something happen?" Sofie asked while scrolling through her email.

"Umm, no. It was an ordinary weekend. Adam, Jace, and I watched a flick Friday night. It was nothing scary this time. We picked Hocus Pocus ."

"A regular movie. What prompted that?"

"We were at Jace's apartment, so we decided to stay away from anything that might give me a nightmare since I was going home afterward."

Sofie set her phone down, giving me her undivided attention. "Jace's place, hmm? How did that go?"

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, although I could feel my cheeks warming. "It was the same as usual. We had dinner and drank a few beers. Nothing eventful." I hated lying. Dating Jace was a big deal. Sofie would be disappointed knowing I was holding that tidbit of information from her. In particular, the part where we slept together. But I wasn't ready to share. Our relationship was too new, and with my track record, anything could happen.

True, it was super pessimistic to think that way, especially after such a pleasurable weekend. But it seemed too perfect to last. I stayed the night at Jace's apartment on Friday, going home after he made me breakfast. He was at my place Saturday evening, and we spent Sunday enjoying each other's company, which included lunch at the waterfront and a stroll along the harborwalk.

Jace was attentive the entire time, in addition to being well-mannered, respectful, and protective. He insisted on walking on the street side of the sidewalk, closed the distance between us when we were in a crowd, and escorted me to my door. Jace had an enduring quality I adored, other than his wonderful sense of humor.

He was a cuddler.

If I pointed to the ideal man, it would be him. And that was scary. Guys like Jace were foreign to me, which was part of the reason I was skeptical.

"Who left first, you or Adam?" Now Sofie was pushing for information.

"Well, I…umm. Adam took off before I did." Freaking monkey muffins. If Sofie continues with her questions, she'll force me to confess. I'm a shitty liar, and she knows it.

Sofie smiled, her attention flipping to something over my shoulder. "Speaking of Jace, there he is with Adam."

"What?" I spun around in my chair, spotting them walking towards us with lunch trays in their hands. I swung back to Sofie. "That's weird. Jace said he didn't think he could get away this afternoon."

"Oh? So you talked to him this morning?"

"Well…yes."

"Aha! Something is going on between you two. What is it you always say to me? Spill it, that's it. Now it's your turn."

"Fine." I dropped my gaze to my lap, my fingers pulling on a loose thread. "We're kind of dating."

"Whoa. Talk about eventful." Sofie raked me with scrutinizing eyes. "You're blushing. There's more to it than that. Cough it up."

"Darn, you." Groaning, I slumped back in my chair and crossed my arms. "We slept together."

Sofie stared at me, her mouth stretching into one of the biggest grins I swear I'd ever seen. "Wow. Good for you. Jace seems like a wonderful guy."

"Hey, did you just say my name?" Jace set his tray down next to me and eyed the two of us.

I froze and stared at Sofie with one of those pleading "don't say anything" looks. Based on her amused—and slightly devious—expression, I knew my silent plea wouldn't get me anywhere. Sofie wasn't about to keep quiet.

"I did. Della just broke the news to me that you two are dating." Sofie grinned, seeing me squirm in my chair.

"What? These two. Since when?" Adam stood beside Jace, looking utterly confused. "Wait a minute. That means I didn't imagine it. Something was going on between you guys Friday night. I knew it!"

"I didn't think you could tell," Jace laughed. "You were so engrossed in the movie."

Sofie chuckled. "I told you."

"Hey, no reason to give me a hard time because I get drawn in by the plot." Adam scowled as he sat next to Sofie. He placed a cup, sandwich, and several napkins in front of her. "I got your turkey and avocado on sourdough, so be nice to me."

"All right. I'll quit teasing." Sofie took a sip of her drink, which did nothing to hide her smile.

Ignoring her, Adam swung his attention to Jace. "I told Della you guys were perfect for each other. It's about time she listened to me. Now that the dynamics have changed, you two better not treat me like an unwanted guest when we hang out."

"Don't worry. It won't happen. Any relationship between Della and me has nothing to do with what we have with you. None of that will change." Jace sat beside me. "I got your lunch. Adam told me what you wanted." He slid his tray my way and took his sandwich and drink.

I ate while contemplating what Jace had said. Did he make his blanket statement about our romance not affecting our friendship with Adam because he knows that's one of my concerns? Was he trying to allay Adam's fears in addition to mine? I was snapped from my thoughts when Jace leaned over and kissed me. I scanned Sofie and Adam's faces, my cheeks burning like a pile of lit kindling when I saw their startled expressions.

Once their shock subsided, they jumped into a discussion about one of our newest products at work. Jace supplied updates on one of his. I continued to eat in silence, unused to receiving a blatant show of affection in front of my friends. But by the end of lunch, my demeanor had softened. I'd come to grips with Jace's devoted attention and even refrained from jumping when his hand went to my thigh and affectionately squeezed.

With the noon hour over, Sofie and Adam hurried off, both needing to return to the office for meetings. Jace and I took our time, holding hands while he walked me to the corner of my building. My pulse raced as I waited to see what he would do.

Jace's arm went around my shoulder, drawing me close. "You look gorgeous, by the way." He leaned down and kissed my neck. "And I love that fragrance. Is it new?"

"It is." I couldn't help giggling like a schoolgirl. "It's peony. I usually wear rose-scented perfume, but I had a whiff of some rank-smelling roses a while back, and it turned me off. I was searching for another fragrance, and this one stood out."

"I like it. It smells sexy." Jace nuzzled my neck again.

A shiver ran across my shoulders and down my spine. I playfully swatted his arm. "Quit, or you're going to get me all worked up, and then I won't be able to concentrate."

Laughing, Jace pulled away. "All right, I'll stop. I have to stay late tonight, but I'll phone you later to make sure you got home okay."

"Umm. I only have to go three blocks, remember?"

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't check on you."

"Fine. I should be home a quarter after five. I don't have any projects keeping me after hours this week."

"I'll call you at five thirty in case you get hung up. I shouldn't have to work overtime the rest of the week if I finish what I'm working on before I leave today. So, if you're up for it, I'd like to make you dinner tomorrow evening."

"Oh, so you can cook?"

"I'm not bad at it. For you, I'll give it my best effort. We can talk about it tonight. I should get back." Jace leaned down and gave me a quick but heated kiss. "Okay, off with you before I change my mind and stay." Smiling broadly, he nudged me toward the door.

A euphoria blanketed me as I walked into the lobby. I couldn't remember ever being this happy. Jace was like a dream come true—the perfect boyfriend, a protector, and a gentleman. It seemed silly that I'd been so worried, believing a romantic connection between us was doomed. Even worse was denying my desires because of a set of assumptions about Adam. I had to learn there was nothing wrong with putting yourself before others sometimes—as long as no one got purposely hurt or left out.

Then logic swatted my jubilance and positive thoughts away.

Come on, Della. Don't get so giddy. It's only been three days. A lot can happen.

I frowned—stupid logic.

It was mid-afternoon, and the last two hours seemed like they had flown by. Of course, that was the best part of being busy—there was no downtime. Hearing a sound, I looked up from my desk to see Sofie standing in my doorway.

"Della, can you get away for a half hour? Reid wants us to come down to his office."

"Yeah, I can. I just finished answering some emails that I had pending. So, what's up?"

"Braxton Hennessey is here, and he needs to speak with us. Well, mostly you. It has to do with the night you babysat at our house."

"But I thought Reid already talked to him?"

"Reid did, but it sounds like something came up. He wouldn't tell me what, only saying we had to come to his office."

"Okay, do I need to bring anything?"

"No, we're only going down there to talk."

Sofie and I chatted about her kids, Evie and Wyatt, on our way to the admin offices on the floor below. Once there, Sofie scanned her badge and led me to Reid's office. When we entered, he and Braxton Hennessey stood from the small four-person table in the corner. A detective with the Boston police, Braxton was dressed in a suit, his days in uniform long gone.

"Good afternoon, Braxton. Reid said you needed to talk to Della and me." Sofie hugged him and sat in the chair beside Reid.

"I do. Della in particular." Braxton extended his arm and shook my hand. "Della, it's been a while. How are you?"

"Not bad, although hearing you need to speak to me makes me nervous." I slid into the seat across from Sofie, my fingers pulling on the crease in my pants.

Braxton and Reid took their seats.

Braxton picked up the pen lying on the table in front of him. "Reid informed me that he and Sofie haven't been able to get ahold of their babysitter, Allison Wainright, and they've grown concerned. He asked me to see what I could find out, and I recently learned that Allison's daughter in Wisconsin filed a missing person report on her. According to her daughter, the last time she had contact with Allison was the day you babysat for Reid and Sofie. A check with some of Allison's neighbors confirmed their last sighting of her was around the same date. The next-door neighbor said Allison usually spent her mornings gardening, but the woman hadn't seen her outside."

Sofie's face paled, her hand going to her mouth. Reid sat there with a stoic expression, obviously aware of the situation.

My head was swimming with thoughts. What do you mean she's missing? Where the bejesus did she go? Why do you need to talk to me? I cleared my throat. "But I was only babysitting because she couldn't."

"Yes, I know. Reid told me Allison called them right before she was to show up to say something had come up, and she couldn't come over. It's the timing that makes her disappearance all the more suspect. To ensure we're not overlooking something, I'll need you to recount everything that occurred that night, no matter how insignificant you believe it might be. Can you do that?"

"Umm, sure." I gave Braxton a rundown of my evening with the kids, from feeding them dinner to reading Evie a story and putting them to bed. I included the entire scenario of hearing a sound outside and mistaking the patio chair for a human.

"I want you to think hard. Did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary when you went out on the deck to check out the noise you'd heard?"

"No. Nothing other than the dogs barking along the alley. Oh, wait. This sounds super silly, but I smelled roses on the deck, and they weren't from Sofie's garden."

"I'm confused. I need you to explain."

"When I was on the deck, this mega stinky rose scent lingered in the air. But when I leaned over the railing to check out the courtyard, the aroma from the garden below was different. It was way stronger where I was, and it was gross. It wasn't natural like the rose bushes on the patio. It was weird."

"You said it was more potent on the deck and unnatural. Was it more in line with something synthetic like perfume? For example, could it have been from someone wearing an overabundance of some fragrance?"

"I suppose if the person had drenched themselves with a super stinky and cheap brand. You know, like the kind you can find in some discount stores that pretend to be the real thing." I stared at my lap. As far-fetched as Braxton's suggestion sounded, it was plausible. But that would mean someone had been on the deck. A chill swept across my shoulders at the thought. "Umm… I also saw that creepy person at the end of the block when I left Sofie and Reid's house. But I think Reid already told you about that."

"He did. But I want you to review it with me and include every detail you can remember."

I glanced around the table and swallowed, my throat dry. Braxton's scrutiny was intense, and Reid's face was like a block of stone.

"Go on. Tell us what happened," Braxton said.

"Well, it was after Reid walked me to my car. I was driving away, and when I got to the corner, I caught something moving off to my right. It was a man dressed in dark clothing, and it was like he stepped from the shadows. I…umm…assumed it was a guy because he was huge. Anyway, when I looked in my rearview mirror, I could swear he was watching me. It was super creepy."

"What did you do?"

"I circled the block. The guy was gone when I returned."

Reid's eyes darkened, and his mouth formed into a thin line. "I still can't believe you did that. It was late, and you were alone. Do you realize how dangerous that was?"

"Umm. Yeah."

"Dammit, Della," Reid said. "You're going to get yourself hurt one of these days."

"Okay, okay. Della realizes that wasn't the best thing to do. Let's move on." Braxton scribbled some notes on the pad in front of him. Then he turned his focus back on me. "Did anything, anything at all, happen besides that?"

"Yes, but it was here. I mean, it wasn't here at work. It was in the plaza during lunch."

Both Braxton and Reid leaned forward in their chairs.

"Go on," Braxton prompted.

"It happened a few weeks ago when I was returning to the office from lunch. I had picked up something for Sofie and was texting her when I ran into someone and dropped my bag with her chicken pita. I went to pick it up and glanced at whoever it was to see who I'd hit. The guy seemed in a hurry and was already taking off, but I glimpsed his face. He had a tanned complexion, and based on his blackish-gray stubble, I'd say he was a lot older than me. The freaky part was he wore the same dark clothing and was similar in size to the guy I saw by Sofie and Reid's house. Plus, he'd pulled his hood up like he didn't want anyone to see him."

A growly sound drifted across the table from Reid's chair. Tight-lipped and scowling, he cleared his throat. His voice was overly calm when he said, "I believe you should have said something before now."

"Umm, I think I get that." I shrunk in my seat and plucked at my blouse.

Braxton's eyes narrowed, his gaze on Sofie. "Sofie, what's wrong? I realize this is upsetting, but you haven't said anything, and your face is ashen."

"My mother," Sofie whispered.

"I don't understand."

"Della said she detected a grotesque scent on the deck that wasn't coming from my garden. My mother always wore a cheap and unbearably smelly rose perfume. It was overpowering and lingered in the air wherever she went. It used to turn my stomach."

Braxton arched an eyebrow at Reid. "What do you think?"

"No." Reid shook his head. "I don't see how. The last time we saw Sofie's mother, Bobbie, she resembled a half-dead wild animal. She was thin and sickly looking, her face pockmarked under her caked-on makeup from years of drug use. She was the perfect stereotype of an addict and prostitute. I'd be shocked if she was still alive, let alone have the capacity to climb our tree and scale a fence."

Sofie shook her head. "I disagree. Although my mother disappeared years ago, we always feared she might return. She's a manipulative and devious woman, and I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted vengeance for Denny's death and Nick getting locked up in prison. And don't forget, even though she appeared thin and sickly the last time we saw her, Anderson couldn't handle her, and it was you who had to throw her out of our house. She was crazed from her drug use and more uncontainable than any of you thought."

Reid cocked an eye at Sofie. "I still don't believe she'd be able to get on our deck."

"What if she had help? Maybe someone bigger and stronger?" Sofie said.

Braxton leaned forward and clasped his hands on the tabletop. "Della, was there anyone with the man you saw? If not directly with him, possibly waiting off in the distance?"

"No, he was alone."

"Can you give me an estimate of his height and weight?" Braxton's eyes bored into me as he asked the question.

"Umm…sure. I'd say the guy was six foot three or four. And solid. You know, muscular like. I guess his weight could have been somewhere around two hundred and fifty pounds."

Braxton turned to Reid. "That sounds like someone who could get into your backyard and onto the deck. The problem is we can't connect him to Sofie's mother." Braxton refocused his attention on me. "Della, was there anything else that you can remember? A noise? A person? Something out of place?"

"No, that was it."

"All right. I have no more questions. You can go unless Reid or Sofie need you."

Reid studied Sofie, still rigid in her seat. "I'm going to keep Sofie here for a while. Della, you can return to your office."

I slid my chair back and left. My knees trembled as I leaned against the mirrored wall in the elevator and expelled a shaky breath. Holy moly. What the freaking bejesus was going on?